Monday, 8 July 1861
Very cloudy. Off soon after 5. Medicine not acting, I, ill.
Industrious people & respectable. Hemp-beating[.] Serchio passed. ― Tile=sided fienili. Village, & old tower. Vines, pines, cypress olive: hills ― low & close. After ascent ― a great open view of an olive plain & L. Massaciuccholi1 & V. Reggio, & towards Spezia. But not clear. G. says it is like Troada, I own bits being Greek. All extreme distance blotted out by [Scirocco]. Beautiful olives, & wind down to plain, thro’ village. At 8 miles from Lucca, join Pietrasanta road & find Massaciuccholi is passed ― & no ruins known of nohow. Much disgust, the more that I was very unwell. Marshes, & a flat road to V. Reggio by 7.20. Left the Hotel Europa ― (tho’ recommended,) & went to H. Commerciale as nearer the sea. Got a bedroom ― dirty & smelly: a better promised. G. & I walked to the pier & along the beach ― fine rolling surf ― bathers. Parients [sic] washing little children &c. &c. Fine view of mountains ― but hazy. Row of lodging houses. Ill, cross ― hot: returned: room nasty: no sleep. Finished Jack Hinton, a most really delightful book. Dined at 12. Later, no better room to be had, ― went to Europa H.: & got one there, ἐμετοίκισα,2 & paid bill, at 3. ― At 4 G. & I to beach, where I drew hard till 7.15. Most lovely sunset. Bathers abound. “There is no joy but calm.” Florentine Landscape painter who knew Lanoue, & Leighton. Pines & mountains[.] Grow happier & walk home. Straggling, unfinished place, V. Reggio. Hotel by 8.30. nice & clean & attentive. Supper 9. Waiter’s converse ― remarks on Gombo &c. &c. Pergola of Passiflora. Comet.
[Transcribed by Marco Graziosi from Houghton Library, Harvard University, MS Eng. 797.3.]
