The Washington times., 1935-10-01
NOW
FIOWery Beauty
OF Lausanne
HARDY SWISS
By HELEN ESSARY
LAUSANNE


It does, really. This mar
velous town eighty thousand
inhabitants) in setting more
picturesque than the most
vivid post card, expresses its
personality in this refreshing
combination of odors.
Though surrounded by the
thrilling beauty of the Alps
and Lake Leman, and living
half the time with their heads
in the clouds-literally-the
Swiss are first Of all a prac-
tical people.
They keep the fine city they
built on the sides of the hills
shining and fragrant, and en-
broider its gray stone villas
and walls with gardens over
flowing with vines and flowers.
Lausanne Is so clean that
even a brash American wouldn't
drop page Al of the Sunday
paper anywhere in the entire
town-provided of course, an
American Sunday paper or
anything native that looks like
. Sunday paper could be found
on the Continent of Europe.
You've never seen as many
flowers anywhere as in Lau'
same. Or so much deep green,
glistening foliage. The win
dows of the big schools, the
chateaux of the apartments,
the public buildings, the hotels
and the roofs of the cafes
are gay with fat petunias and
asters and exuberant gera.
NUNS and cosmos. Vines trail
down a story or two. Virginia
creeper turning red in the
early fall covers garden walls
and makes bowers and small
retreats for tea tables.
The faces of the Swiss that
pass you in the street are fresh
with soap and water. They
are not the faces Of chic
sophisticates, but of healthy.
kind. intelligent people. You
somehow don't say in Lau-
same as you do in Paris or
New York, THE women are
50 and so. The men are so
and So"
You think of the citizenry
here as people. Not so beauti-
full as their mountains, their
flowers and their lake-most of
natures work presents a better
appearance than the human be-
ing, anyhow-but as a part Of a
splendid wholesome country.
It's so peaceful and pleasant UP
here after Paris, I feel I must
be in HeavenO
For the floor-wax perfume
that is some of the indoor per-
Sonality of Lausanne-well, go
into any Swiss home or hotel
(extremely well furnished, both,
by the way. You will find some
body or half a dozen bodies
down on the hands and knees
In some part of the house polish.
ing away at the floor. There are
no mops in Switzerland.
| The poliShers don't look surly
over such hard work, but rise,
smile cheerfully as you pass,
murmur "a votre service" which
means "I am yours to COM
mand." And set to polishing i'm
nediately.
7 Every house, every hotel room
has its balcony and its view.
You may have breakfast or tea
on the balcony and revel in the
changing colors of the sky and
mountains. Or you may just
bask unconsciously in the
beauty and invigorating air and
read, or do your mending.
The Swiss have taken the
color schemes for their gardens
and houses directly from nature.
Pink, bright red and yellow flow
ers blossom in the same win
dow box. The wall papers, furn-
iture and draperies are often in
the primary colors of the rain
bow and sunset. But the result
of such frankness is very pleas
ing. The windows are broad.
The sun shines ingenuouSly in.
And you feel very cheerful in
such simplicity.
There are few motor cars in
Lausanne. Many trans labor
around the hillsides. But most
" you walk, walk, walk!
To an American practically
lost in the use of the legs this
is a struggle. None Of the
towns geography is on the level
(though the people undoubtedly
are). You almost need an Alpen-
stock to get you up to the mail
box.
This morning I started for
the old cathedral-on foot. Not
In my walking shoes-in my Sun
day clothes. BY the time I got
to the top of three steep hills,
across bridges, up steps as high
aS the Washington Monument,
and crept around winding pass
ageways, the mass was over.
AS a matter of fact, it wasn't