Travelling in France and a visit to Cannes

Yesterday Team Rust travelled by rail from Sanary to Cannes to where my late mother’s best friend had moved.

We travelled by rail.

On arrival at the station at Sanary we had been informed that, due to a strike by maintenance staff, the train would be 20 minutes late.

I thought we would miss the connecting train from Toulon to Cannes but this was also affected by the strike and running 40 minutes late.

Strikes are endemic in the French economy and I doubt if the new re-elected President will do any better than his predecessors in resolving them.

The French railway union has obtained significant benefits for its members in terms of early retirement and discounted tickets for all members of the family and will protect these by strikes.

It was a shame because the train journey hugs the coastline but the train was overcrowded,  slow and full of moaners on their mobiles.

There were no announcements about what was happening let alone apologies.

I managed to get a seat opposite a disagreeable fat woman who removed her shoes put her bare feet up on the opposite seat next to mine and spread her cases about on the third seat.

She broke the silence by asking me for 5 Euros which I refused.

Eventually the train arrived at Cannes one hour late.

I had visited Cannes in the sixties when we stayed in the Majestic Hotel.

The Carlton is the  ‘grand dame’ and the third luxury hotel on the Croisette – the strip of high end shops, flats and hotels – was then the Martinez which was in reality a large brothel.

In a word Cannes is glitzy.  

It attracts new wealth and is best known for its film festival held annually next month.

The hotel where we are staying – The Grand – has a directory in Russian and there are several Russian channels on the tv.

However I learned from my mother’s friend that the Russians are keeping a low profile. Traditionally they have palatial homes in the Riviera.

We had lunch in a beach bar overlooking the sea.

This was lively and fun.

The food was good and full of animated holidaymakers.

The journey had made me tired but I resolved to walk the Croisette.

My room had a balcony overlooking the sea and I spent a happy hour or so on it reading up on the two big stories: the re-election of Emmanuel Macron and the knife attack on a priest in Nice.

The election had a low turn out, reflecting both a cynicism that there will be any change and a cynical acceptance of corruption in French politics.