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HOTEL MARTINEZ
One of the best beaches on La Croissette is Z Plage. It’s run by the Hotel Martinez which has established itself over the decades as the flagship hotel on the Riviera. This is where many of the stars call home during the film festival. I read that most of the cast of Ocean’s Thirteen stayed here as well. This prestigious hotel has seven floors and 412 rooms that vary in size (from 25 to 500 sq m). Mine was huge, boasting an oversized bathroom as well. Some of the rooms have already undergone a remodel, although mine had not. But all are equipped with WiFi and have exquisite furniture and works of art. I will say, though, that my room needed some soundproofing; I could hear my neighbor and impatient French commuters blowing their horns each morning. No matter what, it’s quite an experience. Rates begin at 160 euro and include a fabulous breakfast buffet. Hotel Martinez, 73, La Croisette, Cannes; Tel: +33 (0) 4 92 98 73 00.



LA PALME D’OR
My most memorable meal by far, was at La Palme d'Or. It’s located on the second floor of the Hotel Martinez, overlooking the pool, Croisette and the bay of Cannes. This restaurant, a real gastronomic delight, is a favorite of the stars and rated two Michelin Stars; that’s two out of three. That’s huge! The restaurant was created in 1985 by Christian Willer who recently retired and handed the Executive Chef duties to Christian Sinicropi. Mr. Sinicropi has added his own little touch. He creates custom-made dishes. Not just the recipes (which are divine) but I’m talking about the actual ceramic ware, too. The plates come in all shapes and sizes to fit the presentation. He changes them often but refuses to sell the retired ones. He even has a book, which commemorated the film festival's 60th anniversary this year, titled Small Delights, Great Movies. Inside are 60 recipes that pay homage to cinema. The movies range from Papillon to The Da Vinci Code.

MY MEAL
For starters, they brought out a fun dish that had salmon wrapped with ham in a candy-like wrapper and marshmallow pops, all hanging from a carousel. Then came parmesan gnocchi, with tomato and melon marinated in balsamic vinegar. The pan-fried sea bass was topped with mini fish, served with fig stuffed with grilled almonds, grapes and radishes with port wine. Dessert was a marmalade of strawberry with tequila sorbet and topped with a tomato and sweet pepper gazpacho. To make it even better, the service was almost impeccable. The bread was divine and the tea was homemade. I mean freshly cut at the table! Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch (12:30pm to 2pm) and dinner (8pm to 10pm).

PIZZA JEAN JEAN
Not every place to eat in Cannes is expensive. I went out for pizza one night away from the tourists at Stade des Hespéridesnear, near the Palm Beach Club. This clever "meals on wheels" concept is called Pizza Jean Jean. They have two locations in Cannes and are open from 6pm to 10pm. Pizzas begin at 6.50 euro and they sell wine and sodas but not water ... and they don’t have knives and forks.

WALKING THE RED CARPET
Every night I went out on the town. One of the highlights was when I walked up the famous steps of the Palais des Festivals. This is the same red carpet all the stars walk each May during the annual Cannes International Film Festival. Did you know that the Cannes Film Festival is the third most media-attended event in the world? First is The World Cup, followed by the Olympics. Now that's impressive. It's difficult to get a room during the festival and it's not because hoteliers jack up the prices ... they don't. It's just that they require a lengthy (11 days, I think) minimum stay. At the Palais des Festivals, I got to meet the mayor of Cannes and watch the 1984 Cannes Film Festival, award-winning film Paris, Texas. At first, I didn't think my A.D.D. would allow me to sit through a two and half hour movie but I got totally sucked in; the acting was superb and watching Nastassja Kinski in the starring role didn't hurt either.

WHITE BEACH CLUB
The movie was followed by dinner at the Palm Beach Casino (a few miles away) where an art exhibit of fashion models was taking place. I ate at the summertime-only Beach Restaurant. Dinner was comprised of salad and beef topped with foie gras. An incredible dessert of marzipan with fruit on top wasn't served until after midnight ... and we were one of the first parties to be seated. Attached to the restaurant is the White Beach Club. It cost 20 euro to get in and drinks are around 14 euro. The place was filled with a 20-something to 40-something crowd. The music was pumping and the half-naked go-go girls dancing in between streams of water designed to look like a cage, got everyone on the dance floor. Including me and that's not easy to do when I'm wearing uncomfortable shoes.

LE PALAIS DISCO
The real hot spot is Le Palais Disco. Located next to the Palais des Festivals, this place is the largest disco of the French Riviera and is only open during the summer season. It costs 25 euro to get in and about 10 to15 euro for drinks. If you reserve a table, you’ll be spending between 140 euro and 36,000 euro ... no, that’s not a typo! I’m sure the entrance fee spikes when headliners like Justin Timberlake or Nelly visit but even without them, Le Palais Disco flies in the hottest DJs from all over the world every weekend. Only in the south of France!

SAILING
Sitting on the beach and staring out at all the multimillion-dollar mega-yachts that, naturally, come complete with helipads, just made me want to go out for a spin on the water. If the ferry to the Lérins Islands doesn’t do it for you (don’t worry, it didn’t do it for me either) or if you don’t feel like getting wet waterskiing, banana boating or parasailing, then take a five-hour excursion on a Formula 40 catamaran. It was one of the highlights of my trip and it’s one of the most reasonably priced activities in Cannes. Up to 10 people can board and there’s a five-person minimum. It’s 45 euro per person which is not bad considering you’re in the notoriously expensive South of France. It’s up to you as to what speed you want to cruise at. Some race, but others (like me) prefer to take a leisurely cruise around the Lérins Islands and finish it with a dip in the glorious Mediterranean. AAKA, tel.: 06 14 76 12 72.

VIDEO
Here's a short Johnny Jet video of my trip to Cannes. It's also on YouTube, so it only takes a few seconds to load (though the quality is not as crisp). We also have all the Johnny Jet videos ever made on their servers.

NEXT WEEK
Next week, we’ll finish up our trip to France, but not before we explore the countryside of Provence and visit the coastal city of Antibes for a very special concert.

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Happy Travels,
Johnny Jet

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Note: This trip was sponsored by Maison de la France.






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