21 (Cannes)

My 21st started at 5.30 in the morning on the bus to Avignon, with a very friendly bus driver who was more concerned that my seat would recline so I could sleep than watching the road. The bus drivers are very nice here. We had coffee and croissants at the TGV station where we met Alison and then got on the train to Cannes. The train takes 2 and a half hours which was time to open all my cards from home (thank you everybody). Cannes was warm and sunny, yet so much quieter than in summertime. We checked into our hotel which was lovely, and headed down to the beach- stopping on the way to pick up some hideously overpriced sandwiches, (10€50 for a sandwich and a drink).

Lying on the beach, I was thinking it was a bittersweet birthday, because I was with good friends, on the beach, in the south of France and not much can be luckier than that, but because I was so far from friends and family at home on my 21st and I missed them terribly. Mid afternoon we met Claire, my friend here who lives in Cannes but studies at Nice, who came across for the afternoon to see us all and we headed to the incredible Patisserie, Jean- Luc Pelé- where she took me last year and I felt vaguely embarrassed about raving to her about Betty's so much, after trying their desserts. This was, in effect, my birthday cake, and it was DELICIOUS.

After that we climbed up into the old town of Cannes, which climbs away on the hillside up to an old castle that gives beautiful views of the town, the Vieux Port and the palms that stripe the Boulevard de la Croisette and the Mediterranean, and then headed back down for some shopping (I had decided not to shop, since pay day doesn't seem that close yet and we have just paid for flights and hostels for a week in Ireland but as we were waiting for Claire to buy a card, we paused outside Zara, and it seemed rude not to go in). Then we bought wine and headed back to the hotel room to say goodbye to Claire, open the wine, and start the evening.

At half six, Georgia arrived, and after a little bit of confusion (I'm on platform two, where are you?- I've just crossed onto platform one- Wait there! I'll cross back over, where are you now?- Oh no, I'm on platform two again) we spotted each other and burst into tears. Back with Georgia the celebrations started and we opened the wine and sat on the balcony as the sun was going down. She bought me a hilarious selection of gifts she thought I might be missing- dairy milk, kettle crisps and some English breakfast tea in a Kate and Wills Royal Wedding memorial tin (how they are still selling those, I do not know).

together again

Slightly tipsy and enjoying the warm evening we headed down the other end of the town to Rue Maynadier, to a lovely restaurant called Chez Vincent et Nicolas, where we sat in a covered outside terrace bit and had some delicious meals- pasta, salmon, duck, chocolate melt in the middle pudding and crême brulée. The atmosphere was so french and so relaxing and we found ourselves walking back after midnight, sleepy, full and happy to get into bed with some more wine and chat. (The night wasn't over yet, as Alison had yet to fuse the electricity but that's another story).