Tuesday Wednesday[RG] April 17

Ca'n Torrent being whitewashed by Carmen and Antonio. Went with Salomo1 to Cas Pintat, Estanco & Pepe to get calx2: only got a little. On the way up the steps at foot of Turismo hill (Turismo now shut up) a white and ginger cat (with a kitten indoors) attacked Salamo3 wantonly. I kicked her off. She scratched me through my trousers. She ran off attacked again. I sheltered Salamo (on his lead) and as she charged punted her away with my alpargatas4.[RG] She attacked four times in all, but each time I punted her off. I was brave but frightened.
Roses out, also convolvulus.
Sirocco gone: no rain: cold wind.
Cheque to Dulan for animals5 £1.5/- and ordered Hippopotome.
Letter to Korda, asking him to get into touch with Richmond: and to Richmond.
To Can Madó (Laura & Carl to Margarita's)6 saw turbine in situ: two inch thick whitewash in old cupboard. Gelat angry about Pepe's delays with deposito7. Pepe came late & L [Laura] told him that he must get as many men as poss. onto deposito8 and that when he starts work on the kitchen he must have 3 or four men there: and stones already shaped. L [Laura] wrote to Esp. [Esperanza]
Visited Isabel with flowers. Fever down. L [Laura]'s Americans came.
Gelat has paid out about 1300 pts for road work.

Editorial Notes

1RG's dog. eds
2whitewash KG
3RG's dog. eds
4rope-soled sandals KG
5engravings KG
6? RG might be referring to Margarita Modista here, though less likely. eds
7water reservoir WG
8water reservoir WG

Hands Referenced

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

Places Mentioned

  • Can Torrent

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    House next to Canellun also belonging to LR & RG. Built by Norman Cameron. WG

  • Ca'n Pintat

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    Small grocery shop in the middle of the village. WG

  • Turismo Hotel

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    Now Hotel Villa Verde. WG

  • Ca'n Madó

    Majorca, Sp
    Old flour mill, on the road to Palma, converted into a hydro-electric plant by Gelat. Laura bought him a generator. Part of the orchard was bought by LR & RG. 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.

  • Isabella

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

  • Esperanza

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

  • 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.)

  • Korda

    Korda, Alexander
    Director of the film version of I Claudius.

  • Dulan

    Dulan
    Dealer in antique engravings, books. London? WG

  • Pepe

    Salas, José
    Master builder. Built Canellun. Pepe is a diminutive of José. WG

  • Margarita

    Margarita (Café proprietor)
    Proprietor of Café. Also Butcher. WG

  • Carmen

    Carmen
    Murciana (a Murcian immigrant). Married to Antonio. Maid: called on for help around the house, white-washing, etc. Isabel & Josefa's mother. WG

  • Antonio the Murcian

    Antonio
    Antonio and his wife Carmen, parents of Paco, who worked as a mason, and the servant girls Isabel and Josefa, were immigrants from Murcia, a province in Spain. W.G. & eds.

  • Ian

    Richmond, Dr. Ian
    Professor of Archaeology who advised A. Korda on historical authenticity for the making of I, Claudius RPG p. 255-6

  • Margarita Modista

    Margarita Modista
    Modista: Dress maker (in Deyá). W.G., eds.

Organizations Mentioned

  • Estanco

    Local Tobacconist, a general shop KG

Elements Mentioned

  • Sirocco

    South easterly wind. Used generically for all southerly winds which eddy on the leeward side of the Teix mountains above Deya. WG