Evening star., 1952-09-14

ITALY.-The drive along the
Corniche must be among the
five most beautiful motor routes
In the world. The rocky and
green covered mountains along
the Mediterranean emerge from
the sea like a dark emerald from
a lapis lazuli or aquamarine base
separated only by an occasional
setting of brilliants that is a
nesting village of clustered
white villas rejecting the sun.
Most elegant jewel of all in this
setting is Monte Carlo.
The style and detailed richness
of it's homes bespeak lush past
and still comfortable present.
To look down upon it from the
approaching high coast drive
and see it crowned SO gracious
ly by nature, it comes as some
thing of a shock to walk into
the famous gambling Casino and
see what's happening to nature
inside. Even in the morning the
roulette tables of the Casinos
famous kitchen" are busily en-
gagged. The Kitchen" is the big
outer room where little people
can invest as little as 100 francs
(about Is cents) on a hunch.
Plainly or even shabbily dressed
in their daytime clothes, they
look as if they've been doing this
same thing for years. Anybody
who ever associated gambling
with the gay fun of high life,
should take a second look at the
expressions that invariably sur
round the gaming table.
The minute you've crossed the
border from the French into the
Italian Riviera, you notice the
difference. The French land
scape always manages to look
green, manicured and, somehow,
refined. The Italian is wilder,
rougher and less manicured, If
more industrious looking. The
Italians, unfortunately, have al
lowed all kinds of advertising
signs to blot the charm OF their
coast drive.
Tiny Porto Fino, too small to
accommodate many tourists, is
the chic jewel of the Italian
Riviera. On a one-day stop
over there I ran into Johnny
Galliher, Jack Topping and Rus
sian-born American composer
Serge Barsukoff. Johnny was
Just arriving and surveying the
scene with a sophisticated, criti-
cal eye from the rear seat Of an
open car. Jack was newly in
from Cannes and leisurely en-
route to Florence. Serge was
fresh from the so-called free city
of Vienna which he said the
Soviets dominate more and more
daily. All found in Porto Fino
a little village that tumbles
down to the waters edge around
a wide cobblestone square filled
with peasant lace makers, ven
dors and sidewalk restaurants
beside a small harbor we'll sprin-
kled with trim yachts. Rugged
green mountains rise Immediate
ly behind the picture-postcard
village and dip into crystal-clear
coves beyond. the delight Of
swimmers.
From there to Venice, prob
ably the most romantic city in
the world. For the first time
visitor it seems incredible to be
lunching on the terrace of the
Grand Hotel on the main thor
oughfare Grand CanaD and
look down just a few doors away
and see the United States Navy
Cruiser Baltimore parked. Equal
" unreal is st. Marks Square.
the largest drawing room" in
the world. Any one Vou don't
see while slipping an aperitif
there in the shadow of the
Doge's Palace, you're apt to find
In pint-sized Harry's Bar or on
the long. wide beach Of the
Adriatic at the Lido.
First person bumped into
walking up from her cabana at
the luxurious Hotel Excelsior
beach on the Lido was Eleanor
Ryan Brady. Husband Pete
Brady, captain, U. S. NJ, had
just taken of for Paris that
morning to dig into his new
NATO job. Eleanor was leav-
ing the next day temporarily to
put their young son Christopher
on q plane that would take him
back to Landon School In Wash