We took a bus Saturday morning from Cannes, where we're staying, to nearby Antibes — probably 7 or 8 miles from our apartment.
Then we walked.
We walked up and down and around the incredible outdoor food market there. (Amira bought spices and brownies.)
We walked all over the town.
We walked down and around an ancient nearby sea-front fortress, down the full length of the nearby peninsula, and all along the shore. (I jumped in the water and swam across a tiny bay. It was cold, but beautiful.)
From there, we walked along the shore all the way back to Cannes, stopping to check things out, eat pizza, drink beer, take pictures and watched a glorious sunset. From the elevated sidewalk next to the shore, we saw restaurants and weddings and picnics and fishermen. Everybody was drinking rosé. Everybody. Most in chilled glasses at restaurants or on picnic blankets. We saw at least 5 young guys drinking rosé from the bottle while walking around on the sidewalk.
One group combined fishing with picnicking. We were on an elevated part of the sidewalk there, and were looking down at what a great time they were having. One guy saw us, and waved us down to join them. It was late already, so we declined, but regretted it.
By the time we got back to Cannes, it was midnight. We walked around 15 miles.
The people who are driving and the people who are walking live in different worlds. Walking lets you see everything up close, and lets you stop and check things out. You really get to know the places you go when you walk.
Walking also seems to be good for your thought process. We always come up with great ideas while walking. And it's only when I walk these days when I get to catch up on my podcasts.
Whenever we move to a new city, we get to know it by walking on every street, over and over. You really get to know a place, what its rhythms are and how it all works.
Walking is fun. It's great exercise. It's good for the environment. And it's easy.
My favorite part, though, is that you get to see everything up close and personal. And discover the world, one step at a time.