Monday March 4th.

Motor mended at last.
To Palma, to dentist. (Got 3 packets Lucky Strike 1 at Valldemosa for 45 pesetas) Spent most of my time going from one merceria2 to another looking for grey nacre 3 buttons with rounded tops and button holes behind, for a dress for Honor. None about. Went to Calle Jaime I and got, instead[RG], a set of silver & horn buttons with small white glass tops for 10 pesetas. Then to Margarita Mateu & got about 60 old buttons of various sorts for 4 pesetas: which caused Laura pleasure. In the camión4 Gelat went for about 30 yds in low gear hooting, behind Castor, who was leading a loaded donkey. The donkey baulked & Castor, furious, kicked it ineffectually in the stomach with his alpargatas5. Today both in Deyá & Palma girls dressed in peasant-dress6.
Washing-boiler bought.

Editorial Notes

1cigarettes KG
2Miliner's shop. WG
3crinoline like texture? eds
4bus KG
5rope-soled sandals. KG
6peasant dresses were for carnival. KG

Hands Referenced

    • Annotation: ink correction
    • Character: regular
    • Ink: black

Places Mentioned

  • Palma

    Palma, Majorca, Sp
    Capital and largest centre of Majorca.

  • Valldemossa

    Valldemossa, Majorca, Sp
    Village on the way to Palma. WG

  • Calle Jaime I

    Palma, Majorca, Spain
    A street in Palma named after King Jaime I. eds.

  • Deyá

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    Town located on the northwest coast of Majorca, on the hillside between the Teix Mountains and the sea: this was RG's home with Laura Riding from 1929 to 1936. He returned there with his family after WW II. Eds.

People Mentioned

  • Laura

    Riding, Laura
    (1901-91) American poet. Laura Riding (née Reichenthal; then Laura Gottschalk).

  • Gelat

    Más, Juan Marroig
    Juan Marroig Mas, called Gelat: Landowner on Deyá and friend of Robert Graves and Laura Riding (L.R. & R.G.'s factotum. W.G.)

  • Honor

    Wyatt, Honor
    Journalist. Arrived in Deyá fortuitously. Married to Gordon Glover...Son Julian. W.G. First acquainted with R.G. and L.R. early in 1934; returned to visit in 1935; continued friendship in England. eds (RPG 211).

  • Margarita Mateu

    Mateu, Margarita
    Antique dealer, mostly jewellery, in Palma. WG

  • Castor

    Castor
    Postman. WG