VALLAURIS: Standing proudly at the front of a boat, arms crossed behind his back and dressed simply in a grey coat, Napoleon landed in southern France on Sunday, announcing “It’s good to be back!” Thousands of spectators gathered on the beach at Golfe-Juan on the Cote d’Azur to watch the re-enactment of the French dictator’s arrival exactly 200 years ago.

Napoleon had been held for 10 months on the prison island of Elba, off the coast of Italy, before he escaped his exile.

It took him three days to make the crossing with a fleet of seven ships and 1,200 men who had managed to sneak past his British captors, landing on March 1, 1815.

The re-enactment two centuries later was slightly more modest, but still involved 200 performers and an impressive beating of drums.

Napoleon lookalike Frank Samson, a Parisian lawyer has been playing the role for a decade.

“Victory march on the double!” he cried to his assembled men on the beach.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play