In the Heart of the Vosges

Matilda Betham-Edwards was born in 1836. She was a novelist, travel writer and had a great interest in anything French. Betham-Edwards was a prolific poet and wrote several children's books. She was of Huguenot ancestry and considered France her second homeland. It was her mission to create better understanding between France and England. In the Heart of the Vosges: And Other Sketches by a 'Devious Traveller' describes beautifully scenes in France. Betham-Edwards begins by saying, 'The traveller bound to eastern France has a choice of many routes, none perhaps offering more attractions than the great Strasburg line by way of Meaux, Chalons-sur-Marne, Nancy, and Epinal. But the journey must be made leisurely. The country between Paris and Meaux is deservedly dear to French artists, and although Champagne is a flat region, beautiful only by virtue of fertility and highly developed agriculture, it is rich in old churches and fine architectural remains. By the Troyes-Belfort route, Provins may be visited. This is, perhaps, the most perfect specimen of the mediaeval walled-in town in France.'