St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-22
THE LAKES OF ITALY.
A st. Paul Lady's Travels in King
Humbert's Realm.

THE LAKES OF ITALY.
A St. Paul Lady's Travels in King
Humbert's Realm.
Correspondence of the Globe.
Miss Daisie W. Davidson, daughterof
Col. James III. Davidson, of 1863 Summit
avenue, is travelling in Europe this
summer with her brother, Master Earn
est, of st. Paul high school, and is writ
ing series of descriptive letters, which
will be read with much interest by her
numerous acquaintance. After visit
ing and witnessing the Passion Play
atOberammergau they will go tOGeneya,
the mountains. and later they will go to
Paris, where she will renew her musical
studies under Nine. Marchesi, and
Earnest will return home to pursue his
studies in the high school.
BELLAGIO, Italy, Aug. 5.--IhOSe who
have not taken the delightful trip over
the Italian lakes have missed Ole OF the
most charming spots III Italy. Direct
from Milan we went to Aroma, through
a most beautiful country, and at Aroma
we embarked OH Lago Maggiore to go
to Strisa, stopping there two days. The
steamers on the three lakes are very de
lIghtfnI to travel OIL, as they are we'll
fitted out and there is restaurant on
each one, and they spin over the water
at jolly rate. Lago Maggiore is the
largest, but it is hard to tell which is
the most beautiful. The mountains
rise from the edge of the water
in bold promontories and ragged
tops, their slopes terraced far
up and planted with grape
vines and fruit trees; white villas peep
out far above the little towns at the
waters edge, from laurel groves and
clinging vines, and always we see near
of the Watchful church, like a finger
pointing over toward the heavens; the
ever-changing tints on the mountains,
the soft, hazy light and the deep green
of the water with little boats gliding
rapidly over its surface; these are buta
few of the charms. and If we add to
these the constant change OF the plct-
ure as we turn some point densely
wooded projecting far into the lake and
enter a beautiful bay dotted with big
eyed. white-faced houses and see the
mountain ROAD, white and shining, colled
about up the mountain side like great
serpent, and then train daShes out
suddenly from some mountains mouth,
leaving long trail of smoke behind.
we have surely variety enough to please
each one. We were on boat with a
number of Americans evidently doing
Europe by racing over 1t with guide.
They looked tired, worn and the worse
for wear. The only fat, happy-looking
man in the party. was the guide; but
there was one young man, too. who
looked and acted very gay; he looked
in
Match" and it was the duty of the
company to laugh when he spoke,
Just out of Aroma is statue of st.
Carlo Borromeo seventy feet high. and
itlcan be we'll seen while passing on the
lake. We were on,the lookout and had
been viewing it some time when one of
the party discovered it and called:
''Here, Mr.. --, you must look at that
statue" What statue?' came i'll a
bored. gruf voice from the other party.
.sStatue of some saint" was the reply.
Then the diScoverer hunted it up i'll
"Baedeeker" and read it aloud for the
benefit of those near him. We We're
sorry to get Off at Strisa because 1t was
amusing to watch the party. However,
it was very nice there, and the view
most lovely from our windows.
We could see the celebrated Bor-
romean islands, with the nu-
mer0us mountain peaks for back
ground; and the ''Isofa Bella" the pref
test of the three, was very near us.
We took a rowing boat and went there
the morning after our arrival, and saw
the gardens, which were perfected and
planned by Count BorremeO In the
seventeenth century. The gardens rise
i'm ten terraces frem the water, and
every cline almost is represented in
vegetation. There are eorkS. eamphOr,
magnolia, cedar of Lebanon, lofty Amer
lean pine, palm, orange and many other
trees. and lemon trelliSes, papyrus plant,
ivy and grape vines. Numbers of
weather-beaten statues rise above the
flowers, and stand perpetually aiming
arrows at the water below. The old
grotto, with arcades festooned over
with climbing plants and vines, is
picturesque. The gardener. who showed
us around told all the names Of the trees
in English. and he was proud of it, too.
He startled us two OF three times by ex-
claiming in strange tone: sLook at
those doves" look at that t3rtlep'
Probably the only phrase he knew in
English. After visiting this place, we
hunted about for good, sandy shore to
go in bathing, and found one very good.
Earnest made his toilet in the bOat-out
from shore, and went to little grove
and made a tent with a big shawl, and
soon we were in the water having jolly
time. 1t seemed a shame that there
was 10 bath house at StriSa, and we
found none until we reached Lugano on
hago di LuganO. This lake is small
compared with Maggiore and Como. but
it is little gem, and like it as well as
the others. There is fine bath
establishment at Lugano and we took
our costumes and went there at once OIL
arriving. We were much disappointed,
though, to find ourselves separated in
the water, as the house is built out over
very deep water, and there are two large
tanks, one for ladies and one for men,
with dressing rooms between, so you
cannot be together unless You go out of
the tank into the lake. The tank is
fioored with narrow plankS set about an
inch apart to allow tue water to change
constantly; then there is door opening
out into the lake and the flooring runs
out beyond about four feet, but just off
this it is sixty feet deep. so | declined
to out. Earnest had find swim there.
The depth in the tank is about three
very we'll there. The second day of our
stay was determined to climb Monte
Salvatore, a big sugar-loaf shaped
mountain, as s.Baedecker" said it was
an easy climb of two hours. We started
quite early for our climb, and went to
the foot of the mountain brave i'll our
determination to climb it or die IN the
attempt. Well, we did it, and live to
tell the tale, but we climbed it in half
an hour and little over with good,
strong staff in the shape of funicular
railway which has been built since my
edition of ssBaedecker," and. of course,
we went up in it. 1t was right scary
work. as the second part of the road
looks perpendicular and is very steep;
but what glorious view we had as we
crawled steadily up the mountain side!