Travel Postcard: 48 hours in Cannes, France

By Bob Tourtellotte

CANNES, France (Reuters Life!) - For more than 60 years this sunny town on the Mediterranean in the south of France has lured glamorous stars of cinema to its annual film festival.

But it has a history dating back to 2nd Century B.C. as a fishing village and later a trade center. The British, French and Spanish have waged war to control it. Today it is a tourist town on the famed French Riviera.

It is a great, but expensive, weekend getaway of sun and sightseeing and the ideal place from which to embark on a tour of the Provence region, famous for its food and wine.

There are plenty of fine hotels, including the Carlton, Majestic and Martinez, along the famed Croisette, a boulevard and broad walkway that border the sandy beach. Many smaller hotels also offer good service at an affordable price.

FRIDAY

6 p.m. - After unpacking, take a stroll up the Croisette, stopping for a snack or light meal at one of the numerous outdoor cafes and restaurants which are perfect for watching people, street performers, dancers and mimes.

Boats bob in the bay, and on la plage many of the restaurants and nightclubs pulsate with loud music until the early morning hours.

SATURDAY