HOLIDAY TOUR

Opotiki News, Volume I, Issue 88, 23 September 1938, Page 4

HOLIDAY TOUR

/ . (Continued) From New York Miss Nicol, travelled to Montreal. The traveller from Gisborne was taken for a urive through the city, a great place for cathedrals and churches.

“In Montreal,” she wrote, “there is a big Uatbonc church, tne- Shrine or Brother Antoine, and leading up to it from the street are 99 steep steps. Every day 'people-.make the pilgrimage up on their knees saying a prayer oil every step. The heat the day 1. watched was excessive, but there were old and young coining up on their knees. After dinner i went- for a wonderful drive along the banks of the St. Lawrence through *a number of small towns and over some of the locks to the Luchino Rapids.”

The next day Miss Nicol felt tor Quebec, and, wrote: “1 left at" tU-a.ntv' for the last stage of my Canadian tour. .1 don’t say how- reluctant 1 am to leave —I only wish New Zealand wire closer so that it would be easier to visit between the two countries as i do like the Canadians • . . Here in Quebec J visited a church where there has been a constant adoration before the altar for -12 years; day and night nuns dressed in white kneel in silent prayer. Yesterday I stood on the Heights of Abraham where Wolfe defeated Montcalm.”

Atlantia Crossing. Writing on board the (Amadian Paeifie Steamship Duchess of Bedford ••when nearing Ireland, -Miss Nicol describes her trip as follows: “ , . . We have bad a splendid Atlantic' crossing and 1 am almost beginning to laney myself a sailor. There arc the jolliest crowd on board and wo have bad plenty to amuse us with movies nearly every night and dancing. Wo have very jolly people at our table, which makes it more interesting.” The final letter of the series was written from Gourock, Scotland, where Miss Nicol was staying with her cousin, Airs F. A. Orr, formerly of Auckland, whose husband is harbourmaster at Gourock. At the time or wilting .Miss Nicol bad been in Scotland one week, and on arrival in Glasgow enjoyed a motor drive round Ulasgow. ■ , “We visited the Glasgow Cathedral, of pure Gothic architecture, parts oi. it dating from 1.1 IX; A.D., and also Provaikl s Lordship, 1 lie oiliest house in Glasgow,” she writes. “There* is no doubt Scotland lias a beauty all its own- 1 have been to the Glasgow Exhibition three times, but of course have not seen half <>t it. I liked it very much. The layout is fine.” In her letter Miss Nicol outlined her plans l'or the next month or so, these including a. motor tour with her cousin and her husband through England to finish up at Bournemouth, where they will join the latter’s sister and husband, fSir John and Lady McTaggert. They intended to return from their tour on August 15 or IG, and tin'll Miss Nicol was to go to Edili-i burgh, and on August 18 to cross over to Ireland for a week and then to England and London. She hopes also to visit Paris, Switzerland, and t!io South of France before embarking for UKVpL