williamwataru

Day 6 – Day Trip to Cannes

Today was our first laundry day.

We brought about a week’s worth of clothes with us in order to fit everything into one backpack each. Today was day 6, and tomorrow was a travel day from Nice to Barcelona, so the timing worked out perfectly. We found a laundromat about a 15-minute walk from our hotel, gathered our dirty clothes, and started walking.

The laundromat was small but in good condition. There were two other people doing laundry when we arrived, a row of washing machines along the right side, two dryers toward the back, and what seemed to be the payment machine on the left.

We were fumbling through the menu trying to understand how everything worked when the two people started talking to us and giving us advice.

Apparently, you load your laundry into one of the washing machines first, then go to the payment machine and select the number of the machine you’re using. After paying a fixed fee, the washing machine turns on and gives you different options depending on your load. You also have to use a separate vending machine to buy detergent powder.

The process was much different from what we were used to, and the French people helping us told us it had been confusing for them the first time too and that we shouldn’t feel bad. They were so nice. I think this was the first time we had talked to French people around our age since arriving in France, and we were thankful.

This was one of those small moments that I think I’ll remember long after the trip is over. We were just four people standing in a laundromat trying to wash our clothes, but for us, it was an opportunity to connect with locals, even if only for a few minutes. I think those mundane interactions can sometimes end up being some of my favorite parts of traveling.

This morning, I also discovered that Nice has a lot of Too Good To Go locations. Too Good To Go is one of my favorite apps. It’s a food-saving app with the mission of reducing food waste by giving restaurants and grocery stores an opportunity to sell food they would normally dispose of at discounted prices. Back home, I would use it to get great deals on leftover food from restaurants.

While waiting for our laundry, we walked to a nearby grocery store that was selling leftovers through the app. With grocery stores, it’s hard to know what you’re going to receive, but I wanted to give it a try anyway since we were traveling on a budget.

Our surprise bag contained two chocolate mousse protein puddings, a pack of vanilla pudding, a sandwich, and a raw breaded chicken cutlet. It wasn’t the most ideal bag for us, but I really wanted to try it and it saved us some money. We went to a nearby park to eat what we could while we waited for the laundry to finish.

After finishing the laundry and bringing it back to our hotel (that 15-minute walk uphill was brutal) we decided to make a day trip to Cannes.

The only thing we really knew about Cannes was that it was famous for its international film festival, so we assumed film would be a big part of the city’s identity. Upon arriving, it became clear that Cannes was also a huge beach destination, with crowds of people spending the afternoon along its sandy shores.

We grabbed coffee first, of course, then walked toward the Palais des Festivals, where the Cannes Film Festival is held each year. There was a line of people waiting to take photos in front of the famous red carpet, as well as a walk of fame with the handprints of various actors. It reminded me a little of Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, but on a much smaller scale.

Then we started noticing that people were dressed up for some kind of event.

The theme appeared to be Roman, with people dressed in gold, wearing crowns, robes, and other elaborate costumes. We later learned that the event was called Le Bal des Fous, a summer series of huge themed costume parties in Cannes. The theme changes each time, with earlier parties this summer featuring things like the Wild West and superheroes. Everyone seemed to be headed toward a party near the Palais, and we could hear a DJ and loud music coming from the area.

It looked like a lot of fun.

I think it was also a pretty good depiction of what Cannes felt like to me, another side of the French Riviera. After taking pictures by the Palais, we walked along La Croisette, the famous waterfront boulevard lined with palm trees, beach clubs, restaurants, and luxury hotels. 

Unlike Nice, where the beaches were covered in rocks, the beaches here were sandy and much larger. With the beach clubs, music, crowds, and people dressed for the party, Cannes felt noticeably younger and more energetic. It seemed like the perfect place to come during the summer if you wanted to spend your days on the beach and your nights partying.

Besides sightseeing, though, there was one thing we came to Cannes to do. Eat!

We scoped out a restaurant for dinner that served two of the things we wanted to try before leaving France: escargots de Bourgogne and moules-frites. Burgundy snails and mussels with fries.

The restaurant was tucked into a small alleyway a short distance from the beach, and it was beautiful. We ordered the escargot, moules-frites, and a bottle of Chardonnay.

The chilled Chardonnay was perfect for the hot summer evening. Sitting there, I found myself thinking about how it had only been six days since we left on our travels and how much we had already enjoyed everything. We talked about our opinions on Paris, Nice, Menton, Monaco, and Cannes and what stood out about each place.

Then, suddenly, our table was filled with shells.

The escargot really surprised me. Everyone I’ve talked to who has tried it has told me that it was only okay, but I really loved it. I’m not sure exactly what kind of sauce was on the snails, but it was buttery and delicious. I’ve had Korean sea snails before, and although these were similar, the escargot were much more tender and flavorful.

And the mussels!

We were shocked by how many they gave us. It actually felt ridiculous eating mussels nonstop for 20 minutes and somehow barely making a dent in the pile. They were delicious. Cream sauce is probably my favorite for mussels, and something about it reminds me of New England clam chowder, just much less soupy.

After finishing our bottle of wine, we realized this was probably the most we had drank at once since arriving in France. I wouldn’t consider myself an alcoholic, but I do love alcohol. I think that first buzz after a long day is one of the best feelings in the world for me. Combine that with sitting outside on a warm summer evening in a picturesque city like Cannes, eating mussels with Sara, and it doesn’t get much better than that.

Tomorrow evening, we leave Nice and head to Barcelona. It’s strange to think we haven’t been in France that long because it feels like so much has happened. One week, five cities, 130,000 steps, and a lot of learning.

Sara and I have started comparing this part of the trip to a wine tasting. We’ve only had a small taste of each city, just enough to figure out what we might want a whole bottle of someday. Next time, we want to spend more time in Paris, return to Menton, and explore more of southern France, including Marseille.

For now, our tasting of France is finished.

Next up: tapas.