Italy - Venice - 8.5.1957

Photo Postcard of Nancy Watson and Miss Millicent Armstrong on a Gondola.

Hotel Gabrielli, Venice. Italy - 8.5.1957

Dear Arbud,*

Don't say I don't think up the loveliest treats for you! I just knew you'd like to see the HAT on yet another adventure.  I feel I have now seen everything, a street photographer in Venice!  There we were, thinking no evil to nobody, when from a gondola parked on the other side of the canal comes a flash, followed by the throwing of the ticket into our gondola!  We went for a long trip by gondola ( I can't seem able to help repeating the word 'gondola') this afternoon, and we were snapped by no less than 4 of the pests.  Sometimes they or a small boy waiting on the next bridge who throws the ticket down. You've no idea of what one can see in a canal if one is silly enough to look!  They smell, rather, but I still love Venice dearly.  Leave in the a.m. for Bolzano in the Alps, probably be snowed in, judging by the cold here.  Haven't had any letters from you and the kids for a while, so guess you must be travelling.  No word yet from Sue, but as she has only been at school for 11 days and her letters go to London first, I suppose it's not to be wondered at.  Nan



*My mothers nickname, when she was a little girl she would go up to some flowers and pick the buds off saying as she did it,  Ahhh bud, aaahhhh bud and so on.  So to those who knew her as a child still call her Bud or Arbud.

Italy - Venice - 6.5.1957.

Sighs Bridge

Hotel Gabrielli, Venice. Italy 6.5.1957

Dear Pennie,

Hope you admire this 'street' in Venice.  Get your mother to tell you about the Bridge of Sighs.  The other bridge in the picture is just one of many used to cross over the 'streets'.  I had great fun this morning finding my way about, I crossed so many bridges that I lost count.  In spite of the awful weather (the Italians call it 'brutto tempo) we are enjoying Venice.  There are beautiful things in the shops, especially Venetian glass.  We are going to see a glass factory tomorrow.  There are 'land' streets as well as water ones, and it's nice not to have to watch out for traffic, because there isn't any.

Lots of love, Nan

 Saint Marcus dock and Gondola.

Hotel Gabrielli, Venice. Italy 6.5.1957.

Dear Timmy,

We haven't been in a gondola yet, as it was raining too hard when we arrived last night and we came to the hotel in a motor boat instead.   Over 400 years ago the noble families of Venice made such a pest of themselves, trying to have more beautiful gondolas than each other, that a law was passed making everyone paint their gondola's black!  We had a very exciting time in the bus when the most terrific storm started.  The hail stones basked into the windows and the rain was so thick that the driver had to stop for a while.  The road was covered with hail stones, it looked just like deep snow.  We all thojught the windows would break but they didn't, thank goodness.

Lots of love, Nan.

 Historical Regatta.

Hotel Gabrielli, Venice. Italy - 6.5.1957

Dear Merry,

There is a big square here, called St. Marks Square, where there are hundreds and hundreds of pigeons who nearly knock you down if you feed them.  They sit on your head, shoulders and hands and trample on your feet.  I saw one land right on a man's bald head and the man was not amused!  If there is a find night before we leave Venice we are going for a trip in a Gondola and the Gondalier, who is the man who rows the gondola and sings to his passengers, I think it will be great fun.

Lots of love, Nan