The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1907-08-01
TRAVELLING IN ITALY,
MISS OLIVE FAW
Writes to Home sPeople a
CharmIngIy interest
ing Letter.

found very interesting:
En- ROUTE To MILAN,
July 4th, 1907.
viii try to write you a short letter
on the train Many thanks for yours,
which I greatly enjoyed. Got it at
Cooks, in Venice yesterday. Enjoyed
Venice very much. Left there at 8 this
morning, Have had lovely weather.
Days and nights in Venice were delight
full. Have slept under blanket every
night since we landed, except in Flor
ence.
Have jus. passed Verona, the home
of Juliet. Have eaten our lunch. In
one hour will be in Milan.
We arrived in Venice at sunset.
Cooks man and the porter of our hotel
CThe Pension InternationaD met us
We did not need either one. We took
two gondolas and at cnce were under
the spell of Venice.
Our host met US at the door. Am
very sorry, but l have no room for such
large party" Yes, you have. You
promised me-" "Other people came in
and took your rooms" 81 can't help
that. ] know you would not break
your promise and have your letter
We shall stay here" Certainly Miss
Faw. Your rooms are ready. Come
right in" And we we're most comfort
able. On entering the dining room,
there were our good friends Mr.. and
Mrs. Morris and the two children. They
had been in Venice several days, and
knew the city. So, right after dinner
they put the children to bed and took
US for a walk. OF course, we went
straight to the Piazza San Marco" II
was very bright and attractive, with
the most allurIng shops ever saw.
| recognized all the landmarks quite
as if l had been there before. We
paused at San Marco, then went on tc
the Piazzetta, passing between the two
great columns TO the "Molo." Their
Mr.. Morris went home to pack, FOR they
we're to leave next morning, and dear
Mrs Morris went with us for gondols
ride or the Grand Canal, to hear the
music.
The water was alive with gondolas
White marble palaces rising out of the
water. Brilliant electric lights every
where, whose reflections were simmer
ing over the ripping canal.
In midstream was boat, gayly deco
rated with colored lanterns, where
we're the musicians and orchestra. Al
we drew up alongside they were sing
ing, "Ah, | Have Sighed to Rest Me-
that sweet air from Ii Trovatore."
dozen or two of gondolas were drawn
up alongside, side by side, almost
touching each other, and gently rock.
ing, rocking, with the oars regularly
dipping to keep them stationery. A
man came stepping from boat to boat
collecting money in his hat for the
musicians. dropped in coin and
said, Santa Lucia" Loo-chee-ya) In
moment l heard my favorite boat
song, Moonlight. So Sweet and Pale
from Heaven Falling" and across the
waters rose the white dome o. the
Maria della Salute" and the customs
house with its gilt ball and white,
Grecian outline.
The music, the dipping of the oars,
the absence of all other sounds, the en-
trancing beauty of the scene, was like
a dream. 1t seemed too wonderful, too
lovely to be true.
At word OF command, our gondola
slipped out. long and black, from the
assembled fleet without touching an
other boat, though the channel was
only two inches wider than the boat.
They are marvellously skillful You
think there will surely be a collision
they pass with less than an inch of
space between. 1t is more wonderful
no 6pir in Of
And so charming You slip past mar
bic palaces, under arching bridges, with
that gentle, rocking motion always
straight forward) into The shadow OF
side canals, into the sunshine )f the
canalazzo, around corners where you
know the side will scrape the stone
but your black barge darts forward
within an inch and never touches.
And then you look back in wonder
and admiration at the graceful, expert
gondolier a. he bends forward and
rises-always perfectly poised, always
graceful and careless-speaking to his
friends (the other gondoliers) and Look
ing so handsome, so fair, with his
dropping, blonde Inustache; his white
sailor suit with blue collar his panama
hat low on one side, high on the other
your ideal of what gondolier should
be-and you long for picture of him
and his boat. And still the dip, dip OF
the oars and that strange, circular
stroke that sends the boat forward with
force that you cannot understand OF
explain.
And when you land and you drop
your coins into his hand, you are i'm.
PEELED to ask, "Notre nom, Monsieur
and he answers, "Vittorio." Then you
know that you have heard Of him be-
fore, and you wonder that you did not
recognize him, the prince of gondoliers
described by Hopkinson, Smith, OF
Stoddard, or somebody else whose idea
/ seem to have stolen in writing about
him.
July 9Th We are now on our way tc
Como. have learned lot about trag.
elirg in Italy. When you know how, il
is just as easy as anywhere else. We
have had no difficulty at all
The weather is simply delightful
! Hotel de France, in Milan, we found
very nice, indeed. An elegant dinner
last evening.
We find good water everywhere, and
, drink all we want When in doubt
we shall drink No ce ra (No cha RAJ, g
bottled water to be had eyervGhere-