Very clear & fine. Rose 4.30. Send baggage on to Rapallo, ― & was off with G. by 5. The Hotel & people are good. Finished drawing of last night ― walked in shade, great rox: near Cavi di Lavagna ― of which & distant Lavagna made a sketch. Stationary steamer towing [a] Marine σκαν Γόχειρις. 6.30 ― Walk on, Cavi di Lavagna: hot dry road, aloe-edged ― Sicilian to see. Lavagna at 7.30, fine church: ― bustling place: painted houses: chairs made: cane hedges: lots of [Shadoofs] ― & gt. cultivation. ― At Chiavari by 8, large town ― fine buildings ― (first pass the river, with trees & washerwomen.[)] City, pleasant & sparkling ― gay with color: hills round, beautifully dotted, villas, olive, & pine. Mountains beyond. Stones by roadside: hurt my knee. Prison=like edifiss. We leave the sea, & go to the Feenix hotel, town, narrow, paved streets, arches. Appearance at the Fenice slow & bad, but breakfast really good. Young girl of statistic but erroneous views, says there are 15000 animi1  here. 9.15 prepare to go, bill 5 francs. “[gr.].”2 says G. of the landlady, [who] hath a beard. ― 9.30, set off , immensely rich gardens ― lemons [melograms], medlars, olives, & a palm or two. ― 10 ― going up a severe hill, view of Chiavari fine: drew till 11.15. Long ascent, lower olives, ― pinewood, ― blkbirds. Highest point of road, 12.10. Cabbage growing on a wall ― “ἁφυσκιὸν.”3 ― Below ever the mirror calm fretted blue sea! & these odorous sighing pines! ― 12.30, Descent always ― infinite olives & figs, a close-grained tapestry from hill side to hill side: ― red, & w., & yellow houses enlivening the land up. G.’s detestation of false windows. ― 1, Storm in the hills. Zoagli: very pretty ― & fine steeple. Drew till 2, very beautiful & Italian. A little rain. Intensely lovely hills of olive wood, with thickly strewn houses. Long circles of coast to reach Rapallo, & no drawing. At 3.20 reach Rapallo, dirty & dull place. Poste Hotel ― ill-tempered hostess: particularly filthy room & nasty house. Ordered dinner, & went out with G. ― but it rained, & I could hardly do anything. Bay of Rapallo dead, & shut up. Women make lace. All is a contrast to the Spezzia province. Dinner not very bad. Ἔπειτα, insisted on, & got a better room ― & came to bed at 8. No sleep; fleas, bugs, gnats, ants; noisy geese: ― fidgety sea: lightening all night, crying child: & all sorts of sturbi.4
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Read Œdipus Coloneus.

I fancy I have done well anyhow to make this Giro,5 intermediate between Rome & London, it would never have done to sit down to hard work on the memories of V. Condotti. At least now there is the Gulf of Spezzia & the Carrara hills to think of as nearer facts. ―I find the Portofino promontory can’t be walked round ― so I have ordered a car for tomorrow.

[Transcribed by Marco Graziosi from Houghton Library, Harvard University, MS Eng. 797.3.]

  1. Souls, i.e. people. [↩]
  2. A large ink blot makes reading the greek and some words from the lines below difficult. [↩]
  3. Unnatural (GT). [↩]
  4. Disturbances. [↩]
  5. Tour. [↩]