After lunch, finished my letter to Margaret, a sort of family letter. Then Florence and I got ready and started for Fiesole. We went into the cathedral* first of all and looked around. We found it was a fiesta, prayers to get sent out of purgatory with a procession, so we decided to stay and see it.
First though we went to see a house that Florence very much admires belonging to some old Italians. They are very poor, but they own this place and rent it for $25 a month - 4 bedrooms upstairs, two living rooms down, and a beautiful garden and a glorious view. We saw two of the old women.
Then we went back to the church. Some kind of a service was going on in the choir but the people paid no attention to it, but wandered in and out at their own sweet will, old women and young, old men and young boys, girls, babies, even dogs.
Finally it was nearing the time for the procession and people came in and used the church as a dressing room all the time the service was going on.
They began to leave the church crowding into the open square. We went too and went on the grass in front of the archbishop’s where we watched the procession form**, march, turn, and march back into the cathedral again. It was certainly a medieval sight. It was very, very interesting, the elevation of the host, the walking of the archbishop under the canopy held by 6 priests.
The piazza was filled with life, light, color and music. I felt as if I were taking part in a musical opera.
After they had all gone into the church, F. and I took the next car back to the pension. Leaving Fiesole at 7. Miss Hannay lent us her London paper and we read all about the disaster to the Empress of Ireland. It was right in the mouth of the St. Lawrence.
* Fiesole Cathedral, dedicated to Saint Romulus of Fiesole, is Romanesque.
**Probably for Pentecost as that was the date for Pentecost in 1914.
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