St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-12-20
ALONG THE RIVIERA.
editorial Correspondence

DeSl dlIOHIAeu, Dul iCW ldn dHOiu
to take sleeper at so francs, and so
like most everybody else | rented a
pillow of the railroad company Tor a
franc and saved $40 by sitting up all
night. Travelling abroad is, l am
convinced, cheaper than travelling in
the United States with the exception
of sleeping cars which are abnormal
ly high priced. Most everybody
travels second class and as there is
quite a difference between 6rst.class
and second.class fare, and mighty
little difference between the service,
one can save good deal of money
in very short time.
The great railroad of France is the
Paris, Lyon and Mediterranean,
commonly called the up. L. M" 1t
has perfect network of lines from
Paris east and southeast and reaches
all the large cities of the republic. 1t
is partly under government control,
double track and run on the block
system. In these respects it differs
little from any of the large roads of
the continental countries. The cars
are built on the compartment plan
with doors at the sides and seats in
each compartment for six or eight
people, three or four on side.
You would naturally think that if
you started riding backwards you
would continue this way to the end
of your journey. You soon find out
your mistake for at every junction
where they change locomotives the
new engine connects on to the rear
end OF the train and you start off in
the opposite direction. You soon
find yourself in the same predicament
that the boy did who wore home
made pants to school. He said they
were all right only he couldn't tell
whether he was coming or going.
Foreigners like the compartment
system and say they do not like the
American system, but if the cars are
crowded and they often are, l do not
know of any kind of travelling, unless
it is riding a burro on the Yosemite
trail or mule up Vesuvius, that is
more uncomfortable than a days
ride in a crowded compartment car,
with the men smoking cheap to-
bacco, the cars unheated and big
dog occupying all the room in the
aisle. But there is one thing to be
said in favor of foreign railways and
that is accidents are extremely rare
Every crossing has gate and flag
man, or in France often a woman at
the crossing, the block system OBJ
viates rear end collisions and the
trains never leave the track on a
curve. Safety in travel is considered
paramount, and after all, most people
had rather have this than speed.
The far-famed Riviera includes that
portion of the French coast from
Cannes to the Italian frontier, and a
little further, and is the great winter
resort OF Europe. Here Queen Vic
toria comes annually and other
members OF the royalty of Europe,
and here, too, great many Ameri-
cans come to breathe the warm air,
to see the blue Mediterranean with
its many shades from green to blue
and to get the semitropical life for
which this region is so famous.
Cannes, Nice and Mentone are the
three largest cities of the Riviera and
Nice is by far the largest of the three,
containing over rs, 900 inhabitants.
In the winter season there is lots oil
life here and when Queen Victoria
comes to Cimiez, suburb of Nice,
there is always more visitors. The
Queen has sumptuous rooms at the
Regina hotel and lives a very quiet
life. She rides daily with some Of
the immediate members of the family
and her body guard and is also accom-.
panied on her rides by the East In
dian Chef who serves afternoon tea
wherever her majesty may wish tc
rest.
The boulevards of Nice furnish
, many pretty sights, but to see the
: latest fashions one must take stroll
r along the Promenade des Anglai:
which skirts the sea tor long dis
lance. 1t was once my good fortune
to be at Nice during carnival week
and the sights at that time were
quite like one might see at the Mard
Gras in New Orleans only much
prettier. The best fete was thu
4 battle of flowers when gaily decor
ated carriages were pelted by roses
A double English volets and many
, other flowers that only grow in con
,, servatories at home.
, The Riviera is a great place fo
S flowers and the prices of roses, car
S nations, violets, etc, are astonishing
!, ly low. Flowers are shipped from
n this section to all the European CAPT
: tails and on the train | took to Pari
| lA,. ii