The Casino building is very theatrical in style, built expressly for its purpose, and superbly placed on a promontory overlooking the sea and town. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens, carefully kept. In fact, the whole place is a delight to the eye and the most beautiful spot on the Riviera. It is attractive enough to detain one for days, even if the great magnet, the Casino, were not there. On account of the gaming, the whole district is filled with characters that one had rather not meet except in the Casino, where perfect order is assured by the presence of numerous detectives, ready to check disorder when it threatens, or to notify politely anyone of suicidal tendency to leave the Casino and the principality. There is no place in the world where arrangements are so well planned to satisfy the desire of human beings to get something for nothing. And it is not simply a gaming place. The spectacle of Monte Carlo has a great fascination even for those who never play at the tables, everything is so beautiful, so orderly, and so well kept. Many who visit there prefer, however, to stop at Mentone, which is but a few minutes distant by trolley or motorcar. [Illustration: THE CASINO, MONTE CARLO _One of the beautiful gaming rooms, the “Salle du Trente-Quarante.”_] NICE The Nicæa (ny-see´-a) of ancient times, founded by Massilians in the fifth century B.C., Nice is the birthplace of Masséna (mah-say-nah´) and Garibaldi, (gah-ree-bahl´-dee). Sheltered by the Maritime Alps, and because of the great limestone cliffs along shore, which absorb the heat rays of the sun, the temperature is so modified that flowers bloom the year round. Nice and its near neighbors have become a famous resort for invalids, especially of the English, who flee to this part of the world to escape their own disagreeable winter. In summer the temperature is fifteen to twenty degrees lower than Paris. The best view of the town is obtained from Castle Hill, overlooking the shore of the Promenade des Anglais, constructed by the English in 1822, in order to give work to the unemployed. One of the secrets of the great success of Nice as a resort is the great variety of entertainment offered by the clever Frenchmen. Fine hotels, theaters, casinos, promenades, and roads (the best in the world), especially the Petite and the Grand Corniche (kor-neesh´), together with a superb climate, are quite enough to attract people from all parts of the world. The business part of the town is a miniature Paris. Fine avenues, lined with shops filled with all kinds of attractive things, inveigle the tourist into extravagant expenditure; while casinos and gambling places relieve the venturesome of their spare cash most politely. [Illustration: THE CASINO, MONTE CARLO _The richly decorated “Salon de Conversation.”_] GENOA [Illustration: NICE _The town and the promenade from Castle Hill._] [Illustration: NICE _Nice is a superb winter resort. In the summer it is less frequented._]