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27 September 1897 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Monday. 27th [September 1897]. Went off to the station & left by 9.50 train for Stanghella Lady Vivian, Princess Charlotte, Herr von Roederer & I. Reached Stanghella at 11.45 & found Countess Pisani’s carriage waiting for us & Marquis & Marquese Guiccioli (née Benkendorff) also came by the same train from Vicenza. Princess Charlotte, the Guiccioli & Lady Vivian drove off in the first carriage while Herr V. Roederer & I looked after the servants & the luggage. Lady Vivian’s box & mine were not to be seen & we discovered that Rawlinson had registered them to Padua by mistake! so that we did not get them till after 9 in the evening. Countess Pisani received us at Vescovana with her usual hospitality & we soon sat down to lunch. It was a very hot day with a burning sun as in June. The Princess was to make an excursion to Este to see the home of her English ancestors. She was not feeling very well & the heat was so great that instead of starting at 3 she decided to start at 4. Now the sindaco of Este & the Museum authorities were expecting HRH to arrive at 3.30. What was to be done? We put our heads together & decided that Lady Vivian, Marchese Guiccioli & I should go on ahead & say that the Princess was following. As we got near to Este we found 2 carabiniere on the road who had come out to meet HRH & we told them she was coming. At Este we drove to the Municipio & were received by the Sindaco a young man got up in evening costume accompanied by other officials. Guiccioli at once explained about the Princess & said all kind of amiable things at which we were conducted upstairs to a large room where a semicircle of chairs were arranged with a sort of throne in the centre—tea & coffee were handy also & we sat & waited. Abt 5 there was a movement in the little crowd assembled outside in the Square & the Princess had arrived. She was ushered up into the big room accompanied by Mme Guiccioli & Herr v. Roederer. At the door stood too tall laquais in red uniforms, knee breeches & cocked hats. They were evidently put into these clothes for the occasion & were profoundly uncomfortable & lent for support against the wall so that they looked like huge dolls. The sindaco’s little girl accompanied by 2 or 3 others presented the Pss with a basket of flowers & repeated a suitable poem. An address written in a fair hand & bound in white satin was also presented & then tea was offered. The tea had evidently been made early in the day & was so black that altho’ we diluted it with water it was undrinkable. A bottle of English rum was produced & they seemed surprised that HRH would not have some in her tea– The milk was served in a sugar basin & had to be ladled out with a spoon– In fact tea was a failure but we all had recourse to excellent coffee. From the Municipio we went to the Museum in the castle walls—& then drove a little way round the walls accompanied by the Authorities in a 3rd carriage. Then to the cathedral but it was almost too dark to be able to see Tiepolo’s picture of S. Tecla. We then set off on the return journey—I in the same carriage as the Guiccioli couple. At the end of the town we stopped & the authorities took their leave & we went on to Vescovana & reached there abt 7.30. Dined at 8. The Pss played whist & went to bed at 10. | |
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