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492   April 24   Venice.

and the oldest mosaics - 500 years after Christ. (Roman influence, before Byzantine (Dark blue backgrounds) The city of Padua - too, is beautiful.

Then, the climax of my stay in Italy - Venice! Incredible - after all the films I had seen of it - as well as paintings - nothing does justice to its' incomparable beauty. The square of San Marco is unbelievable - the towers and arches - gravely blue white against the night sky - the air filled with the fragrance of the water - the café musicians and the strolling passers by filling the square. Wondrous, truly.

The Gondola trip to the hotel from the station which lasted a half hour - was alone worth the trip to Venice. The Luna Hotel (Albergo) is one of the finest here - just near the Square, San Marco and I have a lovely large room, double bed & bath - with a view - to boot - of the Lagoon. I called Mary Crandall & she, Les, her brother & Arturol Callahan came over at 10 PM. - after


493 [[strikethrough]] Saturday [[/strikethrough]] April 25  Venice
Monday - St. Mark's Day & Day of Liberation after war

dinner and we all went strolling about & had brandy at both café concert places in the green air. It was a delightful first evening in Venice.

Monday, April 25  Venice.

The wonderful chimes of the bells woke me at 6 AM. First, the solemn deep tones of a solitary bell - afterwards a unison of voices in counter harmony, dying out to end again with the voice of the first bell heard. It was dreamlike to hear - impossible to sleep afterwards and so I bathed, dressed & breakfasted by 7.30. Went and spent an hour in the Cathedral (with wonderful Byzantine mosaics on gold background.) Worth studying again & again. Must acquire a fine book on the subject. Their stylized treatment of the subject - similar to Picasso's still life & figure paintings - Nothing new (with the exception of 'Guernica,' has been said since)