MOTOR CYCLING ON THE CONTINENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2921, 9 March 1910, Page 60

MOTOR CYCLING ON THE CONTINENT.

A DUNEDINI'In, a EXPERIENCES. Ml to. «J. iViacaicaon, o; ouukuii, irom whom wo pUijiitjatiU a lew ivc.-i-.s ago an account 01 a icip mronjn trance on a. tanaern aioior ey,_.ie, senu uo Horn nom« trie loliowing account cl ms aucsequunt travellings: The. route we chose led in a southeasterly direction irom Paris. On. the first •cuay out the oner item of interest Avas wie torest of r ontaineDioau, wnich wo passed through racner nurneuly. it is a ueautiful spot, nowe-ver, cuu historical associations 01 the grounds ana pa.ace making it quite a iavourae resort lor tourists .and pioasure-seeiceis. Jj'our days of. Wavei uirougn splendid larmmg country brought us to Lyons. The location of Lyons is superb, -situated as it is at the junction ot tne Saone and Rhone, botn mountain rivers still free from the <.iisco.oured waters 01 tiie lowlands. After spending several <iays in Lyons we followed the Rhone "V'auey as tar as Avignon. On our distant left were the white-crested Alps. Many of the river bluffs were ornamented by the ruins of Roman castles or Catholic monasteries, and eveiry available space in the valiey was planted with.vines, olives, or fig trees. We found Avignon a quaint, o.d-fashioned city crowded into the very smallest possible space by the Papal wall of 'the fourteenth centuiry. There are two streets which are reasonably wide, but all the others are so very narrow that even without- footpaths two carriages can barely- scrape past' each other. I'he Papal Palace was a disappointment in every way. It is just a huge assemblage of stone structures piled together apparently in the most haphazard manner, absolutely devoid of any architectural beauty. The gardens, however, high up on a bluff which overlooks not only the beautiful Rhone, but also many miles of picturesque country, are very line indeed. From Avignon we came to Arx, and from Aix to Frejue. We found the road along the Riviera almost impassable on account of the mud, but the splendid views we obtained at different points overbalanced the inconvenience of ti»vel. Nice we enjoyed immensely. Most seaside resorts are over-advertised, but this little town, with its delightful promenades, its semi-tropical gardens, etc, mild climate, along witft the bay and surrounding mountains, certainly lives up to its reputation. We continued our course alor~ the Riviera by way of the Grande Corniche, said to have been constructed by Napo!eon, and soon found ourselves past the French frontier and into Italy. We refrained from making a stop at Monte Carlo, as we both disliked the idea of being stranded among foreigners. France is an ideal country fo~ motorists. The roads are all that one could wish for; the hotels even in the small towns are quite good; and outside of the regular tourists' haunts no attempt is made to overcharge. Compared with the North, Southern France bears the marks of greater prosperity. One can readily detect this even in the disposition and temperament of the people. Generally speaking, however, we did not see very many signs of progress in the towns and villages we passed through. Narrow streets and old dilapidated buildings appeared to be the rule everywhere, with the exception, of course, of Paris and Lyons. There was an absence, also, of all manufacturing between Paris and Lyons and south of the latter place. In the rural districts certain phases of the old feudal system appaar still to prevail. One searches in vain for the familiar farmhouse of New Zealand, England, or America. Those who till the soil evidently live in villages, and in most cases they are the employees of large landholders. The cafe is quite an important institution in the life of the French people. Large numbers of young fellows and men assemble in these places at night to discuss the questions of the day over a glass of wine and a small cup of black coffee. We came across these cafes everywhere in France, many of them being connected with the hotels. No rowdyism or drunkenness prevailed so far as we could see. The people of the smaller towns in France are either very temperate or too poor to get drunk. Since coming into Italy, unfavourable weather has prevented us carryinor out the proposed plan of our tour, and so Milan and Venice was reached by railway. We again took to the road, however, at Florence. We were so glad to get away from the dustv train that on oVir first day we" came ns far as Perugia, a distance of 110 miles. The second dav. about roon. we found ourselves in Tuni. and decided .to stay there overnight, coming on to Rome the day following. We have come to the conclusion that Roman roads were not constructed in the best interests of motorists. The corners are so sharp that it is imnossible to make them on a steep grade. The roads themselves follow, along the ridges of mountains, and to make things wors<=> there is simply no end to th« number of pigs, sheep, mules, and poultrv that oocupv the highways. Frequently the piss would take fright at our machine, making rather a hasty retreat nasi; those in charge of them. W"e shall soon forget the ca&p of one old woman. We do r>ot understand the languaae very well, but her expressions were not very rwatty,. Manv of the town" we saw are built around the summits of small mountains, showing practically "o signs at all of modern improvement. o<?r motor cycle, was regarded as o wonderful curiosity. A three-minute stop in a villaen would ensure us a crowd of at least 50 spectators. Italy is a most beautiful country, but the type of life as we have sepri it is "o compliment to modern civilisation/ If th» microbe theory is correct, sverv Italia" will be in glory inside of 10 years. Mar l ' Twain was right when he said, " Smell Italy and die."