We woke to intermittent heavy rain and 60 degrees. After fortifying ourselves with a hearty (free) breakfast we braved the weather. At the recommendation of Cleone and Emily, we had booked tickets (10:45) for the Van Gogh Museum and did not want to miss our slot. The concierge explained how easy it is to take either streetcar #2 or #12 almost to the front door, so we headed out and sure enough, it was a breeze. 3.20 Euro each. We made such good time, in fact, that we snuck in a coffee and cake before our time slot. We chose a cafe nearby in case the rain started up again, and sure enough, it was pouring for our two-minute walk back to the museum.

We know very little about art and famous artists, so we went straight to the auditorium for a 25-minute presentation on Vincent van Gogh. I enjoyed it thoroughly and Dan slept through the whole thing. Three hours after entering the museum, we were amazed that a 47 year old man who suffered terribly from mental illness, was never successful enough to fully support himself in spite of creating 2,100 works, and whose work was not popular in his day now merits a huge, beautiful museum dedicated to his work and his sad-in-many-ways story. Paintings with a particular appeal to me were The Potato Eaters, Sunflowers, his many self portraits in hats, The Bedroom in Arles, and Farmhouse in Provence. 

Saturated with all things Van Gogh (thanks to wonderful headsets), we headed back to the hotel confident we would have no problem retracing out steps, because all we had to do was follow the tram tracks. An hour into the walk back we decided to check Google Maps to see where in the heck we had gone wrong only to find out we had six kilometers (0.6 km = 1 mile) to go factoring in backtracking. Why not jump back on the ole tram, it being so easy and all? We didn’t know which one would take us in the right direction. Hail a cab? We didn’t see a single one. 19,000 steps into the day, our dogs were barking when we finally walked through the doors of the hotel!

Our walk took us past a few Interesting-sounding museums: Museum of Bags and Purses, Prostitution Museum, two diamond museums, and the Rijksmuseum. Sadly we didn’t have time for any of them. We did see our share of scenic canals though, thousands of bicycles, interesting monuments, houseboats galore, and fun architecture. The only downside was the graffiti and small items of trash in the streets and on the sidewalks.

The reason we are in Amsterdam in the first place is to take a cruise. Just as we were getting on the tram this morning, Hettie, Ronnie, Walter, and Cleone, our cruise buddies,  were arriving at the hotel. They joined us for a casual dinner in the hotel bar. Boy were we happy they did not want to walk to a nearby restaurant!

FUN FACTS

The Netherlands is the most densely populated country in the world.

The Dutch are the second biggest (after Scandinavia) coffee consumers in the world.

Amsterdam has more canals than Venice!

The Netherlands is home to the world’s first stock exchange.

The narrowest house in Amsterdam has a facade one meter wide!

The trip is off to a very positive start. We were 90% packed ahead of time, woke up to wonderful weather, had great traffic to the airport, got checked in luckity split thanks to our 1K status with United, and enjoyed light snacks in the lounge before boarding our 5:30 nonstop flight. Seven hours, six time zones, and one multi-course meal later we landed. Immigration was a snap; luggage was a breeze; and Dan located a hotel shuttle on the fly. 18.5 Euro each.

We checked into the Movenpick Hotel Amsterdam City Center and …believe it or not… were told our room was ready. Not only that, it is on the executive level, overlooks the water, and comes with breakfast, all-day access to the Executive Lounge, and free amenities from our minibar. We are paying with points, so we can only assume this special service is part of the agreement with American Express. Anyway, we took advantage of the lounge immediately by going up for breakfast. I love Dutch butter and cheese, so I focused on those two treats plus some amazing cooked mushrooms, ho-hum potatoes, coffee, and juice. The one surprise on the breakfast buffet was tiny boxes of chocolate sprinkles, milk and dark, to put on toast. We are bringing a few home to try.

Our day was wide open, so after taking a short nap we got our bearings and headed out. Come to find out it’s only a 10-minute walk to the main rail terminal which is across the street from the old city center. We strolled the streets enjoying the architecture, canals, and vast variety of fellow pedestrians. Dan was in the mood to shop, so we ambled in and out of stores seeing what was on offer. We opted to walk on side streets for the most part in order to avoid the souvenir shops. Dan bought a much-needed pair of tennis shoes and four sweater vests—his fashion signature piece. We stopped for hot fries at a popular takeaway stand, saw a mini- (seven-step) escalator, countless bicycles, and meticulously maintained, dedicated bicycle lanes with their own tiny stop lights.

It was time for our free happy hour (in the Executive Lounge) at the hotel before we knew it. Knowing snacks would be served, we decided to offset the price of the vests by making happy hour our evening meal. Just kidding. I would have sprung for the vests no matter, since this is Dan’s 70th celebration. We did make it our evening meal though and then headed to the room to get organized for bed after a super first day!

FUN FACTS

Dutch people are the tallest people in the world.

Almost 25% of the Netherlands is below sea level!

Holland’s famous tulips were originally imported from Turkey! Who knew?

The Netherlands is the largest beer exporter in the world. Again…who knew?

Approximately 30% of all Dutch babies are born at home. Say what?

I’m not sure we thought this through. In order to make our 6:40 a.m. flight out of Nice we needed to leave Cannes by 4:30 which meant a 3:45 wake-up. Ouch in spades. Luckily we woke up on time, did the pre-flight hustle, and phew, the cab we had pre-ordered was waiting when we checked out. Good weather and no traffic were in our favor also. We pretty much zipped through security and had an hour to spare at the gate.

The sun came up over a thick blanket of foamy clouds on my side of the plane and was really beautiful. Mountain peaks, some bare and some covered in snow, rose above the clouds, and where there were breaks in the the clouds the Alps were visible below. Dan was in the front of the plane and I was in back sitting with a Canadian couple returning from their fourth full winter in Italy. (An idea I tucked away for later!)

The hour-long flight flew by, no pun intended, and before we knew it we were settled in a swanky business class lounge in Zurich for our four hour layover. There were showers, chaise lounges in a quiet area, a bar, a cooked to order egg/omelette station, treats (Swiss chocolate, nuts, candy) station, and a coffee bar. We had grabbed a bite in Nice, so we tried our darnedest not to succumb to the endless temptation so that we could enjoy the food on the flight home. Truth be told we took an embarrassing amount of small, wrapped Swiss chocolates to enjoy at home later. Seriously. Just to show off Dan actually ate a fresh pear. As are all things Swiss, the airport was clean, efficient, organized, and impressive. There were even little red lights and green lights at the escalators to help manage the flow of people.

Our final leg was eight and a half hours. I amused myself by saying yes to everything that was offered food and beverage wise, taking a short snooze, reading my book (Never Caught, the Washington’s Relentless Pursuit of their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge) and watching three movies (On the Basis of Sex, Green Book, and Vice).

Over the course of the trip, lady pilots flew us just over 9,700 miles and took us to the land of croissants and fois gras and returned us to the land of cornbread and country ham. We left a country that can’t pronounce our last name to spend a week in one that  recognizes it as a French name that carries with it the assumption of  language fluency.

We had a wonderful week in the land of milk and honey but, as always, it was great to be home and to sleep in our own bed.

Dan’s meetings concluded at close of business yesterday, so today was his free day. Our feet did not hit the floor until 11:30, so you could more aptly say it was his free half day. All the more reason to be impressed that we managed 13,393 steps in the small amount of time we had.

Dan had barely seen the light of day, so his choice was to just head out and see what we ran across. We walked through town and ended up in the old area (Le Suquet) where we randomly chose a corner restaurant for lunch. We sat in the sun and had a nice meal at a minuscule table. The table was so small, in fact, that there was a little gizmo that gripped the table but hung out over the edge. This is where the bread basket was situated. Just as we were finishing our meal, along strolled Rich and Robin who were out enjoying their last day also. They joined us for a drink and then we went our own way to explore some more.

The only thing we came across of interest before heading back to the hotel along the walkway at the water’s edge was the Villa Rothschild, built in 1881, which used to be a lovely home and garden and is now a multimedia library and beautiful garden. It had to have had an amazing view of the water back in the day, but with the construction of the last decades, not so much.

No trip to a foreign country is complete until we walk the aisles of a local grocery. We stumbled across one and went aisle by aisle choosing cookies, chocolate, and jams. It was fun to see the locals come in and out, some dressed like runway models and others like they were in Key West. Something we have never seen before was a squeeze-your-own fresh OJ machine. After choosing the size bottle you want, you situate it so it captures the juice that comes drizzling out of fresh oranges loaded into the press from the top. Very clever.

We stopped on the way back to the hotel to check out a few pretty murals, enjoy the hand prints on the grounds of the film festival venue, browse a small gift shop, check out a human statue dressed and painted all in gold, and people watch.

It was dinner time when we got back, so we grabbed a quick, overpriced bite and drinks at the bar and headed to the room to pack and get to bed as early as possible.

I’ve never been anywhere where I have seen so many fashion forward dressers: men, women, and children. A little girl maybe five years old came whizzing into the hotel lobby this morning on her foot-powered scooter sporting sneakers, a white sweater dress, and an across-the-body mini handbag. So cute. Walking is a great way to casually take in all the distinctive styles. An elderly lady using a walker was wearing pearls, a calf length dress, and a sporty top tied in a knot below the waist. All this with rouged cheeks and a French twist. Men in plaid; a woman in bedazzled silver boots; dogs in shoulder totes; a lady in a black lace shorts outfit, boots, and an ankle length sweater; a glossy silver bomber jacket with silver shorts and black ankle boots. Men are not afraid of color here. Royal blue shoes with yellow slacks and a geometric patterned shirt or Capri length green pants with a t-shirt and vest are run of the mill.  I always wondered who bought some of the stuff I’ve seen in magazines. Now I know.

Cars are a thing here also. It’s easy to spot a Rolls parked next to a Bentley, a couple of  Porsches, and a Jaguar with a BMW or Audi sprinkled in. I’ve seen lots of Minis and a few Smart cars also. The cars, yachts, and beautiful clothes shout money to spare!

With only 11,071 steps and 1 flight of stairs today, it’s no secret I was a bit of a slug. I managed to make it to breakfast by 9:30 where I easily lingered for an hour and a half enjoying the company of Jen and Steve (in from California) and Kate (New Mexico). I only see them at this event, so it was fun to catch up. I went rogue and had poached eggs and avocado.

My only exercise involved joining Robin on a walk to the one Starbucks in town, so she could buy a Cannes mug. We were all business less a short stop at a small outdoor market. Otherwise I caught up on the blog and photo stream, read my book, and enjoyed a pot of tea. Getting to and from dinner at Table 22 in the old part of town involved a bit of walking also. Thank goodness because I had wine, a salad, bread, risotto, and a strawberry millefeuille to walk off. It might have been the best bread of the trip … and that is saying a lot.

Lights out at 11:00.

With the goal of going to Monaco and back Ann, Robin, and I decided to meet a little earlier for breakfast. I stayed focused on the croissant, but today rather than filling them with jam I enjoyed them with cheese and ham. Delicious.

May Day is the equivalent of our Labor Day, so the streets were empty and the stores closed. It made for an easy walk to the train station. We passed a few flower vendors, so we assume flowers are a traditional part of May Day get-togethers. Don’t hold me to that. Anyway, Robin worked the ticket machine like a pro and with little effort we found the right platform. We rode on the top deck of a very comfortable car for the hour plus ride that ran right along the water. 7 Euro 50 each way. With no bus service due to the holiday, the train was filled to capacity. The empty seat next to me was taken by a woman who was beyond pulled together. She was all decked out in black and white from her boots to her jewelry to her shawl. Her hair was styled and makeup perfect. I told her she looked magnificent and must be going somewhere special for lunch. Yep, off she was to have a holiday lunch with four granddaughters, her daughter, and son-in-law at the yacht club in Monte Carlo. She and I chatted for half an hour and before I knew it she was showing me a picture of the red dress she had just bought to wear to a wedding later this month. We said good bye on the platform once we arrived.

We had made no plans for our visit unless you call flying by the seat of your pants a plan. Ann noticed an Exotic Garden (Jardin Exotique de Monaco) sign when we excited the station, so we just decided to start there. We had no idea it was located quite a hike up a hill. We persevered and really enjoyed how beautifully the 1,000 plus cacti and other succulents were arranged literally on the side of the mountain. The garden, established in 1933, has a series of bridges, steps, and archways all overlooking the principality. It’s well worth a visit.

We bumped into a young gal at an overlook in the garden who decided for no apparent reason to share with us the fact that Monaco has outdoor public elevators. She was singing our tune since we did not relish the long walk down the hill. When we left the garden we managed to find an elevator that took us down a couple levels. We exited, crossed the street, and got in another one that took us down an additional 10 levels. We not so inconspicuously followed a man in hopes he would lead us to yet another one, which he did. He got the drift we were headed to the Rock of Monaco (La Rocher de Monaco), so he took us to a final elevator that was sort of hidden and it got us to the bottom of the mountain. He walked with us two block and explained how to get to the top of the Rock. It was our day for friendly, fun strangers.

We grabbed water and warm take-away ham and cheese sandwiches and headed up the long walkway leading to the palace square. We did not have time to go in the palace, famous for continuing to house the royal family of the Principality of Monaco as it has done for the past 700 years, but we did enjoy it from the outside. We strolled around, contemplated having tea, decided to forgo the walk to Monte Carlo, decided to postpone tea, returned to the beautiful train station, and took the train back to Cannes. Tea was now back on the brain, so we walked back to the hotel and enjoyed our pick-me-up on the beach in front of the hotel. We skillfully lingered just long enough for Ann’s sweet husband Chris to come along and settle the check.

Dinner was at Fred L’ecailler, home of the largest profiteroles I have ever seen. Forget dainty little cream puffs filled with a dollop of ice cream and drizzled with chocolate; picture instead a monster meatball sized scoop of ice cream between two hamburger buns smothered in rich chocolate. Multiply that by three and add two generous mounds of whipped cream on the side! Darrell (in from Dubai) ordered these delights and ended up sharing it with three other people. Besides the great food and shockingly large profiteroles, one of the waiters, or possibly Fred himself, was dressed like Waldo of Where’s Waldo fame, stocking cap and all. His distinctive look drew lots of attention which he seemed to enjoy.

On our walk back to the hotel we passed boules courts where men were playing under the lights. We noticed that preparations had begun for the film festival: temporary structures were being constructed on the beach for starters. It’s hard to imagine how crazy it will be around here when tens of thousands of movers and shakers in the film industry descend on the city for the May 14 start of the festival.

18,924 steps and 9 flights of stairs later I called it a day. Lights out at midnight.

 

I met the ladies for breakfast again this morning. As planned I headed straight for the croissants. They did not disappoint.

Robin and I broke away from the other spouses and took the train to Antibes, a beautiful seaside town an eight minute train ride east. Buying train tickets was a tiny challenge. We were determined to use the ticket machine, which conveniently let us operate in our choice of language, and after backing out and starting over three or four times we had round trip tickets in hand. At 2 Euro 30 each way, it was the most reasonably priced thing we had purchased so far.

We explored Antibes’ charming old town, marveled at the hundreds of millions of dollars of yachts in the marina, and enjoyed the Picasso Museum. We met an American expat who, shock of shocks, was born on the east coast of the U.S. but calls Gunnison, Colorado home. We laughed about the coincidence that I am from Colorado and have had family in the Gunnison area for 80+ years. She recommended a sandwich shop and kept us company while we enjoyed our Greek wraps. We had no trouble finding our way back to the train for the short ride back to Cannes.

We ended the day with a walking tour of Cannes retracing some of the ground we had covered on Le Petite Train. Our guide pointed out the island in the distance which is now a forest but was formerly famous for the prison I mentioned before. An interesting thing the guide shared with us is the fact that aristocratic prisoners often chose to wear an iron mask when they were imprisoned in order to keep their identities a secret. So there were many men in iron masks over time, not just the one made famous by Hollywood.

A fabulous dinner at Gaston Gastounette closed the official part of the day. We enjoyed the company of two ladies working out of Singapore and a gentleman based in Switzerland but working from London. After dinner we strolled slowly back to the hotel.

19,871 steps and 15 flights of stairs later I called it a day. Lights out at 11:30.

At dinner last night some of the spouses arranged to meet at breakfast to make a plan for the day. So up and at ‘em I was at 8:00. Good news: I learned which button opens the electric blackout shades! Met the ladies for breakfast at 9:00 where we lingered for an hour and a half. Can you say Best Croissants Ever?!?! I’m skipping the eggs tomorrow and going straight to the croissants.

After picking the concierge’s brain Ann (in from the UK), Robin (Virginia), and I decided to start the day with the hour-long Big Tour on Le Petite Train, a cute motorized engine pulling multiple open-sided cars. We rode along Boulevard de la Croisette which is The Address in town. It runs right along the sea. We enjoyed water views, parks, and yacht-packed marinas on one side and top flight shops and old hotels on the other. Umbrella trees (which I love) and palms line the road and flowers and flowering plants are everywhere. The audio guide explained the history of the area and told about some of the obvious stand-out properties like the Carlton InterContinental which boasts hosting movie stars from around the world during the annual film festival. Not only has it been featured in films (think Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief) and music videos (think Elton John for starters), it made the news thanks to a couple of multi-million dollar jewelry heists and was where American Grace Kelly met her future husband, Prince Rainier, of Monaco in 1955. No doubt other hotels have histories just as interesting. We drove past the Palais des Festivals where the film festival is held every year, the medieval old section of town called Le Sequet, public space set aside for the game of boules, and the beautiful city hall. Just off shore we could see Ile Sainte-Marguerite, famous for Fort Royal, home to a number of famous prisoners including the inventor of the steamboat and the mysterious Man in the Iron Mask made famous by the book and film of the same name.

We went in search of lunch once the tour was over and found a perfect spot in the sun at Le 33. My French onion soup was delicious and our waiter delightful. After a slow stroll back to the hotel we ladies went our separate ways for a little downtime.

A group dinner was prearranged at Le Cosi in the old section of town. We were spoiled with an amuse bouche, ricotta and vegetable ravioli with truffle sauce, and our choice of entree. I chose the turbot and Dan went with veal rump steak. Warm chocolate fondant with vanilla custard ended the meal. Dan and I sat across from an Australian couple and a man from New Zealand who were loads of fun.

Lights out at 11:00.

 

 

We slept like professionals last night not waking until 9:30. Breakfast is served until 10:00, but getting there would have involved a bit of rushing that did not suit our mood, so we passed. Checking email and discussing the day kept us occupied for an hour and then Dan dozed off until after 11:00.

We finally stepped into the bright sunlight around noon and Ubered to the old village of Mougins, a 15 minute ride into the hills. It is situated on top of a rise with fabulous views in every direction. During the 19th and early 20th centuries the village was the center of lavender, rose, and jasmine production for the nearby perfumeries. And, who knew, Picasso spent the last 12 years of his life there. Celebrities of all kinds came for its beauty, good food, and quiet ambiance: Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, and Winston Churchill to name a few.  Elizabeth Taylor held her AIDS Charity dinner there for 10 years. Hollywood stars continue to enjoy it during the famous Cannes Film Festival. With the endorsement of the celebrity and floral contingents it sounded like a fun place to check out.

All the shops were closed (because it is Sunday), but restaurants were doing well. We strolled around and enjoyed how spotlessly clean and picturesque the village is. We enjoyed some of the small squares and whimsical statues and stumbled upon a monument to the village’s war dead. There was a small street market that the locals were taking full advantage of. Lots of families and couples were enjoying the food—take-away dishes as well as cheeses, cured meats, fresh produce, champagne on tap (!), olives, and herbs. We had not eaten a thing all day, so we shared a bowl of seafood ravioli. We found a small church and lit a candle for Josie’s Aunt Jerry before strolling down the hill to what I would call the new part of town where we ordered an Uber for the ride back to the hotel.

We enjoyed a drink and snacks on the hotel’s terrace before going up to our room to get ready for tonight’s opening reception and dinner. As a little extra treat the waiter brought us each a mini-chocolate chip muffin that had a burst of Nutella in the center. Yes!

The opening reception and dinner did not disappoint. Drinks and hors d’oeuvres were served across the street from the hotel right on the beach. A delicious buffet dinner followed just as the sun was setting over the Mediterranean. I know! It was fun to see people I only run into at this event each year.

Lights out at 11:00.

 

To celebrate our 50th anniversary Dan and I decided on having 50 date nights, date days, or date adventures. How clever are we to wrap date number 13 around a business trip of Dan’s which just happens to be in Cannes, France?

We took United Airline’s seven-and-a-half hour nonstop overnight flight from Dulles International to Zurich. One movie (A Star is Born), a cocktail, and a nice dinner later we turned our focus to getting some sleep in our wonderful lie-flat Polaris-class seats.

There had been a weather delay on the Virginia end which made our already short connection in Zurich really tight. We hustled through the airport arriving at the gate  just as boarding began. After miraculously snappy breakfast service we landed in Nice less than an hour after take off. Come to find out the luggage handlers in Zurich were unable to move as fast as we did, so we arrived with only our carry-ons and the promise that our suitcases would be delivered later in the day.

We left home in the rain and made our Zurich connection in the rain, so the sun and mid-60s weather were a cheery welcome to Cannes. A car and driver met us at the airport. Forty-five minutes and lots of roundabouts later he delivered us to the front door of Hotel Martinez, a large, newly renovated 1920s five-star property right across the street from the beach. It was just shy of noon local time, 6:00 a.m. at home. Our beautifully appointed room has a large orchid and the biggest walk-in closet I’ve ever seen in a hotel. The TV screen even displayed a personal greeting to Mr. Mongeon. The one funky feature of our Art Deco designed room is a sliding partition that when open gives you a floor to ceiling view of the bathroom! What is that about?

We ran into a coworker of Dan’s from the London office and she invited us to join her for a leisurely lunch on the patio while we waited to check into our room. We flushed out the rest of the day with a late afternoon walk along the water which took us to docks where luxury yachts were anchored, the ridiculously huge one belonging to the son of King Fahd. If you are interested, it’s on the market for $110,000,000! For real. We passed lots of foot powered scooters, families playing on the beach, folks walking dogs, and a soft-serve ice cream stand Dan could not resist.

Back in the room ready to call it a day, Dan checked on the still-missing luggage and found out it made it to Nice and would be delivered anytime before midnight. I selected the vegetarian option from room service for my dinner. For 39 Euros I got a crock of delicious vegetables, rolls, and butter which was served on a tray with a small white orchid. My day ended with a mock (think shower gel) bubble bath. As I was getting in the tub Dan was calling housekeeping for emergency toiletries. No sooner were they procured than the luggage arrived. All in all a great day one.

For What It’s Worth

1 Euro = $1.12

Local pronunciation of Cannes: Can.