The House of French : Joris Delacroix

Whilst traveling it is always cool to get hold of music from the country you are Xperiencing, the long train rides, the lonely strolls through the unknown streets, the nippy bike rides and beach chills can come to life with the music melting in your ears. It's also cool that when you return home at the end of your travels you can replay the tracks again with nothing less than a weather report worthy flood of memories rushing back.

Sometimes you have to be patient, sit back and train your ears to take on the new foreign sounds, this however was definitely not the case when a little Xploration into the wonderful world of French house music was made.

: Joris Delacroix :

I had actually had some of Joris's songs rumbling around in an old deep house playlist from a while back, but never really payed much attention until now. Something I both regret but kind of thank myself for because the sounds have become that much sweeter listening to them not only in France, but also in the South where this young DJ originates. The music he creates is very uncomplicated as the comfortable sounds back on to each other with a certain familiar unpredictability. You feel happy, the sounds are light and your body twitches a little, in a pleasant way. (no it doesnt give you a fit..)

Some of the tracks lift you immediately as the bass pumps your blood vessels on behalf of your unsure-what-to-do-with-itself-heart. ( hence the twitching ) You are treated to some of his piano playing skills as he sneaks the sounds of the keys in and amongst the bellowing bass. I cant wait to get hold of more of his tracks, here are 5 that I listen to on the reg :

Air France
- one of my favourite titles, a classic skip down a seaside promenade song.

She
- light French feeling melodies accompanied by a perfectly balanced amount of bass.

Maeva
- perfect for train rides when all your eyes feel like doing is watching the coast crawl past.

La Mat ( Aka Aka & Thalstrom mix )

- this song brings together the two main things I love about this DJ, beautiful bass with kind-hearted keys.

Oui Mais Non
- The blood pumping/twitching I mentioned earlier.. well here it is, translated from French the title means 'Yes but no.' Enjoy and beware of sharp objects.

First of many Xposusres of some of the musical talent here in France and possible other Mediterranean musical makers. 

Until then, find a train, find a hill, find a bike, find a beach, find a forrest, or just find 10 minutes to listen to any one of these songs from one end to the other. 

X

Juan Les Pins ( Joo-wan Leh Pan ) : Alors on Danse

 Juan Les Pins, or as all yachties term, JLP, is a decent 20 minute walk from Antibes and plays host to many essentially non-Antibes / non-yachtie bar based antics. It was always alive and kicking in and around the streets of JLP, so here is a lively classic French beat while you stretch your eyes over some descriptive sentence structures. So now we dance :

Most of the time we would only head through to JLP on the weekends, I did have to go in the week once because on a non-stressful tooth related incident. It has some great clubs that stay open late and offers something more than the ' what type of shoes do you dock walk in? " scenarios in Antibes. The one main club, Le Village, is cause for many a fun night as you can really get loose on it's dance floor, filled with not one but two awkward steel dancing platforms. Friday nights they typically play hip hop and commercial tracks, and house makes a delightful presence on a Saturday. The entrance fee is usually somewhere around the 15euro mark, with a complimentary drinks ticket, which always turns into a strong vodka red bull to kick those heels of yours up a notch.

I never really took any photos when we were Le Village-ing, but here are two off their fabulous google image search to put a little hazy vision in your view.

The club's interior reminds me fondly of the one you could get up to mischief in like the old Fez in Cape Town. A large dark space, ample dance floor perving spots and chairs and couches sporadically splayed out often at perfect shin-hitting range. Once you get to the bathroom, get ready... because two elderly women are about to pause your path to pee. One is smiling behind a stall filled with rave paraphernalia, lollipops and a schmoorgesboard of poppers. The other armed with her trusty stamp informs you that it is a casual 2 euro's to use the toilet, but once you get stamped you can use it as much as you like, oh how thoughtful! You oblige as you don't want to cause an embarrassing mopping situation and hand over your coins.

The night then typically goes from drink, to easy dance move attempt, to drink, to loud shouting, to drink, to harder dance move attempt, to drink, to i love you's, to drink and finally ends with a cheesy toasted meal from the outdoor kebab extravaganza and an over-priced cab back because the 20minute walk is all a bit much.

Apart from the nightlife there is also the day time activities. A post i did a while back on Moorea beach is one example of how this small town fulfilled many a yachtie's weekend wander :
http://xtrailsandsails.blogspot.it/2013/05/its-summer-in-france-go-to-beach-and.html

Since then I have returned to Moorea, it was yet again a Saturday filled with splendor and smiles. This time the sun was not shining as brightly, however the rum was almost everlasting and the new additions to the crew with oversized props made it yet another unforgettable mission.

Apart from the crazy/cool dance/drink based activities taking place in JLP, it is also quite a nice walk to do from Antibes. No not the short 20 minute one through the town, the long one round the coast, but is is best to do it by accident, get lost for a little while, stop for a drink and continue. Thats exactly what myself and my ever-present equally paced walking partner did one Sunday, and it was long and lovely. We seriously never knew what would appear round the next corner, or wether the hill we were descending would need to be climbed back up. The stories shared, the cardio points gained and the things we saw were totally worth losing a what should have been short Sunday stroll.

JLP was a vibe, the social scene was always exactly what we wanted, the shops offered that little bit more variety and they definitely had hotter chilli for your cooking needs. The dentist in JLP is also rather delightful and makes you feel delightfully at home with your free schwetty blue plastic booties. and for only 1,20 euro train ride, or a 20 minute walk or a long coastal one, all this is can be yours for those times you just don't want to be a 'yachtie' in Antibes.

X

It's Nice, in Nice, So Nice.

Onward and upward we travel along the Cote d' Azur. Nice is up next, the first little place I actually arrived in via bus from the airport when I landed from London. The train station's ceiling is one that is extremely intriguing as it leaves you strolling around looking upward bumping into locals muttering pardon, pardon.

Nice, or Nice Ville as the crusty train voice mutters is a an awesome place to wander around as it almost has a little bit of everything on offer. I spent some time dock walking in Nice, but it's nothing to decidedly important to discuss, as the port is rather small and un-amusing. However the walks , yes there were many, too and from the port was where the real enticement happened. Apart from dock walking Nice was also a common stop off for us who wanted to do some shopping, some breakfast in it's neat cafe's and some very necessary girls day activities.

As always whats a photo browse / text read on my blog without an accompanying song to connect all the dots and spots together. Here is a classic, ' feel-jumpy in a good way and possibly shake a shoulder with accompanying head bop '.

A little advice, when in France, listen to some French house music.. songs like these make them train rides so much sweeter and the long walks in unknown streets that much more pleasant. 

Walking down from the train station and down to the high street, without fail I almost double-take whenever I see the tram cruising up and down. One of the most iconic things about Nice for me by far, it takes you up and down for one euro a pop, it moves at a sneaky pace but you can almost always cross the road without losing your swag mid-way. 

After passing all the shops you get to an amazing square, people watching potential for days as the French version of rickshaws nip past you and yappy dogs tangle up their owners in their leashes. 

Passing the large fountain in the square a few more steps and you are on the promenade. Rental shops for both bicycles and rollerblades try entice you by throwing in a free Powerade with your 7 Euro rental fee. 

The promenade is an epic little world of it's own, miniature trains, children crying over melted ice-cream and daredevil cyclists. Who almost take you out, because for the eighth time you forgot there was a designated bike lane, that you are now trapped in the middle of, as the Tour de Promenade happens around you. 

Strolling up the hill you get an awesome glimpse of the long stretch of Nice seaside, managed to capture a bird who was not as amused by the view as I was.

Carry on a little further and you reach the port. 

As mentioned earlier the port was never really anything to 'funtastic' for us, it was the craziness that we found behind every corner partnered with the popular european stores we felt more than comfortable in. The busy long street has many shops o wander in and out of and clothes that make you wish you hadn't eaten that last baguette. In and amongst the shops you come across an awesome old French church, the space it dominates is breathtaking and you suddenly forget where you are until you hear the sound of the tram rushing past.

One thing that is really cool to do is meander off the high street from time to time, discoveries such as the Nice old Town, a beauty school with 10 euro pedicures and cheaper coffees are what are in store. Here are shots of such activities and such and such.

Nice, as my title states, you are Nice, so Nice. I will return to you soon without a doubt and hopefully make it to one or two of your beach parties I keep getting FOMO over. Just one suggestion, please run trains at later times through to Antibes, the 60 Euro taxi's have lost their charm, 3 rides ago. 

Until then, its Nice to be Nice. 

X

Because you Cannes Cannes Cannes

Here is the first on many write-ups on the various weird, wonderful and worthwhile places I have been fortunate to venture to. The first lost are all from the days of dockwalking, sorry, fabulous days of dockwalking. We went near and far, to the well-known and the bizarre.

First up I will delve into my time spent in Cannes, a 15-ish minute train ride from Antibes, costing you 2,20 euros. It was the first port I dock walked as well as my last, so it holds quite a special place in my heart. Every time I got out at the train station the following song immediately entered my mind and exited my mouth.. It just couldn't be helped.

Cannes is wonderful, it has two ports separated by a long promenade overlooking a well formed stretch of beach. In order to get from one port to the other, one often opt's to catch the Palm Beach bus, costing just 1 euro and with a topless deck its a delight to ride on.

Whilst living in Antibes, Cannes hosted their famous film festival. The town went from mildly calm to an amazing state of refined panic as famous stars and movie-folk descended upon their shores yet again.

Following on from the Film Festival, and more up my alley is the Cannes Lions festival of creativity, which was held this last weekend.

Cannes also boasts many famous hotels, such as the Carlton, which during the film festival was draped with many Great Gatsby posters.

There is also a great supply of high-end fashion stores, all the top designers displayed with a slight French-esque twist.

All in all Cannes is delightful, If I had the cash to throw around in the stores, bars and hotels I would probably love it even more. Cannes displays a great sense of French pride, from the cleanliness of the streets to the acknowledment of the arts, both foreign and local. Compared to other neighboring towns it is by far the more internationally driven and operates at a very smooth pace. When dock walking in Cannes you will more than likely bump into a friend which always makes the walk of the dock that much sweeter, the port is one of the more popular ones along the Cote d' Azur. 

 Cannes I'll see you in a month when I come chill in your port again, this time on a yacht:) 

X

The art of walking a dock

As a 'yachtie' you are well and sometimes ill informed about the very necessary process of dockwalking. Essentially you are going out there day after day, dock after dock handing out your crisp
3 euro each, Curriculum Vitae. It gets tiring, its gets more than monotonous but most of all it gets demotivating. However, if you do it right, the thought of re-walking dock after dock after hill after station becomes an after-thought. Here's a quickly formed possibly overly-ambitious poem with accompanying photos I have snapped up over the last while, whilst on said dock walk Xpeditions.

You're up,its early, the shower coffee wake up hits it start,

Off on a day of delightful dock walking you are about to embark.

Your bag is packed with C.V.'s , snacks and H2oh,

Italy, Cannes, San Remo, Golfe Juan lets go.

You have your team, the train times are read,

But all you really want to do is jump back in bed.

The itinerary is planned and the stage is set,

Tactics are discussed and trains are met.

Playlists are shared as well as stories of your past,

You wish this train ride will just go super fast.

The speaker on the train mutters something French.

You get off at your stop, step in a puddle, drench.

You um and aah about which path to take,

Then someone spots the big salty lake.

The dock is near, you are almost there,

Now its time to tie up your stewardess-hair.

The team splits as you never walk two-by-two.

Now it's time, the big dock and you. 

The yachts are large and birthed neatly in a row.

You hope one of the deckhands is a mate you know. 

 

"Hi, How you doing?" "what a nice day!",

Is something you might start off to say.

"Do you need any day-work?" "or are in need of a Stew?"

Now you wait, as they approach you. 

"Nah Mate", as most of them be Saffa, Kiwi or Aus. 

"We fully crewed, but check the boat next to us."

"Thank you so much, enjoy your day"

As you turn around with a face full of dismay.

'On to the next one' a famous rapper once said.

You approach the next boat and lift that smiling head. 

The same scenario takes place again and again,

Swearing out loud & kicking the dirt, oh you must refrain.

But every now and then it changes and you appear to be in win,

"We might have a position available, or some daywork", grin.

You strike the biggest smile then try crack a well-timed joke or three,

hand over your C.V. , and strut away happy!

That is the general process day after day,

Oh how boring one might say.

But don't be discouraged there is plenty of fun to occur,

Too many espressos or impromptu Instagrams whichever you prefer.

Sometimes you come across obstacles that get in your way,

But we don't let it stop our dock walking day.

A fence you give us because we shouldn't come in,

We'll just go under it and make ourselves really thin.

Sometimes getting a C.V. to a boat can be a test,

then you just try make your C.V. airplane the best.

Don't be too cocky I learnt the hard way,

otherwise in the port water your C.V. may lay.

When walking to the boats along the far port track,

Dont let jokes, movies quotes and random song outbursts be of lack.

Every now and then motivate your crew,

wether it be by air punch or a 'kif bru'.

If the awesome yachts around you are not enough,

there are many amazing things to capture and stuff.

Cracks in the wall and wildlife are all around,

Just waiting for you and your iPhone to be found. 

 

Walking in Monaco channel the speed of the F1,

maybe you will find yourself watching the rising sun.

Hang around in the ports and make friends at the bars,

what's great about Europe is no one drives cars.

It's really great to dock walk with your friends,

it feels like you're hanging out on a dock that will never end.

The stories, the reminiscing and chat can go on and on,

before you know it, you driven past Toulon. 

Renting a cheap car is always a good call,

It gives you a fun road trip, do you want more?

We took one to Italy and took one further in France,

Oh and how many more docks down we did dance. 

Sometimes you may find yourself dock walking alone, 

don't hesitate, play a crossword on your phone. 

The lonely times are useful as well,

Perhaps you forgot to wear deodorant, and now smell.

 

Casual jumping or gyrating down any dock,

just make sure you don't lose a sock.

Keep it clean and professional but just have fun,

this might be your last day in the sun.

Once you get a job and are off and away,

it's goodbye and farewell to your dock walking days.

These are the times your remember down the line,

Enjoy them while you can, you will be fine. 

The main thing is to keep motivated and go.
A yacht might have a job, you just never know.
Take a risk, take a chance
and if all else fails, dance.

Dock walking is for the committed and the divine,
its something, like me, you could do for a long time.
Keep at it, get a walking crew.
Someone, Someday, Somewhere may just employ you.

 X