Marina di Massi to Cannes ……and slowly but surely home

November 19th – 23rd

It rained overnight with some drizzle this morning. After a really nice breakfast with lots of choices, it is time to leave Hotel Michaela…

Today we are on our way to Cannes, why Cannes …well, our return to Canada is a bit convoluted as both our flight to Paris from Nice and from Paris to Vancouver had been delayed/canceled. As well we need to return the car to the Nice airport before boarding an Air France flight to Paris which does not connect hence we need to stay overnight at CDG Airport (the flight leaves early so an overnight in Paris is not an option). It is about 345 km and 4.5 hours to Cannes on the autostrada as we now just want to complete the journey …

On the way we made a command decision to drop into Monaco and do a drive-by… tax haven, home to the rich and famous >>> it is quite cool looking, for any of you who enjoy luxury cars (o,r at least looking at them, you are in the right place). Lots of car shops and folks tooling around in them, restos, fancy condos … you get the picture. If you think Vancouver or Toronto is expensive…. the average rental cost for a 1 BR in the city center is 5,200 euros and to purchase a unit it is roughly 5,000 euros per SF.

…a few more pics (click to enlarge images)

Then onward to Cannes and our AIRBNB for two nights, we are about a 15-minute walk to the waterfront >>> it is a decent studio with a garage…a real bonus as parking in Cannes is a nightmare! even in the off-season. (click to enlarge images and then back button)

The next morning is cool but sunny so time to do a walkabout of the waterfront area… (click to enlarge images)

…and how can we not visit a market, a tad more genteel than those in Palermo, so many nice things to try, unfortunately, we could only look save  for a few treats:

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The next day a straightforward drive to the Nice Airport area where we drop off our luggage at the Holiday Inn, then return the car to Renault: 6,650 km no accidents, dents, or scratches. A shout-out for Renault’s new car buy-back program > they advertise it, “as the passport to peace of mind behind the wheel”. Simple pick-up process, no upsell, all-inclusive price, simple drop-off  >> our 3rd rental, and each time it has been a great experience!

The Holiday Inn is quite new, and the room is fine but supper is mediocre (not really a surprise)…we just did not feel like heading into Nice Center. The next morning breakfast is fine and we take the tram conveniently outside the hotel to the airport, easy check in with Air France, and then endure a dreadful boarding process with folks standing for 30 minutes in the cold jetway …incompetence taken to the next level…

…the flight itself is smooth and 90 minutes later we land at Charles de Gaulle in Paris.

Another Holiday Inn as our flight leaves in the morning …our room is an exact copy of the Nice room but, at three times the price…oh yeah Air France compensated us a big fat ZERO even though they canceled the flight for no reason…yes, we did speak with client (dis)service at the airport and the explanation was that we had the choice to get a refund and try our luck with another carrier >> it is a pleasure to fly the friendly skies these days. In any event, the flight itself seemed like a refugee airlift > mass confusion on boarding, luggage, parcels, bags being crammed everywhere > the flight attendants basically powerless to deal with this mob…I guess that’s what we get for welcoming everyone in the world to Canada ….you can just imagine the zoo when we landed in Vancouver!!

Our daughter Ella met us at the airport with one of the boys, lots of hugs, we then dropped them at their house, and made our way to the ferry in Horseshoe Bay …a 40-minute ferry ride, a 30-minute drive and we are HOME ….Mission Accomplished.

It was a wonderful journey, with so many experiences, so many adventures, and so much to be thankful for. We are looking forward to the holidays with the family gathering at our home …

Thanks to everyone who followed our steps through France and Italy and hopefully we won’t have to wait 2 years for our next adventure…