Cañon City record., 1909-10-28
Dacation Days In Europe
BY Liiiiam .9lien u1hite
E rope One Great Boarding House

Omaha is wrong about the pen
sion. II is really delight 1t Is
boarding house with all Of the com
forts OF a hotel. America has moth
ing of its kind. Europe Is one great
boarding house. In every great city
are hundreds where food Is as good
as that of first-class American ho-
tel in any of our large cities. II is
served table d'hotel-though by pay
ing extra one may order what he
chooses. But no one does order ex-
tras.
The food is served in courses from
platters and one helps himself as
he will. For dinner there are ordin-
ariIy six courses: soup. fish and mac
aroni or some entree. roast, with at
\ast two and often three vegetables.
vegetable course by itseif-say peas.
asparagus, beans. artichokes. or chic
ory-fowl and salad dessert and
fruit. For lunch there are three
y courses. an entree--usuaily some
ste-like macaroni. followed by
roast with vegetables. often with
salad. dessert. cheese and fruit
In Italy we have the continental
breakfast-tca. or coffee and rolls.
II is the only thing that makes a
heavy luncheon and dinner pleasant
For with heavy American breakfast
or even with the English breakfast.
the European menu would be too
full Italian cooking is good II is
not greasy-nor over-seasoned. We
expected to see the Italians oyer-re-
inning their food-making 1t intricate
and highly spiced; but everywhere II
was simple. clean. palaiable and d.
gestible.
Its cleanliness was its marvel We
have seen by accident and design into
half a score OF Italian kitchens OF
all sorts. But always We found clean.
shining copper pots and pans. fresh
iy scrubbed floors. bright walls and
no nasty corners.
In Venice We found the first place
In any considerable degree parallel
ing our American saloon. There, in
some of the narrow streets OF the
town. the drinking seemed to be
xdone behind curtains and the place
T for loafers. Usually. In Italy. the
wine shop Is as prim as the cheese
shop. Wine shops generally are kept
by women. as the cheese and fruit
shops are. And II the wine is con-
- sumed in the shop. IL is with food.
Little tables on the sidewalks were
the only outward signs OF difference
between the wine shops and other
little stores. Ane the crowds In front
OF the wine shops eating and drink
ing were men and women. priests
and laymen. saints or sinners. OF
social station similar to the surround
ing shops. ut..
The smart streets had smart peo-
pie on the sidewalks, and the poor
streets poor people. But rich OF poor.
the crowds were orderly. sober and
happy: the priests and the children
everywhere sat at the table and ex-
eessive drinking was no more obvious
than excessive eating.
We saw no drunken men or women
In Italy. and. excepting the F1orentine
eabmen. who had nothing else to do.
We saw no one IN Italy who looked
the worse for wine. Only In Venice.
was the curtain drawn before the
drinking. and the ioafer present
whiskey and stronger liquors are
not consumed by the people. and only
In the great hotels which advertise
American bars" is drinking custom
<ary without food for and OF itself. We
Americans cannot use liquor thus.
We have no sense about II. Our liquor
ia poison and our use OF II is vile.
We cannot be eaay-going and half
hearted. We drink as we fight and