In the Officers Club, in Napoli, on leave with Cliff. All very gay, many lights, music, wine & many people. Old Vesuvio is showing off & has performed astonishing feats of eruption, & is still doing so. I’ll write a full description apart from this, for the Geographical maybe. It’s an awesome sight. He is in full boil, no longer a gay plume of white smoke, but more of that anon.

                        I went up to join Cliff on Friday, an hours drive up the coast & stayed the night. Then we left at 8/15 + 2 nurses he was taking over to Sorrento for their leave at a nurses rest camp. The poor dears, all grey & red, were packed in the back with much luggage & off we set. We stopped in Cerignola & found Via Caio Grecco,44. It is a narrow backstreet like all the others. Every house’s occupants were there but the family Maffioni. Their door was closed. But all the neighbours gathered round & stared at us all & the Maffioni were sent for. At last Mama came, very anxious looking. They all have a 20-year-old dread of the Military & of officials. We went in & half the street followed, & stood around as audience. The donkey in the alcove at the back pricked his friendly ears right forward. The double bed was scrupulously neat and the room very clean & tidy. I took a deep breath and explained my mission. She stopped looking anxious & became very excited. I said that you, mia donna, knew Francesco, her son, & he was on a farm next to my home. He was well, happy, strong & had plenty to eat. He sent his love to his family & friends. I said your letter was sent on the Wednesday previous. They were so excited.   Then Papa, very clean & worthy came in & everyone told him the story. Out came the special wine & I was urged to stay. I asked for a message. They could only say they were very well, in fine health & loved him well. They pray for his quick return & were glad he was so happy & with the English. I’ll do that into Italian for you & you can say it to him. Their little white dog seemed well too. So did the donkey. A bag of nuts were given to me & blessings & with a send off from the whole street, all happy, we drove off towards the mountains.

                        Then there was snow & mist & cold but lovely scenary & when the snow stopped the sun shone on white peaks & it was terrific. Of course I thought of you, as always when I see anything beautiful, & the poor dear nurses had a see your baby’s snaps, which they admired. I asked them if he was just normal but – they said he was obviously super fit & well & in good condition.

                        As we neared the West Coast the ash of the eruption became apparant, & deeper until Salerno where it was six inches thick. Imagine snow, brown, fine in consistency, over everything. It’s just so like snow. It’s over the mountains, houses, vineyards, streets & roads. Everywhere this brown dust. At Salerno we were stopped. The road to Sorrento was closed. Rather than drive back to strike the Naples road we stayed at the Officers Transit camp, an hotel in the town & I read War & Peace. We  morning & arrived at Naples, sun lit, for lunch in the Officers Club, parked the nurses in the Y.W.C.A. & ourselves in the Club & here we are. They’ll get to Sorrento with friends now & we’ll stay here, seeing La Boehme & Madame Butterfly & some films, & exploring the coast & visiting Gragnano. But old Vesuvio has deluged that part of the coast with ash & thick smoke, so I don’t know if we can get. It’s worthwhile being here while he’s performing. It’s the biggest do since 1872. A rare upset. It has to be seen to be believed. Very ignious ! To the Geologically minded it’s a rare treat. I’ll get all the impressions I can for you.

                        The opera will be superb, if we can get in. As always, it’ll be a precursor to taking you. I’ll have you with me in my imagination & my pain of pleasure at the music will be because of you & your appreciation & our love. All things lovely seem to me to be an interpretation of our love. It is the cause of all lovely things to me, & the reason of them & the wonder to which all other emotion is a tribute. You’ll come with me to these places & Naples is lovely, it has a magic of its own. You shall see it.

                        This is a little letter, and intermediate letter. I have to write, my days are incomplete otherwise: I’ll write again tomorrow & report progress. Cliffs gay & a splendid companion. He sends his love. I send my love & to my son Richard. Oh, please do thank Mother Ann for the Italian textbook. It’s splendid.