One of the fascinating things about living where we do is a sense of being involved in two worlds: slow-moving, traditional, rural France and the frantic, glamorous twenty-first century urban world of the Cote d’Azur.
That contrast was very much brought home to us last Sunday. In the morning we headed off very early to church at Cannes. The haste was to ensure that we got parking during the Film Festival – no easy task.
As widely commented, the weather was not kind to the early part of festival this year. Sunday was grey, wet and chilly, and if there were any stars around, they were hidden from view.
From our limited view of what was going on, there didn’t seem to be quite the buzz about Cannes that there has been in the past, and one senses that this is a view shared by people in the film trade. Still, as they say, the show must go on! Sadly perhaps, no glittering stars turned up for the church service. We did however return to Cannes Thursday afternoon when things were sunnier and much more upbeat: see next weeks blog for a photospecial!
We would have lingered but we had duties in Taradeau to attend to. There was what had been intended to be a picnic (hog roast) up at the Oppidum for those of us who have worked up there and members of another village association. Forewarned by the Meteo, it had been rescheduled to a marque in the village centre and we made it back just after the aperos had been served.
Genuine roast wild boar, à la Asterix.
One of the oppidum team had created his own beer. It was agreed that err, it needed further work.
There were only three of us who were not ‘locals’ and it’s quite interesting to be considered the resident ‘Anglais‘. There was a lot of chatter and a few speeches and, it has to be said, quite a lot of drinking. But then given that the village focuses on wine, that is hardly a surprise. But, as we’ve said before, it’s very nice to be at the heart of the village and if, as we mentioned last week, we do move, we would very much like to try and stay where we currently feel at home.
