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7 November 1908 — Taormina | |
Saturday. 7th [November 1908]. Alec Hood begged us to stop on the road down to the station to see his garden so we started at 9 & he met us & showed us what he had done. He has made terraces on a ravine over the sea & many of the flowers he planted only a year ago are growing luxuriantly. He intends to build himself a house but in the meanwhile has prepared the garden & made it very pretty with many white stone columns to support pergolas. We did not remain long with him but went on by 10.30 train to Lentini. The line runs along the shore thro’ a lovely country. At Catania we lunched at the station & went on to Lentini where we left the train. Elsie Cassis’ administrator was at the station to meet us & also 2 mounted guards in uniform who have the care of the estate. A victoria took Elsie & me– Cassis went in a dog cart with Administrator & Baker with all the bags in a carrozzella. We thus went in procession thro’ the town of Lentini where are some palatial looking stone houses built by rich peasants—& not one of them completed. We passed the lake & marshes & the plain of Lentini & then began to mount the hills near Francofonte until we came to Rizzolo—abt 1½ hour’s drive. The house stands well in a sort of Borgo of its own—all the peasants’ houses are grouped round it. The property bears oranges & lemons wh till now have not paid. Mr Eaton had spent large sums on the cultivation & had always been cheated by the natives & his own relations whom he employed– Now that Cassis has taken the matter in hand there is some hope of a better result as an Italian knows better than a foreigner how to manage the Sicilians. After tea we 3 took a walk to one of the nearest farms. The industry of the natives must be immense as they have to remove enormous quantities of stones before they can till the ground. Wherever there is a little water an orange garden has been planted—& are like oasis in the desert with their splendid dark green foliage & they are very remunerative. The farm yard I saw was an enormous square—round which are stalls for the cattle & houses for the peasants who came out en masse to salute the padrona asking a blessing on her to wh she answered “Salut.” There was an immense hay stack about 60 ft long on one side of the yard & a fine fountain in the middle from wh the cattle could drink. We returned to the house at sunset. The house is in the care of one old woman who waited on us & did everything. The ground is inhabited by an English cousin of Elsie’s who has also some property next to hers. The place is said to be very feverish & our host made me & Baker take quinine while we were here. I did not see any mosquitos but they are said to abound. The administrator a Tuscan who has been here a year has had a deal of fever. | |
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