The road from Vence to the Cagnes railway station descends the whole way, passing at some distance the village of St. Paul, pop. 700, with part of its old walls, and below it the village of La Colle, pop. 1500. The coach drives through the low or modern town of [Cagnes]. Inn: Savournin, not comfortable during the mosquito season. The real town occupies, as usual, a hill, on the summit of which is a castle built by the Grimaldi, a polygonal tower bought by the present owner at an auction; who has restored the painting by Carloni on the ceiling of the Salle Dorée, representing the Flight of Phaeton, and has also added a small picture gallery. A little way down from the castle are the ruins of the small abbey church of St. Veran, 6th cent. The chancel is still in good preservation. From Cagnes the views are not equal to those from Vence. (For the [Vence-Cagnes station], see p. 169.)
St. Vallier.
[ ST. VALLIER.]
[Grasse to Digne], 63 m. north.—By the courrier 16 frs., changing coach at Castellane. Fare to St. Vallier, 2½ frs., Escragnolles 4 frs., Castellane 8½ frs., Barrème 11½ frs., and Digne 16 frs. By private coach from Grasse, with two horses, 100 frs. Dining first day at Escragnolles, and passing the night at Castellane. Next day breakfasting at Barrème, and then driving down to Digne (see [map, p. 165]).
The road between Grasse and Digne is broad, well constructed, and rises at an angle from 5 to 7 in the 100. From Grasse to St. Vallier (2350 ft. above the sea, or 1260 ft. above Grasse, and 6½ m. distant, population 536) the ascent is continuous, disclosing all the way grand views of Cannes, the sea, and the Estérel and the Tanneron mountains. The courrier and private carriages halt generally a few minutes in the “Place,” near the column with a marble bust of Napoleon I., indicating the spot where he reposed “2 Mars 1815.” The Hôtel du Nord is about 100 yards from this. The house is pretty comfortable, and charges per day from 8 to 9 frs. A carriage from this hotel, towards the Ponte-à-Dieu, as far as it can go, 3½ m., costs 5 frs. The remainder can be walked in about half an hour. A carriage from Grasse to St. Vallier, and towards the Pont-à-Dieu and back, 20 frs. The Pont-à-Dieu is a calcareous rock which spans the Siagne in the form of a bridge, like the “Pont” across the Ardèche.
From St. Vallier the road makes very circuitous windings on the steep sides of the mountains, ascending nearly all the way to Escragnolles, a hamlet, pop. 320, consisting of a few houses and a small roadside inn, with clean but hard beds, and plain and scanty fare, situated 3282 ft. above the sea, or 2192 ft. above and 18 m. north from Grasse. A little before arriving at Escragnolles is seen, in a deep valley, one of the principal sources of the river Siagne. The views from Escragnolles and Castellane exhibit lofty, wild, and partially-wooded mountains, with fields of wheat on laboriously-terraced ground.
Castellane. Taulanne. Barrème.
19 m. N.W. from Escragnolles, or 37¼ from Grasse, is [Castellane], 2370 ft. above the sea. Pop. 2000. Inns: Levant; Commerce. A village of crooked streets on the Verdon, crossed by a bridge of one
arch. A narrow path leads to the top of the lofty cliff on which is the chapel of Notre Dame, rebuilt in 1703, commanding a most extensive prospect. Napoleon I. descended into Italy by the road on the left bank of the river. Those in private carriages generally spend the night here. A small coach runs between Castellane and Digne, which, although not very comfortable, is much better than the courrier in bad weather. 18 m. W. from Castellane by a mountain-road is [Moustiers Sainte Marie] (see p. 167). From Castellane the road by a series of zigzags reaches the top of the Col St. Pierre, 3600 ft., and then descends to [Taulanne], 7 m. N.W. from Castellane. From Taulanne the road descends 5 m. S., chiefly through a picturesque ravine, to [Senez], pop. 620, among wild barren mountains, at the foot of Mont La Combe, on the river Asse. The hamlet has a poor inn, and a cathedral built during 1130 to 1242.
44¼ m. N.W. from Grasse, and 18¾ m. S. from Digne, is [Barrème], pop. 1100, on the confluence of the Clumane with the Asse. Breakfast is taken here, and the diligence changes horses. Cloth-mills and trade in dried fruits, especially prunes. In the neighbourhood is a saline spring. The road from Barrème to Digne descends by a ridge between the valleys of the Asse and the Clumane.