![Looking out to sea](https://shootandscrawl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Cannes.jpg)
Looking out to sea
I expected Cannes to be tacky, full of aging, bronzed billionaires toting tiny dogs. While there was a certain element of that, there was also a lot of natural beauty all around. The sea was as arresting as I’d anticipated, and the swath of sand along the shoreline was pristine.
![Beach and skyline](https://shootandscrawl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Cannes-3.jpg)
Beach and skyline
![Sweeping view of harbor and coast](https://shootandscrawl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Cannes-7.jpg)
Sweeping view of harbor and coast
The city is quite hilly, with sun-bleached houses and narrow streets overlooking the seaside.
![Escaping the glitz](https://shootandscrawl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Cannes-10.jpg)
Escaping the glitz
![Hilly old town](https://shootandscrawl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Cannes-9.jpg)
Hilly old town
We did not bother dining at (likely) overpriced, stuffy seaside restaurants, but instead found some delicious meals up in the old quarter.
![The Carlton's twin cupolas were modeled on the breasts of courtesan La Belle Otéro.](https://shootandscrawl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Cannes-2.jpg)
The Carlton’s twin cupolas were modeled on the breasts of courtesan La Belle Otéro.
![Yachts galore!](https://shootandscrawl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Cannes-4.jpg)
Yachts galore!
![Endless upkeep in the harbor](https://shootandscrawl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Cannes-6.jpg)
Endless upkeep in the harbor
La Croisette is the main drag, stretching along the Baie de Cannes, lined with imposing hotels, art-deco buildings and grand villas on one side and the biggest yachts I’ve ever seen (well, with the exception of nearby Monaco) on the other.
![A quiet stretch](https://shootandscrawl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Cannes-12.jpg)
A quiet stretch
Cannes proved to be an ideal place to linger over lunch or just sit and people watch. We had fun walking around and taking it all in!
![Musée de la Castre](https://shootandscrawl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Cannes-5.jpg)
Yachts flanking the view of hilltop Musée de la Castre
![The less-glamorous side](https://shootandscrawl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Cannes-8.jpg)
The less-glamorous side
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