New-York tribune., 1899-04-16
HOLIDAY IN ITALY.
ur1TH A HALT IN AVIGNON AND A
GLIMPSE OF THE CASINO IN
MONTE CARLO
Monte Carlo, March IA.

,.oe 10 be able to set out on a holiday tourney
"a the Riviera and Italy. In the evening there is
glimpse Of the wonderful night life Of Paris
,r a long drive from one railway station to an
o,her and in the early morning the train draws
an at Avignon. a quaint and beautiful French
town. whose glory passed away when the period
=, Papal exile came to an end Cannes is the
s,st haltng- place for pleasure seekers eager to
.n;oy the balmy climate of the Riviera after
,org winter in murky London; but the traveller
.,ho is heading for Rome cannot do better than
70 break the journey at Avignon, IL only for
,wenty-four hours. The grim Romanesque
cathedral and the sombre Papal palace. on the
crest Of precipitous rock high above the Rhone.
and the ancient crenellated walls encircling the
town are relics of the medieval order from
which Gregory XI turned aside when he went
hack TO Rome and enabled his successors to
lecture and sculpture. The fortress-palace.
where seven Popes lived in melancholy state.
has been converted into a noisy. busting French
harrack; and only a bare fragment remains Of the
church where Petrarch caught his first glimpse
NJ Laura but Avignon still retains the character
,stic stage setting Of the Middle Ages. and is
one Of the most picturesque of the old French
,oU,ns What ancient Fiesoe is to glorious
Florence stern. rockbound Avignon is to Renais-
sance Rome-a grim but eloquent relic, with
deeply indented lines OF contrast between what
was passing away and what was coming on.
The sky is blue at Avgnon, but the winds are
raw in the Rhone valley. 1t is not until the
sheltered Mediterranean coast Is reached near
Cannes that the warm breath Of the Riviera is
caught and the enchanting revel of color dazzles
the eyes 1t Is a sudden glimpse Of new heavens
and new earth for one who has been shut up
in grimy sombre London during a long. dis
agreeable win. er. The blue dome of the sky
Is frescoed with a delicate tracery of numerous
clouds and filed with the rich mists of sun
light The gray mountains. veiled in purple
haze are close to the sea: the verdure is fresh
and radiant the hilsides have the golden lights
of orange trees. and beyond the fringe OF white
breakers are the deep tones Of the blue Medi-
terranean. Where is there another bit OF coast
50 beautiful and restful that lying between
Cannes and San Reno? The Queen and the
Prince Of Wales have not been able TO find any
thing better in Europe. for they come year after
year TO Nice and Cannes; and it is not easy TO
imagine that there can be anything loveer on
the face of the earth
THREE RIVIERA RESORTS.
Each centre of fashion in the Riviera has It's
who are jealous of the reputation Of
their favorite resort and not disposed to speak
well OF any rival. I have visited three in turn
Nice. Mentone and Monte Carlo-and each has
seemed beautiful and attractive Nice is the
most pretentious winter resort, with the largest
hotel accommodations the handsomest espla-
nades the liveliest streets and the finest drives
j is encrcled with lovely suburbs. and en-
lowered with shade trees, olive groves and tropi-
cal verdure. The Queens preference for Cimiez
is justified by the broad prospects which II com
mands and by the invgorating air of the heights
above the city; but perhaps the finest drive is
one nearer to the sea along the slopes of Mont
boron toward Villefranche. Mentone is made up
Of cluster Of villages struggling up steep ra-
vines from the harbor. and with its tortuous
lanes and primitive Italian quarter it is more
picturesque than Nice. Being queter and less
pretentious. 1t is an ideal resort for invalids,
whereas Nice revels in gayety and fashion. and
offers superior attractions for pleasure-seekers
Midway between Nice and Mentone there is a
bold. rocky rromontory, with an old Renaissance
palace a modern cathedral. few rambling
streets and lanes ard public garden on the
seaward face. This is Monaco, the capital of
q Grimald Prince and beneath it. on the curv-
ng rim Of a sheltered bay. is the new town
with its esplanade and beach for bathers A
casino. its cluster Of hotels it's art gallery and
It's rambling lines Of shops. Behind the three
towns rise precipitous hills. with luxuriant
V yardure and in front Of them the blue Medi-
terranean is aglow with soft brilliance, reflect
ing everv hue Of the radiant sky like one of
Turner's seas Monte Carlo is a revel of color
AMI loveliness Nature has exhausted her re-
sources in enriching it with beauty. Every
prospect pleases and only man is vile. The
,asino is a magnet that draws not only idlers
rom Nice, Mentone. San Reno and even
-annes but also a swarm OF adventurers gam
,,e.s. pronIgates and spendthrifts from every
apital in Europe.
AT MONTE CARLO.
man must have passport or at least
listing card in order to secure entrance into |
he marble halls Of the casino The passport !
$ preferred, and is closely scrutinized before a
ard of admission is issued. A woman may
ress as she likes. so long as she wears a hat.
When these requirements are complied with |
nen and women are free to stroll up and down |
he grand corridor, or to listen to the orchestra
n the Sale des Fetes or to play they please
n the gaming rooms. Afternoon and evening |
he casino is crowded with a motley assembage |
# gamblers of both sexes. There are many |
beautiful toilets; there is extraordinary dis |
,iay of French millinery; diamonds are fash !
ng at every table. and there are many coarse |
'aces. There is an undertone OF reckless gay |
ETY. and there is an occasional flutter Of excite
nent over the turning up of the same number !
times in succession. Every player has !
favorite combination or system but the bank |
Inevitably beats every one in the end unless 1t |
s a prudent plunger who drops out OF his |
,lace when he has made series Of lucky strokes |
md is content 20 let well enough alone
The magnitude of the business carried on at |
he casino is fairly startling The average earn |
ngs Of the bank during recent years have been |
bout S4 000. 900. but this has been an exception
lily heavy season. and the profits already !
oughly estimated at $1,000 600. As the maxi
mum stakes for roulette are 5000 francs, and