I was disappointed by Cannes. Having been to Grasse, St-Tropez and Antibes I knew where I would rather be. Yes it had some grand old (extremely expensive!!) hotels along palm tree lined Boulevards.

The ambiance of this seaside resort was spoilt by the 'Bunker' on the seafront. It is the nickname given to the centre for many international conferences, music concerts, and of course the annual film festival in May each year. It is too modern and ugly. The French have tried to copy Hollywood by getting film stars to place their hands in wet cement in the pavement to make a walk of fame called the 'Alle des Stars'. You can have fun trying to find them near the Theatre Palais

You are going to have to pay 20-30 euro and upwards on one of the many hotel owned private beaches for a sun lounger and the all important shade of a parasol. Here waiters will fetch you drinks at very inflated prices. What ever happened to free public beaches!

A fun place to visit in Cannes is the Covered Market. It is a few streets behind the town hall, Hotel de Ville. Go in the morning as most of the produce is sold between 7am to 1pm. The fresh fish stalls and the mushroom vendor's tables are fascinating. They both sell unusual items you do not normally see in supermarkets.

For a day trip you can catch a boat from the port that will take you out to the island of of l'ile Saint-Honorat. There you visit the charming Abbey of Lerins. It dates back to 400AD. The current building was constructed between the 11th Century and the 14th Century. It initially started out as a fortified place of worship but over the years the architecture has become more ornate. The abbey was of the order of Clunisienne ; today it houses a community of Cistercians monks.

Many rich Russians aristocrats used to visit the South of France to escape the harsh winter. They built an Russian Orthodox Church in the style of the churches back home. It is called the Eglise Saint Michael-Archange. It stands out from the local French buildings as on its roof it had blue onion shaped domes decorated with stars. You will find it at 40 Boulevard Alexandre III, 06400 Cannes.

As a complete contrast go and visit the French Roman Catholic church called Notre Dame des Pins. It was built in 1894 and stood on its own amongst pine trees, but today as the city of Cannes grew in popularity houses were built all around it. What is striking about this church is that it is built in the style of old Roman Churches you find in Italy that were built around 400AD. It has a square clock and bell tower and exterior has many Roman arched doorways and colonnades. You will find it at 32 Boulevard Alexandre III, 06400 Cannes

Travel books