All Roads Lead to Rome

Hotel Bristol Place Barberini A prortini (proprietare) Rome

[Sideways] I received a note from her asking us all to a pic-nic on Tuesday but I Dont fancy Uncle Joe will go as [] [] The lady [] always called on us! Now I must [] With fond Love + best wishes your loving child Pussy O’Reily

My dear dear Father, Many happy stories of the day. I hope you [] all quite well and spending a happy bithday and all loving good wishes to you! Many thanks for your nice long letter of 28th Feb received since I arrived here. I am so glad to hear you were all quite well and that dear Frank was still with you. Hopw festive of Mother to have another party. I don’t think I have mentioned the last she wrote about. She was so good in telling me all the details. But indeed I have been very remiss about writing since coming abroad. It is nearly a fortnight since I wrote from Paris! Uncle Joe tells me to give you his love + say he is

the day we went to the English cemetery such a pretty spot + saw Aunt Charlottes grave. The passing [] [] day we were told the crowd were waiting to see the Queen drtive out so we waited a few minutes but we were dissapointed as the Emperor of Austria, Franz Josef came to call on her, so we only saw him go in. Josephine + I were very anxious to see Victoria, so we went another afternoon by ourselves, it was a hot struggle, crowds of people + we only just arrived in time. I think another half minute we should have been too late. We left Nice by [] train on Saturday morning + reached Genoa late in the afternoon. After 6 o’cl. Fable d’hote we went for a drive. I had no idea Genoa would be such a beautiful and interesting place. On Sunday we had perfect weather + were out driving really

not going to write to you because I tell you everything + because you have not written to him for a year! He particularly told me to say ‘a year’! I cannot begin to tell you everything since the last letter because it might fill a book!! We left Paris on the Monday evening + travelled in wagon lit to Marseilles arriving there 10am. Had breakfast and started for Nice arrived there 3:30 Cha[] hotel close to and facing the sea on the promenade des Anglais. It is such a bright gay place. Josephine + I were delighted. Of course we found it very [] + every place has been so, since we left Paris. The flowers are lovely, we sent some to England + Carry said they arrived beautifully fresh + sweet. They day we spend driving to Monte Carlo + back. Most Lovely drive, called Corniche Rd over the mountains we had Lunch at the fashionable hotel and then went to see the gambling

it was most interesting but was not a particularly exciting day at the tables as there was a concert going on at which most of the [] people were assembled. Monte Carlo is a most lovely place and the drive back by the lower road along the sea is lovely. H.M.S ‘Cambrian’ looked very peaceful lyuing at ville Franche as grand ship for our [] who is at []. Prince Louis of Battenburg + Mr Williamson are among the officers. Sir Michael S told me to let the later know when I reachesd Nice and as I said I did not like to, he wrote, and I received the enclosed note after I arrived here (fprwarded from hotel des Anglais) it seemed a pity we missed it as it might have been more amusing if he had gone with us to Monte Carlo or some excursion. I suppose the people at the hotel did not understand about my name. Very stupid of them!

wd be enthusiastic about them + I persisted in buying a little piece of sculpture, wh. I know have to carry everywhere in my hand much to Uncle Joe’s disgust! I hope it will look pretty at P Ellice. The railway journey from Nice is perfectly lovely along the shores of the Medeterranean, but made tantalising bu hundreds of tunnells. Most disagreeable a tunnell for every [fromentory] cannot tell you anything about Rome as it is late + this must be posted tonight. We arrived here at midnight on Tuesday having left Pisa at 5 pm. Everything here is intensely interesting. I am afraid Uncle Joe is going to hurry back to London by 8th April. I wish he would stay ten days longer. I have had so many notes to answer since I came here. Lady Mac. wants us to stay with her + Etty Pain. I enclose Mrs Garratts it may interest you. I wrote to Mrs Baker’s daughter + her husband. Mr [] called on Uncle Joe, this morning.

all day. In the morning to see a most beautiful church and splendid palace. The latter full of pictures + other lovely + []aluable things. Most interesting Genoa is full of these magnificent marble palaces most of them built by members of the nobility but now viewed by the nation as [] []. The one we went to is occupied by a prince + his family. Everything in this country is marble + very beautiful it is. After lunch we drove with a guide to the Camp Santo, a most [] cemetary. Soemthing like Cloisters filled with marble monumnets in [] of the dead, but nearly all representing living persons grieving for them. For instance if a man had died, the monument erected to his memory wil be a group (life like) in marble

of his wife + family There were some extrodinary things pointed out by the guide. We drove to differnet parts of Genoa + had lovely views + went to a most lovely + romantic old garden terrace to the top of a hill. Lovely flowers fountains arrange trees + tropical vegetation all arranged in perfect taste quite a place to dream about. The Meditterarnean is most exquistely blue under an Italian sky. On Monday we went to a shop + saw how they do the filigree work. I bought a little thing or two + Uncle Joe gave Josephine two lovely pieces. It is wonderful how he spoils her. She can buy anything she wants + ‘is not to say any thanks’. He says he does not wish it under the relationship they haver together and is not to ask him if she can have anything brought to her in the hotel but [] it for herself. I am afraid it will be very hard for her if she

loses him + can not have the means to live as she does now. We left Genoa by 12 train + arrived a few hours after at Pisa which is most interesting. We drove about before dinner + had a look at the Cathedral + town etc. but did not do it thoroughly until the next day. [] the first thing we did was to ascend the learning tower. I felt giddy at such a height + Josephine made me very nerveous especially as she is very [] + had a violent discussion with Uncle Joe on the top because he wd hold on to the tail of her jacket. We have some very funny scenes. They are so often like two children or like he + poor aunt Julia used to behave. I think he must enjoy it! On the way to Pisa one passes the Carara Marble quaries + everywhere one sees the most beautiful things made in marble. I know dear Mother