It is becoming a well-known fact that nothing ever goes smoothly with me. The Cannes Film Festival adventure was no exception, but bygollygeewhiz was it fun! Tom and I left the house just after 2pm (as planned) and picked up my new friend Nathalia on our way out of town. Miraculously, I finally found the "correct" route to Saint Raphael after the last few long-winded disastrous routes that I've taken and we got there in just over an hour. There was hardly any traffic because there was a storm fore casted and there was a bit of light rain on and off throughout the day. We met Luisa at our usual parking lot and walked to the Gare where we missed our train even though it was 10 minutes late and we had arrived in Saint Raphael half an hour early. We caught the 5pm train (TGV-- so cool! I can't wait for high speed rail in California!) and were on our way. The ride was so smooth except halfway through a rock came flying through the window of our car (not where we were seated thank goodness). It was really strange. I think it was just an accident but who knows.
We arrived in Cannes to more rain, but between Luisa being hungry, Nathalia's camera breaking, me realizing that we needed tickets for the movie on the beach (which we actually didn't need), we split up and got back together at least three times, but just in time for the sun to come out and the red carpet spectacle to begin. It was the premiere of the new Pirates movie so there were some really big celebrities there. Shame that we would never have gotten access in a million years. And to be honest, we didn't have a great spot (probably because we were so late getting there). I have a picture of the Penelope Cruz's back, that's it. After the red carpet, we sat on the beach wating for the Cinema de la Plage to be set up and eating sandwiches and ice cream. We took out the bottle of rose that I'd been saving for a couple weeks but of course, we didn't have a bottle opener. After asking like 5 ice cream places if they had one, we took it into a restaurant and asked them to open it for us-- easy fix.
I had been anticipating Le Cinema de la Plage since I started researching how to get into the film festival wayyy back before I even left the States. But watching the set up process was probably the most entertaining part. Small yet semi-muscular Frenchmen flinging chaise-lounges into fairly straight rows should be a spectator sport. Although I don't think I'd pay much to see it, it certainly does pass the time. The movie showing was a 1984 Italian Film called E La Nave Va (translation And the Ship Sails On). The film had French subtitles and therefore was a little hard to understand at times, if not because of the language, because of the plot. Luisa fell asleep, I definitely nodded off at points, but Tom and Nathalia managed to stay awake despite how bored they looked. The film was about this Celebrity cruiseliner that was celebrating the funeral of an adored star just before the start of WWI. At the beginning the characters were stand-offish and snobby. They didn't want to interact with characters who were not of the same social standing as they were and there was a huge scene when a seagull somehow managed to enter the dining room. But then a group of refugees comes aboard and while at first the guests seem offended by their presence they take time to learn their story and eventually become more accepting. They even ate outside with the newcomers and a seagull flew into the dining room again and they didn't care. Then there was something with a fire but at the same time, fireworks started going off. So I didn't catch the end of the movie. But the fireworks were seriously better than Disneyland and it is one of the things that will make Cannes so remarkably unforgettable in my mind.
After the film, we walked back to the train station to try and catch the last train but it had already left. For the others that was a much bigger deal than it was for me. But then again I had planned to stay out all night, even though I knew I wouldn't be able to last the entire time. We decided to make the most of it and walked around town looking for a bar. It was already after 1am though so a lot of places were closing already. We finally found something open and must have stayed there for a couple of hours. Everyone was tired, I was too stingy to pay entrance for a disco, and Nathalia had booked a hotel in Sophia-Antipolis, so instead of staying out all night as planned, we caught a taxi to the hotel. Luisa and Nathalia took the bed. Tom and I, opposite corners of the floor.
The next morning we got up and took the bus to the train station in Antibes and then the train back to Saint Raphael and home from there. On the way home Tom told me that "nothing is ever easy with [me]." He meant... Well I guess I don't really know what he meant. I know I can be impulsive and tend to do things without thinking them all the way through (even if I think I'm trying). But I don't think I'd have it any other way.
So misfired plans galore. It was still a blast and will forever be one of my favorite memories of France.
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