Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-10-04
NOTES OF TRAVEL.

special Correspondence OF Gazette anu JournuL
Rouen, France, Sept. u. My part
ing excursion in Normandy was by boat
to Iiavre down the stately reaches of
the Seine tina: sweeps in grand curves
between hills and forests, orchards and
level green meadows, where beyond the
tossing grasses that fringe the banks,
the cattle grazed in inetiable content
without deigning o glance at the 6ont
gliding quietly BY. Almost every hill
top Ia crowned by a stately chateau
and on each curve of tile river is
city whose towering church spire
warns of its existence far away, and
OH nearer view is SO delicately but
tressed. so finely carved, that y looks
like the underwriting OF Chineae
ivory ornament rather than lofty stone
work. Besides the grandeur OF It's
colossal towers tho ruins of the church
of Jumieges have their bit of history,
for they still contain the tomb OF tho
two SONS of King Cloris who revolted
against their father by whose Older
their norres were cut to render them
helpless ard they we're cot adIiit IN q
boat on the Seine. The abbot OF
Jumieges rescued them and cared for
them till they died. At Duolair the
perpendicular facs of tho chalk cliff is
cut into dwellings, which are often
occupied by gypsies. Above thor
heads numerous colonies of cliff swal-
lows have carved out nests and chat.
tering, chung moment to tbs face OF
the cliff, then disappeared into their
respective residences.
Above Caudehec We met the tidal
wave, or msscaret having timed our
excursion to find it at its height. We
watched its coming by the surf which
ran hissing up the banks, furiors that
| they confined it within SO narrow y
channel. Then we met a succession OF
high. sharply defined pillows thai
rocked the steamer and broke over its
PROV. 1t soon passed US by, but the
river did not regain quite tho ttau
| guilty of its former state. The great
| cathedral with ITS fine tower that rise'
| into a triple Drown like u tiara is the
pride of Caudebeo, which may lie ex
cused little vanity for is portrait Il
being continually painted by devou
artists and it enjoys the reputation Q
being the prettiest church in Normand!
and that IS high praise for Norman
architects of the past had wondrous
good lasts, which unfortunately ha
not descended as a mantle on thei
success rs, aud even the tiniest oil
church in the tiniest village il gen
n its simple fine lines and proportions
that is, the outside of it, for th
beauty of it's arches and pillars
everywhere spoiled by gilt shrine
with their tinsel offerings
At Tanoarviile, covering grea
plateau behind the red splashed cliffs
are the yy-hung ruins of a magnifioen
old castle. The marble spire of Hal
fieur, 1.-THE giant Of the Seine, " risin
anouo the trees was the next cor
spiouous object. The town is no
almost suburb Of LIE HavIe and face
. Hontleur across the wide mouth OF tn
Seine. Havre is city of so compare
lively modern and prosperous an aspet
: with it's wide streets and handson
shops that we had to look at the slgl
to convince ourselves we were really
France. Its interest centres chief
: along the great docks and in watchir
great ships winding out of the avian
rort, and as this was soon exbauste
We boarded the boat for Trouvill
across the bay to see what the mo
fashionable French watering pla
!, might be like. We found lor
stretch of handsome villas and hote
0 rising one behind another up the eli
y and q stretch OF sandy beach, {
a which, under gaily striped tent
!, nursemaids and children were piayin
IS in the sand, or gay groups were cha
- tering. Far out at the receding wav
" was q line of mussel- gatheers, almu
o indistinguishable from the visitors WI
x with nets and Buckets were gatherii
| thrnun
seq. The most noticeable feature
10 Trouville is the great iron pier, ru
D. ming far out into the sea and drap
a with barnacles, which is the favor
10 promenade.
In the late afternoon | walked oy
the downs to Villervills sur-Mer, viii
clings like barnacle to the side Of
10 clilf at whose base the waves beat
. feet below. The walk was charmi
", between hedgerows and orchard kno
/. sloping down to the sea, and glimpi
~ of handsome villas with smooth law
\ and flower beds, flaming with color
= met peasant women in donkey car
% fishwives with baskets strapped
their backs, drays, with footInen
livery and the ever present automobi
al the French samples Of which are
"a. ard numbering and run with a no
v like a steam thresher. My faith Il
he 1 should find somewhere to lay
,w head was amply rewarded, for along
m narrow village street l caught vi
through an open doorway OF gart
with shady arbors, trim grass pie
gay flower beds, dove cote, re
gushing over the wall from the n
,le garden as if they wished to be in
pleasant a place, and beyond the
n, dimphng and flashing in the sun.
s looked up and saw above the Dc
"Hutel de Ia PLACE" and quiC
Aee concluded an arrangement with
d" sweet-faced hostess and sooa was sea
in q diningroom with glass {
nes facing the sea across the pretty gard
Fly The dinner was worthy of its surrou
Ill ings, especially the flets OF tut
with sauce smooth as velvet an
CD, piouapt flavor. The tide was out
led fishwives, with baskets strapped
err, | their backs, in high white caps, 81
w. full skirts to their knees and sabot
an their feet were gathering up the
p, fortunate mussels left behind an
n.y. the rocks when the tide went out
pe- sun shone level across the pools
filled them with molten red gold
vbo transformed the ragged sea-weed
Wv tho boulders into emerald. and pu
a. velvet. Then the lights flashed
az from Hayre and Harheur across
~ bay and the sea turned as the n
49,, rose, and came LAUNDERING on
' a cliffs and crashing en- the bi
az shingly beach.
inc / had breakfast under an arhor
lca' shared it with sociable pigeon,
unwillipgly, with yellow jackets
II. make dining, al fiesco, psecari
pas Charming as are the surroundin
rch. Villerville, its great forest on the
laYa -. ..inr,t ,ninnn and nalEs