After Waterloo: Reminiscences of European Travel 1815-1819Frye, William Edward
History
After Waterloo: Reminiscences of European Travel 1815-1819
Frye, William Edward
Europe -- Description and travel
The voyage on the subsequent day was more agreeable than the preceding one.
The country between Mâcon and Lyons is much more beautiful and diversified
than that which we have hitherto seen and resembles much the picturesque
scenery of the West-Indian landscape. One part between Mâcon and Trévoux
resembles exactly the island of Montserrat.
Within two miles of Trévoux we were hailed by some _grisettes_ belonging to
the inns at that place, in order to invite us to dine at their respective
inns. There was one girl exceedingly beautiful whose name was Sophie,
daughter of the proprietor of the _Hôtel des Sauvages_ at Trévoux. She, by
her grace and coquetry, obtained the most recruits and when we disembarked
from the boat, she led us in triumph to her hotel. From her beauty and
graceful manner, Sophie, in a country where so much hommage is paid to
beauty, must be a most valuable acquisition to the interests of the inn,
and tho' she smiles on all, she takes care not to make herself cheap, and
like Corisca in the _Pastor Fido_ she holds put hopes which she does not at
all intend to gratify. After passing by the superb scenery on the banks of
the river (which increases in interest as you approach Lyons), the _Isle
Barbe_ and _la Tour de la belle Allemande_, we arrived at Lyons at 5 p.m.
and debarked on the _Quai de la Saône_. A _fiacre_ took me up and deposited
me safe at the _Hôtel du Nord_ situated on the _Place St Claire_ and not
many yards distant of the _Quai du Rhône_.
LYONS, 26th Sept.
Lyons is situated on a tongue of land at the junction of the Saône and
Rhône, and there is a fine bridge on the spot where the streams unite,
called _le pont du Confluent_, which joins the extremity of the tongue of
land with the right bank of the Saône. There is besides a large bridge
across the Rhône, higher up, before it joins the Saône, leading in a right
line from the _Hôtel de Ville_; and two other bridges across the Saône. The
_Quai du Rhône_ is by far the finest and most agreeable part of the city.
It is spacious, well paved, aligned with trees, and boast the finest
edifices public and private in the whole city; it is the favourite
promenade of the _beaux_ and _belles_ of Lyons. The sight of the broad and
majestic Rhône itself is a grand object, and on a fine day the prospect is
augmented by the distant view of the fleecy head of Mont Blanc. On this
Quai and within a 100 yards of the bridge on the Rhône are the justly
celebrated _bains du Rhône_, fitted up in a style of elegance even superior
to those called _les Bains Vigier_ on the Seine at Paris. The grand
Hospital is also on the Quai; the facade is beautiful; its architecture is
of the Ionic order and the building itself as well as its interior economy
has frequently elicited the admiration of travellers. Among the Places in
this city the finest is that of Bellecour.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account