Schumann’s Swiss Journey in 1829

[Sunday, 6^th September – intermittently cloudy sky – very expensive in Andermatt – walking to the Uri Hole [rock tunnel] (1) – leaving me cold – the Devil’s Bridge (2) and the froth of the waves – too wild – parting from Kersten, Scheuermann, Graffenried, Hermann – trembling farewell of the merchant – walking back to Andermatt, lonely – alone again – real melancholy – hike – hospice – goodbye, beautiful Germany – nearly cried – the Gotthard axis – sun, storm, rain, clouds – getting darker and darker – the good-natured Italian and may first attempts at Italian, rather successful – rain – drifting clouds – dampening fog - dreadful path

– finally arriving at the Ospizio [San Gottardo] [St Gotthard Hospice] (3) – Italian farmhouse parlour – red caps and bandit faces – card games and loud noise – Datemi un poco di vino [Give me a little wine], produced quite decently – bad Italian wine – dreadful cold – warming myself at the stove – feverish trembling – the Baden piano with the music box – deciding to leave – impenetrable fog – terrible feeling looking down at the befogged grounds – as if I were alone in the world – indescribable – the cascading waterfalls of the [River] Ticino – so far so good – no. 14 going wrong [?] – wolf – pain – cigars – after climbing for hours, green patches and trees – views of the Airolo Valley and the silvery [River] Ticino – terrible pain – Airolo (4) – seeing Mr Camassi – changing clothes – hardly able to walk and sit – bad strains all over – nothing and nothing again – properly cleaning myself – Alfieri – then making full use of the broad bed]