More Cannes impressions

I had told a few people I was a little afraid to go to France. I had heard so many stories from people about the French being rude, and I had no real desire to experience that. But as with most things, what you imagine is not close to what actually happens.

My first impression of Cannes was not too favorable. Yes, there are too many ugly buildings. There is too much traffic, with loud and smelly scooters buzzing around everywhere.

But if you venture away from the main streets you find nice little bakeries, cafes, and restaurants. And they definitely know how to do food well. Every meal we had, even in the hotel restaurant, was great. One meal was a 3-hour, multi-course affair.

The last night a co-worker and I started out walking, hoping to find a restaurant away from the waterfront -- something not too touristy. We turned down a side street and stopped to look at a menu. A couple walked past and said it was delicious. We figured a local recommendation was a good sign. We found ourselves in a small restaurant with an open kitchen and tables placed close together. Within 10 minutes the place was full. The food was simple but very well-prepared, with intense flavors: ravioli with lamb and cheese, veal with morels, dessert of fresh white cheese with black cherry preserves.

Coming back to Germany, the food seems incredibly boring.

Venture a little farther out from the traffic of Cannes, and there are beautiful views of the Mediterranean, and possibilities to ride or hike in the mountains.

But to visit in summer I was told would be madness because of the crowds.

On the flight to Düsseldorf, I sat next to a woman who was moving from Nice back to Germany. I asked if she liked it in France. She said Nice was too loud, too chaotic, and too dirty. She loved the food, loved the weather, loved the mountains and the sea together in the same setting. But she did not like the chaos of Nice.

She talked, in polite terms, about how people do not clean up after their dogs. That was something I noticed in Cannes also. So many people walking so many little foo-foo dogs, and no one seems to clean up after them. There are little sanitary bags hanging from poles but no one appears to use them. I saw a number of unlucky people stopping to scrape a pile off the bottoms of their shoes.

I suppose after a while, if you live somewhere, you get used to things like this. You just learn to be light on your feet and to watch your step.