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28 October 1910 — Mezzaratta, Bologna | |
Friday. 28th [October 1910]. I left Bologna with Da Laura by 10 o’cl train. The Prefect & his wife were at the station to see her off, also Css Cavazza who also came to meet Mrs Green (widow of the Short History Green) who is to stay with her. Donna Laura had a compartment to herself & a detective to look after her—the same nice man who had accompanied us to Chiasso on our journey to Axenstine. We lunched in the restaurant car & reached Florence at 1.10 & she & I went to the Hotel Baglioni to rest. Then walked off to a modiste near by where Da Laura ordered herself 2 bonnets for this winter at Rome. We also went into another shop to buy hairpins &c & then returned to the Hotel. Eda Alderson came there to see us & Folco Farinola came also & gave us tea & then took us to the station to go by 4.30 train to San Romano. There Folco’s motor car took us to the Villa Castel del Borso wh we reached about 6.30. We went along the fertile plain till we came to a steep hillock on which stood the lovely old villa—a green lawn & an avenue of trees on both sides of it. We were welcomed by the sister Marchesina Nora Farinola a woman of about 40 who lives with Folco—rather plain, big & solid but pleasant, an English companion. Miss Marks who has been in the family many years & Sigr Carlo Placci of Florence, there on a visit. On going up the short flight of stone steps one enters under a portico into a centre hall—a fine room, very high—a large billiard table in the centre seems quite unnoticeable. A large fire place in which burns big logs of wood on one side wall (not in the centre) & rooms all round—dining—drawing room & bedrooms– A large door & portico on the opposite side from which we entered looking down over the green lawn to the plain & road by which we had come to the villa– The hall is hung with family portraits of the Capponi family of which Folco is the descendant. Da Laura had a room leading out of the great hall, I had a room on the 1st floor. One went up a big stone staircase—a flight of 22 steps & another of 10 & found oneself in a low anteroom which led into my bedroom– A large low room charmingly furnished in Italian style with dark wood chairs covered with green silk—the bed merely mattrass on trestles with an old gilt & carved head piece against the whitewashed wall. A door led into a small toilette room & bath room & a winding stairs which went down to the basement. The floor was red tiles well polished & waxed. The view from the window over the garden & plantations of which the autumn tints are just now lovely. We dined at 8 in the evening, played bridge. | |
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