I do not know why it was, but no sooner had we gone from Vie_Our sentimental journey through France and Italy A new edition with Appendix

road to the right, than we distrusted the directions of the tricycler we

had met the night before. We asked our way of every peasant we saw. Many

stared for answer. Therefore, when others, in a vile patois, declared

the road we were on would take us to Chatonnay and Rives, but that it

would be shorter to turn back and start from the other end of Vienne, we

foolishly set this advice down to the score of stupidity, and rode

on.--But, indeed, in no part of France through which we had ridden were

the people so ill-natured and stolid. They are certainly the

Alpine-bearish Burgundians Ruskin calls them.--In the valley on the

other side of the hills we came to a place where four roads met. A woman

watched one cow close by.--Would she tell us which road we must follow?

asked J---- politely.--She never even raised her head. He shouted and

shouted, but it was not until he began to call her names, after the

French fashion, that she looked at us.--We could take whichever we

wanted, she answered, and with that she walked away with her cow.

[Illustration]

Fortunately there was a little village two or three kilometres farther

on. A few well-dressed women and children were going to church, for it

was Sunday. But the men of the commune stood around a _café_ door. They

assured us, we were on the wrong road, and had come kilometres out of

our way, but that all we could do was to go on to a place called

Lafayette. There we should find a highway that would eventually lead us

into the _Route Nationale_.--This was not encouraging. It was

oppressively hot in the shadeless valley. The road was bad, full of

stones and ugly ruts and ridges, and before long degenerated into a mere

unused cow-path, overgrown with grass, crossing the fields. We tried to

ride; we tried to walk, pushing the machine. Both were equally hard

work.----

“To a Frenchman any road’s good so he don’t have to climb a hill,” said

J----, in a rage. “If I only had that fellow here!”

--We were walking at the moment.----

“Get on!” he cried, and I did.

--We bumped silently over the ruts.----

“Get off!” he ordered presently, and meekly I obeyed, for indeed I was

beginning to be alarmed.

--He took the machine by the handle-bars and shook it hard.----

“You’ll break it!” cried I.

“I don’t care if I do,” growled he, and he gave it another shake.

--But at this crisis two women coming towards us, he inquired of them,

with as good grace as he could command, the distance to Lafayette. They

stood still and laughed aloud. He repeated his question; they laughed

the louder. The third time he asked, they pointed to a solitary

farm-house standing in the fields. He paused. I saw he was mentally

pulling himself together, and I wished the women were out of harm’s

way.----

“_Nous--sommes--ici--dans--un--nation--de--bêtes--de--fous!_”

he broke out, this time in French, a pause between each word.

“_Oui--tous--bêtes--tous--fous--Vous--fous--aussi!_”

--The women turned and ran.

I think they were right about Lafayette after all. In a few minutes we

came to a good road. An _auberge_ stood to one side, and a man at once

approached us.----

We must come in, he said; it was a _fête_ day, and we should be served

with whatever we wanted.

But J---- was not to be so easily rid of his troubles.----

“_Un--Français--dans--Vienne_,” he explained;

“_nous--a--envoyer--là--bas.--Il--est--fou!_”

“Yes, yes!” said the man soothingly; but, all the same, as it was a

feast day, it seemed we must come to the _auberge_.

The feast consisted of boiled beef and rabbit; the holiday-makers, of a

few peasants eating at rough wooden tables in front of the inn, a father

and his four small sons drinking wine together and solemnly clinking

glasses, and one man shooting with a cross-bow at diminutive Aunt

Sallies.--We made a fair lunch, though when we refused wine the landlady

asked, with disgust----

“Then you do not mean to eat?”

We sat with the peasants, who fell into conversation with us. When they

heard how we had come from Vienne, they thought we must have had

_commerce_ in the villages in the valley to take such a route. And

though J---- again explained about _that fool in Vienne_, they would

have it we were pedlers.

When we set out, our first friend was at hand to ask if we had had all

we wanted. The next day we saw by a printed notice that Sunday had been

the _Feast of Apples_--a day whereon the people were begged to show

every kindness to travellers through their land; and then we understood

his politeness.

Perhaps a kilometre or two from the _auberge_ we turned into the

Grenoble road, and from that time onward there were but few sign-posts

and the cross-roads were many.--It promised to be a

[Illustration]

day of misfortunes. The country was hilly; we were always working up,

with only occasional short coasts down, now through villages on the

hillside, and now between steep wooded banks.--Once, when, sore

perplexed to know which way to go, we were pedalling slowly in

indecision, the road made a sudden curve, the banks fell on either side,

and there at last they were, the long blue ranges, and, away beyond, one

snow-crowned peak shining in sunlight.--After that, they--the delectable

mountains of our Sentimental Journey--were always hopefully before us.

--Just outside St. Jean Bournay we came upon the right road from Vienne,

but twenty-two kilometres from that city, we saw on the kilometre-stone,

and we had already ridden forty-four!

--At the other end of the town we passed a theatre, a large canvas tent

with two or three travelling vans close by. A crowd had gathered around

it, and were staring with interest at a printed notice hung in front. It

was an old American poster, picked up, who knows where? with the name of

the play in French above and below it.

A woman in the crowd explained that a negro was the slave of a

planter.----

“Or a Prussian, perhaps?” a man suggested.

“No; to be a negro, that is not to be a Prussian,” argued the woman.[B]

[Illustration]

After La Côte St. André the road ran between low walnut-trees.--Now and

then the monotony of their endless lines was broken by a small village,

where men played bowls; and now and then the road was lively with

well-dressed people, who jumped as the machine wheeled past them.----

“But that it frightened me, for example!” cried one.

But later a peasant called out--“_O malheur, la femme en avant!_”

--By-and-by the way grew lonelier, and we had for company the cows,

great white stupid creatures, going home from pasture, and their drivers

stupid as they, who roused themselves but to swear by the name of God,

or to call out, “Thou beast of a pig!” to a cow frightened into the

fields by the tricycle.--At last we turned into a broad road, where the

walnuts gave place to poplars, and the level came to an end. At the foot

of a long steep straight hill was Rives, deep down in a narrow valley.

[Illustration]

RIVES.

At the Hôtel de la Poste a middle-aged _fille-de-chambre_, in a white

cap--another Alpine-bearish Burgundian--looked upon us with such

disfavour we could scarce persuade her to show us our room.

The dining-room was full of noisy men in blouses and big hats. No place

was left for us at the long table, that stretched the entire length of

the room; and we sat together in a corner.--The dinner was excellent.

But the enemy in white cap was down upon us in a minute, and gave us no

peace. She raised a window upon our backs, and as often as we shut it

was at our side to open it again. We had the worst of it, for with the

salad we seized our wine and napkins and retreated to the opposite

corner, giving up our table to four men, who took off their blouses and

coats--but not their hats--for their greater comfort, as they sat down

and themselves opened the window. What would have been pneumonia, or

colds in the heads for us, was health for them.

But there was no rest for us at Rives.--We went to bed early, but until

late at night men in heavy boots tramped up and down the narrow

carpetless hall outside our door, and in and out the room overhead. They

began again at four o’clock in the morning.--As there was no more sleep

to be had,----

“We might as well make an early start,” said J----, and we were

downstairs by six.

[Illustration]

--When we had had our coffee I returned to our room to pack the bag, and

J---- went to the stable to get the tricycle. Presently he came up and

joined me.--I had not expected him so soon, and was not quite

ready.----

“Something has happened,” said I as soon as I looked at him, but still

folding flannels.

“We cannot go on,” said he.

“Why?” cried I, jumping up and dropping the flannels.

“I’ll tell you,” said he; “because”----

APPENDIX

ROUTE 1.

OUR ROUTE.--FROM CALAIS TO MODANE.

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

|----------------+-------------+--------------+-------------------------------|

|_Neuchâtel_ | 8 | | “ |

|_Rue_ | 7 | | But the route as given is |

|_Pont Remy_ | 8 | | “ |

|_Beaumont_ | 14 | _Quatre Fils | “ |

|Viâ {_Chailly_ | | | Nord_. Across Paris viâ |

| {_Barbizon_ | | | _Boulevard Voltaire_ and |

| {_The Forest_ | | | _Place de la République_ to |

|_Nemours_ | | | “ |

|_Cosne_ | 31 | _Grand Cerf._| “ |

|________________|_____________|______________|_______________________________|

+------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| | | | |

|----------------+-----------+--------------+----------------------------|

| | | | |

| _La Palisse_ | 50 | | “ |

| _St. Laurent_ | 15 | | |

| _La Grand |} | | |

| Chartreuse_ (10|} | | |

| k. from _St. |} | | |

| _Chambéry_ | 24 | | |

| _Montrélian_ | 15 | _Des | |

| _Aiguebelle_ | 23 | | |

| _Modane_ | 17 | | |

| |

|ROUTE 2. |

| |

|BEST ROUTE FROM CALAIS TO PARIS. |

| |

|ROUTE 1.--TO BOULOGNE. |

| |

| _Samer_ | 15 | | |

| _Montreuil | 10 | _De Londres._ | “ |

| _Nampont_ | 13 | | |

| _Nouvion_ | 13 | | |

|------------------------------------------------------------------------|

ROUTE 1.--TO BRETEUIL.

+------------------+-------------+---------------+------------------------+

| | | | |

+------------------+-------------+---------------+------------------------+

| | | | |

|_Caply_ | 3 | | |

|_St. Eusoye_ | 4 | | |

|_Noiremont_ | 3 | | |

|_Oroer_ | 3 | | |

|_Tillé_ | 5 | | |

|_Voisinlieu_ | 4 | | |

|_Bois-de-Molle_ | 3 | | |

|_Vallangouyard_ | 8 | | |

|_Herouville_ | 5 | | |

|_Méry-sur-Oise_ | 6 | | |

|_Asnières_ | 5 | | “ |

| |

| ROUTE 3. |

| |

| ROUTE FROM BEAUVAIS TO PARIS. |

| |

|_Pierrefonds_ | 17 | | |

+------------------+-------------+---------------+------------------------+

ROUTE 4.

FROM DIEPPE TO PARIS.

+---------------+-------------+------------------+---------------------------+

+---------------+-------------+------------------+---------------------------+

|_Boos_ | 11 | ... | |

|_Les Thilliers_| 15 | ... | |

+---------------+-------------+------------------+---------------------------+

_See Routes to Paris_ (pages 240 and 241).

ROUTE 5.

FROM ROUEN TO PARIS.

+---------------+-------------+------------------+---------------------------+

|_Boos_ | 11 | | |

+---------------+-------------+------------------+---------------------------+

|_Pontoise_ | 30 | ... | |

+---------------+-------------+------------------+---------------------------+

_See Route 3 to Paris_ (page 241).

ROUTE 6.

FROM HAVRE TO ROUEN.

+---------------+-------------+------------------+---------------------------+

+---------------+-------------+------------------+---------------------------+

ROUTE 7.

FROM HAVRE TO ANGERS OR ST. MALO.

+---------------+-------------+------------------+-------------------------+

|_Pontorson_ | 22 | ... | To _St. Malo, Dol 20, |

|_Château | 24 | ... | |

+---------------+-------------+------------------+-------------------------+

ROUTE 8.

_NEAR PARIS AND TOURAINE._

FROM PARIS TO ANGERS.

| _Chenonceau_ | 16 | _Bon _ | _Ouzain_ for _Château |

| | | | |

+------------------+-------------+---------------+------------------------+

ROUTE 9.

FROM PARIS TO LYONS, BY WAY OF DIJON. (_See also_ ROUTE 1.)

+------------------+-------------+---------------+------------------------+

| | | | |

+------------------+-------------+---------------+------------------------+

| _Cérisier_ | 8 | | |

| _Arces_ | 10 | | |

| _St. Florentin_ | 16 | | |

| _Flogny_ | 13 | | |

| _Ancy-le-Franc_ | 18 | | |

| _Aizy-sur- | 16 | | |

| _Montbard_ | 11 | | |

| _Fain_ | 9 | | |

| _Villeneuve- | 13 | | |

| _Chanceaux_ | 14 | | |

| _St. Seine_ | 12 | | |

| _Val de Suzon_ | 10 | | |

| _Beaune_ | 38 | | |

| _Lyons_ | 29 | _Des | |

| |

| ROUTE 10. |

| |

| FROM LYONS TO MARSEILLES. |

| |

| _Tain_ | 55 | | |

| _Valance_ | 18 | _Des | |

+------------------+-------------+---------------+------------------------+

ROUTE 11.

FROM CHAMBERY (_see_ ROUTE 1) TO GENEVA.

+------------------+-------------+---------------+------------------------+

| | | | |

+------------------+-------------+---------------+------------------------+

| | | | |

| _Annecy_ | 47 | | |

| |

| ROUTE 12. |

| |

| FROM DIJON TO GENEVA. |

| |

| _Auxonne_ | 15 | | |

| _St. Laurent_ | 21 | | |

| _La Faucille_ | 19 | | |

| _Gex_ | 11 | _De la Poste._| |

ROUTE 13.

FROM PARIS TO BORDEAUX.

(The direct route is _Paris_, _Chartres_, _Tours_. But up to _Tours_ it

is scarcely worth riding, as it is mainly uninteresting, outside of the

large towns, and very hilly.)

| _Tours_ | 230 | | |

| _Ruffec_ | 35 | _Des | |

| _Régniac_ | 7 | | |

| _La Granle_ | 7 | | |

| _Mont Guyon_ | 18 | | |

| _Guîtres_ | 21 | | |

| _Beychac_ | 16 | | |

+------------------+-------------+---------------+------------------------+

The above routes cover about the pleasantest and most interesting

touring ground in France. But good roads exist all over the south. For

instance, from Bordeaux, the road up the Garonne to Toulouse, 250

kilometres, is excellent, though quite flat; but in the summer time it

is apt to be very hot, and the surface loose and sandy.

From this road excursions may be made all through the Pyrenees, which

can be entered either at Luchon or at Pau. It is preferable, however,

when touring through the Pyrenees, to train to St. Gaudens, from which

place Bagnières de Luchon (Hotel de France) is 48 kilometres distant.

+-----------------------+-------------+---------------+

| | Distance in | |

| Towns. | Kilometres. | Hotels. |

+-----------------------+-------------+---------------+

| _Luchon_ | | |

| _Montrejeau_ | 37 | _L’Eclair._ |

| _Bagnières de Bigorre_| 42 | |

| _Lourdes_ | 20 | |

| _Nay_ | 18 | |

| _Pau_ | 17 | _Du Commerce._|

+-----------------------+-------------+---------------+

Excursions may be made all over this district, which is extremely

interesting. Though very hilly, it possesses magnificent roads. From Pau

to Dax the route is by

+-----------------------+-------------+---------------+

| | Distance in | |

| Towns. | Kilometres. | Hotels. |

+-----------------------+-------------+---------------+

| _Orthez_ | 40 |_Des Pyrénées._|

| _Pomarez_ | 16 | |

| _Dax_ | 21 | _De la Paix._ |

+-----------------------+-------------+---------------+

From Castets, near Dax, one strikes the main highroad from Bordeaux to

Bayonne, about 200 kilometres in distance; it traverses Les Landes, and

is worth taking.

From St. Gaudens to Carcassonne (Hotel Bernard), 170 kilometres, the

road begins by being hilly, but you gradually leave the region of the

Pyrenees, and it becomes easier riding. But long hills are to be found

all about here. Long distances have to be made between towns, and,

unless one has plenty of time, this trip on to Narbonne, Cette, and

Montpellier, is hardly to be recommended. It is also liable frequently

to great heat and much sand.

From Toulouse to Albi (Hotel du Nord), 76 kilometres, the road is good;

and from Albi excursions can be made all over the marvellous country of

the Tarn Gorges, and through the Cevennes. But travelling in this

section requires comparatively good knowledge of French, and also of

geography; though the roads are good, the towns are few, and long

distances must be made each day.

Our sentimental journey through France and Italy A new edition with Appendix · 第 7 / 8 段

I do not know why it was, but no sooner had we gone from Vienne by the