June 24th San Juan 1

Very hot day, but clear.
Small jobs on Antigua .
Catalina went early to Fabrica to help with the lunch.
Lunch at Fabrica. Present — Laura, me, Karl, Gelat, Madora, Anita, Juan, Magdalena, Francisquita. [RG] Don Pedro & Doña Catalina, Anita's Margarita & Francisca, her mother, her father and brother Antonio. Twelve at lunch, with six in kitchen including Catalina who made a toffee fruit-stand with candied cherries on top. Entremeses 2, arroz brut 3, with lobsters, saffron etc, chicken ragout, lobster mayonnaise salad, champagne, cake, fruit, coffee, cigars.[RG] Serenade by the Establiements band.
Returned to Canellun at 4 – stopped at Can Caballo for coffee – then to Plaza 4 too late for boleros 5 , [sic: , ,] back to supper on sopas 6 & chops at the Fabrica. Exhausted on return, though the weather was very good.
The greatest joke was all Gelat 's political enemies coming to congratulate him on his name day at the exquisito 7 lunch. He replied to 'Muchos años 8' — 'en su compania 9'.

Editorial Notes

1Saint John's day K.G.
2hors d'oeuvres K.G.
3dirty rice K.G.
4village-square K.G.
5Spanish dances eds.
6Majorcan soup K.G.
7exquisite K.G.
8 "may you live many years!" K.G.
9 "In your company!" K.G.

Hands Referenced

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

Places Mentioned

  • Canellun

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    Laura Riding and Robert Graves' house. Also Canellun (private) road. WG, KG

  • Fábrica

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    Home of Juan (Gelat) and his wife, the Madora. K.G. The ground floor was a nave extended over the equivalent of two more lots. This originally was a factory with an oil press, a flour mill and a soap making machine all run by a steam engine. Gelat replaced steam by fuel-oil and installed an electricity generator. When he put in the turbine at Ca'n Madó he removed the machinery and built a Café in its place (the Sala Concordia). WG

  • Can Caballo

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    Schwarz' house. (Ca s'Cabalito. The house had a little bronze horse on the balustrade.) Three doors away from Canellun. WG

People Mentioned

  • 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.)

  • Laura

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

  • Madora

    Marroig Más, Madora
    Gelat's wife. W.G. R.G. often spells her first name "Medora," and precedes it with "the." eds.

  • Magdalena Marroig

    Marroig Más, Magdalena
    Gelat's daughter. Later married Marcos Colom. WG

  • Tio/Don Pedro & Tia/Doña Catalina

    Pedro or Catalina
    Cousins of Gelat from Madrid; RG refers to them interchangeably as Don or Doña and Tio/a, meaning uncle or aunt eds.

  • 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.

  • Catalina

    Catalina
    Cook from Palma employed by RG and LR; worked with Margarita, the chambermaid. W.G., eds.

  • Anita

    Mas, Anita
    Gelat's daughter-in-law, married to Juan Mas. WG

  • Juan

    Mas, Juan Marroig
    Usually refers to Gelat's son, sometimes to Gelat himself. WG
  • Graves, Robert
    Author of the diary.

Bibliography

    • Title: Antigua Penny Puce
    • Author: Graves, Robert
    • PubPlace: Deyá & London
    • Publisher: Seizin & Constable
    • Idno: A46
    • Date: 1936