SASSO. — BOKGETTO. — VALLECROCL'^^ 7 



seen from the road which runs along the ridge among 

 old trees. After climbing the steep ascent ^'ou come 

 quite suddenly upon this picture. On either side lie the 

 valleys of Sasso and Horghetto, and fiirtlier off that of 

 A allecrocia; if you look up, the sno^^' clad summits of 

 the Maritime Alps gleam above the nearer hills. How 

 otten have I lingered for hours on this ridge, changing 

 my standpoint from time to time to admire the view in 

 different settings! Now it was a solitary and fantastic 

 snow-palace, framed in the sil\'er\- green of the Olive 

 trees; or the closely-packed houses of a checjuered hamlet 

 nestling in a valle\' : or the siKer course ot a sparkling 

 stream windin£f its wa^' to the sea through Oleander 

 bushes ; or .Sasso, which appeared to lloat above the tree 

 tops as on an ocean of verdure : till at last the wearied 

 e\'e turned u'ith longing to the restful sea. What a wealth 

 of subjects for the landscape painter were here combined! 

 I had to content myself whh a mental image of them 

 still fresh and vivid in its bright, sunn)' colouring. 



CHAPTER II. 



The Olive groves through which one passes on the 

 wdy from Old Bordighera to Sasso, are particularly fine. 

 There are man\' old and gnarled trunks, some of which 

 develop buttress-like outgro\\'ths near the base and look 

 as if they were propped up. Involuntarily does one pause 

 before these trees to admire the striking contrast between 

 the trunks with their deep shades and the bright blue 

 of the sea and sky. These Olive groves have a subtle 

 charm of their own when the full mopn shines over the 



