We met on alighting at the door of a large spacious inn, two ladies who had very much the appearance of the two damsels at the inn where Don Quixote alighted and received his order of knighthood; but, in spite of their amorous glances and a decided leer of invitation, I had like Sacripante's steed more need of "_riposo e d'esca che di nuova giostra_." The usual Italian supper was put before us, and very good it was, viz., _Imprimis: A minestra_ (soup), generally made of beef or veal with vermicelli or macaroni in it and its never failing accompaniment in Italy, grated Parmesan cheese. Then a _lesso_ (bouilli) of beef, veal or mutton, or all three; next an _umido_ (fricassée) of cocks' combs and livers, a favourite Italian dish; then a _frittura_ of chickens' livers, fish or vegetables fried. Then an _umido_ or ragout of veal, fish with sauce; and lastly, an arrosto (roast) of fowls, veal, game, or all three. The _arrosto_ is generally very dry and done to cinders almost. Vegetables are served up With the _umidi_, but plain boiled, leaving it optional to you to use melted butter or oil with them. A salad is a constant concomitant of the _arrosto_. A desert or fruit concludes the repast. Wine is drank at discretion. The wine of Lombardy is light and not ill flavored; it is far weaker than any wine I know of, but it has an excellent quality, that of facilitating digestion. A cup of strong coffee is generally made for you in the morning, for which you pay three or four _soldi_ (sous), and in giving five or six _soldi_ to the waiter, all your expenses are paid supposing you are _spesato_, i.e., that the _vetturino_ pays for your supper and bed; if not, your charges are left to the conscience of the aubergiste, which in Italy is in general of prodigious width. I therefore advise every traveller who goes with a _vetturino_ to be a spesato, otherwise he will have to pay four or five times as much and not be a whit better regaled. The _vetturini_ generally pay from three to three and a half francs for the supper and bed of their passengers. As the _vetturini_ invariably make a halt of an hour and half or two hours at mid-day in some town or village, this halt enables you to take your _déjeuner à la fourchette_, which you pay for yourself, unless you stipulate for the payment of that also with the _vetturino_ by paying something more, say one a half franc per diem for that. In this part, and indeed in the whole of the north of Italy not a female servant is to be seen at the inns and men make the beds. It is otherwise, I understand, in Tuscany.