to Courmayeur

Off in a car at 7.15 having decided to go to Courmayeur while fine weather lasts. At 7.50 Sarre. ― ˇ[8.30] Villeneuve. ― 9.10 Arvier, 9.10 Ivrogne ― at 9.15 Mt. Blanc visible ― very ― huge, gigantic, domelike. Ascent, walk. Down again at the Bridge of “Derby” ― at 10.30. ― At 10.50 pass below Salle, at 11.10 Morgex ― whence, as the Carboy says he must wait an hour, G. & I walk on. G. is in one of his sulky fits to day, & I should be enraged, did I not remember my dearest Ann’s charity & ever unchanging patience. ― At 12.30 we are far above S. Didier.1 Mt. B. has spread itself into a wonderful Crescent of enormous dimensions. ― At Courmayeur by 1.30. The view from the pass above Ivrogne, is certainly very grand, & so all the way to Morgex: but I shake [the] dust off my feet at this monotonous crescent! It is however very grand & vast, but destitute of all but immensity ― graceless. Hotel Palais Royal. Dined, plague of flies. 2 nice English women. At 3, & to 6.30 ― drew variously, & walked. The people are here in crowds, ― perhaps 50 at this hotel, & 120 at the other Inn, wh. is mainly Italian. A man goes about  with a sky blue Piano ― & there are organs & monkeys.

No quiet in [Levityahead], ― & no approximation to harmony with the scenery in any way.

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

  1. Pré-Saint-Didier. [↩]