404 ANTIBES. 



a national monument. Nevertheless it has been handed over 

 to speculators who decreed that the walls and fortiiications 

 facing landwards should be demolished. But the portion of 

 the town washed by the sea still retains its mediaeval aspect, 

 andjthcre are plenty- of spots to be found on the Cap, 

 whence this splendid picture can be seen in a suitable 

 setting against the dazzling background of the snow\' 

 Alps. "Je n'avais jamais rien vu d'f-ussi surprenant et 

 d'aussi beau" exclaimed Cnn' de AfSupassant, on seeing 

 jiVntibes at sunset. These are the Opening words of a 

 little novel to ^\'hich he gives the title of ''Madame 

 Parisse". This picture made a similar impression on me 

 the first time 1 saw it from a rock near the shore towards 

 evening. "The little tox^n'". writes fru^' dc Maupassant, 

 "surrounded b\' massive walls built b"S' X'auban, juts out 

 into the open sea, in the middle of the ^'ast (xulf of 

 Nice. The crested waves break at her feet surrounding 

 her with white foam. The houses crowd one upon 

 another above the fortifications, right up to the two 

 towers that rise proudh' towards the sk^•. And these houses 

 and towers stand out against the milky whiteness of the Alps, 

 that giant wall that closes the view iii the'far distance. . . 

 The blue of the sk\- abo\e the Alps' is so faint that 

 the snow would seem to have robbed it of its colour. 

 rV few silvery clouds lloated abo\'e the pale peaks and 

 on the other side of the Gulf, at the water's edge, lav 

 Nice, forming a broad belt between the sea and the 

 hills. Two boats with Lateen sails were gliding over 

 the waves under a steady breeze ... It was one of 

 tliose sweet and rare ^•isions that impress the human 



