My 44th Birthday in Cannes and Antibes Trouble in a Tiny Van
I woke up 44 in the South of France, which still feels wild to write.
When I was first diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma, I didn’t picture birthdays past 42. I didn’t picture hotel breakfasts, red carpets, or floating in the Mediterranean with my shorts on. I didn’t picture living this long.
But there I was, getting ready for our first Wingbuddy tour through the South of France. The plan was Cannes and Antibes. The reality involved a tiny van, heat/ motion sickness, and a birthday gift that smells like my memories of that whole day.
Breakfast then Wig Tape
We started early at our hotel. Dean and I went down to the breakfast room and filled our plates. There was another couple there too, finishing up what they said was the last day of their Exoticca tour. That made the hotel feel like a turn-style for travel packages. They were wrapping up. We were just getting started.
We had until 1:00pm before we'd meet our tour group. So we went shopping close by the hotel and looked at a toy store.
After we got back, we went back upstairs to grab our packs. I used wig tape to affix my wig to my head, which is really the first time I used it, but I wanted it to stay on if we got ocean time. The day was about to include heat, beaches, and camera footage.
We got downstairs right on time. The driver was looking for us, and I told her I was Lauren Smith. Then we followed her outside. That’s when I realized we were not getting on a bus. We were getting into a minivan.
Yes, it was a nice Mercedes van. Clean. Sleek. Very South of France tour energy from the outside. But inside, it ended up being eight people packed into one small space for a half day of sightseeing.
The Tour Group
Our tour group was comprised of a couple people in their late 50s. A single lady in her early 60s. A couple in their late 60s. And one woman in her 70s. We were definitely the youngest people in the group, so we opted for the back of the van.
I was excited, but I also knew very quickly that this van was going to be a character in the story. Within 10 minutes of driving, Dean was overheated. He asked for the air conditioning to be turned up. The driver could not figure out how to blast us with the cool air we desperately needed.
Cannes Came First
The driver adjusted the itinerary and said we were driving all the way to Cannes first. I had expected the day to unfold differently, but with tours, you learn fast that the printed plan and the lived plan are not always identical.
The drive was long enough to feel it from the back row. Small space and limited air with poor visibility was the experience. Narrow views through the windows. The kind of ride where you start doing quiet math about long it will be until you stop.
We didn't get to admire the winding coastline in the back of the van. Then Cannes appeared and allowed us to relax. We were dropped off near the beach, close to the Palais de Festivals red carpet. The sea was right there, looking too blue to be real.
Dean and I grabbed ice cream cones from a stand. It was a good birthday treat. Then we walked down to the beach. It was so nice to be at a sandy beach. I almost would recommend staying in Cannes over Nice if you like sandy beaches.
When we went into the water, we weren't in swimsuits. We hadn't exactly planned for this part of the day because we weren't sure how guided the tour would be. We didn't know that we'd get time for swimming. So instead of stripping down to our underwear, we just took our tops off and went in. Fully in our shorts.
The beach was busy, but not packed. Still, I couldn’t exactly strip down to my underwear and pretend that was normal. So shorts it was.
That little dip became one of my favourite memories from the day. There’s something ridiculous and freeing about swimming in the South of France, turning 44, and caring less than usual about doing things properly.
My shorts were wet but my wig stayed put. Thank you, wig tape.
The Red Carpet, Dior Intimidation, and Birthday Perfume
After the beach, we went to see the red carpet area. Cannes has a strange mix of glamour and regular life. Many people were taking pictures in front of the #Cannes sign.
After getting our shot near the red carpet, we headed off for shopping.
We stepped into Dior, and almost immediately felt intimidated. It was beautiful, of course. The kind of place where I become too aware of my own hands. We looked around briefly and left before we could overthink it. We asked about Eau de Parfum and found out that they only carry specialty varieties in the store.
Sephora felt easier.
Dean bought me Miss Dior perfume for my birthday. That felt perfect because we had heard about it earlier on our Occupation and Liberation Tour in Paris. A story in Paris became a bottle in Cannes. A scent became a souvenir that actually carried a memory.
Hotels in Cannes
Cannes could be a great place to stay. It's better than Nice in one distinct way. The beaches are sand.
Below are a couple prime hotel options, close to the beach:
There are also some GetYourGuide activities from Cannes that were really appealing, but ultimately we didn't have the time to make the trek back by train:
The Tiny Van Became a Problem
We made it back to the meeting point on time. Our driver did not.
So we waited. Not forever, but long enough that the mood shifted. Everyone had already had their independent Cannes moment and was ready for the next stop. Waiting in the heat has a way of draining you.
We finally got back into the van and headed toward Antibes. That’s when Dean started feeling sick.
The van was small, the air conditioning wasn’t great, and the back row was not doing him any favours. He's not even prone to motion sickness, but those winding coastal drives can turn on you fast. There also wasn't visibility from the back row so we weren't admiring scenery.
By the time we reached Antibes, the priority was not sightseeing. It was finding a pharmacy.
Antibes Deserved more Energy
We noticed the boats in the marina right away. Antibes has that old port beauty, with sailboats and yachts, water, stone, and sunshine all layered together. It looked like a place I would love with a clearer head and more time.
We were dropped off in front of the old town, and Dean and I went straight to a pharmacy. He got the French equivalent of Gravol. The pharmacist understood what we needed, which was a relief. Travel is full of tiny moments where you’re grateful for simple human competence.
Once Dean had what he needed, I went off exploring with the camera for a bit. I wanted to capture Antibes properly. I really did. But I didn’t get much footage.
Antibes went on the list for another trip. It might be a nice place to stay in the South of France.
Dinner was Uber Eats
By the end of the tour, we were done.
A sit-down birthday dinner out sounded nice in theory. In real life, Uber Eats was fantastic. We got some mediocre pizza that was really just incredible that evening in conjunction with some red wine.
That’s something travel keeps teaching me. The best version of a day is not always the prettiest version. Sometimes the win is getting food delivered and taking off your shoes.
My 44th birthday in Cannes and Antibes was not smooth. The van was too small. The itinerary changed. Dean felt awful. I didn’t film as much as I wanted. But I got the sea. I got perfume. I got another birthday I once couldn’t imagine. That was deeply satisfying.
Comments