Rose at 7 weary & sleepless. A high wind, but scirocco ― yet a semblance of a finer day. Sent off a man with our 2 bits of luggage to Albano for 5 pauli: & after breakfast paid account (3 scudi 1 pl. & servants?) & set off with G. who is more lively. But the wind became a hurricane, & “exceeded.” ― We however, slowly wound up to R. de Papa1 ― that filthy little village, where, preparatory to the end of the Mass ― they were already firing off guns. Annibale camp next, & the long path up round the M. Cavo: ― the flowers delighted G. if they didn’t me: ― a nature[-]loving simple chap. ― The old bit of stone & trees with the Madonna! ― All distance nearly blotted out: yet we persisted to the Monastery,2 & both were struck by remembering Ζιτζα: ― No monx were seen ― so, we rested ½ or ¾ of an hour, & began to descend to Nemi, ― only losing our way once. ― Close to the lake a splendid hoopoe ― “ιδα η ορνις του δικαζου”!3 said G. ― flew before us. There ― were the Braschi palace, ―  the chesnuts [sic] & the [ash], & great rocks, & quiet lake Genzano ― all as when  W. Marstrand & I used to be always together!! ―― It seems indeed but a week ago ― yet it was in 1839!! & 1840!! ― As G. says ―― [“]forse, ισος να ιδου μεν όλους τους φίλους ακομε.”4 ― We passed then the town ― I have never been there since 1845 with Mr. & Mrs. J. Hornby ― & came around the lake: the same steady dull scirocco ― yet there is a sort of calm about Nemi never to be spoiled ― one would think. ― Genzano next ― & worse wind & dust: & we rested here & there ― but Ariccia is spoiled picturesquely ― by a vast new bridge ― leading to the “New Jerusalem & city of the apostles” so says Pio IX. ― Anyhow there was the devil of a wind on it ― & we got, half blown to bits, to Albano, by 5. ― To the Post ― but I remembered too late, it’s a dirty & dear Inn: & my dinner, & the ways of a waiter shew it is so. ― The wind is tremendous, & at times rain. ― But this outgoing will do G. good, & perhaps me also. ―

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

  1. Rocca di Papa. [↩]
  2. Probably the Santuario Madonna del Tufo. [↩]
  3. Behold, the fowl of the Forum! (GT). [↩]
  4. “Perhaps” (Italian), then what sounds like a proverb in Greek, meaning something like “all places are the same, when you are with friends.” [↩]