Oil on canvas – 11,81 x 15,75 inch – Unique work

It was August 15 and I was 15.

I discovered the city of Cannes, its luxury shops, its bay, its incredible sandy beach. Its covered market too. We were going there with my parents, a couple of their friends and their daughter who was a little older than me. They bought a flat high up on the hill and we used to visit them for a week during the summer. The program was simple: pool, sea, heat and sunburn. From this perspective, it doesn’t make you feel you want to be part of the team … At the same time … Let’s go back to this evening which was over the moon! It’s all coming back to me 35 years later!

At the end of the afternoon we found ourselves wandering the streets of Cannes. There were quite a few American soldiers. An aircraft carrier had arrived the day before, I believe. And on condition of being accompanied by a US sailor, we could then visit the ship. So there you are, if only … So we desparately searched for a man in uniform … Great! We found our entrance fee on the American warship.

The visit begins nicely. I was fascinated. It was huge, like a city built on sea. All the trades were there. What impressed me most was to walk among the fighter jets and meet the pilots who were playing it a little, very much! Top gun !!!

La soirée ne faisait que commencer. Nous avions réservé une table sur la jetée de l’hôtel Martinez. Aucun souvenir du menu. Un peu d’indulgence tout de même, ce n’était pas la semaine dernière non plus. En revanche, cette table au bord de l’eau, le clapotis des vagues, la fraîcheur du soir, franchement c’était fantastique. Et le clou du spectacle … Je vous donne un indice, comme je l’ai signalé plus haut, c’était un 15 août. Donc, alors vous avez deviné ? Allez, je vous donne la réponse sans plus tarder : un feu d’artifice ! Un sublime feu d’artifice. Très certainement le plus beau que je n’ai jamais vu, même depuis. Il faut dire que j’étais vraiment aux premières loges, dans un endroit magique, alors forcément … Je ne sais qu’ajouter de plus.

La baie de Cannes, un 15 août, j’avais 15 ans.

The evening was just beginning. We had booked a table on the pier at the Martinez hotel. No memory of the menu. Don’t be so cruel with yourself, it wasn’t like last week either. On the other hand, this table at the edge of the sea, the lapping of the waves, the freshness of the evening, frankly it was fantastic. And the « show stopper » … Let’s give you a clue, as I mentioned earlier, it was August 15th. So, have you guessed it yet? Come on, I will give you the answer without further notice: fireworks! A tremendous fireworks display. Most certainly the most beautiful I have ever seen, even since. It must be said that it really was a magical place, so obviously … There’s nothing more to say.

The bay of Cannes, on August 15, I was 15 years.