Imperial Valley press., 1925-03-17
VALLEY TOURISTS
DELIGHTED WITH
PORTUGAL VISIT
BY Audrey Wellington Baker

1t wouldn't be possible to speak
about anything we have experienced
so far on this lap of our journey
Ii we didn It tell first of the won
derful party which the commandant
of the French liner Braga gave last
night in honor of George Washing
tons birthday.
The whole thing started rs IL joke
on two charming English women
who are on their way to Algicrs,
when some tiny American flags were
put in rth, sugar bowl at break
fast. Then the maitrc d hotel got
busy, and a real party resulted,
Flags of all nations were secured,
the dining room beautifully decor
ated, with Il great big American
flag occupying the central position
in the room. One doeSn t realize
how many beautiful flags there are,
until they are used in Il huge room
where each may be allowed the
benefit of space. Almost every
European, and Il number of Asiatic
nations are represented among the
first cabin pass Mgers, writer's,
professors, students, men and wo-
men of distinction returning to their
homes. No country was forgotten
IN the scheme of decorating.
lii the evening, the commandant
and all passengers wore full dress
or evening dress, and the room re
sembled the scene of a great militia
" fete in the United States. Din.
nor was wonderful. On the menu
which the good maitre d hotel had
hurriedlv rearranged, was the i'm
Print III cOlors of our own flag. NJ
the captain s table were little red
white and blue bonbons, which ev.
ervonc thought came from France
instead OF a certain store in New
York.
After that. the fun, There were
instrumental solos, and vocal solo,
cello solos, guitar solos, and thcr
by the time all that was over tn,
reading room had been cleared foi
dancing, and the evenings fur
commenced. Midnight came too
soon, a bat every on" WIS happy
and while the Americans were il
the minority of those celebrating
their ardor in the thanks returned
made it, perhaps worth the while
Of those who did so much.
Azores Beautiful
This is only the beginning CT the
story, for tomorrow morning, wC
land early at Lisbon, and There thu
Mardi Gras, as the people of con
t.nental Europe celebrate it, vii
be in full swing.
1t seams a week or more ago that
we were at Angra, the capital OF
the Azore Islands. We wandered
happily through its beautiful parks
and about the ruins of the old forts
which are relics of the days ccntu
rias ago, wher Portugal was the
richest country Of all Europe. Poor
Portugal has changed since th,
grandeur Of those times, arl thC
country IS very destitute now. The
little islands, Jewels in the Sc:
that they are-arc filed with the
meudicants that are found all over
the continent in greater and great
cr numbers until ono reaches the
Near East, where they swarm.
There - not nearly the life or
the beauty, al Angra, that there is
at either Fayal, or Pucrta Del Gar.
da. But thcro are some wonder
full old cathedrals and paintings
all we'll preserved, that have re-
manned in their present state of per.
fection since before tho sixteenth
century. One of the old cathcdrals
has an altar of solid hand wrought
silver with sconccs almost five feet
tall of similar heavy wrought silver
II is very beautiful, and also
pathetic, when one realizes how We
~ poor these people are, and how IL
some way they have managed tc
keep these treasures all through the
passing Of the years. Some ct tho
oldest and finest paintings in his
tory are to be seen at one 0f the
cathcdrals.
Prominent Passengers
After leaving Lisbon we intenc
going on to Oran aud AIoiers, ant
thcn on TO Egypt. We are very
anxious to leave Lisbon, and see
the Mediterranean again. The wealth
or has however bscn wonderful ever
since we left snow bond New Yorh
and Providence, but there arc som'
aboard who have not yet bccr
warm, Notwithstanding 'thc Gull
Stream Hardly any of the frs
cabin list but who is well known il
their chosen vocations. Ono j
Professor Friend W. Richar1SCh-
not related to our own Friend w
Richardson, incidentally, but ;
learned person who has taught sum
mcr courses for IL number of year
at the University of California
and knows our state well. He L
now on his way to Nice whore h
is TO work for year on bool
that he is arranging for his own
/ University in Providcuccs lie is Al
unassuming as he is learned, ant
that S saying "A lot, 1t may be sale
too, for all the other people aboard
Who all seemed possessed of on
/ :tica; 10 mako some one else hap