State Library of NSW
[Page 99]
If you would like to know more of Ibrahim he is to be found in Robert Hichens Novel Bella Donna only now he is 6 years older more handsome & admirable than you would imagine from the book. We choose to stay at Bella Donna House (once Robert Hichens) & our weary eyes are quite refreshed as soon as we enter the garden. No other garden that I can bring to my memory can quite compare with this one – I think of those at Mt Lofty – those in Sydney by the Harbour – Those in England – some most beautiful and better kept. Yet theres an inexplainable charm about this one that surpasses them all. The flowers are the same though the scent seems sweeter. The creepers climbed & twined in a way that pleased themselves. You glance to the right & theres the loveliest palm trees bordering this from the Dutchmans Castle next door. You walk around to the back & your facing the Nile look across & you see the Sandy desert & the Mountains of rock in the distance where the tombs of the Kings are. The air is perfectly delightful and we feel we are in a heaven on earth. Then it dawns on us that we are actually free for 4 days. The 1st freedom we have had since leaving Australia – No Hospital rules – No Matron to cast a Motherly eye. No Sister to impress one with Seniority. We are simply 8 Staff Nurses out to go our own sweet way. The house is spoken of in Bella Donna as the Villa Androud. The Dutchman's too is described there. We soon have a cup of tea & sight seeing commences straight away. We go for a walk by the river to see
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