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20 July 1904 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Wednesday. 20th [July 1904]. Got up before 6 & went by the train wh starts at 7 A.M. to pay a visit to Baroness Reinelt at Sistiana in Austria– I took a return ticket for Monfalcone & reached there at 9.45. The Baroness met me at the station—looking very well—very sunburnt. We had an hour’s drive to Sistiana—but stopped in the town of Monfalcone & had a cup of coffee there. The country is pretty & wild—very rocky with bushes of tamarisk &c &c growing amongst the rocks—near the descent to Sistiana there are old Roman sulphur baths—& pretty peeps of the sea here & there. A rapid descent takes one down into the little bay of Sistiana. Above on a cliff stands the large castle of Duino belonging to the Hohenlohe family—as does all the property about there. On the right of the bay are stone quarries wh are being constantly worked & are also a source of revenue to the family. There is an hotel on the shore & a bathing establishment. Only one private villa which the Baroness hires and wh is quite tiny with only room for herself & 3 servants. on arriving there we sat & talked till 12 o’cl when a steamer wh she hires arrived from Trieste bringing Canonica the sculptor & her nephew who had slept at Trieste. We then went on board the steamer accompanied by the Dr Campi, the Doctor of the place & a Count whose name I did not catch, Baroness Angelica the Baroness’ Triestine friend whom I had met last year at Milan—& put out to sea. The view of the coast was delightful—the air refreshing. We went first under Duino to see the castle—then towards Trieste. The American fleet—7 ships of war—were lying there so we went round them—then along the Italian coast as far as Capo d’Istria most picturesque. Dinner was being prepared & I thought it would never come. Having breakfasted before 6 I was much in need of it. When it was served past 2 oclock I was no longer hungry & it was difficult to do justice to the many dishes wh succeeded each other. After dinner the Baroness who was overcome with sleep & I retired to rest in the cabin & slept half an hour. When we woke we were back at Sistiana. We sat in the tiny garden in the shade talking till 5.30 when we had to set off for the station. Bss Angelica Canonica & the Baroness accompanied me on the hour’s drive to Monfalcone. I took the 6.15 train & got back to Venice at 7.30. Had tea & went to bed. The view of Trieste from the sea is very imposing– Miramar wh I fancied I remembered to be a fine building—seems on the contrary quite a vulgar villa, an imitation of bad English gothic. How ones memory deceives one, or else once changes ones taste. | |
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