Instead of the long sand beach we expected to find here, the coastline is mountainous, with crags and cliffs rising from the shore and extending inland and with several snow-capped peaks visible to the north. Despite a cold drizzle and a nasty north wind, we went ashore for an auto trip to Nice, Mentone and Monte Carlo.

For a true description of the charm and character of this famous resort area, I only wish my friend, Lima News scrivener Tom Hunter, might be here to lend me a hand. He could “put the butter on” and good. Everywhere one looks is a new dream picture.

On Toward Nice…

T.R.S…
Fruit trees are in full bloom and spring flowers make a riot of colour. Whole gardens of white, pink and red carnations border the drives. Trees ranging from the palms of Florida to the sycamores of Canada are lacy with new foliage. The waves come crashing in against the rough sea walls, sending a sea spray across the pavements.

In Nice, fine resort hotels face the sea across a wide boulevard and promenade ground. Sidewalk cafés and restaurants with picture windows line the boulevard. Shop windows are equal to any on Fifth Avenue. There are no tall buildings in the city - mostly four and five stories with tiled gable roofs.

Buses, taxis and autos handle the traffic with ease - no trams, but lots of bicycles and motor bikes. Happy, carefree, smiling faces greet us wherever we go. The first real gaiety we have seen since leaving home.

…Then to Mentone

T.R.S…
From Nice we drive over the high Corniche Road to Mentone close to the Italian border and have a grand panoramic view all the way. Mentone has many attractive apartment hotels with courtyards facing the sea. It is a favourite resort spot for British vacationists and most of the hotels have English names.

Movie theatres are numerous and there is also a small gambling casino here. Flowers and vegetable markets are clean and inviting, and the shopping district is like Worth Avenue in Palm Beach.

Monte Carlo Arrival

T.R.S…
Driving back West on the low Corniche Road we came to Monte Carlo in the little independent principality of Monaco, supported mainly by its gambling franchise. The Caronia tourist party assembled here for lunch at the very ornate Hotel de Paris.

What we ate we don't know - a lot of French words on the menu, but it certainly was good, seasoned and cooked to perfection, and those French waiters are masters at the art of service.

Am told some habitués, who derive their incomes from monthly remittances from trust estates in foreign lands, live here in cheap little rooming houses, spending barely enough of each remittance to subsist and passing their surpluses over the gambling tables regularly every month.

More Poor Fish

T.R.S…
From the casino we went to the aquarium where we spent an hour or more watching the other poor fish. Then we drove past the palace of the Prince of Monaco, the boy who owns the casino, a perfect object lesson for anyone who thinks he can beat a man at his own game.

Back to the ship for a good dinner, followed by a colour picture of Danny Kaye, appropriately filmed here on the Riviera.

From Nice to Cannes

T.R.S…
On Sunday, 30 March, we went ashore and lunched at the super-deluxe Negresco Hotel at Nice - another culinary masterpiece. Then drove over the scenic 25 mile route to Cannes. Here lavish hotels and apartment buildings stand high over the sea drive and look out over a huge yacht basin.

Many sailing yachts and heavier motor launches are berthed here. Saw three such craft flying American flags and “Port of Miami” painted on their sterns and wondered if they had braved the Atlantic crossing on their own.

Cannes’ main street is a narrow Fifth Avenue and even on Sunday was crowded with window shoppers and pedestrians. Returning to Nice we passed the luxurious estate of Jay Gould, famous Wall Street financier, also the villa where the Duke of Windsor and Wally did their romancing and the love nest of Ali Khan and Rita Hayworth.

Hard by is the attractive new villa of Maurice Chevalier overlooking a nice stretch of sand beach. The one characteristic common to these renowned people is the excellent good taste shown in their selection of a playground. If the price of fat cattle doesn't slump too badly, we may come here and stay a spell ourselves some day.

On our return aboard ship the waves were tossing the tender in six-foot dips. I finally took a leap on a down dip and made it with the aid of two able seamen. Roughest going yet, but fun as long as there are no accidents.

If you can contribute any information, do please get in touch…