The Monmouth inquirer., 1926-01-21

prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety, Washington, D. CO
VIEW trips in Italy are more de-
* lightful than one across the great
a plain Of the Pc, In the north, and
among the frontier cities. Genoa
does not belong to this plain. It is on
the wrong side of the narrow Appen-
mines. But it forms an irresistibly
charming western gateway for the
Journey.
Genoa has rivals in loveiiness-
Naples close at home, Constantinople,
Hongkong- but superbly Indifferent
she sits upon terrace above terrace,
encircIing her close port, looking far
out over the blue Liguriana sea. Along
her dusky streets rise rows of stately
sypalaces- marble, soft rose, rich cream
or yellow brown Gardens there are,
all green and fragrant, melodious, too,
with bird song great churches, cool
and quiet; goldsmiths' shops gay with
filigree; museums with wondrous pic
lures high cornice roads and open
spaces, whence one takes in marvellous
stretches of earth and sky and sea.
From Genoa northward to Pavia is
but little way. but that way is over
the Lgurian Alps, all green and gray
with vineyards and olive groves and
noisy with swift little rushing rivers
and mill-wheels clacking around--a
lovely way, not to be hurried, but
eventually bringing the traveller into
the plain of Lombardy And here
there are many rich cities and much
of art and Of history, for in this great
fertile plain between huge mountain
chains armies have ever gathered
looking up toward the Alps, to great
victories over the pagans beyond
them, or. themselves pagans, rejoicing
in the luxuriance spread them as they
faced joyously the Apennines and
Rome.
Northward the snow peaks of the
Alps form natural barrier, it would
SEEM to the nation tenantlng this pen
fnsula; but soldiers have little sym
pathy with geographical boundaries
save for strategic purposes, and diplo-
matists none. The western chain of
the Alps bends southwark to the Medi-
terranean, ending In the great head
land between Nice and Monaco.
Across this physical boundary line
Italy's western limits have been thrust
back and forth through centuries
reaching once far beyond Nice, at
present not quite touching Mentone,
which is 10 miles to east of it. In the
central Alps the southern slopes be-
long to Italy, although, of course, the
greater portion of the chain lies in
Switzerland; and until the rectifica-
ton following the World war, the
eastern Alps, to south as well as
north, were Austrian.
This Italia Redenta. this beautiful,
romantic Tyrol, acquired new interest
as a pawn In the great war game.
Cities Of the Plain.
But we have come far from Genoa
without pausing to look by the way
Let us go back and take the slowest
train, that we may stop as often as
we will. Perhaps the first time should
be at Pavia. Much of history has
been made there; it should be inter
esting. For 200 years. until Char
lemagne overthrow them, it was the
capital Of the Lombard kings. who
ruled over this great fertile plain be-
tween the Alps and the Apennines,
the plain watered BY the Pc and It's
tributaries. adorned by a chain Of
wonderful lakes that hang like sap
phire pendants dripping from the gIa-,
cier-clad Alps into the rich green
meadows the plain that has been the
coveted possession Of every can
tribe and nation, the prize tle,
the field Of war, since histol
Certosa, a short Eve miles
serves more time than it d Il
celves sandwfched In betwee
ing at Pavia and an aft
Milan, or the casual objel
pleasant motor tour. To
would be Is scrlfinize It