Hi all,
First of all - happy 60th birthday to my amazing Mum/Eliza's amazing Nana!! We've had a great day celebrating her.
This morning, Dad dropped the hire car back and then we all caught a taxi to the Robert Louis Stevenson House. RLS was a Scottish author born in 1850, and you’ve likely heard of his most famous works ‘Treasure Island’ and ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’. He wrote 20 novels whilst living in Scotland, and 13 more once he moved to Samoa. He arrived here in 1889 with his wife Fanny and her daughter Isabelle from a previous marriage, as they had decided to move somewhere with a warmer climate to help his health as he had tuberculosis.
The house itself was built between 1890 and 1892, and unfortunately for RLS he only got to enjoy it for two years before he died from a brain aneurysm in 1894. Before he died, he requested he be laid to rest at the top of the nearby hill, which was ascended by trekking through the jungle. He still rests there today alongside Fanny, who despite returning to America after RLS’ death, later requested to be cremated when she died in 1950 and was laid to rest atop the hill with him.
We luckily arrived right as a guided tour was beginning, so we joined and were taken around the eight rooms of the house by a knowledgeable guide. She had a lovely speaking voice and singing voice (she sang a poem later in the tour) which Eliza really liked listening to.
The house was designed by an architect from Queensland, so had nice wide verandahs on both levels which back in the day boasted lovely views of the harbour, but these views are now blocked due to the trees growing so high. The surrounding gardens and grass were nice and lush though, and King Charles and the CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) visitors last year came and planted some special flowers etc in a section of it.
In the house we saw lots of RLS’ books, a fireplace that was the first in Samoa and the South Pacific (and was never used but rather was a reminder of Scotland) and various bedrooms that RLS, Fanny Isabelle, RLS’ mother Margaret and later Isabelle’s son Austin slept, as well as a great hall downstairs that contained an original safe from the time, that 50 men carried up from the harbour as it was so heavy. There was a really nice painting of RLS in here too which Eliza enjoyed looking at.
After RLS died, Fanny sold the house to a German trader. Over the years it was under German, New Zealand and Samoan control for various colonial administrators. In 1962 when Samoa became independent, it was the residence of the first head of state. It fell into disrepair over the coming decades as the government couldn’t afford its upkeep, and in 1990 and 1991 was damaged by cyclones. Two American missionaries from the Church of Latter Day Saints secured a lease of the property and fundraised internationally for its restoration, with it then opening as a museum in 1994. They visited twice a year until they died in 2020 and 2021. One day though the lease will expire, and then it will likely fall into disrepair again if the government take control. At the moment, people can hire it for events and apparently there was a wedding yesterday. It would’ve been very wet!!
Once we finished our tour, Eliza had a sleep in her stroller. Mum and Dad had a look at a garden trail, a waterfall and a butterfly exhibit and then swapped with Rob and I so we could look. On another type of holiday pre Eliza I probably would’ve wanted to hike to the tomb, but it’s not the priority now.
We caught another taxi and went to Aggie Grey’s, today owned by Sheraton. Here we had a drink under a restored traditional fale roof and enjoyed chilling out. This establishment was started by Samoan woman Agnes Swann who was born in 1897. She opened the hotel in 1933 and over the coming decades it became popular with locals, and with American servicemen during the war. It combined traditional Samoan hospitality with contemporary luxuries. It had a bit of a Raffles in Singapore vibe, and we enjoyed our time here. We walked around the corner and enjoyed another ice cream at Scoops before getting a taxi back to the hotel. Here, Mum and I watched half of Pies v Freo whilst Eliza slept, Dad swam and Rob went to the gym. Then we tried to have a swim but it rained a lot, so we had a coffee and a drink instead.
Tonight we had another included dinner, then Eliza had a nap before the Fia Fia show at the hotel. It’s funny how much your priorities change once you have a child. The show started and involved really loud drums and music. I immediately removed me and Eliza as it was way too loud for me let alone her. Rob, Dad and I then swapped a few times so she’d be up the back and we could see parts of it. There was lots of dancing etc. In my pre Eliza life I would’ve been front and centre not a care in the world. Now I don’t care what I miss so long as she’s ok. In one part of the show they asked for people with birthdays, Mum hung very low as she hates that type of thing. Then they were picking people for a dance and tried to get me on stage and I flat out refused - I hate that kind of thing too!!! There was fire twirling at the end which Eliza would have loved, but the drums returned so Rob and I sat behind the windows and saw it in bits.
Love to all
Claire
Xoxox
This morning, Dad dropped the hire car back and then we all caught a taxi to the Robert Louis Stevenson House. RLS was a Scottish author born in 1850, and you’ve likely heard of his most famous works ‘Treasure Island’ and ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’. He wrote 20 novels whilst living in Scotland, and 13 more once he moved to Samoa. He arrived here in 1889 with his wife Fanny and her daughter Isabelle from a previous marriage, as they had decided to move somewhere with a warmer climate to help his health as he had tuberculosis.
The house itself was built between 1890 and 1892, and unfortunately for RLS he only got to enjoy it for two years before he died from a brain aneurysm in 1894. Before he died, he requested he be laid to rest at the top of the nearby hill, which was ascended by trekking through the jungle. He still rests there today alongside Fanny, who despite returning to America after RLS’ death, later requested to be cremated when she died in 1950 and was laid to rest atop the hill with him.
We luckily arrived right as a guided tour was beginning, so we joined and were taken around the eight rooms of the house by a knowledgeable guide. She had a lovely speaking voice and singing voice (she sang a poem later in the tour) which Eliza really liked listening to.
The house was designed by an architect from Queensland, so had nice wide verandahs on both levels which back in the day boasted lovely views of the harbour, but these views are now blocked due to the trees growing so high. The surrounding gardens and grass were nice and lush though, and King Charles and the CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) visitors last year came and planted some special flowers etc in a section of it.
In the house we saw lots of RLS’ books, a fireplace that was the first in Samoa and the South Pacific (and was never used but rather was a reminder of Scotland) and various bedrooms that RLS, Fanny Isabelle, RLS’ mother Margaret and later Isabelle’s son Austin slept, as well as a great hall downstairs that contained an original safe from the time, that 50 men carried up from the harbour as it was so heavy. There was a really nice painting of RLS in here too which Eliza enjoyed looking at.
After RLS died, Fanny sold the house to a German trader. Over the years it was under German, New Zealand and Samoan control for various colonial administrators. In 1962 when Samoa became independent, it was the residence of the first head of state. It fell into disrepair over the coming decades as the government couldn’t afford its upkeep, and in 1990 and 1991 was damaged by cyclones. Two American missionaries from the Church of Latter Day Saints secured a lease of the property and fundraised internationally for its restoration, with it then opening as a museum in 1994. They visited twice a year until they died in 2020 and 2021. One day though the lease will expire, and then it will likely fall into disrepair again if the government take control. At the moment, people can hire it for events and apparently there was a wedding yesterday. It would’ve been very wet!!
Once we finished our tour, Eliza had a sleep in her stroller. Mum and Dad had a look at a garden trail, a waterfall and a butterfly exhibit and then swapped with Rob and I so we could look. On another type of holiday pre Eliza I probably would’ve wanted to hike to the tomb, but it’s not the priority now.
We caught another taxi and went to Aggie Grey’s, today owned by Sheraton. Here we had a drink under a restored traditional fale roof and enjoyed chilling out. This establishment was started by Samoan woman Agnes Swann who was born in 1897. She opened the hotel in 1933 and over the coming decades it became popular with locals, and with American servicemen during the war. It combined traditional Samoan hospitality with contemporary luxuries. It had a bit of a Raffles in Singapore vibe, and we enjoyed our time here. We walked around the corner and enjoyed another ice cream at Scoops before getting a taxi back to the hotel. Here, Mum and I watched half of Pies v Freo whilst Eliza slept, Dad swam and Rob went to the gym. Then we tried to have a swim but it rained a lot, so we had a coffee and a drink instead.
Tonight we had another included dinner, then Eliza had a nap before the Fia Fia show at the hotel. It’s funny how much your priorities change once you have a child. The show started and involved really loud drums and music. I immediately removed me and Eliza as it was way too loud for me let alone her. Rob, Dad and I then swapped a few times so she’d be up the back and we could see parts of it. There was lots of dancing etc. In my pre Eliza life I would’ve been front and centre not a care in the world. Now I don’t care what I miss so long as she’s ok. In one part of the show they asked for people with birthdays, Mum hung very low as she hates that type of thing. Then they were picking people for a dance and tried to get me on stage and I flat out refused - I hate that kind of thing too!!! There was fire twirling at the end which Eliza would have loved, but the drums returned so Rob and I sat behind the windows and saw it in bits.
Love to all
Claire
Xoxox
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