The Louisiana populist. [volume] (Natchitoches, Natchitoches Parish, La.) 1894-1898, 1896-05-22


trude their hospitality upon her ma
5esty. who is consequently able to enjoy
the natural beauties and health giving
advantages of the place selected with
out being exposed to mobbings such as
those to which she was subjected dur
ing one of her recent visits to a more
southern continental country.
In 1890 her majesty passed the latter
end of March and the early portion of
April at Aix-les-Baines, where she had
previously made stay in 1885 and 1887.
The queen was lodged in the Villa Vic
toria, a dependence of the Hotel Ber-
nascon. The rooms her majesty in
habited were all on the first floor. the
windows looking due south over the
Casino. Upon the left of the grand
staircase was boudoir, opening on to
salon furnished in crimson satin with
Indian embroidery. The very day of
her arrival at Aix-les- Baines, March 25,
1890, her majesty went for a long drive
by the Gresy and Geneva road, thus
getting a very favorable view of AK
and its surroundings.
The following year Grasse, the cradle
OF French civilization, the home of
sweet sounds and odors, was the queens
selection. You can drive over the hills
from Nice to Grasse in three hours.
Old Grasse is above you as you ap-
proach, its houses scattered over the
mountain side, as II some giant had
filled colossal bag with them and then
emptied It and allowed the houses to
tumble out and arrange themselves as
they might without order or symmetry.
Beyond, sheltering Grasse from wintry
winds. is the Mont Napoleon, where the
conqueror came for short rest in 1906.
1t was at the Grand Hotel that the
queen took up her abode in Grasse, the
entire house, which contains sixty-cight
rooms, being retained for her. The
hotel is a handsome white building
facing directly on the road. From a
broad stone balcony overlooking the
hotel garden you see the town below,
and below that again a number of tall
chimneys overtopping the houses of the
old town. These belong to the seven
ty-five oil and perfume pressing mills
that have made Grasse rich.
Hyeres was the queens choice in 1892,
the hotel taken for her majesty being
the Costabelle, which is built on the
southern slope of hill that protects 1t
from the mistral. Her majesty's bed
room and dressing-room communicated.
The walls of the bedroom were covered
with "cretonne Pompadour, fond vert
d'eau." A very pretty toilet service had |
been manufactured especially for the
royal visitors use, the design being a
happy combination of the rose, sham
rock and thistle, with garter ribbon
md motto. The royal drawing-room,
which had three windows to the west,
two to the south and one to the east,
vas arranged in crimson and cream.
This year the number of English roy
llties on the Riviera was exceptionally
arge, there being, in addition to the
queen, the prince and princess of Wales,
Prince George Of Wales, Princess
louise, Princesses Victoria and Maud
4 Wales. the duke and duchess Of Con-
taught, prince and princess Henry Of
the duke and duchess of
reck and Princess May of Teck.
The prince and princess of Wales
pere stopping atthe Hotel Cap Martin,
vhere. in fact, their royal highnesses
made prolonged sojourn.
A feature Of the queens stay at