August 30-September 4, 2019
Day 5 Friday, August 30th: We get up, get packed and get going. We leave our beloved hot apartment and get the nicest taxi to the Gare Lyon train station. When they open the boarding, you’ve got to get on fast because the train doesn’t wait! This was a nice train with a 2×2 seat facing each other. The train travel, though 5 hours, flew by as we tried to get school work, tried to remember what we’ve been doing all these days past, and watched the countryside go by. We arrive in Cannes and it’s still hot! We cab to our hotel to check in and head out to explore. We walk the main street Rue Antibes, and look at all the shops! Everything imaginable! We find an amazing ice cream shop…so many yummy choices! Kids get a dessert before dinner while we wait for the restaurants to open for dinner service. We eat at a tapas restaurant and it’s very nice sitting outside. We walk down to the pier and eye some nice yachts and their full crews getting them ready to sail. It’s busy here, too, with many people wrapping up their summer vacation. Finally, we get back to the room to decide on the plan of action for the next few days.
Day 6 Saturday, August 31st: Carson and I get up a little early and review a few of the Cannes street markets, grab a few peaches and head back to the hotel to get changed. Off we go to the train station again! We find we can get a family pass for the whole day for about $12 euros. We just missed the train to the Monaco, but the next one is only 25 minutes behind, so we wait…. This train is more like a regular subway train but it travels along the coast and we see some beautiful beaches. These aren’t huge stretches of beach like we are accustomed to, but small little arches of sand or rocks between cliffs or buildings dotted along the coast. The water is beautiful and clear and blue. We get off at Monaco, about 45 minutes later, and Carson is excited to add another country to her list! A short but steep walk takes us to the illustrious city center full of designer shops. We pop in to Gucci to see if we need anything. Actually we needed A/C. And wifi. We find both! A couple from the cruise ship was shopping for matching dad-sneaks and they found them here! A bargain with no taxes. We move on to the block everyone recognizes with the Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo, the Casino de Monte-Carlo and the Casino du Cafe de Paris. Cars galore. And Geer likes what he sees, even if he doesn’t know much about it. We snap a few pics for his cousin Max, who loves cars too. Hungry again and not many options, we eat at the Cafe de Paris in the Casino. It is pricey. Luckily the kids like bread and they aren’t afraid to ask for it! We split and scrimp our way through then head out to explore. We walk around a little…beautiful gardens and shopping streets. Then we take a bus to the old town. It’s really nice and we missed the tour of the Palace of the Princess of Monaco:(. But we only had a little time and wanted the kids to have some fun at the Museum of Oceanography. It was really a great museum, and we could have stayed for several hours, but 2 would have to do. The kids loved seeing sharks and really unique marine life exhibits. Finally, we had to pull away to get the bus to get the train, which we missed, but enjoyed talking to a nice young Law School student from Niger who was attending school in Nice. And then we met a family from Dubai whose 6 year old daughter knows English, Russian and French. She’s working on Spanish and Arabic. Yikes! We get back to Cannes and maybe we don’t eat at all? I can’t remember!
Day 7 Sunday, September 1st: Beach day! We get up, put on our suits and head out for a bite. We have a BIG meal at a very American place called Breakfast at Emily’s. It was buzzing and we split coffees, juices, pancakes in Nutella, muffins, eggs, smoked salmon and bacon. We had to show Nan the markets we saw yesterday, so we took her by both and she found a few small treasures. It is polite to say Bonjour! Before you start asking the guy to give you a deal, but it is appropriate to bargain at these markets for the brick-a-brac, but not for food. Sweaty, we head to the closest beach. The beach was packed with swimmers and non-swimsuit-wearing sunbathers. Lots of boobies. And people changing into their suits on the beach. Less modesty and more skin. The kids tried not to notice. Geer LOVED the Mediterranean. He stayed out and played for several hours. Carson, too. Mom and I enjoyed a few moments to catch up. When we were done there, we walked the rest of the Croisette and saw the private beaches and clubs, had an ice cream or two, and played on the playground. We left and Nan stayed out shopping for another 1/2 hour while kids and I went home to clean up. I picked up a Pizza at a family-owned spot that has been in business there for 40 years. We ate pizza and watched Harry Potter on the computer (trying to get ready for London!). Finally, the kids slept and so did we.
Day 8 Monday, September 4: Up early again and off to Nice. Another train, more wandering, and we find the massive Monday antiques market. It’s really more like books and prints and salt shakers and jewelry and old toys and kind of reminded me of when my parents moved out of their old house. But we enjoyed pursuing the isles. We also walked to the coast at Nice and it, too, was Mediterranean picture perfect. We tried to bargain and buy some cool fashion prints from a 1930’s era Paris magazine, but the guy wouldn’t budge on the price. We asked him to hold them and walked around to see if the price was right. When we came back, he acted like he didn’t understand what we were saying or what we wanted so we gave up. As we walked away, we watched him go to the place he had stored the prints and put them up. He obviously just didn’t want to sell them to us! Geer was mad-he said he never liked that guy anyway. Geer has a way of knowing people. We take the long walk back to the train station and head home. When we get home we pop in to a few shops and then at the hotel, Geer really wants to hit the beach again, so off we go and I’m so glad we did. It was a hot, beautiful day and the 3 of played in the cool, clear water. We laughed and prayed and told each other how much we loved each other and how happy we were to be together. Just missing Daddy, and he would love this beach!
We head home to clean up and off to a restaurant that was listed as a good bargain in Cannes. The service was friendly and fast and we enjoyed our last night together here. Nan had been a great traveller and comfort to us through this trip.
Day 9 Tuesday, September 3 & Day 10 Wednesday, September 4: Up early, off to the train station yet again to head back to Paris. For some reason, the ride back seemed to take longer than the ride there, but it was enjoyable as the kids caught up on schoolwork and mom and I tried again to recall everything we had seen and done. We met a family from England on the train and of course mom wanted them to tell me all about it, as if they were my personal tour guides! When we arrived at the station, we had a little time to kill before heading to the airport hotel. We walked through Le Train Bleu and it really is spectacular! The restaurant didn’t open for several hours, but the lounge was open for light bites. Judge if you must, but we fed the kids a $5 sandwich and then mom and I dined at Le Train Bleu! It was delicious and beautiful and a great way to cap off our trip with the best Caesar Salad and Croque Monsieur and wine. Then off we go to the world’s tiniest hotel room near the airport where we watched the end of Harry Potter all 4 piled in one bed. We wake up and get Nan to her gate with no time to spare. Kisses and hugs and prayers and promises. As she walked through security and out of site, the waterworks came. The kids were so sad to see her go because they just love being with her. She’s a piece of work, but she does make life better. She’s just the best.
So, the kids and I walk around, play around on the sidewalks, buy grocery food to eat for lunch and dinner, catch up on homework and such on this day. Then we pack up and get ready for the British part of the program…
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