We could live here! October 18

Bus 600 down the hill to Cannes and then a short train trip to Antibes. Antibes wasn't part of our firm plan but it was recommended to us by some fellow Le Club Mougins(our resort) people.It turned out to be one of our favorite places.

Antibes is a waterfront town with the largest yacht harbor in Europe. It is also the place where waterskiing was invented (probably by some early X gamers) in the 1920's.
We visited the Provencal Market and enjoyed the fresh market experience. We bought picnic items from the vendors and also some souveniers to take home. The variey of gorgeous fresh fruits and vegetables was awe inspiring.

We wandered the backstreets of the town (photographer's paradise) and then went down to the harbor to sit amongst the yachts for our picnic.
After lunch we went to the Picasso Museum and enjoyed his art and the view from the castle that contains it.
We spent some time on the beach, once again enjoying the the feel of the sand and Mediterranean Sea on our toes.

I collected my sand, and a few pieces of beach glass (I even found a tiny shard of the elusive cobalt blue).

When it was time to return to our resort, we were a bit unsure of where the bus stop was. I stopped a couple to ask if they spoke English, hoping they could help us. They did speak very charming English and tried to describe where the bus station (rather than the bus stop) was. They decided they would walk us there and led the way.We chatted and shared experiences on the walk and as we neared the bus station they pointed us in the right direction. Apparently, after they left us, they became concerned for us and decided they would come back and get us and show us right to the train station, which was our ultimate journey destination. Off the six of us went again for the10 minute walk to the train.

Our experiences with the French people have been extremely positive. They have gone out of their way to assist us. If they are unable to help directly, they leadus to someone who can: someone who speaks better English, someone who knows the answer to our question, someone who will get off at the same bus stop that we will (so that person can remind us when to get off). Bus drivers have gone off their route to take us to the staircase we need to climb to an old city. It has truely been a case of getting what you expect. We are sure they will be helpful and they are.