At the Cannes Film Festival!
There’s no question that the Covid 19 pandemic has been devastating on many levels. But there were also some advantages that came from this such as virtual meetups where you can meet new friends from across the globe and also the Cannes Film Festival being postponed until summer. Normally, this is an event I would’ve never been able to attend because it normally takes place in the spring, which is the busiest time for me at work. But because of Covid, the event was pushed back to July, during my vacation month, and for the first time ever I was finally able to go. The main events were for industry people only. But still it was fun to be there in the middle of it all simply to enjoy the ambiance.
It was thanks to one of the virtual trips by Heygo Tours that I learned about the Boulevard de la Croisette. The guide for the virtual trip in Cannes kept mentioning “the Croisette” during his livestream and said that this was the place to be during the film festival. I knew then that for my stay in Cannes, I definitely wanted to find a place on “the Croisette”. I was surprised when I saw that most places had already been sold out. I guess I was thinking that because of the pandemic that places would be ready available. But that was not the case! Thankfully, I was able to secure a small studio on the Croisette through VRBO. My only regret was that I didn’t book this for longer. I did not want to leave!
One of my favorite experiences was the “Cinema de la Plage”. This was the outdoor film screenings held every night on the beach. Free to attend and open to the public, and the views were just stunning!
Plage la Mandala was my absolute favorite restaurant. The setting was magical. The outdoor terrace overlooked the Mediterranean. There was live music, and the food and drinks were so good!
From the port of Cannes, it’s easy to take a half-day trip to Île Saint-Honorat (Saint Honorat Island). This is an island about a mile from Cannes and it is a community where monks have lived and worked since the 5th century! The abbey is open to visitors (outside of mass times). There’s also a shop that sells local baked goods and a restaurant called La Tonnelle where you can eat by the sea and taste wines from the vineyards cultivated by the monks at the abbey.
The local cuisine of Île Saint-Honorat is seafood and vegetables. The wine is also local and made at the vineyards of the abbey. Grapes on this estate are Clairette, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
