Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-01-01

Suarss SstanGS on tl. platform Of
eGizh IIace into which we steam and
occasionally orens the different doors
Of the compartments. Left TO our
own resources it was hard to .Hecipher
;he different names in the inky black
! ness which cnveloped everything. On
we went both half DOING when at one
station my friend gave & start. and
thought she would see how near we
were to Avign0n. Leaning out of the
window: she asked the guard where we
were and the reply "Avignon" caused
rs to hurry and collect our luggage be-
| fore the train should start. In some
| what dazed condition we stumbled ont
on the :pla tforin and only when the
train was moving did We wake up
eaeuSh tY realize that we had left an
umbrela.an orange ard pair Of gloves
| to So to;MarseilleS. We couldn't leave
| Il description of the umbrella at the
! station ;is only German words came in
| to- 'oQr beads. 50 resigDedly we turned
| to.stAe group Of cXpectant cOachmen,
each one Of whom wanted to take us to
hissspeeial hotel.
To; FEIp US out here. we had littl,.
SatchG Guide which had the names OF
all the respectable hotels in Europe.
We always chose the last on any list as
that proved as a rule more suitable fo,
Us travelling alone as we We're. This
! tirIn it was the Hotel du Luxembourg,
which we decided upon. and as we were
driven through the narrow winding
streets at four O'Clock that Sunday
morning the daylight was beginning tn
bring more clearly into outline the tall
stone houses which lined either side of
rhc streets and which was more sug-
Scstive IF the medieval town than a
city OF modern France.
Why we chose Avignon still remains
a puzzle. The guide book spoke OF it
as a city Of some thirty-nine thousand
inhabitants. with narrow dirty streets
and place made especially disagree
able l,v die frequent visits Of the mis-
trail. 1t also added that no tourist
STAYED there long. Occupying as il
does such a prominent place on the map
We wondered if there were any advant-
ges t. offset theS. overwhelming draw
backs and so we determined to go and
ind out for ourselves knowing that if
We didn't like the place we could leave.
it was Il sleepy looking clerk that
met US ut the Hotel du Luxembourg.
ami guided us up a narrow winding
staircase that only increased the feel
ing tina. somehow as if by magic we
had stepped into the twelfth century
Dreaming of haunted castles and
BlucbearGs we slept until twelve
O'Clock and wondered whether we
should be in time for dinner or not.
Going downstairs We asked them when
tho dinner hour was and were be-
Wildered when We were told that
breakfast was just being served in the
dining-room. Making further in
uuiries we found that the French
breakfast every day at twelve O'Clock.
The breakfast which We had was no
dainty luncheon of coffee and rolls.
hut an endless course dinner, whern
they brought us samples Of everything
1 should Judge that the French know
how to cook When we finished we
felt more as if we had attended some
Food Fair than as if We had eaten a
substantial meal.
We thought it would be the easiest
thing in the world to go to the consul,
iniplore his help concerning the ques-
ton of lodgings, and SO comfortably
settle down into the routine of the
Avignon method of life. Asking
where the American consul lived we