| Description | Letter from Amelia Nyasa Laws, Aix-les-Bains, to her relatives [continuation of previous letter], regarding weight of letters (seven sheets is the limit, which is why the previous letter broke off so abruptly); note to Aunt Amy regarding paying extra on previous letters; stay at the Terminus Hotel in Lyon, leaving them free to have meals in town; glad to leave the smoky atmosphere and noise from the railway; Lyon is hot, but also industrial and damp from the Rhone and the Saone; comparison with Milan; cabs are few, but the tram network makes them unnecessary; everybody seemed busy; open air cafés in the evening; description of Japanese kite-flying; honesty of people demonstrated by displays of merchandise on the pavements; sight-seeing at Fourvière, the forum vetus of Trajan, and at various churches; pilgrimages there and some of its history; view from its high position; contrast between the Rhone and the Saone; comments on the churches and some organs; museum of fabrics, very interesting, and including sections on lace and looms; the Lyon fair has now taken the place of the Leipzig annual fair; Lyon imports 40,000,000 francs worth of raw material annually; review of schools of commerce, architecture, mechanics, surgery, and other important buildings; contribution of Kléberger, a German, to the town's history; left on Thursday morning with everything except Uncle's winter flannels; more British troops nearby at St. Germain au Mont d'Or, because the British government has hired land for three years for camp and hospital accommodation for 100,000 men; sight of ablutions beside the train; train packed but people quite content; all restrictions on travel have been removed and there are no local checks on papers; at Aix they visit M. Domenge, administrator at the Iles Britannique, but it is connected with the Etablissement Thermal so no massage is needed there; he sends them to see Dr. Françon and M. Barardat, médecin-chef de la Place and friend of Dr. Jacod; Dr. Françon only works at the Establishment and at the Hotel des Iles Britanniques so no massage is needed; M. Barardat is friendly but must go away for a couple of days, so she is asked to wait until Dr. Muller comes back from leave - he is chirurgien-chef de la Place; he is sure she will be needed at the Municipal hospital; the hospital was given by Pierpont Morgan; the Red Cross volunteers have been dismissed from there as being impossible to work with, so she would be with soeurs religieuses, which she feels would be an improvement; the hospital is reputed to be the best organised in Aix; there is a good apartment available in which she and Aunt could live cheaply nearby; provisions are cheap; it is a good plan, but not yet definite. [Letter breaks off without signature] |