Now if I was in any way IT literate I’d have the song, ‘Here Comes Summer’, playing in the background as you read this. You remember – Jerry Keller. Never heard of him? Well he’s the one hit wonder who wrote and performed ‘Here Comes Summer’. Anyway, my fellow blogger Allison in the US has music on her blog and I’m soooo jealous. Maybe she’ll take pity on me and tell me how it’s done. My botched solution would be to have a link to ‘Here Comes Summer’ on You Tube and you open a second version of this blog and click on the link. Why not ? Let’s try it – remember don’t close this page – open another and click on the link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sePcM7QbraQ
Right – now we’ve got that working let’s get back to the main subject – summer’s here! It’s not rained for a few days and there are certain things which undoubtedly mean the hot days are here to stay. I mean I can actually go into the pool now without needing mouth to mouth resuscitation and a thermal blanket when I get out. La famille is now eating outside on the terrace every lunchtime and evening – this is great cause it keeps the mess outside and do you know – we stay outside talking rather than all rush to see what’s on the telly. Shadow sleeps out every night now – preferring the cool tiles to the carpet in front of the fireplace, and Tan and Angie (the neighbours) are spending more evenings out on their terrace which is bad news cause I’ll be tempted to go over and join them. You remember – lots of drink and sore heads !!
But the main sign of summer arriving is the two world-famous May events held down here on the Côte d’Azur, the Cannes Film Festival and the Monaco Grand Prix
The Film Festival has started already and of course, after some dodgy weather, amazingly it all cleared up for the film makers and stars, just like you would expect it to. The red carpets are out, the maga-yachts are fighting for mooring space, there’s not a parking space to be had in Cannes (pictured) and the restaurants are busy, but not as busy in recent years apparently. The credit crunch even gets to these people. But whatever, the fact is that planeloads of blonde wannabees, looking to secure a film-producer boyfriend, will be jetting into Cannes which is at its finest during the festival . It’s a sure sign that summer is here. Here is a link to a short film showing Cannes during the festival. It was made by some friends who have a website which gives a true taste of this part of the world. The link to their AMB website is at the end. Now you need to end the You Tube song before you play the video otherwise there will be a clash !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m12aHwiZXGk&fmt=22
The other famous event, is of course, the Monaco Grand Prix, held in the streets of the Principality and causing most of the residents who are on the circuit to either move out for the weekend, or rent their apartments, most of them achieving the equivalent of 6 months rent in those 3, incredibly noisy days.
For weeks beforehand, the street circuit will have been a hive of frantic activity with council workers (probably the best dressed in the world !) putting up the steel barriers which define the track. They will also make sure that there are no lumps and bumps in the tarmac which will, for those 3 days, find cars running over it at speeds approaching 180 mph. The mega-yachts will have moved round from Cannes in a convoy of sumptuous largesse and will again fight for mooring rights, and the restaurants which looked at Cannes with envy, will now enjoy their busiest period of the year.
I was lucky enough to attend the Grand Prix a few years ago and apart from it being probably the noisiest and most uncomfortable sporting event I have ever sat through, it was also the most exciting and glamorous. An indication of what it’s like for spectators is defined by what the vendors sell you as you sit in the stands – ear plugs and sun cream! Says it all really.
Here’s the link to that great Côte d’Azur website AMB. Enjoy a browse.
And here’s a link to some quirky photographs taken at the Cannes Film Festival which appeared in the Daily Telegraph.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/5351119/The-Cannes-Film-Festival-from-another-angle.html
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