October 27 - Cannes, France but we visit medieval villages in the Cote d'Azur.

Today we tendered in to Cannes, France.  We have been to Cannes before so we opted to join a tour organized by fellow cruiser, Carol, that will take us to Antibes, Cagnes-sur-Mer, Vence, and Saint Paul de Vence--all part of what is known as the French Riviera aka Cote d'Azur.

Our view of Cannes from the ship, with the tender boats waiting.

On the tender boat heading to shore.

We met up with our guide for the day, Sylvie Di Cristo, for a tour of  a few medieval towns of the French Riviera.  As we started our tour, Sylvie drove through the streets of Cannes and pointed out various landmarks.

The bay of Cannes (photo from internet)

As I was not sitting on the right side of the van for photos, not many turned out during the drive.

The famous Carlton Hotel in Cannes

 Of course, Cannes is known for the famous Cannes Film Festival.  The suites of the Carlton Hotel are named after many movie stars such as Sophia Loren and Sean Connery.  This hotel was also the location for the movie "To Catch a Thief", which starred Cary Grant and Grace Kelly.

Just some pretty fall color

Then we headed to Antibes, which has been a resort town since the mid-19th century.   Antibes was founded by Greek traders in the fifth century BC.  By the early 1900s, the town was a military base, so the rich and famous partied elsewhere. But when the army left after WWI, Antibes was "discovered" and has enjoyed being a resort town once again.  Fun seekers even invented water-skiing in Antibes in the 1920s.

The stone rampart wall and lookout towers have protected Antibes for centuries.

We wandered around the streets of Antibes and came to the market square.
There was a fairly good-sized market of fresh fruits, vegetables, breads, and fish and many stores.

Interesting doors on the buildings

The door knockers look like hands

We took a few moments to have Sylvie take a group photo of us.

Back in the van, we continued along the coastline to Cagnes-sur-Mer.  The streets in the village were quite narrow and it was nice to know that no big tour buses from the ship could come here so it was not crowded.  Sylvie navigated the narrow streets very well.

This was a town were many famous artists would come to relax and paint their masterpieces.  All around town there were copies of their works displayed.

After a drive through the town, we headed inland to Vence.  Vence has 14th and 15th century ramparts from medieval times.  Sylvie walked us through the village and pointed out various places where we could have lunch.

Five of us decided on crepes and Sylvie got us situated at a table before leaving us to enjoy a La Complete Crepe (with egg, ham, and cheese), apple cider, and a dessert crepe.

We chose this restaurant for lunch.

The locals were amused by us taking photos of our crepes.

The ham, cheese and egg crepe

A dessert crepe

We added a Crepe Flambe to our order and enjoyed a flaming dessert crepe with Grand Marnier.  The meal was delicious!

Another painting displayed in the streets

 After lunch we drove to Saint Paul de Vence, and that was our favorite of all the villages we saw today.  It is the #2 most visited village in France and was certainly picturesque.

Saint Paul de Vence

Again Sylvie walked us through the village and then left us to wander the cobblestone streets on our own for an hour or so.

Entering the village through the main gate.

A water fountain

Many steps to climb throughout the village

Many shops in which to spend $$

 There are many shops selling art and also a museum of modern art featuring paintings, sculptures, collages, and modern ceramics by many 20th century artists.

Overview of the area from the village located high on a hill.

When it was time to meet at the van, we observed a local man busy painting....something.

Couldn't really tell what he was painting.

This was a very enjoyable day.  Sylvie Di Cristo was an excellent tour guide and I would highly recommend her.  The weather wasn't the best today for picture taking.  But we were just happy that it did not rain.

Sylvie Di Cristo