FROM THE SEA TO THE MOUNTAIN SUMMITS.
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One of the Most Wonderful Motor Coach Drives in Europe is from Nice Through the Freilch Alps to Evian, on Lake Geneva, an Account of Which is Here Given.
THE FRENCH RIVIERA is usually associated with sunshine, warmth, and flowers, but Nature has been so lavish in her gifts to this famous coast that she has made it possible for winter sports to be enjoyed there also. The 'bestknowu • of winter sports centres is, perhaps, Peira. Cava, situated on 'a sort of natural balcony, 6,210 ft. up, about 4,3 miles inland to the north of Nice ; here, from December to February, all kinds of winter sport can be indulged in under a cloudleas blue sky.
Below, the Cote . d'Azur unrolls in a splendid panoramic view. It is connected with Nice by a service of motorcars, which, following a fairly good road, complete the journey in about two hours. In the summer, Peira. Cava is a favourite mountain retreat with many old Riviera habitués, who retire to its cool verdant heights during the hottest months. The winter sports season, however, is now over, and most of us who are not old Riviera habitues like our summer holidays to be more comprehensive than a quiet sojourn at Peira Cava promises, and to all such the " Routes des Alpes " throws out a powerful appeal.
What is the " Route des Alpes "7 It is a wonder-. ful road stretching from Nice to Evian-les-Bains, the elegant thermal station on the chestnut-clad slopes overlooking the Lake of Geneva. This road threads its way through the beautiful provinces of Provence, Dauphiny, and Savoy, covering a distance of nearly 500 miles.
The tour can be made either from north' to south or from south to north, but, to appreciate to the utmost the magnificent panorama gradually unfolded as the road is traversed, it should be made in the south-north direction.
It is impossible adequately to describe the wonderful experience that this tour constitutes—the azure Mediterranean, tranquilly reposing at the feet of Nice and scintillating in the bright sunlight, is left behind, the sub-tropical vegetation, the vineyards, and, finally, the olive groves, disappear, to
give way to the highly diversi
fied and fascinating scenery of the French Alps.
The road followed by the cars is not straight, b u t winds its way first in one direc tion and then in another—always seeking the most beautiful spots. It goes through impres sive and fantastic gorges and is swallowed up by miraculously hewn black tun nels, to emerge again into smiling valleys ; it climbs great heights and hugs the edge of startling abysses, at
tile bottom of which roaring torrents pursue their reckless course. Here, peaks rise austere and wild ; 'there, sombre wooded heights captivate the eye ; quaint old-world villages appear to be suspended from the sides of -mountains or reveal themselves in sequestered valleys; romantic châteaux conjure -up visions of mediaeval times, and .distant glaciers shimmer in the clear atmosphere.
Halts are usually made at such noted holiday resorts as Briancon, Grenoble, Chambery, Aix-lesBains, Annecy, Chamonix, Evian-les-Bain, etc., at any, or all, of which points the journey can be broken if desired. Undoubtedly, the scenery of the french Alps is amongst the finest in the world for variety arid magnificence.
Although Savoy is a . natural continuation of Dauphiny, each province has ' its distinct scenic peculiarities. In the former .province arc fine open valleys, lovely lakes, and graceful mountain peaks, whilst in the latter province, the mountains display greater austerity and, generally, the, scenery is wilder and more rugged.
A Six-day Journey Over the Alps.
" The Route des Alpes ," is divided into six daily stages—Nice-Barcelonnette, Barco lonne tte-Briancon, Briancon-Grenoble, Grenoble-Annecy, AnnecyChamonix, and Chamonix-Evian-7-varying in length from 56 to 100 miles. There are also numerous subsidiary services, enabling travellers: to visit places of outstanding interest which are not situated on the actual.route. Ample-time is allowed for frequent halts on the road, between the commencing and terminating points of each section.
Throughout, the cars follow the highest roads, which, at some p/aceS, attain to an altitude of over 8,000 ft. In origin, the roads were partly military and partly local, but it required tremendous labour to convert and weld them into the splendid driving read that now exists. Tunnels had to be bored, great rocks blasted and passages hewn out of the living rock. Those who make the tour cannot avoid being filled with an intense admiration for Sb e •engineering marvels that have been wrought to pro -duce this wonderful rout e. Powerful an cl luxurious armchair cars are used and every seat gives a perfect and un
-obstructed view of the passing country. The drivers-aro carefully selected for their skill and experience, and
eceiN e special training.
Let us follow the "Route des Alpes" through ci its vicissitudes : the cars leave Nice by the Promenade des Anglais, and, for a little time, run parallel with the sea, until they turn sharply northward to follow the lovely valley of the Var, with its aloes, mimosas, and olives. An abrupt turn of the road leads through the beautiful Gorges of the Mescla to the Ulmer Var, where the curious village of Toilet-de-Beni] is seen, presenting the appearance of being veneered on the vertical side of the mountain. The streets, or rather alley 1; are superimposed one above the other, practically forming covered galleries. Cascades gush out from the rocks around, and the oldchurch there looks down into a raging torrent.
One of the Impressive Sights of the Tour.
Proceeding along the route, Entrevaux is reached, a small fortified town with portcullis and drawbridge. From Entrevaux, the cars carry the passengers through one of the most impressive sights of the whole tour—the passage through the Gorges of the Daluis: The road through th,ese gorges is of bold conception—the scene presented being . beyond description. A riot of colours meets the eye, great red escarpments rear up, huge yellow dolomitic boulders are scattered wildly here and there ;below, the green Var writhes .and_bounds, and, above, the clear blue Provençal sky canopies all.
Next. comes Guillamnes, at the confluence of the Var and Tuebi, dominated by a ruined château ; then St. Martin d'Entraunes, after which village the long ascent towards the Col de la Cayolle (7,700 ft.) begins. The Col surmounted, it is an interesting descent to Barcelonnette, through the rich valley of the Baehelard. This first section is of particular interest 'because Of the gradual transition from the sub-tropical vegetation of Nice to the Alpine flora and scenery of the mountains. Bareelonnette is a pretty town situated on the right bank of the Uhaye, in a rich, verdant valley, running from cast to west. The second day's section takes the traveller over the Col du Vars (6,975 ft.), whence a magnificent view cf the vast snowfields of the Pelvoux and the Ecrins; dominating the large valley of the Durance, ia obtained. From the Col du Vars, the road descends to Guillestre, passing through a narrow streetof the
real old-world type. On entering the town, remains of 16th century ramparts are to be seen. The cars go on from Guillestre through the valley of the Guil to Aiguilles, a charming little summer resort, replete! with tennis and touring clubs, but, before reaching Aiguilles, the château Queyras should be remarked, dating from 1301 and later fortified by Vauban. Then comes another remarkably weird experience—. the passage through the Casse Deserte, a barren, lifeless desert, out of which rise fantastic groups of dolomitic rock. From this grim and desolate scene, the road leads over the Col d'Izoard (8.000 ft.) and descends, first of all through forests of chestnut trees and then through narrow, rocky corridors to Brianeon, the highest town in France, surrounded by .a chain of forts. On. the third section. the cars go through the valley of the Guisanne and the highly cultivated district of lVionetier ;"beyond this, the route again becomes wild and tunnels-are frequent until the beautiful flowerbedecked meadows of the Lautaret are entered upon. Descending from the' Col du Lautaret (7,000ft.) towards La Grave, the Meije rises into view, stately and -terrible, with its glaciers clearly distinguishable—cascades and narrow gorges mark the route to Bourg d'Oisans, a summer resort encircled by high mountains. Then come Vizille, with its handsome renaissance 'château, and Uriage, the famous thermal station. The section terminates at Grenoble, the " Metropolis of the French Alps." In the fourth section, an admirable bird's-eye; view of Grenoble is secured from the Porte pass (4,500 ft.). Then the emotions are stirred at the sight of the deserted monastery of the Chartreuse monks, dominated by the thickly wooded heights of -the Chartreuse Mountains. After surmounting the Frene-Grenier pass, which gives an entrancing view river Lake Bourget, an extremely. interesting descent is made to Clambery, the ancient capital of the. Duchy of Savoy. The traveller is now in the beautiful lake country, and, passing Aix-les-Bains, the world-renowned and fashionable watering-place, and traversing verdnrous, undulating valleys, so typical of Savoy, Annecy is reached, prettily situated on the lake of the same name.
The First View of Mont Blanc.
From Annecy, the fifth stage of the route goes past the picturesque château of Menthon, through Thanes, a summer resort and excursion centre, and over theCol des Aravis (4,950 ft.). From this point a wonderful view of Mont Blanc, grand and majestic, is opened rep before the sight. Then on, past Flumet, in its picturesque setting, through the Gorges of the Any, to St. Gervais. From St:' Gervais. to Chamonix the road descends through the rocky escarpments of the Tke Noire and enters the Chamonix Valley by the bridge and viaduct of Ste. Marie. Chamonix, situated at the foot of 'Mont 131ane, is perhaps the most widely known mountaineering centre of the Alps.
In the final stage the cars retrace the read of the previous section so far as Le Fayet, then turn northward, passing through Sallanches, the valley of the Arve and (Muses; then over the Gets pass (3,000 ft.), down through beautiful 'pine forests and the Gorges of the Dranse to Thonon-les-Bains, and thence to Evian, where the world's most magnificent mountain motorcar tour ends.
The motor coach service, in the French Alps is -con-ducted by the Chemins de Per Patis-Lyon-Mediter-' ranee, the fare for the longest day's run (to Barcelonnette) being 59 francs, and on the other days from 30 francs up to 50 francs, according to the distance traversed. The coaches travel daily over each section, so that the. paseenger is not limited with regard to the length of his stay in any place, and he is able to make many interesting variations.and extensions, whilst, having reached Lake Geneva, he has open before him from Geneva itself a wide series of tours to Salins, Pentarlier, and Besancon.