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25 August 1869 — Baveno | |
Wednesday. 25th [August 1869]. Called at 6. Breakfast ½ past. At 7 Henry & I went in a little carriage by a most lovely road to the Lago d’Orta. It was a most beautiful fresh bright morng & nothing could be more delightful. The drive all along the lake to Orta itself is like one garden and we saw lovely butterflies & bright lizards & picturesque peasants at every turn. We arrived at Orta at ½ past 9 but did not drive into the town but got out ½ way up the hill to go up to see the Sacro Monte. It is a most curious thing. A beautifully kept grove having chapels at intervals. On looking thro’ the gratings one sees life sized figures of painted wood representing the life of St Francis of Assisi. After we had looked into several chapels in wh the representations were more grotesque than pleasing we descended into Orta. We found the place all alive with market day. We went into a church wh had a most curious doorway carved in black marble. The rest of the church uninteresting. We ordered déjeuner à la fourchette at the Hotel de St Jules and then took a boat and rowed over to the Island to see the curious church there. We saw a fresco by Gaudenzio Ferrari and a most curious black carved marble pulpit. There was a priest there who was anxious to show off the church & took us to the vestry to show us an altar cloth wh he declared had been made in 1300. Hy told him it was abt 200 years old—but he stuck to his own opinion. He also showed us the bone of the Dragon who is supposed to have devastated the country! We took a hasty leave refusing to see the body of S. Giulio & rowed round the Island & back to the Hotel. We had our breakfast and started again by a most lovely road skirting the lake and thro’ several villages for abt 2½ hours drive to Arona. There we left the carriage & went on board the steamer to go back to Baveno. We went all along the borders of the lake stopping to take & leave passengers at Belgirate, Stresa, Isola Bella &c. We got to Baveno abt 4. Found the Hambros & M. Corry had left this morning at 8. From 4 to 6 I sat & rested & wrote my journal. The Viglianis were at dinner tho’ rather late. After dinner we sat out on the terrace with them & had coffee & went up to bed abt 9. We however sat up to see the moon rise before going to bed. | |
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