France: Cannes

We drove into the city on the last day of the Cannes Film Festival, when the main passions and excitement have already lightened. But the long line of men in costumes and women in evening dresses to the stages of the cinema hinged that the celebrations continue. A couple of times flashed in the crowd of a face familiar to movies. The yachts are tightly moored in the harbor, the wise concentration of expensive cars exceeded the streets. Life is boiling!

What else, except for the film festival, famous Cannes? They are small, only 9 km long. How it turned out that this small town on the coast became known to the world? Until the XIX century, it was the most ordinary fishing settlement. The fortress rose on the hill, the houses were crowded around, the sea was splashing down at the bottom, where the locals were caught fish, — Not a remarkable village on the road to Nice, in which wealthy citizens rested. By the way, ride the sea at that time was accepted in winter, not in the summer, as now.

But in December 1834, the cholera epidemic broke out in Nice. British Lord Chancellor Brousem, heading for rest, because of Quarantine was forced to stay in Cannes and was so fascinated by the city, which decided to build his winter residence in it — Villa «Eleanor». His example followed friends, and soon Cannes became a trendy resort of the azure coast. Country road, which goes along the coast, turned into a famous promenade of the croisette, linedly lined chic palaces and villas. And although all the British began, Russian and French and French began to be reached in Cannes. Prosperity continued until the beginning of the First World War. And in 1946, with the holding of the International Film Festival, the casal was returned to Cannes.

The Palace of Festivals was built in 1982, and the locals sarcastically called the building from glass and concrete «bunker». In front of the palace is famous «Alley Star» with fingerprints of the palms of artists and cinema figures. From here begins the promenade of the croisette, stretching for 2 km along the coast. Already are located famous hotels in Carlton, Majestic, Martinez, Grand Hotel, Casino Palm Beach. Almost all the beaches are private, owned by hotels, with the exception of one public and complimentary beach near the Palace of Festivals. In the evening the embankment is highlighted in red, as if continuing the carpet with 24 steps of the ladder of the Palace of Festivals. But it would be wrong to think that everything is spinning here only around the movies: in the number of events held, Cannes occupy second place in France after Paris. And the city is famous for its museums: Matisse, Fernana Lached, Mark Stegal.

Preparing for the trip, we assumed that we will face difficulties during aerial filming, because usually events with a large number of celebrities are accompanied by elevated security measures. But, contrary to expectations, we were completely able to take off at the Palace of Festivals, and even in the harbor, covered with luxurious yachts.

If you find yourself in Cannes and you get tired of secular bustle, the main view of the palaces and villas — Go to Syuce Hill. A medieval city with a completely different atmosphere has been perfectly preserved here. On stone bridge kids play the ball, rare tourists and cats roam. From the observation deck of the castle, the Castres opens a great view of the city, but his noise does not come here. Somewhere at the bottom, life boils, and everything is slow, like a few centuries ago.

But, of course, the majority comes to the most famous resort town of the Cote d’Azur shore not to enjoy silence! If you are not indifferent to expensive yachts, go to the port of Saint-Pierre — Harbor near the Palace of Festivals. Listening like the wind plays with tackles standing in the port of the yacht, and you can look at the sea endlessly. This is even equipped with a special platform with benches.

You can talk about Cannes long. But, as I wrote to live here to live Prospere Merim, «Take turquoise, emerald and lapis — Before you there will be the sky over Cannes, take diamonds, scat them — And you will get clouds over our mountains, and to imagine the sea, take. No, take nothing. Only a train ticket to come to Cannes and see what it is!»