Dwight L. Elmendorf

“ No traveler can find greater variety in scene and life, in language and habit, in climate and condition, than he gets in the course of a full Mediterranean tour. Few travelers make the whole circuit of the Mediterranean. This great inland sea is usually visited only in parts, and while the traveler is in transit from one point to another. There is no general description that can apply to the whole of this interesting body of water. On every shore there is something that is new and different, and somewhere on these shores there is something to delight each one. ”

“ Little churches and chapels peering from the somber foliage of cypresses, and gigantic gray pinnacles of rock frowning upon the smiling plains, frequently enhance the charms of the scenery; while the vast expanse of the Mediterranean, with its ever changing hues, dazzles the eye with its beauty. ”

“ As one writer said, “Mount Vesuvius is to the Neapolitan bay what Fujiyama is to many a landscape of Japan,—the lofty background of the picture, and the grand presiding genius of the place. By day it proudly waves its plume of smoke, by night its torch of fire, as if it claimed to be the champion of destruction.” ”

“ Genoa is full of stirring activity. If you have gone there from some of the quieter towns along the Riviera, you will feel a change in spirit. You are inclined to move a little faster. Things are happening all the time. There is much to be seen, and all that you see tells a story of years of vigorous, successful civic life. The most notable physical features of Genoa are its fine medieval churches and its many splendid sixteenth century palaces. ”

“ There are travelers of years of experience who have declared that the site and surroundings of Naples are not excelled in beauty anywhere in the world. You enter the Bay of Naples with the island of Ischia (es ́-kee-ah) on one side and on the other the island of Capri (kah ́-pree) . Immediately before you lies Naples, stretching out from the water’s edge up the hills beyond; the second largest city in Italy, with a population of over five hundred thousand. Back of it and to the southeast is Vesuvius. History has taught us to look with feelings of respect and awe upon that smoke-crowned cone. ”

“ If scenery is desired, the French and Italian Riviera (ree-vee-ay ́-rah) will draw one irresistibly. A life full of gaiety will hold him there. If historic associations interest him, he will turn naturally to the shores of Italy and Greece, and he will spend months pleasantly in the Adriatic or Ægean Sea. There is in those countries an endless amount to learn and a wealth of natural beauty. When you have cruised through the Ægean (ee-jee ́-an) , visit the coast of Greece, and of Asia Minor. There you will know the feelings that stirred Lord Byron when he wrote ”

“ There is no place in the world where arrangements are so well planned to satisfy the desire of human beings to get something for nothing. And it is not simply a gaming place. The spectacle of Monte Carlo has a great fascination even for those who never play at the tables, everything is so beautiful, so orderly, and so well kept. ”

“ The city of Nice is a great winter resort for invalids and others from all parts of Europe. It is situated on the Mediterranean 100 miles east of Marseilles. A steep limestone hill, 308 feet in height, running back for some distance from the shore, is the historical nucleus of the town. It used to be crowned by a castle, which, previous to its destruction by the Duke of Berwick in 1706, was one of the strongest fortresses on the coast. ”

“ In the burial spots of the Genoese, as well as in the homes where they live, there is much of luxury and elegance. In its business activities, its social life, its climate, and its customs, Genoa is attractive, and holds the visitor there for sometime content.
NAPLES
On the most beautiful site in Europe stands Naples, the Neapolis of the Athenian colonists. After the Romans conquered it, it still retained Greek culture and institutions. It became the favorite summer resort of the Romans, and the delight of the poets Horace, Ovid, and Virgil. ”

“ All the coast about Algiers is filled with just such interesting relics of Biblical times. Perfect French roads now make it possible to reach the most interesting places by carriage or motorcar.
THE RIVIERA
Across the Mediterranean is a stretch of shore that no traveler in Europe should miss. It is called “The Riviera,” and it extends from Cannes (kahn) to Ventimiglia (ven-tee-meel ́-yah) , thence to Spezia (spet ́-see-ah) , beyond Genoa (jen ́-o-ah) ; the former section French, the latter Italian. ”

“ The population of the entire principality is only 19,000.
Monaco—the city of Monte Carlo in particular—is so greatly visited for two reasons,—its charming climate and situation, and its gaming tables. It is an excellent health resort, but is world famous as a gambling place. It was in 1861 that a man named François Blanc obtained a gambling concession in Monaco for fifty years from Charles III. A stock company later got hold of this concession, and in 1898 it was extended to 1947, in return for a payment to the prince of $2,000,000 in 1899 and another payment of $3,000,000 in 1913. ”

“ What is usually called a “Mediterranean trip” rarely comprises more than ten or fifteen points. With limited time, the traveler naturally selects the points of which he has heard most.
ALGIERS
ALGIERS
A scene near the busy market.
A Mediterranean trip to many travelers means Algiers (al-jeerz ́) , as far as the African coast is concerned, and the Riviera, with all the points on that beautiful north shore line. Then they must see Naples, of course, and after passing down the Italian coast they are likely to go straight on to Egypt. ”

“ The object of The Mentor Association is to enable people to acquire useful knowledge without effort, so that they may come easily and agreeably to know the world’s great men and women, the great achievements and the permanently interesting things in art, literature, science, history, nature and travel. ”

“ PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
NICE, FRANCE
The Massilians founded Nice 2,500 years ago. Its situation soon made it one of the busiest trading stations on the Ligurian coast. But in those days the price of prosperity was continual warfare. The Saracens descended on Nice in 729; and though at that time they were repulsed, in the next century they captured the city and burned it.
All through the Middle Ages, Nice had its share in the wars and disasters of Italy. It had to fight both Genoa and France, and on the sea its merchantmen were attacked by Barbary pirates. ”

“ For the comfort and entertainment of visitors every provision is made. Autumn is the best season. Nice is at its liveliest during the carnival festivities. In these carnivals battles are waged with sweetmeats and flowers.
COPYRIGHT, 1913, BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.
GENOA, ITALY
GENOA, ITALY, a busy center of modern enterprise and activity, is the subject of one of the intaglio-gravure pictures illustrating “The Mediterranean.” ”

“ After passing through the straits of Gibraltar the attention of the traveler is soon centered on Algiers.
From the entrance to the harbor Algiers appears like a white diamond set in a circle of emeralds. The town consists of two parts, the French and the Arab quarters. To the visitor from the west Algiers is most interesting; for there he meets characters of all kinds, European peoples mixing with those of North Africa. The French quarters show that the Frenchman, when compelled to live in another country, takes a bit of Paris with him ”

“ Nice and its near neighbors have become a famous resort for invalids, especially of the English, who flee to this part of the world to escape their own disagreeable winter. In summer the temperature is fifteen to twenty degrees lower than Paris. The best view of the town is obtained from Castle Hill, overlooking the shore of the Promenade des Anglais, constructed by the English in 1822, in order to give work to the unemployed. One of the secrets of the great success of Nice as a resort is the great variety of entertainment offered by the clever Frenchmen. ”

“ They are Mentor Presentation Coupons, and they have been prepared for the use of members of The Mentor Association. We believe that every member of The Mentor Association has many friends who would be delighted to know The Mentor, and to become acquainted with the advantages which the Association affords. In this busy work-a-day world people are often too busy to pass on a good thing to their friends. Sometimes it is not because they are too busy ”

“ Nice is a great commercial town. Grapes, olives, oranges, and mulberries are grown profusely, and in the city there are perfumery factories, oilworks, furniture factories, confectionery works, a national tobacco factory, and many others. ”

“ On account of the gaming, the whole district is filled with characters that one had rather not meet except in the Casino, where perfect order is assured by the presence of numerous detectives, ready to check disorder when it threatens, or to notify politely anyone of suicidal tendency to leave the Casino and the principality. ”