THE RIVIERA.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1792, 3 July 1913, Page 5

THE RIVIERA.

BKETCHES OF TOURjST LIFE. [By Rev. F. Stubbs.] (Speolally written 'or Thi Dominion.) I have just returned from a six months' tout- in Southern 1 Europe,V some •'four months of which were spent on the Riviera, and so hasten io record 'iny impressions whilst they, are still fresh in my memory.', Tha Riviera, as known to the Tourist world, comprises a long narrow 6tirip of coast-land, which runs along tho southern coast of Prance and Italy from Cannes to Spezzia. In front—to the south —are the blue wafers of the tideless Mediterranean; at the back, to the north; a long chain of hills and mountains which sholter it from the cold winds. Consequently, it enjoys an exceptionally mild climate, and during,the winter months is crowded with," I suppose, hundreds of ' thousands'; of well-to-do tourists drawn from all parts'of Europe, and a few even from' such' remote regions as Australia ■ and New : Zealand. The western section, comprising the towns of Nice, Monte Carlo, Mentone, San Rerno, Bordighera, and a few smaller places, is the mildest and most popular. It is; also the mcst beautiful. Many of tho mountain valleys are 1 exquisite, abounding in trees and flowers, and mountain streams, in olive and orange .groves. • Lemons,'too, abound all the y<ar round,'; whilst palms ,of various kinds, magnolias .in lustrous green,, •pepper -tlees with bearded fringes, giant cactus and aloe, form; ovistas through - .Which one; gets enchanting - glimpses of ,the blue waters of tlie'sea. With'the advent of. spring; the air becomes laden' iwith the scent of the,canary-oolouired mimosa and purple heliotrope." There, are griat hedges in. which roses of every./hiie.. intertwined with honeysuckle, clematis; jessamine':and geraniums. , fortn .floral wreaths. Tho Judas- tee bursts into gor-. goous purple-pink, blossoms. ■ On the ground, wild flowers bloom; homely daisies; pinks, and pansies,- campions, cinerarias, and, sweet-scented, violets.- I have never been, in uny region; of the world where there is such, a magnificent -profusion of flowers, and this not merely in ppring and suiramer,. but. throughout/ the winter. Nor have: I. even. in the, Stropics jeen anywhere' such -splendid., palms. They were : ' introduced > by -the. Saracens nnder Abdulraham . 11,. and have flourished in th'is district' amazingly. ; Ail through tlie. Riviera the; lulls./have been cut by almost ijncredible labour.'into'ter- ; races, terrace, after, terrace, .they., rise for many hundred feet, sometimes .cut out of almost solid' ToCk, strewn v with ; earth, planted with' grapes,' olives, organes and lemons, and irrigated • by ', innumerable tiny canals from the mountuin streams. One shrinks from contemplating the mous amount of-labour that, must-have ; teen spent in.'.constructing these. terraces, an amount whoso capital-value .would I suppose far surpass their; value in'the present day. 3ut one gladly remembers that the work : was. not . all done by-one generation or even in one century. It is -always going, on; as/it lias-gone on for hundreds bf years'past,' each. generation adding a little.-to tlft. work of the last, with the, result that; a numerous peasantry find, a '.stiliicient-and, healthy, scanty livelihood; in tilling thei-soil.-created witn so much labour. It is said-that ,the custom of making these terraces was originally borrowed -from the Holy Land, I suppose at the-time of the Crusades, and but for it the hills would, be practically jinprodnctire. • •. ' The towns along the Riviera are, ull, interesting and bcautifulj'fsome ;of them quite large and ■ populous.' . And all .cater for . the wealthy visitor by making fine thoroughfares, '.'iplsntiflKrfparks and gardens; and orecting'pttlatial".hotels. : The season lasts five months, from the 1 Jatter .to;the l end of . April. During' - the summer. the. towns,' are almost"'deserted, and most of the hotels close their doors. • * • A Peep at Cannes, ' My own.; pilgrimage commenced at Cannes, a.town of some 10,000 inhabitants, eheltered to the north-west by the picturesquo range of the Esterels. It was "discovered" by Lord Brougham, who on ono occasion was compelled to wait there for permission to cross the Italian frontier owing to an epidemic of cholera. He, found the climate so mild and beneficial that he returned the next winter, built a house, the "Villa Eoulse Elenore," and spent every succeeding winter ot his life . there. • Thus it' became known as a winter resort to the English people, who. flocked to it in increasingly large : numbers, un- _ til its prosperity as a health-resort'was established. It is nowa fine large'town, • the most English in the Riviera,'with a splendid promenade two . miles long, elec-, trie trams, and; palatial hotels. .During the season it is crowded with aristocratic .visitors, mostly English.. The. name of , the town is derived from, "cannes" of •.'reeds that used to abound in the marshes. . In tho cemetery may be seen the graves of Lord Brougham and the Diike of Montrose, whilst on-the . rising ground at tho east end of the town I visited the Villa Nevada, 1 where the gifted but delicate Duke of Albany, died in 1881, and higher up the Vilia Edelweiss, where Queen Victoria stayed in 1887. Under the wall of the little garden of the Villa Nevada a beautiful fountain has been erectcd by the people of Canute—'"without distinction of religion or nationality," to the memory of the Duke. It is said that the onti-clerical'pai'ty. is, very strong in this town, and that a steam launch .that used to ply to the islands sought to' attract one class of customers by proclaiming that it htvd never been,baptised! . From Cannes' to Nice. Prom. Cannes to Nico is about nineteen miles. ' It is the'Nic'aea of the Greeks end is of great antiquity,. being founded by them about the fourth century B.C. - It was once ktrongly fortified and repulsed even the Saracens. For some reason or other its defences were destroyed by Louis XIV. In Smollett's time it must have been ' a very primitive city, for he Speaks of the windows as having been made of paper, Garibaldi, to whom there is a fine monument, .was born here (1807), and also Napoleon's greatest general, Massena. "It has a population of 150,000, which I supposo is augmented ■ during the. season by another |50,000. It has been well named Paris by tho Sea, for- it is the most Parisian of all the health resorts There aro splendid boulevards with plane trees, electric tram's, ! kiosks and restaurants, garden and bands of music, just as in .Paris. The population, too, is ' dressy, plea,sure-loving. " Cannes, Nice, and Monte Carlo have, been- cleverly designated ils the World, the Flesh, and the Devil. The flesh is pretty well in evidence at all these towns, but preeminently at Nioe. The display of wealth and luxury here (not to speak of vice) v is amazing. -No one who has seeu. it can ever forget the spectacle presented day after day on the Promenade des Anglais. This. magnificent esplanade, four long, bordered by rows of palms and oleanders, was built by the English Colon y during-the years 1822-24, in order to provide work for the destitute. Along this promenade-any fine day in the -seaeon may bo seeii- 1 walking, or seated on chairs, , tens'of thousands of visitors representing eyery European nationalitybig, bearded Russians; fat,' niiddle-aged Germans; carefully-groomed Frenchmen; aristocratic-looking Englishmen; Pole's; Spanish,' Hungarians; 'gorgeously-gowned ' women, painted' and powdered; foreign military officers with fiercely-twisted mostachios. I am familiar with Rotten Row. in London, the Bois de Boulogne in Pbris, the Pincio in' Rome, the Terrace at Monte Carlo, but have never seen anywhere such a huge, gay, dressy, cosmopolitan crowd as this. It is at once fascinatin». amusing and depressing, i. The life these people are living is 60 idle, so luxurious, so aimless, and in- many cases so Wcious and,self-indulgent. One wonders that 60 many human beings should •possess money and. time enough to bo here Of course there are exceptions; all 'are not frivolous. Many, like the writer, are' here for health's sake, seeking refuge from the winter's cold.' But most of the invalids go to other centres such as .Mentone or San Renin. I am afraid if the labour classes-,could visrt■ .this place it would not lessen their discontent At the same time I .hate no doubt there beats many an anxious/, many-a sad', heart beneath this finery, ffhes© people havo more money than the toilers, hut prob-

ably not more real happiness and content. The Casino is an immense building owned and run by the municipality. The large hall accommodates 3000 persons, and here concerts aro given twice a day by an orchestra of 80 performers. In addition' to this there-is a very beautiful theatre; reading and writing rooms for visitors; and, of course, gambling saloons where , play goes on almost continuously. I did not see the Baccarat rooms as 20 francs admission is- demanded,'but I learned,that there are!twentyone tables, that "play is very high, and that at the principal tables no stake, below XI is accepted;- The-Russians ■ are much devoted to this game and one man is said to have had as much as £12,000 on the table at once. He/had to be watch- i ed over by police. There is another almost equally large Casino in Nice, La Jettee, en immense .and magnificent structure owned by a private company, where similar gambling and entertainments go on. In one of the suburbs, Cimiez, I. visited the Villa where Queen , Victoria used to stay, and to whom a fine statue Ifas been raised near by. Carnival Snapshots. T,or the .sake of. my. New Zealand readers I made a point of being present .at the famous carnival this year. Of course the crowds were • immense; all hotels and pensions were full; beds at a premium;. hundreds: of thousands of ■people thronged the. streets. On tho last great dav the procession tfas two miles long, Huge, elaborately-construct-ed and decorated cars were drawn by 1 horses and filled with masqneraders, who lielted the populace with confetti as they passed. The dresses of tho masqueraders were most ■ fantastic. Anglers, fish, f demons, pastilles, clocks, sun and mcon and stars, horses, mules, asses, sailors, ships, flower-baskets, birds, oranges, cats, butterflies, iscoops,. dominoes,--peacocks, fiddles, various' flowers, astrologers,' telescopes, roosters, parrots, etc., were all cleverly represented in most grotesque fashion bynuuiaii beings. The procession was a marvellous production in its way. The figures were of great size, and most skilfully and" artistically produced. They must have cost thousands of ,-pounds, and were accompanied and surrounded 'by thousands of men and women dancing,, throwing confetti,' and indulging in allsorts of curious antics. Unfortunately most of the confetti is made of plaster, so that masks and overalls have to be worn; otherwise; not only would every-, one's clothes be spoiled, but there would be serious danger to the eyes. These words will, of course, give but the faintest idea of thfe immense scale on which the carnival is held, the vast crowds; the rough, though .good-humoured horseplay, the abandonment for .the time of almost all the restraints which make the streets possible for ordinary traffic. At the same time, I have :no particular desire to see the carnival again. I think it is much overrated;-it is'amusing, but very rough ■ and costly; much, of the gaiety appeared forced and artificial/ It is advertised for more than it' is ' worth all along the. Riviera,'because, of'the financial benefits that, accrue, from the.great influx of visitors', but I -think'most respectable, people would- gladiy forgo it. '1 he best part, to my'mind, were the illuminations at l night, which were. I think, the most' beautiful, I have ever seen. The Rattle of Flowers, which was . held-on another day,' and" which owes -,its .origin. to ".the floral games of 2000 years-: ago, was also beautiful. Flowers, instead of plaster confetti, Were thrown,' and tho . carriages; beautifully decorated., \ - • 'As I have already written • very ' 1 fully ■ on -Monte Carlo, ! will say nothing more of that famous resort except to mention, that whilst staying, here I made an ex-, cursion up the mo until in ■' side .at La 'l'urbie, an- ancient to.iyn on the Upper Corniche Road. Here I saw the colossal remains'of the monument,'once magnificent, of the Emperor Caesar Augustus, erected to commemorate the final defeat of the Ligurian.,hordes, B.C.' 12. :The town is most romantically situated on a mountain spur, with a real Old World" atmosphere, - and - the road ! between "commands' •sprue of the most ■ magnificent U-'iews of sea and . mountain in the world.- . All this region OMe-occupied; , by. lthe- • Rontans, aiid- : iaf6r by the Saraoens and : Moors. At Villafranche I saw the French ifleet anchored, and .a hydroplane man-oeuvring'about-the-entrance to the harbour. On to Mentone. Mentono (12,000) is. only six. miles from, Monte, Carlo',; and.'to ;my mind is the. ■most beautiful and attractive town in the Riviera. It is somewhat'quietbr, less fashionable,, is more frequented by invalids; but, on the other hand, is the most beautifully situated, has a splendid 'palpi-fringed promenade; lovely, retired •walks; and is tho most completely. Sheltered from the cold winds. Immediately behind the town is a wonderful background of'rugged .mountain passes where calm nearly always reigns: The mountains themselves form an" amphitheatre rising to 9000 feet. The gardens are'beautifully kept, and-the town band plays twice a day. Only two' miles away on the west side is Cap Martin, where the Empress Eugenie has a beautiful villa, and where, if I remember right, Lord Salisbury used to stav; where, too. are to be found delightful shady paths, with comfortable seats close to: the sea. On tho east side is the Italian frontier and the towns of Bordighera' and San Remo; > ; Meritono' is par excellence the home of the lemoir-and the orange, and legend says that when Evl, was driven from the Garden of Eden she plucked two lemons, and finding them in her hand when she was' expelled from Paradise, promised to, bestow them on the land she most admired in her exile. Oi)e was sown'ill the fertile .soil of Mentone. Near this town I was much struck with the bright "and pretty effect produced ,by putting oyster shells (face outwards) and pieces of coloured glass, stones, earthenware, tiles, etc., in'cement upon the walls of a house. I had never seen it _elser where, and . the effect was remarkably pleasing. Where u cottage is -built w'itii\ cemented walls, the idea might well be copied. ■■■ ■ Climate of the Riviera. A word as to climate. Tho Riviera has a very fine.winter climate, with abundance-of ; sunshiiie, and is to a'large extent sheltered from cold winds (tho Mistral). ; But it is by no means perfect. The sun's rays even in winter are extremely hot, whilst in the shade the temperature is often very cold. This is a distinct drawback. Whilst, therefore, the climato is probably as pood as any in •Europe, it is not, in my judgment, as fine as isjto be found iii parts of Australia. There'is no need for tne Australasian to go to the .Riviera for climatic purposes. And there-,is the disadvantage and frequent discomfort' of being v m a foreign country. ■ It is a strange thing when one thinks of it, this huge population of well-to-do loisured people,'drawn from every 1 country in Europe, . living in. hotels and occupying themselves -with trivialities.. What a strange mixture of nationalities, dress, manners,-language! All here for 'health or amusement, living luxuriously in' great caravanserais, many homeless and almost friendless in the world, coming year after year to find temporary shelter, companionship, and relief from ennui. Especially are unattached women much in evidence, some husband-seeking, others having given up the search and grown selfish and disagreeable. Of all classes these moved me most to pity. It is an easy but an unenviable lot. It would br far better and happier that they should be employed in the domestic sphere. But there it is, and it enn't be helped, but ono sometimes. wishes that these ladies would make a greater effort to preserve something of the amiability of youth. As a rule, I must say the married people are less selfish and more agreeable, though of course there are exceptions, to which I'have no doubt myfair: unmarried reader lielongs. With this bit of moralising: I close.