A daily omnibus runs from St Tropez to Cogolin at the upper end of the Gulf of Grimaud, forming a very pretty drive of an hour and a quarter. At Cogolin the road to Hyères branches off to the left, and that to Le Luc to the right. A daily diligence runs each way between Cogolin and Le Luc. There is time, after the arrival of the omnibus from St Tropez, to walk on to Grimaud and wait for the diligence there. In crossing the plain the towering ruins of the castle, crowning a lofty pyramidal hill, are seen rising about two miles off, and give promise of a splendid subject. From the base of the hill (Fig. 143) the white houses of the town clustering round the grey walls of the castle have a commanding appearance, and even when seen close they form some fine and picturesque combinations. But from an architectural point of view the castle is disappointing, being reduced to a mere skeleton of two towers, connected by a ruined wall of enceinte (Fig. 144). It was built in the fifteenth century by Italian architects for the Grimaldi, to whom this country then belonged, and it was occupied till the middle of last century. [Illustration: FIG. 144. CASTLE OF GRIMAUD.] Many of the houses of the town are new, but there are also some very old and picturesque streets, bordered with rude arcades. The church, though modernised, has retained its old tunnel vault, with transverse ribs, and simple Provençal mouldings. It has also a semi-circular apse, and a round arched door, with very deep voussoirs, like that of Hyères--possibly a survival of the art of the Moors. The diligence passes here at 2 P.M., and reaches Le Luc about 4.30, after a very fine drive through a mountainous country, covered with noble old forest trees. These consist chiefly of chestnuts and cork oaks, which have grown to a great size, the latter furnishing the materials for the chief industry of the country. The road consists of a long hill up to the Col or pass, on which stands LA GARDE FREINET, and then a long descent down to the plain of the Argens. La Garde Freinet is a small town occupying the site of the famous Fraxinet, or chief citadel of the Moors, which gave its name to all their other settlements in Provence. The Moors took possession of this lofty district in the ninth century, and from it, as a secure centre, they made their predatory descents on the surrounding fertile plains. But in 973, after a severe struggle, they were driven out by a combination of the Christian inhabitants of Provence.