Unfrequented France by river and mead and town (1910) (14597399390)

Identifier: unfrequentedfran00bethuoft (find matches)
Title: Unfrequented France by river and mead and town
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: Betham-Edwards, Matilda, 1836-1919
Subjects: France -- Description and travel
Publisher: London, Chapman
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN



Text Appearing Before Image:
something, andthe working watchmakers have, most of them, theirsuburban gardens, to which they resort on Sundaysand holidays. Nothing can be more enticing thanthe cottages and villas nestled so cosily along thevine-clad hills that surround it on every side. Thecity is, above all, rich in public walks and pro-menades, one of these, the Promenade Chamart—a corruption of Champ de Mars—possessing someof the finest plane-trees in Europe—a gigantic bitof forest on the verge of this city—of wonderfulbeauty and stateliness. These veteran trees varyin height from thirty to thirty-five yards. ThePromenade Micaud, so called after its originator,Mayor of Besancon in 1842, winds along the river-side, and affords lovely views at every turn. Thenthere are so-called squares in the heart of thetown, where military bands play twice a week, andnursemaids and their charges spend the afternoons.Perhaps no city of its size in all France—Besanconnumbers only sixty thousand inhabitants—is better
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•«■, p < wQ <■z w o 05 BESANCON AND ITS SCENERY 37 off in this respect, whilst it is so enriched by vine-clad hills and mountains that the country peeps ineverywhere. Considered from all points of view it is a veryattractive place to live in, and possesses all theresources of the capital on a small scale; an excel-lent theatre, free art schools, and an academy of arts,literary, scientific and artistic societies, museums,picture galleries, lastly, one of the finest publiclibraries in France. Archaeological and historicmonuments—here innumerable—I leave to theguide books. One excursion must on no account be missed.The famous Osselle grottoes may be reached byrailway. We preferred the landau, the lunch basketand the tea-pot, setting off early one morning in thehighest spirits. Quitting this splendid environmentof Besancon, we drove for three hours through thelovely valley of the Doubs, delighted at every bendof the road with some new feature in the landscape;then choosin