Time To Ponder The Wonder Of Cannes…
Yes, it is a beautiful resort town…with great food and great views…
I can understand why this guy is mesmerized – his view of the French Riviera is gorgeous…
Welcome to Cannes, France…one of the most beautiful towns on the French Riviera…
I have posted about Cannes before, specifically my experiences attending the Cannes Film Festival…here is one of those stories that provides some background on this prestigious event:
As you can see, Cannes has a beautiful harbor that is home to many boats – sailboats, yachts, boats of all shapes and sizes – all to take advantage of the Mediterranean sea:
Every year for two weeks, Cannes is home to the world’s most prestigious film festival – here is one of my stories about this incredible event – the night I met Monoco’s Prince Albert:
http://johnrieber.com/2012/05/21/my-night-with-prince-albert-of-monaco-more-cannes-cannes-memories/
If you can’t make the film festival, you can still come to the south of France to experience this incredible town!
The Cannes Croisette!
One of the charms of Cannes is the famed Croisette, a walkway that goes along the entire front of the town – every day, locals and tourists flock to the Croisette – a great place to stroll, or sit in one of the many blue chairs to relax and enjoy the view…
Even if the weather isn’t perfect, grab a chair and watch the world go by – it’s a great way to spend a few hours on the French Riviera:
The Croisette At Night!
As part of the town’s continual effort to attract visitors, they now light up the Croisette at night as well – a completely different experience!
The Croisette is lined with beach restaurants, where you can sample some of the Mediterranean’s finest seafood:
The Queen Of The Croisette!
And of course, the Croisette is also lined with a number of legendary Hotels, like the famed Carlton Hotel:
And across from the Carlton Hotel sits their legendary beach restaurant. As you sit and enjoy your food, you can look out at the Carlton dock and the sea beyond:
It is, as Alex shows, a great place to have a nice meal and a crisp glass of Sancerre:
Back To The Beach:
In between the restaurants are beaches that have been groomed to perfection, and where hundreds of families spend the day, enjoying the sun and the water…
Of course, this is is France, and that means that, during the film festival, a young starlet or two has been known to drop their top and get some free publicity…
At the far end of Cannes sits the Palm Beach Casino, where major galas are held, and which is open daily for gambling…there are several casinos in Cannes, but they are understated and unobtrusive…
Good Morning Cannes!
If you get up early in the morning, you can walk down a mostly deserted Croisette, which has been meticulously cleaned overnight…
There are plenty of places to sit and enjoy the spectacular view:
Boules!
If you walk down to the old town, you will find a dozen boules courts, when locals play this classic european game…you toss a small round ball of rope down the court, then take turns trying to toss your steel ball closest to it…it’s quite competitive…
It is also a very social game – you will see people of all ages congregating here and having a great time playing…this area of Cannes, the “old town”, sits just south of the Croisette, and offers a sleepier version of Cannes…
If you climb up the hill overlooking town, you will find a large church and watch tower, where a beautiful clock keeps time….
This classic old Cannes fort was once a lookout tower for the town – as if offers an expansive view of the Mediterranean below…
Also in the old town, you will find an outdoor market, where local vendors gather to sell their goods…
You can buy the freshest fish, vegetables and fruit here, as well as olive oil, wine, cheese and much much more…
Even if you don’t buy, it’s a great market to explore and observe – full of locals doing their regular shopping – imagine what a life this is!
There is also a small shopping area that has a multitude of shops, including this one, that sells all kinds of canned tuna and langoustines…
Le Pizza Meal!
And of course, you must stop by Le Pizza and have a freshly made pie, made in the classic French Riviera style – with a nice glass of wine to go along with it…in this case, the legendary domaine Ott rouge…
Soupe de Poisson!
Or, you can behold one of the most beautiful sights in Cannes – the Soupe de Poisson!
This bowl is filled with delicious fish soup, a broth of richness and intensity, which is brought to your table in a large tureen for serving, which is exactly what Alex did:
Once in your bowl, you add the accompaniments:
As you can see, you are given crusty bread, a gorgeous yellow aoili – like a roux, and shredded gruyere…and you do the rest – once the ingredients are combined, you drop them into your soup like so:
As the prepared pieces of bread float in the broth, they absorb the broth, and as you cut into them you get a mouthful of goodness…this is simply one of my favorite meals of all time:
Taking The Long Way Home!
As The Dixie Chicks once sang, I’m taking the long way…a walk out of Cannes to the south, along the beach, reveals another world: with gorgeous views and many chances to eat well…
Every few blocks along the way, you find a food kiosk – serving all sorts of beverages, along with ice cream, sorbets, and a wide variety of sandwiches and more…
Of course, I love these sandwiches – I order “the club” – a thin slice of ham, another thin slice of cheese, along with tomato, lettuce and sliced egg….and of course, mayonnaise…
I have included several shots of me eating these great sandwiches – because I order one every day!
So, grab a sandwich and a bench, and enjoy the food and the view at the same time…there is nothing more enjoyable or relaxing…
Sorry, I’m In A Meeting…
The picture below is one of my favorites. The message of this picture is simple: “I will have to get back to you – Cannes is calling…”
I think this guy has the same idea….
Categories: Books, Books/Media, Cannes, Celebrities, Documentary, European Travel, Exotic Travel, Food Travel, France, Provence, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir, Travel Writing, Uncategorized, Wild Travel, Wine, Wine Regions
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