Monday July 15th

Monday, July 15
Leaving Nernun, we followed the Seine for some miles, then crossed a rising stretch to avoid another long bend. The sun was hot, a breeze fanning us occasionally. The scenery was less artificial, - though some trim avenues of trees shaded the road way. We made several stops for pictures, along the country stretches and in the hot, glary villages. At one bend overlooking the river at Rolleboise we came upon some fine country houses. The estate and park of Mr. ________the sugar manufacturer was just out of Rosny.
We lunched at Nantes - fifteen miles from Nernun - the shaded garden of a splendid little hotel. Mr. S gave hearty appreciation to the discovery of a shaded spot within a city of France. Three hours at the Grand Hotel de Grand'Cerf made us fit to take up the next stage of the trip.
Leading down out of the town, we crossed the Seine, an old church standing high on the bank we left. From here, clear into Saint Germaine, we passed (53) through many shaded avenues. But all in all the country was not so beautiful as in the previous afternoon. The shade was very welcome, as the sun was hot, and breezes came only intermittently.
Poissy is a beautiful town. There we changed to horses. After a delay caused us by a silly engine, we started into St. G., Most of the road here had a tendency to upgrade. Automobiles made the stretch of 3 ½ m. horribly dusty. An aeroplane went overhead - by way of new interest. Then we swung through Saint G. a fine place - up to the old park of ancient kings, to the Pavilion de Henri IV so named from an extant building H.IV built.
The dilapidated, or unadorned houses, plumb on the road still distressed us. When the well-to-do built along the roadway, they put up high walls to keep out the common herd. But we on our high coach seats stole peeks into many pretty places in spite of (54) stringy walls.
Many French folk dined around us - quite as varying in the degrees of their attractiveness as people similarly placed at home.