Siena Ring Train

I decided to have breakfast in bed and studied the Italian grammar as usual. Then I dressed and went out into the Park, wrote to F.B.H. at Le Lune and sent some postals to the nieces, and Baby-John.

Helen lay down after lunch but I did not. I ripped off, mended and put to soak the lace from my gray silk waist.* Afterwards Helen washed it for me. I felt very tired and went to walk with Helen to get some wood alcohol. Then we rode in the funny overhead ring train from one end of the route to the other. Then as I was very tired, I came home and went to bed and had bread and milk for dinner. Helen went to the cinematograph with Miss Hortense Oudesluys. About eleven, I was so sick that I threw up all my supper which made me feel easier and I slept pretty well.

*blouse

Florence to Siena

Did not sleep well, there were so many noises in our alley. Got up at 6:30, wrote a note to F.T. H. and sent her Marion’s letter.

Dressed and finished packing – had breakfast and started in a carriage for the train. Saw Mrs. Moore and Miss Kinney to say goodbye. We got to the station before the train was made up – 55 minutes before it left. Of course we had the window seats. We had a pleasant ride down, to my surprise reached Siena at 11:50. I accidentally saw the name or we would have gone on. As it was, I asked 3 people before I could be convinced.



Rode up to Pension Flora and were given a back room with 2 beds – everything else in the house was taken. Arranged for Miss Kinney to have a room outside and to take her meals here. Had a nice lunch. Then we lay down for two hours. Mrs. Moore’s friend, Miss Nunes, came to see about the ticket. She was very nice and kind and we went with her and exchanged the tickets she bought for us for five others for the Oudesleys, Miss Kinney and ourselves. Then we went to see her room in a pension in a palace. It has a beautiful view.



Then we went to the Church of [Santa Maria di] Provenzano where we stayed for Benediction.
Miss Nunes is a Catholic. Then she brought us up the hill – till we could see our own pension. – Mrs. and Miss Oudesley are here and came out to welcome us when we came. They have a very pleasant room. We had a nice dinner and then we went out for a stroll about the neighborhood. Coming back I wrote notes to Miss Kinney and Mrs. Moore and mailed them. “I spiek English! Goodnight! Goodbye!!”

Packing and Feeding the Fish

I was tired and had b’fast in bed as I always do – studied my Italian – Then washed my hair – As it was drying, Helen sent word that Dr. Giglioli was here, so I put it up as well as I could, put on my wrapper and went up to H’s room. He said he thought Helen was better and would be all right in a month.

I went down and looked over my things and divided those I wanted to leave in my trunk from those I wanted to take. Worked till almost 5 – them went to Munsterman’s, the druggist’s, and met Helen and we went around and did a lot of errands.

I bought gloves and a silver spoon as I had lost my old one. Left new address at Am. Exp. Co. and found 4 letters there from Percy, Alfred, Florence Sanford and Marion. Edith is better – I am so glad.

Carried out two packages of stale bread to feed the fishes in the Boboli Gardens, but it took us so long to do our errands that the gardens were closed. I was determined not to carry the bread home so I dropped one package in the Lungarno under the arches – first looking to see that no one saw me and gave the other to an old woman with 20 centimes and I know she thought I was crazy – got lost and wandered all over everywhere trying to find the Via Tornabuoni.

Bought the Fanciulla and sent it to Duncan for his birthday. Came back tired out. Made Miss Kinney and Helen laugh till they cried over the adventure of the old woman and “il pane vecchio.”

After dinner paid my bill and then Mrs. Hubbell, Mrs. Turner, Miss Kinney and I all went into Helen’s room and had a jolly time.

??? is going to have a baby Christmas.

A Fete Day

Did not feel as tired as I expected so went with Helen and Mrs. Moore to the Duomo to see the service. We could not get very near but it was gorgeous with the archbishop and all his riches. I thought it was the adoration of the archbishop. We hung over the choir railing and I saw them go out. Then we went around and waited to see the time strike a circle on a brass plate in the left transept.* I think it passed above it.

Came back. After lunch had a good sleep for over an hour. Florence Humphrey came and we went out. Did a few errands and when we went to Piazza Victor Emmanuele and saw Helen and Miss Kinney there and we sat down and had ice cream and cafes and Florence fed four children and an old man. I walked almost back with Florence when she said she must go and so she went back to the Duomo. I wanted her to go to the Pension Crocini and look at the rooms for next winter.



Signora Crocini said the Duomo would be illuminated at 9 – the only day in the year it is done and said we could see it here. We waited till 9.30 and then Mrs. Moore, Miss Kinney and I started. We got to Piazza V.E. and the Duomo with red lights and fireworks on it so then we tried to walk there, but we got into an awful jam so we came back, listened to two pieces of music and came back in the cars. Mrs. Moore and Miss Kinney came back about 15 minutes before us.

Went to Mrs. Hubbell’s room and got telling stories, laughing and it was 11.40 before I left and one o’clock before I got to bed.

*Probably the huge mechanical clock decorated by Paolo Uccello

Florence to Pisa and Return

Was up before seven. Helen had breakfast with me in my room. Started at 8:30 for train with field glass, opera glass, parasol, Baedeker, phrase book, coat – and lunch. Helen went with us but left at the entrance when she found she had left her watch under her pillow. Went in, found that Cook’s man had made a mistake and that the train went at 8:45, not at 9:30. We were ten minutes too late – another train went at 12:00. We went to Cook’s but they denied they had made a mistake. We went home and I wrote 4 postals. We took No. 4 train when we went back – got outside seats by the window – a young Italian girl was on the train. I tried to talk with her. Met a young English woman on the train and asked her if she would like to ride up in carriage with us and share experiences. She stayed with us all the afternoon. She was very pleasant. We ate lunch on the train.



Went first to Duomo – then Battisterio*, then Campo Santa and then the Leaning Tower. We saw two babies being christened. There was an old crenulated wall running along aside the Battisterio with a lion at the corner. A tower in one part of the wall. The buildings stood in a great deal of green grass which made a beautiful background. The Campo Santo was most interesting. The frescoes on the wall of Death Triumphant, the Last Judgment and Hell were powerful – crude and most interesting. We looked at the tombs and monuments, then to the Tower. We climbed to the place where the bells were and the English lady went to the top. I am sorry I didn’t. Came down and went into the Battisterio and the guard gave a number of notes that awoke a marvelous echo. He did it several times – it sounded like the chords struck on an organ. Bought some postcards.

Got down in good time for the train – a young soldier was opposite us and I tried to get him to tell me about the line solders at the review but I couldn’t make him understand. It was a beautiful ride home. Got back at 8:40. Had dinner. Gave Maria a franc between us. Helen was moved to a quieter room upstairs.

* The Baptistry of St. John

Shopping and Fiesole Visit

Slept well. Breakfast in bed as usual. I was ready for Signorina Carli when she came and we spent our time in talking. She says I have improved and I know I have.

Then I went to Am. Express and cashed my draft for $110 and got my Kodak prints of the film Pen gave me – and went to a secondhand book store for an Italian dictionary, but they did not have any, so I came back to Via Torna Buoni and bought one - the Tauchnitz*.

After lunch lay down awhile and fell asleep – dressed and went to Fiesole, got there at 4:40. Found Mme. Grazzini going there and her daughter and Mr. Schmidt and a Mr. Hahn, nice fellows, both artists. We had a pretty table with ice cream and cake, very nice. I talked villainous French with Signora Grazzini and we had a jolly time. Did not leave till after seven. On the tram, we discovered that we had left Mrs. Moore’s address book so we telephoned to Florence about it which made us very late to dinner. Mme. Crocini waited on us herself. I like Maria, the older woman who waits on the table, but not the others.

Came down to my room right after dinner. I had letters from Florence, Alfred, Katharine** and Percy today. Also a note from the pension [Flora} at Siena saying they could take us.

Did not sleep well owing to the chocolate cake I ate. Was up at two drinking peppermint tea and studying Italian.

*The name of a very old esteemed German publishing house which specialized in dictionaries. Bibles and Greek and Roman classics.
**Probably Katharine Duncan Morse, Margaret's sister-in-law whom Jennie would have known from her stay in Amherst.

Presbyterian Church, Boboli Gardens, and Church of San Felice

Helen and I had breakfast in her room together – eggs and honey and a good time. Then we got dressed and went to Pres.[byterian] Church and stayed to Communion. Came home and arranged to have Miss Kinney sit at our table. She was glad to come and she is so nice we were glad to have her. Helen lay down and I finished my letter to Margaret.

Then Helen, Miss Kinney and I walked up to the Boboli gardens. We found them closed except the lower part where we found a fete going on in aid of some school. We paid 20 centimes a piece to get in and walked around the beautiful walks between hedges 20 ft. high. We saw the pretty pond full of gold fish. We sat and talked a long time.



On the way we passed a church of San Felice. We looked in and saw they were to have a procession around the church and a Te Deum and religious service at 6:30 so we stopped here on the way back and saw them light the candles on the altars and in the candelabra and saw the children standing in rows down the center each with a candle in its tiny hand. The service went on at the altar and the preparations went in the church but I had to leave to get back to dinner in time. I was very sorry because it is such a pretty sight to have the children march with their lighted candles. Helen was tired but she wouldn’t go home. She is frail but has tremendous will power.

After dinner we went into the Hubbell’s room for a few minutes and then into Miss Kinney’s to see her scarabs – the beads she bought in Egypt.