The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-10-18
In Normandy.

Veulesen, Caux was recommended to u
as quiet country place, with an abundance
of subjects for summer sketching. II Is OF
the Channel not far from Dieppe. The
difficulty in getting here would certainl,
seem to insure its being quiet, as 1t takes
six hours to reach it from Paris, with two
changes of conveyance and over one houl
in diligence. All of which are not par
ticularly convenient when one has TO look
after all paraphernalia necessary to an art
student on summer campaign.
We found on arriving that there were no
less than twenty small hotels, well filed
with Parisians, English and Americans.
This did not seem 10 promise the quiet and
seclusien necessary for maiden efforts of
"nouyeaus" in landscape. But we Installed
ourselves In an old house on the edge OF
the town and arranged to eat at one Of the
hotels, and managed to live somewhat In
seclusion. The Parisians we seldom saw
except III illIHEs iilO1l vi ihl'iN''
for them was centered in the plrge 1t is
d poor excuse for a beach, covered with
stones, with only patches of sand. On the
PLACE are the bath houses and casino Here
during the day the Parisians converse
battle and gambol on the sand; in the eve
ming they converse, dance and gamble al
the wheel
The Pdrisigtnes do all this and more
They seem To think that out of Paris is out
Of the world, and are sometimes tritle
unreserved in their demeanor. The peas
ants look on and say nothing, hut shake
their heads and evidently do IA heap OF
thinking"
We found our habitation especially suit
ed to us, us We were SO far from the centre
of attraction that We came but little within
its influence. We were enabled To study
the peasants and fields uninterrupted, eX
cept occasionally by the summer boarders
who came around to give us points OF
painting. We found "A variety of subjects
and although most of our time was devoted
10 landscape, we could at any time do
animals, marine or bits Of the quaint old
architecture of the town.
The latter reminds one of the scenery
one sees In the theatres In America. The
cottages are of whitewashed mud, theil
wooden framework painted black, the roof
Of thatch or red tile, and never without 6
conventional looking grapevine or peaI
tree trained up against the wall. Every
we'll regulated mansion has It's terrace ano
balustrade, with urns filed with palms
which produces most stacy effect. There
are some exceptions, however;--a fine old
Romanesque church, AN odd little chateau
of the 18th century, and fragment of 1
chapel built in 1862 The latter Is one OF
the oldest in France. Unfortunately, the
repairs and modern Improvements on til,
chateau have almost obliterated rs MEDIC
val appearance. .,
One thing which gives the town m indi
yiduality is It's cressOaieres, where water
crosses are grown. They are simply small.
pieces of sandy ground, surrounded by
stone walls and fed by springs which keel
them covered with about three inches OF
running water. One Of the most pic
turesque spots in the town is group Of
cressonferes surrounded by tall elms.
The Normandy peasants seem To enjoy
themselves more and are more social and
less practical than American farmers OF
the poorer classes They live in villages
and walk out to their farms in the day, in
stead of isolating themselves as in Ameri
CA This is doubtless a relic of the old
feudai time, when it was necessary to band
together for protection Then, they helr
each other In their work. II is pleasing
sight to see eight or ten peasants moving
on the slope Of a hill, and as many girls