Cannes for the day

We are currently sitting on a train bound for Cannes, which is sitting in the Nice railway station, waiting for its scheduled departure time.  We just missed the earlier train because other passengers were buggering about with the ticket machine in front of us.  When finally we obtained our tickets for Cannes, we rushed to the platform just in time to witness our train's departure - with us not on it. We've now got a 'fast' train, apparently.  Let's hope it is fast because it's the filthiest looking train on the outside you've ever seen.  Why are we going to Cannes?  Because we Cannes.

Our hotel in Nice is not too bad.  It's cheap, but not too bad.  Oh, our train has just pushed off from the platform.  Cannes here we come.

Nice is, of course, a part of the Côte d'Azur, or, in English, the French Riviera.  It's an area of the coast that at least includes Cannes, Nice and Monaco.  We arrived in Nice last night at about 7.20pm after a relaxing day of taking it slowly in Barcelona, and heading to the airport there, and waiting for our flight.  

After checking into our hotel in Nice, we headed for the beach to see the sea again and to see what's happening.  We were surprised to find that at least at the Nice portion of the Côte d'Azur, the beach does not have sand - you drape your towel down on stones .....just like Brighton in England.  We strolled along the Promenade, which is called the Promenade des Anglais (Promenade of the English), watched people pass by, watched a few swimmers in the water, saw the odd boat out on the water, and noticed in the distance that as the coastline curves round, many dwellings hug the coastline, while many more are packed in on the hillside behind them.  I gather the French Riviera is hilly near the coast.  Certainly, this area is just that.  Oh, the train announcer just said something about Cannes.  We can't be arriving there yet, Cannes we?

Right now, we're sailing along on our train with the Mediterranean to our immediate left.  It's pale blue, but sparkling in the sunlight.  The beach is still pebbly.  Should be in Cannes soon.