Quiet week in Gilead.
Our granddaughter, Sidney Chapman, came to visit before she left for New York to get ready for college this upcoming year. She will be working on her Masters.
Gilead Historical Society
This is the second letter that May wrote and sent home to her family. A continuation of last week’s Letter #1
Letter #2
June 15, 1905
My dearest Family,
I can hardly realize that we have been in sunny Italy only five days, so much has been crowded into the time since we left the Prinz Adalbert Tuesday morning. Our rooms are delightful, large, cool, with elegant mahogany furniture, two single beds in each, a tiled floor, and best of all each has a balcony. The view is grand! a good bit of the city just below us, bay of Naples in the middle distance, and the lovely island of Capri in the background; just a little to our left but plainly visible from our balconies is Vesuvius. Just think of it! The wonderful burning mountain in sight from my window. Last night “our view” was wonderfully beautiful because of the moonlight; little sail boats moved slowly across the moonlight path on the bay, and Vesuvius showed a jagged line of fire on its slope. Today the mountain looked as we so often see it pictured; a column of smoke seeming to rise from its summit, but last night it seemed like a long line of fires on the slope. I think we may have had the best part of our trip. I feel certain we can have nothing we shall enjoy more.
The first thing we had to do on Tuesday was to get some Italian money and make arrangements for our trip to Capri etc.
Consequently, we went to the Cook office and the whole thing was arranged in a very short time. First the guide came to the hotel, put us in carriages and we drove to the pier; small row boats to a little steamer which took us down the bay to near Capri, then row boats again to go into the Blue Grotto. The water there is a most beautiful lapis lazuli; I’ve heard of its wonderful blue but never dreamed how beautiful it was. Next the little steamer took us to the port of Capri, and again we had to land in row boats. The boatmen are picturesque like everything and everybody here; they stand to row, wear neither shoes nor stockings and always have some bright color, either a handkerchief tied around their heads or a band on their hats.
Again we boarded the small steamer and this time Sorrento was our goal. We had fine large rooms at the Hotel Syrene, connecting, each had a balcony and we could hear the waves lap the shore at the foot of the staircase which we climbed.
Wednesday [May must mean Thursday] morning we started on our 45 mile drive for Cava. The road is a fine one, built some ten years ago. It winds up and down between vineyards, olive orchards, poppies growing everywhere, poppies growing everywhere among the vines, out of the crannies in the walls and besides the road. Time and again we would see some distant point only to lose it again at the next turn in the road. The road is walled on the side next to the sea. I’ll tell you more about it when I show you my picture postals.
Saturday we went to Pompeii. We had to start very early because there are so few trains. I will not attempt to describe what I saw there, I could not do it. I thought I knew something about Pompeii before but I realize now that I did not. It is wonderful that these excavations can be made and everything shown in such perfect condition.
June 19.
We rested Sunday and I began this letter. That evening Mr. Stark, our St. Louis acquaintance, who seems much interested in Miss Lester, called and took us all for a drive. Think of seeing Naples by moonlight! And so our visit in Naples ends. We have not been on Vesuvius and have seen only one of the 420 churches, but we feel that we have got many lasting impressions of life here, now and what it used to be. Have received letters from Mother, Lily, Frank and Ethel. It did seem so good to hear from you.
Tomorrow night we shall be in Rome.
Much love to you all
May
Got any news? Email chapmal@hotmail.com