Day 4 Sunday
2:00 AM Cannes Time
We woke up at 5:45 AM because our train leaves at 7:45 from the Gare de Lyon, about 15 minutes away. We came downstairs, I went across to get 2 taxis, and 5 meters (that’s about 15 feet for you yanks), so 5 meters from the taxi, I found $14.077 cents (Actually it was a 10 Euro note, I figured you Americans will understand $14.077 more than 10 Euro, go figure!), it was just laying on the floor, letting me know that we were going to have another good day.
So we made it to the station (Gare de Lyon), Apparently I got so good at decyphering their language and train schedules that I started helping a Japanese guy that spoke no English, and an American guy. (Don’t tell anyone but I found out later that I gave them the wrong information). I had no time to go back and tell them that I was worng. That taught me a good lesson, never help someone unless you know what the heck you’re talking about. Oops, I hope God will forgive me for this.
So we made it into the train. found our seats, we were going backwards, so switched seats with Rosalin’s Mom & Dad, because we were motion challenged enough as it was, we did not want to push our luck.
about 100KM down the road of our trek from Paris to Cannes, a russian guy came to me and asked me this question, “alewhjlk, jskjdhjh RUSKY??” I caught the rusky part and I knew he was mistaking me for his uncle Vladimir, because I have that kind of face. Anywhoo, he heads to the restaurant car(yes restaurant car!).
Our friend the Rusky comes back 10 minutes later, still drunk, and drops 90 Euro at my feet. Of course we call out to him, “Davaresh, davaresh”, actually Rosalin’s dad called out, “Sir, Sir” I saw the money and we gave it to him. He looked at me and yelled “Spasiba” I am thinking this means thank you. OK I’m sticking to thank you.
I got a visit from our friend the Rusky again. He started speaking Russian again, aparently he thinks I picked up Russian in the last 30 minutes. Anyway, afraid that he was going to either propose or ask for something, I looked away towards my beautiful wife and he mozied on along. The rest of the trip was calm.
Anto & Garinn are doing great.
Rosalin decided she was not going to apply for the TGV Train conductor position. Motion sickness resistance is a pre-requisite apparently. The way she handled it was going standing half of the trip. We were on the second floor, so each movement was multiplied (I guess). The whole cab was moving a lot, apparently the wheels needed balancing, someone needed to tell them, but I figured I was not that guy (Nayeen eahgahrag). BTW, the trip was 5 hrs and 1 minute. We were travelling at 180 Mph (300 Km/hr) It was amazing.
Anyway, we got to Cannes, it is such a beautiful place, I want to retire and move here. I think it is the most beautiful place overall, from all the places I have ever been to. I have been to better beaches, and maybe better areas, but the combination of the people, places and beach is amazing.
We walked up and down PCH, except they call it the Boulevard De La Croisette,figure that arrogance, they’re are still French you know. This is the main strip along the beach. We walked all the way to where they have the Cannes Film Festival, it only took 15 minutes, stopping and looking at impressionist paintings and getting a gelato and all.
There were a lot of stores that we do not intend to support by not buying anything, like Salvatore Ferragamo, Hugo Boss, Jimmy choo or jillian choo something like that. (I told her not to pin her hopes on me to make her rent. That was a lot of pressure off my shoulder. She can sell that shoe to someone else now.)
Here is a link to the Boulevard de la Croisette you can even see a street view if you drag the little man on the map:
http://maps.google.com/maps?sourceid=navclient&rlz=1T4ACAW_enUS300US300&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=cannes+croisette&fb=1&split=1&cid=0,0,3640694005873023922&ei=6vBHSp_CKp_MjAf3j91i&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=image&resnum=1
Vahe Ammo (Hagop’s dad) came and picked us up, we went to a cafe called Festival Cafe, then he took us to Vesuvio’s Italian Restaurant (1st rate) and I ate an unbelievable Pizza. Vahe ammo is like a Mkhtar here, everyone knows him and he knows all the right places and the best food. He will be taking us to Monaco tomorrow, we will see the sights and swim there. As I understood, they have Meduse-s in the Cannes beaches (I guess Meduse means Jelly fish).
Anyway, we walked back to the hotel, It’s a nice hotel, sort off like the ones in Beirut, in the middle of a residential area, but the two bedrooms we have are like luxury penthouse apartments. It has a kitchen, a room, a living room, a dining room and everything. Verrrryyy nice.
One thing I forgot, when we got to the hotel, we had to walk a block to the Bd de la Croisette, we had to cross under a small bridge that they have for the bullet train to pass over. At the instant I was under it, I heard this loud roar over my head, it was 100 tons of locomotive going at over me @ 100 Mph. Needless to say, I might not have any more kids beyond this point.
Well, that was enough excitement and enjoyment for today. Signing off, talk to you tomorrow if I can. I sprang the Euros to get the Internet in my room because there is no internet in the loby here in Cannes. We will be visiting the country of Monaco, and going to Monte Carlo to tell them we were here.
-Diran