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Day 25 ... highlights discovering the unknown and le Festival D'Art Pyrotechnique Cannes
I'll start with the pleasant and then describe the not-so-pleasant of our Day 25 ...
The Pleasant: Hangin' @ the Beach & "Festival Pyrotechnique Cannes" - a.k.a. kick-ass Fireworks Show
We didn't get to the beach until around 14h30 due to issues with the "Not-so-Pleasant" [see below] but it was plenty of time for Sabine to get her feet wet, build sand structures, make some new friends and really absorb the atmosphere of beach life ... this is a first for her and she was SO pumped. We spent around 4 hours lounging then went for a quick supper and headed right back to the beach to lounge some more and await the start of the fireworks show 22h00.
The Festival D'Art Pyrotechnique Cannes was ** spectacular ** ... I don't think I have ever seen such an amazing display of fireworks ... check-out some information on what we saw using this link [describes the what, why, and where this has occurred over the summer] ...
http://www.festival-pyrotechnique-cannes.com/en/the-festival
... we totally lucked out in seeing this - hadn't planned it just one of those cool things you stumble upon ... and cease the opportunity ...
Today's Photo: ... took a ton of pictures with Sabine's camera using her special "Fireworks" feature and they turned out really good!!! I really wanted to post a photo of Sabine on the beach today but she wanted to post a fireworks photo ... because it truly brought awe & wonder and genuine smiles to both of our faces ... much needed ...
... & ...
... drum roll ... read on only if you wish [more good stuff at the end if you want to skip this section] ...
Not-so-Pleasant: Property Management Company Issues
... so as mentioned in Day 24's Blog the accommodations were not so stellar and we were almost locked out with all our stuff locked in. This morning we were afraid to leave the apartment for fear of not being able to get back in so Sabine suggested we test the lock ... we did - her inside, me outside ... and we almost couldn't get me back in ... we had yet to get groceries and were starving AND having MUCH difficulty getting in touch with the property management (PM) company it being Saturday and all!!!
... so we tried the lock once more with the door open and the bloody thing actually jammed open with the door open. In the meantime, I know the PM company thought I was this big pain in the ass North American who didn't know how to use the lock - received the comment "well, the last customers had no issues" ... so after emailing and phoning the PM's greeter "Virginie" a number of times she indicated she would have the owner come out and take a look and explain for me how to use the lock ...
Niall [the owner of the property] shows up ... telling me different locks throughout the world ... blah, blah, blah! ... and proceeds to show me how to use the lock [... okay now imagine this scene with me nodding my head, arms crossed at the chest and eyebrows raised ...] ... and then he says, "I cannot seem to get it to retract" ... mmmmm, hmmmm:
- Niall tries to reach Virginie and she is no longer answering either my or anyone's calls
- ... and in the meantime I've been trying to get the PM owner to respond to me since the night before and Niall calls him and gets him on the phone right instantaneously ... explains the problem and that he needs a locksmith but has to wait and he wants to leave but cannot secure his property and likely Lao can get one quicker - Lao gets to work on this after they hang up ...
- ... I say to Niall that when Lao calls back I would like to speak with him as I've been trying to reach him since last evening ... Lao phones back right away and you could see there was some hesitancy in passing the phone but I spoke with him and let him know - a) not happy, b) is there another alternative if no I'm looking for a refund, c) he leaves it to me to decide, d) I indicate I will leave and am requesting a refund and he agrees yes I will receive a full refund minus the one night ... whatever, I agree and ask for it in writing but he says he is dealing with a family emergency and cannot email but he/it is all good and he will honour this ... TRUST ME I will be at their office on Monday with my credit card in hand for that refund ...
- ... so I quickly find us accommodation outside the mainstream area and we set-off to find a cab [they are literally everywhere in Cannes]
- ... 25 minutes later we arrive at our 3-star hotel with a pool and WiFi and it is 250% better than what we just left ... and thankfully it is far from the "Hub" of Cannes [which is not where the original place I was to stay in was located] ... finally I have the stress-free, quiet time I have been seeking
- P.S. we took a really good video showing proof on the issue of the lock to ensure a refund
Back to Good Stuff ... and "The Unknown"
... so our day at the beach began much later than anticipated but through it all my little Beanie was such a trooper and so supportive ... she was even running around taking pictures of "deficiencies" for me
... our stay settled down once we got to our hotel room and made our way to the beach which via public transit is only about 15 minutes ... and I am sooooooo good with that ... ...
... the "Unknown" I refer to is the hotel we're staying in, I went on Expedia.ca and chose the secret 40% off option and you basically book it, pay for it and they reveal where you are staying via email confirmation so you are truly "winging it" when doing this ... so we literally had no idea where we'd be staying until I received the email confirmation ... & even more unknown was navigating our way via public transit back to the main beach area [which is relatively easy ... ... ... me & Bean are always up for an adventure ...]
... our current locale is a cool little "Aeroport" hotel in the Mandelieu area of Cannes and it has a small runway and heli-pad on the property but not in the immediate vacinity of the hotel ... they have cool quonsets throughout the property with antique planes and flying club hangars ... perhaps instead of a shuttle to the airport in Nice we'll take a helicopter?!? just kidding -- not likely but you know me I'm going to investigate it anyway ... ...
Cheers - RGR
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