Our Landlord Was A Butcher, And Had Very
Much The Looks Of An Assassin.
His wife was a great masculine
virago, who had all the air of having frequented the slaughter-house.
Instead of being welcomed with looks of complaisance, we
were admitted with a sort of gloomy condescension, which seemed
to say, "We don't much like your company; but, however, you shall
have a night's lodging in favour of the patron of the gondola,
who is our acquaintance." In short, we had a very bad supper,
miserably dressed, passed a very disagreeable night, and payed a
very extravagant bill in the morning, without being thanked for
our custom. I was very glad to get out of the house with my
throat uncut.
Sestri di Levante is a little town pleasantly situated on the
seaside; but has not the conveniency of a harbour. The fish taken
here is mostly carried to Genoa. This is likewise the market for
their oil, and the paste called macaroni, of which they make a
good quantity.
Next day, we skirted a very barren coast, consisting of almost
perpendicular rocks, on the faces of which, however, we saw many
peasants' houses and hanging terraces for vines, made by dint of
incredible labour. In the afternoon, we entered by the Porti di
Venere into the bay, or gulf of Spetia or Spezza, which was the
Portus Lunae of the ancients. This bay, at the mouth of which
lies the island Palmaria, forms a most noble and secure harbour,
capacious enough to contain all the navies in Christendom.
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