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.

Visiting Fiesole, the Benedictine Abbey, and the Church of San Alessandro

A beautiful day. Had b’fast in bed. Helen went on a picnic to see a tree 400 years old with the two English ladies, Mrs. Wilde and Mrs. Moore.

I left the house at 9:50 and walked to the Duomo and took the 10:20 car for Fiesole - Florence got on the same car - and we went way to the end. Then we took a ride around for 45 minutes to see the views and walked up to the stone seat – real - looking at the view until time to go to Dr Grazzini’s. We got there at 12:30 but did not have lunch till almost two. Sgna. Grazzini is very sweet and pretty and the Dr. is very nice, a very pretty daughter of 19 and a son of 21 - then two boarders- two young artists. Mr. Smidl – an American is very jolly – I tried my French on them and we had a nice time. They are very charming people. They showed us all around the house and garden.

Then we went to the monastery [Convent of San Francesco] and a monk showed us the church – the garden and the cells – very small. St. Benedict lived in one of them.


Then we went into the church of San Alessandro* – an old Roman temple. Then we sat on the stone bench a long time and talked and finally came down the hill and took the car – Florence got out at Le Lune and I at the Duomo and walked home. Florence paid for the drive and all the fees – I talked over plans with her and I told her about Alfred, [Alfred wants Jennie to travel more] – I am going to Siena next week with Helen to the Pallis – to be gone two weeks.

After dinner tonight the two English ladies to play Sequence. They caught on very quickly. Went into see Mrs. Hubbell a few minutes. Waited up to ask Herbert Houghton the name of the pension where he stayed in Rome.

I had a nice letter from Alfred. Florence and Tommy have rented their house and have gone to Oregon. Graeff Kennedy** has the whooping cough and the Morse children,*** the measles. Letter from Hazel – Percy is thin and not feeling well. Worries too much. He is taking a vacation. John is all right.

Inscriptions on stone seal at Fiesole. Ai sitor fratelli viaggiatori di tatti I paesi un Inglise. A.D. 1872.


*The Church of Sant'Alessandro, probably founded as early as the third century. It is on the site of an old Etruscan temple which was later replaced by a Roman temple of Bacchus. At the beginning of the sixth century Theodoric the Great is said to have converted the building into a Christian church making it the oldest Christian church in Tuscany.
**Graef Kennedy was married to Edith Kennedy, Jennie’s niece. Also Graef Kennedy Jr. was Edith’s son (b. 1913).
*** Duncan (b. 1909) and Florence (b. 1913) were Margaret’s children and Jennie’s grandchildren.

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.