The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-05-19
Henry Watterson Tells Of Venice.

Henry Watterson Tells OF Venice.
Writing to the Louisville Courier
Journal from Venice Henry Waiter
ssn says:
The Lido is TO Venice what Coney
Island is to New York; though Little
SIS said she thought it "a very poor
sort Of Concy Island. In front oi
the Doge's Palace you take a little
steamboat and cross The large lagoon
twenty minutes, or thereabOut and
are landed at the pier on the inner
side Of the The Island" whence a
5obtal car, drawn by one quadruped
ia all Venice, a cross between mule
:aed a Shetland pony, carries you IN
;three minutes to the outer side. and
VOC arrive upon the esplande OF a
weeden barn, which does double duty
as sfeater and restaurant. and over
looks Bae broad, blue stretch OF the
.Adriaic. Here in summer the We
-1etians come to bathe, to hear the
music, CT see the play, and, incident
ally, to eat sea-food, Of which cop
pee-plated snail, described as "ostra,
and sold at three lire, or sixty cents a
dozen, is the piece Of resistance. Let
ne seriously counsel the stranger
WHO visits the Lido to leave the "os-
ira" untasted. The coquilage OF the
Adriatic is no better than that of the
Mediterranee.
Once upon a time Big Sis and l
came down to the Lido, took an
apartment in villa hanging over the
sea. and lived for a fortnight. getting
a morning plunge in the surf (the
beach is excellent), loafing the
afternoon away ''up town." dining at
.Forian's, hearing the music and see-
ing the crowds upon the Plazzo San
Marco, and taking the last boat
toward midnight for s'home.' We
began to feel like two of the "natives." i"
Our return thither was kind of
Sensational journey" The place is
much changed The entire avenue
between the landing" and the es~
olande is now lined with villas, shops
and cafes. Where a group of vine
clad cottages peeped out from a
bosky dell stands the Grand Hotel
des Bains ct de Lido. quite French
flied establishment. But the great
bathing houses remain and the shelv-
ing beach, and I dare say the bathing
is quite as good as ever it was; only
1t Is trifle cold yet ito go in swim
min" Little Sis was disappointed,
of course. After an hours ramble we
came back to Venice proper, and in
vestigated fine old palace not far
from the bridge of the Rialto.
Every other house on the Grand
Canal is palace. A few of them are
inhabited. The greater number. how
ever, are attended by care-takers,
who, for lire, are glad to show the
: tourist their mysteries from garret 20
cellar. Most of them are imposing, a
: few of them are still magnificent.
: Obviously, the merchants OF Venice
lived we'll The remains OF ostenta-
ton, the debris of splendor, may be
seen on every hand.
The Browning palace, which was
originally ducal residence has no;
been occupied for dozen years or
more, but it is full Of memorials OF
the English poet and his wife, and is
,weli worth seeing. An old friend, Mr..
Eugene Benson, both all artist and a
writer of merit. with Mrs. Benson, the
mother of the author of "kismet,
Zs one of The most interesting ana
Typical OF the old palazzoS. with a
lovely garden. whilst one or TWO OF
those which may be said IL be alive.
rival the most sumptous abodeS OF the
jeunesse doree OF London. Vienna
and Par;s-indeed, are ainpler in con-
struction and richer in appointment
:han anything of the kind to be found
In the great capitals.