The writing on the wall

Hello! Noël hasn't just been given the two albums which were the subject of the two previous posts, but a wad of notes which Grandpa had been writing day after day as a diary (he calls them that) every day during their trip. These notes presumably served as a source for the two albums, which appear in retrospect to be much better penned and organized, but also they're more aloof, whereas the notes contain a much closer appreciation, of a much more direct and intimate nature. They are therefore more interesting in that they are closer to the events and perhaps meant only for the chronicler, who doesn't let himself go as freely concerning what he writes in the albums, even if the latter weren't of course destined to a very wide audience. Jo told me not very long ago that she, for one, had never set her eyes on them.

Now of course they aren't much more than a series of written pages, numbered from 36 to 100, and even if a few drawings occur here and there, it's mostly text. But, I thought, fascinating to read! They are really an insight into Grandpa's character, and they witness to his talent as a writer and his quick and complex personality. I've decided to select some pages for you (double click to enlarge)!

First the pages which concern the missed departure, the description of which is much more developed here, and contain some reflections on the events:

Then some thoughts on Kathleen and an article she was writing:

The next bit contains an amusing insight into Monsieur Père's relationships with Auntie Grandma:

The next page is his first day in Jerusalem:

In the next section, he speaks of some "tripe" he's writing (!) which refers to the suit described in the albums as a "tropical drill suit".

You'll note the remark: "ordinarily, I look, well, ordinary"!

Our last section for this post deals with Grandpa's dealing with the Temple merchants: