From the Hans Christian Andersen biography "The Life of Hans Christian Andersen. Day By Day", written by DPhil Johan de Mylius:

1866

Journey to Portugal
Guest at the O'Neills'

1866: Journey to Portugal


12 January

Return to Copenhagen from Basnæs. Checks in at Hotel d'Angleterre. He is given two rooms on the 1st floor, as the violinist Ole Bull is staying in the two rooms he had earlier on the 2nd floor. HCA no longer has any interest in Ole Bull, as a person or an artist.

26th January: (and the following days)

Several arrangements are held to bid HCA farewell, before his departure. For example, on 26th he reads fairy-tales at the home of actor Lauritz Eckardt for an audience consisting of, amongst others, the Swedish actor and writer Frans Hedberg and the Danish-Norwegian writer Magdalene Thoresen.
Later on the same day he reads aloud at the home of the theatre steward Gottlob Berner, where there are theatre people and others present. One of the guests is the owner of Berner's house, Ernst Bilsted and his family (e.g. the daughter Anna Felicia, later married to Hillerup). Bilsted, master of the royal hunt at Høvdingsgaard Estate, is HCA's "friend" (as it says in the diary, 26th). [Ernst Bilsted is HCA's old friend from school days. They meet again in January 71].

28 January

Sees "Kejserens nye Klæder" (The Emperor's New Clothes) printed in a newspaper in Portuguese from Rio de Janeiro.

31 January

Departure from Copenhagen, after having on this and the previous day said good bye to both the king and queen, the crown prince (the later King Frederik VIII) and Princess Dagmar.
HCA expects the journey will cost 900 rdl.
Sails from Korsør to Nyborg, then by train to Strib, by coach to Middelfart, ferry to Kolding, coach to Haderslev and by train to Altona railway station/Hamburg. Then by bus to Haarburg and from there by train to Celle. On through Hannover, Rheine.

7 February

Crosses the border of Holland to Utrecht. Here he meets the Dutch priest and poet, Jan ten Kate, as well as the writer and HCA translator, J.I.D. Nepveu. The latter gives HCA his translation of HCA fairy-tales into Dutch. Continues to Amsterdam on 10th.

10th February - 14th March

In Amsterdam. Is welcomed by the Danish merchant brothers, Andreas Ludvig and Georg Brandt. Stays with Andreas Ludvig. Whilst here, HCA spends time with e.g. the composer and conductor J.J.H. Verhulst, who feels that the Danish Gade is one of Europe's greatest composers at the present time. During a concert, Verhulst includes a symphony by Gade, in honour of HCA's visit.
Disagrees somewhat with his host on matters concerning religion. HCA takes exception to the Dutch caste treatment of the Jews.

14th - 18th March

In Leiden. Stays with the writer Johannes Kneppelhout. Whilst here, HCA receives by mail a book by a young Dutch writer, which is about famous people. HCA is equalled in the book with Napoleon and Mozart. (In the diary (15th) he comments: "I am quite embarrassed to see it". All the same, he wastes no time in visiting her and giving her a copy of his portrait card).

18th - 23rd March

In the Haag.

1866: Guest at the O'Neills'


23rd - 29th March

In Belgium. In Antwerpen from 23rd - 26th (visits the painter Nicaise de Keyser at his atelier) on is in Bruxelles from 26th - 29th.

29th March - 13th April

In Paris. On 1st April, he accompanies Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark (the later King Frederik VIII) to the races in Vincennes,

"where indeed I was seated on the imperial grandstand. It was also entertaining when we bolted through the boulevards in a carriage with the outriders at full speed, and saw the Parisians lined up to get a glimpse at the young Danish prince"
(unpublished letter to Mrs Scavenius at Basnæs, written 27th April).

On 2nd April, HCA visits the painter Lorenz Frølich, who has begun preliminary sketches for intended illustrations for HCA's fairy-tales. Visits Rossini (4th April). During his stay in Paris, HCA gets an idea which becomes the framework of the story "Dryaden" (The Wood Nymph), published in 1868.

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