Spiers: Memoranda of an autumn tour in 1836

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CONT AUG. 23. TUES.

with high hills on each side with surfaces of wood & rock & sloping cornfields occasionally patching their sides. Two or 3 villages occur before reaching the celebrated Bad Ems a town of hotels & lodging houses - situated on the finest part of this romantic glen. Here we were at once transported into the fashionable world. Gay parties promenading in every direction, donkeys laden with burdens of various weights from the light school girl to the corpulent dame. Their dresses scarcely vying in gaiety with the white & crimson saddles or the blouse & old caps of their little drivers. In the Cursaal we met our former companions Mr Woodgate & Mr Browne, who recommended us to ascend forthwith the steep little hill facing the valley. A band was playing gaily to the infinity of promenaders in the gardens & on the terraces in front of the river & its notes ascended to us long after we were out of sight of all below. It is a sweet walk up & around the hill & a terrace platform occurs every five minutes whence the view of the valley & of the gay scene below & of the little bridge of boats & the meandering stream & lastly as occurred before we bent our steps downward from the seventh platform, lights began to flitter below amidst the twilight, until the spangled illumination rendered darkness visible.

We had visited the shops & baths connected us to the Pump Room & purchased some books there - we now supped in the large saloon of our hotel, the Ducal Bathhouse also called the Kurhaus, a large rambling palace formerly the residence of the Dukes but now devoted to the more profitable occupancy of visitors. The cost of each chamber is affixed on the door, ours was on the second floor facing the garden of the Kursaal cost 2/- per night for the 2 beds and attendance.

The supper was charged moderately.

24 miles

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