Pièce 58 - Letter from R. C. Trevelyan to Caroline Trevelyan

1 doc

Hotel Palumbo, Ravello, Presso d’Amalfi:- Hopes she received his postcard saying he had arrived safely. Did not get here till more than an hour after he had expected, as his ‘horse kept breaking down’. Ravello is ‘much higher up’ than he imagined, but when it is reached ‘nothing could be more delightful’; it is ‘really a more satisfactory place than either Taormina or La Cava, though it would be improved by a Mrs Cacciola and garden’. There is however a ‘Mrs Reid and garden’ whom Robert has ‘some vague notion is a friend or even connection of ours’; asks her mother to let him know if this is so, as he could call on her.

The Frys are well, and both ‘doing some interesting work’; it is ‘very pleasant’ that they are here. No-one else is here but Strachan Davidson, a Balliol don with whom Robert ‘can talk about the Classics as much as [he likes]’. The ‘inn is almost as good as any in Italy’, with everything ‘the best of its kind, food, service, tea, rooms, beds, etc. Signor Palumbo himself is a ‘famous vine grower’, and his ‘wines admittedly the best in Italy’. Until today the weather has been very fine, but ‘now there is a scirrocco [sic] and showers of rain’. Has been getting on well with his work, but expects he will not do as much today but ‘copying out’.

Has not received many letters, and thinks there might be ‘something wrong at the Post Restante at Rome’; asks if she could ‘ask Batsley (?) to go and enquire’. He could enquire if there are any letters ‘under Robert, for they often keep them under the letter beginning the first word spelt in full’. Hopes she is still having a good time, and is not returning [to London?] for some time. Supposes George will soon be at Naples: he should come here for a few days. Robert has little news, as their lives are ‘very uneventful’; there is no ‘sea bathing’, as at Taormina, but ‘on the whole there are more walks’.