FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93  
94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   >>  
e more struck by the heather than any other form of vegetation. The mountains and hills were covered with it, and whatever else we saw, heather was always in the picture on the hills and mimosa along the roadside. From the roots of transplanted Mediterranean heather--and not from briar--are made what we call briarwood pipes. When a salesman assures you that the pipe he offers is "genuine briar," if it really was briar, you would think it wasn't. When names have become trademarks, we have to persist in their misuse. Vallauris was called the golden valley (_vallis aurea_) because of the pottery the Romans discovered the natives making from the fine clay of the banks of the little stream that runs into the Golfe Juan. For twenty centuries the inhabitants of Vallauris have found no reason to change their _metier_. They are still making dishes and vases and statuettes, and there is still plenty of clay. Moreover, modern methods have not found a substitute either for the potter at his wheel or for the little ovens of limited capacity when it comes to turning out work that is flawless and bears the stamp of individuality. We can manufacture almost everything en masse and in series except pottery. Joseph-Marie was not in evidence at Vallauris: but we found the potters glad to show us their work, seemingly for the pride they had in it. Of course you did have a chance to buy: but salesmanship was not obtrusive. The great industry of Cannes is fresh cut flowers. The flower market of a morning in the Allees de la Liberte is richer in variety than that of Nice. There is less charm, however, in the sellers. In Nice you simply cannot help buying what is offered you. Pretty faces and soft pleading voices draw the money from your pocket. You look from the flowers to those who offer them: and then you buy the flowers. At Cannes, on the other hand, you ask yourself first what in the world you are going to do with them after you have them. Perhaps this difference in your mood is the reason of the enormous industry that has been developed in Cannes. You are not asked to buy flowers because a seller wants you to and is able to lure you with a smile. You are told that here is the unique chance to send your friends in Paris and London a bit of the springtime fragrance of the Riviera. "Three francs, five francs, ten francs, _monsieur_, and tomorrow morning in Paris or tomorrow evening in London the postman will deliver t
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93  
94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   >>  



Top keywords:
flowers
 

Cannes

 

Vallauris

 

francs

 

heather

 
morning
 
pottery
 

reason

 
London
 

making


tomorrow

 

industry

 
chance
 

sellers

 
buying
 

simply

 
seemingly
 
postman
 

flower

 

market


offered

 

obtrusive

 

Allees

 

salesmanship

 

richer

 

variety

 

Liberte

 

evening

 

deliver

 

pocket


developed

 
seller
 

difference

 

enormous

 

unique

 
friends
 

Riviera

 
fragrance
 

springtime

 
Perhaps

pleading
 

voices

 
potters
 
monsieur
 

Pretty

 

genuine

 
offers
 

salesman

 
assures
 

vallis