Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1922-12-21
RETURNS HOME
FROM LONG TRIP
MRS. JANETRElDTHOMPS
SPENDS SEVEN MONTHS
ABROAD

Mrs. Janet Reid Thompson. daugh-
ter of Judge and Mrs. A. H. Reid, re-
turned home the first of this week
from seven months trip abroad,
during which She visited France,
Spain, Tangier, Morocco and Italy.
Her experiences would provide mate
rial for a fascinating travel story
much out of the ordinary. Mrs.
Thompson, travelling with a group Of
twenty-five student artists, lived
close to the people wherever she went
and in each of the countries she Wis
tied, she discovered many wonders
which the ordinary tourist, following
a beaten path, neglects to see.
1--WE went to France first, of
course" she declared to represen-
tative of The Pilot, land we grew to
love it so that after we left the
country and returned to it, it seemed
just like coming back home. The
French are wonderful people and ]
want to take this opportunity to cor
rect the impression that they are
ungrateful toward America. The
French are as cordial now as ever.
They appreciate fully Americas CO.
operation" Mrs. Thompson told of
French farmer whom they met while
tramping in Brittany. He stopped to
talk to them. "You are foreigners,
perhaps? he inquired. They an
answered affirmatively and he haz-
arded guess that they might be
English, then Belgians, and when, af-
ter asking, he found that they were
Americans he put his hands to his
head saying: my God. Let me shake
the hand of an American" On anoth-
er occasion, when viewing the druids,
she met a Frenchman interested in
prehistoric remains. He insisted up
on sending her very choice number
of specimens from his collection, sim
ply to emphasize his regard for "the
child of America"
Instead of following the usual tour
lists route, the party of artists, to-
gether with George Elmer Browne,
the instructor, went to Brittany
There the entire country was visited
by stage coach and on foot The
famous druids, upright stones, affairs
and prehistoric remains, two miles
in length, were viewed by the party.
Some time was spent at Douarnenez,
Concarneau, Pont-Aven and Quimper-
lie. The people in Brittany we're un-
familiar with American dress and
Mrs. Thompson declared that they
viewed the party curiously, particu-
larly the knickerbockers which the
girls wore. OF French diversity In
dress she has much to say, having
counted some sixty different colts In
Brittany alone.
Continuing the unusual route, they
went to Tours, Portiers, Limoges and
Cahors, settling at the latter place
for two months stay. There they
came into intimate contact with the
people, learned to know them, found
them very cordial and neighborly and
began to call Cahors home" Near
at hand was Les Eysies, the Capitol
Of the Prehistoric World" the won
ders Of which the artists viewed with
interest. During all Of this time, Mrs
Thompson declares, there was sketch
ing done by all of them whenever
the weather permitted.
Leaving Cahors for the south, Mrs
Thompson enjoyed the most interest
ing part of her journey At Carcass
some, In southwestern France. the an
cient walls surrounding that medieval
city were found a valuable study.
| Carcassone is in all probability the
only completely walled medieval city
in the world today. Then I'm Spain
] (Contfnuad nm last napol