New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-26
SUMMER DAYS IN VENICE.
THE ITALIAN sEAsoN-LIFE IN THE WATER
THE ROYAL VISIT,
Venice, July 10.

hut obieav Anolo-Saxon. 1t is so every year
An tbrourh the winter and spring foreigners
dominate the CITY. Everywhere you meet Amerl-
cans Enolisbmen. Germans The hotels are
6lled with them: they haunt the studios they
literally throng the shops, they monopolize the
condolas. 1t is true that the normal Italian pop
uIation is still here but it is driven to the WALL
thrust into the shade, by the allpossessing host
of foreigners For the first SIX months Oh Vhe
year an American may feel as much at home mere
as in New.York, and more so than in some quar-
ters of that great Cosmopolis There IS more
English spoken on the Grand Canal from January
20 June than on, let us say, Second-ave', from
January TO December.
But with the end Of June the foreign eleinenu
mostly disappears. Some Saxon stay, Of course
else this letter would not be written. And now
n few summer birds Of passage perch here over
night. or over a fortnight. But the great host OF
foreign residents have departed for cooler places
as they think; at any rate for more desiraole
summer homes. Now, in this last consideration
they are somewhat mistaken. There is. or used
70 be. tradition to the effect that New-York City
was. after ALL the queen of American summer
resorts; and by no means an unfounded or I'M
reasonable idea. In like manner Venice may justly
claim at least equality with most Mediterranean
with many of the Atlantic watcring-places on the
French coast as desirable summer home. 1t
Is hot here Yes. at times; it is in Iceland
also. I believe. But almost every day in summer
there comes down from the Alps breeze OF re-
freshng GOODNESS. Or sometimes it Is a breeze
sweeping up from the whole length of the Adriatic
And when the heat becomes intolerable, If no such
breeze arrives. short sharp thunderstorm Is sure
mi
dinner-time in the evening" and leaving the air
as clear and cool as you could wish for 1t any
where.
The attractions Of the place are in many re-
spects greater In summer than at any other time,
for the reasons already indicated. One does not
travel abroad to meet ones countrymen. 1t may
no nleasant. now and then, to meet neighbor
in a strange land, and hear ones mother-tongue
But to one who wishes to enjoy the genuine spirit
Of the foreign land it is distinct annoyance 10
be everywhere surrounded by host Of countrymen
and to be so largely deprived of the novel pleasure
Of strange faces and strange accents. Venice Is
Venice italian Venice, the real Venice, then only
when the Anglo-SaXon conquerors have Departed
leaving the natives to possess their own again
together with goodly moety Of the Anglo
Saxon's own cash. But this is not the only feature
Of the summer season that is n delight 10 the
dweller in Venice. There are the al fresco dll-
ners, and the music, and Longing on the SANDS
at the Lido, and drifting about the canals
Or one may stay at home all day, with the blinds
drawn close on one side to shut out the sun, and
open on the other 10 let in sweet, cool breeze ana
may lie in hammock and dream dreams, so as
to remain awake all the delicious night. Indeed,
that is the summer fashion here, very largely TO
sleep by day and enjoy the waking world by
night.
There is one great enjoyment, however, which
claims attention in the day, the one great popular
enjoyment, l might say, of summer life in venice.
That is the bath. Every one bathes. There is
no place in the world, perhaps where there Is
such a general taking to the water on every sum-
mer day: and not day only, either, but all night
as we'll II is so convenient, TO walk to the door
of ones own house and plunge from the very
threshold into the clear, cool water 80 at almost
any hour gliding in your gondola along the
smaller canals you pass among merry parues OF
hatbers who swim about your boat like sea-nymphs
and tritons about old Neptune's car. They chat
ter at Won gleefully, perhaps splash water at you,
mr. swim I'D and insist on shaking hands, with
dripping fingers, over the gunwale Of the boat
These swimmers in the canals are mostly children
but sometimes they INCLUDE whole family party,
old and young. In the great harbor The street
bows plunge by hundreds Such swimmers as they
are. tool They turn somersaultS as they leap
from the quays, and perform almost countless
tricks in the water, until one fancles them
school of dolphins at play.
These are the people, with the accent on "peo-
ME-, The people, with the accent on the" go
elsewhere to battle and chiefly to the Lido. In
deed. all kinds of people go there, too. 1t only
Mot for railroad
and boat ride, your entrance to the bathing estab-
lishment. your use Of the bathhouse, your seat at
the performance in the opera-house, and your boat
ride and railroad ride home again. And a great
establishment it Is. There are glorious sands, and
the water is perfection despite the absence of
surf The big bathing house Is well arranged, and
contains an opera-house, where admirable per-
formances are given in the evening, an open-air
and an indoors restaurant, and a band-stand,
where fine orchestral concerts are given in the
afternoons And such scene as it is on the sands
any fine day, Hundreds or thousands of bathers
living or sitting on the sand, srolling about plung-
ing into the water, swimming like mermen and
mermaidens In the centre, close to the bathing
establishments are gathered the fashionable people
at each side of them, extending far along the
coast. are the humber multitude. But all are
alike animated and happy.
4 barrier of rope, by no means impossible
divides the women bathers from the men. The
numbers on the two sides Of IL are about equal,
and the skill displayed is also equal if not more
so-with acknowledgements TO the Emerald Isle.
Women, as a rule, are fine swimmers, after they
have learned. They are capable of being fully
as good swimmers men, and often are better
To this rule Italian women handsomely conform
Nowhere can one find more accomplished swim
mers, or more graceful than on the wOmen's side
of the rope at Lido AS rule, too, their bathing
dresses are handsome, modest and well designed to
give freedom to the muscles and to offer as little
resistance as possible to their wearers' passage
through the water. For head. gear broad brmmed
straw hats are worn, though generally half OF
them are left floating on the water while theiI
owners dive and swim. Italian women are not
afraid of getting their hair wet. Is there any
esoteric significance in that fact? Al any rate
| it is a fact One no oiled silk caps at the
Lido, nor any women fearing to go far into the
| L.. a1,1. e1,n tbai, Iii.