April 21, 1910 (Thursday): (Salzburg, Vienna)
It was a very bad day, raining continuously until this evening. Clarence [Wright] and I went out for a short walk then went to the depot for dinner. We left for Vienna at 1.05 P.M. and Royal Eccles met us at the depot in Vienna at 7.20 P.M. We attended a meeting this evening then went out with Eccles, Tom Giles, Parsons, Newton, and Verne Arnold and visited a swell café. It’s a custom here to have to pay 20 Hellers to get in the door after 10 P.M. We had to pay the 20 Hellers. They say Napoleon caused this law to be enacted when he was here to keep his soldiers in at night.
April 22, 1910 (Friday): (Vienna)
This fore-noon Parsons, Wright and I visited the Kunsthistoriscks Museum. There are some very fine paintings in it. This after-noon Pres. McKay, Chas. Rees, Clarence Wright, Richard Newton and I went through the BurgHof Theatre. This is the most beautiful Theatre building on the inside I have ever seen. This evening we went to hear Lohengrin in the Court Opera House.
April 23, 1910 (Saturday): (Vienna)
I got up at 6 A.M and went to the North west Depot with Bro. Pratt and met Wilford.* We came up to the house, Windmuhlgasse 16, and had breakfast. At 9.30 A.M. we held a priestood meeting. Present were, Pres. McKay,** Chas. Rees, Geo. H. Gowans, H.C. Pratt and Royal Eccles of the Austrian Conf[erence], also Bro. Leo Goates who has come down to take the con[ference] in Bro. Rees’ place, F.J. Parsons, Vern Arnold, Wannie Rich and Dick Newton, who are taking a trip, Bro. Bailey of Nurenberg and Bro. Blaymier of Dresden, Bros. H.V. Howell, and J.E. Hill of the Hungarian Con[erence], C.E. Wright, Wilf [Cannon] and I. Also Tom Giles who’s studying music here. This after-noon some of us went out to Kahlberg where we got a good view of the city. We also visited the place where Beethoven composed a number of pieces seeing on our way there a house in which he lived. We went to a light opera “Ziegeunerliebe” by Franz Lehardt to-night.
*Wilford Young Cannon was Ed’s half-brother, the son of George Q. Cannon and Caroline Young Cannon. He was two years younger than Ed and served in the Swiss German Mission from 1909 to 1911.
**Thomas E. (Evans) McKay, at this time age 34 and single, was President of the Swiss German Mission. He was president from 1909 to 1912. He previously served as a missionary in Switzerland and Germany from 1900 to 1903. He was the brother of David O. McKay, later President of the LDS Church. Thomas McKay later served as president of the Ogden Stake, represented Weber County in the Utah State legislature, and served as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve when that position was created in 1941. He served in that calling until his death in 1958.
We met and went through the Rath Haus Museum. The museum contains a collection of manuscripts of music composed by Schubert, Mozart, Beethoven, Wolff, and Muhler and is very interesting as well for its collection of other valuable relics. This afternoon we went out to Schonbrunn, the Emperors residence. The park there is the most wonderful I have ever seen. We held meeting at 5 P.M. Bros. Goates, Howell and I and Pres. McKay did the speaking. This evening some of us went to see Venedig where they are having sort of a fair.
April 25, 1910 (Monday): (Vienna)
We visited a church in which is a picture of the last supper in mosaic. This is one of the best mosaic pieces in the world. This after-noon we went through the museum of Natural History. This evening we heard Selma Kurz in La Traivieffa. She is one of the best singers in Europe. We ate supper at the Spafen brau after.
April 26, 1910 (Tuesday): (Vienna)
We took a sweat bath then went through the King’s Treasury this fore-noon. The jewels stored in the place would certainly make a pile large enough to bury a person – almost. Some of us had our hair cut this afternoon. We went to Aida this evening the stage setting was the most grand I have ever seen.
April 27, 1910 (Wednesday): (Vienna)
Bros. Parsons, Newton, Arnold and Rich left for Budapest this morning early. Pres. McKay left at 9:15 am and we saw him off at the Depot. On our way back we visited the Belvadere, a park in connection with the Palace of Arch Duke Ferdinand. This after-noon while the boys went through the Burghof Theatre, Bro. Rees and I met J. Archie Brockbank at the depot. Later in the afternoon I cut Wilford’s and Bro. Pratt’s hair off. We went to “Das Fursten Kind” by Lehar, but didn’t enjoy it very much.
This morning was spent in visiting the Modern Art Gallery and St. Stevans Church. Archie B[rockbank] and I climbed the tower of the church and there got a good view of the city. In the afternoon we went out to the central Friedhof with Tom Giles and a young lady friend of his. We saw the graves of a number of famous composers, among them being Mozart, Beethoven, Muhler, J. Straus, Schubert and Wolf. This evening we heard “Hoffmanns Erzahlungen” in the Opera house. It was simply great. The primadona has a very clear beautiful voice.
April 29, 1910 (Friday): (Vienna)
During the fore-noon we went over to Tom Giles’ room and he played for us a while. We then visited the Turkish consul and had our pass ports vised. After dinner we did some shopping and this evening we went to Madame Butterfly in the Opera house. Selma Kurze sang the leading role.
April 30, 1910 (Saturday): (Vienna, Budapest)
Archie Brockbank, C. E. Wright, Wilford [Cannon] and I left for Budapest at 6.15 A.M. We arrived at 12.15 and went to dinner then looked Bro. Hill up. We found his room, but he wasn’t there. We walked over the Danube over the Elizabeth bridge and climbed the hill a little, but the atmosphere was too hazy to get a very good view of the town. We walked up the river on the even side passed the kings palace then crossed over to the parlament building. We walked through it then went to Bro. Hill’s room and found him and Bros. Kent and Davenport. They took us to a Veg for supper. Clarence, Wilford and I went with Bros. Kent and Davenport to stay and Archie went with Bro. Hill.
May 1, 1910 (Sunday): (Budapest, Belgrade)
We caught the train for Belgrade at 7.20 A.M. arriving there at 2.50 P.M. We went to a restraunt and it being a little late, all they could bring us was lamb so we ordered that. Three of us were brought cold rost pork and the only mutton brought was brought to Clarence in the form of a sheep head. After dinner we walked through the fortifications. They were quite picturesque, but sadly dilapidated. Judging by the way things are conducted in the manner of defence, it would have been an easy thing in her trouble of a year ago for Austria to have beaten the Serbians. We went to a hotel for supper, then to the depot and waited for the train, which left at 11 P.M. The train was quite crowded and we had some little trouble in securing places.
May 2, 1910 (Monday): (Belgrade, on the train, passed through Sofia)
We rode all day. It certainly was interesting to notice the change in temperature as we went along. Last night it was quite cold, but it became quite oppressive in the after-noon and evening. Right before noon we passed through Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Part of the country passed through reminded me somewhat of our western valleys and mountains.
May 3, 1910 (Tuesday): (Constantinople)
We arrived in Constantinople at 7.50 A.M. There was a big company of porters who tried to take our gripps away from us. The custom officers hardly looked through our gripps. This is quite a change to the state of affairs before the change of government, we picked out a hotel porter who could talk German and we took a cab to the Hotel D’Anglefre, but it was full, so we went to the Hotel L’Athenia. We got pension there for 9 francs. We spent the fore-part of the day looking up a boat for Athens. We finally found the agency of a boat sailing Thursday so we booked second class for 30 francs. This didn’t include meals. Later in the day we went through some of the bazzars, then walked up to a high tower by the war department and from the top of this got a good view of the city. Being tired out from our journey we went to bed early.
May 4, 1910 (Wednesday): (Constantinople)
We walked through the town bargaining at some of the shops. We visited the Old Seraglio, an old ruin and fortress on the point formed by the Sea of Marmara and the Golden Horn. This used to be the palace of the sultans but is now used as a barrack. Also in the grounds is a Museum and some other buildings of interest. A very good view is to be had of Scoutari on the Asiatic side. Pera the European quarter, and of the mouth of the Bosphorus from Seraglio point. From here we walked to the Ahamed Mosque and went on the inside of it. This mosque was built 1608-14. This is situated right by where the Hippodrome used to be on the open place outside the mosque yard is an obelisk of Egyptian syenite. This was constructed in Heliopolis by Thotmes III the greatest of all the warrior Kings of Egypt in the 6th century B.C. The obelisk was brought to Constantinople by Theodosius the Great after his victory over Maximus in 388 A.D. There are I, I think, only three others now in existence. One in London, one in Egypt and Cleopatra’s needle in New York. We also visited the Mosque of St. Sophia. This was originally the Church of St. Sophia. It was very probably first built by Constantine, or started by him and built by his son Constantius. It was burnt down in 404 A.D. The second church was burnt down in 532 A.D. The third building on the 26th of Dec. 537 A.D. being built by Justinian. “When Constantinople was captured by the Turks on May 29th 1453 the Janisaries hastened to St. Sophia to sieze the great store of gold, silver, and precious stones which report said was concealed there in the catacombs. They broke the doors open, seized the gold and silver ornaments of the church, and divided among themselves the men and women who had sought shelter in the sacred building. Towards noon, Mohammed the conqueror entered the city by to the top Kapau and rode straight to the church of St. Sophia. There he dismounted and entered the building. By his order one of the court Nlemas ascended the pulpit and recited a prayer and the conqueror prostrated himself on the marble table that had been the altar and gave thanks for the victory. It has remained a mosque ever since. This after noon we went through the Bosporus as far as Kavak. This is a most beautiful ride. Both sides are covered with trees and there are a great number of fine residences on each side, especially on the European. A number of the Embassies have summer palaces along the shore. The Sultans Palaces is very beautifully situated on the European side, not so far from the entrance. We paid special note to the place where Darius is supposed to have crossed with his armies on a bridge of boats. From Kavak we could see the Black Sea entrance. The Cyrean Rocks or Sympleades the place where myth tells of the Argonauts under the leadership of Jason had their narrow escape. As a sign as to whether they could safely go through a dove was turned loose and as she flew between the rocks which opened then closed together. She lost some of her tail feathers, but was otherwise uninjured. The Argonauts taking this as a favorable omen went through with only a slight damage to some of the armaments on the stern of their boat. We took a short walk this evening.
We went down to the quay to find the boat we were to sail on, but it’s not having landed we went to the depot and took the train to Seven Towers. Below, Ed Cannon on the the train.
May 6, 1910 (Friday): (Boat from Constantinople to Athens)
We passed through the Dardanelles or Hellespont this fore-noon. We noticed the place where Xerxes is supposed to have crossed with his army on a bridge of boats. It has been windy, but otherwise good. All three of the boys have been inclined not to feel well. I haven’t noticed the least discomfort.
May 7, 1910 (Saturday): (Athens)
We sighted the Acropolis this fore-noon at about 11 A.M. and anchored in the harbor at Piraeus about noon. There were about a hundred little boats waiting to take passengers to shore, and they did considerable shouting in their endeavors to make a bargain to take some one to shore. We chose a boat conducted by a man who could speak a few words of English. He took us and our baggage to shore, and carried the baggage through the custom house on arrival for 4 francs. When we were about half way to shore Clarence discovered that he had left his money which was in his pocket book, on the boat. This gave us quite a scare, but he recovered it by going back to the ship. He had left it under his pillow in his berth. We got a hack to Athens for 6 francs and put up at the Hotel de Paris for 2 ½ fr. per night. The first thing we did was to get dinner, then we went up to the Acropolis, passing the Agbra and the Sower of the Winds. After entering the gate of the Acropolis we were all unable to suppress exclamations of enthusiasm at the magnitude, and beauty of the work.
Even the fact that all the buildings or ruins are composed of the finest white marble is enough to arouse the greatest wonder and astonishment and added to that the still greater fact of their historical relation, make them the most interesting ruins a person can find. After spending some time on the hill we came down and went over to the prison of Socrates. From there we watched the Acropolis until after sunset. We walked from there up the hill of Muses and saw the monument erected by Philopappos. We then walked down to town passing the Theseum on our way.
May 8, 1910 (Sunday): (Athens)
This fore-noon we walked up to the top of the Lycabettus on which stands a Greek chapel. From here we got a good view of the whole surrounding country. We walked from there to the new stadium. This is erected in a hollow formed by three hills. It is in the same place as the old one which was built in the 2d century by Herodes Atticus, that is Herodes Atticus provided it with the tiers of seats. This place was originally leveled off for the purpose of holding games by Lycurgus in 331 B.C. A Greek gentleman named Averoff had the place re-dressed with marble seats in 1896 The Olympiac games of some 3 or 4 years ago were held here.* This after-noon we visited the ruins of the Odeum, the theatre of Dionysus, the Olympium then went up to the Acropolis again and went through the museum there. We also climbed up on the rocks called Mars Hill where Paul preached to the Athenians.
*The 1896 Summer Olympics were the first Olympics held in the modern era. The 1900 Summer Olympics were held in Paris and what are called the “Intercalated Games of 1906” were held in Athens. They were intended to be intermediate games in between internationally organized games. They were considered to be Olympic Games at the time, but the medals are not now officially recognized by the IOC.
May 9, 1910 (Monday): (Athens)
We took the train out to Cephisia and from there walked up to the top of Mt. Pentelicus from which we got a dandy view of the plains of Marathon and a number of Islands of the coast.
On our way up and down we passed the marble quarries from which the famous Grecian marble is taken.
May 10, 1910 (Tuesday): (Athens and boat to Alexandria)
I went to Piraeus this morning and bought our tickets. The fellows came out a little after-noon and we boarded our ship for Alexandra. She pulled anchor at 3 P.M. Our voyage so far has been very pleasant. Our boat the Reine Olga of the Russian Line is a palace compared with the one with which we came from Constantinople.
May 11, 1910 (Wednesday): (Boat between Athens and Alexandria)
Our sojourne on the boat to-day was very pleasurable. The weather has been fine.
May 12, 1910 (Thursday): (Alexandria, Cairo)
After a smooth voyage we landed at Alexandria at noon. Our trip over cost me 88.10 francs second class. We paid a porter 18 fr. To take us through the custom house and to the depot with a carriage. Our train not leaving for Cairo until 4 P.M. we walked out to see a little of the city. A guide followed us for a long way trying his best to urge us to hire him. Alexandria seems from the little we saw of it very much like Constantinople in its manner of people, but there seems to be much more order, this being due to English influences. We arrived in Cairo at 7.45 P.M. and went to the Bristol Hotel. We got good rooms and pension for 8 s. per day.
May 13, 1910 (Friday): (Cairo)
We hired a dragoman (Smaida Abdalla). This fore-noon we visited the mosque of Sultan Hasan. This has a very fine Bronze door with inlayed silver copper and gold. The stone used in this structure is taken from the Pyramid of Cheops. It formed the smooth outer covering. We then visited the tombs of the Mameluks? The alibaster mosque the citadel is interesting on account of the great amount of alibaster used.
The view of Cairo from Here is very good. We went thru some of the Bazzars before dinner. This afternoon we visited the oldest house in Cairo then the acquarium and the zoo.
We also drove over to the Nile and visited the place where Moses is supposed to have been found in the bull rushes. Our ride from Alexandria yesterday cost us 11.40 fr. each 2d class.
May 14, 1910 (Saturday): (Cairo)
This morning we got up early and met our dragoman at 6.50. We caught the car and rode out to the pyramids of Ghizeh. The dragoman had arranged for camels for us and they were waiting for us when we got off the car. We rode them up to the foot of the Great Pyramid. Three guides, or helpers were provided for each one of us to ascend to the top. The blocks of stone are on an average of 3 ft. high. The view we got from the top was not very good on account of the hazy atmosphere. 
After the descent we rode around to the sphinx and went through the granite temple to the Southwest of it. 
We then rode along the edge of the desert to the pyramids of Sachara. These are at a distance of about 8-10 miles from those of Gizeh.
We went through the tomb of King Teh then ate our dinner in a Bedouin house and after resting a while after the dinner went through the tomb of the sacred bulls. There are 24 sarcophagi in this emense under ground cavern. It is almost beyond comprehension how the people of that early date were able to move such emanse pieces of granite. After seeing this tomb we returned to Gizeh, taking a route over the desert to the pyramid of Men-Kau Ra going over what is called the petrified forest. In the latter named pyramid we visited the very interesting tombs. Our camel ride completely tired us out.
May 15, 1910 (Sunday): (Cairo, Port Said)
We fixed our affairs up at the Hotel early this morning and then paid a hurried visit to the Egyptian National Museum. Having such a short time we were compelled to walk through it with out being able to devote any special attention to any of the objects. We left for Port Said at 11 A.M. The fare over there was 47 Egyptian piastres or 12.20 fr. And the trip took about 3 ½ hours. The line leads for a long way along the Suez Canal. We hired a anan to transport us to the Khadivial steamer and when we got aboard and tried to pay our passage in german 100 mark bank notes they refused to take them and we had just about given up going and were about to leave the ship when I asked the captain to help us by taking the money himself and making it right with the agent. He wouldn’t do this, but he asked the agent to let us go on condition that one of us go ashore and leave the others on board while the one made the trip. We agreed to this. The 2d class was full by this time so had to ride 1st class. The sea was rather rough during the fore-part of the evening.
These Cannon sons were a well-traveled bunch, weren't they? Thanks for the link.
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