Abstract: Based on his passport stamps, what he wrote in his letters about his trips, diary entries and additional information provided by biographers, I have determined that Robert Graves travelled abroad seventy-eight times since his return to Mallorca in 1946. A full list of all these trips is provided.

Keywords: Robert Graves, Lecture Tours, Professor of Poetry

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Robert Graves had four passports issued since 1946, which are all extant. The passports contain stamps showing most of the exits from and entries into Spain, where he lived, as well as the other counties he visited as a foreigner. In his extensive correspondence to family, friends, etc. there are numerous references to his trips, with dates, itineraries, people he travelled with, purpose of trip, etc. He also kept a diary between 1956 and 1966 where detailed information about various aspects of his trip is recorded. By examining all of the these and filling-in some of the gaps with information provided by his biographers I have been able to establish that Robert travelled on seventy-eight occasions outside Spain since his return to Deià in 1946.

Generally, in the early days, he travelled with all members of his family and were mostly by sea-ferry and over land. Then, as the years passed and air-travel became more accessible and Robert’s children grew up, eventually all trips were by air, either on his own, or accompanied his wife, Beryl. Information about earlier trips is plentiful but towards the later part of Robert’s life when he wrote very few letters and border authorities were more relaxed about stamping passports, information about the trips is much sketchier.

Below is a list of each and every one of these seventy-eight trips with a brief description of the trip and the passport stamps related to the trip.

Robert’s first passport after WWII was issued in London on 26 March 1946. Once Robert got the necessary visas for Spain and France, he was able to return to Mallorca with Beryl and their three young children. They arrived in Deia on 18 May 1946.

Explanatory Note

The heading for each trip contains the date, were known, of departure from and return to Mallorca and the family members accompanying Robert for all, or most of the trip; (B=Beryl, W=William, L=Lucia, J=Juan and T=Tomas). The key passport stamp information includes the page number, in square brackets, on which they are found.

Trip 1: 10 July–5 August 1947 (B, W, L, J). To Ariege, in French Pyrenees, invited by Ricardo Sicre to stay at his parent’s farmhouse.[1] During his stay there, Robert got bitten on his heel by a viper while going for a walk.[2]

● 12 July–Exit–Puigcerdà (Spain) [p. 14] | 13 July–Entry–Bourg-Madame (France) [p. 14] | 4 August–Exit–Bourg-Madame (France) [p. 14] | 5 August–Entry–Puigcerdà (Spain) [p. 12].

Trip 2: 28 June–3 August 1948 (B, W, L, J) ✈. First annual summer family trip to England, flying from Barcelona via Madrid (where they stayed overnight) and then Paris. The last week of the holiday was spent at Oulton Broad in Suffolk.[3]

● 30 June–Exit–Madrid/Barajas [p. 18] | 30 June–Entry–Paris/Le Bourget [p. 10] | 2 August–Entry–Madrid/Barajas [p. 22].

Trip 3: 20 June–12 August 1949 (B, W, L, J). Second annual family trip to England, flying from Palma to Marseille and rest of trip over land. First, they did a detour to Portofino, Italy, to spend 10 days with Robert’s daughter Jenny Nicholson and her husband Alex Clifford; they owned a small castle there. The last week of the holiday was spent at Kneesworth Hall in Northamptonshire.[4]

● 20 June–Exit–Palma/Son Bonet [p. 24] | 21 June–Entry–Ponte S. Luigi (Italy) [0] | 1 July–Exit–Bardonecchia (Italy) [p. 30] | 1 July–Entry–Modane (France) [p. 11] | 4 July–Exit–Calais (France) [p. 17] | 10 August–Entry–Boulogne (France) [p. 15] | 11 August–Exit–Cerbère (France) [p. 25] | 11 August–Entry–Port Bou (Spain) [p. 26].

Trip 4: 21 June–12 August 1950 (B, W, L, J). Third annual family trip to England, with another detour to Portofino, where Robert met writer Selwyn Jepson who went on to become a lifelong and trusted friend.[5] In England they went down to Devon to stay with Robert’s sister Rosaleen. Upon returning to Spain, they spent a few days with Ricardo and Betty Sicre in Sitges before taking boat back to Mallorca. [6]

● 21 June–Exit–Palma–Port [p. 27] | 22 June–Entry–Marseille (France) [p. 26] | 22 June–Entry–Ventemiglia (Italy) [p. 31] | 4 July–Exit–Bardonecchia (Italy) [p. 30] | 4 July–Entry–Modane (France) [p. 19] | 5 July–Exit–Paris/Gare de Nord [p. 16] | 3 August–Entry–Boulogne (France) [p. 26] | 4 August–Entry–Port Bou (Spain) [p. 29].

New passport issued at the British Consulate in Madrid on May 17, 1956.

Trip 5: 16–24 June 1951 (B). To Portofino, without the children to see Jenny and her husband who was terminally ill.[7]

● 16 June–Exit–Barcelona/El Prat [p. 7] | 17 June–Exit–Pont Saint Louis (France) [p. 8] | 17 June–Entry–Ventimiglia (Italy) [p. 29] | 23 June–Exit–Ponte S. Luigi (Italy) [p. 30] | 23 June–Entry–Pont Saint Louis (France) [p. 8] | 24 June–Exit–Nice Airport (France) [p. 8] | 24 June–Entry–Barcelona/El Prat [p. 6].

Trip 6: 2 July–10 August 1951 (B, W, L, J). Fourth annual family summer trip to England where they rented a flat in London and also spend a week, as in the previous year, down in Devon with Robert’s sister.[8]

● 3 July–Exit–Port Bou (Spain) [p. 8] | 3 July–Entry–Cerbère (France) [p. 9] | 4 July–Exit–Paris/Gare de Nord [p. 9] | 8 August–Entry–Paris/Gare de Nord [p. 9] | 9 August–Exit–Cerbère (France) [p. 9] | 9 August–Entry–Port Bou (Spain) [p. 9].

Trip 7: 10 July–7 August 1952 (B, W, L, J). Fifth and last annual family summer trip to England.

● 10 July–Exit–Puigcerdà (Spain) [p. 11] | 10 July–Entry–La Tour de Carol (France) [p. 11] | 11 July–Exit–Paris/Gare de Nord [p. 8] | 5 August–Entry–Paris/Gare de Nord [p. 11] | 7 August–Exit–Cerbère (France) [p. 11] | 7 August–Entry–Port Bou (Spain) [p. 11].

Trip 8: 3–16 July 1953 (B) ✈. To London with Beryl without any of their children; even Tomás, who was just five months old.[9]

● 3 July–Exit–Palma/Son Bonet [p. 12] | 16 July–Entry–Palma/Son Bonet [p. 12].

Trip 9: 7 October–4 November 1954 (B, L, J) ✈. To England to deliver the Clarke Lectures at Cambridge University.[10] Robert went to see how William was settling-in at Oundle School. There he bumped into Siegfried Sassoon, whose son was also at Oundle.[11] Tomás, now eighteen months, stayed in Deià.

● 7 October–Exit–Palma/Son Bonet [p. 14] | 4 November–Entry–Palma/Son Bonet [p. 14]

Trip 10: 16 September–8 October 1955 (B, W, L, J, T). To England. Robert, Lucia and Tomás flew to London. Beryl, William and Juan had set off a couple of days in their new Land-Rover.[12]

● 16 September–Exit–Palma/Son Bonet [p. 14] | 6 October–Entry–Dieppe (France) [p. 16] | 8 October–Exit–Cerbère (France) [p. 14] | 8 October–Entry–Port Bou (Spain) [p. 15].

Trip 11: 19 April–15 May 1956 (B, W). To London with the Land Rover with William, who was returning to school after the Easter break. Lucia and Tomás stayed in Deià and Juan was sent to Madrid with Ricardo Sicre’s family. [13]

● 20 April–Exit–Port Bou (Spain) [p. 16] | 20 April–Entry–Cerbère (France) [p. 16] | 27 April–Exit–Dieppe (France) [p. 16] | 11 May–Entry–Calais (France) [p. 17] | 14 May–Exit–Bourg-Madame (France) [p. 17] | 14 May–Entry–Puigcerdà (Spain) [p. 17].

Trip 12: 9–17 November 1956 (B) ✈. To Grasse, France, to spend a week with Beryl’s sister Evelyn and her husband Jack Neep which included a day-trip to Montecarlo.[14] On their way back the missed their return flight to Palma from Marseille due to a mis-interpretation of the flight time on their ticket; they took a train to Barcelona and then flew to Mallorca.

● 9 November–Exit–Palma/Son Bonet [p. 17] | 9 November–Entry–Marseille (France) [p. 13] | 17 November–Exit–Cerbère (France) [p. 16] | 17 November–Entry–Port Bou (Spain) [p. 17].

Trip 13: 3–17 February 1957 ✈. To the United States, for the first time since 1939, for his first lecture and poetry reading tour.[15] He was met at the airport by Alistair Reid who had made all then arrangements. which included lectures and readings at Mt Holyoke, Yale, MIT and Library of Congress. He also flew down to Maryland to meet and spend the night with Ricardo Sicre’s parents-in-law. Robert’s return flight carried the coffin of the famous Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini, disguised as a buffet table.[16]

● 3 February–Exit–Madrid/Barajas [p. 18] | 4 February–Entry–New York/Idlewild [p. 19] | 17 February–Entry–Barcelona/El Prat [p. 18].

Trip 14: 26 April–28 May 1957 (B, W, L, J, T). To England by Land Rover.[17] In Barcelona they picked up Nena Mulet, a friend of Lucia, who would accompany them to London. On their return they used the Silver City to air-ferry the Land Rover across the Channel back to France and then drove to Geneva. In Geneva Robert got Lucia and Juan admitted to the International School, starting the following September.

● 27 April–Exit–Port Bou (Spain) [p. 21] | 1 May–Exit–Dieppe (France) [p. 20] | 21 May–Entry–Le Touquet (France) [p. 20] | 26 May–Exit–Perthes (France) [p. 20] | 26 May–Entry–La Junquera (Spain) [p. 21].

Trip 15: 13–27 September 1957 (T) ✈. To Geneva to see how Lucia and Juan were settling in at their new school. [18] Beryl had taken both children ahead of Robert for the start of term.

● 13 September–Exit–Palma/Son Bonet [p. 22] | 13 September–Entry–Geneva Airport [p. 9] | 27 September–Entry–Palma/Son Bonet [p. 20].

Trip 16: 21 December 1957–14 January 1958 (B, W, L, J, T) ✈. This would be the only Christmas Robert spent away from Mallorca since his return in 1946.[19] William took a train down from England and Lucia and Juan from Geneva. Robert, Beryl and Tomas flew to Rome where they all convened to spend Christmas with Jenny Nicholson and her second husband, Patrick Cross. In the new year Robert, Beryl and William travelled by train to Ljubljana, Slovenia (then Yugoslavia), for a few days and then met up with the rest of the family in Lech, Austria, for a skiing holiday.

● 21 December–Exit–Barcelona/El Prat [p. 21] | 21 December–Entry–Rome Airport [p. 30] | 3 January–Exit–Poggioreale del Carso (Italy) [p. 9] | 3 January–Entry–Sežana, Slovenia (then Yugoslavia) [p. 23] | 6 January–Exit–Jesenice, Slovenia (then Yugoslavia) [p. 23] | 12 January–Entry–Buchs–Switzerland [p. 22] | 14 January–Entry–Barcelona/El Prat [p. 21].

Trip 17: 31 January–23 February 1958 ✈. To US for second lecture tour which included New York, Washington, Boston, Michigan, Missouri, Chicago, Austin.[20] In Texas he spent some time with Jake Hannon, an independent oil producer, friend of Ricardo Sicre. Returned via Paris.

● 31 January–Exit–Madrid/Barajas [p. 20] | 1 February–Entry–New York/Idlewild [p. 25] | 23 February–Entry–Palma/Son Bonet [p. 25].

Trip 18: 28 October–5 November 1958 (B, T). To Geneva by train to see Lucia and Juan for school half term.[21]

● 28 October–Exit–Port Bou (Spain) [p. 26] | 29 October–Entry–Geneva Railway Station [p. 23] | 5 November–Exit–Cerbère (France) [p. 25] | 5 November–Entry–Port Bou (Spain) [p. 27].

Trip 19: 9 January–4 February 1959 (B.T). To Israel invited by Israeli Government.[22] They sailed from Marseille, stopping the following day at Naples were the ship’s captain treated them to a visit of Pompeii. Three days later they arrived at the port of Haifa. In Israel they had a packed program of visits and met Prime Minister Ben Gurion, with whom Robert had a one-hour early morning walk.

● 9 January–Exit–Port Bou (Spain) [p. 26] | 11 January–Exit–Marseille (France) [p. 28] | 15 January–Entry–Haifa (Israel) [p. 29] | 31 January–Entry–Genoa (Italy) [p. 13] | 4 February, 4–Exit–Rome Airport [p. 22] | 4 February–Entry–Barcelona/El Prat [p. 26].

Trip 20: 20 April–9 May 1959 (B, T). To London for BBC interviews and gramophone recordings. Beryl flew ahead of Robert and Tomás to Paris to recover their Land Rover and take it back to England for sale.[23] Robert renewed his passport in London. They flew to Geneva to buy another Land Rover (Swiss registered), which they drove back to Mallorca.

● 20 April 20–Exit–Palma/Son Bonet [p. 25].

New Passport issued passport in London on 28 April 1959

● 4 May–Entry–Geneva Airport [p. 7] | 8 May–Entry–La Junquera (Spain) [p. 7]

Trip 21: 2 September–31 October 1959 ✈. To London for an enlarged prostate operation, after which he suffered several hemorrhages.[24] Many visitors came to visit him at his hospital ward. Beryl flew in from Mallorca after the post-operation medical complications. Both returned home via Geneva to see Lucia and Juan for their school half term.

● 2 September–Exit–Palma/Son Bonet [p. 7] | 29 October–Entry–Geneva Airport [p. 7] | 31 October–Entry–Palma/Son Bonet [p. 11].

Trip 22: 7 January–6 February 1960 ✈. To London for a week and then to the US for third lecture and reading tour in New York, Baltimore and Washington. In Maryland he met up with Ricardo Sicre. He was accompanied by his daughter Jenny. On the last night in the US ate mushrooms with Gordon Wasson, Jerome Robbins, Jenny and two others.[25] He returned via London and Geneva.

● 7 January–Exit–Barcelona/El Prat [p. 11] | 15 January–Entry–Boston/Logan [p. 9] | 5 February–Entry–Geneva Airport [p. 8] | 6 February–Entry–Palma/Son Bonet [p. 10].

Trip 23: 2–4 March 1960 ✈. Very brief visit to London to setup a tax company and receive an award from Foyles bookshop.[26]

● 2 March–Exit–Palma/Son Bonet [p. 10] | 4 March–Entry–Palma/Son Bonet [p. 11].

Trip 24: 2–21 May 1960 (B) ✈. With Beryl to the US via London to attend the Robert Graves exhibition at the University of Buffalo, which had bought a huge collection of poetry manuscripts from Robert. They returned home via Geneva.

● 2 May–Exit–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 11] | 4 May–Entry–New York/Idlewild [p. 9] | 19 May–Entry–Geneva Airport [p. 7] | 21 May–Entry–Palma/Son Bonet [p. 11].

Trip 25: 16 September–24 December 1960 (B, T). To spend the autumn in England for meetings, interviews, poetry readings, etc.[27] With Beryl and Tomás, they took Land Rover up to Geneva first, to see Juan and William and then crossed the Channel by air ferry. They returned to Deià on Christmas eve.

● 24 September–Exit–Le Touquet (France) [p. 7] | 23 December–Entry–La Junquera (Spain) [p. 12].

Trip 26: 16–18 May 1961 ✈. To US via Brussels to read poems, see publishers, address the American Academy, and record poetry. Returned through London to see William and Lucia.

● 16 May–Exit–Barcelona/El Prat [p. 13] | 17 May–Entry–New York/Idlewild [p. 8] | 28 May–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 15].

Trip 27: 16–25 August 1961 (L) ✈. To Athens with Lucia for premiere of the Nausicaa opera and to present a CBS TV show on Greek myths.[28]

● 16 August–Exit–Barcelona/El Prat [p. 11] | 16 August–Entry–Athens Airport [p. 13] | 25 August–Exit–Athens Airport [p. 13] | 25 August–Entry–Barcelona/El Prat [p. 15].

Trip 28: 11 October–c. 12 December 1961 (L) ✈. To England for first term as Professor of Poetry at St. John’s College, Oxford. Beryl and Robert rented a flat at Boar’s Hill, near Oxford, but also used his niece’s home (Sally Chilver) as a London base. Tomás chose to stay with a family in Mallorca.[29] They returned via Geneva.

● 16 October–Exit–Cherbourg (France) [p. 13] | 6 December–Entry–Dunkerque (France) [p. 15] | 7 December–Entry–Switzerland–Entry [p. 15] | 10 December–Entry–La Junquera (Spain) [p. 11]

Trip 29: 25–29 June 1962 ✈: To Oxford to deliver in Latin his first Creweian Oration at Encaenia.[30] Yehudi Menuhin and Charles Chaplin amongst those attending.

● 25 June–Exit–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 14] | 29 June–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 6].

Trip 30: 1 October–21 December 1962 ✈. To England for second term as Professor of Poetry at Oxford.[31]

● 1 October–Exit–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 6] | 21 December–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 17].

Trip 31: 25 April–17 May 1963 ✈. To US for his fifth lecture and poetry reading tour including two weeks stay at MIT.

● 25 April–Exit–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 17] | 28 April–Entry–New York/Idlewild [p. 8] | 17 May–Entry–Madrid/Barajas [p. 17].

Trip 32: 10 October–13 December 1963 ✈. To England for third term as Professor of Poetry at St. John College, Oxford. After his first lecture he flew to Greece for a week to participate in a TV show.[32]

● 10 October–Exit–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 13] | 23 October–Entry–Athens Airport [p. 6] | 1 November–Exit–Athens Airport [p. 6] | 13 December–Entry–Barcelona/El Prat [p. 16].

Trip 33: 22 February–c. 6 March 1964 ✈. To New York for his sixth lecture and poetry reading tour. Returned via Madrid with Aemilia Laraçuen, Robert’s current Muse, where they both stayed a few days with Ava Gardner.[33]

● 22 February–Exit–Madrid/Barajas [p. 12] | 22 February–Entry–New York/JFK [p. 18] | 3 March–Entry–Madrid/Barajas [p. 16].

Trip 34: 22–26 June 1964 ✈. To England to deliver his second Latin Oration at Oxford University.[34]

● 22 June–Exit–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 13] | 26 June–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 21].

Trip 35: 12 October–10 December 1964 (B). To England for his fourth term as Professor of Poetry at Oxford. Robert and Beryl had planned to drive all the way up to England via central Spain and Paris. When they got to Paris, Robert decided to stay a few days there with Aemilia Laraçuen, who had found her way to Paris. Beryl continued to England on her own. Shortly before his return to Palma, Robert participated in a TV show hosted by Anglo-Irish comedian Spike Milligan.[35]

● 12 October–Exit–Irun (Spain) [p. 21] | 20 October–Exit–Paris/Orly [p. 7] | 10 December–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 10].

From this point onwards all trips abroad would be exclusively by air.

Trip 36: 10 February–17 April 1965 ✈. To New York City and New York State for his seventh lecture and readings tour.[36] From New York he wrote to his secretary Karl to inform him that his services would no longer be needed as he had decided to stop writing books and that he would be spending a fortnight in Mexico with Aemilia Laraçuen. Little is known of how they got down there, other than that a seven-hour flight was involved. There are no Mexican entry/exit stamps on Robert’s passport.[37] Robert returned to New York via Louisiana on his own and a few days later returned to Mallorca to make peace with Beryl who had been left on her own in Deià with a lot of uncertainty about their future.

● 10 February–Exit–Madrid/Barajas [p. 21] | 10 February–Entry–New York/JFK [p. 18] | 12 April–Entry–New Orleans [p. 22] | 17 April–Entry–Madrid/Barajas [p. 17].

Trip 37: 20 October–2 December 1965 (B) ✈. To England for his final term as Professor of Poetry in Oxford.[38]

● 20 October–Exit–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 21] | 2 December–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 17].

Trip 38: 17–24 June 1966 ✈. To England for several public appearances including a light-hearted event at The Mermaid Theatre with Spike Milligan, Isla Cameron and Robert’s youngest son Tomás, then aged thirteen.[39]

● 27 June–Exit–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 21] | 24 June–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 22].

Trip 39: 26 September–8 November 1966 ✈. To England for gall bladder operation at St Tomas Hospital. After being discharged spent ten days convalescing at Selwyn Jepson’s house in Hampshire.[40]

● 26 September–Exit–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 22] | 8 November–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 24].

Trip 40: 19 November–10 December 1966 ✈. To US for what would be his eighth and last lecture tour which would include Kansas, Houston, Chicago, St Paul, Minnesota.

● 19 November–Exit–Madrid/Barajas [p. 24] | 19 November–Entry–New York/JFK [p. 25] | 10 December–Entry–Madrid/Barajas [p. 10].

Trip 41: 19–23 June 1967 ✈. To London to give an address at John Masefield’s memorial service in Westminster Abbey.[41]

● 19 June–Exit–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 14] | 23 June–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 6].

Trip 42: 15–22 July 1967 ✈. To see his son Juan who was undergoing mental health treatment in London.[42]

● 15 July–Exit–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 27] | 22 July–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 27].

Trip 43: 3 October–16 November 1967 ✈. To Australia on lecture tour and to see his four grandchildren whom he hadn’t seen for fifteen years. He returned with his second grand-daughter Caroline.[43]

● 3 October–Exit–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 13] | 3 October–Exit–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 23] | 10 October–Entry–New York/JFK [p. 22] | 15 October–Entry–Sydney Airport [p. 14] | 3 November–Entry–Honolulu [p. 22] | 16 November–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 27].

Trip 44: 19–27 March 1968 ✈. To London to read poems at Festival Hall and be interviewed by French and Chinese TV stations.[44] He also arranged visas for his forthcoming Hungarian and Russian trip.

● 19 March–Exit–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 15] | 27 March–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 15].

Trip 45: 3–27 May 1968 (B) ✈. To Budapest with Beryl invited by Hungarian poets to a conference. Margot Nichols, a former Muse and now family friend, joined them in Budapest and all three of them went to Moscow.[45]

● 3 May–Entry–Budapest [p. 29] | 14 May–Exit–Budapest [p. 29] | 14 May–Entry–Moscow [p. 32] | 24 May–Exit–Moscow [p. 32] | 27 May–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 17].

Trip 46: 2–21 October 1968 ✈. To participate in the Cultural Olympiad being held alongside the Mexico City Olympic Games. Robert was one of the very few non-Mexicans to attend. Most had boycotted the event following the massacre of students by Mexican Armed Forces at Tlatelolco. He won the Poetry Gold Medal for his poem ‘Crown and Torch’. While in Mexico he went to visit his friend Jimmy Metcalf, an American Sculptor who had lived in Deià in the 1950s.

● 2 October–Exit–Madrid/Barajas [p. 22] | 21 October–Entry–Madrid/Barajas [p. 16].

Trip 47: 5–14 December 1968 ✈. To London collect his Gold Medal for Poetry from H.M. Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. He then flew to Oslo to see Juli Simon who had joined the Norwegian Royal Ballet.[46]

● 5 December–Exit–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 25] | 7 December–Entry–Oslo/Fornebu [p. 13] | 10 December–Exit–Oslo/Fornebu [p. 20] | 14 December–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 21].

Trip 48: 3–18 March 1969 ✈. To Paris to speak on radio about Greek myths and then to London to see doctor about stomach trouble.[47]

● 3 March–Exit–Barcelona/El Prat [p. 16] | 3 March–Entry–Paris/Le Bourget [p. 27] | 18 March–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 17].

At this point, it appears that passport officials at Palma Airport began to be less strict about stamping Robert’s passport. For some trips, there are no entry and exit stamps at all. Evidence of these trips comes from references to them in letters he wrote to family and friends.

Trip 49: mid–April 1969 ✈. To London for wedding of Sonja Guy, a friend who had lived in Deià.[48]

● There are no passport stamps to reflect this trip.

New passport issued at the British Consulate in Barcelona on 5 May 1969.

Trip 50: May 1969, duration unknown ✈. To London to see doctor about ‘ricked back’ caused by excessive digging in garden.[49]

● There are no passport stamps to reflect this trip.

Trip 51: 21–31 October 1969 ✈. To London to make speech at the Savoy Hotel in aid of First World War official history.[50] From London he flew on to Oslo for a few days to see Juli Simon.

● 21 October–Exit–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 7] | 24 October–Entry–Oslo/Fornebu [p. 7] | 28 October–Exit–Oslo/Fornebu [p. 7] | 31 October–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 9].

Trip 52: 9–18 February 1970 ✈. To London to see ear throat and nose doctor.[51]

● 9 February–Exit–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 7] | 18 February–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 7].

Trip 53: 7–14 March 1970 ✈. To Venice to see Juli Simon perform.[52]

● 7 March–Exit–Barcelona/El Prat [p. 7] | 14 March–Entry–Barcelona/El Prat [p. 7].

Trip 54: 2–11 May 11 ✈. To Budapest to attend a Poet’s Conference. There he met poet and classicist Gabor Devecseri.[53]

● 2 May–Entry–Budapest [p. 11] | 11 May–Exit–Budapest [p. 11] | 11 May–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 11].

Trip 55: 10–23 June 1970 ✈. To London to be fitted with new dentures.[54]

● 10 June–Exit–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 13] | 23 June–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 13].

Trip 56: 5–9 September 1970 ✈. To London to give poetry reading at Mermaid Theatre.[55]

● There are no passport stamps to reflect this trip.

Trip 57: 15–25 October 1970 (B) ✈. To a London and then Belgrade to attend conference of writers on Humanism.[56] On his return via London, he read poems at Festival Hall.

● 19 October–Entry–Belgrade [p. 7] | 24 October–Exit–Belgrade [p. 7].

Trip 58: 28 November–7 December 1970 ✈. To London for a nose/sinus operation on 1 December, which doctor would postpone for a few months. Was also interviewed by B.B.C with other veterans from WWI.[57]

● 7 December–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 9].

Trip 59: 21 March–1 April 1971 (B) ✈. To London for postponed nose/sinus operation that could not be carried out on his previous trip to London.[58]

● There are no passport stamps to reflect this trip.

Trip 60: 20 May–1 June 1971 (B) ✈. To Budapest for poet’s conference and to see his now terminally ill poet friend Gabor Devecseri.[59]

● 20 May–Exit–Barcelona/El Prat [p. 7] | 20 May–Entry–Budapest [p. 15] | 1 June–Exit–Budapest [p. 15] | 1 June–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 14].

Trip 61: 13 October–7 November 1971 ✈. To London, after feeling unwell, for a two-week observation at St Thomas’s hospital.[60] Doctors found nothing except ‘nervous depression’. Afterwards gave a poetry reading at Oxford.[61]

● 13 October–Exit–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 9] | 7 November–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 15].

Trip 62: c. 18–25 April 1972 ✈. To England to attend various dinners at Oxford and Shakespeare’s celebrations in London.[62]

● 25 April–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 13].

Trip 63: 7–18 July 1972 (B) ✈. To London to attend opening night of an I, Claudius play at the Queen’s Theatre.[63]

● 7 July–Exit–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 17] | 18 July–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 9].

Trip 64: 10–18 August 1972 (B) ✈. To attend opening of the Claudius Hotel in Savaria, an area of Hungary which the Romans had conquered under Emperor Claudius.[64]

● 10 August–Entry–Budapest [p. 19] | 18 August–Exit–Budapest [p. 19].

Trip 65: From 26 October: duration unknown (B) ✈. To London with Beryl; purpose of trip unknown.

● 26 October–Exit–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 8].

Trip 66: 6–11 December ✈. To London on his own; purpose of trip unknown.

● 11 December–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 6] [65].

Trip 67: c. 23–29 January 1973 ✈. To Glasgow to deliver a speech on Burns Night. From London he was accompanied by Juli Simon.[66]

● 29 January–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 6].

Trip 68: c. 30 March–c. 6 April 1973 ✈. To London invited to participate in TV show This is Your Life for Spike Milligan.[67] While in London helped in a campaign to save the Albert Bridge in Chelsea from demolition.

● There are no passport stamps to reflect this trip.

Trip 69: 17–c. 28 May 1973 (B) ✈. To England with Beryl. Attended an event at Oxford University Poetry Society at the Oxford Union.[68]

● 17 May–Exit–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 6].

Trip 70: 2–17 October 1973 (B) ✈. To Budapest, via London, with Beryl.

● 2 October–Exit–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 8] | 5 October–Entry–Budapest [p. 21] | 17 October–Exit–Budapest [p. 21].

Trip 71: 23–28 January 1974 ✈. To London on his own; purpose of trip unknown.

● 23 January–Exit–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 10] | 28 January–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 6].

Trip 72: 20 September–16 October 1974 (B) ✈. To Warsaw to attend Polish Writers’ Union ‘Autum of Poetry’. Then flew to Budapest for one week. After returning to Poland spent a week in Kraków.[69]

● 20 September–Entry–Poland [p. 23] | 29 September–Exit–Poland [p. 22] | 29 September–Entry–Budapest [p. 25] | 6 October–Exit–Budapest [p. 25] | 6 October–Entry–Poland [p. 22] | 16 October–Exit–Poland [p. 22] | 16 October–Entry–Madrid/Barajas [p. 10].

Trip 73: Early May–24 May 1975 (B) ✈. To London with Beryl and then onto Ireland where he visited St Mary’s Cathedral at Limerick where Bishop Charles Graves (Church of Ireland), Robert’s grandfather, is buried.[70]

● 24 May–Entry–Barcelona/El Prat [p. 9].

Trip 74: 23–29 June 1975 (B) ✈. To England for a series of celebrations at St John’s College, University of Oxford to mark Robert’s upcoming eightieth birthday on 24 July.[71]

● 23 June–Exit–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 6].

Trip 75: 13–14 December 1975 (B) ✈. Short trip to London with Beryl; purpose of trip unknown.

● 13 December–Exit–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 8] | 14 December–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 6].

Trip 76: 26 July–9 August 1976 (B,L) ✈. To Poland with Beryl, Lucia and her family.[72]

● 26 July–Exit–Madrid/Barajas [p. 6] | 26 July–Entry–Poland [p. 29] | 9 August–Exit–Poland [p. 29] | 9 August–Entry–Madrid/Barajas [p. 8].

Trip 77: 17 October–3 November 1976 (B) ✈. To England with Beryl who took Robert down to Devon to consult with his sister Rosaleen, a doctor, about his memory loss. [73]

● 17 October–Exit–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 6] | 3 November–Entry–Palma/Son San Juan [p. 10].

Trip 78: Early summer, 1978 (B) ✈. To England with Beryl who took Robert to consult a specialist at Charing Cross Hospital, about his memory loss and then a renowned homeopath and acupuncturist. [74]

● There are no passport stamps to reflect this trip.

This was Robert’s last time abroad. He would spend the rest of his life in Deià where he died on 7 December 1985.

Philip Graves is a Mining Engineer and retired from a career in management reporting in the telecoms industry. Currently involved in the Robert Graves Letters project and administers the Robert Graves’s websites in the UK and Spain.

NOTES