Botanists -- United States -- Correspondence; Gray, Asa, 1810-1888 -- Correspondence
I think you will scarcely call me an idle lad. It was about midnight
when I went to bed last night; I was called this morning at half past
four; a few minutes past five I was on my way in a cabriolet for
Vaucluse, with a very lazy horse, so that it was nine o’clock when I
arrived. I visited the famous fountain, admired the rocks, etc.;
collected a few plants as a souvenir; took my breakfast, a very
substantial one, consisting in part of delicate trout from the stream
which issues from the fountain; left at eleven, arrived at Avignon again
at half past two; saw the Requien museum of antiquities, which is rich,
the paintings, the little botanic garden; saw also Requien’s library and
collection of plants, etc; made arrangements for correspondence; climbed
the rocky hill which overlooks the town and river; enjoyed the view;
visited the cathedral (a small affair) which stands upon it; saw the old
papal palace, now converted into a prison; returned to the Hôtel Palais
Royal, and a most excellent hotel it is, which I hope you will patronize
the first time you come to Avignon; dined at seven, having first secured
a place in the diligence for Nîmes at ten o’clock this evening, where I
hope to arrive by daylight and be ready to go on the same day to
Montpellier, where I prefer to pass the Sabbath. Now I think this is
doing pretty well....
MONTPELLIER, Saturday evening, April 20, 1839.
At twelve o’clock I left Nîmes; rode through a highly fertile and level
country, mostly occupied with vineyards, getting now and then a distant
view of the mountains of Cevennes on the right, and soon of the Pic San
Loup, by which I knew we were not very far from Montpellier. At this
last place we arrived at five o’clock precisely, and here I am quartered
at the most comfortable hotel imaginable, the Hôtel du Midi. All my
stopping-places being indicated to me by Bentham, I have no difficulty
in choosing where to stop. Here you are not put into a little seven by
nine chamber up five pairs of stairs, as is the inevitable lot of a
single man traveling in the United States, but I have a room like a
large parlor, airy, the two windows looking into a pretty shady garden,
a sofa, cushioned chairs, and every convenience you can think of. The
town itself has nothing pleasant except its situation, but there are in
it two delightful spots, which I sought at once, after having taken my
dinner,--the Esplanade, very near me, an elevated plateau planted with
trees, from which you have an extensive view of the country around. From
this I had my first view of the Mediterranean, distant, I suppose, about
eight miles! At the opposite side of the town is the Place du Peyrou,
one of the finest squares in the world, on a fine elevation, descending
by bold terraces into the country around, the green fields coming up on
one side close to the parapet. The view is beautiful and very extensive,
the Mediterranean on one side, the Pic San Loup and the mountains of
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