We Were Told That The People Take A Good Deal Of Pride In Their
Bells, And That One Village Will
Be jealous of another, and
consider itself more or less insulted if the bells of that other
can be heard
More plainly than its own can be heard back again.
There are two villages in the Brianza called Balzano and Cremella;
the dispute between these grew so hot that each of them changed
their bells three times, so as to try and be heard the loudest. I
believe an honourable compromise was in the end arrived at.
In other respects Castelletto is a quiet, sleepy little place. The
Ticino flows through it just after leaving the lake. It is very
wide here, and when flooded must carry down an enormous quantity of
water. Barges go down it at all times, but the river is difficult
of navigation and requires skilful pilots. These pilots are well
paid, and Tonio seemed to have a great respect for them. The views
of Monte Rosa are superb.
One of the great advantages of Arona, as of Mendrisio, is that it
commands such a number of other places. There is rail to Milan,
and again to Novara, and each station on the way is a sub-centre;
there are also the steamers on the lake, and there is not a village
at which they stop which will not repay examination, and which is
not in its turn a sub-centre. In England I have found by
experience that there is nothing for it but to examine every
village and town within easy railway distance; no books are of much
use:
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