 | Lady Layard’s Journal Go to a Date Search the Journal |
|
Previous Entry
|
Following Entry
| |
4 November 1903 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Wednesday. 4th [November 1903]. Left by 8.45 train for Turin. A most heavenly day & the country passing the Lago di Garda looked so beautiful that one felt that there was no land in the world more fair & it quite moved me to think how fortunate I am to be living in it & to remember how fond Henry had been of it & his delight when he showed it me for the first time & that feeling almost predominated the remembrance of the last sad journey we took together when he was taken ill & we knew it was the last time we were seeing it together. At Milan it was cold, damp & foggy. I had 1½ hour to wait there & lunched there. Then at 4 the train went on to Turin where we arrived at 7. A messenger from Stupinigi met me at the station & put me & Baker into one of Queen Margherita’s carriages & brought my luggage in another. It was a splendid moonlit night & one could almost see the country as we came our ¾ hour drive. The Marchesa Villamarina met me at door & conducted me to a magnificent apartment a large sitting room in which I am now writing panelled with embroideries on white silk set in garlands of gilt wood on dark blue glass. The ceiling painted by Van Loo. The bedroom also beautifully decorated with white muslin hangings & a bath room next to it. All the doors & shutters with panels with delicate designs painted on a light ground. I had to dress in haste to be ready for 8.30 dinner. The Q. came out of her room as soon as we were assembled. Kissed me & seizing my arm said I was to take her in to dinner. I sat next her on her right. She took my arm again after dinner to return to the drawing room, a magnificent long room with 18th century decorations most complete. The room is panelled with Chinese designs painted on white silk. The room (originally intended for a dining room) is so large that a full sized billiard table, a piano & a quantity of other furniture did not make it look crowded. The only guest besides myself is a Professor Solini a pianist from Padua. He played brilliantly pieces of Schumann, Grieg & Brahms & the Q. sat by & turned over the pages for him. The Q.’s household consists of the Marchesa Villamarina & her daughter, the Duchessa [illegible word] , Count Zen, Col. Greppi & Marchese Guiccioli who is married to an Englishwoman. At 11.30 the Queen rose & bidding us goodnight retired to her room & we went to bed. The Duchessa Ascoli escorted me to mine which is in a wing a long way off from H.M. apartment. We are to breakfast tomorrow at 12. | |
|
Previous Entry
|
Following Entry
| |