COL Dl TENDA. 



221 



touch to the whole scene, are the snowj^ masses around 

 the Col di Tenda. The Italians have for some years 

 been constructing a railway which is to connect Turin 

 with the Mediterranean coast, and the line is finished from 

 Turin up the northern slope of the pass to Limone. There 

 is already a long tunnel running under the Col di Tenda, 

 which affords facilit\' for traffic. Here the valley of the 

 Roja begins and reaches the coast at Ventimiglia. But 

 political objections and conflicting interests have combined 

 to interfere with its progress, and the railway is, conse- 

 quently, not yet completed. It is even undecided whether 

 the terminus is to be at Ventimiglia or at Nice. This 

 line will in time open up a splendid part of the country', 

 for the Gola di Gandarena, through which the Roja rushes 

 between sky-high precipices, is scarceh' less grand than 

 the Via Mala. Hitherto this might\' gorge, which is one 

 of the most imposing in the Alps, has only been known 

 to those who visited the small village of St. Dalmazzo 

 di Tenda for the baths in the summer season; or to those 

 who ventured on the journe\' earh' in spring over the 

 Col di Tenda in spite of deep snow. We 

 did this once 

 and have ( 

 ne\'er lorgot- 

 ten the im- 

 pression it 

 made on us. 

 When the rail- 

 wsiv from Cuneo to 



the coast is at last Halivieda Opmtia. 



