Mont-Cervin Friday 26th 1904 Dearest Mother. This is the place which my compatriots are considerably puzzled to pronounce. Breuil, it stands on the maps; most English people adopt the handy expedient of calling it Brill, to rhyme to grill; but those who are more exact, I might almost say pedantic, speak of it as Broil. Whatever it may be called it is perfectly lovely. It lies just under the southern rock wall of the Matterhorn - Monte Cervino we ought to say on this side of the Alps. At the head of the narrow valley, just under the steep pastures that lead up to the Matterhorn rocks, stands the hotel and a few chalets - there is no more of Breuil for all its complicated name. A hot Italian sun streams onto the southern terrace of the hotel, on which innocent Italian families are playing at bowls. The rocks above are thick with snow however and a bitter north wind comes round the shoulder of the Matterhorn to remind me how extremely wise I have been to have come down into Italy for a day or two till the high mountains have recovered their temper. We left Zermatt at 7 this morning and got down here at 2.30, crossing over the Théodule Pass. It was a vision of beauty, very clear and cold and the mountains covered with new snow right down to the woods. They are not good to climb on, but they are wonderful to look at. One should always go up onto a high pass after bad weather; it's the finest thing in the world. We waded through new snow most of the time and it was bitter cold, but we went fast and I enjoyed it thoroughly. There is a great excitement about crossing the mountains into Italy and I am looking forward to my 5 hours' walk down the exquisite Val Tournanche tomorrow. I am received with the greatest empressement in this hotel, because I have mentioned M. De Filippi's name and said they are friends of mine. He told me I should find it useful here. Dear! I'm so glad I am among all these nice foreigners instead of sitting with the English people at Zermatt! Gerard Collier left yesterday, sadly; poor dear, for we had hoped to do the Matterhorn together. It was a great success having him. He is a most agreeable mountain companion for he is so appreciative and so genuine a mountain lover. I was very glad to have him too, in those dull days of bad weather, for we went walking every afternoon high up into the mountains and he has a passion, as I have, for the sub-alpine country. I walked with him a couple of hours down the valley yesterday and we lunched together at Randa, where he caught his train, while I walked home.
- Now they have organised a whole fresh party of bowls. They seem to pay very little attention to the Matterhorn. Ever your affectionate daughter Gertrude