I woke early around 0800 and readied for the day. The breakfast was traditional French, cafe au lait, hot chocolate or tea with a small table basket of baguette and croissants with some jams that was brought to your small table. The breakfast tables were specially erected in the hotel foyer every morning to save space. The receptionist and the breakfast waitress, both in their 60s if not older were just singing with happiness and joyful in a way only a French person from Cannes of that generation could be. It truly brightened my day and put me in good spirit for the day. After breakfast around 1000am I packed my bags, checked out and made the short walk over to the Ibis on the other side of rue de Antibes and left my bags at reception as it was too early to check in. I then took my first walk along the Croisette in day time. There was much less people than the night before, it was so pleasant to walk in the beautiful early morning sun as it glittered on the sea that merged with the blue sky in the horizon. On one end of the Croisette was the film festival buildings alongside the wealthy yachts in the old harbour, and on the other side were sections of private hotel beaches full of private sun loungers and sun umbrellas. At each end where the public beaches which were slowly but surely starting to fill up with sun bathers starting the daily roasting ritual.
I headed in the direction of the old town and visited the market which was so full of life and food of such quality it shone as bright as the sun. The fruit and vegetables seem to be grown in Disney land with all the colours and shininess that you could only expect on a TV cooking show, every item proud and polished. There were specialist stalls for cheeses, olives, fish, breads, the list was endless. People, shuttled around the stalls negotiating the best pieces while sellers sprayed the produce with water to keep them pout and shiny. I just wanted to buy it all and start cooking there and then but being in a hotel meant that I could not indulge myself and I would have to restrict myself to restaurants.
I continued my walk into the old town which slowly increased in elevation as it was on steep hill that overlooked the bay. The slow gradual steps wound around the back of old buildings that were shedding old rendering and boasting wrought iron fixtures and street lamps from a bygone era. The heat of the morning was starting to make itself felt as I climbed the hill, but I was not deterred, on each step there were wonderful views over the whole of modern stylish Cannes that sat juxtaposed with the old buildings of the old town. I walked down again and found a little cafe on the cross roads next to the hotel de Ville. I took a long rest with an espresso as my friend and watched Cannes come to life. Still having a lot of time before I could check in at the Ibis, I took a slow Sunday lunch time walk along rue de Antibes browsing through the shops. At 1400 I went back to the Ibis and checked in to my room and collected my bags. I then washed and readied for the evening before going back out onto the Croisette to promenade along with the rest of the Cannes glitterati and fashionistas. I stopped for a drink on a corner bar just near the famous hotel Martinez to watch the Ferraris’, Aston Martins, Lotus' and some cars I didn't even know the name of drive by. Young handsome people hanging out of the car windows or walking and sometimes strutting in there confident arrogance along the walk ways seemed to be all around me. Amongst them real and normal people, with children and pot bellies and bad hair cuts seem also to be rubbing shoulders with the pretty people, how well Cannes seems to provide a playground for everybody. Visitors to Cannes seem to be at peace with each other irrespective of nationality, class or style.
After a drink, I went back towards the old town where I had spotted a restaurant for dinner the evening; it was in an area of the old town called Le Suquet and on the rue le Suquet, a small pedestrian lane that wound up the hill with restaurants lining it all the way up. I stopped at a wine bar just next to my restaurant for a drink of white wine before moving to the Auberge Provencale da Bouttau restaurant on the rue le Suquet as it joined rue St. Antoine at number 10. I sat outside on the sloping lane with a table for two and watched the nightlife pass me by as I dined; it was like watching a fashion show with your own private cat walk. Buskers passed by playing their instruments and people selling flowers and all sorts of other items also passed by like a revolving shop window. I had a fish soup to start, with roulade and crouton, followed by Margret de canard and finally a warm chocolate tart with a lemon sorbet. After dinner I took another walk along the Croisette before retiring to bed at 2300.