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Wednesday, 30 July 1873
Mercredi 30 juillet 1873
Woken at half past five. After breakfast, in the restaurant dining room, where we have (or rather he came to speak to us) a Russian general, Parachinsky. He is a first-rate walker; we caught up with him. We went down Monte Incantato to the station. The train was to bring Paul. But in vain — we look for him, nothing. He must have missed the train. And, wretched as we are, forced to wait another six hours. We played after breakfast. It was with great pain that I have driven them from the table.1
A cinq heures et demie je suis réveillée. Après déjeuner, dans la salle du restaurant où nous avons (ou plutôt lui est venu parler à nous) un général russe Parachinsky. C’est un marcheur de premier ordre, nous l’avons rattrapé. Nous descendîmes le Monte Incantato à la gare. Le train devait amener Paul. Mais en vain, nous le cherchons, rien. Il a sans doute manqué le train. Et, malheureux que nous sommes, obligés d’attendre encore six heures. Nous avons joué after breakfast It was with great pain that I have driven them from the table.
crossed outI write this in the wagon, before me is seatted a gentleman very like Hamilton One monew though it was he only with a beard!2
[Rayé : I write this in the wagon, before me is seatted a gentleman very like Hamilton One monew though it was he only with a beardl
Well we left Monte-Carlo. I was extremely sorry to part without maman, it is such a pity that she could not come.3
Well we left Monte-Carlo. I was extremely sorry to part without maman, it is such a pity that she could not come.
I even wept. The views are beautiful, the palms superb; everything is very beautiful on the road to Genoa. But I long to see black north, and green trees.4
J’ai même pleuré. Les vues sont belles, les palmiers superbes, tout est fort beau sur la route de Gênes. Mais I long to see black north, and green trees.
I want to be done with the departure, and here we are on our way.
Je veux avoir vite fini avec le départ, et nous voici en route.
But here is what happened to me: on leaving Nice I put on new boots and only at Monaco did I feel them pinching my feet. I paid no attention, but arriving near Genoa, my feet hurt so much5 that I was forced to go barefoot in nothing but my stockings. Gently, Dina contrived to cut the boots until they fell off my feet. With all these difficulties, getting down from the train and walking to the hotel were hard tasks. We took the first omnibus that came, to the Hotel Quattro Stagioni — the ugliest in the world; they gave us two rooms that looked more like two stables.
Mais voilà ce qui m’arrive; en partant de Nice j’ai mis des bottines nouvelles et, seulement à Monaco, j’ai senti qu’elles me pincent les pieds. Je ne fis pas attention mais arrivée vers Gênes, mes pieds tanto doleano que j’étais forcée de rester pieds nus avec des bas seulement. Doucement Dina imagina de les couper jusqu’au point qu’ils tombaient du pied. Avec toutes ses affaires descendre du wagon, marcher jusqu’à l’hôtel étaient des choses difficiles. Nous prîmes l’omnibus premier venu de l’hôtel des Quattro Stagioni, le plus vilain du monde, on nous donne deux chambres qui avaient plutôt l’air de deux étables.
The whole time, “the frankest gaiety reigned among us.” Oh, how detestable Italy is, on account of the Italians. What a wretched people! How dirty they are. We wanted a bath, but I did not believe such happiness possible in an Italian hotel. I asked for one as a joke, and what was everyone’s astonishment when it was brought. With a great deal of loud laughter and jokes, I sat down in it. (I am writing this at a table in the Milan station restaurant.) Only at one did I fall asleep.
Tout le temps « la gaieté la plus franche régnait parmi nous ». Oh que l’Italie est détestable, à cause des Italiens. Quel peuple vilain ! Comme ils sont malpropres. Nous voulions prendre un bain, mais je ne croyais pas avoir un bonheur pareil dans un hôtel italien. J’ai demandé un pour rire, et quel fut l’étonnement de tous, lorsqu’on l’apporta. Avec beaucoup de gros rires, de plaisanteries je m’assis dedans. (J’écris cela sur une table du restaurant de la gare de Milan). A une heure seulement je m’endormis.
Notes
In English in the original. ↩
In English in the original. Marie’s spelling and grammar preserved: seatted (seated); monew is probably “moment” and though “thought” — “for one moment I thought it was he, only with a beard!” There is no stop after Hamilton in the transcription. ↩
In English in the original. ↩
In English in the original. ↩
In Italian in the original: tanto doleano. ↩