Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-10-02
RACING
OCTOBER 18th and 29th.

we are experiencing the scenes often
depicted on canvass and etchinp-lolling
In gondola in silverlit Venice while
soft zephyrs coax the lutte and Tyre to
enchantment. Under bridges of marble,
through one narrow channel, with stone
and marble houses towering above on
either side, out into a wider canal and
then into narrower, our oarsmen scul-
ling dexterously and passing within a
hairs breadth of others winding in and
out-all seemed like fairy vision then,
and at this reading will appear but a
dream. BY and by out we shoot into a
broad bay, On whose bosom a u. S.
war transport is riding at anchor and
thousands of gondolas, floats and
yachts are either moored or scurrying
about. Along this water front is the
only standing ROOM of any conse-
quence in all majestic Venice. From
this piazza (plaza, or square) was our
hotel, among others. We were not
sorry to toss off a supper and hurry out
to the waters, made lurid by illumined
N~-SSt (h6 ofSC0 SOlAkC 1GSLlNe OCCaS-
ion. The face of the scene was redo
lent with music. Gondolas shot out
from here and there, and lutte, guitar,
zyther or some musical instrument was
usually at play, accompanied by voices.
The picture was complete, and no pen
can add to or take from the poetic
fancy imprinted upon a participants
mind.
Several days employed our services
in going about this quaint place, visit
ing its palaces, it's gardens and, yes,
its dungeons. Here is the Bridge of
Sighs, so often read about and oftimes
quoted, leading from the palace of the
Doges, high across a canal into the
prison and the dungeon keeps. The
cold creeps came over US when we
crossed this handsome old stone bridge
and went down, down into and through
the several dungeons. until we got to
the bottom one, where was the old
stone slab for bed, and on the win
dowless walls were the tide marks.
twice in twenty-four hours the water
oozing through. the slab floor, flooding
the stone slab and catching the prison
er waist deep. Such was the torture
of those days. Each step and room is
ripe with individual history, some new
to US and others long forgotten. We
were glad to once more ascend.
crossing traps for dropping bodies
into the water, and get a fresh breath
of air. The prison is used as a prison
today. but the dungeons no longer har-
Dor any but sight-seers.
The imposing Cathedral of st. Mark
(the patron saint of the Venetians),
the lesser cathedral, the palace gardens,
the glass-factories and the shops
shops in stalls upon the stone and
marble bridges crossing the three hun
dred and some canals of Venice-all
came in for visits; and it was Just in
stepping from our gondoia and while
gaping in one of the curious windows
that we Jostled into our friends, Mr..
and Mrs. r. H. Harwood, of Rich
mond. Mutually rejoicing, lunch was
had, and our travels were rehearsed,
Mrs. Harwood (nee Busselis) sending
lots of messages to home folks. Then we
broke unwillingly away. Time had ar
rived for another half days journey, to
Florence.
Florence, once queen and mistress of
all northern Italy, lives today largely
upon her past, even as does Rome. She
has much to offer the tourist, but little
internal industry or external commerce.
A day and night here barely gives us
time to survey her palaces, museums,
cathedrals and other points of interest,
but it is all we have to spare, as Rome
will claim us for at least FIVE days, and
Naples, Vesuvius and Pompeii an equal
length of time, and then the tedious
homeward journey will begin.