As the MIPIM merry-go-round starts to wind down the delegates retreat to the usual Croisette bars and with shiny sun and wind-burnt faces reflect on this year's show. Official numbers were put at 18,000 but some have guestimated that it may have been as low as 10,000.

While the talk has been of more business and less freeloading, there were still one or two lively sounding parties in tents at night on the Croisette and the bars at the Martinez end of the Croisette where the drinking action was taking place.

The lack of big announcements was also noticeable. Some of the UK's RDAs put their hands up and freely admitted they had nothing to promote, while others scrabbled around for what were obviously spurious announcements. One briefing was an announcement about... an announcement.

Notable faces that have caused a stir have been Boris (of course) who made his presence felt in the way only he can, Kevin McLoud of Grand Designs fame - who is very passionate about sustainability apparently - and Linda Barker, if you happened to go to the Bradford apartment.

The presence of Sir Bob Kerslake also caused a bit of a stir among those in the public sector.

And so it is time for a final bit of networking and then the clearing up after what has been a much more sober MIPIM.

It's not just surveyors partying you know.

Michiel Rang, chief executive of ING's real estate finance division, began a panel discussion this afternoon by comparing today's financial meltdown to the Roman banking crisis of 33AD.

As I'm sure I don't need to tell you, this crisis saw bad fiscal policies lead to an excess of credit and dearth of capital, with resultant plunging land values.

Many aristocratic Roman families fell to ruin and shame, according to the historian Tacitus.

Rang's argument was that this proves that crises are perennial, and that what we are going through is not particularly exceptional.

I'd love to know what all you Latin economics scholars out there think.

 

NB: other events to occur in 33AD included the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ, leading to the founding of Christianity. Slow news year, then.

The sun has set on the second day at MIPIM, a day when the event is in full swing. Everyone is talking about the dramatic drop in numbers and how much more "serious" everyone is. There is no need for the French police to marshall the crossings in front of the Palais and there certainly seem to be more locals promenading along the sea front without fear of being bowled over by a besuited MIPIM delegate rushing to an appointment, Blackberry attached to ear.

A telling sign of this year's more austere MIPIM is the empty harbour. Once normally crammed with yachts vying for best position, this year just one vessel is moored off-shore: a military vessel.

We now have three podcast episodes up from MIPIM:

The blog coverage of MIPIM all seems to be Boris-centric still:

• The London Tonight team are somewhat boat-struck.
• Lookwest marks the visit of Boris to their stand
• The mayor puts some photos on his Facebook page
• Regeneration & Renewal picks some highlights of the speech Borish Johnson gave
• Manchester in MIPIM provides a pretty comprehensive round-up of the city's activity in Cannes
• And it appears that architects are just as bad for the "while the cat's away" mentality at MIPIM.

At MPIM this year, in keeping with the air of austerity (if drinking beer on the Riviera instead of champagne can be called austerity), there are no floating gin palaces out in the bay groaning under the weight of inebriated delegates.

However, one huge boat is dominating the seascape - a French warship.

A perfect metaphor for an industry with a gun pointed at its head ? Or a warning to delegates not to let things get too rowdy ?

Last year it was the Russians who seemed overwhelmed by glamourous ladies adorning their stands and parading around the Croisette with material. This year the city of Stockholm has taken up the slack - only its hired glamour has a far more practical role than merely marketing. The ladies are handing out water to thirsty MIPIM-ites

The sun sets on the first day of MIPIM 2009 and everyone was talking about how much quieter it is. One prominent London developer, and I'll spare his blushes by not naming him, described it bluntly as "f***ing quiet".

There is less of everything: people, marquees, branded cafés and hotels. The public sector seem to be the ones waving the biggest flags but as Boris Johnson and Sir Howard Bernstein have both said in their own way: "how can you promote your city if you aren't here?".

Boris has provided much of the entertainment for the day choosing to deliver part of his speech to the guests assembled at the LDA drinks in French. He also pointed out that with the current exchange rate a meal at two star restaurant in Cannes would cost you €80 while the same meal in a similar restaurant in London would cost €25. I'm not sure he took into account MIPIM inflation though.

Overall the atmosphere has been a lot more serious and about getting as many bangs for your MIPIM buck as possible.

Value is even being squeezed out of the celebrity with Bradford Regeneration favourite Linda Barker - of Changing Rooms fame - required to work the stand in the bunker this year rather than swan around the airier and more pleasant apartment.

Wednesday is normally the day when MIPIM reaches its peak but on today's performance I think is going to be more of a Scarfel Pike than Kilamanjaro.

Hard day racing against the clock to get to Cannes in time for Boris. Hope you've all caught it on the news tonight??? Steep climbs - great being a skinny girl as you can whip past the boys! Only for them to storm past you on the decent :-) Boiling hot, beautiful scenery, bikes... What more could you want? Perhaps a drink and some food on arrival.. Thankfully and generously supplied by Savilles. C2C not over though... We're all back together in Cafe Roma proudly displaying our medals, reliving the past 6 day. Until next year...

Spotted: David Pearl, disembarking at Cannes station at 5.30pm UK time.

 

Rugby shirt, shorts, rucksack on back, striding purposefully towards the Croisette. He'll have a deal done by dinner time, no doubt.

  Savills has been welcoming the 63 Cycle to Cannes riders with a reception at its Café on the Croisette in Cannes.

Those who completed the 1,500 km relay cycling endurance event were greeted by Boris Johnson on arrival. Among them was Richard Eyley and James Tottle of Savills, Ed Sneddon of Derwent London, Thom Kilvert of Hopkins Architects, Barry Hughes of HOK International and Patrick Hawkins of British Land.

The riders are on target to raise £100,000 in sponsorship money for Land Aid as well as Article 25, The The Tom ap Rhys Pryce Memorial Trust, The Sarah Matheson Trust and The Duke of Edinburgh's award.

Some pics from EGMIPIM09 at the Cycle2Cannes finish, as our riders are welcomed by London mayor Boris Johnson:

The arrival of Boris, Mayor in London, at MIPIM seems to be stirring interest in the blogs:

• Mayorwatch presents a fairly straight account of his plans
• The Londoner's Diary notes the visit to a "sober" show, and goes on to mock the amount of MIPIM Twittering going on.
• And, of couse, Boris Johnson has posted a tweet about his arrival in Cannes

Meanwhile, other bloggers have been finding nooks and crannies of interest:

• Regeneration & Renewal is fascinated by MIPIM graffiti 
• De zeen is intrigued by apartment blocks that don't need heating
• Susan Freeman is witnessing some Cannes hotel "issues"
  

Reed Midem have an official MIPIM blog up and going.