On the south coast Antibes, Cannes and Nice are applying the idea to tourist spots.

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With its boat-decked port, 16th-century ramparts and narrow cobblestone streets festooned with flowers, lovely Antibes is the quintessential Mediterranean town.

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Also on 15 April, Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Cap d'Antibes reopens after a four-year restoration, a month before the Cannes Film Festival.

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The expensive piece by Swiss jeweller De Grisogono vanished after a celebrity party at a five-star hotel in the resort town of Cap d'Antibes.

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Slowed down, its rhythm wasn't far from that of "Dans les rues d'Antibes, " played minutes later during a Sidney Bechet tribute at Economy Hall led by clarinetist Michael White.

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For soft, sandy public beaches, the neighbouring towns of Antibes and Juan Les Pins, 20km to 26km southwest of Nice, have some of the best in the area and both are accessible by train or bus.

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Two Italian brands that turn heads on the red carpet are teaming up for the AmfAR charity gala during the Cannes film festival at the Hotel du Cap Eden Roc in Antibes on May 19 to benefit AIDS research.

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Or the crystal-clear waters off Antibes?

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