General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1841 Original Publisher: Saunders and Otley Subjects: History / General Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: CHAPTER III. Road to Lyons -- Chalons -- Lyons -- The Rhone -- Mar. seilles -- Hospitals of Marseilles -- Climate of Provence. From Paris to Lyons, a choice of two roads presents itself, the difference between them in point of distance being but trifling. The road by the Bourbonnois passes through some pretty scenery, especially near the Loire, but the accommodations are bad; and the route by Auxerre and Chalons-sur-Saone (which, though interesting at some parts, is on the whole monotonous) is generally preferred on account of the facilities of descending the river by steam to Lyons. Some of the views in the forest of Fontainebleau are strikingly beautiful. Enormous masses of gray rock, which contrast agreeably with the surrounding foliage, lie scattered about in various directions, presenting a novel and curious appearance. The town possesses some good streets, but seems to be almost deserted. The chateau and garden will repay the trouble of a visit en passant. Sens is the first town of any importance on this route. The fagade of the old Gothic cathedral is fine, but the interior contains nothing worthy of observation, except the mausoleum erected to the father of Louis XVI., which is but of indifferent execution. Auxerre is a large town pleasantly situate on the Yonne, in an agreeably country, which produces a superior kind of wine. The golden tint of the vine-leaves in autumn gives a rich and pleasing appearance to some parts of the country between Auxerre and Chalons, which at another time would look dreary and cheerless. Durin...