ISO ST. RAPIIAJiL. 



Alphonse Karr used to sa^', "I would return to Paris". 

 Tl is cooler here too in tlie summer than east of the 

 Esterel, and the sand^' beach is pleasant for bathing; 

 for this reason St. Raphael is becoming more and more 

 of a summer bathing resort. In the winter it suffers too 

 se\'erel\- from the winds, as we had }et to discover. 

 On the evening of our arrival the east wind set in; 

 next da^■ it blew strongh' and was accompanied by 

 hea\'\' rain. In such weather as this nothing could be 

 done out of doors, for the wind blew the rain almost 

 horizontalh' through the air. This lasted two whole 

 chns. which seemed intolerabh' long. 



Strong east wind is generalh accompanied b\ rain 

 here and is therefore ver^- dreary-. It is ver^- different 

 ^\hen the northerh' INlistral sets in as it is dr^• and con- 

 sei(uenth' more cheerful. This wind sweeps the heavens 

 clear; it blows in gusts, now wliistliog merrih' in the 

 sunshine, now sounding like thunder and rattling about 

 the buildings. The east \\ ind. on the contrary-, is steadier, 

 and as it rises and falls its \'oice is more like a lament, 

 so that at night one seems to hear long-drawn sighs. 

 The second night after our arrival a nois\' thunderstorm 

 broke, filling the valle^-s with dull roars and throwing 

 short, quick flashes over the sea. But -when morning 

 dawned the sun streamed brighth' into our rooms. The 

 sea was raging and we went out to watch it dashing 

 against the rocks of the coast. Two red porph^r^- rocks 

 — known as the Two Lions, "Lc lion de terre" and 

 "I^e lion de mer" — are landmarks oi St. Raphael, and 

 both mount guard o^■er its shores. The "Sea Lion" 



