Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Tour to Waterloo and Paris

Summer is a good time to think of light topics such as travel. With that in mind, Sir Walter Scott embarked on a trip to the continent on July 27, 1815.  The trip is described in his cousin and traveling companion John Scott's "Journal of a Tour to Waterloo and Paris, in company with Sir Walter Scott".

'Shortly after the surrender of Paris to the Allies in 1815, I was informed that Sir Walter Scott proposed, in company with Mr. Alexander Pringle the younger, of Whythank, and Mr. Robert Bruce, advocate, to visit Belgium and France during summer; and having had the good fortune to be admitted as a party in this interesting excursion, I set out with them to Newcastle on the 27th of July.


No communication had been established between Holland and the northern part of the British coast since the conclusion of hostilities ; we therefore determined to make for Kingstonon-Hull, as being the nearest seaport where we could hope to meet with a packet bound for the Continent.


Our first halt was at Lauder, where we breakfasted ; and I remember Sir Walter entering the inn with a quotation, which he was fond of repeating on such occasions,


" Their breakfast so warm to be sure they did eat,
A custom in travellers mighty discreet." ...'

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.