Frederic Chopin: His Life, Letters, and Works, v. 1 (of 2)Karasowski, Maurycy
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Frederic Chopin: His Life, Letters, and Works, v. 1 (of 2)
Karasowski, Maurycy
Chopin, Frédéric, 1810-1849
We arrived here yesterday well and in good spirits, and I may say
without fatigue, and so without discomfort. We took a private
carriage at Cracow, in which we were very comfortable. We were able
to enjoy to perfection the picturesque scenery of Galicia, Upper
Silesia, and Moravia, for the clouds had been amiable enough to lay
the dust with a slight shower.
But before I speak of Vienna I must tell you about our journey to
Ojcow. On Sunday afternoon we hired a four-horse country waggon,
such as they use at Cracow, which cost us four thalers. We dashed
merrily and swiftly along to Ojcow, intending to put up at Herr
Indykʼs house, which all tourists praise, and where Fräulein
Tanska[25] stayed. But, as ill-luck would have it, Herr Indyk lived
a full mile outside the town; our coachman did not know the way,
and drove us into a little brook, as clear and silvery as those
in the fairy tales. Right and left were walls of rock, and we did
not find our way out of the labyrinth till nearly 9 oʼclock, when
two passing peasants good naturedly conducted us to Herr Indykʼs.
Wearied and wet through, we at length reached the wished for house,
and were very kindly received. Although not expecting visitors
at so late an hour, Herr Indyk made no trouble about giving us a
room in the little house, built on purpose for tourists. Sister
Isabella[26] Fräulein Tanska had been in it only a little while
before.
My companions changed their clothes and gathered round the stove,
in which our host had, meanwhile, lighted a fire. Wet above the
knees, I crouched in a corner, considering what I had best do.
Seeing the mistress go into the next room for linen for our beds,
I instinctively followed her, and finding on the table a pile of
woollen Cracow caps (they are double woven), I bought one, tore it
in half, wrapped my [Sidenote: CHARMED WITH CRACOW.] feet in it,
sat before the fire and drank a small glass of red wine. I thus
escaped a severe cold. We laughed and talked a little while over
our adventure, then went to bed and slept soundly.
Frederic, who had a sharp eye and a keen ear for all around him, goes
on to describe the neighbourhood of Ojcow, the strangely-formed sand
rocks, the black grotto, and the Kingʼs grotto, in which tradition
says, that King Lokietek[27] took refuge from his enemies, at the end
of the 13th century. Frederic was very enthusiastic over everything
he saw, but Cracow and the neighbourhood appear to have had a special
charm for him. He gives an account, also, of the Vienna picture
gallery, to which he had at first only paid a flying visit. We give,
unabridged, the following letters to his family:—
_Vienna, August 8th, 1829._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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