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The first Nice Guidebook "Travels Through France and Italy" by Tobias SmollettSmollett was an experienced and well regarded literary figure when he left England in 1763. He had had a hard time recently: he was ill with a lung condition, his eldest daughter had died age only 15 and he had just been betrayed by a high British official - he needed a break. So Smollett set off to France with his wife, the two children for whom she was gardian and an elderly servant. They had no definite plans other than to travel broadly South. In Boulogne they met a Scotsman who suggested Nice. After 5 months of travel (staying in Paris, Lyon and Montpellier) the Smolletts arrived in Nice. The publication of Smollett's 41 letters home during their 2 year stay practically kick-started the French Riviera's and Nice's tourist industry. Although a beautifully evocative writer, the 42 year old Smollett - a trained physician - was a gruff and argumentative man and it is hard to think of anyone less likely to be easily charmed. Though charmed he was by Nice. Smollet wrote of Nice's excellent climate, the people, the harbours, the food, the countryside and more. He was quick to criticize anything or anyone that did not appeal - and perhaps it is because of this "hard to please" nature that Smollett's love of Nice was taken to be a huge endorsement. Smollett's 2nd Letter from Boulogne: observations of his French landlord. Smollett's 3rd Letter from Boulogne: meets Paterson who recommends Nice. Description of Boulogne. Smollett's 4th Letter from Boulogne: weather, local food and drink, countryside and people of Boulogne. Smollett's 5th Letter from Boulogne: Boulogne's shops, harbours, homelife and class system. Smollett's 6th Letter from Paris: Paris sights and journey from Boulogne. Smollett's 7th Letter from Paris: French women and men. Smollett's 8th Letter from Lyon: St Cloud and the countryside between Lyon and Paris. Smollett's 9th Letter from Montpellier: the Rhone river, local peasants and travel plans. Smollett's 10th Letter from Montpellier: Pont du Gard. Nimes. Romans and Roman Montpellier. Smollett's 11th Letter from Montpellier: largely in latin and French - healthcare. Smollett's 12th Letter from Nice: Montpellier and Nimes. Unexpected bad weather. Esterel mountains. Cannes, Antibes and the Var river. Smollett's 13th Letter from Nice: physical description of Nice. Cimiez and the Roman ruins. Smollett's 14th Letter from Nice: Montalban, Villefranche and Sardinian gallies. Smollett's 15th Letter from Nice: French military officers. Rules of honour and duels. Smollett's 16th Letter from Nice: Roman ruins, Cimiez and beyond. Smollett's 17th Letter from Nice: Nice history, local religions and the aristocracy. Smollett's 18th Letter from Nice: how to journey from Calais to Nice. Finding accommodation in Nice. Smollett's 20th Letter from Nice: Commerce, labourer's poverty and punishment of criminals. Smollett's 21st Letter from Nice: local taxes, politics, art and science. Smollett's 22nd Letter from Nice: Agriculture, herbs and the silk industry. Smollett's 23rd Letter from Nice: wine, olive oil. Housing and bathing. Smollett's 24th Letter from Nice: climate and its affect on health. Bugs and vermin. Water supply. Smollett's 25th Letter from Nice: Ttravel to nearby Italian towns and cities - Genoa and St Remo. Smollett's 26th Letter from Nice: compare and contrast Italy/Italians and France/French. Smollett's 27th Letter from Nice: Pisa and the leaning tower. Florence. Smollett's 28th Letter from Nice: Florence's art and architecture. Smollett's 29th Letter from Nice: Sienna and the trip to Rome. Italian hotel owners! Smollett's 30th Letter from Nice: Rome, architecture and the Romans. Smollett's 31st Letter from Nice: Italian palaces, temples and piazzas. Smollett's 32th Letter from Nice: Italian architecture, Roman bathing and aquaducts. Smollett's 33th Letter from Nice: Italian art. Smollett's 34th Letter from Nice: Terni and the road to Florence. Smollett's 35th Letter from Nice: tiring Italian expedition. Smollett's 36th Letter from Nice: taxation in Nice, local Nice government. Smollett's 37th Letter from Nice: Nice climate. Preparations for returning home. Smollett's 38th Letter from Turin: crossing Piedmont. Smollett's 39th Letter from Aix en Provence: crossing the Var river from Nice. Antibes. Cannes. French and their love of bread. Toulon and Marseilles. Smollett's 40th Letter from Boulogne: Aix, its climate and cost of living. Avignon. Smollett's 41st Letter from Boulogne: journey to Boulogne from Lyon and getting ready to return to England.
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