Ap 4 Thursday

Telegram that money had arrived in Palma. Went in by car with Carl. Got better rate of exchange by promising more business. Difference bought am.1 ring at Pomar's. To Casas where bought brass star-ornament for Mesquida oak-board. Furry boot for nth time to Juan Juan. Esperanza half work done, promised for tomorrow post. Lunch with Schwarz and Strenge: Sch. [Schwarz] gave Laura black Gordiola2 bottle with "Iris Sucio."3 Bought waistcoat stuff; & brass buttons at Marg. [Margarita] Mateu. Krasnik and Mrs4, and a huge German hound5, and a woman of whom Laura said "Like when one tries to buy highly scented[RG] soap and all are highly scented: so one takes the least so." Paid G. [Gelat] 30,000pts for Bernardo6, 25007 for cuenta8.
In our absence Gelat's cuñado9 Jaime tied up the vine on the lower parral10. Home with Sc [Schwarz] and St [Strenge]
Letter from[RG] Went to Rosa to protest against 20 pts a month price for her cottage11, rented for 15pts to a German: she brought it down to 15.
Letter from Michael Roberts, which L [Laura] and I answered in 2000 words, working until very late, then went to village to post.
Hot sun, cold wind.

Editorial Notes

1amethyst WG
2makers of hand-blown glass. KG
3"smudged iris"[?]KG
4his wife Pauline. KG
5Great Dane. KG
6for land. W.G.
7pts. KG
8His account. WG
9brother-in-law WG
10grape vine WG
11RG paying for Isabel the maid's mother. WG

Hands Referenced

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

Places Mentioned

  • Palma

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

  • Mesquida

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    The dining room in Canellun was called the Mesquida after a painting hanging in it. WG

People Mentioned

  • Laura

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

  • Karl/Carl

    Goldschmidt, Karl
    Karl Goldschmidt, later Kenneth Gay: Graphic artist, friend and secretary of Robert Graves and Laura Riding since 1934. R. G. spells both as Carl and Karl.

  • Casas

    Casas
    Antique dealer in Palma. WG

  • Swartz

    Schwarz, Georg
    German Jew. Deyá neighbour. Antique dealer. Lived with Frau Emmy Strenge, his house keeper, in Can Caballo some hundred yards from Canellun. RG and LR translated his "Almost Forgotten Germany." WG

  • Strenge

    Strenge, Frau Emmi
    Schwarz's house keeper and ? mistress. WG

  • Esperanza

    Esperanza
    Sabater? ran a printing press in Palma and printed Focus.

  • Rosa

    Rosa
    Dress maker. Also made cushions, seat covers, etc. WG

  • 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.)

  • Juan Juan

    Juan Juan
    Palma shoe maker. WG

  • Margarita Mateu

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

  • Krasnik

    Krassnigg
    Austrian Deyá resident. W.G. Austrian painter: his wife's name was Pauline. K.G.

  • Bernardo

    Colom, Bernardo
    Ex Cuban, previous owner of 'Son Canals', and former owner of 'Luna land' (on the other side of the road) cf. Married to a Cuban lady. Sons: Marcos (married to Gelat's daughter Magdalena) and Pancho. KG & WG

  • Michael Roberts

    Roberts, Michael
    Editor; real name William Edward KG; L.R. & R.G. submitted poems for an anthology he was preparing, published by ? Faber & Faber. WG

Organizations Mentioned

  • Pomar

    Pomar
    Palma Jeweller. WG