FRANCE - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 172

cause of a few canes and reeds growing in the bay, the Romans named the spot
“Castrum de Canois,” and for centuries Cannes remained a small village inhabited
only by fishermen.
History relates that in 1834 the Lord Chancellor of England, Lord Brougham,
“whilst” en route to Nice, was prevented from reaching there due to a cholera quar-
antine and paused briefly in Cannes. Taken by the place, his lordship decided on
the spur of the moment to build a house in Cannes and did so, straightaway—the
transaction in real estate taking a matter of only eight days. For the next 34 years,
until the time of his death, Lord Brougham left the winter fogs of London for the
sunshine of Cannes. His lordship's example was quickly followed by other Eng-
lish aristocracy, and Cannes' population began to swell accordingly. Alluding to the
eight days required to get Cannes under way, locals point out that God took only
seven days to create the universe—so Cannes, necessarily, is a cut above all else.
The center of Cannes is ideal for strolling and shopping. Locals claim that you
get more than what you pay for because the area has a theatrical atmosphere
about it, and the show is free. Not so on the Croisette, the waterfront. Here the
most elegant of shops extol the virtues of high fashion at equally high prices.
Window-shopping, however, is free to all.
Excursion-boat services from the main port take you to the islands of Sainte-
Marguerite and Saint-Honorat. Sainte-Marguerite's prison incarcerated the Man
in the Iron Mask, and the island named after Saint Honorat has the remains of the
monastery the saint started in the fourth century. Boats run daily throughout the
year.
Another very delightful boat ride provides an unequaled panorama of the Medi-
terranean and the Alps each afternoon from June through September. This excur-
sion departs at 1430, cruises the Bay of Cannes and the Esterel Coast, and re-
turns at 1730. If you don't happen to be one of the millionaires with a yacht tied up
in Port Pierre-Canto, now's your chance to enjoy the same exhilarating view that
they enjoy—at a more reasonable price.
Day Excursion to
Marseilles
City of Intrigue
Depart from Nice Ville Station
Distance by Train: 140 miles (225 km)