'Napoleon was a great man.' Thump. Re-enactment of Napoleon returning from Elba on March 1st 1815 The reason that Grandpa and Granny chose to live in Golfe Juan was, in part, because Grandpa was an admirer of Napoleon. At the beach there is a Jetty and in a flowerbed near the jetty is a stone with an inscription. Ici débarque Napoléon. And you can follow the route Napoléon up to Vallouris. We were in the little Peugeot 204 with the sliding roof. It smelt of leather, Granny's Eau de Cologne and Grandpa's cigar smoke. Quite pleasant. I was 16 years old.. The twins were in the back and Grandpa was being overbearing. I was bored and tired of listening. 'Grandpa, why do you think Napoleon was a great man? He wasn't?' .... I watched. Grandpa started to puff harder and faster on his cigar. The muscles along his short hairy arms tensed as he held the wheel. Sweat glistened a little on his top lip. 'Why do you say that? he said . 'What did