The Coast

Coastal NorCal aka Wuthering Heights

the Pacific

tide pools

We spent an evening and following day around Pescadero, a coastal town south of San Francisco. Some friends organized it and we became a small band of city dwellers escaping to the beach. It was a short but much appreciated getaway for me, as I've had a lot to think about recently and being in nature somehow always helps me clear my mind. Autumn in the Bay Area is basically an extended summer, with some rainy weather starting to creep in. A few hours after I took these shots, the sky cleared up, the sun came out, the sea shimmered, and I felt better as we drove back up the coast. 

Decisions, Decisions

I turned another year older this month, and along with celebrating my birthday with loved ones, I was thinking about a couple ways in which I've been trying to grow. One theme that has been inescapable this year is the presidential election, but with that, I've been paying more attention to state- and local-level politics.

National political figures always fascinated me with their legacies and personalities (starting with the fairy tale of the Kennedys' Camelot as well as the People Power Revolution in the Philippines, up to the Obamas). More recently I realized that I needed to pay attention to the policies that impact my community and me at more local levels, since these changes would probably have a more direct impact on me. This was partly driven by having moved to California, where there are dozens of state and county/city propositions on the ballot, and the devil, as usual, is in the details. I'd also like to avoid voting on the wrong side of history.

One weekend a friend actually rented out a church basement one weekend afternoon and summarized the ballot measures for folks. And thanks to the Twitterverse, I was directed to http://www.peterates.com which summarized and gave recommendations for the state proposals. I've been reading up on the San Francisco country proposals as well and am looking forward to casting my vote. Although I probably will never enter politics myself, I feel more empowered doing my civic duty and trying to become a more informed citizen and voter. After all, voting is a privilege, so I don't want to take it for granted.

.@gridmonte @anildash UX Designer Peter Stahl's guide is always a treat https://t.co/4KaerKaOiP

— Steve Portigal (@steveportigal) September 27, 2016

Links Roundup (Reading Lately)

I have to admit, I spend so much time glued to a screen and read as much as I can to keep up with the world. Here's what's caught my eye lately:

The WSJ on the Queen Bey: "The Houston-born singer’s business savvy goes back to the late 1990s, when she was managed by her father, who taught her the music business." I remember totally jamming to Destiny's Child when I was a pre-teen and I continue to be in awe of the empire she's built. May we all remember, we have just as many hours in a day as Beyonce.

The Missing Piece - oldie but a goodie from Shel Silverstein on what to remember about love and relationships. Maybe all the life lessons we need, we learned as children.

Also on relationships: The Divorce Lawyer's Guide to Marriage. Interesting to see it from the perspective of someone who's seen the failures.

I watched this movie a couple weeks ago when I was feeling some New York nostalgia, but I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to pull off a Margot Tenenbaum costume.

Online privacy: cancelling forgotten accounts and seeing what Facebook's got on you.

Newsletters (the email kind): I've mentioned a couple before, but I also enjoy Another Round, The What, and Of a Kind.

Life Lately: Around the Bay

Crissy Field

The past few weeks have been filled with a little of everything: a visit from my brother when he was finally introduced to the glory of Philz Coffee; another tubing trip down the Russian River when I got a little too much sun; a visit to Everlane; a viewing of Beautiful the Carole King musical, which I had been wanting to see back East on Broadway but was pleasantly surprised to learn had actually started in San Francisco; a day at a beautiful spa with girlfriends; and of course outings around San Francisco (finally) enjoying our Indian summer. Here's a round up:

Paris Guide

from the Green line

Below you'll find a recap of my Paris trip taken at the beginning of summer. I admit I was thinking, well it's way overdue. I was also thinking of skipping a recap altogether because, hey, there's no shortage of Paris travel guides out there. But then, a good friend said she and her S.O. were heading to France for a couple weeks and asked for my itinerary. 

I was happy to share the details because I've been thinking of the France trip ever since I returned stateside. In many ways it was a comfortable, almost familiar, trip - developed, Western nation, many English speakers, easy Metro systems, large metropolitan cities as well as some quaint little towns (I already wrote about staying in Cannes and hanging around the French Riviera). But it was still great to see everything for myself, to practice French, and to observe any differences between Parisian culture and that of say, San Francisco or NYC, or how some styles are spread around the world. 

There were times around Paris (around the Pigalle and the Canal) that I felt like, wow, they out-Brooklyn'd Brooklyn (see: my new favorite bar). There were also instances when I was reminded of more serious issues such as politics around business/workforce problems, and ideological differences - such as when we had to figure out our transportation when strikes were going on, or when we inadvertently avoided a huge protest taking place by our Airbnb. This is a crazy world we all have to navigate, no matter where we are.

truth (original article)

I was only in Paris for five days, which in my eyes was not nearly enough time. Thankfully you can still get a good sense of the city, especially if you walk and use the Metro, because both offer you so much good people watching where you can see "everyday" city dwellers, and you can see the different kinds of architecture around the city. Many places we hit up were recommended by friends and their friends, which is my favorite way of getting travel advice. And with that, word for word, is what I gave my friend - and now you - on Paris.

Le Comptoir

Le Comptoir

Paris: the best advice I can give you is to pack some comfy slippers or buy the padded 10-euro ones at Muji (which I ended up doing) because even though I wore comfortable shoes, we walked so much that my feet were aching and slippers felt awesome at the end of the day. 2nd best advice is to shop at the Franprix for cheap (but good) wine and other groceries

• Trocadero: First two nights we stayed in a small hotel in Trocadero so we ate in the bistros around the circle ... had drinks at Sir Winston and this college pub called The Freedom. Good area for reaching all the touristy stuff by walking or Metro without staying right next to them. Mo and I were thinking the area is like the Upper East Side.
• Canal Saint Martin: For the weekend we switched to an Airbnb by Canal Saint Martin and I loved this area! We stopped using the Metro without meaning to - we just walked everywhere - up to Sacre Coeur, all the way down to La Marais and back up to our neighborhood. On Sunday we picnic'd along the canal (there's a Franprix grocery store right there). This is definitely the Brooklyn of Paris.
• La Verre Vole - a bunch of Americans recommended it, then I realized it's one of Anthony Bourdain's picks. But my boss (who's French) also recommended it, and it was really good
• Le Comptoir General - coolest bar I've been to, hands down. After dinner at La Verre Vole we came here and left only because our friends couldn't get in (but, their fault for not arriving until 1am). Went back during the day and it's a cool coffee house/lounge
• Du Pain et Des Idees - also a Bourdain pick, but clearly a local favorite. Open only on weekdays.
• Bob's Juice - we got bagels (they were really good!) and filtered coffee here to go so we could eat while walking
• Ten Belles - also got coffee-to-go here one day
• Le Marais - Marche des Enfants Rouges was a cool farmers market with sit-down-&-eat options. The Picasso Museum was great (and free on Sunday). I did tons of window shopping here. Others have recommended it as a good area to stay in, but it got very touristy/shopper-y for me on the weekend (kinda like NYC's SoHo), and I think because we were here at the end of our trip, I was glad to stay somewhere less busy.
• Pigalle - Also quite Brooklyn-y (maybe Bushwick). We ate at Buvette, and drank at Dirty Dick (a tiki bar!) and Le Sans Souci - all were fun, and there were probably 10 other bars I'd read about in the area.
• Versailles - If you are going, and the train isn't running due to strikes or whatnot, you can do the metro to the bus, it's basically the same amount of time (at least from the Western part of Paris) ... the charter buses we saw were like 50 euro vs ~5 euro we spent on the metro/bus. This guide was awesome: http://parisbytrain.com/how-to-get-to-chateau-de-versailles-via-bus/. At Versailles (we did not wake up early enough to avoid the crowds), we skipped the audio guide because the line was ridiculous. My favorite parts were Marie Antoinette's place and all the gardens.

Austin Weekend

Downtown Austin (Westin hotel lobby)

I just spent a weekend in Austin with old friends and it was really fun. We all flew in from different cities around the country to catch up while hanging out somewhere new. We stayed in an Airbnb downtown and nearly all our activities were chosen thanks to recommendations from friends and colleagues...

Life Lately: F is for Fog

Is it fall?

#Fogust Activities: As summer wraps up I've been enjoying myself around San Francisco - riding a bike through Crissy Field and over the Golden Gate Bridge over to Sausalito, cheering on the Giants at home games, and hanging out at the Pistahan festival. Some days I have to wait a little longer for the fog to burn off to see the summer sun, and sometimes my outfit screams more autumn than summer, but overall it's a champagne problem, so I'll take it.

Finding (or Faking) Balance: NYMag's "How I Get It Done" series featured San Francisco's own Audrey Cooper, editor-in-chief of the Chronicle. My favorite quote:

“Gosh, you look really tired,” and I’m just like, "No, I’m just not wearing eyeliner." - NYMag

Food: I've fallen in love with these pancakes that need just 2-ingredients: eggs and bananas. They are ridiculously easy to make and are just sweet enough that you don't need syrup on them, either - though of course you may still want the syrup. I make a couple days' worth of breakfasts and reheat them each morning for a protein-packed meal. The recipe gets points for being Whole30 compliant, too. Check it out over on The Kitchn. 

Finances: This article on how Hillary Clinton became the breadwinner early on in her family life was something I really appreciated, in the sense that she wanted them to have security and wasn't just relying on someone else to fulfill or provide for that need. I'm sure a lot of people have a complicated relationship with money, though fortunately they won't all have to be written about in a major newspaper.

On a less serious note, I heard a great story from a Bay Area couple with kids. They were in a store buying sports equipment for one of them, but one of the items wouldn't scan correctly and the mom was investigating via her smart phone what the correct price should be. But her kid, frustrated at how long it was taking, insisted that they just buy it at whatever price since, as the kid said, "Mom, we are perfectly wealthy!" We were all howling. The mom, of course, did find the right price online, and the store honored it.

Workouts & Wellness: a ClassPass Review

one of my favorite stretches

Like many social media sites/apps/other tech innovations, it's almost hard to believe that ClassPass has been around for only a few years. The gym pass subscription service was started in 2013 by a couple genius women who understood that people want the variety available with all these specialty workout classes springing up, but may not want to be tied down to one boutique studio at a time (the post from Ignite Your Health is good to keep in mind). "Wellness" is a booming business now in addition to just being an all around healthy concept for your life.

Last month, there was an awesome promo and I finally took the opportunity to sign up. The deal for the 10-class edition for the Bay Area (normally $115 but $30 for 1 month with the promo) was too good to pass up. To quote a friend's usual joke, "You can't afford not to buy it!"

My recent exercise regimen has been jogging and weekend Pilates, so I used ClassPass to extend this to other types of exercises. Turns out the website is an amazing search engine for gyms, boutique studios and classes - I knew San Francisco was into fitness but on ClassPass I found so many studios I'd never heard of before. The studios and classes I attended were:

• Core 40 - 1 Foundation class
• BodyRok - 1 Sculpt class
• FightFit Training Center - 1 Krav Maga class, women only
• Row Club - 2 classes: RowGa (rowing & yoga) and regular rowing
• Body Chemistry - 1 Pilates class... but I've gone to this studio a lot, so it was out of habit, not exploration
• Rogue & Saint - 1 Board to Ball, cross-training class
• OMpower - 1 TRX class

Now that was only 8 classes, because I went to 2 other classes outside of ClassPass: another Pilates class at Body Chemistry with a friend and also, my very first Soul Cycle class, which I went to with a bunch of friends, including a couple other newbies - endorphin addiction is best shared, after all.

How did I pick the first batch of classes? Since I enjoy "regular" Pilates, I wanted to try Core40 and BodyRok on their megaformers. I'd always wanted to learn rowing, since one machine provides a full body workout. The cross-training class at Rogue & Saint was pretty cool and it had been a while since I last took a TRX class, which I really like. Finally, I chose the Krav Maga class so I could start learning something practical, too. All the classes were fast-paced and challenging, and while I would want to pay more attention to form and technique as I go on, the classes would be good cardio and strength-training sessions.

It wasn't always easy making it to class - but it's just a fact of life now that you really do have to schedule time for yourself and for your workouts, and not just watch celebs work out on Snapchat. It was fun trying out so many places, but since I am also running more often now and have some travel coming up, I put my ClassPass membership on hold for August ($19/mo to hold). At first I was incredulous that I had to pay for the hold, or risk a hefty reactivation fee, but then I realized the $19 "hold" still allows one class for the month. That was reasonable enough for me, although, if and when I do cancel ClassPass, the reactivation fee pretty much deters me from ever coming back. But for now I do plan to come back, and I'll just switch to the 5-class model afterward to accommodate my own non-ClassPass workout plans. Accommodation - another fact of life.

I've written before how I like switching up my workouts, so I think ClassPass can make that easier. I could see myself eventually settling on one or two studios, however, once I find the instructors I like best and the schedules that mesh with mine. I've gone through periods of busyness/laziness when it comes to fitness, but over the past few months I've tried to be more consistent and I've noticed results in my health and energy, so I'm using ClassPass to leverage this momentum. Any class or workout suggestions are most welcome in the comments.

tl:dr: Pros of ClassPass: good search feature; access to a variety of studios; pricing can be good if you're going to utilize it; month-to-month flexibility in changing membership level; ... Cons: limited in how many times you go to one studio each month; frequently being 'new' at studios; learning the styles of new instructors; watch the pricing, beware of the class cancellation and reactivation fees

Life Lately - Summer Edition

This has been a summer of somewhat "firsts" - first time going to the San Francisco Opera, trying out Paniq Room (an escape room group game), sailing in San Francisco Bay, taking some new exercise classes, and spending a couple days in Bend, where I went stand-up paddle boarding on my own for the first time. I probably won't do most of these things frequently, but it was fun to give them a try.

I also hit up some area restaurants for the first time: Old Bus Tavern (new-ish gastropub in Bernal), Pampalasa (Filipino food in SoMa), and The Conservatory @ The Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay (we were going to hang outside on the terrace but the summer fog got the better of us). All were tasty and places that I'd been meaning to try for some time now... Pampalasa in particular for the link to my Filipino heritage and Old Bus for being written up all over local press. Both spots are undergoing changes but I hope they'll be area mainstays for a while.

On another note, this has been a crazy summer around the country and the world. Who knew US politics could get this crazy? Who knew hate and violence could spread around the world so fast with our technological advances? There have been times, watching the news, where I've felt helpless as to what's going on. But out of recent tragedies, and from watching the DNC speeches over the past week, I've also been more motivated to pay attention and be more participatory in our political system, and to encourage others to do so, so that our voices are heard and have an impact.

Finally, this month marks my four-year anniversary of living in San Francisco! I'm not sure I thought I'd be in the city this long. It is one more year than I lived in New York City (after college) and two more years than I lived in Washington, DC. In each city I've taken time to explore neighborhoods and see what they had to offer, but even after four years here, there are times when I still feel like a tourist in San Francisco. The city has the added bonus of being an easy home base for my West Coast adventures. It's so nice to be in a city that still makes nature and travel accessible. I suppose all of that is a part of what's kept me here for four years and counting.

Listen Up: Fun Podcasts

Serial Season 1 was the first podcast I listened to, and even though I was hooked on it, I didn't really cross over into other shows for a while. This past year, though, has been the Year of the Podcast for me. They're great to listen to while I am commuting, am on the plane when I don't want to be on the wifi, or am running/exercising, cooking, and tidying up. Once in a while I'll even put one on while getting ready in the morning. Here's what I have been loving:

Another Round with Heben and Tracy:

Buzzfeed

I first heard of Another Round last fall when Hillary Rodham Clinton decided to go on it. My husband and I listened to it in the car on the way to Big Sur and really enjoyed her interview. At the time we were just fascinated by what Hillary had to say and how the podcast hosts, Heben and Tracy, asked meaningful questions that had Hillary come off as human and relatable (she even cracked jokes!). So a while later I was thinking of downloading podcasts to listen to on the train, and when I looked up Another Round again, I was impressed by the caliber and variety of guests they featured. For one, they got Daveed Diggs and Lin-Manuel Miranda (separately) from Hamilton. They got Queen Latifah and Padma Lakshmi. And those folks are being real while sharing a drink with Heben and Tracy.

Recode Decode hosted by Kara Swisher:

Recode archive

First, I love Kara Swisher (Hoya Saxa!), and also, Recode is a great site for somone like me, who works in the tech industry). The podcast addresses a good mix of technology, current events and pop culture and they get some heavy hitters to talk to them. Her interview with Kim Kardashian has this priceless quote: "I truly was baffled when people still cared. They have seen me naked 500 times."

Open Account with SuChin Pak:

itunes

Personal finance from one of my childhood MTV heroines - what more could I ask for? This is produced by Umpqua Bank, which I recognize from its fairly new outpost in my SF neighborhood. Ms. Pak holds some fabulous conversations with folks both famous and not-so-much. One of the funnier episodes is "Will Work for Work: Ravi Patel and Lena Waithe" (you've probably seen them on TV) which features the wise words "Negotiation can be fun" and "All you have is your gut and your taste." (I've heard variations of this last one throughout my life - all you have are your integrity and your knowledge... character and intellect... agreed, agreed, agreed.) "Thank You Cake" with Paula Pell is also hilarious. Everyone shares their views on handling money and how they've learned them. But there are so many gems in this series, from an NBA player, a veteran, an immigrant, and a divorced couple, that it's just best to go and get started on it.

Bonus: 
Some new-to-me shows I've started checking out recently:

• Together - conversations hosted by a former divorce lawyer on how to strengthen relationships
• BackStory - episodes on American History; a friend recommended it because they had an episode on Alexander Hamilton
• Marketplace Tech - a quick daily podcast on current tech topics, recommended by a colleague who listens to it on her way to work in the morning

Pokemon Fever (Yes, I'm a Grown Woman)

Pikachu x1000 (Vox article)

I just didn't get into the Pokemon craze at all when I was younger. When I heard about the game coming out I wasn't surprised, but I also didn't pay much attention (for example, I thought it was virtual reality, not augmented reality). Then last Friday, a friend at work said she downloaded it at a family party, and that the Pokemon were even in our office. Later that day, I saw someone on the bus with the game open, apparently searching for Pokemon along our shuttle route. So later that night, after coming home from happy hour, I downloaded it, registered, and found a freakin' Pokemon perched near my armchair.

For much of the weekend I was tagging in at Pokestops and catching Pokemon while walking around San Francisco and even while riding Muni. And I realized how weird and kind of depressing the whole Pokemon story is, but hey, they are oddly cute and the game is oddly addicting. Like many others I enjoy the accidental/not-accidental social aspect of the game. Unlike other apps, you don't connect to social media accounts (yet) to find friends but since the game involves, literally, the real world, you come across a bunch of other people playing it. I was with my husband, standing on the sidewalk (it was empty, we weren't blocking anyone!) and showing him how the game worked. I was catching a Pokemon, and then a car pulled over. He teased me and said the folks in the car would laugh at me, but I knew what they were up to - we all held up our phones with big smiles, excited to be catching these cartoon creatures. I've exchanged quite a few knowing glances with other city dwellers in the last few days. Technology does bring us together, folks.

My favorite feature is the in-depth linkage of the Pokestops to city landmarks. Not only have I found new ones tucked away around San Francisco, but I now know the names of murals, sculptures and buildings that I pass by regularly. The Pokestops are even cooler, in my opinion, than the Pokemon (but I've only just reached Level 5 and haven't started with the gyms yet, I know, I'm lame).

You know what would also be good as augmented reality smartphone games? Monopoly. Mall Madness. Hungry Hungry Hippos. I hope there's some startups out there thinking of these.

Who knows how long this craze will last, or how many new Pokemon names I'll actually remember, but this was fun and made me feel like a kid again.

Ode to Style & the Canal Saint-Martin, Paris

Canal Saint-Martin attracts sundry crowds. Model-types pose along the canal’s banks while unshaven philosophers ruminate waterside and demure couples dine at brightly colored boulangeries. Canal Saint-Martin’s conspicuous lifestyle contrasts its residential attributes—simple rectangular windows scale the neighborhood’s utilitarian apartment buildings. As a place to see and be seen, Canal Saint-Martin is especially popular with angst-ridden university students—it’s the perfect setting for finding oneself while watching others. - Airbnb

the Canal

view of the Canal from our Airbnb apartment

That Airbnb description is perfect. The area around the canal was full of students, hipsters and young families.I loved hanging out in the Brooklyn of Paris, and I would go back again in a heartbeat. What's great about the Canal Saint-Martin (and the surrounding 10th arrondisement) is that it's very close to busier, more commercial areas of the city, but it's more chill, and serves as a respite from all the city crowds. I found my favorite bar in this neighborhood, and all the folks there - rocking all sorts of styles - could've filled an entire fashion blog.

I snapped the photos below on my last day in town, on a Sunday late afternoon, while having aperitifs along the canal. (I enjoyed a few moments pretending to be like Bill Cunningham.) Everyone passing by looked casual but stylish, effortless without being sloppy or ascetic. The weather was neither too warm or too cold, but everyone looked prepared for city micro-climates, something I appreciate as a San Francisco resident. There was much to be inspired by, especially for a summer in SF, in the few examples below.

inspired to buy a sweater coat

again, inspired to buy a sweater coat

floral and sneakers

always appreciate an easy grey sweater

USA! USA! (pretty sure she was a French kid)

I didn't buy any clothes while in France (despite lots of boutique exploration), but when I came back home I felt inspired when I came across some great items (all on sale!), such as:

this embroidered top by The Kooples

abstract floral top (Vince Camuto) at Nordstrom Rack

patterned sweater coat at Anthro

I've been working them into my wardrobe already - for me they make sense both for work and for fun. It might be something about summer, but I enjoy (somewhat) brighter accents to my neutral basics this time of year. The blouses are versatile in that they work with multiple pieces in my closet - and the Kooples one is great quality. The jacket is useful especially in the mornings when I'm commuting, when it's actually kind of chilly and foggy out - it's a heavy but also loose knit so it's also airy.

I'm probably done shopping for a little while, as I work these and other new pieces into rotation and rediscover other items that have been in my closet. So who knew a side effect of vacation would be a wardrobe refresh, but it's a side effect I'm enjoying as summer continues.

Self Care and Clean Eating: a Whole30 Review

 

A couple months back I took on the Whole30 diet, which is 30 days of clean eating: no alcohol, dairy, grains, legumes or added sugar. It was a rough start, since I do love bread and cheese, but then I quickly appreciated how my body felt and how much energy I had without these foods. I kept a food diary and focused on the great meals I actually was having that were tasty and truly nourishing.

I ended the 30 days in late May, then promptly went on vacation to France... of course while there I consumed plenty of rosé, cheese, bread, and desserts (on top of the fresh fruits, veggies, meat and seafood that I love). As much as I savored those treats while on vacation, now that I'm back home I am working on going back to (and maintaining) a mostly Whole30 way of eating. Here's what I learned from that experiment that I am trying to keep in mind:

• The Whole30 made me realize that my body was addicted to sugar and grains which I did not expect. Even though I rarely added sugar to my food (sometimes to coffee), I had to start paying attention to ingredients and now don't buy anything with sugar listed. I also had to think of other things besides rice and bread to include with my meals (cough cough, veggies, cough).
• Overall I had to put more effort into preparing my own food, which is something I had fallen away from in the past year. (I still remember this Michael Pollan op-ed, pointing out how our culture is all for watching cooking shows but not actually cooking). Making sure I could make some meals myself has been as big a part of self care as the quality of the food itself.
• I want to move away from mindless snacking and grazing to having real, structured meals. (Getting away from my desk for lunch is a big priority.) Whole30 cautions you away from snacking by having bigger meals, but that was a harder habit for me to adjust. So for now I just pay attention to what I snack on, being careful to stock nuts/trail mix instead of chips or candy. 
• Finally, going through the diet was a challenge, especially since I basically stopped some of those ingredients cold turkey, but it was never impossible. I started it when I did because a couple friends were doing it at the same time, but fortunately I was already aware of the teachings around it. All that helped me be prepared mentally to take it on, knowing that I had a support system. But in the end, it felt good to know that I really could do this. 

Some further reading if you're interested:

NYmag on breaking bad habits

Vice on the myths of clean eating and wellness (such a popular blog topic these days)

Savoring Memories from the French Riviera

Cannes

When life is otherwise not-relaxing, I look back at photos from happier times. I spent part of my vacation last month in the south of France and didn't want to leave. The weather was clearing up as we arrived, and when it was nice out, it was perfect- hot and sunny but not stifling with heat, so it was perfect for sightseeing/exploring, but also tempting to just relax and have a drink outside. It's clear why the area is a big vacation spot and why Fitzgerald, Hemingway & Co. liked it so much.

For a few days, we made Cannes our home base and took day trips around the area, alternately getting a head start on the day, or deciding to sleep in. One day we headed over toward Italy to Nice (actually got a ride with our Airbnb host) and Monaco (by train from Nice), and another day, we went to Ile Sainte-Marguerite (by boat).  In Cannes itself we just wandered - through Le Suquet (up to the abbey at the top of the hill), down the Croisette, back through Rue d'Antibes... I loved seeing modern businesses like bars and boutiques in all the old buildings.  

It's easy to find gorgeous photos of Cannes' festivals elsewhere online - the ones below are the ones I could snap while walking around trying to take everything in:

locals playing petanque on the Croissette

Carlton hotel lobby - go have a drink there!

Sunday morning at Marche de Forville

They look delicious! Marche de Forville, Cannes

Vocab lesson via signs at Marche de Forville, Cannes

Marche de Forville

Marche de Forville

squash blossoms at Marche de Forville - they were delicious as fried beignets

view of Cannes from the Radisson Blu

Cannes murals

restaurants in Le Souquet

Foie gras at Le Marais restaurant

old palace (now a private home) in Cannes

Nice (Eurocup 2016 signage in the back)

Nice flea market

Nice

Monte Carlo (catch Le Casino in the mirror)

inside Le Casino

back of Le Casino

Monaco train station

looking back at Cannes from the boat to Ile Ste Marguerite

on the shores of Ile St Marguerite

Ile Ste Marguerite

Ile Ste Marguerite

Some travel tips/highlights:

• Lodging: Just skip the hotel and go for an Airbnb. We stayed just north of Le Suquet, and it was a very easy walk down to it and the water. This helped us avoid a car rental.
• Transportation: You could get away with not having a car (like we did) for a few days, but for more daytrips it would be helpful to have one. At least in Cannes most of the stuff you want to do is walking distance from downtown and the old town (Le Suquet). We were fortunate to have a very gracious and friendly Airbnb host who offered us a ride to Nice and then a ride to the train station when we were leaving town. We took the regional train along the coast, as well as the bus around Antibes, but it would have been nice to travel on our own schedule and see more towns, so if we go back and spend more than 4 days, I'll get a rental car.
• Local Must Do: DEFINITELY go to Marche de Forville, especially on Sunday morning. It's a great place to watch the locals and see the delicious offerings. We just thought we'd pick up some cheese and fruit (we did) but we also were able to get fried squash blossoms that were huge, at least versus what I'm used to back home, and different flavored varieties of saucisson (French dried sausage).