New-York tribune., 1882-03-12
A WINTER JOURNEY.
NENTONE.


II is tie fashion 10 rhapsOdize so Wildly over tno
bright skies and lemon groves OF the towns oi ''e
Riviera that one to whom winter sunshine Is ho'
ol,o,o,bar a rove,tv NAV he pardoned If be locks
for The 6rst time upon these much -besung gardens
with a sncht sense of disappointment. The picture
which ,bev praseut Is indeed a beautiful one IN It's
Co,a,ol outiine an exquisite one in many hne de-
tails. but in all cases-so far as my observation
goes- there is sone conspicuous bIemsh. a raw ana
ngly tint in the landscape sQualor and dirt IN the
streets bare rcck where the eye longs for soft turf
which cannot hut moderate the transpo, IS of the
most rapturous tourist. Mentone is place one
might well love, but hardly at first sight. For my
own part, came here one bright morning from
Nice and having walked all over the town. TOOK
such dislike TO it that was going away the same
afternoon; but / thought better of this rash re-
solve, and in a few days my opinion of Mentone
changed.
In certain respects Mentone has a marked advan-
tage over all It's neighbors. Its situation is not
only the most securely sheltered from the cold
winds. but alsJ-to my taSte-the most picturesque
An lndentation of the coast describes here grace
full curve making an open bay about mile IN
depth and four miles III width from the long and
thickly wooded promontory of Cape st. Martin on
the west to the bold projecting cliffs of Mortoia on
the east. On the land side is a complete amphi-
theatre of hills ard mountains, beginning at an
average distance of quarter of a mile from the
beach, and rising in successive concentrc curves
one behind and above another TO "A height OF three
and four thousand feet In the of this mutplex
barrier but invisible from the coast, stretches an
extensive mountain country with still higher
ridges; and back of that again are the snow-cappcd
peaks of the Alps. Midway of the amphltheatre
steep and narrow ridge juts out from the mountain
wall a little way into the Mediterranean, and on 1t
stands the old town of Mentone labyrinth OF close
precipitous lanes, rock hewn stairs, chilly and sun
less tenements, and quaint archways, with the re-
mains of an ancient castle overtOppng 1t. and an
odd little fort, of medieval origin, rebuilt 23O
years ago, perched on the point where the rldgc
comes down TO the There Is an unfinished
ietty here and under its lee sheltered the few
vessels which carry on the commerce of the town.
The regions east and west of the port are called
respeetlveIy the East and the West Bay. and the
hotels and villas are divided between them. Each
has Its advocates The East Bay is Sald 10 be some
what the warmer and a trIhe the less windy OF the
two; the West Bay is much the pleasanter' the
more convenient the more popular ana the more
prosperous. On both Bavs there Is q sea-WaI' with
a wide promenade and pleasure drive whence the
outlook over the Mediterranean is nnobstructed by
buildings of any kind. The East Bay has no other
street than this-whch is a part OF the COrnlce-
opposite quarter where and old unite mper-
ceptibly, there are the usual arrangements CT
modern French provincial town,-an avenue OF
shops. several side streets three four squares
1narket.place, a public garden, and the munlcpal
buildiugs- while macadamized roads lead from ITS
main tboroughfare up the winding valleys into the
heart of the hills Several of the lar.eSt hotels
stand in the East and West prom enaGes with moth
ing 10 screen them from the sea but their own
gardens; others picturesquely disposed on the
hlllsdes: aud in almost every eligible spot. high
and low, a more or less ornate and cheerful villa
with orange and lemon trees set abont 1t. turns
complaceut front toward the south and invites the
sun into its open windows. Look down upon Men
tone from one of the elevated points OF view when
abound in the neighborhood and 1t appears little
paradise
More important however. than the loveliness OF
Its situation is its protection against the cold
winds. Nice is exposed to the blasts which blow
down the wide valley of the Paillou; but the
gorgas cnt by the torrents which tumble into the
sen M Mentone are 81 crooked, so short and so
narrow that the mountain barrier maY be called
practically unbroken 1t IS not quite true that coiu
winds are unknown here, any more than 1t Is uue'
as guide.books aver, that fOgs are unknown.
very thick fog came in from sea the other Day ana
wrapped the town. and winter does somehow
breathe over the mountains now and then to re-
mind us that he is there, inst behind the wall Even
a touch of the fierce HSrai twisted ont oil Is
conrse is not uncommon. But believe 1t IS adj
nitted that IN the warmth and steadness OF It's
winter climate Mentone ranks first among all the
towns of the coast This is said to be an ex-
cep;ionally tine one. Until last night, when llgh'
shower fell there had been no ram TOR HVe weeks
In q month there have been only two or three
cloudy days and three windy days. At or
O'clock in the morning the shady side OF tree
in the garden the thermometer marks about IS
Fahrenheit and III the warmest part OF the alter
noon il registers about 60. One needs a ught
overcoat even ID the midday SUM- the rest OF the
clothing should he the san that belts a NewY York
winter This certainly is not an ideal climate but
il is a safe one although there is a rapid change Of
temperatnre betgee morning and afternoon, one
dav is almost exactly like another If you would
eniov really luxurious winter weather you must go
TO the Bahama Islands.
Tie worst feature Of Mentone is that which
ought TO be and might be of its chief beauties
the promenade along the sea- Except on the Last
Bay, where young sycamores which are bare III
winter) have been recently set out, II Is destitute
OF trees flowers, every kind Of verdure. every OBJ
iect to relieve the eye from the strong glare; and
along its whole course it is strongly scented by the
town drains which open from the sea-wal directly
upon the stony Deacu' ~ IL WV VI 'H''' 'ON' ii
the wall to the fair weather water line, and this
space is entirely covered with very coarse gravel
varying in size from pebbles TO paving stones rolled
down by the mountain torrents in enormous guam
tities during the spring and autumn rains, and
distributed evenly along the shore by the action of
the sea. The coast Of all this region Is the same.
There is no sand neither there shells nor weed
grown rocks. At Mentone, as at the other Riviera
towns il is customary TO the beach for various
public purposes. The sweepngs of the neghboring
houses are thrown there and old boots abound,