JOTTINGS FROM A TRAVELLER'S JOURNAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 998, 18 July 1883, Page 4

JOTTINGS FROM A TRAVELLER'S JOURNAL.

[ffElTIMt SPECIALLY FOB THE ‘ ‘ASHBURTON - -■ GUARDIAN. ”J

No. XIX.

Leaving Genoa —Tunnel Travelling— A Glimpse op the Apennies—Nervi— A Beautiful Prospect—St Maryhertta—A Historical Spot The Place op Chairs— Spezzia and ArCOLA.

The- -train backed out from the station at Genoa. For a while I wondered where we were going. At first, I thought we were merely shunting on to another track. But no; the retrograde movement was continued for a considerable distance. But at'length the engine was resettled, and we went forward through a long tu mel, underlying a part of the city to another'station called Piazza Brignole. Here we wore detained some time; for what purpose I was unable to determine, unless it tV&sMo give • opportunity for an employee to test the wheels of _ the carriages; this being the only operation I saw during the detention. It gave me time, however, to take a good look at the defences on this side of the city. Great pains seem to have been taken to protect Genoa from assault. The ramparts are evidently of long standing, but have been added to and strengthened by modern works.

"When at last we began to move, I anticipated the pleasure of viewing the country as we advanced. But in this I was grievously disappointed. A rapid succession of tunnels, limited the range or vision to the carriage in which I sat. I thought these snbterreanan passages vezatioualy frequent on the journey from San Remo ; but hetween Genoa and Pisa they are still more htimerous, and some of them very long. But as the old proverb says “ What can’t be cured, must be endured.” 1 had to be content to travel in obscurity, .only now and then getting a glimpse of : the surrounding country with here and there snug villages, and houses made to look picturesque and pretty by ornamental devices painted on their fronts.

Crossing the almost dry channel of the Bisagreo, and passing the town of Sturla, the jtfediterranean sea came into view again on the right, and .the slopes of the Apennines onjthe left, clothed with vineyards and olive groves; detached villas occasiopa&r . peeping out amidst the foliage. Two more tunnels took us past Quarto and Quinto, merely allowing a glance at the thick plantations of lemon trees ih'tviliiih they were embowered, and the "detached country houses in the environs; until we pulled up at Nervi. This is a town of some 9,000 inhabitants, and is 1 also surrounded by lemon trees. It enjoys the reputation of an exceptionally mild and e juable climate, owing to its sheltered -• situation. Here 1 I saw some handsome suburban villas : particularly villa Geopallo, and villa Ponzone, the latter built'in imitation of a pagoda. JBogliasco, Pieve di Sori and Sori were passed in succession: tunnels con • stantly Intervening to prevent anything like a continuous view. At the lastmentiened place, however, I got a brief prospect of surpassing beauty, while crossing the lofty viaduct that spans the town. The deep blue sea on one side and on the | other a luxuriant valley running up between surrounding hills ; just such a spot' as-1 should imagine an ancient hermit might select for his retreat from a noisy sinful world, if he wished to be hidden from all meaner charms than those of nature ; the distant town in the hollow serving to remind him that if there were human beings in the neighborhood beside himself, they were far beneath. him, and that he lived in a state of exaltation beyond their reach. On we sped—piercing the promontory of St Margherita by the long tunnel Ruta, which takes it title from the adjoining village of that name. Here there is a stretch Define fertile country skirting the B%y of Rapallo. Soma of the Italians a taste tor rural beauty ; for many country houses have been erected qrf the plain, and add variety to the prospect. . At a snort distance is a small seaport, called Portofino. Two old castles, ons of them on the extreme point of the promontory,,. and commanding a fine view, give a special character to the scene Th e interest of the locality is enhanced by an historical event of no mean importance. Francis 1., after the battle of Pavia, was intercepted here' when on his way to Madrid and imprisoned in a monastery that then'stood midway between St Margherita and Portofino. At Rapallo a soecial industry is the manufacture of lace ; and near at hand is the Church of Madonna di Moatallegro, a shrine of peculiar sanctity, to which numbers of pilgrims from places far and near resort. Chiavari, the next place of note, is pleasantly situated at the mouth of the river Ehtella. Lace-making is here also a special branch of trade. There are, besides, some silk factories and several shipwrights’ establishments. But the article* lot Which Chiavari is chiefly famous are a peculiar kind of chairs, known throughout Italy by the name of Sedie di Chiavari. They are fragile in appearan e, but more durable than they look. The distant mountains form a semicircle round this locality, and the country all around is chirming. Savagna is comparatively insignificant as a town, but derives some interest from its historical associations. The Counts of Fieschi >held irule here, and one of the family, Sinibaldo, who was born here, was afterwards elevated to the chair of St Peter, .under the title of Innocent IV. . He was the.astute opponent of the Emperor Frederick 11. Another long tunnel shut out the landscape, for a ‘ while, from view. Emerging again into daylight, we came in sight of Sestri Levante. From this point the line turned more inland ; but with little advantage, as far as the facilities for seeing the country are concerned. A wide stretoh lies between the road and the distant mountains, but the undulating character of the ground compelled the engineer, I presume, to have recourse to incessant tunnels.

Monoglia, Deiva, Framnra, Bonassola, Levanto,.Monterossa, Vcrnazza, Gorniglia, Manarila, Riomaggiore, were all past in succession; the constantly intervening tunnels precluding anything like a satisfactory. view. Then we came to La Spezzia, the important naval depot of the kingdom of Italy. Two rocky promontories form the entrance to the harbor, and are crowned with forts. The harbor itself is large and well sheltered. The royal dockyard, is a vast establishment, covering an area of between one and two hundred acres; and the magazines in the Bay of St Vito are on a scale nearly as large. Italy, as is well known, has recently added to her navy some very powerful ironclads. I saw some of these formidable ships of war riding at anchor in the port. One launched a few weeks ago at Leghorn has been sent round to La Spezziai'for equipment. After leaving La Spezzia I had to endure more tunnels before reaching Areola, remarkable chiefly for a lofty bell tower. Shortly afterwards we crossed the stream which anciently formed the boundary between Italy and Liguria. (To be continued.)