[Picture: Mr. and Mrs. Green, Mrs. Martin, Mrs. Wardle and Mrs. Giles at Cannes]
Over twenty thousand visitors come to Cannes for the winter to escape the northern fogs and frosts. Mr. Green and I strolled the Promenade and talked over olden times. The ladies enjoyed their tete-a-tete and their shopping expeditions; so the days slipped quickly away and we must lose our friends, who go to Marseilles, then by sea to Glasgow. So again we say good-bye, expecting, however, to meet again soon in London. They leave early for Marseilles in order to catch their steamer. We visited Grasse the day after they left us. This is about twenty miles from Cannes by rail, and it lies up in the mountains; it is about one thousand feet above the sea level, yet it is surrounded by the Alps, at least east and north. The town has a population about fifteen thousand, and is built on the slope of a hill. It is steep climbing up from the station. Facing the town is a lovely valley or plain, where they cultivate flowers. The town is largely supported by the manufacturing of scent. There are several factories; one factory sends away over eleven million francs worth of scents yearly. It is a town of great interest. It has a fine old Cathedral, also some fairly good shops. The streets being on the hillside are not easy to walk along. Our stay was only for a few hours, but long enough to satisfy us; the place was health-giving and very interesting. On arriving at our hotel in Cannes we were tired; so after the usual table-de-hote and rest, we went to bed early, as the following morning we were to pack up and go. After the usual tips, bill settling, etc., we left Cannes and its many attractions, and as we rounded the bay we could see the town for miles with its white hotels, etc., amidst the luxuriant palm trees. We soon lost sight of the town and were spinning over deep ravines with rugged sides; there with jutting spurs of rock; here the sea pushing up in inlets and creeks, sparkling in the rays of the southern sun. Our train hurried us away from scenes of such perfect loveliness, past Toulon, and about 7.30 we reached Marseilles. Here we met again Mrs. Martin and her friend Mrs. Giles. We only stayed here about half-an-hour, but we began to feel the change in the atmosphere, and our rugs were brought into use, as we were travelling all night. About midnight we reached Lyons, and on looking out we found the snow was falling thick and fast. Oh! what a change in a few hundred miles! The sunny south was now behind us, and again we must face the biting frost and snow of winter.