Red Carpet and Weather. . . by Jane Tolbert

Photo sent via iPhone of May 4 storm.


The 63rd Cannes Film Festival takes place from May 12 through May 23, 2010. Hotels are usually crowded. Streets are packed with exotic cars. Throngs of tourists linger, hoping to get a glimpse of . . . .you name it, any of the stars or producers or just the rich and famous.

The region is primped. Palm trees. White sand. Lavish receptions. Well, that had been true until recently. With the recession, even the rich and famous are having to curtail activities. The main concern now is the weather.




Juan-les-Pins beach in February

The joke about the Cannes film festival has always been the weather. The locals agree, it rains during the festival. The Cote d’Azur might have had perfect weather between Easter and the festival—turquoise- azure seas, for which the region is famous, sunny skies and white beaches—all of which provide great photo opportunities. The opening of the festival generally brings gray skies and diluvial rains. In response to the meteorological challenge, several years ago organizers moved the festival to a later date in May.

Tourist season begins with Easter, intensifies during the festival and then continues through August. Preparation for the migration begins in late February or early March, with the clearing of the weather and subsiding of winter storms on the Mediterranean, which have eroded coastlines.

Beginning in late February, the operators of the private beaches import sand and palm trees, restore buildings, bring in tables, chairs and brightly colored umbrellas. They will rent the lounge chairs for 10 Euros the half day, serve grilled fish or meats and Mediterranean specialties, le tout arosé de vin et de champagne, to international clients as well as locals, all of whom relish a chance to dine with the view of the red Estérel Mountains, the azure sea and their feet in the warm sand.

But this year has been exceptional. The nice weather, which gave everyone hopes of a longer beach season, was cut short by what the Nice Matin (May 9, 2010) termed the “coup de mer dévastateur” of May 4,2010. The waves, which reached six meters, carried away tables, chairs, palm trees and the bright umbrellas. Quickly, an “armada” of workers and machines began to restore the beaches. Already in Nice, five of the 15 private beaches had reopened within days of the violent waves.

This year has brought other unexpected challenges, such as the eruption of the volcano Eyjafjallajokull , which began spewing tons of ash on April 14, resulting in stranded airline passengers and empty hotels. One luxury hotel manager in Juan-les-Pins said that although some of the hotels had canceled reservations, the clients stranded on the Cote d’Azur extended their stays.



Normal winter erosion (photo from December 2008)

The organizers of festival have changed their dates to meet challenges of the weather. And the beach operators got an early start on the season. No one could have predicted exceptional waves or the eruption of a volcano with a name that few can pronounce. In the next few days, we will see what the weather brings for the red-carpet event.