Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Cannes is a Festival of Light and Color

Traveling to France can be charming especially if Cannes is on your itinerary. From Atlanta you fly now directly to Nice which is just a 1/2 hour by bus to Cannes. Along the route the unbelievably blue Mediterranean Sea is on your left and high mountains are on your right. The bus lets you off in a lovely park across from the sea. Stroll along the Promenade de la Croisette, stop at an open-air cafĂ© or shop along palm-lined boulevards. Swim in the Mediterranean or take a short bus ride to the red-clay mountains of the Corniche d’Esterel or to a restored castle turned art gallery in Mougins where Picasso found his inspiration.



Cannes has something to offer everyone. Your adventure begins with a walk along the Croisette which is a half-moon shaped harbor. Palm trees and blue and white striped beach umbrellas lead down to the sparkling water. The shops are elegant and the hotels are reminiscent of an era of wealth and charm. In the distance you see fabulous yachts bobbing in the water near the island where the "man in the iron mask" lived out his days in prison. As you walk down the promenade you come to "old town" and the cobbled stone streets lead to an ancient Abby high on a hill. As you walk upwards you will pass small outdoor cafes with delicious smells calling to you. Cannes (pronounced "can" by the locals) is the home of the International Film Festival where in May the town becomes host to the movie industries most elite members. Run up the staircase of the world's most famous steps of the "Palais des Festival."



It's not just by chance that the Great and Good of this world have, since the mid eighteenth Century, chose Cannes as their holiday resort. What other city can offer, all year round, such beautiful light, such a harmonious union of sea shores and wooded mountain, dazzling gardens suspended between the blue sea and the azure sky? The Romans settled here, Napoleon admired the town on his return from Elba and Lord Brougham, former Chancellor of England, built a magnificent residence in Cannes. Millionaires, artists, writers and poets have confirmed its reputation. The warmth of its welcome and its Provencal roots make it a perfect holiday destination.