Sept 27, Friday.

A.F.T. [Almost Forgotten Times] Chapter XXXIII, a part.
Hutchinsons came, photographed Gelat; & two colour ones of me near Casa Siqui [RG]; then took them past Salerosa to photograph some rain-channelled rocks, also an olive broken with age sprouting new with wild olive. Nice letter from Philip.
Lot of housework with Isabel & Josefa gone. Did some O.S.S. [Old Soldier Sahib] adjustments.
Car took us to Lluchalcari at 3. Talked awhile with Ferrar (first time Laura had met him) who showed us a view & was plainspoken about the Casa Siqui invertidos1.[RG] Then to Junyers who were hospitable & showed us their curio-museum-house & then, (one at a time, Clothilde & Joän [sic: Juan] reserved for future sessions) Sebastian's paintings — work of successive Springs & autumns, airy landscapes of Deyá; & Lluchalcari, some very good, especially one damp[RG] spring one taken from above near[RG] the Recó, & an upwards view of Lluchalcari in autumn. Tea with melon, almond cakes, mixed honey, & sherry with clinking salves2 and talk against the "wah-wah", of Mallorquins3 which we resented. Walk home.
I went alone to Sala & said goodbye to ×××× [crossed out] Leonora4 & her mother: & Marco5 privately begged me to persuade his father (as if I knew nothing about it) to let him continue at Barcelona University — he wanted to move him to Palma. I found Gelat (secretly prompted by M [Marcos]'s mother) had also been urging this & chipped in with arguments. Bernardo gave in. Reassuring letter to G. [Gelat] from his cousin in Madrid about the road. Laura up late, doing Troy battles according to Othryoncus6

Editorial Notes

1homosexuals. KG
2toasts to "good health!" KG
3based on a saying that Mallorquins talk like dogs: 'wah wah.' KG
4Colom? WG
5Marcos Colom, son of Bernardo. WG
6 Oxyrthincus Papyrus. KG

Hands Referenced

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

Places Mentioned

  • Palma

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

  • 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.

  • Concordia

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    Salón Concordia. Gelat's café. Variously refered to as the Sala or the Salón. The village youths had shares in it. It was later called the Salón Deportivo. WG

  • Llucalcari

    Llucalcari, Majorca, Sp
    Hamlet with hotel some three kilometres from Deyá on the way to Soller. WG. RG spells it "Lluchalcari" in the Diary.

  • Ca sa Siqui

    Majorca, Sp
    Near Ca'n Madó. 'The house of the water channel.' WG

  • Ca sa Salerosa

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    Literally the house of the happy one. House on the Palma side of the Deyá valley which RG & LR rented when they first arrived in Deyá in 1929 and in which they installed the Albion Press. This house was one that was often available to rent. WG During 1935 it was evidently rented by the McCormacks (See March 17, 1935) CP

  • Recó, The

    Deyá, Majorca, Spain
    A farm up the hill past Can Gelat. WG

People Mentioned

  • Laura

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

  • Joän

    Junyer, Joän
    Nephew of Sebastian Junyer. Also a good painter. W.G.; Deaf-mute Catalan painter, ex-pupil of Picasso's, who lived in his uncle's house in Lluch Alcari [Llucalcari]. K.G.; introduced Ward and Dorothy Hutchinson to RG & LR in 1935 eds.

  • Ward

    Hutchinson, Ward
    Photographer. Contibuted to"Epilogue." W.G. R.G. often refers to "the Hutchinsons" (Ward & Dorothy) as a couple especially when they were staying on the island. eds.

  • 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.)

  • Sebastian Junyer

    Juñyer, Sebastian
    Well known Catalan painter. Spent summers in Llucalcari. Visited by D.H.Lawrence and Unamuno. WG

  • Isabella

    Isabel
    Live-in maid from Murcia. Her mother (Carmen) then came over with Josefa who also came to work later. WG

  • Philip

    Graves, Philip
    R.G.'s half brother. WG

  • 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

  • Josepha

    Josefa
    Maid from mainland. In the text R.G. spells it the English way: Josepha. W.G. She is a daughter of the Murcians Antonio and Carmen; sister of Isabel. eds.

  • Ferrá

    Ferrá
    Summer resident in Llucalcari. W.G. This is the correct spelling, although R.G. refers to "Ferrars" in the diary. eds.

  • Clotilde

    Junyer, Clotilde
    Painter. Married to Sebastian. WG

Bibliography

    • Title: Almost Forgotten Germany [Almost Forgotten Times]
    • Author: Schwarz, Georg
    • Editor: Trans. Graves, Robert/ Riding, Laura
    • PubPlace: Deyá & London
    • Publisher: Seizin & Constable
    • Idno: A45
    • Date: 1936
    • Title: Old Soldier Sahib
    • Author: Richards, Frank
    • Editor: Graves, Robert
    • PubPlace: London, New York
    • Publisher: Faber & Faber; Harrison Smith & Robert Haas
    • Idno: A44
    • Date: 1936