These Rickety Houses Often Exhibit
Another Feature More Picturesque And, To The Earthly Imagination,
More Consoling; On The Balcony One Sees A Great Gourd, Some Three
Feet Long, So Placed That Its Yellow Plumpness May Ripen In Sun And
Air.
It is a sign of plenty:
The warm spot of colour against the
rough masonry does good to eye and heart.
My hotel afforded me little amusement after the Concordia at
Cotrone, yet it did not lack its characteristic features. I found,
for instance, in my bedroom a printed notice, making appeal in
remarkable terms to all who occupied the chamber. The proprietor -
thus it ran - had learnt with extreme regret that certain
travellers who slept under his roof were in the habit of taking
their meals at other places of entertainment. This practice, he
desired it to be known, not only hurt his personal feelings -
tocca il suo morale - but did harm to the reputation of his
establishment. Assuring all and sundry that he would do his utmost
to maintain a high standard of culinary excellence, the proprietor
ended by begging his honourable clients that they would bestow their
kind favours on the restaurant of the house - signora pregare i
suoi respettabili clienti perche vogliano benignarsi il ristorante;
and therewith signed himself - Coriolano Paparazzo.
For my own part I was not tempted to such a breach of decorum; the
fare provided by Signor Paparazzo suited me well enough, and the
wine of the country was so good that it would have covered many
defects of cookery.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 111 of 152
Words from 29141 to 29397
of 40398
