Popolo at about 8 o'clock, and quarter of eight. Road so rough,
... began our journey along the had to walk down-hill and up
Flaminian Way.... The road was again. (So did Hawthorne's
not particularly picturesque. The party.) Road very picturesque,
country undulated, but _scarcely and, before long, a distant
rose into hills_.... Finally came glimpse of St. Peter's. Began to
to the village of Castel Nuovo di see, and occasionally to feel,
Porta ... between 12 and 1.... the paving of the old Flaminian
Afternoon, Soracte rose before Way, which is abominable. Made of
us.... The road kept trending flagstones thrown roughly
towards the mountain, following together, or else little blocks,
the line of the old Flaminian like the Roman pavement. Coming
Way, which we could see at on a stretch of it, at the foot
frequent intervals close beside of a hill, and hidden with dust,
the modern track. It is paved smashed our luggage-carrier, and
with large flagstones, laid so loosened the machine,--more than
accurately together that it is the whole trip had done. Passed
still, in some places, as smooth Rignano,--usual sensation,--good
and even as the floor of a _café_. Under Soracte all
church, and everywhere the tufts morning. Reached Castel Nuovo di
of grass found it difficult to Porta at 11. (Distance to this
root themselves into the village from Cività Castellana
interstices.... Its course is much farther than from it to
straighter than that of the road Rome, yet we reached it one hour
of to-day.... I forget where we sooner than Hawthorne did,
finally lost it.... Passed starting out from Rome.) Road got
through the town of Rignano--road worse and worse. Finally nothing
still grew more and more but ruts and stones. Hills not to
picturesque.... Came in sight of be laughed at (though Hawthorne
the high, flat table-land, on thought them scarcely
which stands Cività perceptible). Arrived at the
Castellana.... After passing over Porta del Popolo about half-past
the bridge, I alighted with J. one. (About three and a half
and R. and made the ascent on hours' better time than
foot.... At the top our vetturino Hawthorne.) Distance, thirty-five
took us into the carriage again, Italian miles.
and quickly brought us to what
appears to be a very good
hotel.... After a splendid dinner
we walked out into the little
town, etc.
SECOND DAY. OUR SECOND DAY FROM ROME.
Roused at 4 o'clock this morning; (We never got up at any such
... ready to start between 5 and unearthly hours as Hawthorne
6.... Remember nothing indulged in.) Left Terni at 11
particularly till we came to o'clock, having been obliged to
Borghetto.... After leaving get a new brake made. Terni, dead
Borghetto, we crossed the broad level, in low valley,--straight,
valley of the Tiber.... Otricoli wide road, ten miles across the
by and by appeared.... As the valley,--surface of the road
road kept ascending, and as the good. Just outside of Narni road
hills grew to be mountainous, we climbs up a steep hill into the
had taken on two additional town. (There must have been an
horses, making six in all, with a earthquake since Hawthorne's
man and boy ... to keep them in time, as Terni, which he saw in a
motion.... Murray's guide-book is high and commanding position, now
exceedingly vague and stands in the lowest part of the
unsatisfactory along this valley, with mountains all
route.... Farther on [we saw] the around.) From Narni up nearly all
gray tower of Narni.... A long, the way to Otricoli, with the
winding street passes through exception of here and there such
Narni, broadening at one point a steep descent that we had to
into a market-place; ... came out hold the machine back with all
from it on the other side.... The our might, riding for several
road went winding down into the hours was almost impossible.
peaceful vale.... From Narni to (Wish we had had six horses, a
Terni I remember nothing that man, and a boy to pull us on.)
need be recorded. Terni, like so From Otricoli, down and all
many other towns in the across the valley, excellent
neighborhood, stands in a high riding to Borghetto; then big
and commanding position.... We hill up, out on to the Campagna,
reached it between 11 and 12.... and up and down--good road--all
It is worth while to record, as the way to Cività Castellana,
history of _vetturino_ commissary which we reached between 6 and 7.
customs, that for breakfast we Terrible sensation!!! (This day
had coffee, eggs, and bread and Hawthorne came in two hours
butter; for lunch, an omelette, ahead; but he had six horses and
stewed veal, figs and grapes, and the hills in his favor.) We eat
two decanters of wine; for dinner every day coffee, bread and
an excellent vermicelli soup, two butter, and rolls in the morning;
young fowls fricasseed, and a for lunch, a beefsteak, or
hind-quarter of roast lamb, with macaroni, and fruit, _no wine_,
fritters, oranges, and figs, and but fresh lemons and water; for
two more decanters of wine. dinner, soup, two meats, fruit,
and a _fiasco_ of wine. Distance
about thirty-three Italian miles.
(We carried Baedeker, and not
Murray, and found it not
unsatisfactory.)
THIRD DAY. THIRD DAY.
At 6 o'clock this morning ... we Left Assisi about 8. Splendid
drove out of the city gate of coast down into the valley.
Terni.... Our way was now through Beautiful ride over the
the vale of Terni.... Soon began undulating road, past Spello to
to wind among steep and lofty Foligno, not stopping in the
hills.... Wretched villages.... latter place, excepting to have
At Strettura we added two oxen to accidents wished us by an old
our horses, and began to ascend woman we almost ran over. Then
the Monte Somma, which ... is through the beautiful valley of
nearly four thousand feet high the Clitumnus--grand road--lovely
where we crossed it. When we came day and wonderfully fair country.
to the steepest part of the (We saw no beggars.) Rode by the
ascent, Gaetano _allowed us to little temple spoken of by Pliny.
walk_.... We arrived at Spoleto Ate some bread and cheese at Le
before noon.... After lunch ... Vene. Reached Spoleto at one;
we found our way up a steep and lunched; then rode up the steep
narrow street that led us to the street, through the gate at the
city gate.... Resumed our other end of the city, and then
journey, emerging from the city began a tremendous climb of six
into the classic valley of the miles over Monte Somma, most of
Clitumnus.... After passing Le which we had to walk. At last had
Vene, we came to the little hard work to push. Coming finally
temple ... immortalized by to the top, found the descent on
Pliny.... I remember nothing else the other side even steeper.
of the valley of Clitumnus, Where it was a little less steep,
except that the beggars ... were we got on the machine, put on the
well-nigh profane in the urgency brake, which came off in my hand.
of their petitions. The city of Bad brake was the one defect in
Terni seems completely to cover a our tandem. Had to walk the rest
high peaked hill.... We reached of the way. In Strettura, men set
Foligno in good season _yesterday bull on us. (Not quite so
afternoon_. [This passage really pleasant as Hawthorne's
belongs to his fourth day of experience.) Arrived in Terni at
travel, but as it shows at what 8 o'clock, having walked the last
time of the third day he reached few miles by moonlight,--about
Foligno, I have included it with forty miles all together, of
the third.] which we walked fully the last
fourteen. (Made in one day what
Hawthorne did in a day and a
half.)
FOURTH DAY. FOURTH DAY.
I have already remarked that it (Expenses of this trip about five
is still possible to live well in francs a day each.) Rode from
Italy at no great expense, and Perugia to Assisi, a distance of
that the high prices charged to fourteen miles, in about two
_forestieri_ are artificial, and hours. Splendid coast down the
ought to be abated.... We left hill outside of Perugia (up which
Foligno betimes in the morning; Hawthorne walked). Crossed the
... soon passed the old town of Tiber. Visited Santa Maria degli
Spello.... By and by we reached Angeli. Awful stitch in my side.
Assisi. We ate our _déjeûner_, Climbed up into Assisi, where we
and resumed our journey.... We stayed all afternoon, to recover,
soon reached the Church of St. and to see the church.
Mary of the Angels.... By and by
came to the foot of the high hill
on which stands Perugia, and
which is so long and steep that
Gaetano took a yoke of oxen to
aid his horses in the ascent. We
all, except my wife, walked a
part of the way up.... The coach
lagged far behind us.
FIFTH DAY. FIFTH DAY.
Left Perugia about 3 o'clock I covered their fifth and sixth
to-day, and went down a pretty days' ride, this time by myself on
steep descent.... The road began to the tricycle, in three hours and a
ascend before reaching the village half actual riding time, and was
of Mugione; ... between 5 and 6 we pulled up the long hill into
came in sight of the Lake of Perugia, in a most easy and
Thrasymene, ... then reached the delightful way, behind the
town of Passignano. (He stayed diligence.
there all night.
SIXTH DAY.
We started at 6 o'clock ... [for
Arezzo]. We saw Cortona, like so
many other cities in this region,
on its hill, and arrived about noon
at Arezzo.
From Arezzo, Hawthorne went directly to Florence in one day, over a road
which Italian cyclers have told me is excellent, and which is the
post-road to Rome. We went by way of Montepulciano and Siena, being
between two and three weeks on the way. I hope this short account of
about one third of our ride will convince other people that cycling is
far quicker than the old posting system, far pleasanter than riding in a
stuffy railway-carriage, which whirls you through tunnels, and far the
best way in which to see Italy,--a country which abounds in magnificent
roads, and which should be thoroughly explored by all cyclers who care
for something beside record-making.
University Press: John Wilson and Son, Cambridge.
Transcriber Notes:
Passages in italics were indicated by _underscores_.
Small caps were replaced with ALL CAPS.
Throughout the dialogues, there were words used to mimic accents of the
speakers. Those words were retained as-is.
In three instances there were cases where the word "eat" appeared one
expect the word "ate". No change was made.
The illustrations have been moved so that they do not break up
paragraphs and so that they are next to the text they illustrate.
In the Appendix, the pages were reformatted to to make it easier to read
in an electronic form.
Errors in punctuations and inconsistent hyphenation were not corrected
unless otherwise noted.