Chapter XIII.. Hotels.--De Londres, || De Escurra, Anglais, De Arrese, De

Hotels.--De Londres, || De Escurra, Anglais, De Arrese, De Berdejo, &c.

SALÉCHAN.--A village in the Garonne valley, in the Hautes-Pyrénées, and station on the Montrejeau-Luchon line for Ste. Marie (baths) and Siradan (baths).

SALIES.--A town on the river of same name, in the Basses-Pyrénées, 10 miles from Orthez, the nearest station.

It is celebrated for its salt springs; and Bayonne hams are said to owe their fine (?) flavour to the use of the salt produced from them.

Hotels.--Du Cheval Blanc, De France, De Paris.

SAZOS.--A small village near St. Sauveur, in the Hautes-Pyrénées, below the hamlet of Grust. For description of church, &c., refer to Chapter VII.

SIRADAN.--A small bathing resort in the valley of same name, in the Hautes-Pyrénées, with a bathing establishment and hotel in one building, 2 miles from Saléchan station on the Luchon-Montrejeau line. The springs contain sulphuret of lime and bicarbonate of iron. They have a similar effect to those of Ste. Marie (1 mile distant), but tend to excite more strongly. The water stands bottling well.

SOULOM.--A small village at the foot of the peak of same name, in the Hautes-Pyrénées, near Pierrefitte, possessing a curious old church. See Chapter IV.

TARBES.--A large town on the Adour, in the Hautes-Pyrénées. Station on the railway between Pau and Toulouse, and junction for the Bigorre and Morcenz lines. Cavalry barracks, cathedral, &c. Buffet at the station. See Chapter III.

Hotels.--De la Paix, France, Commerce.

URRUGNE.--A village in the Basses-Pyrénées, 2-1/2 miles from St. Jean de Luz.

USTARITZ.--The name of two villages, formerly separate, in the Basses-Pyrénées, 8-3/4 miles from Bayonne, on the carriage-road thence via Elizondo to Pampeluna (63 miles).

VALCABRÈRE.--A small village in the Haute-Garonne, 2 miles from Loures station on the Luchon-Montrejeau line, celebrated for the Church of St. Just, a venerable pile in the vicinity.

VENASQUE.--A small and prosperous town in Spain, 9 hours from Luchon (21 miles) by the Port of the same name. There are some baths similar in their uses to those of Luchon, fed by sulphurous springs at some distance from the town, and 2-1/2 hours nearer Luchon.

Excellent accommodation can be obtained at the Casa san Mimi (Antonio Saora) for travellers.

VERNET-LES-BAINS (2050 ft.), a bathing resort situated in a hollow in the Eastern Pyrenees, 7 miles from the nearest railway station.

There are several springs which supply the large Bathing Establishment and the smaller Thermes Mercader. The water is largely charged with sulphate of lime, and possesses properties similar to other waters of that type. It is especially useful in affections of the air-passages and skin complaints, and is more or less exciting according to the springs. The climate is mild, and therefore Vernet has some reputation as a winter resort, being very little colder than Amélie (to which refer in Appendix).

Hotels.--Des Commandants (in the bathing establishment), Du Parc, Ibrahim Pacha et des Bains, Du Canigou, &c.

Villas furnished to be let.

Carriages and Horses.

Post and Telegraph Office, Theatre, Clubs, &c.

Guide.--Michael Nou.

Chief Excursions:--

The Canigou (9144 ft.)--11 hours up and down. Guide recommended, also provisions. Horses 10 frs., guide 10 frs. Horses can go within a mile of the top, from which the view is splendid. The ascent is long but not difficult.

The Fountain des Esquereyres.--Via Castell, 1/2 hour; a pleasant walk.

Tour de Goa.--4 hours up and down. An interesting battlemented tower, with a fine view.

Vallée de Sahorre.--3 hours there and back; an enjoyable trip.

Cascade de Cadi.--6 hours there and back; guide recommended.

The Abbey of Canigou.--2-1/2 hours there and back; guide unnecessary. An interesting ruin.

Vieuzac.--A suburb of Argelès, in the Hautes-Pyrénées, possessing a donjon tower. The station on the line from Lourdes is called Argelès-Vieuzac.

Villelongue.--A small village in the Argelès valley, in the Hautes-Pyrénées, near Pierrefitte. See Chapter IV.

APPENDIX B

RAILWAY INFORMATION AND SKELETON ROUTES TO THE CHIEF RESORTS IN THE PYRENEES.

For the ordinary traveller a "Continental Bradshaw" is as useful a railway guide as any, especially if his knowledge of French is limited, but the time tables published by Chaix and Cie. are also most excellent in every way. Of these the best and most expensive is the "Livret-Chaix Continental," price 2 frs, containing all continental railways and a complete index. A cheaper time table is the "Indicateur des Chemins de Fer," published by the same firm, price 1/2 fr., which gives the French railways only, with map and index. Besides these, all the principal lines have time tables of their own, price 30 cents.

It is advisable, when people are travelling as a party, that they should have their luggage all weighed together, presenting the whole of the tickets at the same time; this not only frequently saves expense, but, as the number of persons is marked by the luggage clerk on their baggage receipt, it is a guarantee that each has bought a ticket, which saves trouble if one should happen to be lost.

When people are stopping the night en route at a place, and do not wish to take their registered luggage to the hotel, only to have to bring it back for re-registration next day, they have simply to leave it in the station, and when starting again on the morrow to tell the porter--when they give him the baggage ticket--that it was left overnight (for which the charge is 1d. per package), whereupon he will register it without further trouble.

If a ticket is taken for the wrong station (by mistake) and the luggage is accordingly registered wrongly too, the passenger must represent the same to the station-master and ask him to allow a change to be made; if there is not time to do this the luggage clerk may take the responsibility--if the urgency of the case is made argentiferously clear--but the plan is not recommended. It is important to know that if a traveller misses his train he must present his ticket at the ticket office to be restamped in order to make it again available--otherwise it is liable to be forfeited.

Travellers will also save themselves much trouble by settling which hotel they intend to go to, before arriving at their destination; and it must be fully understood that for the carrying of small parcels taken into the carriage, the aid of porters can never be counted on. See Chapter XI.

Luggage not exceeding 30 kilogrammes (i.e. 66 lbs. Eng.) is carried free; 1d. being charged for the registration thereof.

* * * * *

Routes from London to Paris.

Route 1.--Via Dover, Calais, Montreuil, Abbeville, Amiens, Claremont, and Creil: the quickest route.

Route 2.--Via Folkestone, Boulogne, Montreuil, &c. as above.

Route 3.--Via Newhaven, Dieppe, Rouen, Gaillon, Mantes, and Poissy: the least expensive route.

From Liverpool to Bordeaux.

Route 4.--Per Pacific Steam Navigation Co.'s steamers, fortnightly, sailing on Wednesdays; average passage 2-1/2 days.

From London to Bordeaux.

Route. 5.--Per General Steam Navigation Co.'s steamers, average passage 3 to 4 days.

Route 6.--Via Weymouth, Cherbourg, Caen, Alençon, Le Mans, Tours and Angoulême. From Paris to Bordeaux.

Route 7.--Via Orleans, Blois, St. Pierre les Corps (for Tours), Poitiers, Angoulême, and Libourne.

From Paris to Bagnères de Bigorre.

Route 8.--Via Orléans, Nexon, Perigueux, Les Eyzies, Libos, Agen, Lectoure, Auch, Mirande, and Tarbes: the most direct route from Paris to the Pyrénées.

From Paris to Toulouse.

Route 9.--Via Issoudun, Argenton, Limoges, Nexon, Brives, Rocamadour, Assier, Figeac, Villefranche, and Tessonières: the quickest and best route for the Pyrénées Orientales, and resorts of Vernet, Amélie, &c.

From Bordeaux to Arcachon.

Route 10.--Viâ Gazinet, Facturé, Lamothe, and La Teste.

From Bordeaux to Bagnères de Bigorre.

Route 11.--Viâ Morcenx, Arjuzaux, Arengosse, Mont de Marsan, Aire, Vic-Bigorre, Tarbes, Salles, Adour, and Montgaillard: a longer route from Paris, by a few miles only, than Route 8.

From Bordeaux to Biarritz.

Route 12.--Viâ Ychoux, Morcenx, Dax, Saint Geours, and Bayonne.

From Bordeaux to Pau.

Route 13.--Viâ Ychoux, Morcenx, Dax, Puyoo, Orthez, Lacq, and Lescar.

From Pau to Eaux Bonnes and Eux Chaudes. Route 14.--By carriage viâ Gan, Louvie-Juzon, and Laruns.

Route 15.--By rail viâ Gan and Laruns, [Footnote: This railway was to be opened this year (1883).] and carriage from Laruns.

From Pau to Lourdes.

Route 16.--Viâ Coarraze-Nay, Montaut-Bétharram, and St. Pé.

From Pau to Oloron.

Route 17.--Viâ Gan and Belair.

From Lourdes to Argelès.

Route 18.--Viâ Soum, Lugagnan, and Boo-Silhen.

From Lourdes to Pierrefitte.

Route 19.--Viâ Soum, Lugagnan, Boo-Silhen and Argelès.

From Lourdes to Cauterets, Luz, St. Sauveur, Barèges, and Gavarnie.

Route 20.--By Route 19 to Pierrefitte, thence by diligence or private carriage to Cauterets.

Route 21.--By Route 19 to Pierrefitte, thence by diligence or private carriage to Luz.

Route 22.--By Route 19 to Pierrefitte, thence by similar conveyances to St. Sauveur.

Route 23.--By Route 21 to Luz and continuation to Barèges.

Route 24.--By Route 22 to St. Sauveur and continuation to Gavarnie.

From Bagnères de Bigorre to Barèges.

Route 25.--By carriage viâ Ste. Marie, Gripp, Tramesaïgues, and the Col de Tourmalet. This route is only open in midsummer.

From Bagnères de Bigorre to Bagnères de Luchon.

Route 26.--By carriage viâ Campan, Ste. Marie, Payole, Col d'Aspin, Arreau, Bordères, Col de Peyresourde, and Garin. Considered the finest drive in the Pyrenees.

Route 27.--By rail viâ Montgaillard, Tarbes, Montrejeau, Saléchan, Marignac, and Luchon. An exceedingly long round.

From Bagneres de Luchon to St. Bertrand de Comminges.

Route 27.--By carriage viâ Cier, Marignac, Saléchan, Loures, and Labroquère.

Route 28.--By train viâ Marignac and Saléchan to Loures, and carriage thence to St. Bertrand. The rail continues from Loures to Montrejeau.

From St. Bertrand to Montrejeau.

Route 29.--By carriage to Loures station, thence by train to Montrejeau.

Route 30.--By carriage direct to Montrejeau.

From Toulouse to Perpignan.

Route 31.--Via Castelnaudary, Carcassone, Narbonne, La Nouvelle, Salses, and Rivesaltes.

From Perpignan to Amélie-les-Bains.

Route 32.--By diligence or carriage viâ Pollestres, Le Boulou, and Le Pont de Ceret.

From Perpignan to Molitg.

Route 33.--By rail viâ Millas, Ille, Bouleternère, and Vinca, to Prades, thence by diligence or carriage viâ Catlar to Molitg.

From Perpignan to Vernet.

Route 34--Route 33 to Prades and coach to Vernet.

Route 35--By rail viâ Prades to Villefranche, and carriage thence to Vernet.