A Nurse's Travels

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume XVII, Issue 4, 1 October 1924, Page 165

A Nurse's Travels

Miss Doris Finch (trained St. Helens Hospital, Dunedin) writes as follows: — My friend Miss Hooper and I left Antwerp at 5 p.m. We had to change trains at Brussels, and again at Basle. One has to watch one's big lug-gage, as this is put out at each frontier station, and there are five of those between Belgium and Italy. Also one has to produce passports at each of these stations. At Basle there is a fearful scramble, as everyone has to pass both the French and the Swiss Customs. We then had a run across country by Berne. Just near Vevey we came to country that I knew, and I saw by changing trains we should arrive much sooner. At Vevey I took some snaps of the little war cemetery, bought more films, and changed our money to Italian coin. Next morning we had an early start. The Rhone Valley is beautiful; then as we climbed higher there many small tunnels, and then the Simplon. The other side is quite different: one is m Italy when half through. The Italian Customs came along, but did not worry us. They looked so picturesque with their soft felt hats and big feather stuck m, and cloaks which they wore thrown over one shoulder. It was a very pretty run from there to Milan, especially when we were passing Lake Maggiora. We both expected to find Italy dirty, but I think Belgium and parts of France are much worse. At Milan we had a long wait for our train connection, so went into the town for tea and to see the Cathedral. This is a wonderful building, but, unfortunately, as evening was coming we could not stay long. Arrived m Venice at midnight m the heaviest rain. Stayed at the Station Hotel and were almost too tired to feel thrilled at being m Venice. And how we slept ! Next day we took a boat up to St. Mark's. It was glorious, with all the gondolas and the beautiful old palaces, then St. Mark's Square — a blaze of colour and crowded with folk and also numbers of pigeons everywhere. We had a guide

who didn't know much but who stuck like a leech. We were m Giovanni c Pavlo — a very old church with lots of interesting tombs and an ancient chapel which had been burnt and partially destroyed. "We went to several other churches which weren't so old and not so interesting. We walked over dozens of bridges and through the quaintest of streets. Before going back to supper we went over some glass works. Oh, the glorious stuff they had! We did want some, but would have been hopelessly on the rocks. Next day we went to St. Mark's Church. Really it doesn't seem like a church. It is all mosaic and rich marbles of all colours. Then on to the Arsenal — another old part with its old stone lions and lionesses. At night we walked over the Old Rialto bridge. The Canal by moonlight and all the lights and gondolas is a wonderful sight. Then there are the beautiful lace exhibits. The wonderful patience and the eyesight required m their making! We saw many fine palaces and such pretty quaint corners, that my camera was busy most of the time. On Sunday we went to St. Mark's and out on the terrace m front. Here one sees four great bronze horses. In one of the side chapels is a wonderful carved tomb, but Mass was being celebrated, so we did not wait very long. In the afternoon our tram run took us past miles of bathing huts, but we decided tea would be nicer m St. Mark's, with the old church to look at; and so it was. One doesn't want modern places m an old town like Venice. Monday was a full day. First an old church with many fine paintings ; then wandering on we found a picturesque place used as soldiers' barracks. While we were there a funeral passed. It looked so beautiful, the gondola all black with a broken marble column m front, the coffin covered with black and the boat a mass of glorious flowers. There were two boatmen, and they just glided from the landing away to the Island cemetery. All funerals are toy gondola. Next we saw

the church of St. Rocco, and also the Frari, both old churches with fine paintings and statuary, the latter having two Holy Water bowls with richly-carved bronze figures and wonderfully-carved choir stalls. The Art Gallery we visited many times. It is full of so many wonderful pictures. Also we saw the Ducal Palace— a glorious building with much fine carving both inside and outside. There are many paintings here, too, and the roof is very elaborate. We saw the dreaded letter-box of the lion's head, and the armoury with its implements of torture. They may have been "good old days/ but they were very cruel. Our guide took us down dozens of dark stairs to see, he said, the prisons and dungeons; but it was so dark we could see nothing — only feel the dampness and the coldness. Then there was the Bridge of Sighs, so called because the condemned person had to cross it before reaching the place of execution. Enough of horrors ! The courtyard is very bright and pretty, and has two lovely old wells. From the Palace we went to a funny little side street, m which is a sort of open toAver containing a circular staircase of solid marble. The afternoon found us at the Arsenal, which is most interesting ; but Aye AA r ere very weary. We saw a sketch of Auckland Harbour m the early days. We had ices and then went to Murano to see the old church. It is so old, Avitli a floor all humps and hollows. We visited the glass museum — a very intersting place, Avith samples of glass work from the earliest glass factories, or rather earliest glass-wox^kers. At Padua we saAv r the remains of an old arena, also a quaint old church with a fresco painting by Giolto. There are scenes from the Bible beginning with the birth of Mary and finishing with Paradise. There are many queer old streets, through some of which we wandered till we came to the sarcophagus containing the mythical Founder of Padua. This is hundreds of years old and very worn. At the Church of St. Anthony is some marvellous sculpture, and bronzes too. That evening Aye left for Verona. Next morning the guide took us to St. Zeno, a dear old church Avith a most wonderful interi-

or. The crypt is fine, all the pillars beautifully carved and the proportion and the lighting wonderful. There is a statue of the Bishop of St. Zeno, a black man who was a fisherman. But he must have been a fine character: his face is so noble. A large porphyry Holy Water bowl, which now stands m the church, used to be outside a pagan temple for the people to wash m before entering. We were m San Anastasia, a lovely Gothic church only partially built. The Cathedral is quite different, and is built on the site of an old pagan temple. Two tremendous griffens support the column at the door ; the beasts, by the way, were taken from the temple. At the side of the church are pavements m mosaic dating from B.C. There is a huge marble font not used now, and a carved Holy Water basin worn down on one side where through the ages folk have slid their hands over to the water. Then there is Shakespeare's courtyard, or rather Juliet's, where Romeo used to visit — then the home of Dante; also the tombs of the sealagiers — all intensely interesting; the statue of a woman who m pagan days was called Minerva, and now is crowned and called The Madonna of Verona. That night we left for Milan and spent Easter Sunday there. Early that day we went to the Cathedral to soak m its glory. It's just a dream-place of white marble, It is no use to try to describe it; it is too gorgeous and glorious. We saw a great deal of Milan and enjoyed our stay very much; but we had to leave at 7 a.m. on Wednesday. The run is beautiful. We passed Maggiora again, but as we neared the frontier rain fell heavily. We had a good view of the Blue Lake and also of Frutigen, where we finished our holiday last year; then on past Spiez and the Lake of Thun. At Berne there was a wait for the connecting train and still another one at Basle, but by this time it was too dark to see the country. The Customs let us through with very little worry, and all night it was the same. At Bruxelles there was a rush for the Antwerp train, and it was "home" after a most wonderful holiday. A fortnight, but every minute made use of!