At times I digress in my pictorial descriptions and offer some Bits of personal experience that have befallen me upon my journeys, which I trust may prove of interest and perhaps be of service to others travelling through the same places. It is with these purposes in view that the following pages have been written, and my hope is that they may serve to guide other lovers of the beautiful to some of the attractive spots and fascinating views which I have attempted to describe in these Odd Bits of Travel.
Philadelphia, 1900.
C. M. T., Jr.
CONTENTS
| PAGE | |
| Scenes of the Present and Relics of the Past | |
| Passing Vessels—The Ocean—Sudden Changes—Taking Photographs—TheLanding-Stage at Liverpool—New Brighton—Inthe Country—Liverpool by Night—Salvationists—OldTaverns—Chester—An English Home—Relics—TheCathedral—The River Dee—Leamington—The RiverLeam—Warwick Castle—An Old Mill—Through Kenilworth,Coventry and Stoneleigh—“The King’s Arms”—Nature’sPictures | [15] |
| Lights and Shadows of London Life | |
| The Shadow Side—The Slums—The City by Night—Vice andMisery—“Chinese Johnson’s” Opium Den—The “Bunco”Man—An English Guard—“The Grand Old Man”—Cautionto Tourists—Great Cities by Night—The SevenDials—Derby Day—The Tally-Ho—Old Robin HoodInn—Epsom Hill—The Races—Exciting Scenes—SideShows—The Close of the Day | [57] |
| Scenes in the Gay Capital | |
| Dover to Calais—Paris—-The Gay Capital by Night—Boulevards—Lifein the Streets—Champs Élysées—Place dela Concorde—Arc d’Etoile—Place Vendome—Louvre—OperaHouse—Palais Royal—Church of the Invalides—Versailles—NotreDame—Jardin Mabille—The Madeleine—ThePantheon—The Banks of the Seine—FrenchFuneral Ceremonies—La Morgue—Pere Lachaise | [83] |
| Antwerp and the City of Windmills | |
| From Paris to Antwerp—Along the Route—Thrifty Farmers—Antwerp—Dogsin Harness—The River—Old Churches—Chimes—AnInappreciative Listener—Steen Museum—Instrumentsof Torture—Lace Industry—Living Expenses—Hospitality—TheCity of Windmills—WateryHighways—A City of Canals—The Maas River—TheHouses on the Canals—Travel by Boat—Novel Scenes—CostlyHeadgear—Dutch Costumes—Powerful DraughtHorses—No Bonbons—Chocolate Candy—In the Market-Place—TheBelle of the Market—Photographs—WoodenShoes—Drawbridges—Blowing the Horn—Ancient Relics—TheSword of Columbus | [101] |
| A City of Many Islands | |
| Amsterdam—The People of Holland—Amstel River—MerryExcursionists—Interesting Institutions—Origin of theCity—Source of Prosperity—A Cousin to Venice—NinetyIslands—Beams and Gables—Block and Tackle—OldSalesmen—Street Markets—Haarlem—Railway Travelat Home and Abroad—Ancient Buildings—Historic Associations—Inthe Canal—Groote Kerk—The GreatOrgan—Picturesque Subjects—Zandvoort—Eau de Cologne—TheBeach—Dutch Sail Boats—Seamen—HoodedChairs—Peddlers—Music in Holland and Germany—Gypsies—WeMeet an Artist—Hospitality—A Banquet | [127] |
| Excursions To Broek and the Island of Marken | |
| A Charming Journey—Fellow-Passengers—National Costumes—TheChildren—A Lovely Landscape—Holstein Cattle—Windmills—Irrigation—Farmers—ATypical DutchVillage—Washing-Day—The Red, White and Blue—Supposea Bull Should Appear—A Brilliant Picture—Drawingthe Canal Boat—Honesty and Cleanliness—AThrifty and Industrious People—Farming and Cheese-making—AsEvening Falls—Scenes for an Artist—DeadCities of Holland—Monnikendam—Behind the Age—CityLamps—Houses and People—The Island of Marken—AnIsolated Wonderland—First Impressions—Rare Holidays—TheFamily Doctor—Absence of the Men—The Fishing—Healthyand Industrious Population—The Women ofMarken—Pretty Girls—They Will not be Taken—A ValuableExperience—Photographs | [149] |
| The Ancient Town of Monnikendam | |
| Marken Homes—Beds in the Wall—Family Heirlooms—AnAncient Clock—Precious Treasures—Quaint Customs—BetrothedCouples—The Hotel—Its Interior—A Lack ofPatrons—Costumes of a By-gone Age—Farewell to Marken—RemoteDistricts—Monnikendam—Ancient Houses—Hotelde Posthoorn—The Postman of the Past—ADifficult Stairway—We Stroll about the Town—Our Retinue—InFront of the Hotel—Such Curious Children—Supper—WeVisit the Shops—Pantomime—A Novel Experience—TheyCannot Understand—No Candles—WeAttract a Crowd—The Clothing Store—A Marken Suit—“TooHigh”—Bargaining—A Stranger to the Rescue | [177] |
| Old Customs and Quaint Pictures | |
| Segars and Tobacco—Row Boats—“Gooden Morgen”—TheZuyder Zee—By Candle Light—Total Darkness—TheTown by Night—Women and Girls—Shoes and Stockings—TheShuffling Man—Streets and Sidewalks—The TownCrier—The Daily News—A Message to the People—DraughtDogs—Milkmaids—The Barber Shop—DrugStores—Horretje—A Street Auction—Selling Curios—TheyLeave their Shoes at the Door—An Old Grist Mill—TheHolland Draught Girl | [205] |
| A Dutch Cheese-making District | |
| A Cheese-making Country—Edam Cheese—A Picturesque Inn—AnInteresting Interior—A Thrifty Farmer—At Sunrise—Inthe Cow Stable—The Pretty Maid—Stall andParlor—The Cheese Room—The Process of MakingCheese—“I Have Listened and Listened”—A Trip toVolendam—A Fine Country Road—A Charming Day—MuzzledDogs—The Only Street—A Multitude of Children—GayDecorations—A United People—As a Henand Her Brood—Their Wealth is Their Health—In SundayDress—Stalwart Men and Sturdy Women—A HigherType—“I Have Enough”—Fishermen—The Anchorage—AVolendam Suit | [233] |
| Volendam Sights, and the Oldest Town on the Rhine | |
| Church is Out—The Promenade—“Every Man is a Volume”—AnOld Suit—His Sunday Clothes—“Let Him HaveIt”—An Obedient Son—The Silver Buttons—The LastStraw—An Uncommon Action—The Hotel—An Artist’sResort—An Unfinished Painting—Good-bye—The AncientCity of Cologne—The Cathedral—Within the“Dom”—A Wonderful Collection—Foundation of theTown—History—Vicissitudes—Public Gardens—Eau deCologne—The Palace of Brühl | [255] |
| Along the Banks of the Rhine | |
| Bonn—The Birthplace of Beethoven—The Museum—Monument—AFamous Restaurant—College Students—BeerMugs—Special Tables—Affairs of Honor—Königswinter—MagnificentViews—Drachenfels—The Castle—TheDombruch—Siegfried and the Dragon—A DesecratedRuin—The Splendor of the Mountains—Many Visitors—Viewfrom the Summit—The Students’ Chorus—GermanLife—A German Breakfast—The Camera—Old Castlesand Lofty Mountains—Legends of the Rhine—The Watersof the Rhine—Vineyards | [283] |
| From Bingen on the Rhine To Frankfort-on-the-Main | |
| Vast Vineyards—Bingen—The Hotel—The Down Quilt—AGerman Maid—Taverns—The Mouse Tower—Rüdesheim—Niederwald—TheRheingau—The National Monument—TheCastle of Niederburg—Wine Vaults—The River—StreetMusicians—A Misunderstanding—Frankfort-on-the-Main—TheCrossing of the Ford—A Free City—Monumentof Goethe—History—A Convocation of Bishops—TheCity Monument of Gutenberg—The House in whichRothschild was Born—Luther | [313] |
| A Prussian Capital and a Fashionable Resort | |
| We Start for Berlin—Mountain and Valley—Harvesters—Villages—AGreat City—Unter den Linden—KrollTheatre and Garden—The City Streets—The BrandenburgGate—Potsdam—The Old Palace—Sans Souci—Ostend—AFashionable Watering-Place—The Promenade—TheKursaal—On the Beach—Bathing Machines—Studiesfor an Artist—The Race-Course—Sunday—TheWinning Horse—Fickle Dame Fortune—TheEnglish Channel—A Bureau of Information—Queenstown—AnIrish Lass—The Last Stop—The End of theJourney | [333] |