Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-08-11
LETTER FROM ,TRESA, ITALY.
Lake MasgiOreIyeniee a ''City
in the Sea "-lilan-StreSSa
Italian Scenes. Etc.
Pleasantly Describd by The Demo
Gratis Foreign correspondent.
Hotel Is lies BORROWERS, J


the bank of Lake Masgice. next TO Lake Como
the loveliest Of Italian likes. IS 1 look out of
my window this simmerng summer afternoon,
the lake lies stretched GU; before me as smooth as
glass, with here and th,re a fanciful pleasure
boat dotting its surface. The Italian Alps hem il
in on each side, rising abruptly from the waters
Hdge, a tiny village nesting here and there, and
high up the mountains sides are white spired
churches whose bells in the erening time sound
like some far-otf sheep bells. Away in the hay
blue distance are purplisf mountain tops, rising
higher and higher, and family seen on the left
are the snow covered Alps adjoining the Simplon
pass Lovely Lake Maggioe and lovely Borro-
mean Islands long may you remain as quiet aud
peaceful, the climax as itnow seems to me of all
that is restful and beautiful
We all thought when We lett Venice four or
five days ago that life would hardly be worth
living outside of that mos delightful OF Italian
cities Naples had been loSt enjoyable and en-
tertalnlng. Genoa had vel. proved its right 10
the title of " the beautiful" in opinions, but
Venice was unique. Who would not like city
in the sea, where long slender gondolas awaited
us at the railway station AID bore Us off in tri-
umph through winding vatery ways to the steps
floors and gorgeous rooms made us think that we
were children in IA fairy tae. And then the de-
lights of living in city where everything was
picturesque and clean, where there no noise
but the sound of people talking and the Ginning
ofthe church bells, Where there was no dust, and
where-Dest of all-ont did not feel that there
We're uumberlesS sights TO be seen. haunting one
as only ponderous sights can haunt the weary
| tourist. No city can compared with Venice
and no square can be compared with the Place of
St Mark. Lounge Gbolt St. Marks float about
the Grand Canal in Il gondola go out to the Lido
attend I g"ndola concert under the Raltn. visit
the DogeS Palace and ue Bridge of Signs finish
| ing each day with the military band concert in
the Piazza, and in this fashion you may spend
numhesleSS happy days in Venice. We tried it
for II week and then cold hardly tear ourselves
away. | must quote Ar. Mautalini again il
was denlncd delicious"
We used 10 stroll int, St Marks and study the
wonderfully picturesque decorations whenever it
pleased us Its mosai. floor which is as irregular
as the waves OF the STA is not to he restored
! thanks to Mr.. Ruskin tml his imprisoned appeal
10 the artistic sensibilies of the civilized world
II will still continue 10 add to the effect of the
interior OF what is prosably the most picturesque
and at the same time he most interesting church
| in Chri>tendom. Next TO st. Marks the Doges
Palace chained our attention., the Bridge of
Signs of course calling for the lions share The
dreadful prisons WERE shown us and were inter
estng quite As much rom their association with
Lord Byron us from their past history. We were
i'll the prison where lie lay twenty four hours for
Foetical inspiration, and for the first time were
made acquainted Will the darkness which can
| be cut with Il knife"
! The Nenetaus of the better classes meaning
those who do not 20 in bathing en- famille from
their front door steps, have most delightful
little resort where they 60 everyday in summer
to battle, talk, eat AMI lisen to the band It is
the island called the lido and faces the Adriatic
| 1t has every facility for bathing with sandy
beach as soft velvet, and in the middle of the
afternoon is one the most amusing sights one can
| see. Most of the men AID women swim very well
while the children take t. the water as naturally
as young ducks do. We went out there several
time, and thoroughly enjoyed it, 1t was also
amusing to the batheS i'll the various canals
i'll the city. From windows we could look
| down into the canal. and at almost any time in
The afternoon or evening there would be one or
two boys swimming and spla>hing about dodg
| ing the oars Of the gondoliers, and performing
| marvellous Aquatic feata From door steps we
! could zee fond parents launching their children
on little boards.
The evening, in Venice were most pleasant It
was so delightful to float along the Grand Canal
and listen to the singers Who i'll gondolas hung
with Japanese lanterns sa1s Venetian boat songs
| and STrIDnlupl pnitlrS I Itali IL,
sang well. On going b.ck to the Piazza we
would find the concert in ull progress, and the
large square filled with gay promenaders, and
| little tables. Seating ourselves at one of the
latter and ordering our lies and beer, we would
listen to the music until was time to seek our
marble halls" there towoo the balmiy," and
get rested for another dayof placid delights
| One of the most interes ing things we saw was
the manufacture of Venetian glass-the beads,
fancy glasses aud ornaments which are so priced
| throughout the world. Tie art which was the
NEST celebrated of Gncieu Venice seems now to
be thoroughly revived, md some of The speci-
mems of DR.. Salviati and Others seem quite as
beautiful and artistic as any of the old glass
But must tear myself away from Venice and
its delights. 1t was with much regret that we
stepped into the gondola early one morning en-
route for the railway station and the train that
was to carry us through eorching Italian land
| scapes to Verona and Milan. 1t was quite
shock To leave the warery waste dotted with low
islands, and to begin a dusty railway journey.
As Florence seemed Disappointing to us after
| Naples, 50 Milan seemed after cool and spotless
Venice. The cry on all sides was TO see the nee
essary sights as soon as possible, and then with
all haste TO Lake Como AMI Lake Maggiore Our
hotel was incOnveniently crowded owing to the
influx of Cook party with guide a Cincinnati
school girl party, and the suite of the khedive
of Egypt. This was another inducement for
Us To hurry. Milan, nevertheless is a very
handsome city and can boast of by far the
finest arcade in the world. 1t is an arcade 50
magnificent i'll every respect as TO make Paris
turn "teen with envy, need not add my opinion
of ,he Milan Cathedral, one of the wonders of
the world. We We're by no means disappointed
i'll it, In regard TO Leonardo's 4" Last Supper
one can only regret that one did not see it two
hundred years ago. Time, damp, Napoleons
horses and other causes have made il a sorry
wreck. OF course we visited the theater IaScala
andthought il more interesting though notso large
as san Carlo at Naples. III fact it did not seem
50 large as several OF the London theAter- We
We're interested ii knowing that the most sue
sessful singer Of the last season was a young
American girl, Miss Emma Nevada
slice coming to Stressa We have done nothing
but lounge about battle read and go boating.
For all Of these delights there never was a place
better planned than Sressa. our hotel is 50 light
and airy, the garden is 50 large and filled with
fountains magnolia trees and shady retreats.
Then there is the beautiful lake in front with
dainty pleasure boats waiting 10 take to
Pallanza, Baveuo, OF To the beautiful Borromean
islands. Isola Bella and Isola Madre. Yesterday
we visited Isola Bella and strolled through the
splendid chateau and the still more interes. ing
gardens which rise in ten terraces one hundred
feet above the lake, and are filled with orange
lemon citron. palm and cork trees, oleanders
laurels and all manner of rare tropical shrubs
aud plants. There we were introduced to the
tea, camphor. bTead fruit nutmeg and other
spice trees In the evening we went out on the
lake again, andisaw the last rays Of the as it
sank behind the snow-coyered Monte Rosa. The
effect on the lake and the encircling mountains
was indescribable, everything was bathed in a
golden grayish purple, and We seemed to be
floating in an iridescent lake. The effect was
increased by the accompaniment Of the church
bells, which chimed family here and there from
the slender bell towers dotted over the mountains
sides