Robert Louis Stevenson lived the last four years of his life in Samoa with his wife, mother, and stepchildren. They lived in a beautiful villa in the village of Vailima, which is near Mt. Vaea where he is buried.
To get to the villa you go through these gates and walk about half a mile down a beautiful lush garden path.
The driveway leads to the "
Villa Vailima". RLS sure picked a great spot.
There are two fireplaces in the house. Our guide said, "Fireplace is good in Scotland. Not in Samoa. Too hot." I think he said it three times. It made us laugh. This was the smoking room.
A view toward Mt. Vaea from the upper verandah. That opening is the start of a hiking trail to the lookout where his grave is. We didn't have time to do it this time.
These were original works of RLS, first editions, I guess.
We were amazed that most of the areas in the house were not cordoned off, you could just walk up, look at, and if you wanted, touch anything in the place. Some items were even originals. I can't understand how they're preserved, in this climate too. Oh well, we just enjoyed the experience.
We were impressed with the furnishings that he had managed to bring all the way across the ocean back in those days. It must have cost a lot of money, and required a lot of hard work to transport his multitude of heavy belongings to the villa. And we complain about getting stuff here today!
This was an original dress his wife wore. I can't imagine wearing long dresses and boots here in Samoa! No thanks.
His mother's room.
His son's writing desk.
The "hospital room" where is wife took care of him. He had TB.
The medicine cabinet.
Going down the staircase.
The great room. This was an amazing hall where dancing, music, and feasts took place. It would have been fun to have been invited to an event here. Ephraim was impressed that many people played instruments back then. They had a piano, two sitars, a mandolin, and an wind-up music box that played songs from wooden spools.
The Prayer at Morning
(Written at Vailima)
The day returns and brings us the petty round of irritating concerns and duties. Help us to play the man, help us to perform them with laughter and kind faces, let cheerfulness abound with industry. Give us to go blithely on our business all this day, bring us to our resting beds weary and content and undishonoured, and grant us in the end the gift of sleep.
-Robert Louis Stevenson
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