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Cannes: So Much Fun on the Côte d'Azur!

Cannes, France is a city with many faces, each appealing to different vacationing tastes. Home to the world's most famous film festival, which brings out visitors in droves, Cannes also has enough cultural and historical attractions to make any art or history lover giddy with excitement. Casinos play a big part of the nightlife in Cannes, and the ever-present beach is as much a place to people watch as it is for working on your Mediterranean tan. Solitude can be found in one of the many tropical gardens throughout the city. If you are looking for a vacation destination with a bit more refined appeal, Cannes is just the place!

For two weeks in May, the town hosts the Cannes Film Festival, the most famous such festival in the world. Stars, starlets, press agents, producers, directors, and poseurs and wannabes of all description descend on Cannes with the subtlety of a World Cup soccer match. Filmmakers from all over the world submit their films in hopes of winning the Palme d'Or (Golden Palm), the award given to the winner of the best film competition. Fans and paparazzi flock to see the celebrities and starlets displaying outrageous behavior in the hopes of being "discovered". If cinema is your thing, Cannes is the place to be!

Beach lovers will find plenty of white sand to practice their sun worshipping habit. Cannes Beach is a real sand beach, not the pebbled variety you find at other resorts along the Riviera. Visitors to the beach not only have a wealth of activities to choose from, they are treated to a daily fashion show by all the tony people showing off their new swimsuits. There are plenty of sunning beds and parasols for rent, as well as equipment that can help you get out in the Mediterranean. Small sailboats, canoes, kayaks, and jet skis can be rented at various points along the beach. Come and see the beach made famous by the noted designer Coco Chanel.

Away from the beach, Cannes also has plenty to offer those interested in the history and culture of the area. Art and history lovers will want to visit the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire de Provence, located about 12 miles away in the town of Grasse. The museum, set in an elegant 18th century mansion, chronicles the everyday life in the Provence region, from prehistoric times up to the present day. The exhibits include furniture, pottery, paintings, and traditional period costumes. Another excellent museum is the Musée de la Castre, which sits on a hill in a chateau formerly occupied by monks from the Lérins Islands. The main portion of the collection is a series of paintings by local artists depicting various aspects on life in Cannes. There is also an extensive collection of musical instruments, as well as Mediterranean and Middle Eastern antiques.

Cannes has everything one could ask for in a Cote d'Azur vacation destination. Take a stroll along the splendid La Croisette boardwalk, which spans the entire length of Cannes' coastline. You will see everyone from wealthy citizens walking their dogs to poseurs out for attention, to starlets baring all for the world to see. Put your hands on top of a famous star's hand prints outside the Theatre Palais. Golfers can tee it up at the Country-Club de Cannes-Mougins, an important stop on the European PGA tour. If you feel the need to leave the hustle and bustle of Cannes, jump on a ferry and spend a day on Iles de Lerins, a small island just off the coast. Cannes is a trip to the bountiful, a moveable feast waiting for you to take a bite!