INTRODUCTION. XV 



Excursions into the Esterel are warmly recommended 

 to lovers of Nature. St. Raphael or Valescure, or better 

 still Le Travas, form excellent starting points. Visitors to 

 Le Trayas «'ill be struck bv the red porphvrv rocks rising 

 from the blue Mediterranean. Unfortunatelv, with the com- 

 pletion of the so-called "Corniche d'Or", this hitherto un- 

 frequented district has become infested bv motor cars. This 

 high road, which now skirts the foot of the Esterel, is hap- 

 pily at some distance from the sea, so that one can still 

 wander unmolested on the purple shore. 



Lastly, sturdv pedestrians will find the Montagnes des 

 Maures a good district for extended excursions among the 

 evergreen woods. The ''Chemin de fer du Sud dc la France"' 

 follows the coast, where many a place invites one to linger. 

 The liotels here are patronised chiefly b\' French people. 

 These etablishments are not always as comfortable as might 

 be desired, but the cuisine is excellent. Several days might 

 he pleasantlv spent at vSte. Maxime and the tour continued 

 to Hyeres and Toulon, terminating at Tamaris. This latter 

 place is connected with Toulon by local steamers. It is a small 

 winter resort and is situated inside the roadstead of Toulon. 

 Georges Sand once honoured it bv a visit; but it is swept bv the 

 Mistral and e.xcursions are rendered difficult because all the 

 neighbouring hills are crowned with fortifications. 



Last winter was exceedinglv mild on the Riviera; there 

 was almost uninterrupted sunshine from January to the middle 

 of April. But this is not always the case. The spring can 

 be very rainy, and March is often the wettest month of the 

 \\'hole year. But as a rule bad weather does not last long, 

 and in any case the climate of the Riviera in spring is more 

 endurable than north of the Alps. The sunny days of March 

 and April on that lovely coast are beautiful beyond de- 

 scription, and are only too often the brightest of the whole 

 year for us. So that, when spring approaches, an irresistible 

 longing for the shores of the Mediterranean comes over me. 



