Tag Archives: Cannes

10 May 2018:
Cannes, France:
Rolling Out the Red Carpet

By Corey Sandler

It requires more than a little bit of suspension of disbelief, but Cannes was once a small and humble fishing village.

It is no longer small, by no means humble, and today’s fishing is aimed at the wallets of visitors.

It is, though, a very interesting place with grand architecture, high-end shops and restaurants,

and a back story of movie stars, high fashion, and romance, fabulous festivals, and jewel heists.

Oh, and a beach, and a film festival.

And we are right in the middle of things, surrounded by glitz, papparazzi, and celebrity.

The 2018 Cannes Film Festival runs from May 8 to 19, and afternoon and evening screenings and parties are just getting underway.

Here is some of what we saw today:

Alas, we depart at 9 in the evening, and I expect that will be too early for me to take the stage to pick up my Palme d’Or for blog production and lecturing.

All photos and text Copyright 2018 by Corey Sandler, all rights reserved.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF ONE OF MY BOOKS, PLEASE CONTACT ME.

SEE THE “How to Order a Photo or Autographed Book” TAB ON THIS PAGE FOR INSTRUCTIONS

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Now available, the revised Second Edition of “Henry Hudson Dreams and Obsession” by Corey Sandler, for the Amazon Kindle. You can read the book on a Kindle device, or in a Kindle App on your computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

If you would like to purchase an autographed copy, please see the tab on this page, “HOW TO ORDER A PHOTO OR AUTOGRAPHED BOOK”

Here’s where to order an electronic copy for immediate delivery:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IA9QTBM

Henry Hudson Dreams and Obsession: The Tragic Legacy of the New World’s Least Understood Explorer (Kindle Edition)

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF ONE OF MY BOOKS,  PLEASE CONTACT ME.

SEE THE “How to Order a Photo or Autographed Book” TAB ON THIS PAGE FOR INSTRUCTIONS

15 Sep 2016
Cannes, France:
Suspend Your Disbelief

By Corey Sandler, Destination Consultant Silversea Cruises

It requires more than a little bit of suspension of disbelief*, but Cannes was once a small and humble fishing village.

It is no longer small, by no means humble, and today’s fishing is aimed at the wallets of visitors.

It is, though, a very interesting place with grand architecture, high-end shops and restaurants, and a back story of movie stars, high fashion, and romance, fabulous festivals, and jewel heists.

Oh, and a beach.

A CANNES ALBUM

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* The term suspension of disbelief was brought to us by the poet and aesthetic philosopher Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1817. He said that if a writer could infuse a “human interest and a semblance of truth” into an otherwise unbelievable fantastic story, the reader would suspend judgment on the implausibility of the tale.

Text and images copyright 2016 by Corey Sandler. All rights reserved. If you would like to purchase a high-resolution image, please contact me.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF ONE OF MY BOOKS, PLEASE CONTACT ME.

SEE THE “How to Order a Photo or Autographed Book” TAB ON THIS PAGE FOR INSTRUCTIONS

————-

Now available, the revised Second Edition of “Henry Hudson Dreams and Obsession” by Corey Sandler, for the Amazon Kindle. You can read the book on a Kindle device, or in a Kindle App on your computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

If you would like to purchase an autographed copy, please see the tab on this page, “HOW TO ORDER A PHOTO OR AUTOGRAPHED BOOK”

Here’s where to order an electronic copy for immediate delivery:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IA9QTBM

25 April 2016
Cannes, France: Stars in Our Eyes

By Corey Sandler, Destination Consultant Silversea Cruises

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The Splendid is one of a dozen luxe hotels along La Croisette, the seaside promenade of Cannes

The Grande Dame of Cannes, along the La Croisette promenade facing the beach, is the InterContinental Carlton Cannes. The 343-room luxury hotel was built in 1911.

Which brings us to Agustina Otero Iglesias, born in Galicia, Spain in 1868.

As a young woman, she became a celebrated dancer, adopting her character La Belle Otero, a version of an Andalusian gypsy.

She became a star of Les Folies Bèrgere in Paris. And along the way she became one of the most popular—and celebrated—courtesans of France.

She was said to be close friends with the likes of Prince Albert I of Monaco, King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, several Kings of Serbia and Spain, the Russian Grand Dukes Peter and Nicholas, and others.

She did quite well, accumulating a fortune of about $25 million dollars. But she was said to have gambled away nearly all of it, dying in 1965 in a modest one-room apartment at the Hotel Novelty in Nice.

Which brings us back to the, uh, cupolas of the Carlton.

According to some, the Carlton’s distinctive domes were designed to resemble the upper architecture of La Belle Otero.

Which is kind of frightening, except that La Belle Otero often wore conical, pointed devices.

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The Carlton Hotel in Cannes

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Le Suquet, the Old Town

Out in the bay are two interesting specks of lands, Les Îles de Lérins.

The smaller island is Saint Honorat, which has a monastery and ruined castle.

Monks have inhabited the island since 410 and, at the height of their powers, owned Cannes, Mougins and Vallauris.

Medieval vestiges remain in the stark church, which is open to the public, and in the ruins of the 11th-century monastery on the sea’s edge.

The Cistercian monks sell their own wine and a strong liqueur called Lérina.

The larger island is Sainte Marguerite which also has a castle, shops, bars, and restaurants, and some beaches.

And on Sainte Marguerite is a prison said to have been one of several places that held the “Man in the Iron Mask” in the 17th century.

The prisoner may have been the illegitimate older brother of Louis XIV, or in the writer Alexandre Dumas’ version, the king’s identical twin.

Either way, 34 years a captive, and from about 1687 to 1698, on the island half a mile offshore of Cannes.

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Le Tour du Masque

On Le Suquet hill,  the old town of Cannes,  the Tour du Masque, the Mask Tower, is the ancient watchtower.  A plaque there notes how the valiant militia of Le Suquet defended the place across the centuries against Barbary pirates and others.

And then it goes on to reference the Man in the Iron Mask, and it says in florid French: “Passers-by,  suspend your race and meditate on the suffering of the tortured, whose ghosts haunt these places. ”

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We were also here most recently on April 4; you can read my blog entry for that visit for more pointed commentary.

Text and images copyright 2016 by Corey Sandler. All rights reserved. If you would like to purchase a high-resolution image, please contact me.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF ONE OF MY BOOKS, PLEASE CONTACT ME.

SEE THE “How to Order a Photo or Autographed Book” TAB ON THIS PAGE FOR INSTRUCTIONS

————-

Now available, the revised Second Edition of “Henry Hudson Dreams and Obsession” by Corey Sandler, for the Amazon Kindle. You can read the book on a Kindle device, or in a Kindle App on your computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

If you would like to purchase an autographed copy, please see the tab on this page, “HOW TO ORDER A PHOTO OR AUTOGRAPHED BOOK”

Here’s where to order an electronic copy for immediate delivery:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IA9QTBM

Hudson Book Cover

Henry Hudson Dreams and Obsession: The Tragic Legacy of the New World’s Least Understood Explorer (Kindle Edition)

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF ONE OF MY BOOKS,  PLEASE CONTACT ME.

SEE THE “How to Order a Photo or Autographed Book” TAB ON THIS PAGE FOR INSTRUCTIONS

4 April 2016
Cannes, France: Strolling La Croisette

By Corey Sandler, Destination Consultant Silversea Cruises

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Cannes has the film festival and its red carpet, fabulous hotels and casinos, tres cher shopping…and a piece of the Grace Kelly story as well as tales of modern jewel thieves.

It requires more than a little bit of suspension of disbelief, but Cannes was once a small and humble fishing village.

It is no longer small, by no means humble, and today’s fishing is aimed at the wallets of visitors.

In the 10th century the town was known as Canua. Canua was probably the site of a small Ligurian port, and later a Roman outpost on Le Suquet hill, suggested by Roman tombs discovered there.

Most of the ancient activity, especially protection, was on the Lérins islands and the history of Cannes is the history of the islands.

In postwar times—since 1946—Cannes is most famous for its film festival, held each May.

Producers shop for financing or hope to strike distribution deals.

Actors come to see, but mostly to be seen.

Especially the actresses: from starlets like Brigitte Bardot who posed on the beach in 1953 and helped make herself—and the bikini swimsuit—famous.

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We will be back in Cannes on April 25, and I’ll have more commentary then.

Text and images copyright 2016 by Corey Sandler. All rights reserved. If you would like to purchase a high-resolution image, please contact me.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF ONE OF MY BOOKS, PLEASE CONTACT ME.

SEE THE “How to Order a Photo or Autographed Book” TAB ON THIS PAGE FOR INSTRUCTIONS

————-

Now available, the revised Second Edition of “Henry Hudson Dreams and Obsession” by Corey Sandler, for the Amazon Kindle. You can read the book on a Kindle device, or in a Kindle App on your computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

If you would like to purchase an autographed copy, please see the tab on this page, “HOW TO ORDER A PHOTO OR AUTOGRAPHED BOOK”

Here’s where to order an electronic copy for immediate delivery:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IA9QTBM

Hudson Book Cover

Henry Hudson Dreams and Obsession: The Tragic Legacy of the New World’s Least Understood Explorer (Kindle Edition)

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF ONE OF MY BOOKS,  PLEASE CONTACT ME.

SEE THE “How to Order a Photo or Autographed Book” TAB ON THIS PAGE FOR INSTRUCTIONS

17 September 2015
Cannes, France: Front Row Center

By Corey Sandler, Destination Consultant Silversea Cruises

It requires more than a little bit of suspension of disbelief, but Cannes was once a small and humble fishing village.

It is no longer small, by no means humble, and today’s fishing is aimed at the wallets of visitors.

It is, though, a very interesting place with grand architecture, high-end shops and restaurants, and a back story of movie stars, high fashion, and romance, fabulous festivals, and jewel heists.

Oh, and a beach.

In postwar times—since 1946—Cannes is most famous for its film festival, held each May.

Producers shop for financing or hope to strike distribution deals.

Actors come to see, but mostly to be seen.

Antibes is on the Mediterranean between Cannes and Nice, in the direction of Monaco. It is a handsome seaside resort, with snowy Alps in the background.

The city was founded in the 5th century BC as a Greek Colony of Massilia, which we know now as Marseille. It was named Antipolis, literally the “city across.”

Pablo Picasso came to Antibes in 1946 and was invited to stay in the castle.

During his six-month residence Picasso painted and drew, and crafted ceramics and tapestries.

When Picasso departed, he left a number of his works to the municipality. The castle has since become the Picasso Museum.

Another worthy trip is to the perfume city of Grasse or to the lovely mountaintop village of St-Paul de Vence in Provence.

This region, stretching along the coast from east of Monte Carlo and west to the Italian border, is part of the French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.

While it has been part of France for more than five hundred years, it still retains a distinct cultural and linguistic identity.

A CANNES ALBUM

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On this visit,  we ventured about 30 minutes away to the handsome city of Antibes to visit the Picasso Museum and stroll the streets of this very French place.

AN ANTIBES ALBUM

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Text and images copyright 2015 by Corey Sandler. All rights reserved. If you would like to purchase a high-resolution image, please contact me.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF ONE OF MY BOOKS, PLEASE CONTACT ME.

SEE THE “How to Order a Photo or Autographed Book” TAB ON THIS PAGE FOR INSTRUCTIONS

————-

Now available, the revised Second Edition of “Henry Hudson Dreams and Obsession” by Corey Sandler, for the Amazon Kindle. You can read the book on a Kindle device, or in a Kindle App on your computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

If you would like to purchase an autographed copy, please see the tab on this page, “HOW TO ORDER A PHOTO OR AUTOGRAPHED BOOK”

Here’s where to order an electronic copy for immediate delivery:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IA9QTBM

Henry Hudson Dreams cover

Henry Hudson Dreams and Obsession: The Tragic Legacy of the New World’s Least Understood Explorer (Kindle Edition)

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF ONE OF MY BOOKS,  PLEASE CONTACT ME.

SEE THE “How to Order a Photo or Autographed Book” TAB ON THIS PAGE FOR INSTRUCTIONS

27 September 2014
 Cannes, France: Front Row Center on the Côte d’Azur

By Corey Sandler, Destination Consultant Silversea Cruises

We arrived in Cannes on a gorgeous late summer day–still beachworthy–and also in the midst of a grand classic sailing yacht regatta. If you can’t enjoy a day and a scene like this. . .

Here are some photos from today:

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And more scenes around Cannes, including the Hotel de Ville, its impressive City Hall. And our sister ship Silver Spirit at anchor on a previous visit to the Côte d’Azur.[whohit]-Cannes 27Sept2014-[/whohit]

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The Hotel Carlton in Cannes, a gem of the French Riviera…and the site of a brazen $136 million jewel theft in July of 2013. The stones and baubles are still missing.

But still in place, atop each end of the façade, the Carlton’s famous twin cupolas. According to tradition, they were modeled after the favorite very-mentionable garment of La Belle Otero, a Spanish-born dancer, actress, and courtesan who made off with her own millions from the men of Cannes in the 1890s and the early part of the 20th century.

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La Belle Otero (Agustina Otero Iglesias) bedecked in one of her signature costumes. (Public domain.)

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Caryatids hold up a balcony along the beach.

All photos by Corey Sandler, unless noted. All rights reserved. If you would like to purchase an image, please contact me.