New-York tribune., 1922-05-28

"
< "A south of France The much adver
tised Simplon- Orient Express - it
really seem very shabby ard inconsequential
train when ore comes to compare it with
our own Broadway and Twentieth Century
.limiteds; no club cars observation cars or
other comfortable friils Of that sort-goes
scooting off 'cross-country from Paris, through
Switzerland and down fron. to north into
Milan. 1t is beautiful route; for number
Of miles alongside Lake Geneva and then
through the very heart Of the high Alps be-
fore one comes to Italy, the shores Of the cx-
qulste Lake Maggiore-and Milan.
Yet the historic earlier rail gateway into
Italy from the west--by way Of TIE Mount
Cents tunnel-has large charms of its own To
it still is conceded the Rome Express as we'll
as the night slceping-car tram from Lyons.
which catches obstinate souls such Is I, who
needs must preface first visit % la ny
revisit to the Midi of France The S.mplon,
which formed the final connecting linz oe the
shortest route from Par,s to Rome and the
Orient, not complete until about 1904
At that time its twelve m..es of uabroken
bore contained but a single pain Of ras the
cost of double tracking the worlds greatest
tunnel was so great to be practically pro
hibitive However in spite o such Obstacles A
second track has now been bored in separate
tunnel running parallel to toe original one. but
it is not yet in use. Mount Gents, bat seven
and three qua rter miles in inngth W. com
pleted as long ago as 1870 and was rNcdiate-
ly double tracked, but it is not very direct
route and to-day. like the St G0thard, we'll to
the cast of the international boundary between
Italy and Switzerland. it finds itself, il not
completely obsolete quite bit out Of popular
favor
ITO Me, however at the exquisite old French
city of Nncs-the very gateway of the
Midi country from the east--the choice was
not Of Simplon or Of Mount Cents but Of
Mount Cents or the route along thc edge oe
the Mediterranean; through Marecillcz, along
the Riviera and into Italy by way Of Ninti-
mil|a and Genoa. an frank to confess a
personal dislike for Inc Riviera II is pctur-
esque. to be sure, but not ono whit more
beautiful than many portions of ouY Califor-
MIA coast. II Is very modern and the climate
rarely comes up to cxpoctaione. Moreover.
It is not quite yesr since | WAS vastly i'll al
Nice; An illness which was not lesscned by
the tardy knowledge that the water at Nice
WIS bad-that there had been deaths there
by typhus that we're CHARGED directly to it, II
even was considered quit unsafe to eat un-
cooked green vegetables that had been washed
IN it. 1t was very bad water indeed,
So to reach Italy this gear ] deliberately
chose Mount>Cenis IT would give nc another
opportunity TO visit Avignon. as we'll as to
stop at Lyons Avignon is not only delight
fu town. but it is fit preface to Italy. this
old city by the Rhone where tho Popes ha1
their doncile for so many years. And who
has not heard the little French children sing
their well-beoved song about the bridge Of
Avignon? While the bridge of Avignon still
stands it is but remnant which thrusts its
ruined self halfway out into the shallow
river and then completely disappears, yet