Beautiful Cynicism III

Je me lève tard, comme est mon habitude ici. Je rentre la salle à manger et je vois l’horloge: houlà! Il est déjà midi et quart! Oublions le petit déjeuner – il est déjà l’heure du repas de midi! Je m’installe sur la terrasse; le soleil brille fort, mais sa chaleur est tempéré par le vent. The bright vase overflowing with mimosa sits atop the table, the flowers’s delicate yellow tufts quivering in the breeze. Soon there is a photography session, with each of my hosts taking turns posing with their timid Canadian guest. Although the early afternoon slips by quietly, there is a sense of purpose to the day: preparations for the upcoming road trip quickly begin.

I’m left alone for a moment in the place I’ve called “home” for the past few days. I settle on the couch under the stairs, curling my legs under my body, and just sit there. The house is silent; everything is still. Sunshine is streaming in through the windows, casting bizarre shadows on the floor before me. Not only can I hear the wind, whistling through the trees outside; I can see the wind: the long grass of the backyard undulates with each gust of wind that blows through, like waves on the sea. I bask in this moment of peace, enjoying the last of my whirlwind trip through Provence… My hosts return and there’s a flurry of activity. Je prépare mes bagages et descend l’escalier pour la dernière fois. On dit nos adieux à Monsieur Moonbeam, et on part. Puis, cinq minutes plus tard, hop! on revient: j’avais oublié mon billet pour le train. Quelques minutes plus tard, on est sur l’autoroute, en route à la prochaine destination.

Le voyage dans la voiture a été agréable: la mer sur un côté, les collines sur l’autre, et le soleil qui se couchait derrière tout. Il est presque le soir quand on arrive à Cannes. Il y a des voitures partout: c’est un embouteillage complet. On trouve notre appartement – mais où peut-on laisser la voiture? Il n’y a pas de parking… Le rayon de lune décide de faire confiance en sa bonne étoile – et après quelques tours autour du pâté de maisons, on trouve une place libre juste à côté de l’appartement! I quickly discover the charming apartment in which I am to rest my weary head for the next two nights. Small but spacious, cosy yet roomy, it’s situated directly across the street from a school, and mere minutes away from the harbour. I take the larger room at the top of the narrow staircase, with a window that opens on to the street. This is to be my fourth “homebase” of the trip, and it suits me just fine!

We two ladies wander out in the evening and don’t return until late at night. We walked for hours, weaving our way through the throngs of tourists and men in business suits (there was a real estate broker conference in town). We paused briefly for a late dinner at an Asian restaurant, then resumed our grand tour. We walked along the shoreline, admiring the fancy dress parties being thrown for the various real estate companies; we peered into boutique windows to evaluate the season’s trends; we climbed the many steps up to the church and the museum, and surveyed the city below. We were even treated to a fireworks display. Cannes at night was bustling, full of energy, with late-night revelers milling about and tourists snapping photos. The air was warm and festive.