The South of France-East Half Part 28

{49}{106} +LA PAULINE+, a few houses with a new church, near the foot of Mont Coudon. Junction with line to Hyeres, 6 m. E. Pa.s.sengers who have missed the train for Hyeres should await the omnibus at the little cafe below. From La Pauline the train arrives at +Sollies-Pont+, pop. 3000; _Inns:_ Victoria; Commerce; on the Gapeau. Four hundred feet higher, on a steep hill, is the partially-walled and half-deserted Sollies-Ville, almost of the same colour as the cliffs it stands on. Then Cuers, on the side of the hill. _Inn:_ Poste. From the station the courrier leaves for +Collobrieres+ (see p. 130).

[Headnote: CARNOULES.]

miles from Ma.r.s.eILLES miles to MENTON

{63}{91} +CARNOULES.+ _Inn:_ H. de la Gare. Junction with line to Gardanne, 52 m.

N.W., on the line between Ma.r.s.eilles and Aix.

[Headnote: GARDANNE. BARJOLS.]

+Gardanne to Carnoules.+

Gardanne, pop. 3100. H. Truc, with large coalfields, 11 m. N. from Ma.r.s.eilles and 7 m. S. from Aix (see p. 77). On this line, 16 m. N.W.

from Carnoules and 36 m. E. from Gardanne, is Brignoles, pop. 6000, on the Carami. _Inns:_ Poste; Cloche d'Argent; Provence. This rather dirty town, situated in the midst of plantations of plum and mulberry trees, has long been famous for its dried plums. When ripe, they are first carefully peeled and the stone taken out, then dried and gently pressed.

They are put up in small flat circular boxes. The church, 13th cent., is in the highest part of the town. St. Louis of Anjou, Bishop of Toulouse, was born in the palace of the Counts of Provence, now the Sous Prefecture, situated a little higher up the street than the church. In the sacristy are preserved several of his sacerdotal vestments.

Diligence daily to +Barjols+, 16 m. N., pop. 3000; H. Pont d'Or; situated at the confluence of the Fouvery and the Crevisses (p. 167).

Diligence also to Toulon by Meounes (see p. 129).

[Headnote: ST. MAXIMIN.]

On this branch line, 12 m. W. from Brignoles, is +St. Maximin+, 1043 ft.

above the sea, pop. 3400. _Inns:_ H. du Var; France. The church of this ancient town was commenced by Charles II. of Sicily towards the end of the 13th cent, over the underground chapel of St. Maximin, 1st cent. It has no transept. The nave is 239 ft. long and 91 ft. high, and the aisles on each side 211 ft. long and 58 ft. high. The width of the church is 127 feet. The exterior is ugly and unfinished. The interior of the roof rests on triple vaulting shafts rising from 10 piers on each side of the nave. Above the western entrance is a large and fine-toned organ, which was saved from destruction by the organist Fourcade playing upon it the Ma.r.s.eillaise. The case, the pulpit, and the lovely screen of the sanctuary are of walnut wood from the forest of Ste. Baume. Few parts of any church present such an admirable combination of beauty, elegance, and symmetry as this sanctuary, by a Flemish monk, Frere Louis, in 1692. Round the screen are 20 sculptured panels, each bearing within a wreath a representation in relief of one of the incidents in the life of some celebrated member of the order of St. Dominic. Under them are 92 stalls in 4 rows; at one end is the rood-loft, and at the other the high altar against the apsidal wall. The entrance is by one door on each side, adorned with chaste sculpture and spiral colonnettes.

To the left, or N. of the altar, is a relief by Puget (?) in marble, representing the Ascension of Mary Magdalene, and on the other side, in terra-cotta, Mary receiving the Communion from St. Maximin down in the crypt where she died. The reredos of the altar at the east end of the N.

aisle consists of a painting on wood by an Italian artist in 1520. In the centre is a large Crucifixion, and on each side 8 paintings on panels representing the Pa.s.sion. Below, on the table of the altar, is an Entombment. In the second chapel from this is another reredos in the same style, representing St. Laurent, St. Anthony, St. Sebastian, and St. Aquinius. Here, in a small window-like recess, is a very ancient iron Crucifixion. From the chapel behind the pulpit is the entrance into the cloister and convent, 13th and 14th cents. The sculpture above the sound-board of the pulpit is of one piece, and represents the Ascension of Mary Magdalene. The undulating fluting on the panels and the sculpture on the railing are very graceful. Behind is the stair down to the crypt in which Mary Magdalene died after having swallowed a consecrated wafer given her by St. Maximin. Her body was afterwards put into the elaborately-carved alabaster sarcophagus on the left side of the altar. The marble sarcophagus next it contained some bones of the Innocents Mary is said to have brought with her from Palestine. Opposite Mary's is the marble sarcophagus of St. Maximin, 1st cent., and then follow the sarcophagi, also in sculptured marble, of St. Marcella (Mary's maid) and St. Sidonius, 2d cent. They are all empty, having been rifled at the Revolution of 1793. In the shrine on the altar is the skull of Mary Magdalene, and in a sort of bottle the greater part of one of her armbones. (See also under Six Fours, p. 123.) [Headnote: MONT BRETAGNE. TRETS.] The cave of Ste. Baume, in which Mary Magdalene is said to have lived 34 years, is situated among the picturesque mountains, partly in the Var, and partly in the Bouches du Rhone, of which the culminating point is Mont Bretagne, 3498 ft. To go to it, coach to La Poussiere, 5 m. S.W., then ascend to the cave by Nans, 5 hrs. distant. Frequented by pilgrims. From the chapel St. Pilon, 3285 ft. above the cave, glorious view. (See map, p. 123.) 12 m. W. from St.

Maximin and 12 E. from Gardanne is Trets, pop. 2200; _Inn:_ France; a dirty town surrounded by its old walls garnished with square towers.

In the neighbourhood are coalpits, but they are small and unimportant.

{75}{79} +LE LUC+ station, 1 m. from the town, pop. 3900. _Inns:_ Poste; Rousse.

Coach daily from the station by a beautiful road across the Maure mountains to St. Tropez, 26 m. S.E., by La Garde Fraisenet and Cogolin.

Fare, 5 frs. Time, 4 to 5 hours. The coach, shortly after leaving the station, begins the ascent of the Maures, amidst vines, olives, chestnuts, and firs. On the top of the pa.s.s, 1495 ft. above the sea and 12 m. from Luc, is the village of La Garde Fraisenet, pop. 750, where the horses are changed. This was the site of the Grand-Fraxinet, one of the strongholds of the Saracens. 17 m. from Luc and 5 from La Garde is, on an eminence, Grimaud, pop. 1400, an interesting village with arcaded streets. In the princ.i.p.al square is a deep well hewn in the rock. The ma.s.sive walls of the church are built of large blocks of granite. On the top of the hill is the castle built by Jean Cosse in the 15th cent., and occupied till the middle of the 18th. 19 m. from Luc, 7 from St. Tropez, and 25 E. from Hyeres, is Cogolin, pop. 1000; _Inn:_ Piffard; situated on an eminence. On the top of the hill the Saracens had a castle, from which they were driven (p. 187), and all the fortifications destroyed excepting one tower, now the town clock tower. By the roadside, about half-way between Cogolin and St. Tropez, is a very large fir tree. 32 m.

N.E. from Hyeres and 26 m. S.E. from Luc station is

+St. Tropez+, pop. 3300, _Inn:_ Grand Hotel, a house with large rooms, at the head of the port on the quay, commanding an excellent view of the bay. The town, as usual, consists of dirty narrow streets. The church is in the style found in the valley of the Rhone and along the east coast of the Mediterranean. Nave surrounded by arches on high piers or tall slight columns, such as at Tournon and Hyeres. Small chancel and no apsidal chapels, but generally an altar on the right and left of the high altar, one of the two usually being to "Maria sine labe concepta."

Behind the church, on a hill, is the citadel; and at the foot of the hill, close to the sea, the cemetery. At the head of the harbour, opposite the Grand Hotel, is a statue of Pierre Andre de Suffren, one of the greatest admirals France ever had. He was born at St. Cannat, in Provence, 13th July 1726, and died at Paris 8th December 1788. The promenade has seven rows of large Oriental plane trees. The sea-urchins of St. Tropez are very good. The drive by diligence from Luc to St.

Tropez is more beautiful than from Hyeres to St. Tropez. Coach daily to Hyeres, 32 m. W.

[Headnote: DRAGUIGNAN. LORGUES.]

{84}{70} +LES ARCS+, pop. 1200, H. de France. Branch line 8 m. N. to +Draguignan+ on the Nartubie, pop. 10,000. _Hotels:_ *Bertin; Poste; France; Var.

From the side of the H. Bertin diligences start for Salernes, pop. 2250, on the Bresque. _Inn:_ H. Bernard; 13 m N.W. from Draguignan (see map, p. 123). From Salernes the coach proceeds to Aups, pop. 2350, on the Grave, 1657 ft. above the sea, and 7 m. N. from Salernes. _Inn:_ Gontard, with good beer. From Aups diligence to Manosque by Riez (see p. 166). Also diligence to Brignoles by Barjols (see p. 143). From Draguignan diligence 3 times in the week to Fayence, pop. 1000, situated half-way to Gra.s.se. Diligence also to Lorgues, pop. 3000; _Inn:_ Bonne Foy; 6 m. W.

Draguignan is situated on the south side of the Malmont mountains, which attain an elevation of 1995 ft. In the old town is the clock-tower, 58 ft. high, commanding an extensive view of the plain and of the surrounding mountains. In the new town the streets are broad and intersected by avenues and a beautiful promenade containing thirteen rows of lofty Oriental plane trees, about twenty in each row. The Jardin des Plantes is small. In the Place aux Herbes is one of the ancient gateways. Preserved fruits, oil, raw silk, and leather are the princ.i.p.al products, m. from Draguignan, by the road to Comps, is a large dolmen composed of one flat stone resting on four similar stones. The top slab is 16 ft. long by 12 wide and 1 thick. The others are each 7 ft. high, excepting one, which is broken. Indications of markings may be traced.

Growing around this interesting Celtic monument are an oak, a splendid specimen of a "micocoulier" (_Celtis australis_), and a juniper, 20 ft.

high, of a very great age. The way to it is from the H. Bertin, ascend the street, and take the first road left. When within a few yards of the kilometre stone, indicating 1 kil. from Draguignan and 30 from Comps, take the private road to the left, leading into an olive tree plantation (see map, p. 123).

[Headnote: FREJUS. COLOSSEUM.]

{98}{57} +FREJUS+, pop. 3400, H. Midi close to station. Situated on the Reyran at the S.W. extremity of the Esterel mountains, a picturesque group 13 m.

from N. to S. and 10 from E. to W., traversed by the "Route de Paris en Italie," which, from Frejus to Cannes, 22 m. E., pa.s.ses by their highest peak, Mont Vinaigre, 2020 ft. above the sea. The peculiar charm of the Esterels is due to the warm reddish hue and fantastic forms of the bare porphyry cliffs rising vertically from the midst of the sombre green pines which clothe these mountains.

To the west of the station are the remains of the city walls, the Porte de Gaules, and the Colosseum, or Arenes, of which the greatest diameter was 224 ft., with accommodation for upwards of 9000 spectators. On the eastern side of the station are the Porte Doree and the terrace called the b.u.t.te St. Antoine. East of the b.u.t.te stood a Roman lighthouse. At this part are remains of Roman towers and walls. The masonry throughout is admirable, composed of stones of the size of large bricks. The Porte Doree has alternate layers of stone and brick. Having visited the ruins by the side of the railway, pa.s.s up by the church, and leave the town by a road having on the left hand a large building--the seminary. Having walked a few paces, there will be seen to the left rather an ugly square tower, which marks the site of the theatre. The lofty ruins of arches in this neighbourhood are the remains of the Roman aqueduct which brought water to Frejus from the Siagnole, near Mons, 24 m. N.E., and contained 87 arches. To the right of the road is a terrace supported by (once) powerful masonry. Below is the old Chapelle St. Roch. In the higher part of the town is the parish church, which, with the adjoining "eveche,"

belongs to the 12th cent. To the left on entering is the baptistery. In the Rue eveche is a house with a sculptured doorway and well-executed caryatides. From Frejus commence the pleasant views and glimpses of the Mediterranean, which continue all the way to Genoa. The Phnician merchants of Ma.s.silia (Ma.r.s.eilles) founded the cities of Forum Julii or Frejus, Antipolis or Antibes, Nicaea or Nice, and Agatha or Agde.

Agricola, the father-in-law of Tacitus, was born at Frejus.

[Map: The Esterel Mountains with Frejus and St. Raphael to Cannes]

[Headnote: SAINT RAPHAEL.]

{100}{54} +SAINT RAPHAEL+, a rapidly-increasing place of 3000 inhabitants. In winter its guests come from the colder regions in quest of warmth, and in summer from the hot interior in quest of the cooling breezes and the still more refres.h.i.+ng sea-bathing. _Hotels:_ close to the station, the France, 8 to 9 frs. More expensive houses: G. H. de St. Raphael, on an eminence, with garden; near the beach, the *G. H. des Bains, 9 to 13 frs.; and Beau Rivage. Among the numerous handsome villas is the cottage built by Alphonse Karr. Temple Protestant, Anglican Chapel. Little steamer daily to St. Tropez; whence diligence to Hyeres (p. 134).

Omnibus runs between St. Raphael and Valescure, 2 m. inland, with G. H.

de Valescure. St. Raphael, only 43 minutes from Cannes, makes a salubrious and agreeable residence, with pleasant walks, either by the beach or up the valley of the Garonne into the Esterel mountains, where the rambles are endless. At the E. end of St. Raphael is a very pleasant park, rising from the rocks on the coast. A little farther towards Cannes is the Boulerie, with a large hotel.

Napoleon landed at St. Raphael on his return from Egypt in 1799, and here he embarked when he sailed for Elba. Along this part of the coast are fine specimens of the _Pinus pinea_.

[Headnote: AGAY. SAINTE BAUME.]

{105}{50} +AGAY+, a small custom-house station, with a few houses at the head of a small but deep bay, into which flows the stream Grenouiller. On the top of the conical hill, on the S.W. side of the station, is the +Tour de Darmont+, a signal-tower. The great excursion from Agay is to La Sainte Baume, 4 m. distant, and a little to the N. of the peak of Cape Roux, 1444 ft. above the sea. From the station take the path eastward to the old chateau, which leave on the right hand, and pa.s.s under the railway to an abandoned farmhouse. There a good path begins and winds upwards to the summit of a small hill. From there descend boldly into the valley in an eastwardly direction towards the rugged red summit of Cape Roux till a stream is reached. Leaving the stream, a pathway will be seen going upwards to Cape Roux. Follow that till a high ridge is reached, close to the summit, where is a splendid view to the east and west and north-west; then take to the left, and in a few hundred yards a platform, with a spout of running water and a couple of abandoned buildings, is reached. Distance about 3 miles. About 260 ft. above this, in the face of the rock, is La Sainte Baume, the holy cave of St.

Honorat, in which this saint is said to have lived a hermit's life for some years. The best way back to Agay is by the wide path seen from the hermitage leading westward to the river in the valley. On the way remark, on the left hand, a truncated stone pillar, a Roman milestone, with an inscription. Some archaeologists base upon the existence of this stone their a.s.sertion that the Via Aurelia pa.s.sed this way. At the bottom of the valley cross the Grenouiller, and join the road to Agay.

[Headnote: LE TRAYAS.]

After Agay the railway sweeps round by the base of Cape Roux, where a magnificent panoramic view displays itself, just before arriving at +Le Trayas+, the next and last station before reaching Cannes, 11 m. E. from St. Raphael, 6 m. E. from Agay, and 8 m. W. from Cannes. From Trayas also a road leads to the chapel of Ste. Baume, which is considered nearer though not so good as the road from Agay. At Trayas the train pa.s.ses from the department of Le Var to the department of the Alpes Maritimes, then traverses the Saoumes tunnel, 886 yards, and having pa.s.sed the pretty villages of Theoule and La Napoule, enters the beautifully-situated town of Cannes.

[Map: Cannes]

[Headnote: HOTELS AND PENSIONS.]

CANNES,

on the Gulf of Napoule, 120 m. E. from Ma.r.s.eilles, 79 m. N.E. from Toulon, 78 m. N.E. from Hyeres, and 19 m. S.W. from Nice. Fixed population, 19,400. +Hotels and Pensions.+--Although there are already very many hotels, their number continues to increase. Of villas there are about 450, which, with the exception of some 110 belonging to resident French and English proprietors, are let by the season, from the 1st of October to the last of May, at rents varying from 80 to 1200, including plate and linen. Many have coachhouse, stables, and gardens attached. For information regarding them apply to Taylor and Riddett, agents, bankers, and moneychangers, 43 Rue de Frejus. They have also a well-supplied readingroom, which they place at the disposal of the public without any charge. The first-cla.s.s hotels charge from 10 to 25 frs. per day; the second from 8 to 12, including everything. A fair gratuity for service during a prolonged stay is from 50 c. to 75 c. per day.

Those requiring to study economy will find the most reasonable hotels and pensions at the east end of the town. The Pension Mon Plaisir, 8 frs., in garden, Boulevard d'Alsace, near railway station. In the Boulevard Cannet, Pension d'Angleterre, 9 to 10 frs., in garden. Farther up the same Boulevard the Pension St. Nicolas, 8 frs. Near Trinity Church, the *Pension Victoria, 8 to 11 frs., with very large garden fronting the promenade.

Cab, with one horse and seated for two, from the station to the hotels, 1 fr.; each portmanteau, fr.

The atmosphere on the hills, and at some little distance from the sea, is supposed to be in a less electrical condition, and not so liable to produce wakefulness, as in those places near the beach, and therefore many prefer the hotels and pensions situated inland. _Hotels:_ fronting station, the Negociants; the [1]*Univers, 7 to 9 frs. In the Allees, on the beach, the Hotel Splendide, 12 to 20 frs. At E. end of R. d'Antibes, the Pensions Luxembourg; Wagram, 8 to 11 frs.; and the H. Russie, 9 to 12 frs.

[Footnote 1: The asterisk, here as elsewhere, prefixed to the name of hotel indicates that it is one of the best of its cla.s.s.]

_Hotels to the east of the Allees_, fronting the beach, taking them in the order from west to east:--The National, 9 to 15 frs.; Midi, 8 to 12 frs.; *Beau-Rivage; *Gray and Albion; *Grand Hotel; Plage; the last four are first-cla.s.s houses, charging from 10 to 20 frs. The H. Suisse; Augusta; Anne Therese; *Victoria, in large garden, 8 to 12 frs. Behind the Grand Hotel is the Theatre. Behind the H. Midi, in the R. Bossu, No.

8, the Post and Telegraph Offices.