Well, it was a tough go getting to Cannes, but we made it. While taking a sail down, a stanchion ripped out as well as a rail at the back of the boat. We were able to wrestle the sail down and get it in the bag, but it was not an easy task. A stanchion is a rod, so to speak, on which life lines run on top and a continuous sheet for sails on the bottom.

We then dropped anchor, it dragged, and we had to re-anchor. Too bad the anchor hooked under an abandoned, old rusty chain. Now, we had to figure out how to get the anchor free. After about an hour of work, we were free and anchored. It was a bad day; especially since we ran out of wine!

Finally, in a marina at Le Vieux Port, 4/21, things started looking up for us. We were able to regroup, relax, and explore Cannes.

Cannes and St. Tropez, both long ago fishing villages, now offer top beach resorts on the Mediterranean Sea. Both locations can be pricey; St. Tropez is smaller and more quaint whereas Cannes is much larger and has more of a city vibe. Like in St. Tropez, Cannes’ main street, Promenade de la Croisette, offers high-end shopping (Prada, Gucci, you get the idea), national landmarks, and fine dining. The marinas in Cannes also house larger mega yachts than its neighbor. The weather was a bit on the cool side but with the sun warming your back, the days were perfect for walking about or playing bocce in the main square.

Highlights include visiting the old port, Vieux Port, complete with a bell tower, chapel, and fort, seeing a triathlon, visiting a fresh air market, and lunching at the Carlton Hotel. Incidentally, the Carlton Hotel has just reopened after renovations and is the hotel favored by the Hollywood type when attending the Cannes Film festival. Did you know our boat was featured by Outremer in the Cannes boat show last September?!

It has been noted that the French thoroughly embrace the fresh outdoors. Whether it is dining, exercising, or fishing, the Frenchmen are always outside. You cannot imagine the amount of people already swimming and taking advantage of the clean beaches to play volleyball or doze in the sun. A plethora of beach clubs and restaurants can be found up and down the entire coast of Cote d’Azur, just another added bonus for the coastline.

Tomorrow we leave for Antibes…