1936 On the Continent

shore of one of the many mountain lakes in those provinces.
    For instance, you should try the French side of the lake of Geneva for your summer holidays. It has the advantage of being considerably cheaper than the Swiss side and also of being a bit less fashionable. Its only drawback is that the Swiss side gets more of the sun, but you’ll only notice that in the evenings.
    Evian and Thonon are the two principal French centres of the lake of Geneva. They are beautifully situated, and you can get all the boating and swimming you want from their admirably equipped shores. They are practically opposite Montreux, and if the fancy takes you, you can easily run over to Switzerland for a day by the regular boat service which makes the tour of the whole lake. Even if you don’t want to go to Switzerland it is really worth going round the lake in those small steamboats, breaking your journey for lunch at any spot on the shores you happen to find attractive. As far as Evian is concerned, I should advise you to try the Hôtel Gallia. It is a little outside the town, on the slopes, and there is awonderful view from its windows and garden over the whole lake. I know nothing nicer than to sit on a balcony in the evening, smoking and drinking, watching the twinkling lights on the opposite shore and breathing the cool breezes off the softly shining lake.
    Evian is also an admirable centre for excursions, particularly the tour by the famous
route des Alpes
.
Lake of Annecy
    Annecy is another lovely place to spend a holiday or a week in. The lake of Annecy is smaller than that of Geneva, but it gains in intimacy what it loses in size. Personally, I think it is far more beautiful than the lake of Geneva, with the mountains rearing up far closer to its shores and reflected in its immensely deep waters. The town is full of canals, and has even been rather foolishly called the Venice of Savoy; although apart from the mere existence of the canals there is not the remotest resemblance between it and Venice. It is the former capital of the Dukes of Savoy, before the princes of that house settled in Turin, then in Rome as the Kings of Italy. It is an old town, and full of delightful old streets, with covered-in sidewalks. It has a very interesting Archbishop’s palace to be visited after payment of a tip to the concierge, and a small and peculiar castle cut off from the rest of the town by two rapidly flowing canals.
    If you are going there for the sake of the lake rather than of Annecy itself, I should advise you to stay at Talloires or Menthon, on the left bank looking from Annecy. Talloires is a beautiful old village, right at the bottom of a huge mountain, and has a special white wine of its own which is worth trying, though you will probably find it too bitter. There is an ancient abbey there too, half turned into a hotel, where you might as well stay. There are cheaper hotels in Talloires, but I think the Hôtel de l’Abbaye is really the most comfortable.
Aix-les-Bains
    Aix-les-Bains in the same region is also well worth seeing. If you suffer from rheumatism, the sulphurous waters there have been famous from the very earliest timeas a remedy. The town was founded by the Romans. To-day it is unquestionably the smartest of all the French watering places. It has a big English colony of regular visitors, among whom you will often see Mr. Stanley Baldwin. When you go there, don’t fail to sit down on the terrace of the Villa des Fleurs near the casino, which is the really
chic
place in the town. On the left you will see a little square, and on it the pastry-shop where the Aga Khan met a little sales-girl who has since become the Begum. If I were you, I should stay at the Hôtel International Rivollier, Avenue de la Gare. It is not the biggest in Aix, but is certainly one of the best. When you eat in town, try the Restaurant Belles Rives in the port. They will serve you delicious fish straight from the lake.
    The Lake of Bourget is more savage than that of Annecy, but it is very beautiful in its own way. One shore is quite flat and marshy, whilst the other rises abruptly into the mountains. On the latter shore, between the sheer sides of a mountain and the dark waters of the lake stands the Abbey of Hautecombe. In its crypts lie the remains of the Dukes of Savoy, the ancestors of the present King of Italy. As a matter of fact, Hautecombe is a little piece of Italy on French territory. The religious order which founded it still lives