Cannes, South of France

The south of france, what a wonder! It is where you can stroll along the “Promenade de la Croisette”, watching the glistening sun on the beach. It’s heaven! There are film festivals, hotels, beaches and shops, all of these are of course at an exquisite standard but you have to be willing to spend a small fortune.

What does the South of France have to offer? It offers ... Cannes; if the South of France was a treasure chest then Cannes would be the prized pearl. Cannes offers the family an escape, a beach holiday, where mum and dad can read a book whilst their children go into the sea and can splash about. You can see the sea reach out and grab the children one by one. This beach is one of few, located right next to the Mediterranean Sea known for its crystal clear waters and its sun kissed coastline.

Adding to that spectacular scenery is the palm lined promenade filled with great bars, cafes and restaurants designed for those who want to soak up the atmosphere as well as the sun. Here you can visit the local Italian restaurant “La Frégate” where you can fill your satisfaction for food with prodigious pizza! However, if Italian food isn’t what you are looking for, then explore the promenade as there is a variety of restaurants with all unique food selections.

France is famous for its food. You only have to walk down the “La Croisette” at eight am to smell the typical French baguettes cooking in the bakeries. However, if bread doesn’t send your taste buds tingling then walk down the front and have an evening meal to try “Escargot” (Snails) for starters, and “Crepes” for dessert and top it off by cracking open a bottle of Champagne! You will be truly living the celebrity lifestyle then.

At this point you are probably thinking that you can only go on this holiday in the summer. However, Cannes also offers a film festival that takes place from the 16^th to the 27^th of May, showing all the recent films and promoting each and every one. They also highlight cinematic creation making the films come alive for every single person.

(The Beach in Cannes)

If your coming here during May then make sure to bring your Kodak cameras and become a paparazzi as you celebrity spot each and everyone.

Anyway, if you’re going to come to Cannes then you are going to need a place to stay. Here in Cannes hotels are everywhere! But they don’t come cheap! If you want to encounter a celebrity or two then you should go to the Carlton, one of the most famous landmarks in Cannes. In the Carlton it is quite expensive; it can be up to ten euro’s for a coke, so make sure to bring some extra change.

On the other hand, if you don’t fancy all the ‘glitz and glam’ of ‘The Carlton’ then go to a French Bijous hotel (small French hotel). These hotels are normally family orientated and you get a full French experience. I saw one with a rather cliché slogan, which was “Le petit maison” (the little house). Here, the aroma of garlic was truly remarkable.

Ca-Ching! Yes, this will be the noise of the cash register inside those posh, fancy shops. Inside will be things like handbags to golden bracelets. These shops are Gucci, Channel, Dior, all the shops a shopaholic could dream of. From the moment that you step foot in Cannes, you will realise that there isn’t a thing you could think of that isn’t available to you.

Cannes is a city and therefore traffic can be horrendous, I do not advise that you hire a car at all, if you get a hotel in the city then travelling on foot is the best way to explore, but if you find this too exhausting try the french tour guides, you can ask your local hotel for brochures and then visit anywhere from “Grassmere’s perfume factory” to “St tropez”. Whilst on the bus, the tour guides normally speak excellent english and can point things out to you like where Angelina Jolie is staying and which beach is the most popular for locals, it’s hard to believe how much information these tour guides actually have! It’s really useful to go on one of these tours, you get to explore more, do some sighteseeing and can even get some free perfume samples if you do venture to the perfume factory.

Another event that occurs in Cannes is the spectacular firework display! With vibrant colours flying all over the place! For six nights in a row! This spectacular display is hosted on the 29^th of July, known for its extremely long performance and its incomparably sized fireworks.  Since 1967 France have been known for putting on a show, so make sure you get over here and watch the fireworks explode like the cork off a champagne bottle. 

Finally, when visiting France the culture of the native French people, will be intriguing but because there is a lot to explore, don’t forget to enjoy. Also, you may need to learn some typical French phrases before going out there in case you want to ask questions about this seductive sanctuary that is, Cannes.  Therefore, don’t just sit at home this summer, take the journey of a life time and visit the French Riviera. You won’t be sorry.  

I actually wrote this :) and I obviously put pictures in but it wasn't working when I uploaded the blog :P so I just copy and pasted the words. If anyone needs an article for school or if you are a French tourist board take this!