Cannes, France - (almost) 10 years later

Back in Cannes, nearly ten years from the memories that has prompted a decade of traveling, what should I expect? Surely it won't be the same, but hopefully the times engrained in my mind will come alive again, albiet sans 6am train rides home from Juan Les Pins!

Returning to Cannes to show Erin where my passion for travelling began has been a goal since we started dating nearly 9 years ago. When I was a junior at SJU, I studied at the College Internationale de Cannes for a semester, falling in love with Europe and travelling in general. If you do the math and that suggests its been almost 10 years since studying abroad. MAN WE ARE OLD!!

That said, it was about time to return to Cannes, check on good ole’ room 100 to see if the Tuesday Champagne parties are still on the menu, and see whether the beach, Quays, La Frigate, students hanging out at the picnic tables etc. is still status quo. Hopefully all my classmates in Cannes get a chance to read this and smile when they hear not a lot has changed over the years and many of the spots we enjoyed are still around. Now it was a different experience to experience Cannes with the wife, much different with more disposal income and also with less friends to stir up mischief with.

Let's raise one to Orangina, a loaf of french bread at every meal, "wine" with plastic wrap tops, crepe nights, late nights, Tuesday nights, easyjet flights, Geneva death freights, "a demande a telephone sil vous plait", volleyball tourneys, paninis, scandanivian country clubs, Murphy's Irish Red, get out of class at noon and walk 100 feet to the beach, absinthe, Dann, Willy, Claude, Trash bitch, Helge, Hansson, Sarah, Tanya, Wicker, Adam, Julie, the rest of the CSB/SJU class, the 213 click, the black eyed peas "weekend", the Norwiegan girls, and everyone else at La College Internationale de Cannes!!

Erin and I were in town for two nights and a day and a half, just wandering all the streets, checking out the castle, exploring the market, walking through the marina and spying on the fancy boats. It was really great to return.

Not only did we visit Cannes, but as a former student, you can stay at the College for €30 a night, which is naturally what we did. Here’s the lowdown on things Cannes 10 years later.

Still strong – Quays, La Pizza, La Frigate, the market, the Petanque players, the little grocery store on the shortcut to town, 100 foot yachts, lots of expensive shops, beer at McDonalds, cold water.

Room one double O ain't rockin like its duce double O one.

The room interior definitely hasn't changed, though the desks have been upgraded.

Gone – the beach outside the college, the Moonlight café (now a gay club I believe – we didn’t try it out), the Panini shop, Tuesday night Champagne parties, Nutella and made to order items at the College Sunday brunch.

I was expecting my perception of Cannes would be completely different from reality, but thankfully it wasn’t, Cannes is about as I imagine it, a beautiful holiday spot with fast cars, expensive clothing, luxurious boats and lots of Sun. It was really great to return to the roots for a couple days and I poured a little for my homies in rememberance for a great semester abroad.