Memoranda on Tours and Touraine Part 16

Fifteen pounds of luggage are allowed, and twenty-one francs per cent is charged for the overplus. The usual charges for meals to the pa.s.sengers in the diligence are, for dinner 4 fr.; for supper 3-1/2 fr; for breakfast 3-1/2 fr. The average expense of travelling by the diligence, including the pour-boire of the coachman and conductor, is about 75 centimes per league. They usually travel about two leagues an hour.

Offices in Paris from which the Tours diligences set out.--Rue du Bouloy, Nos 9 and 24--Rue N.-D. des Victoires, N 22.

On travellers arriving in Paris we would strongly recommend Lawson's Bedfort hotel N. 323 rue St-Honore and N. 24 rue Rivoli where they will meet with every attention and English comforts at reasonable charges. It is situated in the most agreeable part of Paris adjacent to the palace and garden of the Tuileries. Apartments may be had by the day, week, or month; breakfasts are served in the coffee-room or in private apartments, and visitors may dine at the table-d'hote or in their own rooms. The greatest regularity prevails in forwarding and delivering letters, parcels, and information of every kind is furnished.

DILIGENCES start every day from Tours, to Paris, Bordeaux, la Roch.e.l.le, Poitiers, Nantes, le Mans, Caen, Chartres, Chinon, Orleans, Laval, and Mayenne.

The princ.i.p.al hotels in Tours are, the Boule d'Or; the Faisan; Hotel de Londres; Hotel d'Angleterre; and Saint-Julien.

EXPENSE OF LIVING

IN FRANCE.

The vicinity of Paris is, of course, dearer than other parts of France, but families in good circ.u.mstances, who wish to be near the metropolis, should fix themselves at Versailles or St.-Germain.

Persons who wish to economize must resort to the banks of the Loire and Lower Normandy, which are both much frequented by the English, who may here enjoy the comforts of life at a third less than in one of the provincial towns of their own country. A still greater reduction of expense will be found in the retired parts of Brittany, or in the towns of Saumur and Avranches, where living is one-fourth cheaper than at Caen or Tours. These situations are, however, inconvenient, as there are neither good schools nor genteel society.

Rouen, Dieppe, Boulogne, are little cheaper than Paris.

From the following statement, some idea may be formed of the expenses likely to be incurred by a family, residing in Tours or any of the towns in the central and Northern parts of France:

RENT. An unfurnished house, of eight or ten rooms, with a garden, may be had from 30 l. to 50 l. a year.

TAXES. Payable by the tenant, about 5 l. a year.

FUEL. Three fires in winter, and a fire in the kitchen throughout the year, will cost 25 l. to 30 l. a year. The usual fuel is wood: coals may be had in some districts. They are in use in Tours, but are expensive; c.o.ke is however to be obtained at more reasonable prices.

MEAT.--Beef, mutton, veal, 4 d. to 5 d.; pork, 5 d. to 6 d. per pound.

POULTRY. Fowls, 1 s. 6 d. to 3 s. the couple; a goose or turkey, from 2 s. to 4 s.

EGGS. About 5 d. a dozen.

b.u.t.tER. Fresh, in summer, from 9 d. to 1 s.

MILK. From 2 d. to 3 d. a quart.

BREAD. Generally very good, about 1-1/2 d. the pound.

FISH. Near the coast, is plentiful and cheap.

GROCERY. Is much the same as in England.

TEA. Is rather cheaper, and sugar rather dearer.

WAGES. A man servant, 10 l. or 12 l. a year; a woman Cook, 8 l. to 12 l.; a house maid, 6 l. to 8 l. A mechanic 2 s. to 2 s. 6 d. per day; a labourer, 1 s. to 1 s. 3 d.

CLOTHES. Linens and silks cheaper; cottons dearer than in England; wollen articles dearer.

EDUCATION. Boarding-schools from 25 l. to 35 l. a year including extras.

Board in a Family, with private tuition, boys 50 l. per year; girls from 35 l. to 40 l. Private lessons by the hour, in French, 2 s. to 4 s.; in music, 2 s. 6 d. to 5 s.

In the south of France wine is much cheaper, but other provisions are charged much the same as in the north and central parts. The brandy of the country, may be purchased in Tours for 1 s. 6 d. per bottle, and _Cognac_ of the best quality for 2 s. 6. d. per bottle.

The _city of Tours_,--which contains upwards of 28,000 inhabitants,--is at all times most abundantly supplied with the common necessaries and the luxuries of life. It has two market days, Wednesday and Sat.u.r.day; the latter at all seasons presents an extremely animated and bustling appearance, it being frequented by great numbers of the surrounding rural population, who bring in vast quant.i.ties of marketable commodities from the adjacent districts. Such as fruit, vegetables, game, fowls, turkeys, geese, etc.; the latter being supplied in such abundance as to enable the venders after the ordinary sales of the market, to send off weekly, considerable quant.i.ties to Havre, Rouen, Paris, and other large towns.

Beef, mutton, and pork is also extremely plentiful and of very superior quality.

END.

Tours.--Printed by A. Mame and Co.

ERRATA.

(corrected in this etext)

Page 7, _for_ const.i.tued, _read_ const.i.tuted.

--15, _for_ continuous, _read_ continued.

--21, _for_ Farehenit, _read_ Fahrenheit.

--77, _for_ Family, _read_ Families.

--94, _for_ Gramina, _read_ Graminaceae.

--119, _for_ thinks, _read_ things.

--136, _for_ Fxt: _read_ Ext:.

--110, _for_ ascending other, _read_ ascending order.

--120, _for_ stalagmitical, _read_ stalactical.

--135, _for_ rhumatism, _read_ rheumatism.