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17 March 1910 — Rome | |
Thursday. 17th [March 1910]. My friends the Franquevilles being in Rome Sophy came in the morning to see me. She had sent me word she wd come at 10—but she did not appear till past 11.30. This gave us very little time for seeing each other for at 10 min. to 12 I had to go down to the Queen’s apartment & Sophy had to be off. However when I got downstairs I found that the Queen was still out & we did not lunch till 12.30. H.M. had been to the permanent art Exhibition which she told us at lunch time she had seen many ugly things. We sat a short time in the Queen’s drawing room after lunch having coffee & talking but H.M. retired earlier than usual & we all went to prepare for an excursion which we were going to make to Hadrian’s villa. At 2.15 I was ready & was summoned in haste as H.M. was ready to start & the motor car was ready. The Marchesa di Villamarina & I sat in the back of the closed motor. In the seats in front of us with their backs to us, sat the Queen with Mimi Valmarina on her left. The gentleman in waiting sat beside the officer who drove us. It was a lovely day when we started for Hadrian’s Villa—but as we got near to it it began to rain & there was a very heavy shower. Profr Bernalesi & Gen. Alleson followed in a 2nd motor. It was a great pity that it came on a storm of rain just as we got near to our destination. The magnificent ruins standing in its own park with splendid cypress & umbrella pines wd have been still more striking in sunshine– At one time it rained so hard that we had to take refuge in an underground passage. Luckily it cleared off before we left & when we got back to Rome we were told that it had been perfectly fine there the whole afternoon. The hawthorn was out in flower and there were several plants out in leaf. The first signs of spring I have seen this year. We got back to Rome after 6 oclock & I found Sophie Franqueville waiting to see me—but she only remained a short time & I then dressed for dinner. In the evening 4 or 5 gentlemen came to pay their respects to H.M.—one was old Senatore Blaserna fatter & rounder then ever, another Ct Girolamo Brandolin of Venice who talked much in the high & loud voice wh distinguishes all that family. I slipped out of the circle & found Mimi Valmarina at the puzzle table, for the mania for putting together small pieces of wood to form a picture has penetrated even here. It is supposed to be an American fashion wh has spread over Europe. | |
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