Rambles on the Riviera

"À Valence, le Midi commence!" is a saying of the French, though this Rhône-side city, the
Julia-Valentia of Roman times, is in full view of the snow-clad Alps. It is true, however, that
as one descends the valley of the torrential Rhône, from Lyons southward, he comes suddenly
upon a brilliancy of sunshine and warmth of atmosphere, to say nothing of many differences
in manners and customs, which are reminiscent only of the southland itself. Indeed this is
even more true of Orange, but a couple of scores of miles below, whose awning-hung streets,
and open-air workshops are as brilliant and Italian in motive as Tuscany itself. Here at
Orange one has before him the most wonderful old Roman arch outside of Italy, and an
amphitheatre so great and stupendous in every way, and so perfectly preserved, that he may
well wonder if he has not crossed some indefinite frontier and plunged into the midst of some
strange land he knew not of.
The history of Provence covers so great a period of time that no one as yet has attempted to
put it all into one volume, hence the lover of wide reading, with Provence for a subject, will
be able to give his hobby full play.