Riviera Towns

From his study at Théoule, Herbert Adams Gibbons can see Grasse in the distance, yet an artist friend's arrival finally prompts a visit. Their excursion opens a collection of travel sketches about the French Riviera, with chapters on coastal resorts and inland towns. On the road to Grasse, olive trees, roses and orange blossoms lead into a discussion of beauty, cultivation and the perfume trade. Gibbons then follows his curiosity inside a factory while his companion looks for old streets to draw.

The writing moves between conversation, close observation and personal opinion. A later account of Villefranche studies how its harbor changes when seen from different roads, lingering over water, rocks and sunlight. Even the spelling of local place names becomes an argument about national loyalties. Readers interested in travel writing can follow the distinct habits of a writer and artist as they notice architecture, landscape and the work behind picturesque scenes.