September 24 Tuesday – The Clemens party left Milan and traveled north to Bellagio on Lake Como. They stayed at the Grand Bretagne Hotel.
Sam’s notebook:
“Rainy, sour, cold, dreary. Removed a screen in our room & discovered a regular fire-place—for wood. Right away we had the first wood fire we had seen since we left our own house. This made the day cheery”.
Sam enjoyed some valipolicella wine; he observed blind musicians at Bellagio with a little Russian girl passing the plate.
Bædeker Northern Italy (1877): Route 21 From Milan to Lecco or Como. page 134
Route 22 Lake of Como page 137