Madison County Democrat. (London, Ohio) 19??-1958, 1955-05-10
q OUR
"a Town


RA GASTARLO"-Here's to
you! Money and love and the
time to spend them" Thus,
Spanish toast in Venice sets
the mood for a holiday here.
We are sitting in a place of in
trigue appropriately named
"Grotto" (grotto) listening to
any one of about twenty bas-
SOS and baritones sing their
lungs out as Italians are wont
to do at the drop of a cadenza.
1t is a lively spot and our
companions, Mr.. and Mrs.
Larry Wise Of Sulphur, La,
and Mr.. and Mrs. Bud Pal
ermo of Linden, N. j., are of
the same mind in that we all
think the Venetians are kind,
affable, charming and full of
music. 1t is nothing for four or
five of these fellows to jump
up and give out with an off
the-cuff% - rendition of Car
men" or any of a hundred ex-
cerpts from the great operas.
This is much fun.
All Venice! This sinking and
beautiful and aecaying met
ropolis is a pleasure of COM
parsons of old and new. Mag
nificient hotels grow in the
midst of squalor. Cats, thous-
ands of them, prowl the dark
streets at night in search of
food and amour - much the
same as people except that the
cats are quieter.
Whatever you may have ex-
pected of Venice is all here
the gondolas, the singing gon-
doliers, the ancient palaces.
This place is so old that one
wonders why some of the peo-
pie don't have ivy growing up
their legs. Yet the Venetians
are a thriving people and seem
to love it here.
st. Marks square is huge
and beautiful and it is a real
delight to sit out here at night
and to listen to the orchestras
try to outplay each other =
everything from Strauss to
American jazz. Thousands of
colorful tables line the square
and it is really something to
see.
There are no autos In venice
SO it is a big surprise to see
regulation traffic lights at ca
nal intersections. Bus stops are
barges spaced every few
blocks and motor launches ply
regular routes through the
city. 1t is all very novel and
gay.
The Venetians were very
powerful people at one time
in history and repulsed many
an effort at invasion. Too,
they had the first form OF
democratic government here.
The Doges of Venice were
elected by the artistocracy
however.
Venice is city OF shops -
and the merchandise of all
Europe is displayed here. Fine
feathers, silks, glass, Woolens,
iewelry and a million other
items tempt your pocketbook
as you saunter along. Florence
seemed a cold and gloomy
place but Venice is really on
its toes.
Our hotel, 1.-The Splendid" is
fine hostelry run under
Swiss management. Wherever
YOU go in Europe, you'll never
be far wrong if you stay at
Suisse" hotels. The Swiss are
experts in this field and run
hotels like they should be run.
incidentally we haven't seen a
single Venetian blind since ar
irving here-but then we didn't
see an onion when we were In
Bermuda either!
This city is a sightseers par
adise. You ride all the way
and your feet fairly grin with
inactivity. On the Grand Canal
you see the house where Rob-
ert Browning died. You see
great mansions and palaces
whose owners outdid them
selves in attempting to make
each more beautiful than the
other. You see people living in
the past and it is hard for you
to understand. Somehow, you
are glad to leave even though
you'll never forget.
We proceed to Milan, q
thriving and large city and
after a few hours, go on to
Stressa on the shores OF Lake
Maggiore. Here is mountain
beauty of first calibre. Ouf
hotel nestles between two hills
and is right on the water
1 Everything is in full bloom
\ now and magnolia, peach
cherry and other trees merely
add to the beauty of the hun
dreds of flowers which cover
the landscape. The nose tWlt'
ches with pleasurable smells
and the eyes blink at the bril-
lance of it all especially
since the snow-capped Alp'
CLEAN In the sunlight and arr