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letterhead - GRAND HOTEL BELLE-VUE BAVENO Lac Majeur

Baveno, June 10, 1867

My Dear Friends, Your kind letter of May 8, reached me 2 days ago, having been forwarded from Paris. We are now visiting the lakes of Northern Italy, lying partly in Italy and partly in Switzerland. We came to Lake Como a week today, where we remained till Friday, then came to Lake Lugano, & Saturday afternoon here. In a day or two we expect to start on our journey across the unknown, on the way to Geneva. My health continues to improve, and is now quite good. I am sorry to say that Mr. Thompson, though better than when he left home, is not yet well. By advice of his physician he left us a week ago, & went to the sulphur baths at Aix in Savoy, where he will remain some weeks. The rest of our party are well. We have a unknown, a native of Rome, who speaks several languages, and is a very pleasant and capable man, so we get along quite well. We have had but one letter from Mr. T. written soon after he reached Aix. Since I wrote you before we spent another week in Rome, and visited Naples, Pompeii, Mt. Vesuvius, Florence, Venice, Milan, and other places of less note. Easter Sunday was a great time with the Catholics at Rome.

written up the side of the page: I forgot that I have none? of them envelopes, but I send you an old one that you can copy.

written at the top of the page: I enclose an envelope such as Elizabeth was in writing to me. Put your letter in a sealed envelope directed to me & send a copy of this inside the one I send you. Then it will reach me whereever I may be. Hope you will write soon. I remember unknown to unknown & family, & all my friends. J.J.B.