1936 On the Continent

you are. The map is useless in any case, for after a quarter of an hour’s walk you will not know where you are and the map will not help you. It is much better to walk in any direction you like and to take a gondola if you should get lost. It may happen that a gondola will take you back to your hotel in two minutes, whereas if left to yourself—and to your map—you might never have found your way home. That is why gondola fares have to be calculated in your budget as an unavoidable item.
    The gondolier is not a conservative English business man with an innate sense of fair play, and gondola tariffs have therefore been fixed by the authorities. The price of a gondola for half an hour, up to three passengers, is 8 lire, and 2 lire extra is charged for every additional passenger. For an hour the tariff is 12 lire, with 2 lire extra per person above three. The basic charge after the first hour is 6 lire for half an hour. During the great
Redentore
festival, when the famous gondola race is also held, gondola hire is much more expensive. According to official regulations the maximum charge for a gondola with one oar for the duration of the entire festival cannot exceed 50 lire, or in the case of two oars too lire, though the gondolier naturally expects a tip in addition to the legal fee.
Spring, Summer or Autumn
    It is a much debated question during what season of the year Venice is loveliest. There are those who prefer to come in the summer, while others like to stay in Venice in the spring or late autumn when there are few foreign visitors and “Venice belongs to the Venetians.” It is true that between November and April it sometimes rains for days on end, but there are people who love to be in the city of lagoons on just such grey, wet days, when all is silence among the centuries-old palaces, relics of past riches and power, which their owners would gladly sell to the highest bidder—if there were any bidders.
    Those who spend the summer in Venice are generally undecided as to whether to live in the town or on the Lido. Well, each presents certain advantages. If you are staying on the Lido you can step into the sea almost from your bedroom door, while at the tea hour and the social events organised by the big luxury hotels you can enjoy the company of the smartest crowd in the world. And, of course, in the summer the Lido is cooler than the city. On the other hand, staying in Venice itself can be very nice. To sleep and wake with this romantic fairy town is an unforgettably lovely experience.
Istria
    Beyond Venice, along the Trieste line, there are several charming seaside resorts which are still popular with theinhabitants of the old Austro-Hungarian monarchy. These are noted not only for good beaches, excellent hotels and gay company, but also for the important fact that they are inexpensive. There is Grado, two and a half hours’ journey from Venice, which is also built on lagoons, and owing to its extensive sandy beach is a paradise for children. Abbazia and Brioni can best be approached from Trieste, the most important port of the Adriatic. It is in Trieste that the steamers of the Cosulich Line and the Lloyd Triestino berth. Tourists arriving in Trieste receive their first taste of the atmosphere of old Italian towns when passing through the older part of Trieste. Those who intend to spend a few hours only in Trieste are advised to climb to the top of the Cathedral campanile, from which an excellent view of the city can be obtained. The best hotel in Trieste is the Savoia Excelsior, the best restaurant the Antica Bonavia, where you can obtain the finest fish and lobster dishes at all seasons of the year. There are some beautiful and interesting excursion points around Trieste. A small steamer will take you to the beautifully situated Miramare Castle, formerly the residence of the unfortunate Emperor of Mexico. From here a train will take you, in two hours, to Postumia, where you can wander in one of the most beautiful stalactite caves in the world.
CENTRAL ITALY
From Milan and Venice to Bologna
    Travelling southwards from Milan, Verona or Venice you must pass through Bologna, one of the most charming towns in Central Italy. If you go from Milan to Bologna you will pass through Parma, Correggio’s town, in whose churches you can see many of Correggio’s masterpieces. Your next station will be Modena, capital of the former Grand Duchy, which has a few valuable Renaissance period pictures in its