The World beyond the Esterelles, etc

Front matter

MENTONE AND TRE EsTERELLES FROM " LES ROCRERS RoUGES." THE WORLD BEYOND THE ESTERELLES. IN TWO VOLUMES. BY A. W. BUCKLAND, Member of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. Author of " Ober-Ammergau and its People," fye, SsC. "The air Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself Unto our gentle senses. This guest of summer, The temple-haunting martlet, does approve, By his loved mansionry, that the heaven's breath Smells wooingly here .... Where they Most breed and haunt, I have observ'd the air Is delicate." Shakspeare. VOL. I. WITH FRONTISPIECE. ilcmtion : REMINGTON AND CO., New Bond Street, W. 1884. [AU Rights Reserved.'] CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE Preface ... ... ... ... ... ... i I. Banished to Cannes ... ... ... ... ... 5 II What the Expatriated may see in Cannes and its Neighbourhood ... ... ... ... ... 28 111.

The Gay World in the Riviera ... ... ... 50 IV. The Queen of Beauty ... ... ... ... 67 V. A Land of Palms and Olives ... ... ... 94 VI. Bag and Baggage for Rome I II VII. The Riviera di Levante — Vanished Races ... ... 129 VIII. The City of the Tarquins 141 IX. A Glimpse of Country Life ... ... ... ... 168 X A Day's Journey in the Sunny South Eighteen Years Ago 182 XI. The Seven Hills of the Eternal City 202 XII. Roman Memorials of Victory and Death .. 221 XIII. Roman Prisons, Tombs, and Catacombs ... ...

Preface

. In offering to the public a book of travels in the South of France and Italy, I am not oblivious of the fact that I am treading on familiar ground. Nevertheless every traveller sees things in a different light, and I flatter myself that readers of the following pages will find in them much that is new on au old subject. My object has been, not to write a guide-book, for that has been admirably done already by Murray, Bædeker and others, but rather to record that which I have myself seen with special interest, hoping thereby to interest others, knowing from experience that those who visit a place for the first time, are glad of all the information they can gather concerning it from those who have preceded them ; whilst those to whom all the spots to which I have referred in the following pages are familiar, read eagerly all that is written on places endeared to them by many recollections, and which they always hope to revisit.

The impetus given to wintering in the South of France by the visit of the Queen to Mentone, and of many illus trious visitors since then to Cannes and Nice, cannot fail to create in many a desire to learn more of a country which has thus been adopted as a sanitarium by those whose physicians would be sure to have acted advisedly in sending them so far from home. I have, therefore, en deavoured to give m.y own impressions of the peculiarities of climate of these well-known health-resorts, and, at the same time, to describe the varying character of the scenery VOL. I. B

PREFACE.

. ii and natural productions. I have also touched upon the manners and customs of the people, and the ancient history of the country, pointing out especially such points of antiquarian interest, and of picturesque natural beauty, as most deeply impressed themselves upon me. I have then journeyed on into Italy by the route which will always commend itself to such tourists as can afford time and money for the trip, and have taken the oppor tunity of describing a visit to one of the old Etruscan cemeteries, and to the modern representative of the City of the Tarquins. I have also put before my readers the changes observable in Rome and other Italian cities since the establish ment of the kingdom of United Italy, with Rome as the capital ; and, in connection with this part of my subject, I have reproduced, with additions and alterations, a series of papers contributed to the " Churchman's Shilling Magazine," after my first visit to Rome, during the Pope dom of Pope Pius the Ninth, describing many of the Church ceremonies then so attractive to visitors, but which are now in abeyance.

I have then returned homewards by the St. Gotthard route, describing, as far as possible, the wonderful railway works now uniting Switzerland with Italy, by this and the Mont Cenis Pass, taking in connection with them the rail way up the Righi, and contrasting the works of modern science with the ruder, yet most interesting works of the primeval dwellers in Switzerland. The limits of my book will not allow of full and minute descriptions, but I trust I have been able to sketch in a

PREFACE.

. iii few outlines correctly, leaving my readers to fill in the minuter details as taste, skill, and experience may deter mine. Should they find, in perusing the following pages, some of that pleasure which I have experienced in visit ing and revisiting the scenes I have so feebly depicted, I shall at least not have written in vain. But all, alas ! do not look back upon a visit to these sunny climes with the same unmixed feeling of pleasure— for it is idle to attempt to hide the fact that danger lies concealed beneath the flowery Campagna and the rich, rank, vegetation of the Maremma. Nor can the Riviera, with its unrivalled climate, Rome and Naples, Florence and Venice, with all their grand art treasures, be looked upon as free from those generators of disease which lurk beneath bad drainage and impure water.

"We still mourn the loss of one of our greatest scientists, whose life was sacrificed to fever caught in Rome ; and almost everyone must be able to call to mind one or more among his own friends or acquaintances who have suffered from a similar cause. But we must bear in mind that fevers are not con fined to Italy, and there are few who would not be willing to run the risk for the sake of the great mental and physical enjoyment to be derived from scenes so full of beauty and historical interest. And after all, the risk is not so very great, for thousands take the trip and only hundreds suffer, and with due precautions the hundreds may be reduced to tens. One great predisposing cause of fever is doubtless over exertion. Getting over-heated in the sun and then sitting in the cold churches and art galleries, or wandering through

PREFACE.

. the catacombs, prisons, and other subterranean resorts, should also be avoided. The Italians say " only Englishmen and fools walk in the sun," and we found that the Romans habitually avoid fires in their houses, even in the coldest weather, believing that they would certainly take cold after sitting in a heated room. There is also one rule which I believe to be of primary importance, and which applies to all places beyond the Esterelles, and that is always to avoid being out during the sunset hour, and this is doubly necessary outside the gates of Rome. Another rule, shocking as it may appear to teetotalers, is to avoid drinking cold water. The best beverage is, undoubtedly, the wine of the country mixed with water, but, if wine is objected to, then coffee, tea, or water which has been previously boiled.

The water in many places appears pure and good, but it is never efficiently filtered except, perhaps, in some of the best hotels. I learn with pleasure that a large sanitary exhibition is to be inaugurated at Nice this year. Much has been done of late years in the Riviera to improve the sanitary conditions of the different towns, but there is still room for improvement, which the inhabitants are beginning to realize. The Campagna and Maremma will never become healthy till well and efficiently drained, and this must be a work of time ; but I do not think intending tourists need fancy that the danger is greater now than it has been from time immemorial, and in this, as in other cases, " to be fore warned is to be forearmed." A. W. Br/CKLAND. London, July, 1883. CHAPTBE I. BANISHED TO CANNES.

From November to March, yearly increasing num bers of fugitives follow the swallows from the British Isles, across the stormy Channel, and fly ever Southwards till they reach the sunny shores of the Mediterranean. Most of these emigrants are under doctor's orders, and have their destina tion plainly written both on their luggage and on their faces. To many the journey is a yearly recurring pilgrimage, so that, when leaving their winter quarters in April, they may be heard re peating the words attached to the pretty inlaid swallows, so often purchased as souvenirs, " Je reviendrai." Many, however, who go for the first time, look forward with dread to their expatriation ; they do not like the idea of Christmas abroad, far from roast-beef and plum-pudding, holly and snow, balls and parties, roaring fires and all the other innumerable adjuncts which, from time immemorial, have made winter a holiday season in Old England, and Christmas the most popular df all festivals.

Of course the young grumble at the hard fate which takes them away from home gaieties, and sends them to unknown regions, dull and uncomfortable ; but paterfamilias also rebels at tbe decree of expatriation, issued by some croaking old doctor, who must, he is sure, have some interest in such or such a place, or shares in the French railways, or he would not send his patients so far away for nothing, and tie them down to one particular spot, when they might otherwise choose for themselves, and make themselves as happy as possible under tbe circumstances. If the object desired is to escape damp and fogs, he argues, why not winter in Paris or Brussels, which are so much nearer home, or at least go to Nice, where there is something to see, and some amusement to be had, instead of to Cannes, where there is nothing to be done except to look at the sea all day ; or Mentone, which is still worse, being full of consumptive patients.

For notwithstanding the numerous books which have been written respecting the Riviera, few people realize the great differences of climate which exist in places which, looked at on the map, would seem to be much alike as regards situation, all having a southern aspect, in nearly the same latitude, and all possessing a mountainous background shelter ing them from the biting winds of the north. Determining to judge for myself of the places so much bepraised by travellers, and so highly extolled by doctors everywhere, on account of climate, I set out in December, 1879, for a winter in the sunny South. Paris that year was a place to be remembered ; fogs differing only in colour from those of London, followed by snow so deep that walls of it piled up as high as the windows barricaded every street, and hundreds of cart loads daily carried away and thrown into the river seemed to make no difference ; traffic entirely stopped, or so impeded that a journey across the pleasure city was as hazardous as one over the Rocky Mountains.

The Seine, completely frozen, as well as the gas and water in all the houses and courtyards ; the Louvre and all public exhibitions closed, and vast bonfires made in open spots, that the poor might not be frozen to death — sufficed to make the city triste in the extreme. It may therefore be imagined that the rush South wards was great as soon as the railways were open for traffic, and that the Rapide to Marseilles was filled nightly to overflowing. The journey as far as Avignon was as wretched as intense cold could make it. Everywhere a vast sheet of ice and snow ; the rivers resembled the debris of some huge avalanche, consisting of heaps of frozen snow instead of water, with here and there a narrow rivulet marking the course of the broad Rhone. But after passing Avignon there •was a sensible change of temperature, the windows of the railway carriages began to thaw gradually, green spots became frequent, and although the snowy river followed us quite to its mouth, and the frozen snow even intruded upon the blue Medi terranean, yet it became possible and even agreeable to open the windows and enjoy the fresh breeze and sparkling sunshine.

Arrived at Marseilles, we seemed suddenly to have passed from an Arctic winter to an almost semi-tropical summer. A scorching sun, flowers and fruits everywhere, windows open, men, women, and children sunning themselves, lying asleep on the doorsteps or under the shade of the boats, without extra covering. Gay dresses and sunshades everywhere replaced the furs and umbrellas of Paris, and yet under the trees in the shade the hoar-frost glittered white upon the grass, and boys were sliding upon the basin of the great fountain which stands at the en trance of the Zoological Gardens. They do some times get cold and stormy weather in Marseilles, but to see it in bright sunshine on a December day, it would seem as though winter was unknown. A gay sight it is to watch the people in holiday costume enjoying themselves on Sunday afternoon in the Prado, costumes and vehicles in endless variety passing and repassing without intermis sion ; everywhere life and gaiety ; a first glimpse of the sunny South, a foretaste of the brightness of the Riviera ; for henceforward sunshine and flowers, brightness and beauty surround the tra veller everywhere.

Most people make Hyeres their first resting place, and report says it is a spot full of beauty, with pinewoods and roses in abundance, and fresh walks and excursions for many days. Cannes, however, was our destination, so we made no halt at Toulon, which is the point of departure for Hyeres, but hastened on, to enjoy as much as possible of the coast scenery by daylight ; never theless darkness overtook us just at the most beautiful part, and we saw only the dim outlines of the mountain-chain which makes the Riviera the winter garden of Europe, and of that bright blue sea about which painters have dreamed and poets raved from time immemorial. The Esterelles Mountains, a spur of the " Alpes Maritimes," are not only the great artistic feature of Cannes, but the chief source of the delightful climate which has turned it into an English colony during the winter months.

Forming al most an amphitheatre, they shut in Cannes and the neighbouring villages from the greater part of the stormy winds which visit other less favoured spots, so that although the mistral will sometimes intrude as an unwelcome guest, its visits are com paratively rare, and one may plan excursions and picnics with every piobability of being able to carry them out with the accompaniment of bright sunshine and moderate warmth, even in the midst of winter. At the same time this sheltering range is not so near as to give a sense of oppression. Whenever seen, at morn, noon, or evening, the outline is clear, soft, and beautiful, stretching out into the sea, and ending in a somewhat precipi tous promontory, the rocky excrescences of which have been likened to, and not inaptly named, Lord Brougham's nose.

For the late Lord Brougham was the good genius of Cannes. Visiting it acci dentally, he was struck with its beauties and capa bilities, purchased an estate there, made it his constant winter residence, and from a small fishing village, raised it to a fashionable health resort. The large hotels, pensions, and villas since erected for the accommodation of visitors are innumerable, and three English churches — High, Medium, and Low, are crowded every Sunday. Two of these possess excellent libraries for the use of visitors, not merely church libraries, but a general collection of literature, travels, novels, and even scientific works, constantly added to ; that of Christ Church now containing several thousand volumes, and embracing many of the newest works. The inhabitants of Cannes have shown them selves truly grateful to the great Englishman to whom they owe so much of their prosperity for not only have they erected two or three busts, with highly flattering inscriptions to his memory, but they have consecrated to his name one of the delicious perfumes for which they are famous, and in every shop " Eau Brougham," or " Eau de Lord Brougham," is conspicuous.

This compliment, grotesque as it may sound to us, is in truth well merited, for to Lord Brougham belongs the credit of having brought from a considerable distance by means of an aqueduct, a source of pure water into Cannes, and this in itself is no mean recommendation to the place, when we remember how much health depends upon pure water as well as pure air ; and how deficient the greater part of France is in this first requisite. It is truly pleasant to be able to take a draught of water without fearing it may contain germs of typhoid and sundry other diseases, and it would be well for Cannes if as much could be said for the drainage as for the water ; but alas ! on the grand promenade, close to some of the best hotels, and still closer to the bathing establishments, which but for that would be highly attractive, a number of sewers empty themselves into the sea, poisoning the air for many yards round, and rendering the baths more odori ferous than healthful.

It would seem as though a sea bath in December and January would not at the best of times be very delightful, but when we remember that the thermometer stands almost constantly at 60° during the day, a bath may well be regarded as a luxury. Sand-baths are also in request at Cannes, for rheumatism and other complaints, the patient being buried up to the neck in the warm sea sand, remaining in this somewhat uncomfortable position for an hour or two, and afterwards taking a plunge in the sea and a brisk walk. The walks in the neighbourhood of Cannes are not so numerous as those at Hyeres, but besides the long promenade before mentioned, which is continued all round the bay to the promontory called the Croisette, past the fine villa occupied by the late Empress of Russia, and the Gardens of the Hesperides, where may be seen the finest orange groves in the neighbourhood, to a little fort looking over the sea — there are many others farther inland, affording splendid views of the snow-clad Maritime Alps, the favourite being that to the " Croix des Gardes," a long, up-hill, dusty, and somewhat rough expedition, but the view, when clear, on attaining the summit, is not to be for gotten ; the long range of the snowy Alps on one side, on the other the bright blue Mediterranean, bounded by the fine outline of the Esterelles, and far away, yet sometimes distinctly visible, the rocky, peaked, and jagged outline of the island of Corsica; nearer, the picturesque lies des Lerins, seeming almost to join the long crescent-shaped promontory of the Croisette, with its villas and hotels, forming a fine bay, in which may generally be seen a few pleasure yachts, fishing boats, and trading vessels, and now and then a steamer from Marseilles.

From the pier on the right rises the hill upon which stands the old town, crowned with the ancient church and the two towers, which form such prominent objects in all drawings and photographs of Cannes, and behind all this an undulating and beautifully-wooded country. Such, with slight variations, is the view to be obtained from most of the heights round Cannes, the rival of the Croix des Gardes being that from the Hotel de Californie, which is perhaps more extensive, and possibly more beautiful, but which is also longer and less attainable for pedestrians who are not over strong ; but there are convenient little omnibuses to aid the wayfarer, whilst the carriage excursions are innumerable. Many days may be spent among the " Esterelles," always beautiful, varying at every turn, from the sternest and most desolate grandeur, to the brightest and most verdant of landscapes.

Here some years ago occurred that disastrous fire which destroyed many acres of fine trees, and, as our coachman assured us, drove the wolves into Cannes, and which was only extinguished by a detachment of military being sent from Toulon to clear a space wherein the raging element might spend its force in vain. Many blackened trunks of pine and cork still show traces of this calamity, and miles of desolate land remain to testify to the extent of the ravages committed by the flames. The chief points of note among the Esterelles are Mount Vinaigre and Les Pointus, Les Adrets, Cap Roux, and numerous fine gorges, valleys, mountain torrents, caverns and grottoes, with here and there an inn or a chapel, from which magnificent views may be obtained of the Alpes Maritimes and of the coast line all the way from Hyeres to Bordighera.

Among these mountain fastnesses, not far from the Esterel Inn, which stands at the head of the pass leading into France, there still exists a road called that of the Brigands, once famous as the head-quarters of a band of these much-dreaded robbers, who frequently molested travellers passing from France into Italy, but an excellent diligence road has lately been constructed with much difficulty, and the brigands have disappeared ; nevertheless, even now the traveller shudders as he passes a spot once so ill-famed, and glances along the ancient road leading through dense woods farther and farther into the mountain fastnesses. Nor is he likely to feel reassured by the appearance of the solitary hostelry standing near the head of the pass. Grim, dark, and desolate-looking, with closelybarred doors and windows, it might be the lurk ing-place of smugglers and bandits innumerable, the scene of many a midnight murder.

No obse quious host comes bowing to the door at the sound of carriage wheels ; no long line of waiters in spot less shirt-fronts to enquire what monsieur desires. A woman peeped out furtively once, and then closed the door hastily, otherwise a dog and a few fowls seemed the sole occupants of the place. Happily though, for tbe safety of travellers, two or three gendarmes and a few roadmakers are stationed not far off, and few passengers now rest here more than an hour or two, and they usually carry their own provisions, and so are not beholden to the churlish hostelry. On the opposite side of Cannes, facing the Esterelles, is Antibes, with its lighthouse and traces of Roman occupation, where also there is a splendid hotel and pension, at the time of our visit unoccu pied, but in a lovely situation in the midst of a fine garden, full of tropical plants, where the invalid or valetudinarian might pass days of peaceful delight.

Between Antibes and Cannes we see Golf Juan, where the French fleet generally lies at anchor during part of every winter, and near which Napoleon landed on his return from Elba, an event commemorated by a very plain stone pillar with a short inscription ; and on the hill to the north, Yallauris, a village which has lately attained a reputation for a manufactory of red ware enamelled in various colours, which has now become sufficiently well-known in English shops, being esteemed for beauty of form and colour. The Romans had large pottery works here, and the manufacturers have taken old Roman and Etruscan terra-cottas for their models, and have produced some elegant articles at very moderate prices, although some of the more elaborately painted and enamelled vases reach a considerable figure.

The drive to Vallauris, past Chateau Scott, lately occupied by Mr. Gladstone, is very beautiful, and the inspection of the works and depot full of interest. The drive may be varied so as to embrace several distinct roads, in the course of which the antiquary will be gratified by many traces of Roman work, especially in the old road and picturesque bridge, spanning at a great height a little sluggish stream, the rocky banks of which, being beautifully adorned with wood and trailing plants, would be romantic were it less odoriferous. Another favourite drive is the Grande route de Califomie, em bracing a succession of magnificent views obtained after a long and steep ascent, very trying to the horses. Just above Cannes lies the village of Cannet, or Le Cannet, a quaint, old-world place, with a ter race, from which a splendid view may be obtained, and an ancient church with a curious tower, ornamented with coloured glazed tiles, very bright and glittering in the sunlight ; here also is an old villa, the favourite residence of Rachel, and where the great actress died.

The stranger, on entering Le Cannet, will be amused to see long lines of string fastened from win dow to window, and sometimes across the narrow stone-paved street, always adorned with festoons of orange peel, whilst at almost every door sits a shrivelled old woman or a group of women and children, all engaged in peeling oranges, as we should peel potatoes or turnips. This orange peel is largely used in making various scents and essences, for which Cannes is famous ; and oranges, which are very poor as a fruit all along the Rivi era, are cultivated almost exclusively for the flowers and the peel; and these, with violets and other scented flowers, and the produce of innumerable olive and cork trees, form the wealth of the whole of the peasantry. The chief manufactories of these celebrated scents and essences are at Grasse, a town about twelve miles from Cannes, where, during the season, the manufacture may be seen to perfection.

Hundreds of pounds of violets and other scented flowers are there daily robbed of their perfume to provide the beau monde of Paris and London with the exquisite scents so highly esteemed, and which often permeate even the fogs vol. i. c of London in the neighbourhood of the great depots of the trade. Messrs. Piesse and Lubin have a large manufactory at Cannes, and many other London and Parisian firms draw their sup plies from the great storehouses of Grasse. The violet season was bad in 1880, and the price accordingly very high, the quantity available for manufacture being very small — in fact a violet famine prevailed — and there was also a falling-off in another greatly-prized and highly-cultivated plant, or rather shrub, the cassia. Large fields of this shrub, which is a little taller than our goose berry, are seen in all directions in the neighbour hood of Cannes, but more especially on the road leading to the Croix des Gardes.

The cassia is really a mimosa, with long thorns, the flowers consisting of little yellow balls, which balls are diligently collected and dried for use. It would appear that, in order to extract the perfume from the violets, &c, it is necessary to press them between metal plates covered with lard, this lard is then melted down and clarified, the aromatic essence which rises to the top being collected on cotton wool, is thence transferred to a spirit, to be afterwards mixed and modified according to its various names and strength; the refuse lard is used to make pomades and soaps, and the little yellow cassia balls are largely employed to impart a delicate scent and colour to these articles. Peasant proprietors would seem to form the bulk of the native population of the South of France, but their condition does not appear to me to offer any great encouragement to the introduction of a similar class in Ireland.

They are, as a rule, miserably poor, and in bad seasons almost in a state of starvation ; yet, all day, and every day, a number of great hulking boys and men may be seen wherever there is a vacant spot, engaged in the interesting game of ball, because, being either peasant proprietors themselves, or the sons of peasant proprietors, they have no work, and can thus idle away the sunny days, and wait for the oranges and flowers to bloom, and the olives to ripen, which are to bring them in enough to live upon, in their frugal fashion, for the year. Of course there is a certain amount of digging and pruning to be got through, but it is not sufficient to occupy the time of a whole household, and is usually left to the parents. Thus habits of idle ness and vice are engendered, and there is no ad vancement either in wealth or social position.

To speak paradoxically, it is surprising how much and how little labour is necessary in the cultivation of such soil as we find in the South of France, and particularly in the neighbourhood of Cannes. If you watch men at their work, turning up the soil, digging up the roots of trees, or plant ing vegetables, it would appear to consist almost entirely of sand, light and dry, certainly not what we in England should look upon as rich and pro ductive ; you would at least imagine that a great deal of irrigation would be necessary ; yet, with out any apparent care, everything planted grows and thrives, even though the sun shines hotly every day for months, without rain. Tropical and semi tropical plants and trees seem to find here a second home, almost as congenial as the land of their nativity.

The palm, the eucalyptus, the olive, orange, vine, prickly pear, and Japanese medlar or loquat, flourish side by side, whilst in the gardens of the Duke de Rochefoucault two stately cocoa nut palms in the open air, prove that with a little care even rarer and more strictly tropical vegetation would thrive here. The eucalyptus, perhaps, is the tree of all others which strikes the stranger with wonder and ad miration. Introduced not more than sixteen or eighteen years ago, it has attained, in many places, to a height of eighty or one hundred feet, with a massive trunk covered with loose fibrous bark, which it sheds yearly, and covered, especially towards the top, provokingly out of reach, with a rich mass of those beautiful blossoms so strik ingly attractive in form and colour ; large blue capsules first appear, which might easily be mis taken for seed-vessels, but presently the top is gently lifted off, and, falling to the ground, leaves exposed a delicate mass of innumerable white sta mens, clustered round a darker and more elevated pistil or pistils in the centre.