Week of 4 October 1925

Sunday, 4 October 1925

London - Paris

Left London Victoria Station at 11 am. Polly, Pippa, Enid Stoker and I were seen off by Gran, Mabel, Lil and Roddy, Reg Bruce and Aline. Calais to Paris. I saw several places where I had been billeted before and after Somme battle in 1916 near Amiens from the train. All luggage arrived with minor breakages only. Arrived Victoria Palace Hotel, rue Blaise Desgoffe, off the Rue de Rennes after 7 pm. Rooms reserved for us - good with eau courante. Enid a room in the front; Polly and I and Pippa rooms at the back. Very quiet.

Dined in hotel - good dinner - went for a walk after dinner - to bed early;

This is the first day of winter time.

Monday, 5 October

Victoria Palace Hotel, Paris

All had petit déjeuner in their room except me. Pippa and Enid went to Bellevue to see Mlle Duvenot and lunched there. Polly and I went first to Cook and Sons in Rue Royale and booked seats in train 8.20 for Lausanne on Thursday night. - Changed some money - Visited the Madeleine, lunched at a restaurant in Place de Madeleine - Walked about along Rue de Rivoli and sat in Tuileries Gardens - Took a taxi to Longchamp, Auteuil and round to Notre-Dame which we entered. Tram back to hotel. Had chocolat etc. with Enid, Pippa and Mlle Duvenot at a patisserie. Back to hotel to rest.

Dined Café des Trianons opposite the Montparnasse Station. Very good dinner. Went to a small cinema - Saw The Kid which was very good but the cinema poor.

Exchange 103 francs to the £

Tuesday, 6 October

I went out early and changed some notes - Walked to the Louvre and met Polly, Pippa and Enid there - We lunched at the Brasserie Universelle, 31 avenue de l'Opéra. Then Enid went back to hotel and Polly, Pippa and I walked along Rue de Rivoli etc. looking into shops - We then went in the steamer Belle Jardinière up the river as far as they run and back to Hôtel de Ville - Then walked to Dragenan?, Rue St Honoré for chocolat and brioches - Taxied back to hotel to rest. Enid meanwhile had taken out Virginia Baggett for shopping and a drive.

Dined at hotel - Very noisy and hot - Went to the Exposition held on both banks of the Seine and the Alexander III Bridge.

Wednesday, 7 October

I went early to cash a letter of credit and change money at Cook's opposite the Madeleine. All four went to see Sainte Chapelle - Then to lunch at the Fancours? Restaurant, Place de la Madeleine. Then shopping Rue Royale and Rue de Rivoli. Then train from Gare des Invalides to Versailles and walked about the grounds - tea at Versailles - Back to Paris same route by train and packed our suitcases.

Dined at the Trianon again, excellent dinner. Paid up hotel bill and went for a walk before turning in.

Thursday, 8 October

Paris - Lausanne

Called at 6.15. Left the Gare de Lyon by 8.10 am train. We had reserved seats for four but we kept the whole compartment to ourselves all the way to Lausanne. Déjeuner in restaurant car 11.30, quite a good meal. Delightful journey - coffee at Vallorbe, rather hurried - Arrived Lausanne 6.28 pm and drove to Pension Belmont, 6 Avenue Jurigoz. Polly and I in two bedded room looking over lake, with bathroom - Enid in a small room but is to have a larger one tomorrow. Pippa to put up in a room at a girls' school , La Rosiaire, opposite.

Polly called up both schools on telephone at spoke to Nancy at Brillantmont and Betty at La Bourdonnière.

After taking Pippa over to her school, Polly and I went for a short walk at La Bourdonnière.

Friday, 9 October

Pension Belmont, Lausanne

Misty - could not see across the lake. Polly has caught a cold. We went to La Bourdonnière at 11 am and saw Betty who is looking just the same and very well. Saw Mlle Matti, the Principal, and looked at Bet's bedroom. After this we went back to lunch and then went to see Nancy and Wilma at Brillantmont. Saw first of all Mlle Herbis who gave us an excellent account of "the tods". Nancy then was sent for - looking very well and more animated and seems to have grown, and Wilma - Looked at the room which they share.

Arrangements made for tomorrow. We then visited Perrin and Cie to get our registered luggage forms , and then looked in at Cook's as to journey to Italy. Hot chocolat at a patisserie. Polly then went to bed. Pippa and I walked down to Ouchy and back. I changed 6£ into Swiss money.

Saturday, 10 October

We fetched Betty from La Bourdonnière at 9 am and the tods arrived about 10 am from their school. Then I went off with all four of the children and we had some chocolat and pastry in the Rue du Bourg and went to some shops - Nancy went suddenly giddy and faint, so we came back and Nancy lay on Enid's bed and remained there till Enid took her and Wilma back in the evening to Brillantmont. Polly very full of cold and seedy.

In afternoon Polly took Wilma out for a bit - Betty and I went for a long walk. Pippa and Enid took a long walk.

Sunday, 13 March

Polly and I went to Brillantmont and found Nancy much better and up with no temperature, so we brought her and Wilma down to the Pension.

After lunch Polly lay down, and the rest of us went down to Ouchy and went for a row in a boat. Bet remained to dinner but I took the tods back to Brillantmont in a taxi.