Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-07-08
BEYOND THE ALPS
LIES ITALY
visits to Genoa, Birthplace of Chris.
topher Columbus. and Scenes i'm
switzerland and Paris Des-
cribed by a. C.. Baker.
EIFEL TOWER IN PARIS
GIVES SPLENDID VIEW OF CITY
Pass Beautiful Home of Anna Gould.
Formerly of New York, Who
Married French Count. Also
Views the Home Napo-
leon Occupied.

On the morning of March 24th
we take train to cross Europe. Our
route takes lis around the beautiful
Riviera to Genoa, then north to Mi
Ian; we are to change cars at Savo-
ma and our director demands of one
of the baggage police that he trans
fer our baggage. but the tip given by
the director, not being satisfactory,
he will not remove our luggage; the
director takes hold of him. the laws
OF italy make any employee of a
railroad a government officer, and
taking hold of a government officer
is crime there, so he is arrested
and we find ourselves detained, but
finally this is adjusted and as our
director is Roman citizen he ap-
pears later to answer for his crime.
In travelling in Europe there is no
check system and it becomes neces-
sary for one to claim their baggage
and see it is transferred at all places
of change. All the way to Genoa
we are travelling in a beautiful cli-
mate where tropical conditions are
found, yet a few miles up in the
mountains back are the snowy Alps.
1t is this combination that makes
the Riviera so desirable as a resort.
We are nearing Genoa, the birth
place of the greatest discoverer the
world has ever known, Christopher
Columbus. AS we enter the walls
of this peculiar city we are Impress
ed that it's ships which fill the har-
Dor must have enthused this dream
er to start on that great errand OF
discovery. The city of Genoa has
about 100000 people oluttered
within it's walls. 1t is built on a very
rough location, its streets so narrow
that teams frequent but few to them.
From Genoa we go directly north
up a river valley and are soon in the
plains of Lombardy, prosperous
agricultural country, of which Milan
is the chief city. We are to thorough
ly see this place: locating our be-
lorgings at the hotel Grand Melano
we take team ald are soon at the
greatest church it has been our pri-
village to inspect, and the greatest
We ever expect to see, the Duomo.
This marble monument, with ninety
eight gothic marble towers and two
thousand statues presents an out
ward appearance of grace and beau
ty. You enter through bronze doors
that cost 100000 into a floor
space OF 1000 square yards, You
are inside of a church that up to the
present time has cost $155, 100000
gift from the king. Here we see
windows that represent all bible his
tory, windows so large and beautiful
that | have no language to do them
Justice. We are told that there are
no other so expensive and with such
beautiful designs and colors, we took
no exceptions to this, as our imagin-
alton cannot conjure any more
Grand. Visit this one cathedral and
all others fade into insignificance.
This city is filled with ancient
curosities and places of ancient in
terest. Perhaps the one that the ex-
cursionist takes home with him
more impressed than others is that
little church attached to the church
of San Maria delie Grazie. This con-
tains that original painting of the
last supper by Leonardo da Yinci.
This was painted in 1897 and still is
in fair state of preservation.
though marred. When Napoleon win
tered in Milan with his army he cut
door into this church to use it as
a stable for the winter, and this
door cut out place in this painting,
it has been so repaired as to only
cut into the border. Few have not
seen copies of this picture. it was
very satisfactory to see the original.
We will not tire the reader with
the many monuments, triumphal ar
ches, arcades and beautiful attrac-
tions of Milan. 1t is fine city with
many railroads and great canal
system and shows enterprise.
Going north from Milan, through
q broken, but rich country, we are
CONTINUED on page six.). Il,