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30 August 1869 — Varenna | |
Monday. 30th [August 1869]. My cold better we determined to go on to Milan. We made Hill pack every thing and at abt ½ past one had all the luggage put into a boat. We then reluctantly took our leave of Varenna. We looked at the outside of a charmingly situated villa Henry had once wished to buy, & then rowed off to Bellagio. It was lovely on the lake and tho’ the sun was very hot we got a little breeze. We stopped a moment at the Hotel to ask for letters, found none and went on to a village called Carella to pay a visit to some Italian friends of Henry’s Mme Frizzoni and her son. All along we passed lovely villas the gardens of wh fringed the lakes. The most charming seemed to me quite a new one Villa Frizzani belonging to the uncle of our friends. They however do not live there as his wife took a dislike to it as soon as it was made. We had not time to stop at the Villa Trotti and call there but had to go straight up to pay our visit. It was dreadfully hot but we had a very pleasant little walk shaded by the vines of the villa. We found a boy going that way and sent him on to announce our arrival. Sigr Frizzoni met us on the terrace & took us up to his mother. They were both most kind & by talking French I got on. They gave us sirop & took us along their terrace walk to show us the views of the lake of wh there were lovely peeps. We then walked back to our boat & went back to Bellagio to wait for the steamer. It was piping hot and I was very glad to go & sit in a café and have lemonade. I sat there quietly till the steamer came. There were crowds going on board and a great many landed. We found Hill quite safe and we got seats luckily. We had a most lovely journey from here to Como and lovely views at every turn. We stopped very often going from side to side of the lake as the towns & villages were passed. We passed such villas with such gardens and trees and vines and aloes reflected most beautifully in the water. Henry found Sigr Montecchi on board and he came & talked over Venice with him. The sun was setting when we arrived at Como and it was cooler. Hill said she did not feel so well and got more dig-away than ever. The crowd landing was immense. However having got our luggage booked to Milan we had nothing to think of & soon found 3 places in an omnibus going to the station. We drove into the town where we had a 3rd horse put on and began the ascent to the station, wh took some time. Arrived there we got a little coffee & gave Hill some brandy & water and then I put her into a carriage and we took our places but owing to the immense amount of luggage we were rather later. In an hour we were at Milan where Mr Bruschetti of the Albergo Reale had us fetched in an open carriage. It was very pleasant and we soon whisked past everything. The Duomo wh we passed seemed most wonderfully enormous seen in that ½ light but we were soon past it and into the court yd of the Hotel where Bruschetti recd us with open arms that I was quite dazzled. We found tea ready for wh we were not sorry and have charming rooms, 4 rooms altogether. One very large bedroom some rooms for Hy & a salon and a room out of it for Hill. I sent her quickly to bed & went to bed myself rather feverish & having a cough. | |
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