Hotel Victoria Pisa.
Sunday May 31st /68
My dear Papa,
On arriving here yesterday evening we almost expected to find a letter from you, – we also sent to the Post Office this morning, but there was none, so I suppose you are still at the Baths of Lucca; and thither we shall also send a Galignani, which we picked up yesterday at Spezzia <sic> whither it had been forwarded from Genoa. But under the uncertainty of this reaching you before you leave, I will not write a long letter, as I easily might do if I attempted to describe the exceeding beauty of our journey. I will only say that we were charmed beyond our utmost expectations especially by the magnificent pass of Bracco mountain, and the descent through the most splendid woods of chesnut trees, all festooned with vines, and intermingled with figs, cherries &c &c &c – And such flowers! – no you never did see – more variety and in greater perfection! And we could not help wondering that you, who know the country so well and it’s <sic> floral wealth, could choose any other route than that one. We left Genoa on Thursday, slept that night at Sestri, the next at Spezia, and came on here yesterday in the cool of the evening, a short journey of 2 hours.
The heat was great at times, certainly, but neither Mama <1> nor Mamie <2> seem any the worse, though the former is of course rather tired today. We rushed first thing this morning to the Cathedral and were regularly struck on a heap! Such a marvellous pile of buildings, and seen to such perfection in an open green place like a Cathedral close! The leaning tower is so much smaller than I expected, & ever so lovely! But what do you think we came in for? a service infinitely finer than yours, for hadn’t we an Archbishop , and you had only a Bishop! The Cardinal di Corsi, Archbishop of Pisa, in his grandest robes, mitre & all, of course; and accompanied by a train of clergy, assistants, & footmen in scarlet liveries. We sat ever so long listening to the music, for being Whitsunday, there was a great ceremony, and yet no crowd as the church is so large. Charles <3> doesn’t know what he loses, or he wouldn’t remain for ever moping at Lacock. We intend to remain here at least till Wednesday, <illegible deletion> so you and Ela <4> will have plenty of time to join us. Mama had a letter from you on Wednesday, I think.
Good bye now, for it is much better to keep descriptions till we meet – love to Ela,
Your affectionate daughter
Rosamond
It is cloudy today, and looks like rain.Notes:
1. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife.
2. Amélina Petit De Billier, ‘Mamie’, ‘Amandier’ (1798–1876), governess and later close friend of the Talbot family [See Amélina's journal ].
3. Charles Henry Talbot (1842–1916), antiquary & WHFT’s only son.
4. Ela Theresa Talbot (1835–1893), WHFT’s 1st daughter.