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Yes you Cannes

Every May, the seaside port of Cannes hits the headlines when the Hollywood movie train rolls in to town. But leave the glitterati behind and you’ll find a charming holiday destination, says Pierre De Villiers...

No sooner do the first rays of morning sunshine hit Cannes, than crowds start to gather. Chatting excitedly and jostling for position they crane their necks to catch a glimpse of the latest star attraction to hit the seaside city. Their patience is eventually rewarded when, to a chorus of “Oohs” and “Aahs”, a fisherman reveals a crayfish that’s about as big as a dog. It may not have the glitz and glamour of La Croisette during the Cannes Film Festival, but for sheer visceral overload, the Marché Forville – the city’s biggest market – takes some beating. The only trout pout you’ll find here is on the catch of the day, while tables also creak under the weight of fresh fruit, meats, cheese and flowers.

Locals tell you Marché Forville offers “a taste of the real Cannes”, a quaint, sociable patch away from the paparazzi, yachts and red carpet-stomping celebrities that the town is so famous for. The market is indeed an example of the treats that await those who are willing to go beyond La Croisette in search of something a little less superficial.

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