All Aboard to Île Sainte-Marguerite

We started the day with a walk along the ramparts of Antibes, on our way to the Provençal Market to pick up some goodies for dinner tonight.

Plage Les Pirates in Juan-les-Pins

Later on, we walked over to Juan-les-Pins to have lunch on the sandy beach at Plage Les Pirates (23, Boulevard Edouard Baudouin, Juan-les-Pins - tél: 04.93.61.00.41).  As soon as we were seated, the first thing we did was take off our shoes and stick our toes in the sand, and the second thing we did was order a bottle of cold Côte de Provence Rosé.

Cruising to Île Sainte-Marguerite

After lunch, we were strolling along the seaside in Juan-les-Pins when we noticed that the ferry to Île Sainte-Marguerite was sitting at the pier.  We made a mad dash to quickly buy our tickets so that we could climb aboard, but as soon as we got to the counter, we saw the boat take off.  As we turned around dejectedly, the woman selling the tickets made a call to the ferry, requesting that it return to the pier, so that we could hop on.  We couldn’t believe it !  We’re not sure what the other passengers thought about it, but nobody gave us the evil eye, nor did anyone make any rude comments to us, so we sat back happily and enjoyed the 20-minute cruise, in a state of disbelief.

Fort Royal Prison on Île Sainte-Marguerite

Île Sainte-Marguerite, which is located just a half mile off the coast of Cannes, is probably best known as the home to the prison where the mysterious Man in the Iron Mask was held for eleven years in the 17^th century, as ordered by Louis XIV.  Through the years there have been many theories regarding the identity of the face behind the mask, but to this day, he has never officially been identified, and the mystery continues.  We were able to explore some of the prison cells, where we read about some of the other famous “guests” of this prison with its beautiful sea view.  Then we stepped next door to visit the Musée de la Mer (Museum of the Sea), with a number of archaeological discoveries recovered from nearby shipwrecks.  Although we didn’t get a chance to do a lot of hiking today, this is a great place for it, with lots of trails winding in and out of the pine and eucalyptus trees, and all along the crystal-clear water surrounding the island.  After a short break at one of the few terrace cafés, we climbed aboard the ferry, along with all the other passengers this time, and enjoyed the cruise back to Juan-les-Pins.

Comments

[blueVicar]

The ferry turned around to come back for you?? Wow! The other people were most likely craning their necks to see what famous people were boarding...and now we know!

Happy Beaujolais Day!

Santé! Meilleurs vœux!

[Linda]

I haven't been to the island yet but I really do love Antibes--such a great ambience.