We had ventured forth so often that we decided we would simply stay in Cannes for Saturday. We were out an about wandering the streets and I told Elizabeth I would like to have breakfast at a place that sold prepared food. I had visited a few days before. It had a couple of table outside and we could pick and choose what we wanted for breakfast. Here is what we finally ended up eating. Lobster, small squash stuffed with tuna and the top cut off and replaced like a little cap. Pate on baguette and poached eggs wrapped in prosciutto. Crepe, coffee and a small tart for dessert. Bill for this largess $70. It was worth every penny of it.

We wandered further along the street and did a little shopping and both picked up white linen outfits that we wore later that evening. One shop we enjoyed was for children with a 101 toys to delight any child. This kid was delighted when they had a life size Pinocchio sitting on a bench with a large wooden nose which resulted when he lied. It provided a great photo opportunity as you can see in the photo album.

The streets in Cannes are one lane wide and the sidewalks either have posts or large metal balls to prevent cars from parking on them. In Italy maddeningly they allow people to park where they want and the result is the sidewalks are barricaded against pedestrian traffic. It is like a maze to walk down a street and not be killed when you are forced onto the road by a parked car on the sidewalk. Other streets are restricted and have no traffic. To accomplish this they have what look like two hydraulic stainless steel half barrels in the middle of the street. When a delivery truck arrives there is a post and they pass a card over a sensor on the post and the half barrels sink to ground level allowing passage. Then back up they go. On one street a large garbage truck entered the street which had no garbage bins on it. Kind of made me wonder. Then doors flipped open from the ground and dumb waiters brought up the garbage bins some 4 in all from the underground. They were the same size you have at your home and dealt with in the same manner as we do here by a lift loading the garbage into the truck.

Throughout Cannes you will see sculptures that look like giant size salt water taffies. They are each a flag of a country wrapped in the shape of a salt water taffy and at 6 feet in height impressive.

In Toronto on Saturday mornings I am usually found at the St Lawrence Market where around 9 a.m. I have an elevated table that I set a checkered table cloth with a candle to announce that I have claimed this table for an hour or two. I have been doing this for over 25 years but I have been coming to this market area for over 60 years. My dad had a grocery store and what is now the Ontario Food Terminal on the Queensway back then was located along Front and King Street including the St Lawrence Market.

This has left me with an interest in markets around the world and whenever I go somewhere that is what I look for. The market in Cannes is a pink pavilion structure with open sides called Lorville. It has over a hundred stalls and the locavores have shopped here for decades. You will find cantaloupe, heritage tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, cheese, flowers, a wide variety of mushrooms, meats but surprisingly since it is on the Mediterranean little sea food. The St Lawrence Market has a wider selection and greater variety then this market especially with its three fish mongers. If you are not aware of it our market is rated as one of the top 50 in the world. A visit to other cities on my part has confirmed this.

After this we wandered amongst the hilly streets of Old Cannes that have survived from when it was a small fishing village before it was declare by the French Government to the site of a great film festival. One interesting building had its side painted with life size characters from films. Along the waterfront are a series of life size naked bronze athletes in various poses elevated on poles. Every detail is show as you will see in the pictures much to the curiosity and delight of Elizabeth. We then wandered towards the main theatre on the waterfront. This is the one where you see the red carpet leading up the steps to the premier of some new film. They have in the cement many hand prints for famous movie stars to add interest to the area. I of course took pictures of the star in my life Elizabeth on the red carpet.

We wandered further past the beach where people were chock a block to each other having rented an umbrella and or cabana. There were one or two topless ladies. One of them should not have been topless but I have been to the Dykes on Bikes parade in Toronto and seen worst. When I returned I talked to another neighbour who had rented on the beach at Cannes. For eight people for half a day the cost was $500. Imagine going to Ft Lauderdale and laying out that kind of money.

We returned to our hotel to have an afternoon snooze and because of the large breakfast and noshing in the market we passed on lunch. That evening we went out and said to ourselves let the chips fall where they may. We will find some place of interest to eat. That we did. We came across a Moroccan restaurant called Le Riad. In has tables on both sides of the closed street and we had an exotic meal of lamb on cous cous with the wonderful flavours they put together for their cooking. As we were finishing our meal Arabic music filled the street and out came a beautiful belly dancer. We were front row centre and she danced two long exciting numbers that got me to thinking maybe Morocco might be a great place to visit next. I wanted a picture with her and as she retreated into the restaurant I pursued her. She however had flitted away. The interior of the restaurant was like a tent with Arabic lights and arabesque furniture. I asked the bar tender if he would take a picture. He obliged but added to the exotic nature of the photograph I wanted to create and gave me a Fez to wear.

I returned to the table and told my wife how I had failed to win the day. She promised me she would do a belly dance when we got home and I could take a picture with her and me by using the timer on the camera.

The sun surprisingly set in the west again as I wondered if Phaeton was driving his father’s chariot today or not. Another perfect day. Tomorrow we head for the barn as it were and home.