Switzerland Journal April 12th 1937

From Rome to Florence.As we travelled north from Rome, the scenery changed. The hills grew into mountains & there wasn’t much cultivation. We saw hardly any flowers. But because we saw no flowers, it doesn’t mean that there wasn’t any colour _ No! If anything there was more colour than we should find in many

Switzerland Journal April 7th 1937 (4)

The Colosseum is the biggest theatre in the world. It is an old Roman ruin. Inside there are great stones in the form of tiers. One can see the places under the floor where animals were kept, & the Royal box. There is no roof to the Colosseum. The Tower Fra Angelo was built by

Sketch of The Week: David by Michelangelo

These is the final Sketch of the Week post, as it is the last of the drawings I have by Peggy. This week in 1937, she sketched ‘The David’, by Michelangelo, in Florence. She has signed it ‘Betty Newgass’. Peggy was known as Betty for most of her life.

Switzerland Journal April 7th 1937 (3)

Rome & what we saw.Rome is the capital of Italy. Nearly all the houses are old Roman Palaces & where-ever you go you’ve got the Roman ruins all around you. The different Forums of Roman times still exist & the big Colosseum, churches & lots of other places. St Peter’s Cathederal [sic] is more modern,

Switzerland Journal April 7th 1937 (2)

Vintimillia*Vintimilia is the border town of France & Italy. It is quite a small town, situated on the Mediterranean. There is a little river which meets the sea at Vintimillia. The town is the centre of a very fertile country & therefore there is a lot of flowers & fruit there. *Correct spelling is Ventimiglia

Switzerland Journal April 7th 1937

From Nice to Roam Nice was not yet awake when we left by the 6. o.clock train. We followed the sea in the train which looked simply lovely _ red with the rising sun. On our left the mountains & villas where (were) also of a lovely rose hue. All along the gardens where (were)

Switzerland Journal April 6th 1937

Monaco.Monaco is a town built on a Rock jutting out to sea. Although it is on the Riviera, it has (with Monte-Carlo) a Principality of its own. The Prince has his palace there. There is a cathederal[sic] & a museum at Monaco. The museum is Oceanographic & the biggest in the world of its kind,

Switzerland Journal April 5th 1937

Gourdon. Gourdon is a very small village built on the very top of a mountain. On three sides of it there are cliffs which descend into a valley – the valley of the river Loup. On the fourth side, the mountain descends in an escarpment. There is a road running up the mountain _ which

Switzerland Journal April 4th 1937

The Riviera The Riviera of France is very beautiful at this time of year. The flowers are just coming out and the sun is hot. The Mediterranean is very blue & the rocks, which jut out of it are red. The houses on the small hills are usually white or of a bright colour, surrounded

Sketch of the Week – Woman

Today’s Sketch of the Week by Peggy is of an unnamed woman in the 1940s.