Hall's Journals

Saturday, October 20, 1928

Started at 7 with a cloudy sky. Soon I was climbing a 4½-mile mountain. Instead of coming down again, the road went through upland pastures, winding around, as it went up, like a serpent, each stretch a little higher. The Yugo officials were surprised I had paid no duty on my bike and soaked me 7½ dinara tax. Then I went to a store and spent my 5½ remaining dinara for it was too small for the bank to change. The Italians went through lots of red tape, finally charging a duty of $11.30 or 210 lira and a tax of 4l.

The farther I rode, the higher and larger the mountains and the higher the road went till I was in the clouds and it was a little misty. The clouds often completely covered a peak so you would be unaware of its presence till almost to it. The scenery was marvelous, especially with the leaves turning color.

Finally the road came down 9½ miles and as I rounded a bend, all of Trieste with the calm Mediterranean lay hundreds of feet below me. It was a most splendid view. I wound down the steep road four miles into the city. It is a wonder I got in a hotel for I was white with dust, even my hands. A little jewing and I got my room for 10.5l or 55¢.

There is something fascinating and charming about Trieste. I fell right into the air and spent two hours leisurely wandering about the city. It is an attractive and busy place. Part of it is built on the slope of the mountain. The sea was very beautiful with the sun sinking down toward the horizon. The sun came out as soon as I got in Italy and the weather is quite mild, even the evening. I broke down and got a haircut, nearly 2 months and the barber worked long and hard over it, cutting off an unbelievable amount. I urged him to cut off more, so it is quite short. Rode 69 miles over pretty good roads for the most part and spent $2.26 including taxes and 2 films,13l.

Sunday, October 21, 1928

Oh, what a day this turned out to be. The road followed the shore, gradually rising till it was some 200 feet above the waters, in the side of the hill. At 6 it was mildly cool and the air fragrant. It was a perfect ride for 20 miles, high above the calm sea dotted with tiny craft and the great rocky hills towering up from the road. The road then cut away from the sea and went through mostly uninteresting country, flat, to Venice. They had told me at the hotel it was an 81-mile ride. At noon I had gone 60.

After a good but too-small lunch I set out on the wrong road and was told it was the right one, thus going 24 miles out of my way. A goodly part of the last twenty was done in a regular cloud-burst. It got dark as I entered Mestre. It is a fair-sized place with an amusement park and packed with people. Got off the road again, but finally reached the dock and took the 4-mile ride to Venice. The rain had stopped and the moon shone pretty, reflected in the water. The boat steamed up a street and I landed. Didn’t have an idea of where I was but followed the crowd into a busy street where I got a good room in a nice hotel for 13.35l or 70¢. I was soaked to the skin and my britches had a six-inch rip at the knee. In other words, I was a wreck and went to bed right away, at 8. Rode 130 miles and 4 on boats. Spent $1.65 which is too darned much.

Monday, October 22, 1928

I spent a very bad night fighting mosquitoes from 10:30 to 4 . As soon as I would kill one and get half asleep, another would come around. Killed 20. It was drizzling this morning and I took a boat up the main drag to the Am. Exp.Co. where I found a letter from Jean, Mother, Betty B., and Uncle Billy. Gosh, it was great to really get mail again. Watched a British cruiser, three destroyers, and another English naval boat pull out of the harbor and then started to see the city. It is the most amazing and interesting place in which I have ever been. Water everywhere, large canals, small ones and tiny ones, going in all directions. Great spaces of water between the islands and boats of every kind hurrying everywhere. Dandy motor boats, gondolas, small freight boats rowed by oar, sail boats, and passenger boats. No machines nor bicycles here nor anyplace for them. The streets are but sidewalks, some pretty wide and a multitude of small ones from three to 15-feet wide. They zig-zag in all directions and are not continuous. Some are blind. To get anyplace you twist through these narrow passages, up steps over little bridges over canals, until in a few minutes you are entirely lost. You never know what to expect around the next turn. It might be a large square or piazza, a church, or a tiny canal.

The palazzio is a fine big square enclosed by striking buildings. Of these the Basilica Patriarcale S. Marco is the most outstanding. It is of interesting design and both outside and in has much mosaic design work and pictures mostly in gold. The inside is very Italian in effects. All around the palazzio are fine shops, mostly selling curios and beautiful laces, and also several cafés. The streets in this district are especially interesting because of the fine shops. In other parts they are cheaper.

The buildings over most the city are old and dilapidated. It is hard to believe that humans really exist in them. So many are dark, dirty, damp, and packed in. The people are interesting, of all types and they make lots of noise yelling at each other and singing. The streets are always busy, especially the market places. There is a very pretty park near the end of the Grande Canale. For lunch I bought a large potato and a couple rolls. They boil the spuds with the skins on and sell them hot on the street. They are very good and sort of sweet. Same thing for dinner.

I followed the crowds and got back to the hotel this afternoon, but again venturing out at 4, I was hopelessly lost. Could not even find the Grande Canale. Wandered about in circles in the maze for over an hour, coming back to a square three times and losing all sense of direction. Finally found my way back just at dark. The hotel is near the Stazione Zenterale. Have started early tonight and killed 12 mosquitoes but there are more. It is a mystery to me where they come from. Washed some clothes out but they are not drying. Never knew one collegiate slicker could be so terribly conspicuous. They walk all around me commenting on it. Spent $1.00 today.

Tuesday, October 23, 1928

With the going of the 13th mosquito, I slept all right. This morn was cloudy but soon cleared up. I walked around taking pictures and went for a ride in a gondola for half an hour—10l. At noon most of the shops closed. Am getting so I can go through the tangle of passages in 40 minutes and not really get lost. Treated myself to a pack of cheap cigarettes, 2nd since leaving home, and got the bike cleaned up and pants sewed at hotel. Will try to make Bologna tomorrow. Spent $1.78 today. Too much!!!

Wednesday, October 24, 1928

At 4AM three mosquitoes came to life, so after killing them, just got up and left on the 5:10 boat for Mestre. The roads were fine today except 25 miles, and I made good time, arriving at Bologna at 3:35. There were several large residences in the country near Padova, fine places with large gardens. Many, though, were going to ruin and had poor families in them. Past Pàdova the road ran parallel to some rugged hills for several miles. There were evidences of the glory of former days about. On the top of one rugged peaked hill stood the ruins of an old castle and in the towns were ancient buildings.

In Bologna and most other cities about here the streets are very narrow and instead of open sidewalks, they have passigos or sort of cloisters, arched on the street side and the stores, etc. on the other. This city has mostly very old buildings. The public buildings are huge, of red brick and very ugly. Even some of the churches are this way. There is such a church in the center of town, huge and plain. Inside the church is simple and this mammoth size and height dwarf you to nothing. In one street are two very tall square towers. One is intact, but the other is torn halfway down for the foundation has settled and it is several feet out of line. The city is in a process of rejuvenation and lots of tearing down is going on. Beautiful new structures are going up and with the same style passigos as before. Many of the show windows and stores are very fine. It has tried hard to rain all day and is now drizzling. I have a nice room for 11.10l or 58¢ in a good hotel and here I stay till it clears. About 75 from Florence and 250 to Rome and I think the hills start tomorrow. Spent $1.17 today. Rode 110 miles today.

Thursday, October 25, 1928

Last night I lay down on the bed for a moment, but didn’t come to till 7AM. The weather was very discouraging, a very fine drizzle falling. I started out, however, and hit the hills at the edge of town. Soon I came to one where I went up and up into a mist. This increased as the road went up for miles. I could see but a few yards away, but I knew I was getting high up from the deep ravines and gorges the road went over. It wound around the hills like a serpent, always up. The road was one big soupy mud-puddle and full of stones. By 12:30, five hours, I had gone but 33 miles, at least 22 of it being up mostly steep grades. The mist was a fine drizzle and wading through mud for miles pushing a bike till you thought your back would surely break is no fun. Then suddenly I came to the top of a hill and all in front was suddenly clear. I was on the top of a large mountain, entirely surrounded by other large rugged mountains. It was a marvelous sight. The clouds were low and covered the higher peaks. I had been riding in the clouds for 4 hours. The valleys stretched out between the mountains and the houses were mere dots. Here the road was dry, but poor, being very bumpy and full of sharp crushed rock.

Soon after, I stopped at a small country restaurant and had a large heaping plate of delicious spaghetti (called macaroni here), all for 1.50l or 8¢. Now I had more downgrade, but could not take advantage of it because of the poor road and my well-worn tires. In spite of my caution, I had to go run over a tack and get a flat. A garage-man fixed it for me free and a mile farther on it again went flat. I took it off to fix it but finally found it was a valve leak so fixed it OK. My pump is n.g. and I walked a mile to a garage. At dark I was still several miles from Florence, but didn’t care as the afternoon had been good and there was a wonderful moon over the mountains. Soon I saw the lights of the city in the valley and coming down a 6-mile hill entered the city. Have a room for 68¢. The streets are crowded here tonight. Bet I sweated off at least 5 lbs. today.

This was lots harder than any other mountain range. If these keep up till Rome, I’ll never get there. I’ll recuperate here a day before going on. Rode 69 miles and spent 99¢ today. Have gone 9,710 miles from Chicago in 15 weeks and 3 days, 4,133.1 of it on my bike. Am in fine health, tired but ambitious.

AND SO ENDS CHAPTER 1

Vendredi, Octobre 26, 1928

[If you don’t read French, skip along to December 6, 1928—Nice, France, where Hall gives it up until he reaches Saigon on August 5, 1929. Apologies for any transcription errors—French is no fun to type. Kudos to Hall for doing so well with it!]

Ce matin je me suis levé à huit heures et me suis habillé encore comme un homme blanc. Alors je me avis promenadé autour de la ville avec mon appareil. Près de l’hôtel est une muy grande église, S. Maria del Fiore. C’est d’une architecture Renaissance Italien avec beaucoups des desseins fantaisies sur l’extérieur. C’est dans la forme d’une croix avec un grand dôme à l’intersection. À un coin est debout une tour haute de la même dessein. Dans l’interieur toute est simple; les deux rangs des piliers, les arches hautes et la vastesse sont muy frappant. Plusieur’s des autres églises dans la ville sont de la même dessein et style. Traversant la Fiume Arno, je suis ascendu une grande colline à la Piazzale Michelangiolo de qu’on peut obtenir un vue merveilleux de Firenze, de la rivière et de les montagnes dans la distance.

Cet après-midi je me suis promenadé atours des rues. Elles sont trés intéressantes.

Beaucoup des édifices sont de la architecture des ceux en Bologna avec les clôitres sur les contre-allées. Les rues étroites contenissent une multitude des petites, beaucoup des que sont magasins antiques. Souvent les marchandises reposent sur des tables devant de les magasins. Les rues se pressent avec tous sortes des peuples.

Le temps a fait du soleil et a fait chaud. On parle francais beaucoup en l’Italie. J’ai dépensé aujourd’hui 94¢ + 69¢ pour deux couches = $1.63.

Dimanche, Octobre 28, 1928

Samedi a six heures du matin j’ai tout partir mais mon pneu était plat. Je l’ai tenté fixer mais c’était impossible. Il a pleut, donc j’ai prendu le train à Roma. Une muy grande femme a amusée les peuples par son avis aux soldats et depuis plus tard par son ronflement. La campagne au travers de l’Italie est trés belle. Le train a tourné autour des collines. Les nuages sombres suspendraient sur les chaînes des montagnes isolés. Il y avait beaucoups des petits villages ancien et des ruines des châteaux vieux se perchaient hauts sur les falaises. Nous sommes arrivés à Roma après six heures. Je suis allé au American Express Co. pour ma dépêche et depuis j’ai trouvé une chambre dans l’Hôtel Colonna pour L14 ou 74¢. Je m’avis promenadé autour de la ville pour une heure et demi avant de ténèbres.

Aujourd’hui, aprés un grand déjeuner, je suis allé à Masse Haute à St. Pierre. Le beauté de l’intérieur de l’église ne peut pas se describer. On s’accable par le grandeur, la dimension. Le tombeau de Pierre l’Apôtre est muy intéressant et muy beau. C’est sous le dôme énorme. Le Vatican est trés frappant. Le Colosseum, le Foro Roman, le Chateau Sant’Angelo, la Colline Palatine, le Foro Augustus, le Foro des Trajans et la Arche de Constitine vous portent aux jours de Roma ancien. Les ruines sont le plus intéressants. Le grand monument magnifique à Roi Victor Emmanuel ne peut pas se surpasser. Là aussi est le tombeau du soldat incognito.

Le soir se sont passé par écrivant cinq lettres. Samedi j’ai dépensé $1.25 et $4.24 pour le train et mon vélo. Aujourd’hui, $1.41.

Mardi, Octobre 30, 1928

Hier il a pleut tout le jour. J’ai porté mes souliers se fixer et mes pantalon se nettoyer. Après-midi j’ai lut de rhétorique français et a écrit une lettre à Oncle Billy Graves. Depuis je me suis promenadé vers deux heures. Il y a un très beau parc sur la colline près de la Piazza del Popolo. J’ai dépensé $1.43.

Aujourd’hui il a pleut dans le matin mais a fait beau aprés-midi. J’ai visité le Vatican. Première j’ai regardé le Galerie des Peintures. Là j’ai vu beaucoups des peintures fameuse, entre ceux Couronnement de la Vierge, Madone di Foligno, et le mielleur de tout, Transfiguration par Raphael Santi. Alors j’ai visité la muy belle bibliothèque, les Vaticans Galeries Sculptures, la Chapelle Sistine òu j’ai trouvé une collection merveilleux des fresques par Michelangelo et ses pupilles. Les Stances de Raphael et la Chapelle de Beato Angelica étaient magnifique. Le Gloire de Eucharist et L’École de Athènes par Raphael, dans les Stances, et Le Châtiment Dernier par Michelangelo dans la Chapelle Sistine sont muy fameux.

Aprés un grand lunch de spaghetti, j’ai prendu une photographie dans l’église de St. Pierre. C’est un défense et j’us être très attentif. Depuis j’ai prendu des photographiques de le Foro Romano, le Colosseo, et la Arche de Constitine. Ces sont muy intéressant.

Aujourd’hui j’ai dépensé pour tout, compris deux couches et mes souliers, $3.25. Ce soir j’ai blanchi beaucoups vetêments et ma vareuse qu’est rassasiés de trous.

Mercredi, Octobre 31, 1928

Ce matin je suis allé a la gare pour mon vélo. Apres le pnèu s’est fixé, je suis allé au Anfiteatro Flavio et alors à la Via Appia Antica. Il y a commencé pleuvoir. À moitié chemin à Albanc sur la Via Appìa Nuovo, je me suis arrêté, ai prendu une photographique des ”aquaducts” et retournai a la ville par là Tomba di Cecilia Metella, la Catacombes, la Arche de Druso, la Porto Sebastiano dans les Murs Aurelians, l’église Domine Quo Vadis et le Circo Massimo. Encore ambitieux et malgrè la pluie, je suis allé voir le Piramide di Cajo Cestio, (Caius Caestius) et les tombeaux des Shelley et Keats. Ces dernières sont muy solennel, surtout celui de Keats. Sur son pierre tumulaire s’est écrit—Ici repose tout qu’était humain d’un Jeun Poète Anglais—Keats—qui sur sa lit de mort dans l’amerturne de sa haine de ses ennemis a voulu que ces mots se placer sur son tombeau. Ici on repose le nom de qui s’est écrit dans d’eau.

Bientôt il y a une averse terrible et avant j’ai gagné l’hôtel je me suis trempé. Il a pleut tout l’aprés-midi et pleut maintenant. La Tibre s’est crué près de dix métrès dans le jour passé et elle crue rapidement maintenant. J’ai étudié français quelques heures et ai blanchi plus des vêtements. Aujourd’hui j’ai dépensé $1.67 et 76¢ pour ce journal, 63¢ pour mes pantalon et 69¢ pour deux couches. Le total est $3.75.