FLORENCE SIX MONTHS AFTER THE FLOOD

S U N D A Y,  7  M A Y

Queerest weather. 

After lunch I stuffed Polnareff with old stockings. He looks FAB, except one leg's longer than the other!

At tea Mummy said she felt terribly depressed,  so while she was gardening I tidied all up downstairs; it was getting on my nerves anyway.

At supper Daddy suddenly said, "what did you think of Dutronc, in Austria?" !!! It was lovely talking about him again. I said I thought he was quite nice, which is all I do think really. He didn't strike me as being the most outstanding person. I asked Pa why he thinks he's a bit weedy and he said he didn't seem to have deep thoughts about anything - "he wasn't the sort of person to overpower the world." I now hope Dutronc doesn't come in the summer - it wouldn't be easy knowing Daddy didn't think much of him. On the other hand, I'd adore to see him again. Then Pa said, "poor boy, he must have been so disappointed when you didn't go out with him!" I wonder if he was? I WISH I knew. 

Asked Chump what she thought of Dutronc and she thinks he's terribly nice. She thinks Peter-Jan was gruesome compared. Peter-Jan thought he was so marvellous, but Dutronc was rather shy. I must say, it was lovely the way he came into breakfast each day, so tall with his head slightly down.

Then we all saw this marvellous French programme on Rembrandt, I never knew his sketches and paintings were so wonderful, they did it beautifully. Then saw a programme on Florence six months after the flood. I think they're getting on better than they expected but the work they still have to do makes you wonder if it's all worth it. They got £31,000 from England and £41,000 from USA.

“The Great Flood of Florence”

The flood of 4 November 1966 was one of Italy’s greatest ever disasters. Over 100 people died, and 20,000 were made homeless. Countless rare books, manuscripts and works of art were damaged or destroyed. If it weren’t for an international army of young volunteers - the ‘Angels of Mud’ - and an astonishing outpouring of international aid, the outcome would have been far worse.

Florence 50 Years On - The Guardian