but they should first of all make sure that the sanitary condition of the place justifies their recommendation. The sublime and lovely views in this neighbourhood cannot fail to make a lasting impression on any lover of fine scenery.
Catching our train back, we arrived at our hotel in time to make up for our meagre lunch and rectify the danger of neglecting the inner man, as travellers are sometimes prone to do when so deeply interested in the objects around them. Later, in the cool of the evening, we had a deliciously pleasant walk through the town towards the beautiful gardens of Hesperides, and along the beach.
On the road from Cannes towards Fréjus is the villa of the late Lord Brougham, whose eccentricities were as remarkable as his almost universal talents. At the time of the formation of the second French Republic in 1848, when the cry of "Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity!" was in every one's mouth, Lord Brougham somewhat astonished the world by enrolling himself as a citizen of the Republic, resting his qualification upon the fact of his being a land-owner—propriétaire—at Cannes.
Our excursion on the morrow was to have been to Grasse, but unfortunately we had to go on to Nice early in the day. At Grasse flowers are largely cultivated, especially roses, jessamine, heliotrope, and orange and lemon blossoms, from which are manufactured most of our delicious scents and essences—this being one of the principal places where the culture of the lemon is most successful. Eugene Rimmel, and also Dr. Piesse, of Piesse and Lubin, have large flower farms near Cannes and Nice, from which their perfumes are produced. This to some extent accounts for the neglect of the fruit itself, which frequently lies scattered unheeded on the ground. Whilst returning from the expedition to the cemetery, we had passed whole terraces of orange and lemon trees covered with white blossom, their exquisite fragrance filling the evening air. It was a pure pleasure to me to stretch out my hand and pluck a beautiful spray from an orange tree, and, placing it on my wife's shoulder, remind her of the "day of days"—especially as she had scarcely seen the blossoms au naturel, but only their skilful imitation daintily modelled in wax for the adornment of some fair bride.
That day's excursion will ever be remembered, both for our visit to the charming little English cemetery and the trip to Antibes. We were indeed sorry to leave beautiful Cannes, containing so much of the loveliness and grandeur of Nature.
We found the Hotel Windsor very quiet, comfortable, and moderate in charge, and hope some day to renew our agreeable impressions of it.
I think, to comprehend in full the beauty of Cannes and other parts of the coast, they should be seen from the sea from the deck of a yacht or packet some three or four miles off.
On the 27th we left by train for Nice, arriving there towards evening.
FOOTNOTES
[B] Since writing the above, one more hope of unfortunate France, the head of the Legitimist party, faithful to the last of his "divine right," has passed away.
CHAPTER IV.ToC
Nice—Its persistently Italian character—Its gaming propensities—Hints about luggage—Old and New Towns—Flower-shops—A river laundry—The harbours of Nice and Villafranca—Scenery and climate of Nice—A cowardly outrage—In the Cathedral—Hotel charges—Leaving Nice.
From Cannes to Nice, or Nizza, is but a short run by rail, but on reaching the latter we see at once that we have entered another country—as one of the natives epigrammatically remarked, "The Emperor Napoleon made Nice France, but God made it Italy." In spite of the French flags, French soldiers, and French gens d'armes, it is soon perceptible that we have entered Italy, more especially on going into the old part of the town, out of the way of the large hotels built for the English, who flock here in such numbers.
Nice, the birthplace of Garibaldi, the great liberator of Italy, will some day be Italian again. In 1870–71, the debt of gratitude to France for her assistance in wresting Lombardy and Venice from the Austrians, was of too recent a date to admit of the Italians taking advantage of her weakness to resume possession of the provinces of Nice and Savoy, and they were, besides, intent at the time on seizing upon the city of Rome; but there is no doubt that, sooner or later—in fact, on the very first opportunity that offers, the old boundary between the two countries will be resumed, and both Savoy and Nice will be re-occupied by their natural owners, the Italians. There was a bitter and fateful irony in the fact that no place could be found to barter to a foreign power but the very birthplace of the champion of Italy's liberty; and the best friend of this fair country cannot but acknowledge this act on the part of Victor Emmanuel to have been unjust to her devoted people, and a blot on her ancient honour and glory; but at the same time, France will share in the condemnation of the world, for exacting so great and unnatural a sacrifice. It is equally iniquitous for a sovereign to barter away the birthright of his subjects as for any foreign power to require it, but how much more so when that power is an ally!
If France continues on the same course she has pursued for the last year or two, the opportunity Italy waits for will not be far distant, as evidently her present rulers are bent on estranging her from the rest of Europe, and are doing all they can to provoke another war. If that day should unhappily come, Italy will naturally look for the sympathy of England, which, with her own magnificent seaboard and England's maritime and naval power in the Mediterranean, would prove the most powerful alliance. But meanwhile Italy has only to be patient, develop her industries, mature her strength, and pursue the upright tenor of her way.
Immediately on arriving at the station, you see what a gay and busy place this is. The society is far more doubtful and mixed than at Cannes, where you feel pretty sure of every one. But Nice being so close to Monaco and Monte Carlo, there is a constant stream of—well, I might almost say adventurers, passing through the town, hoping to return with their expenses liberally recouped from the "tables"—of course, in most cases a delusion and a snare. It is said that Nice itself is a little Monte Carlo, and unquestionably there is a great deal of card-playing going on openly in the cafés, while the stationers' shop-windows literally teem with books professing to teach the secrets of roulette, how to win at Monte Carlo, and all the other gambling paraphernalia. This being the case, it is small wonder that private gambling is also carried on to a great extent, besides the races, etc., which are fostered and supported by the owners of the gambling saloons at Monte Carlo, and the crowd one meets at the Nice station much resembles such as we unfortunately meet at a London suburban station during a race week. These are the lovers of sport, who demoralize and spoil the peace and beauty of a place both at home and abroad.
We put up at the St. Jullien, a quiet, pleasant hotel; but our comfort was somewhat disturbed by the fact of our luggage having most vexatiously miscarried, and not making its appearance for forty-eight hours after our arrival. In France, after having seen your luggage registered and labelled, you are generally content to trouble no more about it till it reaches its destination; but it is really very necessary to see it put into the train, for, despite the otherwise good system, the porters are carelessly content to get their fee without properly completing the service for which they are paid. And I may here remark that there is far too much "black mail" levied altogether, one man simply transferring his duty to another, who expects similar fee. To avoid loss of time and other unpleasantness, travellers will always find it best to make the first man fully understand that he alone is responsible for the luggage placed in his care, and that he is expected to see to its safety, no payment being forthcoming till this is done.
