Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1875-10-13
A LADY TOURISTS
Three Months in Europe with
Professor Loomis.
COLOGNE, July II, 1873.

Antwerp sIareu when InlTty -eiSht
American women landed on Monday
morning "den't teerf," and proceeded to
fill an immense black omnibus and two
small carriages with themselves and
their baggage.
From the qlidi to the hotel there
seemed to be two continuous rows of
smiling Belgians, who welcomed our
merry party of lady students with cries
of English, American! how do! God
bless your'
Who did the most staring it would be
difficult to say, for to many of us every
thing was new and quaint, from the
tiles on the house roofs to the eobble
stone side walks. The fresh clean ap-
pearance of city so old, the wonderful
economy of every inch of ground, made
at once useful and ornamental, rows
and rows of handsome stone buildings
and dwellings, interspersed here and
there with old churches whose crumb-
ling towers and weather worn portals
alone reminded us of the ancient date
ofthe foundation of Antwerp, fascinated
the most experienced of our party, and
compensated the most timid venturers
for the ordeal of our descent from the
omnibus amidst a crowd of spectators
at the entrance to the hotel de Ia
Poir. Travellers are privileged to talk
about what they eat as well as what
they see. / would not like TO risk the
incredulity of my readers, by stating
exactly how much forty travellers con-
sumed of Belgian beef and poultry, fish,
vegetables and puddings, after nearly
two weeks sea voyage with most un-
certain appetites and more uncertain
digestion. 1t would be very unfair,
however, to attribute our enjoyment of
the first dinner in Antwerp to anything
but the incompatible cuisine. We had
not only the best the market could
afford, but such cooking as one rarely
finds in America, unless it be i'm some
of the Pennsylvania Dutch farm-houses.
may be pardoned for introducing at
this point an explanatory paragraph for
the benefit of lady friends who have
read "a Woman's Experiences in Eu-
rope" written for the Philadelphia
Bulletin, and published afterwards by
ID. Appleton q Co., in book form.
Those letters were TO inform ladies
especially of the methods by which they
might travel with the most comfort and
security, without the aid of male escort
where it was impossible to have it. The
present series is designed to assure them
that, after all, the association of parties
of intelligent women for European
travel, under competent leadership,
will afford unlimited enjoyments with
almost incredibly limited expense.
With a party of one gentleman,
three ladies and one servant, the writer
was subjected to more delays, misun-
derstandings with hotel proprietors,
and trouble with custom-house officers
in one day, than our party has expert
enced from New York to Lucerne with
the wonderful management of our
leader.
Imagine forty trunks, forty hand
bags, forty shawl bundles, forty UNI
brellas, forty opera glasses, forty guide
books, forty passports, forty pocket
books for one gentleman and his only
son, a youth of fifteen summers, to
keep an eye on!
Yet, there are no grumblers among
us. Coming up the Rhine, we encount-
cred party of English people under
Cooks leadership. We mingled, had
almost said dissolved, into one party
almost Immediately, and at the point of
separation, there was but one sentiment
regret that we might not be together
through the entire tour. 'These Ame-
ricans are wonderfully posted on the
literature, art and natural characters
ties of our country" was the remark of
an Englishman who was unsuspicious
of caves choppers.
Prof. Loomis deserved the honor OF
much of that compliment for his prepa-
ratory lectures on the steamer, when
rain and heavy seas confined us TO the
saloon.
Antwerp received from MS the first
"welcome," and however our imagina-
tions may be distracted by the many
scenes, so varied and so equally inter-
esting, as We journey on, the impression
of the old Belgian city and its cheerful
inhabitants will never be effaced from
our remembrance.
The Cathedral, Church of ST. Paul,
4. -
Hotel de Vile, the Bourse, and Zoolo-
gical Gardens were all duly visited, and
most intimate acquaintance with the
life, works and death OF. Rubens acquired
in one single day. The people of Ant
werp worshipped their great artist, and
il is a matter of wonderment that he
was not canonized and called Saint
Rubens by the church that reaps such
harvests of francs. irds and marks, from
the pilgrimages to the great artists
house, tomb, and masterpieces of paint
ing in the Cathedral and glorious old
church of st. Jacques. The old carved
wood pulpit in St. IAugustine's, life
size representation of Christ's calling of
the uiscipies, roiio" he, anu VIII
make you Fishers of men," suggested
pages of interesting reflections. The
wood has become so hard and highly'pol
ished, and age has given it such green
ish tint that deceives one at first glance,
and many are unwilling to be convinced
that it is not bronze. The grace, dignity,
and earnestness of the attitude and
beautiful contrast to the eager wonder
and anxious inquiry in the disturbed
fisherman's features and pose. The oars
are dropped, and listlessly swinging in
the gunwale, the net just laid on the
broken branch of a tree on the bank
falls back into the waters, '.the other