Cannes: Then & Now

1) Then:

Cholera sweeping through Nice, proved to be a turning point for a rather insignificant town along the Mediterranean coast. The year was 1834. Travelling through Cannes, on his way to Italy, Lord Brougham was advised to wait till Nice was declared free of the epidemic. But the place wound its way into his heart and he decided to make a home here. Curious fellow Englishmen decided to visit, and fell for the place. When celebrity writer Guy de Maupassant and a Russian empress joined the retinue of visitors to Cannes, the place gained a reputation. More villas came up, and soon a bustling town took shape.

Now:

The lofty fort that affords a magnificent view of the town and harbour, is today a museum, the Musee de la Casre. From the 11th century fort one can see a city that combines 21st century shops and restaurants.

Of the new buildings, the Palais des Festivals et des Congres is a much visited attraction. The rich, the famous, the curious, the buyer and creator of luxury goods... everyone walks the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. The imposing building also hosts the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity where the world's marketing heads compete for the Golden Lions, as well as the Luxury Travel Market fair, where new releases in food, drink, chocolates, cosmetics and perfumes have buyers from duty free companies flocking to place orders. Almost every month, the Palais sees a festival or fair of some sort.

2) Then:

The Sainte Marguerite Island stood cloaked in forests, watched ships wrecked off the coast, the cries of drowning men and creaking timber rose in the air, but the island held its secret. An insecure king held a prisioner, The 'Man in the Iron Mask', his identity still unknown was held prisoner on the island. A saga that spun a novel and films!

Now:

An ecological marvel, the island is a fragrant haven of flowers, birds and trees. Visitors stroll under tall trees and walk through the cloisters.

A walk down the mud roads and a water body is pleasant and soothing.

3) Then:

A banished grand duke and his forbidden lady love choose to stay in Cannes and build a hideaway, designed as a tribute to her magnificent breasts. Thus the distinctive facade of the Carlton, one among the many luxury hotels on the Croisette, which includes the Majestic, the Martinez.

Now:

Made famous by the likes of Alfred Hithcock, Sophia Loren, Grace Kelly, Aishwarya Rai and Irrfan Khan, who walked their corridors, the hotels have gained iconic status.

There is so much to do in Cannes. Sailing, shopping, museums, fast cars, celebrities rub shoulders with the aspiring actor, the dowager duchess breathes the same salty air as the teen walking her dog along the Croisette.