After I come back from a holiday or just a short visit in one place of the world, I usually wait a few days, or even more, so that things are settling in my mind, and only then I start writing.
Now I’m ready to tell you about three days on the French Riviera. First thing I would underline is that the region is beautiful and even unique in some places.
Cannes, the city of award ceremonies
Distances are very small, so in case your thoughts for the trip are to visit a lot of places, not only leisure, things are like this: you just jump into your car and pick one destination. From minimum 5 to 10 minutes to maximum 45 minutes – 1 hour, you are there. I think it is important to have in mind that there is no rush; you can start your morning with an excellent breakfast and even 30 minutes at the SPA or getting your hair done. Activities like this can release you from the stress of journey fatigue and will restore your brightness. With a tonus like that, your appetite for sight seeing will grow.
In our first day, we decided to visit Cannes. About one hour (off highway) from Monaco, passing through Nice. My guess is that no matter what time of the year you’ll go, there’s going to be a worldwide event ongoing: an award ceremony related to movie industry or some other art; a congress of some kind; a show related to photography or fashion. And in these circumstances your chances to run into some celebrity are very big. The day we’ve been to Cannes there were two ongoing events: Cannes Lions 2014 – world’s biggest annual awards show and festival for professionals in the creative communication industry and the “Festival international de la photographie de mode”. For events like this, everybody has to be there, that’s the reason why Cannes has to be prepared for everybody.
Things you can do in Cannes
Choose one terrace from the side of the sea and enjoy French coast cuisine. Depending on what your demands are you can pay from 30 to 80 euros for a fish. The price for the fish will also include with whom you’ll share the terrace. After a nice lunch, a tour of the center will somehow clarify how things are: expensive shops, a mixture of tourists with people coming for the festivals, celebrities and some very rich people passing by. Some paparazzi waiting at the corners and hoping to do the shot of their career and the red carpet always prepared to be stepped on.
Some other things you don’t want to miss when being in Cannes needs some exploration:
- Visit Ile Saint Marguerite island fortress prison where the mysterious man in the iron mask spent 11 years in complete isolation;
- Take a ride with “Nautilus” to explore underwater life of Cannes. Could be as fancy and glamorous as the surface.
- Visit Marshe Forville where local farmers sell fresh vegetables, meat and other goods. Don’t do it on Mondays because it is the only day of the week when it is closed.
I think you guessed well by now; Cannes is that very crowded place where everybody meets everybody and for no reason in the world you go there to have some rest. The place can be perfect when you need some noise in your life and why not, you want to “keep up with the Kardashians”. By the way, they were attending the international festival of fashion photography.
What you don’t want to miss in Cannes are those small ice cream shops where you find all kind of flavors that will enchant your senses. With a delicious ice cream in your hands things can become even more interesting.
Besides that crowded place with the permanent buzzing, Cannes can also be the exclusivist neighborhood with those expensive estates up on the hill. And why not; the view is nice, when you need privacy you have it and when you feel like being in the middle of the action, there you go, just down the hill.
So, day one, we spent a few hours in Cannes and I think we got it well that it is the perfect place for shows and festivals, and it is actually how they won their reputation. Did you know that the first edition of a festival in Cannes was being held in September 1946?
Next we’ll go for the famous Monaco state and dig up for some history of the region.
