I did a little window shopping on the rue d'Antibes and, seizing a rare moment of sunshine, sat on the Croisette with a baguette and an éclair and soaked up the buzz. Near the Martinez, there is a little stage where last year I saw Jessie J sing a few numbers (not being particularly down with the kids, I didn't know who she was). 

This year, on Thursday, it was LMFAO's turn, although I wasn't convinced it was really them (it was a tiny stage and they seemed to perform their most famous number, Sexy and I Know It, several times but apparently it was. Now I wish I had taken some photos. Ah well. I didn't recognise the band who was playing yesterday--they sounded French. How very dare they.

Eventually, the sun came out and we went down to the rocks near the beach to watch the Croisette come to life for the evening and to listen to more random French dance music. It looks like Pete Doherty, Asia Argento and Bérénice Bejo, among others, will be there tonight. The one thing the weather can't spoil is eating delicious, rotisserie chicken with homemade mash and baguette on the (covered part of) the terrace in my parents' flat.

My kingdom for a ticket!

This morning, the weather was even more erratic, not that that stopped the hoards from queuing outside the Palais des Festivals with their brollies, hoping some kind benefactor might take pity on them and give them a ticket to a screening. The London Film Festival is certainly much more of a democracy, and if you can't even guarantee nice weather in Cannes in May, one almost wonders what use it serves. As I complained to the apartment block's guardienne this morning, j'en ai eu assez du mauvais temps. She, of course, replied, C'est le Festival. C'est normal. Indeed.

My flight to Nice this morning was filled with plenty of movie types. The guy sitting next to me on the plane had a pretty cool job: designing movie posters. Mainly horror, but with a big documentary at this year's festival. He gets to spend four days partying, boozing and schmoozing clients. Nice!

Queuing up for the best red carpet views

My early flight meant that by 2 pm, I was lying on the beach soaking up the sunshine, and by the time my parents got here, a few hours later, I had also been for a swim, read a book, snapped some photos on the Croisette and done a reccy of the Palais des Festivals. This year is the 65th CaFF and the star of all the posters is Marilyn Monroe, presumably because she died 50 years ago this year. If only a woman director had ever won the Palme d'Or, then she could be the poster girl...

As it is Ascension Day, the épiceries were closed here so we went to dinner at our Croisette favourite, Vesuvio. The pizza was pretty good tonight and despite how busy the place was, it only took three attempts to get the waiter to bring a carafe d'eau.

Le Palais des Festivals

Afterwards, we wandered down the Croisette to get an ice cream. We were too late for the red carpet (it was a French film premiering tonight anyway, albeit one with Marion Cotillard, De Rouille Et d'Os) but we did take a look at the ciné-plage, which was one of my favourite things about last year's festival. This year, there is a Bond theme to the movies shown on the beach, and as we missed the start of Dr No tonight, we will probably hold out for Diamonds Are Forever on Sunday (Jaws, next Thursday, would also be fun but I'll be gone by then).

The crowd outside the Jean-Paul Belmondo tribute