Woke today to another beautiful sunrise. I have seen more sunrises in the last week than I have in the last 10 years! I had planned a private 4 hour tour with Michel and he was meeting us on the wharf at 7.30am. There were 8 of us again and as it was a tender port we all met early to be on the first or second tender. Cannes was called Cane Harbor by the Romans because of the abundance of reeds in nearby marshes and is considered the jewel of the French Riviera.
It was great leaving at this time as there was no traffic or people which was a stark contrast to our return around 12.30. We meandered along the waterfront road to Antibes which is Picasso's town set on a gorgeous peninsula. At the back of the town is a hill with a light house and a fabulous view. This area is filled with mansions owned by movie stars and very wealthy people. The open air f & v market was being well patronised by the locals on the waterfront.
From here we headed through the countryside to Saint Paul de Vence, a medieval hilltop village that attracts many artists and actors. On our arrival I realised that I had been there before but you always manage to see something that you didn't before. A breathtaking view to the ocean from the village wall and also to the Maritime Alps and Esterel mountains.
We then headed to Gourdon, another hilltop medieval village very high (4,000 feet high) up on a rocky spur with another fabulous view over the French Riviera.
Our tour ended back in Cannes where we headed for lunch at La Fregate which was typically French on the waterfront. As we had an early sailing, 3pm last tender, we had a quick walk through Cannes and stocked up on our alcohol supplies before heading back to the ship. Another successful day. Tomorrow Barcelona!!
The view from the lighthouse
La Fregate
Cannes from the ship
Saint Paul de Vence
The view to the sea from the village wall
Arrival at Gourdon
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