Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-11-03
WHEELING THROUGH EUROPE.
A Bicycle Tourist Tells How EnJoyabls
such Travelling n,

pne scarcely realzeS, till nc mas tired
it, how little Is the expense Of bicycle
trip through Europe. To the practical
American wheelman tho first question is,
"What does IL costp From tho expert.
ence Of one who has been through the
Trossachs of Scotland aud the cathedral
towns Of England, who has ridden up the
Rhine and climbed half n dozen or more Of
the Alpine passes in Switzerland, and has
spent nearly month each in the cities OF
London and Paris, the cost is found to
have been little more than IL would have
been to have continued in the dull routine
Of home life. To bo sure, there Is the lost
time of those who have only salaried in.
comes. Once over here, while the traveller
by ordinary means of conveyance Is do
batting whether to 20 second or third class
or to buy Cooks tourists tickets or the
regular ones, the whcelman selects an in.
dependent route and, without waiting
upon the manner of going, goes. Besides,
tho going, instead of being n matter OF
great expense, us IL sometimes Is By steam
or horse power, on the contrary, over tho
perfect roads of Europe, Is means of en-.
joyable exercise that not only does not
decrease the bank account, but increases
the stock Of physical health. After nearly
four months, or 800 miles Of such dc.
lightful travelling In the present case. the
limited letter of credit is still found Sc
bulky that a ride through southern France,
along tho Riviera, down through Italy
and over to the Pyramids is to be under.
taken soon.
But as TO the cost. so far. in dollars and
cents. While the English hotels are, as
rule, .hink, more expensive than those
on tho continent, yet in either case, my
expenses did not average over SO day.
In fact, through Belgium and Germany
they were but 81 a day. A wheelman
travels so Independently that he is not al.
ways Obliged 20 stop over night at the
larger cities, and | often could avoid
them by riding eight or ten miles further
to somo small inn. | found plenty of good
food and u comfortable bed for half tho
money. Such n mode Of travelling does
not allow Of tho putting on of any great
amount of style, but my chief ambition
was 10 sec rather than to be seen Of men.
In London there nre plenty of good, re-
spectGble, private boarding places to be
found for 81 or 81 25 day To find
them ono needs only to inquire of somo
friend who has made an eXteLled stay in
London, or to apply to some American
living there, | found good place on
EustOn road, within a mile and half, or
Il four cent omnibus ride, of Fleet street,
for $3.50 week That included the
room and attendance, II meat breakfast at
$50 and four or five course dinner at
$50, The luncheon at IL, If had, was ex-
ira, but 1t was usually more convenient
to take light luncheon wherever hap
pcned TO be
IL is provcrbial that Frcnchmen like
Americans better than almost any other
class of foreigners. and this was, perhaps
shown to be SO one afternoon when / was
riding out In tho BOis dc Boulogne, that
beautiful park Of 2,2OO acres just outside
tho fOrtiticatiOns towards the west. | was
riding slowly along, listening to the music
of the Grand Opera orchestra, which, to
many Of the listeners, must have been in
pleasing contrast to the sound of tho
German shot and shell heard there SC
short u time ago, when Il policeman
stopped mo and ordered me TO go another
way. / did not understand which way
but turned about and rode off. In about
half an hour met tho same policeman in
another drive, This time lie was mad
He gestculated wildly and talked SO fast
] could say nothing, Finally, when l
could get in a word, | said did not under.
stand, and could only speak English
"You arc an Engiishmaur' he said in
French ! could understand, but without
cooling down any. NO" | said, Il am
IN American" oh" he replied quickly,
pass on, and ho stepped aside with a
wave of his hand, rs pleasantly as could
DO. | happened, | have since found out,
TO be riding in some of the drives
from which We are prohibited. Many of
the English and German wheelmen use
littlo sleigh bells fastened to the handle
bars as warnings TO pedestrians, but in
Switzerland, where the noise of running
water browns all other ordinary sounds
in so many localities, | found that my
shrill whistle oven was insufficient, and
nothing but the most throat splitting yell
would clear the road of the numerous
pedestrians. licro in Paris the wheelmen
have adopted the tram car horu an in
strumcut with a rubber bulb for forcing
the air through, aud, really, one blast
from those pneumatic levers is enough to
lift whole regiment out Of the road
George D. Thaycr in New York World.