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23 September 1880 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Thursday. 23rd [September 1880]. Arranged the house &c. Breakfasted at 11 & directly after we set out in the gondola & went to the Arsenal– We found M. & Mme Castellani, Sir Wm & Miss Drake, M. & Mme & Mlle Rénan & their son, M. Dreyfus, M. Ephrussi, Mr Robinson & wife & 2 daughters & Mr Montefiore all ready to embark on a small Govt steamer & abt 12 we started for Torcello. We had a very pleasant excursion there– We towed 2 gondolas there in order to be able to land our steamer being too large to get close to shore. The day was favorable the sky being overcast & tho it was not cold one was not baked by the sun. We landed & walked along the deserted & half choked up canals to the church & we spent a long time examining the great mosaics there & Rénan was very much interested in finding out what all the figures were. He was very much puzzled at an angel holding a large cornucopia reversed wh he declared to be a doge’s cap but wh seemed to me doubtful– Afterwards we went to the baptistry & then into the little museum where there are several interesting things—a magnificent remnant of embroidery & a few plaques of the palla in silver—some of the old mosaic heads wh were renewed by our Glass Company. We refreshed ourselves with grapes & figs. Abt 4 we set off to return home & it was time we did as the tide was going out & we found it very difficult to get our cumbrous steamer through the small winding canals. Once we stuck completely & we had to get some peasants to pull the head of our boat round from the shore with a rope– At last we got safely through & reached Venice abt 5.30– Got home & rested a little & then dressed for dinner. Sir Wm & Miss Drake—M. & Mme Castellani & Marquis d’Azeglio dined with us. We had a very pleasant evening—& great art talks. The Drakes & D’Azeglio left early & the Castellanis stayed chatting & they both said how much they longed to have Henry at Rome in the place of Sir A. Paget. Henry went to the Piazza with them at 10. I went to bed– Coming back from Torcello this afternoon I had a long talk with Mme Rénan a very nice good natured clever woman. She is a daughter of Airy Schaeffer—& her mother was English & she speaks English very well. The daughter is fair & delicate looking, the son is unfortunately quite hump backed & a dwarf but seems clever & sketched as he went along. | |
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