| Page Views: 2,728 Last Visit to Cannes: - | Cannes, France by al_mary - last update: Mar 23, 2006 |
Cannes - "Star" Of The Riviera
We found Cannes to be a very interesting place to visit, especially if you
walk around the narrow streets in the old town, and in the residential
area of the city.
The city of Cannes is centered around the old port, with the central part
being quite compact. The famous "Croisette" is the boulevard and the
beach that extends around the bay to the east of the port, in the protected
"Rade de Cannes". Out around the point at the west side of the port, the
Boulevard Jean Hibert runs along the coast to the west, with even more
fine sandy beaches. The Rue d'Antibes is the main street that runs east
to west through the center of the city, becoming the Rue Felix Faure at the
bottom end, past the Allee de la Liberte and the port. The Boulevard Carnot
runs north out of the city, through residential shopping areas, to the A8
autoroute, and inland towards Grasse.
Cannes is the "star" of the French Riviera, famous for the International
Film Festival and the glitzy hotels, cars, beaches and visitors attracted
here.Although it's probably the opposite of the Beyond type villages of
the "arriere pays", it would be a shame to visit the South of France
without experiencing the city for yourself.
There are many tourists year-round, exotic people and real people, and
plenty of poodles, after all, it is France. The yachts and cruise ships float
in the blue water, and you can't always tell which is which by the size.
Exotic cars abound: white-haired ladies drive Maseratis for shopping
trips, Porsches blow through the streets like pollen, and only the very
latest models of Lamborghini and Ferrari attract serious attention.
Cannes' moment of glory takes place in May, with the
International Film Festival, when images of movie stars
from around the world, descending the red-carpeted
steps of the Palais des Festivals are flashed on television
screens worldwide.
For many, this city on France's Cote d Azur is synonymous
with the glamour of this event. Often overlooked, however,
is the fact that Cannes is France's second most important
city after Paris for business tourism.
Tourists jostle with conference goers, outnumbering business
travellers only in the summer months. Their interests lie in the
long, curvaceous, sandy beaches of La Croisette, its expanding
Old Port, which welcomes luxury cruise boats, its palatial hotels,
the designer shops lining the famous promenade and the
luminosity and gastronomy of the Cote d Azur ......
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|  | The Cannois
The Cannois enjoy the financial rewards that
tourism and business travellers bring, losing
patience only at the height of the film festival,
when the population triples in size.
Young women benefit fully from the shops,
although they may seek out bargain buys instead
of designer brands. Appearances (le paraitre) are
important in this city of stars and latest purchases
are flaunted in the trendy bars and bistros ......
Click On Photo To Enlarge
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Cannes And The Monks
This modern city, branded by critics as superficial,
grew up from a small fishing town on the south
coast of France. In the 11th century, Cannes was
owned by monks, whose budget, fattened by
wealthy pilgrims, allowed them to expand beyond
their monastery to the nearby Island of St Honorat.
They built a square tower on the top of the hill, as a
lookout post for Saracen pirates. It still stands, next
to the Castre Museum, in the heart of Le Suquet,
Cannes’ Old Town that was built on the site of a
Roman military camp. The fishing tradition lives on
and fish caught at the Vieux Port to the west of the
Palais des Festivals are brought daily by the
fishermen to the covered Forville Market, where
they are sold by their wives, who rarely fit the city’s
glamorous image ......
Click On Photo To Enlarge
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ | | | Beach - Boulevard de la Croisette |
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> Add to your Custom Travel Guide [What's This?]
| Pros: | "Great Place To Relax For A Week Or Two" | | In A Nutshell: | "Best Time To Visit - Off Season" |
al_mary's Cannes Travel Tips
| Overview | Things to Do
Tips: 15 - Photos: 71 | | | | Restaurants | Hotels & Accommodations | | | | Nightlife | Off The Beaten Path | | | | Tourist Traps | Warnings Or Dangers | | | | Transportation | Local Customs | | | | Packing Lists | Shopping
Tips: 1 - Photos: 5 | | | | Sports Travel | General Tips |
 Comments for al_mary about Cannes | | | | |
Pawtuxet Tue Nov 28, 2006 12:43 UTC
Colorful shops, red tile roofs, the blue of the sea....all beautiful. Thanks for the glimpse of a lovely city. My husband was there on the Forrestal aircraft carrier when my son was being born in the US. | luckyzen Sat Mar 25, 2006 18:22 UTC
Hi Al and Mary, Thank you too, for stopping over. I could not resist having a look at your page on Cannes. I am glad I found your page! Thank you for sharing. |
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