Edward Lear first visited Greece in 1848. Many years later and after Lear's death, Lear’s travelling companion, Charles Church, wrote up his own reminiscences of their trip, incorporating parts of Lear’s journal which he had borrowed. He went on also to transcribe the greater part of Lear's journal of travels in the Peloponnese and central Greece undertaken in the following spring of 1849 with a different travelling companion, Franklin Lushington. The typescript of these travels is held by Westminster School, and reproduced here with thanks and with their permission.
There are a few gaps where Church did not transcribe the entries for certain dates. In one case the text below includes extracts from a letter by Lear to his sister Ann which gives a brief account of the missing period. The original journals of these years of travel have been lost, and Lear's diaries are now only available from 1858 onwards and are held in the Houghton Library at Harvard University.
There are a few gaps where Church did not transcribe the entries for certain dates. In one case the text below includes extracts from a letter by Lear to his sister Ann which gives a brief account of the missing period. The original journals of these years of travel have been lost, and Lear's diaries are now only available from 1858 onwards and are held in the Houghton Library at Harvard University.
Introduction to the journal entries by Charles Church
The winter (1848/49) was spent as planned in travel with his friend Cross. Early in March he was back in Greece. On the way he had fallen in, at Malta, with Franklin Lushington (afterwards Sir Franklin), and had been in quarantine with him there. His diary on the second day of quarantine expresses the hope that ’Lushington will go to Greece with me’, and three days later ‘Lushington, I am glad to say, has decided to go to Patras with me, to make a Greek tour’.
The chance meeting was a fortunate one, and the companionship of nearly two months, in March and April 1849, was one of the happiest episodes of a life that was, deliberately and on principle, often solitary. After three weeks of roughing it through the Morea, under circumstances notoriously trying to friendship, and made more than ordinarily so by his uncertain health and liability to occurrence of fever, Lear sets down in the diary his impressions of his fellow-traveller – surely the handsomest tribute ever paid to comrades of travel, doing honour no less to the writer than to those of whom he writes. The passage will occur in its proper order in the next chapter, but well deserves a place of its own as an introduction to the Morea travel :
‘Anyone – it is certain – more quiet and good and full of all sorts of intelligence and knowledge than Lushington a man could not travel with. Charles M. Church, John E. Cross, and F. Lushington are three companions within 12 months such as few could fall in with. How this fly got into all that amber I can’t understand - one wonders how the devil it got there.’ (see also March 18)
The journal occupies 48 pages of closely written manuscript and would be well worth printing in full. For reasons of space some of it is here omitted; but the next three chapters give the most interesting portions (of) the journey, and carry on the story to the point where Lear resumed his Albanian travel, and the ‘Journal in Albania & Illyria’ once more takes up the narration.
The Journal
Saturday, March 10. 1849
Barring a bumping shutter and one rat we slept well on the Khan floor. Rose 5.15 A.M. Good breakfast : - off 7.5. Along tiresome Turco-paved road, over cultivated flat ground below the mountains, many detached houses here and there. Dreadful tearing wind; - Parnassus and all opposite mountains blotted out; frightful scirocco-sort of wind. At 9.A.M. we left the Vostizza plain, and turning to the right, began to ascend a pass which presently became gorgeous in the extreme;- vast mountains, - immense crags of red rock, edged and dotted with pines, the road overhung with beautiful pines, and with precipices fringed with shrubs down to the river below. (We had crossed that river, a rapid one, before we left the plain.) The mountain on the left hand was a sheer face of rock, - the crags all pine-grown; beyond were monstrous heights of snow. The road was frightfully narrow and unprotected, and I walked from time to time. We drew for half an hour. At 10 A.M. we were near huge walls of rock, and then we got to a sort of uphill meadow, with stunted trees. At 11.15 A.M. we reached a Khan. Behind, a new scene opened, - Parnassus – (clouded though,) between two great screens of rock. L. and I drew a little, but the wind was odious.
A good dinner at 12.15 P.M, and at 1, L. and I set off on the horses with Nicolo, and up-up-up - till we got to snowy patches and to the top of the pass,- whence all the Gulf of Corinth should have been seen had it been clear weather. On the other side the view changes, - barren hills on the right, and on the left the gigantic pine-covered masses of Megaspilion, capped by a wondrous snow peak. We descended ad nauseam to the Kalavrita River, and crossed it: - edged along chasms, and gazed at perpendicularities and odd villages till 3.30.P.M, when we began a stiff ascent immediately below the convent. L. drew some magnificent rocks; - I could not, my eyes being bad, and paper worse. But I went on higher up, and made a bad sketch of Megaspilion, the great Monastery being a strange pile of odd forms. Here L. joined me, and the baggage overtook us. At 5.P.M. we walked up to the building – a most bewildering jumble of architecture, below a rock of might.
We found that our own things could not be brought in, (?) so we are to ‘adapt ourselves’. Some 200 monks live here! Superior takes us to Stranger’s room: - wilderness of stairs!! – some 10 priests dawdled about. At 6 or 6.30.P.M. we got Andrea to give us tea, instead of waiting for their supper; they adding some conserve of rose-petals, not bad stuff. At the convent inner door was a world of monks: the whole building is most hive-like. The look out from the windows is wonderful: windows large, glazed, - in two pieces. We made ourselves beds with our plaids, on their divans or sofas.
Sunday, March 11
Rose at 5.A.M. having slept very well. Means of cleaning small. Weather apparently fine. I, well. Soon after 6,A.M. we went out to draw: first, below till 9: and then nearer the queer building till 11.30. when we went in. We looked at the Church, or rather into a dark little chapel, the only things that struck us being some doors of old gilt-work, and some glimpses of a mosaic pavement with a sun and moon in bas relief. No refectory; - the bretheren eat mostly with their families; - the whole hive seems a community living together as in a village, but with a convent’s name. Then up those horrible dark stairs, and we found Andrea had set out a lunch of ham and bread etc. which having discussed we came away, leaving 1 ½ Dollars with the monks for the Church.
To day it has been fine, but misty. L. and I, with Nicolo and the horses, wound down the precipicies, drawing once by the way. Crossing the river, we went up to the opposite village, - dogs!!! Arriving at 1.P.M. We looked in vain to find a spot whence the Convent and ravine could be seen together, and at last drew, rather than lose more time. At 2.30 P.M. we went down - seeing Megaspilion no more - to the river farther on. Some of these paths - an inch broad only - are frightful, but the ponies never stumbled. We found Andrea below, and so we trotted on by the riverside. A wild and bare dell, - great rocks and caves, - goats and sheep here and there: magnificent snowy mountains soon came in sight: always we followed the stream.
At 4.30.P.M. we were near Kalavrita, and we stopped to sketch the hills. At 5.15.P.M. we went on, and were soon at the town,- once a large one, before it was ruined by Ibrahim Pasha. We went to the house of General Pettimasa, with a letter from Vostizza. Beautiful girl, and nice old mother; - good conserves and water and café, in a good room. About 7.P.M. supper, ‘well conducted’, two dishes. 8.15. we came to our room - beds on floor - all very nice and clean.
Monday, March 12
After the futile old female servant had done rushing in and out, we got comfortably to sleep. Rose at 5,15, A.M. Too cold to draw, even were there time. Last night, capotes missing, found under the sleeping Nicolino. Excellent breakfast: good coffee, eggs, toast, and honey.
Horseshoes wanted; unable to start soon. L., I, and Nicolo walked off alone at 7.A.M. up hill. Lovely, but cold morning. The snow-mountains seen clearly last night, peep out now through grey rolling clouds: - vast masses of red or grey soil with patches of dwarf Oak or Lentisk all around: now and then a black or white figure, and a few sheep moving. Below is the scattered town of Kalavrita. The air is very Cumberlandish. When Andrea came up, we rode on, and very cold it was! A thick mist hid all but the nearest pines. Bye and bye we got to the top and walked down hill, - the clouds showing a village, (Soudhena) below, and a long vale beyond; snow-covered mountains on all sides. We drew at the village, and walked on to a Khan where horses were resting; - 11.A.M. Thence we entered a pass, as fine as most one sees, - crags, ilex and oakwoods, high mountains and a stream.
At 1.P.M. we reached another Khan, in an ugly part of the valley, surrounded by cumbrous hills. Till 1.50.P.M. L. and I draw; then dinner, as usual excellent. 3.P.M. L. and I and Nicolo went on; - a dreary gorge- here and there peeps of finely formed mountains; - worlds of kids, skipping or crying in groups on the hillside. 4.30.P.M. road turns to the left, and Andrea joins us. Scenery becoming tremendously huge – Swiss - snow and pines all. Peasants in white capotes, and Esquimaux-like breeches. Very particularly cold: grey and dark all day, but worse now. At 5.15.P.M. Lycouria, below immense mountains, - clouds half way down. We stopped to draw, but it began to rain, and we soon had to run for it. Andrea took us to the village, and one of the usual Greek wooden bundly dirty rooms is to be our abiding place. It came at 7.P.M., tea: and bed as soon as we could, on the floor. Andrea ditto.
Tuesday, March 13.
A sleepless night. Andrea’s terrific snoring, a squally baby in the next room, dogs out of doors, goats and horses below, and fleas innumerable. Also rain. At day break all was thick mist, but at 6.A.M. it looks a little better. At 7.30,A.M. we were off. Up the pass from Lycouria to Phonia a thick mist accompanied us, - rain now and then; - so we saw nil. Only it seemed just like the Chika pass of Chimara, but that the pines were green and not black. From the top of the pass we walked down, and the mist cleared off, showing the large blue lake of Phonia[1] with the high snow mountains through groups of pine. Mountain forms clumsy rather, or commonplace. We drew from 9.15 to 10.A.M., and then, Andrea going ahead, descended towards the Lake with Nicolo. Here we drew again until 11.A.M. – the mountain outlines finer, and the village of Phonia before us.
Another hour brought us there, but, so said Andrea, we were yet to proceed for one more hour, as there was nothing to eat at this place; so we went on to a little village with an old Venetian tower, on the side of a hill. We got there at 1.15.P.M. Our abode for the night- (for there is no other place for 9 hours!) is a most wretched place – full of all sorts of roba[2], - a loom, etc. etc. (Three bottles of brandy have been broken this morning! and all the pepper spilled!!) The day had now become beautiful, so we drew for an hour and 20 minutes the Lake, though not particularly drawable is calm and lovely.
Then came dinner, soup, two fowls etc. Afterwards we drew again and lastly at 5.P.M. went up to a little chapel and ilex trees, dogs besetting us horribly. As the sun set, the hills cleared entirely, and the vast snowy and purple masses, the quiet silver lake and numberless little coots thereon, the rolled out meadow dotted with sheep, and the dark groups of ilex, were soothing enough. Not so the detestable dogs, who nearly devoured us by tens and twenties. Arrived at our dwelling and had tea. Lambs bleat, etc.
Wednesday, March 14
We had immense fun last night, at my getting into one of those ‘Levinges’[3] to avoid the fleas. (We translated Psalms till 9.30.) The two women and one man remained in mute wonder. About 2.30.A.M. - I having been awake two hours or more, there was a general move. Andrea came up; the women first baked bread and then sate down to spin. I by degrees get up, and dawdle till 5, a little after which hour breakfast is ready. L going to the door leading out, the exit is overflowing with lambs. (Zefgolatio, village at Lake Phonia.)
We get away at 6.30. - cold: sky threatening and gloomy. We got on by border of lake; steep pine covered hills; scenery rather clumsy. We drew by the way, and then got to the far end of the lake, about 10.30., a little village above it. Thence – ascended a pass of grey rocks, with overhanging ilex – very beautiful. Soon we lost sight of Phonia, and not over sorry was I to do so, for it is alquanto Swiss and undrawable scenery. We came out on a high plain; and, at a junction of 2 roads, we took that to the left. Which L and I both though must lead to Tripolitza, though Andrea said the other did. Presently we came in sight of a wondrous chain of snow mountains, and a vale below, forming altogether a magical sublimity. Andrea said this was Taygetus - but this must be nonsense, and as unlikely as anything. We stopped and draw, - a vast panorama of misty distances and deep coloured foreground. Andrea rode on, and the baggage passed us.
We drew from 11 to 12, (we had been at the village above Lake Phonia at 10.) Nicolino led us down – down – by break neck roads, for a long space; he, (the frantic Butler,) indulging in various rushings about. Towards the lower part of a steep descent which neither L nor I could ride down, we discerned our ‘Caravan’. Down at length, we crossed a long green plain of ‘corn’, (once the Lake of Orchomenos,) and it was 3.P.M. before we overtook Andrea, and got some bread to save us from sheer exhaustion. He said he had been misled about the road, and that we are to sleep at Livadhi tonight, and tomorrow night at Tripolitza, a plan we inwardly growled at. At 3.30. we got to Livadhi, a largish scattery place somewhat higher up below the snow covered hills.
March 15 and 16 – no record
Saturday, March 17, 1849
Most brilliant, but cold morning, yet without any wind; howbeit the cold is piercing. When the door was opened, the cats, pigs, and dogs all ran in; but we had slept well, - the heaps of corn reminding me of Proby’s and our journey in Principato. We did not rise till 5.30. Breakfast after which L. and I drew the town. At 7, or 7.30. we two and Nicolino went down by the Bridge and Ravine to the Mill, and then turned into the Andrytzena road. Hard frost – bright sky; flax of lambs pleasant to see. In half an hour, the view of Karytena was amazing and we halted to draw; grander place I have seldom seen.
Then followed a perpetual going up of hills, with gradually larger ilex trees; all day long indeed we seemed on the side of a mountain. There was no habitation for a stopping-place, but after one of the many breathings at the top of high hills, we drew again, and lunched on bread and cheese. 12.30.P.M., on again by beautiful ilex-wooded hills, (the ilex growth began one hour after leaving Karytena) and all the distance was fine, - more especially about 2.30. when a vast plain, and snow hills burst upon us, and I drew again, though wind and cold forebade. At 4.P.M. we arrived at Andrizzena; - (‘There was an old man of Andrizzena, Who possesses a sack, and he sits in her.’) – a straggling town on the hill side, - and we are put into a room – tolerably warm, but queer and dark. L. and I went out and tried to draw, but intense cold and falling snow stopped our work. 5.30.P.M. dinner; all good. Andrea tells us that Nicolino, the frantic Butler, is going away. Altogether today’s ride has been delightful. What a choke-full room of looms, closets, boxes, roba of all sorts, is this!!
Sunday, March 18
Although I woke at 3.A.M. and read, and half dressed, I fell asleep again, and Andrea did not call us till past 6! So we hurried over breakfast and got off by 7. The cold was piercing, - but there was little or no wind. We two walked, Giorgi, instead of the ‘Butler’ accompanying us. By degrees, as we ascended, we came to hills covered with mingled ilex and old oak trees, and were it summer and these latter in leaf, nothing more beautiful could be imagined: - huge rocks, fringed with foliage, - deepest glens full of black armed oaks, - the distant wide sea, all bright beyond the canopy of grey cloud immediately above us, - Zante on the horizon afar, gleaming with touches of bright pink light, - and the snowy mountains over the plains of Elis on our right. So, after three hours from leaving Andritzena we reached the top of the mountain Phigaleia, - oh! oh! – how horrible was the cold!
But the Temple of Bassae, and its position,- much as I had expected were far beyond my expectations of beauty and Arcadian landscape. The columns are of a light blue grey-white, and stand as if placed for a picture in front of the finest scenery it is possible to fancy, - including Mt. Ithome, (if so be it Ithome,) – the sea and gulfs beyond, - the infinitely well-drawn lines of interwoven hills, - the rich oakwoods on all sides, - the intense depth and variety of the vallies around, - and the magnificent horizon of Spartan mountains!!!!! I drew once, twice, three times; - and then, at noon, we had a hasty lunch. At 12.30.P.M. it began to snow hard, - a peppery white sleet, - snow storms had been veering all over the landscape through the day, - and the cold became intense. Nevertheless I made some more efforts to carry away memories of this wonderfully beautiful place; but by 1.30.P.M. – although indeed we had done a good deal hastily, - we were fairly beaten, and began to walk downwards towards Paulitza. Thus we left Bassae.
As we descended the climate was soon warmer, and the snow ceased to fall. Two villages we passed on the way, and terrific were the dogs thereat. At 4.P.M. we reached Phigaleia a wretched little domino-house village, below the ancient Fortress, and surrounded by ilex-covered hills. Our dwelling is a one-roomed house, with the family inhabiting which we are to sleep. We set off with an old man to see the Fortress, on an extensive bit of hill, surrounded with an uncemented Palasgian (?) wall[4], - not very interesting except to antiquarians; - so we returned, - always horribly persecuted by dogs, and I made a drawing of the valley till 6.P.M.
For dinner we had capital soup, boiled fowl and potatoes, and a roast suckling pig, and somehow are tolerably jolly, - in spite of circumstances. It is in fact, funny enough, how one can make oneself so comfortable in these very queer places! All the world is wrapped in rags, - a-sleeping about the embers quietly; Andrea alone is snoring terribly. L. and I have made our beds, and I have besides unpacked and repacked my case of drawings. Now we have quietly down-sate to read and write; the barking of dogs, and the Dutch-clock-like tinkling of a mule bell hardly disturbing us. Anyone – it is certain, - more quiet and good and full of all sorts of intelligences and knowledges than Lushington, a man could not travel with. Charles M. Church, John E. Cross and F. Lushington are three companions within 12 months such as few could fall in with[5]. How this fly got into all that amber I can’t understand, - ‘one wonders how the devil it got there’.
Monday, March 19
A wet morning, but it is now 7.30.A.M. and clearing a little. I have bought an apron, and a handkerchief here: the beauty of the patterns these people work on their clothes, carpets, etc!! It must have been past 9.A.M. when we left; it began to rain about 10, and rained hard – more or less, till 3.P.M. At first, for some 2 hours, we coasted a great valley, the bridle-paths lying high up on the hills through beautiful ilex woods; (horridly dangerous to eyes and head are these narrow paths!) then, having crossed a stream, we came to a tremendous ascent, the hill sides always covered with exquisite oak and ilex hanging-woods. After that we were swallowed up in mists and lost our way a little, - but at length reached a wretched place (or hamlet) Timanthras. This however was too bad to remain in, so we went onward, and about 3.P.M. came in sight of the plains of Messenia, and the mists partially cleared away so that we could see Mount Ithome afar. After this we encountered little rain, and we reached Kostantini about 5.P.M. A large barn was far from comfortless, howbeit ourselves and our bedding were all wet through.
Tuesday, March 20
The weather was very cloudy early, yet not enough so as to prevent a start; so after dried roba had been collected, we two got off before 9.A.M. with Giorgi and the horses. The view of Mt. Ithome all along our route over a cultivated plain would be lovely, but it was clouded, and often hidden. Magnificent clouds swept over towards the Spartan mountains. Nearer Ithome the sky became clearer, and drawing possible, though the view was not so picturesque. Foreground covered with Cactus, hepatica, scarlet anemone etc. Andrea and the baggage overtook us by an insane triangular bridge, and we then ascended part of the side of Mount Ithome. A more exquisitely beautiful ride there cannot be, -- everywhere large oaks, tufted ilex and rocks. The plain towards Kalamata is wide, and unimaginably rich in tone and colour.
Soon, the great Wall and Tower of ancient Messene, grey among velvet-green hills, were seen. On arriving at the Gate we sent on Nocolino (sic) and the horses, and drew at 3 places till 6. P.M. These are among the most beautiful ruins I ever saw – as to situation and detail. The quiet ‘Arcadian’ softness of the whole scene! The way down to Mauromati was a succession of pure Claude pictures. Certainly this Greece is a wonderful land of loveliness!! The Priest’s house, - also overlooking a Claude landscape, had been made all comfortable for us; and as usual, Andrea gave us a capital dinner; Andrea is a famous man. I, however, by reason of eating curds and honey, was by no means well.
Wednesday, March 21
Up before 6, and pretty well again. At 7.30.A.M. L. and I were off with Nicolino and the horses, - I carrying my own book; - and by 8.A.M. we were near the monastery of Vurkano, and stopped to draw. Descending at 9.30.A.M. the landscape grew ever lovelier – broad plains, the lines drawn with inconceivable fineness; - faint pale hills, deepening into grey; every variety of foreground; and the colouring like a Claude ‘Narcissus’. By noon we reached the triangular queer bridge, and found Andrea at a sort of Khan, where we had some bread, bacon and figs, and were soon off again, crossing the plain towards the mountains eastward and passing the village of Meligala. The day was perfectly lovely.
Andrea warned us against touching anybody we might meet, as there is much leprosy in this district; - neither he nor anybody eats fowls or their eggs, if the poultry are not shut up in coops, for reasons of their possible food if suffered to wander among lepers. At 1.30.P.M. we came to a village, surrounded by cactus-hedged lanes; dogs innumerable and odious. 2.30.P.M., reached the end of the plain. At a distance, on a hill, below a tree, we saw a lonely leper, - these poor people are driven from the villages, and subsist on food placed for them in set places. We drew here till 3.P.M., and then began to ascend the hills, by a well worn road or pass, and at 4.30. or 5., arrived at Derveni, apparently a village of Khans. L. and I drew on the hill till 5.P.M. Dinner. L. not over well.
Thursday, March 22
The room was dreadfully cold and windy, and L. has a bad cold. Rose, 5.15.A.M. How beautiful the distant view of the Navarino hills! L. and I set off with Nicolino, ascending still through woods of very fine oak. Cold! Cold! After an hour we turned toward the plain of Sinano, and saw that delectable village once more. Then we wound through oak-copse and forest for an hour and a half, passing one village of raging devouring dogs – disgusting. At 10.A.M. we arrived at Leondare, a picturesque place. L. and I drew on a sunny hill side above a ruined church. Andrea joined us at 11.A.M. We are to go on to Kalyvia, and sleep there, 5 hours from Sparta. Bread and bacon lunch. Town of Leondari all ruined in 1780 says Andrea, in the rebellion of that date against the Turks[6].
At 12.30.P.M. we started again, coasting the plain of Sinano; no special interest; sunny day. Dogs continual. Country very English, parky, - oaky for two hours, when we came to beech woods with ilex and oak wondrously mixed with grey rocks. At 3.P.M. the mountain views were glorious, - dark and prismatic. Drew. At 4.P.M. we came near Taygetus, - inexpressibly grand, at intervals; - but huge masses of intervening round hills – all over lentisk, myrtle, ilex and arbutus greatly concealed it. These endless ridges or spurs or hills we rode up and dived down ad nauseam till 6.P.M. when we reached opener plains below Mt. Taygetus and here I drew for a last time before going up to the Kalybia or Barns. Rocks, goats and peasants. Dinner in a barn, with a decent room. L. is in bed, not over well. What scenery is this Greece!
Friday, March 23
Slept capitally, at 5.A.M. dressed, and left L. to sleep a little longer. Went down with a man of the house to the hut and goat-rocks I had passed last night. The dogs were perfectly frightful. As the sun rose, the perfect calm of broad blue shades, and olive-coloured lawns, - streaked with fine, gold, and dotted with silver lines of sheep, - brought back to me the early morning hours in Olevano and other places, - which, - so much the worse for my chance of painting them, are I fear fast fading away from my memory. I got back to Kalybia by 7.A.M. After breakfast – (first rate honey!) we started – 8.A.M. – and walked and rode alternately by a very long winding valley for 4 hours – till noon. The scenery was pleasing, and here and there the great heights of purple wall of Taygetus made it somewhat like the Rhone valley – or Swiss scenery generally.
But as every turn still hid the plain of Sparta, we found the journey a bore, the more that the weather was hottish and stuffy. At 12.30. we got to a ruined castle on the edge of a sort of pass, and turning round, - behold! It was a ‘middle-aged’ fort on the Theatre of Sparta, while the whole wall of Taygetus and the plain below it burst upon us. We went up to the Theatre, and there or thereabouts we stayed till 5.30, drawing, Andrea having sent us some bread, bacon, and oranges at 2.P.M. The day, all the later part of it, at least, was mild and delightful, and L. is better. We enjoyed Sparta most thoroughly. The Theatre overlooks all the plain, and the vast Taygetus range is fully before it. The purple tone of the lower part of the range is extraordinary, - contrasted with the brilliant shivery-sparkly silver of the white snow above. Mistra seems a wondrous place, and reminds me of Amalfi, with a plain below it instead of sea. The solitary wild quiet of this spot, - the immensity of grandeur all around, - the ancient associations of the place, and the charm of climate, - have made this day a very delightful one.
At sunset we came up to the modern town of Sparta, where there seemed more better-constructed houses than these places generally possess. We were housed in a ‘Café’, and at 6.45. dined sumptuously in a sort of Trattoria. The wine also, strange to say, was very good. Wonderfully swell Spartans in magnificent toggery keep circulating about, or are supping in the Trattoria room.
Saturday, March 24
We rose at 5.30 – but lo! The beauty of weather has gone, and all is grey and cloudy, and the upper mountains all obscured. However, after breakfast – cold lamb and excellent honey! – L. and I with Giorgi and the osses, set off. Crossed the plain towards Mistra, and drew a ravine, and also below the town; but the weather was hopeless and much colder than was agreeable: so we went into the town, - Bazaar day, - and crowded with people and goods. A ‘Militaro’ bothered us, speaking ‘no particular’ tongue, finally forcing us into a Caserne where some Officers spoke French.
We however soon got free, and followed our Mistra guide up to the Kastro – a great pull – though not like that of Corinth. It was surprising to find oneself in a large town entirely ruined; - several good churches, (apparently Latin, i.e. they had square Campanili though of Byzantine details of workmanship;) and endless shells of houses and castles of Venetian times, gorgeous with ivy and creepers. The top of the castle was a sell, seeing we could see nothing for cloud. So we returned, drawing often, i.e. as well as we could, for no outline beyond Mistra was visible, and the plain was a weary dilution; and presently joined Giorgi, whom we found in a stable where we lunched on Spartan wine, bread, and cheese, bacon, and cold pudding.
About 2.P.M. we two explored all the town of Mistra, and also an opposite hill, - cold grey and windy. Several impy-ous children came and sate about us, and as soon as we left, stoned us horribly with showers of stones, - the foul little beasts. Happily only one or two took effect. We mounted horses on reaching the plain and so doddled on among divers olive grounds, right and left, - spying out for fresh views, and ultimately getting back to Sparta at 4.30. At 5.30. a capital dinner; but alas! The weather seems baddish for tomorrow!
March 25 – April 12 - no record
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For the period of the journey which Church’s record from Lear’s diaries does not cover, the following extracts from Lear’s letters to his sister Ann give some details
25th. & 26th. & 27th. – 3 day’s journey to Argos – where you know Agamennon & all those people lived. The plain of Argos is astonishingly beautiful. Ever since the rain of the 19th the ground has become literally covered with flowers; I wish you could see them; - sometimes it is quite pink with Hepaticas – scarlet & blue Anemones – yellow Euphorbia – Cistus - & several hundred kinds of flowers I never saw before make the whole country a garden. 28th. To Nauplia & 29th.; this was the old port of the Argive Greeks, & was made the modern capital when first King Otho came – till Athens became so. 30th. We went to Mycenae – amazing ruins - & on the 31st. came by the temple of Nemea – up to Corinth – where you know I had already been. 3 days thence brought us to Athens, & I really never remember having had so delightful a trip. (Letter of 4th April 1849 to Ann Lear)
We went from Athens on the 5th in a boat to Egina, where there is one of the very beautiful temples of Greece - & then to Colonna, & so to Marathon[7], returning for a quiet Sunday on the 8th. We left Athens finally on the 10th. - & I was most sorry to do so, for I never saw a place I better liked. Our first day was through Mandara, through the pass of Phyle, the most beautiful scenery of pines you can imagine. Next day – 11th. – to Thebes where you remember I was so ill in 1848. The 12th. we advanced towards Parnassus, & rested at Lividia, - where the country is perhaps not so extremely lovely, but the costumes of the peasantry are most wonderfully elegant. (Letter of 21st April 1849 to Ann Lear)
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Friday, April 13. 1849
Dressed by 5.A.M.; and we two, with Kostantino were off at 6.30. We had determined on making one day at Cheronoea, and on going to Daulia tomorrow. A horrid paved road led to the lower part of the valley, and on the high ground beyond this I sate down to draw the town of Livadia. It was Bazaar day, and hundreds of peasants were passing – all of whom said emphatically ‘Kali hemeran!’ The costumes were truly wonderfully beautiful; most of the women had capotes edged or bordered with pink; headdress or white handkerchief; belts, brown, or blue striped; aprons, white, scarlet, or yellow; sometimes blue shifts, exquisitely embroidered with pale pink and blue; often the outer vest was tufted with chocolate, or lilac, or purple, or madder-brown; - fronts of shifts embroidered deeply and beautifully.
Women ruddy and robust generally, and tolerably good looking, but I did not observe any very beautiful. Sacks of all colours, floccati-regate, ….(?) etc. Men with black or yellow handkerchiefs round their Fezzes. The day became quite grey, at first it was very cloudy; but Parnassus always remained clear. About 9.15, - some two hours after leaving Libadia we reached the little plain of Cheronoea. Its simple outline, (its Acropolis and Parnassus) is most delightful; the foreground of this picture is made by the broken lion[8], lying in a hollow of sand bank, covered with Asphodel, and alive with goats. We went to the Theatre, cut in the rock; and at 11.30. came to the little Khan, where an Officer who was at the Libadea Khan yesterday, came up and talked French.
Soon we set off back, I drawing by the way. All the peasants were returning, with lambs in their sacchetti. The afternoon was brighter; and we arrived at Lebadea at 2.P.M. Then we went up the ravine to the cave of Trophonius, which we thought a sell; - and above and all over and about the town till at 4.30.P.M. we voted ourselves tired, and came back to the Khan, asking Andrea to dine us, which he amiably did at 5.30, on soup, boiled and fried fish, ‘stewed prunes’, and a bowl of cold punch. The evening was lovely, and we walked about afterwards till dusk.
Saturday, April 14
The sunrise over Mount Dirphe is glorious, but my drawing has not a sufficiently high horizon. The side X is much higher ground than C, and slopes to the river in broken ground. Off 6.45.A.M. Long time on lentisk-covered[9] myrtle and arbutus hills; one or two very fine views of Parnassus. Women carrying milk for tomorrow’s fests!! Goats!! sheep!! At 11.30, or 11.45.A.M. we are near the place where Oedipus killed Laius. A grand wild scene; we joined Andrea near a stream, and lunched: - and as it was now settled that Daulis was to be given up, we were off again at 1.P.M.
One lives upon fish and veggebles now a days as it is the Greek Holy week, and they be bigoted awful as to fasts. Road to Arachova, by Pass of Schiste for 4 hours; very much up hill, and by immense mountain crags and ravines, - but nowise drawable. Arrived at Arachova by 5.P,M,, a compact large village, but not picturesque. Lodged in the house of some proprietor. Lushington and I made a giro of the town, but finding nuffin to draw, we returned to the rocks looking down on Delphi and came back at 6.30.P.M. to dinner, which was bony and fishy.
Sunday, April 15
A disagreeable night, - the one glass I took of Arachova wine, having brought on a horrid diarrhoea, but with a hot bottle, and rice, I got better. From 8.15, to 11.A.M. Lushington and I drew. Lots of boys, well enough behaved, surrounded us, and repeated in English, ‘One good boy’, ‘two good boys’ etc. etc. hex kala ai. Afterwards I saw better foreground about X, on the side of a large rock scene, but there was such odious crowds of boys about that I could not draw it. We dined at 12.30 P.M. and by 1 were out again.
At 2.P.M. the whole village world began to dance; I think – nay – I am sure I never before saw so beautiful a fete as this. The dresses of the women were very remarkable; the heads of some were quite covered with gold and silver coins. Men and women danced together, but mostly by twenties or thirties of either sex alternately, - 20 men – then 20 women. Many of these village women are absolutely beautiful, not only as to complexion and fine contour of head and figure, but as to real Greek outline of feature. The Arachova people seem a nice lot, though the little boys bored me terribly. At 4.30.P.M. we came down hill some way from the village, and continued drawing near Delphi from 6.P.M. till 6.45. The valley, looking towards the Gulf of Corinth, is extremely grand, but as yet I do not apprehend all the merits of Delphi scenery, of which I have heard so much. We are in a little house, belonging to a Christianised Turkish woman.
Monday, April 16
We did not get out – actually! – till 7.15. (the absurdity of ‘breakfasts’! not to speak of loss of shade and all landscape effect, which, beside all the rural-passing incidents, cease after 8 or 9.A.M.!). We went down to the Castalian fountain[10], - a very magnificent rock scene, and there we drew, very little bothered: only later the nasty paidia began to throw stones. Then we went down, by the Panaghia Monastery, and all about the Cyclopean terraces and olives, and drew from 11.A.M. to 12.15.P.M. at a vast gorge scene – very pleasantly and quietly. All this place reminds me of Tivoli. We came back to dinner at 12,45. And Andrea had time to turn out a super-excellent feed.
At 2. We were out again, - with the ‘intelligent guide’, - dressed like a coachman, up by the Convent of St.Elias to the Stadium, and above it, whence we drew till 4.P.M., - at 6, - by the Stadium, and till dusk by St.Elias. The characteristic landscape scenery of Delphi is simple hugeness of rock, with a deep-deep wall of olives as contrast; but no distance, nor do the forms seem to me particularly good. However there is a quiet about the spot very refreshing. Weather lovely. Return to tea, and drawing – i.e. - ‘penning out’.
Tuesday, April 17
Out by 6.30. Alas! Alas! The Greek tour closes! We draw by the Fountain, and afterwards by the Pythons’ cave till 10.A.M. – but the place was cold, and I within an ace of fever. We dawdled about the Panaghia olives and returned by 11.A.M. The dresses of the peasantry this morning were surprisingly lovely! Dinner at 11.30.A.M. and finished by 12.20.P.M. when I set off, getting a Palikari to see me safely by the dogs; Lushington joined me under the Cypress of St.Elia. A drove of boys as usual bored us horribly, and ended by throwing showers of stones. So we went our way down the hill, with Andrea and mules, - beasts I detest, so therefore I walked. Near Crisso, the views of the Gulf, and of the olive plains, are highly exquisite; - the hills are so cleanly and clearly cut and drawn, and the plains so beautifully level. Above Crisso we drew, pestered by horrid troups of boys, who finally pelted us into the town, whence the Elders came forth and rebuked them. Down we went always towards the great plain of olives; and very divine were those scenes!
Salona, in itself not so first class, we reached about 7. The town has yet a fine Subiaco-ish[11] look – though not Greek. Apparently there are many good houses here – white etc. Parnassus, seen from here, is whale-backed and horrid. We lodged in a private house: holes in floors, chairs etc. No costume among people. Great wind all night: - no sleep likewise from fleas abundant. Moreover there is a foreboding feeling of fever, for we are only 2 days off the proper recurring, or 21st day. But I took endless quinine.
Wednesday, April 18
We were called at 4.50.A.M. and were ready to go out at 6.A.M. when we went down the road below the town, and drew till 8.A.M., expecting the mules. These not coming, we two walked on. Salona and its valley do not seem over interesting, but the mouth of the vale seen from the great rocks below Crisso is very fine. Andrea passed us to get a boat at the Scala, where we arrived about noon. From here, the gorge of Delphi is very fine and grand: day lovely. There were Camels about, some 10 or 20, and very out of place and queer they looked. We got to a great sort of Warehousy or Repository Khan; swallows’ nests and dirty folk abounding. All the Scala was full of people waiting for a wind to get out of the Gulf, and it is quite impossible to get away. Many and long were the discussions on what to do, as we lunched on bread and ham; moreover I was always more or less unwell. But there was no remedy left but to make straight by land for Lepanto, - paying a frightful price for mules.
Accordingly, at 1.15.P.M. we set off; horrible paths, and a shaky stumbling mule; vulgar cumbrous scenery fills up all the afternoon, one of great bore. At 5 or 6 P.M. we got to Pentornea, a little village full of dogs, fleas, and dirty people. I drew, solus, till sunset, plagued by diabolical little boys as usual. We had a room, - windy enough! – in a peasant’s house; the wind is very high and they say portends rain. Good dinner, and lots of quinine, - but a long struggle against fever, (for it is the 21st day!) before I could sleep. Slept tolerably – O dogs!
Thursday, April 19
Rose 4.30; ‘breakfast’ done and even the luggage started by 6.A.M.! This is as it should be. I went on a little first, protected by the Padrone of the house from the dogs, and Lushington soon joined me. After the baggage arrived, we walked on by large coasty hills, till near Vitronitza, which village we passed before 9, stopping at 8.30.A.M. at a Scala or Marina, where Andrea bought fish. The Gulf mountains were beautifully dark blue, but the sky ever more and more grey. Thence, a succession of awful staircases on precipice-edges, up, and down again, riding the disagreeable mule up, and walking down. By noon we reached the beginning of a series of bays they call Trisonea, with islets or islands in front of them; rocky mountains enclosing little meadows and patches of olives; but neither house nor people visible. A fatiguing journey, and with no particular compensating interest, unless the flowers – of which we came to a new generation – were one; - cistus, verbascum, salvia, malva, etc. etc.
At 2.P.M. (?) we got to the sea-shore and a ruined Khan, a little beyond which we stayed to lunch on boiled fish, cold galantine, bread and butter. It began to rain a little, so at 12.45.P.M. we left, and now a far worse tract than any we had endured was to be got over, heavy rains having destroyed such paths as there were, obliging us to climb and descend horrible hills, - fearful ‘scivolata’[12] succeeding each other without end. About 6.P.M. after passing various ravines full of lovely vegetation, - the gulf and opposite hills very fine now and then, - we came to the end of a deep, long, valley and above us on a high hill was Cleona where we ought to have stayed, but as there was still daylight, on we went. (Now and then to-day there were bits of sea-shore seen for a while, crowded with literally innumerable goats, blue and buff, and black. Often there was ivy in the thick clustering lentisk, and often large picturesque roots clinging about the clay ravine sides.)
It was past 8.P.M. before we attained to the desired place, Omareffendi – we were a long weary time. I utterly dead tired, poking about in the dark to find it, and when we did it was only a wretched collection of some 6 or 7 houses so to speak! The first was ‘too’ full of Gran Turco, - no room: - then we had to grope and feel our way to another – I getting more and more faint and tired. And here, in the black darkness I sate down – glad of any chance to rest – on what I thought was a white stone, but it was the white head of a black cow – happily hornless – who suddenly and disagreeably rose up and threw me into the mud among other bulls and cows, imperceptible in the obscurity. A third house contained an ammalato with some ‘contagious disease’ they said; so there we refused to go. At last – more asleep than awake – we were put into one end of a long room full of people and convulsive babbies. In spite of our falling at once to sleep, Andrea the energetic turned out a capital dinner. Finalmente we got to bed, but not to sleep: - 100,000,000 fleas forbade.
Friday, April 20
Rose before light, in great haste; a cup of coffee only – and off by 5.30 A.M. or earlier. Morning quite grey and soft to look at. We went on for an hour before we reached a great river, forded in three divisions, a horrid operation and odious to me, whom running water always bedizzes and distracts. Then, by brambly lanes, - ever by flat ground, - we reached Lepanto at 8.A.M., and now we are ‘waiting’, I within half an ace of fever. A very dummy place is Lepanto. What next? We waited, and waited, and waited.
(We witnessed intanto a strange scene; - 3 gipsies playing a pipe and drum, and all the Townpeople frantically proceeding to pluck up Euphorbiae, and nettles and mallows, as producing Malaria! This, performed by great swells among others, was immensely funny.) At length 11.A.M. came to pass, and the Captain of the Trabaccolo, which we went on board of, and started with a fair wind. The day was gloomy, and a little sprinkling of rain fell. We went across at a great rate – ‘tremendously fast’ and reached Patras at 12.30.P.M. Got Pratique[13], and were at the hotel by 1. So ends this Greek tour.
References
[1] Lake Phonia was near to the ancient town of Pheneos mentioned by Homer. In Lear’s day it was clearly still a significant lake, but a photograph from 1914 shows it largely dried up.
[2] Roba may just mean ‘stuff’.
[3] A Levinge is a form of mosquito net contraption, invented by a Victorian traveller Godfrey Levinge.
Levinge, Godfrey. (1839). The traveller in the East: being a guide through Greece and the Levant, Syria and Palestine, Egypt and Nubia. London. See illustration below.
[4] Possibly a reference to the Paleologos dynasty that ruled Byzantium from the 13th to 15th centuries.
[5] Lear had travelled in central Greece with Charles Church in 1848, and then with John Cross in Egypt earlier in 1849.
[6] Probably a reference to the Orlov Revolt in 1770 when there was a Greek uprising in the Peloponnese, initially supported by the Russian fleet.
[7] Lear here records visiting Marathon, but no drawings exist.
[8] The Lion of Chaeronea was erected after the battle of the same name (338 B.C), between the forces of Phillip II of Macedon and the combined forces of the Athenians, Thebans, Corinthians, and their allies. The battle ended with triumph for Phillip II, and severe casualties for his enemies. It is believed that more than 1.000 people died from Athens alone. According to Pausanias, the lion was erected by the Thebans to commemorate their fallen. Under the monument, archaeologists unearthed a mass grave of 254 people, now identified as members of the military unit known as “The Sacred Band of Thebes.” The monument was found in pieces (as Lear found it), and restored to its full height in the early 20th century. The lion is one of the oldest standing war memorials of Greece.
[9] Pistacia lentiscus, the lentisk or mastic bush is a member of the Anacardiaceae family. It belongs to the same genus as the pistache nut, Pistacia vera. An evergreen shrub characteristic of the Mediterranean maquis, it can attain a height of three meters and has opposite, green and shiny leaves.
[10] The Castalian Spring is found close to the Oracle of Delphi. In ancient times, it was believed that this spring had cleansing waters, thus it could cleanse the souls of the visitors to the popular Temple of Apollo, located just 500 meters from it. The spring itself was located between two rocks, the Phaedriades, and, according to the myth, this is the place where god Apollo killed the dragon, Python, who used to torture Apollo's mother when she was pregnant.
[11] Subiaco is a town and commune in the metropolitan city of Rome, in Lazio, central Italy.
[12] Italian for ‘slipping’.
[13] Permission granted to a ship to have dealings with a port, given after quarantine or on showing a clean bill of health.
See note 3 - extract from Godfrey Levinge's book -
The winter (1848/49) was spent as planned in travel with his friend Cross. Early in March he was back in Greece. On the way he had fallen in, at Malta, with Franklin Lushington (afterwards Sir Franklin), and had been in quarantine with him there. His diary on the second day of quarantine expresses the hope that ’Lushington will go to Greece with me’, and three days later ‘Lushington, I am glad to say, has decided to go to Patras with me, to make a Greek tour’.
The chance meeting was a fortunate one, and the companionship of nearly two months, in March and April 1849, was one of the happiest episodes of a life that was, deliberately and on principle, often solitary. After three weeks of roughing it through the Morea, under circumstances notoriously trying to friendship, and made more than ordinarily so by his uncertain health and liability to occurrence of fever, Lear sets down in the diary his impressions of his fellow-traveller – surely the handsomest tribute ever paid to comrades of travel, doing honour no less to the writer than to those of whom he writes. The passage will occur in its proper order in the next chapter, but well deserves a place of its own as an introduction to the Morea travel :
‘Anyone – it is certain – more quiet and good and full of all sorts of intelligence and knowledge than Lushington a man could not travel with. Charles M. Church, John E. Cross, and F. Lushington are three companions within 12 months such as few could fall in with. How this fly got into all that amber I can’t understand - one wonders how the devil it got there.’ (see also March 18)
The journal occupies 48 pages of closely written manuscript and would be well worth printing in full. For reasons of space some of it is here omitted; but the next three chapters give the most interesting portions (of) the journey, and carry on the story to the point where Lear resumed his Albanian travel, and the ‘Journal in Albania & Illyria’ once more takes up the narration.
The Journal
Saturday, March 10. 1849
Barring a bumping shutter and one rat we slept well on the Khan floor. Rose 5.15 A.M. Good breakfast : - off 7.5. Along tiresome Turco-paved road, over cultivated flat ground below the mountains, many detached houses here and there. Dreadful tearing wind; - Parnassus and all opposite mountains blotted out; frightful scirocco-sort of wind. At 9.A.M. we left the Vostizza plain, and turning to the right, began to ascend a pass which presently became gorgeous in the extreme;- vast mountains, - immense crags of red rock, edged and dotted with pines, the road overhung with beautiful pines, and with precipices fringed with shrubs down to the river below. (We had crossed that river, a rapid one, before we left the plain.) The mountain on the left hand was a sheer face of rock, - the crags all pine-grown; beyond were monstrous heights of snow. The road was frightfully narrow and unprotected, and I walked from time to time. We drew for half an hour. At 10 A.M. we were near huge walls of rock, and then we got to a sort of uphill meadow, with stunted trees. At 11.15 A.M. we reached a Khan. Behind, a new scene opened, - Parnassus – (clouded though,) between two great screens of rock. L. and I drew a little, but the wind was odious.
A good dinner at 12.15 P.M, and at 1, L. and I set off on the horses with Nicolo, and up-up-up - till we got to snowy patches and to the top of the pass,- whence all the Gulf of Corinth should have been seen had it been clear weather. On the other side the view changes, - barren hills on the right, and on the left the gigantic pine-covered masses of Megaspilion, capped by a wondrous snow peak. We descended ad nauseam to the Kalavrita River, and crossed it: - edged along chasms, and gazed at perpendicularities and odd villages till 3.30.P.M, when we began a stiff ascent immediately below the convent. L. drew some magnificent rocks; - I could not, my eyes being bad, and paper worse. But I went on higher up, and made a bad sketch of Megaspilion, the great Monastery being a strange pile of odd forms. Here L. joined me, and the baggage overtook us. At 5.P.M. we walked up to the building – a most bewildering jumble of architecture, below a rock of might.
We found that our own things could not be brought in, (?) so we are to ‘adapt ourselves’. Some 200 monks live here! Superior takes us to Stranger’s room: - wilderness of stairs!! – some 10 priests dawdled about. At 6 or 6.30.P.M. we got Andrea to give us tea, instead of waiting for their supper; they adding some conserve of rose-petals, not bad stuff. At the convent inner door was a world of monks: the whole building is most hive-like. The look out from the windows is wonderful: windows large, glazed, - in two pieces. We made ourselves beds with our plaids, on their divans or sofas.
Sunday, March 11
Rose at 5.A.M. having slept very well. Means of cleaning small. Weather apparently fine. I, well. Soon after 6,A.M. we went out to draw: first, below till 9: and then nearer the queer building till 11.30. when we went in. We looked at the Church, or rather into a dark little chapel, the only things that struck us being some doors of old gilt-work, and some glimpses of a mosaic pavement with a sun and moon in bas relief. No refectory; - the bretheren eat mostly with their families; - the whole hive seems a community living together as in a village, but with a convent’s name. Then up those horrible dark stairs, and we found Andrea had set out a lunch of ham and bread etc. which having discussed we came away, leaving 1 ½ Dollars with the monks for the Church.
To day it has been fine, but misty. L. and I, with Nicolo and the horses, wound down the precipicies, drawing once by the way. Crossing the river, we went up to the opposite village, - dogs!!! Arriving at 1.P.M. We looked in vain to find a spot whence the Convent and ravine could be seen together, and at last drew, rather than lose more time. At 2.30 P.M. we went down - seeing Megaspilion no more - to the river farther on. Some of these paths - an inch broad only - are frightful, but the ponies never stumbled. We found Andrea below, and so we trotted on by the riverside. A wild and bare dell, - great rocks and caves, - goats and sheep here and there: magnificent snowy mountains soon came in sight: always we followed the stream.
At 4.30.P.M. we were near Kalavrita, and we stopped to sketch the hills. At 5.15.P.M. we went on, and were soon at the town,- once a large one, before it was ruined by Ibrahim Pasha. We went to the house of General Pettimasa, with a letter from Vostizza. Beautiful girl, and nice old mother; - good conserves and water and café, in a good room. About 7.P.M. supper, ‘well conducted’, two dishes. 8.15. we came to our room - beds on floor - all very nice and clean.
Monday, March 12
After the futile old female servant had done rushing in and out, we got comfortably to sleep. Rose at 5,15, A.M. Too cold to draw, even were there time. Last night, capotes missing, found under the sleeping Nicolino. Excellent breakfast: good coffee, eggs, toast, and honey.
Horseshoes wanted; unable to start soon. L., I, and Nicolo walked off alone at 7.A.M. up hill. Lovely, but cold morning. The snow-mountains seen clearly last night, peep out now through grey rolling clouds: - vast masses of red or grey soil with patches of dwarf Oak or Lentisk all around: now and then a black or white figure, and a few sheep moving. Below is the scattered town of Kalavrita. The air is very Cumberlandish. When Andrea came up, we rode on, and very cold it was! A thick mist hid all but the nearest pines. Bye and bye we got to the top and walked down hill, - the clouds showing a village, (Soudhena) below, and a long vale beyond; snow-covered mountains on all sides. We drew at the village, and walked on to a Khan where horses were resting; - 11.A.M. Thence we entered a pass, as fine as most one sees, - crags, ilex and oakwoods, high mountains and a stream.
At 1.P.M. we reached another Khan, in an ugly part of the valley, surrounded by cumbrous hills. Till 1.50.P.M. L. and I draw; then dinner, as usual excellent. 3.P.M. L. and I and Nicolo went on; - a dreary gorge- here and there peeps of finely formed mountains; - worlds of kids, skipping or crying in groups on the hillside. 4.30.P.M. road turns to the left, and Andrea joins us. Scenery becoming tremendously huge – Swiss - snow and pines all. Peasants in white capotes, and Esquimaux-like breeches. Very particularly cold: grey and dark all day, but worse now. At 5.15.P.M. Lycouria, below immense mountains, - clouds half way down. We stopped to draw, but it began to rain, and we soon had to run for it. Andrea took us to the village, and one of the usual Greek wooden bundly dirty rooms is to be our abiding place. It came at 7.P.M., tea: and bed as soon as we could, on the floor. Andrea ditto.
Tuesday, March 13.
A sleepless night. Andrea’s terrific snoring, a squally baby in the next room, dogs out of doors, goats and horses below, and fleas innumerable. Also rain. At day break all was thick mist, but at 6.A.M. it looks a little better. At 7.30,A.M. we were off. Up the pass from Lycouria to Phonia a thick mist accompanied us, - rain now and then; - so we saw nil. Only it seemed just like the Chika pass of Chimara, but that the pines were green and not black. From the top of the pass we walked down, and the mist cleared off, showing the large blue lake of Phonia[1] with the high snow mountains through groups of pine. Mountain forms clumsy rather, or commonplace. We drew from 9.15 to 10.A.M., and then, Andrea going ahead, descended towards the Lake with Nicolo. Here we drew again until 11.A.M. – the mountain outlines finer, and the village of Phonia before us.
Another hour brought us there, but, so said Andrea, we were yet to proceed for one more hour, as there was nothing to eat at this place; so we went on to a little village with an old Venetian tower, on the side of a hill. We got there at 1.15.P.M. Our abode for the night- (for there is no other place for 9 hours!) is a most wretched place – full of all sorts of roba[2], - a loom, etc. etc. (Three bottles of brandy have been broken this morning! and all the pepper spilled!!) The day had now become beautiful, so we drew for an hour and 20 minutes the Lake, though not particularly drawable is calm and lovely.
Then came dinner, soup, two fowls etc. Afterwards we drew again and lastly at 5.P.M. went up to a little chapel and ilex trees, dogs besetting us horribly. As the sun set, the hills cleared entirely, and the vast snowy and purple masses, the quiet silver lake and numberless little coots thereon, the rolled out meadow dotted with sheep, and the dark groups of ilex, were soothing enough. Not so the detestable dogs, who nearly devoured us by tens and twenties. Arrived at our dwelling and had tea. Lambs bleat, etc.
Wednesday, March 14
We had immense fun last night, at my getting into one of those ‘Levinges’[3] to avoid the fleas. (We translated Psalms till 9.30.) The two women and one man remained in mute wonder. About 2.30.A.M. - I having been awake two hours or more, there was a general move. Andrea came up; the women first baked bread and then sate down to spin. I by degrees get up, and dawdle till 5, a little after which hour breakfast is ready. L going to the door leading out, the exit is overflowing with lambs. (Zefgolatio, village at Lake Phonia.)
We get away at 6.30. - cold: sky threatening and gloomy. We got on by border of lake; steep pine covered hills; scenery rather clumsy. We drew by the way, and then got to the far end of the lake, about 10.30., a little village above it. Thence – ascended a pass of grey rocks, with overhanging ilex – very beautiful. Soon we lost sight of Phonia, and not over sorry was I to do so, for it is alquanto Swiss and undrawable scenery. We came out on a high plain; and, at a junction of 2 roads, we took that to the left. Which L and I both though must lead to Tripolitza, though Andrea said the other did. Presently we came in sight of a wondrous chain of snow mountains, and a vale below, forming altogether a magical sublimity. Andrea said this was Taygetus - but this must be nonsense, and as unlikely as anything. We stopped and draw, - a vast panorama of misty distances and deep coloured foreground. Andrea rode on, and the baggage passed us.
We drew from 11 to 12, (we had been at the village above Lake Phonia at 10.) Nicolino led us down – down – by break neck roads, for a long space; he, (the frantic Butler,) indulging in various rushings about. Towards the lower part of a steep descent which neither L nor I could ride down, we discerned our ‘Caravan’. Down at length, we crossed a long green plain of ‘corn’, (once the Lake of Orchomenos,) and it was 3.P.M. before we overtook Andrea, and got some bread to save us from sheer exhaustion. He said he had been misled about the road, and that we are to sleep at Livadhi tonight, and tomorrow night at Tripolitza, a plan we inwardly growled at. At 3.30. we got to Livadhi, a largish scattery place somewhat higher up below the snow covered hills.
March 15 and 16 – no record
Saturday, March 17, 1849
Most brilliant, but cold morning, yet without any wind; howbeit the cold is piercing. When the door was opened, the cats, pigs, and dogs all ran in; but we had slept well, - the heaps of corn reminding me of Proby’s and our journey in Principato. We did not rise till 5.30. Breakfast after which L. and I drew the town. At 7, or 7.30. we two and Nicolino went down by the Bridge and Ravine to the Mill, and then turned into the Andrytzena road. Hard frost – bright sky; flax of lambs pleasant to see. In half an hour, the view of Karytena was amazing and we halted to draw; grander place I have seldom seen.
Then followed a perpetual going up of hills, with gradually larger ilex trees; all day long indeed we seemed on the side of a mountain. There was no habitation for a stopping-place, but after one of the many breathings at the top of high hills, we drew again, and lunched on bread and cheese. 12.30.P.M., on again by beautiful ilex-wooded hills, (the ilex growth began one hour after leaving Karytena) and all the distance was fine, - more especially about 2.30. when a vast plain, and snow hills burst upon us, and I drew again, though wind and cold forebade. At 4.P.M. we arrived at Andrizzena; - (‘There was an old man of Andrizzena, Who possesses a sack, and he sits in her.’) – a straggling town on the hill side, - and we are put into a room – tolerably warm, but queer and dark. L. and I went out and tried to draw, but intense cold and falling snow stopped our work. 5.30.P.M. dinner; all good. Andrea tells us that Nicolino, the frantic Butler, is going away. Altogether today’s ride has been delightful. What a choke-full room of looms, closets, boxes, roba of all sorts, is this!!
Sunday, March 18
Although I woke at 3.A.M. and read, and half dressed, I fell asleep again, and Andrea did not call us till past 6! So we hurried over breakfast and got off by 7. The cold was piercing, - but there was little or no wind. We two walked, Giorgi, instead of the ‘Butler’ accompanying us. By degrees, as we ascended, we came to hills covered with mingled ilex and old oak trees, and were it summer and these latter in leaf, nothing more beautiful could be imagined: - huge rocks, fringed with foliage, - deepest glens full of black armed oaks, - the distant wide sea, all bright beyond the canopy of grey cloud immediately above us, - Zante on the horizon afar, gleaming with touches of bright pink light, - and the snowy mountains over the plains of Elis on our right. So, after three hours from leaving Andritzena we reached the top of the mountain Phigaleia, - oh! oh! – how horrible was the cold!
But the Temple of Bassae, and its position,- much as I had expected were far beyond my expectations of beauty and Arcadian landscape. The columns are of a light blue grey-white, and stand as if placed for a picture in front of the finest scenery it is possible to fancy, - including Mt. Ithome, (if so be it Ithome,) – the sea and gulfs beyond, - the infinitely well-drawn lines of interwoven hills, - the rich oakwoods on all sides, - the intense depth and variety of the vallies around, - and the magnificent horizon of Spartan mountains!!!!! I drew once, twice, three times; - and then, at noon, we had a hasty lunch. At 12.30.P.M. it began to snow hard, - a peppery white sleet, - snow storms had been veering all over the landscape through the day, - and the cold became intense. Nevertheless I made some more efforts to carry away memories of this wonderfully beautiful place; but by 1.30.P.M. – although indeed we had done a good deal hastily, - we were fairly beaten, and began to walk downwards towards Paulitza. Thus we left Bassae.
As we descended the climate was soon warmer, and the snow ceased to fall. Two villages we passed on the way, and terrific were the dogs thereat. At 4.P.M. we reached Phigaleia a wretched little domino-house village, below the ancient Fortress, and surrounded by ilex-covered hills. Our dwelling is a one-roomed house, with the family inhabiting which we are to sleep. We set off with an old man to see the Fortress, on an extensive bit of hill, surrounded with an uncemented Palasgian (?) wall[4], - not very interesting except to antiquarians; - so we returned, - always horribly persecuted by dogs, and I made a drawing of the valley till 6.P.M.
For dinner we had capital soup, boiled fowl and potatoes, and a roast suckling pig, and somehow are tolerably jolly, - in spite of circumstances. It is in fact, funny enough, how one can make oneself so comfortable in these very queer places! All the world is wrapped in rags, - a-sleeping about the embers quietly; Andrea alone is snoring terribly. L. and I have made our beds, and I have besides unpacked and repacked my case of drawings. Now we have quietly down-sate to read and write; the barking of dogs, and the Dutch-clock-like tinkling of a mule bell hardly disturbing us. Anyone – it is certain, - more quiet and good and full of all sorts of intelligences and knowledges than Lushington, a man could not travel with. Charles M. Church, John E. Cross and F. Lushington are three companions within 12 months such as few could fall in with[5]. How this fly got into all that amber I can’t understand, - ‘one wonders how the devil it got there’.
Monday, March 19
A wet morning, but it is now 7.30.A.M. and clearing a little. I have bought an apron, and a handkerchief here: the beauty of the patterns these people work on their clothes, carpets, etc!! It must have been past 9.A.M. when we left; it began to rain about 10, and rained hard – more or less, till 3.P.M. At first, for some 2 hours, we coasted a great valley, the bridle-paths lying high up on the hills through beautiful ilex woods; (horridly dangerous to eyes and head are these narrow paths!) then, having crossed a stream, we came to a tremendous ascent, the hill sides always covered with exquisite oak and ilex hanging-woods. After that we were swallowed up in mists and lost our way a little, - but at length reached a wretched place (or hamlet) Timanthras. This however was too bad to remain in, so we went onward, and about 3.P.M. came in sight of the plains of Messenia, and the mists partially cleared away so that we could see Mount Ithome afar. After this we encountered little rain, and we reached Kostantini about 5.P.M. A large barn was far from comfortless, howbeit ourselves and our bedding were all wet through.
Tuesday, March 20
The weather was very cloudy early, yet not enough so as to prevent a start; so after dried roba had been collected, we two got off before 9.A.M. with Giorgi and the horses. The view of Mt. Ithome all along our route over a cultivated plain would be lovely, but it was clouded, and often hidden. Magnificent clouds swept over towards the Spartan mountains. Nearer Ithome the sky became clearer, and drawing possible, though the view was not so picturesque. Foreground covered with Cactus, hepatica, scarlet anemone etc. Andrea and the baggage overtook us by an insane triangular bridge, and we then ascended part of the side of Mount Ithome. A more exquisitely beautiful ride there cannot be, -- everywhere large oaks, tufted ilex and rocks. The plain towards Kalamata is wide, and unimaginably rich in tone and colour.
Soon, the great Wall and Tower of ancient Messene, grey among velvet-green hills, were seen. On arriving at the Gate we sent on Nocolino (sic) and the horses, and drew at 3 places till 6. P.M. These are among the most beautiful ruins I ever saw – as to situation and detail. The quiet ‘Arcadian’ softness of the whole scene! The way down to Mauromati was a succession of pure Claude pictures. Certainly this Greece is a wonderful land of loveliness!! The Priest’s house, - also overlooking a Claude landscape, had been made all comfortable for us; and as usual, Andrea gave us a capital dinner; Andrea is a famous man. I, however, by reason of eating curds and honey, was by no means well.
Wednesday, March 21
Up before 6, and pretty well again. At 7.30.A.M. L. and I were off with Nicolino and the horses, - I carrying my own book; - and by 8.A.M. we were near the monastery of Vurkano, and stopped to draw. Descending at 9.30.A.M. the landscape grew ever lovelier – broad plains, the lines drawn with inconceivable fineness; - faint pale hills, deepening into grey; every variety of foreground; and the colouring like a Claude ‘Narcissus’. By noon we reached the triangular queer bridge, and found Andrea at a sort of Khan, where we had some bread, bacon and figs, and were soon off again, crossing the plain towards the mountains eastward and passing the village of Meligala. The day was perfectly lovely.
Andrea warned us against touching anybody we might meet, as there is much leprosy in this district; - neither he nor anybody eats fowls or their eggs, if the poultry are not shut up in coops, for reasons of their possible food if suffered to wander among lepers. At 1.30.P.M. we came to a village, surrounded by cactus-hedged lanes; dogs innumerable and odious. 2.30.P.M., reached the end of the plain. At a distance, on a hill, below a tree, we saw a lonely leper, - these poor people are driven from the villages, and subsist on food placed for them in set places. We drew here till 3.P.M., and then began to ascend the hills, by a well worn road or pass, and at 4.30. or 5., arrived at Derveni, apparently a village of Khans. L. and I drew on the hill till 5.P.M. Dinner. L. not over well.
Thursday, March 22
The room was dreadfully cold and windy, and L. has a bad cold. Rose, 5.15.A.M. How beautiful the distant view of the Navarino hills! L. and I set off with Nicolino, ascending still through woods of very fine oak. Cold! Cold! After an hour we turned toward the plain of Sinano, and saw that delectable village once more. Then we wound through oak-copse and forest for an hour and a half, passing one village of raging devouring dogs – disgusting. At 10.A.M. we arrived at Leondare, a picturesque place. L. and I drew on a sunny hill side above a ruined church. Andrea joined us at 11.A.M. We are to go on to Kalyvia, and sleep there, 5 hours from Sparta. Bread and bacon lunch. Town of Leondari all ruined in 1780 says Andrea, in the rebellion of that date against the Turks[6].
At 12.30.P.M. we started again, coasting the plain of Sinano; no special interest; sunny day. Dogs continual. Country very English, parky, - oaky for two hours, when we came to beech woods with ilex and oak wondrously mixed with grey rocks. At 3.P.M. the mountain views were glorious, - dark and prismatic. Drew. At 4.P.M. we came near Taygetus, - inexpressibly grand, at intervals; - but huge masses of intervening round hills – all over lentisk, myrtle, ilex and arbutus greatly concealed it. These endless ridges or spurs or hills we rode up and dived down ad nauseam till 6.P.M. when we reached opener plains below Mt. Taygetus and here I drew for a last time before going up to the Kalybia or Barns. Rocks, goats and peasants. Dinner in a barn, with a decent room. L. is in bed, not over well. What scenery is this Greece!
Friday, March 23
Slept capitally, at 5.A.M. dressed, and left L. to sleep a little longer. Went down with a man of the house to the hut and goat-rocks I had passed last night. The dogs were perfectly frightful. As the sun rose, the perfect calm of broad blue shades, and olive-coloured lawns, - streaked with fine, gold, and dotted with silver lines of sheep, - brought back to me the early morning hours in Olevano and other places, - which, - so much the worse for my chance of painting them, are I fear fast fading away from my memory. I got back to Kalybia by 7.A.M. After breakfast – (first rate honey!) we started – 8.A.M. – and walked and rode alternately by a very long winding valley for 4 hours – till noon. The scenery was pleasing, and here and there the great heights of purple wall of Taygetus made it somewhat like the Rhone valley – or Swiss scenery generally.
But as every turn still hid the plain of Sparta, we found the journey a bore, the more that the weather was hottish and stuffy. At 12.30. we got to a ruined castle on the edge of a sort of pass, and turning round, - behold! It was a ‘middle-aged’ fort on the Theatre of Sparta, while the whole wall of Taygetus and the plain below it burst upon us. We went up to the Theatre, and there or thereabouts we stayed till 5.30, drawing, Andrea having sent us some bread, bacon, and oranges at 2.P.M. The day, all the later part of it, at least, was mild and delightful, and L. is better. We enjoyed Sparta most thoroughly. The Theatre overlooks all the plain, and the vast Taygetus range is fully before it. The purple tone of the lower part of the range is extraordinary, - contrasted with the brilliant shivery-sparkly silver of the white snow above. Mistra seems a wondrous place, and reminds me of Amalfi, with a plain below it instead of sea. The solitary wild quiet of this spot, - the immensity of grandeur all around, - the ancient associations of the place, and the charm of climate, - have made this day a very delightful one.
At sunset we came up to the modern town of Sparta, where there seemed more better-constructed houses than these places generally possess. We were housed in a ‘Café’, and at 6.45. dined sumptuously in a sort of Trattoria. The wine also, strange to say, was very good. Wonderfully swell Spartans in magnificent toggery keep circulating about, or are supping in the Trattoria room.
Saturday, March 24
We rose at 5.30 – but lo! The beauty of weather has gone, and all is grey and cloudy, and the upper mountains all obscured. However, after breakfast – cold lamb and excellent honey! – L. and I with Giorgi and the osses, set off. Crossed the plain towards Mistra, and drew a ravine, and also below the town; but the weather was hopeless and much colder than was agreeable: so we went into the town, - Bazaar day, - and crowded with people and goods. A ‘Militaro’ bothered us, speaking ‘no particular’ tongue, finally forcing us into a Caserne where some Officers spoke French.
We however soon got free, and followed our Mistra guide up to the Kastro – a great pull – though not like that of Corinth. It was surprising to find oneself in a large town entirely ruined; - several good churches, (apparently Latin, i.e. they had square Campanili though of Byzantine details of workmanship;) and endless shells of houses and castles of Venetian times, gorgeous with ivy and creepers. The top of the castle was a sell, seeing we could see nothing for cloud. So we returned, drawing often, i.e. as well as we could, for no outline beyond Mistra was visible, and the plain was a weary dilution; and presently joined Giorgi, whom we found in a stable where we lunched on Spartan wine, bread, and cheese, bacon, and cold pudding.
About 2.P.M. we two explored all the town of Mistra, and also an opposite hill, - cold grey and windy. Several impy-ous children came and sate about us, and as soon as we left, stoned us horribly with showers of stones, - the foul little beasts. Happily only one or two took effect. We mounted horses on reaching the plain and so doddled on among divers olive grounds, right and left, - spying out for fresh views, and ultimately getting back to Sparta at 4.30. At 5.30. a capital dinner; but alas! The weather seems baddish for tomorrow!
March 25 – April 12 - no record
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For the period of the journey which Church’s record from Lear’s diaries does not cover, the following extracts from Lear’s letters to his sister Ann give some details
25th. & 26th. & 27th. – 3 day’s journey to Argos – where you know Agamennon & all those people lived. The plain of Argos is astonishingly beautiful. Ever since the rain of the 19th the ground has become literally covered with flowers; I wish you could see them; - sometimes it is quite pink with Hepaticas – scarlet & blue Anemones – yellow Euphorbia – Cistus - & several hundred kinds of flowers I never saw before make the whole country a garden. 28th. To Nauplia & 29th.; this was the old port of the Argive Greeks, & was made the modern capital when first King Otho came – till Athens became so. 30th. We went to Mycenae – amazing ruins - & on the 31st. came by the temple of Nemea – up to Corinth – where you know I had already been. 3 days thence brought us to Athens, & I really never remember having had so delightful a trip. (Letter of 4th April 1849 to Ann Lear)
We went from Athens on the 5th in a boat to Egina, where there is one of the very beautiful temples of Greece - & then to Colonna, & so to Marathon[7], returning for a quiet Sunday on the 8th. We left Athens finally on the 10th. - & I was most sorry to do so, for I never saw a place I better liked. Our first day was through Mandara, through the pass of Phyle, the most beautiful scenery of pines you can imagine. Next day – 11th. – to Thebes where you remember I was so ill in 1848. The 12th. we advanced towards Parnassus, & rested at Lividia, - where the country is perhaps not so extremely lovely, but the costumes of the peasantry are most wonderfully elegant. (Letter of 21st April 1849 to Ann Lear)
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Friday, April 13. 1849
Dressed by 5.A.M.; and we two, with Kostantino were off at 6.30. We had determined on making one day at Cheronoea, and on going to Daulia tomorrow. A horrid paved road led to the lower part of the valley, and on the high ground beyond this I sate down to draw the town of Livadia. It was Bazaar day, and hundreds of peasants were passing – all of whom said emphatically ‘Kali hemeran!’ The costumes were truly wonderfully beautiful; most of the women had capotes edged or bordered with pink; headdress or white handkerchief; belts, brown, or blue striped; aprons, white, scarlet, or yellow; sometimes blue shifts, exquisitely embroidered with pale pink and blue; often the outer vest was tufted with chocolate, or lilac, or purple, or madder-brown; - fronts of shifts embroidered deeply and beautifully.
Women ruddy and robust generally, and tolerably good looking, but I did not observe any very beautiful. Sacks of all colours, floccati-regate, ….(?) etc. Men with black or yellow handkerchiefs round their Fezzes. The day became quite grey, at first it was very cloudy; but Parnassus always remained clear. About 9.15, - some two hours after leaving Libadia we reached the little plain of Cheronoea. Its simple outline, (its Acropolis and Parnassus) is most delightful; the foreground of this picture is made by the broken lion[8], lying in a hollow of sand bank, covered with Asphodel, and alive with goats. We went to the Theatre, cut in the rock; and at 11.30. came to the little Khan, where an Officer who was at the Libadea Khan yesterday, came up and talked French.
Soon we set off back, I drawing by the way. All the peasants were returning, with lambs in their sacchetti. The afternoon was brighter; and we arrived at Lebadea at 2.P.M. Then we went up the ravine to the cave of Trophonius, which we thought a sell; - and above and all over and about the town till at 4.30.P.M. we voted ourselves tired, and came back to the Khan, asking Andrea to dine us, which he amiably did at 5.30, on soup, boiled and fried fish, ‘stewed prunes’, and a bowl of cold punch. The evening was lovely, and we walked about afterwards till dusk.
Saturday, April 14
The sunrise over Mount Dirphe is glorious, but my drawing has not a sufficiently high horizon. The side X is much higher ground than C, and slopes to the river in broken ground. Off 6.45.A.M. Long time on lentisk-covered[9] myrtle and arbutus hills; one or two very fine views of Parnassus. Women carrying milk for tomorrow’s fests!! Goats!! sheep!! At 11.30, or 11.45.A.M. we are near the place where Oedipus killed Laius. A grand wild scene; we joined Andrea near a stream, and lunched: - and as it was now settled that Daulis was to be given up, we were off again at 1.P.M.
One lives upon fish and veggebles now a days as it is the Greek Holy week, and they be bigoted awful as to fasts. Road to Arachova, by Pass of Schiste for 4 hours; very much up hill, and by immense mountain crags and ravines, - but nowise drawable. Arrived at Arachova by 5.P,M,, a compact large village, but not picturesque. Lodged in the house of some proprietor. Lushington and I made a giro of the town, but finding nuffin to draw, we returned to the rocks looking down on Delphi and came back at 6.30.P.M. to dinner, which was bony and fishy.
Sunday, April 15
A disagreeable night, - the one glass I took of Arachova wine, having brought on a horrid diarrhoea, but with a hot bottle, and rice, I got better. From 8.15, to 11.A.M. Lushington and I drew. Lots of boys, well enough behaved, surrounded us, and repeated in English, ‘One good boy’, ‘two good boys’ etc. etc. hex kala ai. Afterwards I saw better foreground about X, on the side of a large rock scene, but there was such odious crowds of boys about that I could not draw it. We dined at 12.30 P.M. and by 1 were out again.
At 2.P.M. the whole village world began to dance; I think – nay – I am sure I never before saw so beautiful a fete as this. The dresses of the women were very remarkable; the heads of some were quite covered with gold and silver coins. Men and women danced together, but mostly by twenties or thirties of either sex alternately, - 20 men – then 20 women. Many of these village women are absolutely beautiful, not only as to complexion and fine contour of head and figure, but as to real Greek outline of feature. The Arachova people seem a nice lot, though the little boys bored me terribly. At 4.30.P.M. we came down hill some way from the village, and continued drawing near Delphi from 6.P.M. till 6.45. The valley, looking towards the Gulf of Corinth, is extremely grand, but as yet I do not apprehend all the merits of Delphi scenery, of which I have heard so much. We are in a little house, belonging to a Christianised Turkish woman.
Monday, April 16
We did not get out – actually! – till 7.15. (the absurdity of ‘breakfasts’! not to speak of loss of shade and all landscape effect, which, beside all the rural-passing incidents, cease after 8 or 9.A.M.!). We went down to the Castalian fountain[10], - a very magnificent rock scene, and there we drew, very little bothered: only later the nasty paidia began to throw stones. Then we went down, by the Panaghia Monastery, and all about the Cyclopean terraces and olives, and drew from 11.A.M. to 12.15.P.M. at a vast gorge scene – very pleasantly and quietly. All this place reminds me of Tivoli. We came back to dinner at 12,45. And Andrea had time to turn out a super-excellent feed.
At 2. We were out again, - with the ‘intelligent guide’, - dressed like a coachman, up by the Convent of St.Elias to the Stadium, and above it, whence we drew till 4.P.M., - at 6, - by the Stadium, and till dusk by St.Elias. The characteristic landscape scenery of Delphi is simple hugeness of rock, with a deep-deep wall of olives as contrast; but no distance, nor do the forms seem to me particularly good. However there is a quiet about the spot very refreshing. Weather lovely. Return to tea, and drawing – i.e. - ‘penning out’.
Tuesday, April 17
Out by 6.30. Alas! Alas! The Greek tour closes! We draw by the Fountain, and afterwards by the Pythons’ cave till 10.A.M. – but the place was cold, and I within an ace of fever. We dawdled about the Panaghia olives and returned by 11.A.M. The dresses of the peasantry this morning were surprisingly lovely! Dinner at 11.30.A.M. and finished by 12.20.P.M. when I set off, getting a Palikari to see me safely by the dogs; Lushington joined me under the Cypress of St.Elia. A drove of boys as usual bored us horribly, and ended by throwing showers of stones. So we went our way down the hill, with Andrea and mules, - beasts I detest, so therefore I walked. Near Crisso, the views of the Gulf, and of the olive plains, are highly exquisite; - the hills are so cleanly and clearly cut and drawn, and the plains so beautifully level. Above Crisso we drew, pestered by horrid troups of boys, who finally pelted us into the town, whence the Elders came forth and rebuked them. Down we went always towards the great plain of olives; and very divine were those scenes!
Salona, in itself not so first class, we reached about 7. The town has yet a fine Subiaco-ish[11] look – though not Greek. Apparently there are many good houses here – white etc. Parnassus, seen from here, is whale-backed and horrid. We lodged in a private house: holes in floors, chairs etc. No costume among people. Great wind all night: - no sleep likewise from fleas abundant. Moreover there is a foreboding feeling of fever, for we are only 2 days off the proper recurring, or 21st day. But I took endless quinine.
Wednesday, April 18
We were called at 4.50.A.M. and were ready to go out at 6.A.M. when we went down the road below the town, and drew till 8.A.M., expecting the mules. These not coming, we two walked on. Salona and its valley do not seem over interesting, but the mouth of the vale seen from the great rocks below Crisso is very fine. Andrea passed us to get a boat at the Scala, where we arrived about noon. From here, the gorge of Delphi is very fine and grand: day lovely. There were Camels about, some 10 or 20, and very out of place and queer they looked. We got to a great sort of Warehousy or Repository Khan; swallows’ nests and dirty folk abounding. All the Scala was full of people waiting for a wind to get out of the Gulf, and it is quite impossible to get away. Many and long were the discussions on what to do, as we lunched on bread and ham; moreover I was always more or less unwell. But there was no remedy left but to make straight by land for Lepanto, - paying a frightful price for mules.
Accordingly, at 1.15.P.M. we set off; horrible paths, and a shaky stumbling mule; vulgar cumbrous scenery fills up all the afternoon, one of great bore. At 5 or 6 P.M. we got to Pentornea, a little village full of dogs, fleas, and dirty people. I drew, solus, till sunset, plagued by diabolical little boys as usual. We had a room, - windy enough! – in a peasant’s house; the wind is very high and they say portends rain. Good dinner, and lots of quinine, - but a long struggle against fever, (for it is the 21st day!) before I could sleep. Slept tolerably – O dogs!
Thursday, April 19
Rose 4.30; ‘breakfast’ done and even the luggage started by 6.A.M.! This is as it should be. I went on a little first, protected by the Padrone of the house from the dogs, and Lushington soon joined me. After the baggage arrived, we walked on by large coasty hills, till near Vitronitza, which village we passed before 9, stopping at 8.30.A.M. at a Scala or Marina, where Andrea bought fish. The Gulf mountains were beautifully dark blue, but the sky ever more and more grey. Thence, a succession of awful staircases on precipice-edges, up, and down again, riding the disagreeable mule up, and walking down. By noon we reached the beginning of a series of bays they call Trisonea, with islets or islands in front of them; rocky mountains enclosing little meadows and patches of olives; but neither house nor people visible. A fatiguing journey, and with no particular compensating interest, unless the flowers – of which we came to a new generation – were one; - cistus, verbascum, salvia, malva, etc. etc.
At 2.P.M. (?) we got to the sea-shore and a ruined Khan, a little beyond which we stayed to lunch on boiled fish, cold galantine, bread and butter. It began to rain a little, so at 12.45.P.M. we left, and now a far worse tract than any we had endured was to be got over, heavy rains having destroyed such paths as there were, obliging us to climb and descend horrible hills, - fearful ‘scivolata’[12] succeeding each other without end. About 6.P.M. after passing various ravines full of lovely vegetation, - the gulf and opposite hills very fine now and then, - we came to the end of a deep, long, valley and above us on a high hill was Cleona where we ought to have stayed, but as there was still daylight, on we went. (Now and then to-day there were bits of sea-shore seen for a while, crowded with literally innumerable goats, blue and buff, and black. Often there was ivy in the thick clustering lentisk, and often large picturesque roots clinging about the clay ravine sides.)
It was past 8.P.M. before we attained to the desired place, Omareffendi – we were a long weary time. I utterly dead tired, poking about in the dark to find it, and when we did it was only a wretched collection of some 6 or 7 houses so to speak! The first was ‘too’ full of Gran Turco, - no room: - then we had to grope and feel our way to another – I getting more and more faint and tired. And here, in the black darkness I sate down – glad of any chance to rest – on what I thought was a white stone, but it was the white head of a black cow – happily hornless – who suddenly and disagreeably rose up and threw me into the mud among other bulls and cows, imperceptible in the obscurity. A third house contained an ammalato with some ‘contagious disease’ they said; so there we refused to go. At last – more asleep than awake – we were put into one end of a long room full of people and convulsive babbies. In spite of our falling at once to sleep, Andrea the energetic turned out a capital dinner. Finalmente we got to bed, but not to sleep: - 100,000,000 fleas forbade.
Friday, April 20
Rose before light, in great haste; a cup of coffee only – and off by 5.30 A.M. or earlier. Morning quite grey and soft to look at. We went on for an hour before we reached a great river, forded in three divisions, a horrid operation and odious to me, whom running water always bedizzes and distracts. Then, by brambly lanes, - ever by flat ground, - we reached Lepanto at 8.A.M., and now we are ‘waiting’, I within half an ace of fever. A very dummy place is Lepanto. What next? We waited, and waited, and waited.
(We witnessed intanto a strange scene; - 3 gipsies playing a pipe and drum, and all the Townpeople frantically proceeding to pluck up Euphorbiae, and nettles and mallows, as producing Malaria! This, performed by great swells among others, was immensely funny.) At length 11.A.M. came to pass, and the Captain of the Trabaccolo, which we went on board of, and started with a fair wind. The day was gloomy, and a little sprinkling of rain fell. We went across at a great rate – ‘tremendously fast’ and reached Patras at 12.30.P.M. Got Pratique[13], and were at the hotel by 1. So ends this Greek tour.
References
[1] Lake Phonia was near to the ancient town of Pheneos mentioned by Homer. In Lear’s day it was clearly still a significant lake, but a photograph from 1914 shows it largely dried up.
[2] Roba may just mean ‘stuff’.
[3] A Levinge is a form of mosquito net contraption, invented by a Victorian traveller Godfrey Levinge.
Levinge, Godfrey. (1839). The traveller in the East: being a guide through Greece and the Levant, Syria and Palestine, Egypt and Nubia. London. See illustration below.
[4] Possibly a reference to the Paleologos dynasty that ruled Byzantium from the 13th to 15th centuries.
[5] Lear had travelled in central Greece with Charles Church in 1848, and then with John Cross in Egypt earlier in 1849.
[6] Probably a reference to the Orlov Revolt in 1770 when there was a Greek uprising in the Peloponnese, initially supported by the Russian fleet.
[7] Lear here records visiting Marathon, but no drawings exist.
[8] The Lion of Chaeronea was erected after the battle of the same name (338 B.C), between the forces of Phillip II of Macedon and the combined forces of the Athenians, Thebans, Corinthians, and their allies. The battle ended with triumph for Phillip II, and severe casualties for his enemies. It is believed that more than 1.000 people died from Athens alone. According to Pausanias, the lion was erected by the Thebans to commemorate their fallen. Under the monument, archaeologists unearthed a mass grave of 254 people, now identified as members of the military unit known as “The Sacred Band of Thebes.” The monument was found in pieces (as Lear found it), and restored to its full height in the early 20th century. The lion is one of the oldest standing war memorials of Greece.
[9] Pistacia lentiscus, the lentisk or mastic bush is a member of the Anacardiaceae family. It belongs to the same genus as the pistache nut, Pistacia vera. An evergreen shrub characteristic of the Mediterranean maquis, it can attain a height of three meters and has opposite, green and shiny leaves.
[10] The Castalian Spring is found close to the Oracle of Delphi. In ancient times, it was believed that this spring had cleansing waters, thus it could cleanse the souls of the visitors to the popular Temple of Apollo, located just 500 meters from it. The spring itself was located between two rocks, the Phaedriades, and, according to the myth, this is the place where god Apollo killed the dragon, Python, who used to torture Apollo's mother when she was pregnant.
[11] Subiaco is a town and commune in the metropolitan city of Rome, in Lazio, central Italy.
[12] Italian for ‘slipping’.
[13] Permission granted to a ship to have dealings with a port, given after quarantine or on showing a clean bill of health.
See note 3 - extract from Godfrey Levinge's book -