Trip to Fiesole

Woke up a little before eight. Breakfast in bed at nine. Studied the Italian grammar most diligently for an hour or more.

Washed some pieces. Mended stockings. Then went into F.’s room to work on my black silk dress. The skirt does not hang evenly. I tried it on. Florence changed it a little and I sewed it again.

Helen came up and we went to Fiesole, Florence, Helen and I. We went into the Cathedral and then into the Greek theater and the old baths. Florence took me in, a franc apiece. I saw the old Etruscan wall and we wandered all over the ruins.


The theatre has a wonderful situation looking out on the hills of Florence. We saw the ivory admission ticket that was given to the gladiator Euporus 62 B.C. after he had won 15 times, to admit him to a seat in the theatre. It was given to him by the Roman Consul. We spent a most interesting afternoon looking at the museum, theatre, etc. Helen had seen it several times and wouldn’t go in.

We met a Mrs. Hubbell w. her sister and daughter from California. It began to sprinkle so we came back to the Luné while Helen went home. The Directore told us of the dreadful news of the sinking of the Empress of Ireland yesterday morning and many people drowned. It was in the Italian paper. It positively makes me sick.*

It rained hard. Played Sequence with Florence and she beat me dreadfully.

*In the early morning hours of May 29, 1914, the Canadian Pacific ocean liner Empress of Ireland was cruising the St. Lawrence, headed for Liverpool. Travelling the opposite way was the Norwegian collier Storstad, weighed down by a full load of coal. Each ship had spotted the other, but a sudden fog obscured both. A collision sank the Empress of Ireland in just 14 minutes with more than 1000 passengers losing their lives.

First Italian lesson, hats, and sightseeing in Florence

Woke up quite early, had my bath, and rang for breakfast by eight. The breakfast had not come so had to wait. Read my French book a while. Was dressed by ten and went into F’s room. She is feeling somewhat better. Helen called me up on the telephone and I said we were going down today.

Signorina Bianca Carli came before F. was dressed so I went down and talked to her in French and began my first lesson in Italian. Florence did not take. I read the words over and we talked a little until twelve o’clock.

Florence went right down to the doctor’s after lunch, but I was not ready. Missed a car so was late in meeting Helen at Dr. Dunn’s. There were six ahead so I did not wait.

Helen took me to her milliner’s. She is going to fix my feathers and perhaps my hat by trimming it so I can wear it this summer.

Then we went down to the Duomo and took No. 8 to the end of the line, Piazza Michelangelo. I was so tired I could not go to see the two churches so we sat there and rested there, looked at the statue of David by Michelangelo and at the wonderful view of Florence and then came back to the Duomo where I took the car for the Luné.


After dinner, Florence stewed cherries and taught me Italian while I knit. Then we played Sequence and F. beat me all to pieces. Florence likes Dr. Ginguioli. He wants her to go to the Pestellini* as soon as she can. He thinks he can help her very much.

* Nigel Nicolson in “A Portrait of a Marriage”, describes his mother, Vita’s stay there in 1908 on her first visit to Florence: “They stayed at the Villa Pestellini, an ochre-coloured house with loggias and terraces and a cottage in the garden, and descended each day to the city…” In 1912, she went with Rosamund to Florence and stayed in the cottage at the Villa Pestellini.

Sewing, walking, and card games

Breakfast in bed. It rained a little in the morning and looked so cloudy at lunch that we decided to give up going to the city. Tried to call up Helen on the telephone and could not get the Montebello so wrote her a postal.

Had a nice letter from Hazel and a note from Percy, also four cunning pictures of John. Hazel said they were going to send me $40 next month but it is not owing me till August. She also said she was not satisfied with Percy’s condition.

Received also a nice letter from Alfred. Wrote a letter to Hazel about the money.

Florence made some hot tea and I went in and took my sewing. Then we went out and took a beautiful walk through the hanging vines along the Via Barbacane.


Stayed downstairs in the salon for a while after dinner then came up and played Sequence with Florence and she beat me.

Restful day in the Pensione in Florence

Weather has cleared off.

I had breakfast in bed and read my French a while and then I was sleepy and took a nap, so that Helen and Florence came in and found me.

Florence went down and called up Miss Petus and found she could not get in there till June 4th so she has decided to stay here and I shall stay as long as she does.

Helen is very far from well. She has also mucous colitis just as Florence says and I am trying to get her to go to see the doctor, but she wants to wait and consult an American woman doctor who is coming to Florence next month. She ought to have special food. I do not think she will go to the new pension with me as we had planned. She left when our lunch bell rang.

After lunch Florence and I took our sewing and went out into the garden to sit. Florence had the long chair which the invalid usually has. I did a lot of mending while Florence was working on one of her contadini* veils repairing it. Then I came upstairs and wrote a long letter to Percy and Hazel.

After dinner we sat in the salon a while then I came up to write my diary.

*peasant

Rainy day in the Pensione

It poured all day long without cessation.

Paid my bill. Wrote to Margaret and to Alfred. Sat with Florence in the afternoon and mended. She made some hot tea which tasted very good for it was hot and the weather is so cold and depressing.

We played Sequence in the evening. I beat a game of 100 and Florence one of 50. We sat up till eleven. After that I looked over that silly book, The Visits of Elizabeth* till after midnight.

Had a nice letter from Florence. She is going to Oregon with Tommy.** I am glad.

Told the Directore that we were going to leave.

I had a very nice letter from Mrs. Morse, my twin.***

*Published in 1901 by Elinor Gwyn: “British author Elinor Glyn (1864-1943) wrote a number of novels, many featuring strong female characters in sexually charged situations. The most scandalous was Three Weeks, which nearly ended Glyn's career. Later in her career she was lured to Hollywood to write screenplays, one of which originated the idea of the "It Girl." She also directed two unsuccessful films.” Encyclopedia of World Biography
.**Referring to Jennie’s daughter, Florence, and husband, Tommy Sanford
***Mrs. Morse is her daughter Margeret’s mother-in-law.

Rainy day while looking for new lodgings

Rained all the afternoon. I did not sleep well, did not wake early, had no breakfast, took my bath, washed my hair and a few things.

I went in to see Florence and found her perfectly discouraged about herself. I advised her to see a different doctor and to try to get some help which I believed would be through diet and not through medicine. So she went down and got the manager to call up Dr. Toti who recommends a Dr. Giglioli near the Montebello.*

This afternoon right after lunch we went down to his office and he was most encouraging. He said they had found new remedies for this mucous colitis and that it was controlled by diet more than by medicine but he said she ought to go to some place where she would have just the right kind of cooking and he mentions the Montebello and a Miss Peters.

He also gave her tiny doses of castor oil and salol** to take every two hours and a dessert spoonful of Laxative Vaseline every night. I like the doctor very much and I am sure she is going to be better.

It rained and we took a carriage to the Montebello where we found Helen who made us some delicious coffee with cream, bread and butter and cake, very nice. We talked over places and I made up my mind to try to go to some place for 6 or 7 francs than to try to get into the Montebello for eight, so Helen and I went to a pension in the Arno and I looked at rooms, good for 6 fr., very good for 7, good cooking and all. I think we shall go there together but it depends on what Florence can do. We may go to Lausanne, later on.

It was raining hard so we took a cab back to the Montebello and then further to the Fiesole tram for F. and me. The rain came in the top of the car and I got wet. Changed all my things when I got back. Had dinner, cup of hot milk, an egg, soup, beans, dessert -strawberries with white white. Some new people have come here.

*Hotel Montebello, Via Curtatone 2.
**Phenyl salicylate, or salol, is a chemical substance, introduced in 1886 by Marceli Nencki of Basel. It can be created by heating salicylic acid with phenol. It has been used as an intestinal antiseptic based on the antibacterial activity upon hydrolysis in the small intestine.

American Church and visit with Helen

Very late about rising - as usual.

However, caught the 10:15 car and through the kindness of some people learned how to go to the American church* where I met Helen. The church is very pretty, the rector a fine man. He read the service in a slow impressive manner. The music was beautiful. Unfortunately there is a bad echo so one loses the words and so the connection of thought. The church was quite well filled. It took me one hour to return. Reached here at 1:30, an hour late to lunch, so had just bread and milk and an orange.

Helen came out about four, soon after Florence went down to see Pauline Altiocchi, so Helen and I were left alone. She asked me some pointed questions and I told her the truth about last winter, how Florence had become restive under the unnatural conditions in which she found herself, so that she actually felt she was doing wrong if she went alone either to walk or to make a call knowing Helen would feel hurt if left behind.

I told Helen that such a relation between people was unnatural and unpleasant. That Florence liked her very much but that she felt she must have more freedom of action and I told Helen that if she wanted to join us on the condition that we would all be free to live our own lives, we would be glad to have her. She did not answer, but evidently wishes to think it over.

Florence returned tired out, her feet hurting her. Helen left just before F. returned. F. had seen Pauline and her children and had invited them all here for tea on Tuesday, but I begged her to recall the invitation as she was so unwell. Sat up till after twelve writing to Alfred.

*Most likely St. James American Protestant Episcopal Church, Via Rucellai Bernardo 9, which is known as “the American Church” and was built 1908-1911.