Cannes
Introduction

905km (562 miles) S of Paris; 164km (102 miles) E of Marseille; 26km (16 miles) SW of Nice

When Coco Chanel came here, got a suntan, and returned to Paris bronzed, she startled the milk-white ladies of society. Today the golden bodies -- in nearly nonexistent swimsuits -- that line the sandy beaches of this chic resort continue the trend started by the late fashion designer.

Cannes is at its most frenzied during the International Film Festival at the Palais des Festivals on promenade de la Croisette. On the seafront boulevards, flashbulbs pop as the stars and wannabes emerge and pose and pose and pose. The festival's stellar activities are closed to most visitors, who are forced to line up in front of the Palais des Festivals. Known as "the bunker," this concrete structure is the venue for premiers that draw some 5,000 spectators. With international regattas, galas, concours d'élégance, and even a Mimosa Festival in February, something's always happening at Cannes -- except in November, traditionally a dead month.