february, 1977
February 1st: "We arrived in Sevilla around 12:30pm, and after much ??? found the Hostal Monreal. Before we checked in we walked around the cathedral and had a good onion soup and cannelloni lunch at El Alcanzares. The Monreal was $3.00 and very cold, so to bed we went at dark."
February 2nd: "The next day was, of course, rainy and chilly, so we checked out and into another hotel (Dona Pepa), which offered a shower and a small electric heater. Later ??? we visited the Sevilla cathedral, the third largest in Europe after St. Peters and St. Pauls, and the final resting place of good ole Cristobal Colon. The church treasury was pretty interesting, with its silver and bejeweled bone and ash containers. I don't know whose bones or ashes they were, however. Also interesting were the enormous hand-painted hymnals. Some were about 6 feet by 4 feet (opened)."
"That evening back in the hotel, skipping another supper to conserve our diminished pesetas, Russ and I made a change of plans. We decided we'd take our remaining $40 and head back to Worms via Madrid and Paris rather than continue on to Lagos and Lisbon, Portugal, mainly because of money, but also because we'd been continually plagued by rain since leaving Alicante, and didn't figure our prospects would be much better in Portugal. And with that decision my spirit lifted, and we thought we could afford supper after all."
"That evening back in the hotel, skipping another supper to conserve our diminished pesetas, Russ and I made a change of plans. We decided we'd take our remaining $40 and head back to Worms via Madrid and Paris rather than continue on to Lagos and Lisbon, Portugal, mainly because of money, but also because we'd been continually plagued by rain since leaving Alicante, and didn't figure our prospects would be much better in Portugal. And with that decision my spirit lifted, and we thought we could afford supper after all."
February 3rd: "The next day we spent whiling away the hours until 10pm and our overnight train to Madrid. We visited the Indies Archive and were fascinated by original plans for the cities of New Orleans, St. Louis, San Antonio, San Francisco, San Diego, St, Augustine, and Rio de Janeiro. We also saw letters (copies - xeroxed) written by such people as Christopher Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci, Andrew Jackson, and Thomas Jefferson. We saw, too, a newspaper drawing of George Washington -- a picture I'd never seen of him before. We spent a couple of hours in a park reading a Herald Tribune, and also walked through the Plaza de Espana, marveling over the beautiful tile work which portrayed scenes of major Spanish cities. At last we caught our Madrid train."
February 4th: "We arrived in Madrid after a very hot and restless night's sleep. We walked over to American Express, but alas, no mail. Since we had hours to spend until our next overnight train to Paris (departing 5:00pm or so) and it was too early for lunch, we sat in a park where Russ perused our new Time, and I did some catching up in this journal. And it was very cold out there. After an ok lunch we went on to the new Madrid train station to wait the last couple of hours. Time was full of Jimmy Carter, which is interesting reading."
Gloria included her overall impressions of Spanish food: "Sangria is delicious with its fresh fruit, and usually icy. We had excellent paella and poor paella, but then the caliber of restaurants differed. Saffron is the spice, and was new to me. So was eating mussels, octopus, and squid. Fried, breaded squid is delicious. Beef is poor, and a hamburger means a sausage burger, but usually edible. The bread is good, the almonds good, and the oranges are without a doubt the best I've ever eaten -- and they're seedless. Salads are good, though sometimes the tomatoes are green - when real green we neglected them. The pastries are excellent, and we found great doughnuts in Sevilla. The olives, prima!"
February 5th: "Arrived in Paris at 10:30am after a fairly ??? night on the train. From Madrid to the border of France the train was modestly crowded, but then we changed trains so had a compartment to ourselves, and slept. The Austerlitz station did not have a bank, and we did not have francs, so we hurriedly walked to Gare ???, exchanged money, ran to the Metro, and managed to arrive at American Express before noon's closing. But no mail. Disappointment, but not surprise."
"We then returned to the Hotel Henri, but they had no room, so we sought the Hotel Cluny. Our room was on the very top floor, only 106 steps up, but sufficient. We went out for a pizza, then to the Cluny Museum. We returned to our room, and by 5:00pm were sound asleep. We woke up at midnight, finished off our bread, cheese, and oranges from the day before, then went back to sleep. I think we were exhausted."
"We then returned to the Hotel Henri, but they had no room, so we sought the Hotel Cluny. Our room was on the very top floor, only 106 steps up, but sufficient. We went out for a pizza, then to the Cluny Museum. We returned to our room, and by 5:00pm were sound asleep. We woke up at midnight, finished off our bread, cheese, and oranges from the day before, then went back to sleep. I think we were exhausted."
February 6th: "After breakfast I met two fellows in the hall and we wound up talking the morning away, and planned to meet for supper. Jim and Rick were their names, and they were from Philadelphia and Vancouver Island."
"We checked out of the Cluny to take our bags to the station (Gare d'Est) and check on our overnight train to Worms: departure time 11:00pm. We spent the afternoon going from the Louvre to the Jeu de Paume to the Orangerie in search of a print-card to send Momma for her birthday. Unsuccessful, but we got a Monet print, and we got Lou and Gloria a fancy deck of cards. By now were down to our last $10. That $1,000 check better be in Worms when we get there we thought. Or else, what?"
"We met Jim and Rick as planned, and walked to a Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant for a pleasant meal and good conversation. I was happily surprised to find out that Rick recently spent two weeks in Paleochora, Crete, which was where Ginny, Laura, and I celebrated my 21st birthday. For 4 1/2 years I've thought of that tiny fishing village, vowing to return. I was glad to hear it wasn't yet 'known' to tourists, but it seems we are just in time. Rick says [someone] plans to build a hotel, and that forecasts doom. Russ and I will go there very soon."
"After supper we went to a sidewalk cafe for beer and were given the address of a bluegrass band in Dortmund. Jim said they would 'love' Russ, cause of his music and the fact we'd been living in Nashville -- he said never mind that Russ isn't a country musician."
"We moved to another cafe for another beer, and a French man (obviously drunk) recited a poem to me through another French fellow who could speak English. 'Your eyes are like a precious gem...' and I thought, which gem -- ruby? We had to literally run to the Metro and then to the train. We boarded only seconds before departure."
"We checked out of the Cluny to take our bags to the station (Gare d'Est) and check on our overnight train to Worms: departure time 11:00pm. We spent the afternoon going from the Louvre to the Jeu de Paume to the Orangerie in search of a print-card to send Momma for her birthday. Unsuccessful, but we got a Monet print, and we got Lou and Gloria a fancy deck of cards. By now were down to our last $10. That $1,000 check better be in Worms when we get there we thought. Or else, what?"
"We met Jim and Rick as planned, and walked to a Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant for a pleasant meal and good conversation. I was happily surprised to find out that Rick recently spent two weeks in Paleochora, Crete, which was where Ginny, Laura, and I celebrated my 21st birthday. For 4 1/2 years I've thought of that tiny fishing village, vowing to return. I was glad to hear it wasn't yet 'known' to tourists, but it seems we are just in time. Rick says [someone] plans to build a hotel, and that forecasts doom. Russ and I will go there very soon."
"After supper we went to a sidewalk cafe for beer and were given the address of a bluegrass band in Dortmund. Jim said they would 'love' Russ, cause of his music and the fact we'd been living in Nashville -- he said never mind that Russ isn't a country musician."
"We moved to another cafe for another beer, and a French man (obviously drunk) recited a poem to me through another French fellow who could speak English. 'Your eyes are like a precious gem...' and I thought, which gem -- ruby? We had to literally run to the Metro and then to the train. We boarded only seconds before departure."
The next three days were easily the low point of our entire trip, as the check that was waiting for us from my mother (we'd left our savings with her, and had her send checks to us at intervals along the way) for some reason required a verification from the bank back in Illinois, which hadn't arrived. So while we had a $1,000 check in hand, it seemed we'd remain broke until the verification letter showed up. Sadly, this situation strained our relationship with Gloria's friend Gloria Rohrer and her husband Lou, with whom we were staying and from whom we'd had to borrow some money. Finally I was able to talk someone at Heidelberg's American Express office into converting our check to travelers checks without the verification letter, after which we spent a few hours with Tom and Eva Hatzenbuhler before returning to Worms.
We paid the borrowed money back to Lou and Gloria, and departed the next morning (February 10th) for Augsburg, where Gloria and her family had lived when Gloria was in the second, third, and fourth grades. We'd thought we'd spend the night there and try to look up Gloria's childhood babysitter Inge, but were unable to find an affordable room. So Gloria decided she'd write to Inge to let her know we'd like to come see her at some point later in our trip, and we boarded an overnight train to Italy via Munich.
THE SECOND LOOP
To Italy and back to Borken (February 11 - March 8)
To Italy and back to Borken (February 11 - March 8)
The morning of February 11th we arrived in Bologna, Italy, where we were to change trains for Florence. Gloria's journal resumes: "After arriving around 10am, Russ and I ordered hot chocolate in the station's cafeteria. It was delicious until Russ almost swallowed a drowned bug, wings and all. Not in the least bit embarrassed (or surprised?), the waiter brought each of us another cup. Welcome to Italy."
After arriving in Florence, "...we located the P. Scoti, a $5.51/night 6-room pension. We love it, and there are some true antiques around -- marble-topped dresser and bedside table, huge wardrobes all mirrored, urns, porcelain pots, and the like. We communicate with our elderly landlady with hands and faces, uttering an occasional gratzi and prago."
"We walked around getting our directions straight, and decided to put off seeing museums until Sunday when they're free. We rested and relaxed, read and wrote letters. Found an inexpensive but tasty self-serve restaurant -- especially like their lasagna and soup."
After arriving in Florence, "...we located the P. Scoti, a $5.51/night 6-room pension. We love it, and there are some true antiques around -- marble-topped dresser and bedside table, huge wardrobes all mirrored, urns, porcelain pots, and the like. We communicate with our elderly landlady with hands and faces, uttering an occasional gratzi and prago."
"We walked around getting our directions straight, and decided to put off seeing museums until Sunday when they're free. We rested and relaxed, read and wrote letters. Found an inexpensive but tasty self-serve restaurant -- especially like their lasagna and soup."
"The Duomo is beautiful, all that white, green, and rose marble. Seeing Michelangelo's David in the Accademia is always an emotional experience for me."
"The Uffizi Museum is a great one for wandering, but I particularly like Botticelli's paintings The Birth of Venus and The Spring. There is a painting too of the Sacred Family by Michelangelo. One room in the palace was built to house an ancient statue of Venus, and since she was born from a sea shell, the domed ceiling is inlaid with hundreds of pearly-white half shells."
"We made use of the convenient and wonderful food market at Mercado Nuovo. Besides the covered meat and seafood market (which offers everything from octupi to wild boar), there is the fresh fruit and vegetable market out back. We bought oranges, apples, grapefruit, bananas, peanuts -- then bought cheese, bread, wine, and Coke -- all for $6.00, one day. Shopping should always be as enjoyable."
"Italy has changed since I was last here -- more people speak some English, and there are far too many restaurant signs which proclaim: American Breakfast - Get Your Eggs and Bacon Here! But the ice cream is as great as ever, the pastas delicious, and the paintings, sculptures, and buildings are delightful. I'm somewhat surprised that I haven't been pinched (fondly) -- I don't think I'm too old or unattractive, I don't think the Italian men have lost interest in foreign women or have become 'civilized'. I think it's because Russ is always with me."
"Italy has changed since I was last here -- more people speak some English, and there are far too many restaurant signs which proclaim: American Breakfast - Get Your Eggs and Bacon Here! But the ice cream is as great as ever, the pastas delicious, and the paintings, sculptures, and buildings are delightful. I'm somewhat surprised that I haven't been pinched (fondly) -- I don't think I'm too old or unattractive, I don't think the Italian men have lost interest in foreign women or have become 'civilized'. I think it's because Russ is always with me."
February 14th: "We went off to Pisa for a day. Beautiful weather, few tourists, and only 217 steps up the leaning tower."
The tower was closed to the public from 1990 - 2001. Fortunately, when we were there in 1977 we were able to buy tickets and climb to the top.
From Wikipedia:
"On January 7, 1990, after over two decades of stabilization studies, and spurred by the abrupt collapse of the Civic Tower of Pavia in 1989, the tower was closed to the public. The bells were removed to relieve some weight, and cables were cinched around the third level and anchored several hundred meters away. Apartments and houses in the path of the tower were vacated for safety.
"After a decade of corrective reconstruction and stabilization efforts, the tower was reopened to the public on December 15, 2001, and was declared stable for at least another 300 years. In May 2008, after the removal of another 70 metric tons (77 short tons) of ground, engineers announced that the Tower had been stabilized such that it had stopped moving for the first time in its history. They stated it would be stable for at least 200 years."
The tower was closed to the public from 1990 - 2001. Fortunately, when we were there in 1977 we were able to buy tickets and climb to the top.
From Wikipedia:
"On January 7, 1990, after over two decades of stabilization studies, and spurred by the abrupt collapse of the Civic Tower of Pavia in 1989, the tower was closed to the public. The bells were removed to relieve some weight, and cables were cinched around the third level and anchored several hundred meters away. Apartments and houses in the path of the tower were vacated for safety.
"After a decade of corrective reconstruction and stabilization efforts, the tower was reopened to the public on December 15, 2001, and was declared stable for at least another 300 years. In May 2008, after the removal of another 70 metric tons (77 short tons) of ground, engineers announced that the Tower had been stabilized such that it had stopped moving for the first time in its history. They stated it would be stable for at least 200 years."
February 15-16: "We met two California girls, Carny and Amy, who are staying in the room next to ours here [in Florence] at the P. Scoti. We decided to avoid staying overnight in Venice since everyone says Venetian prices are double those elsewhere, which we found easy to believe; so we chose Padova [Padua]. Amy and Carny had recommended a hotel, and we spent the better part of an afternoon locating it -- Albergo Moderno."
February 17th: "The next day we made the brief train ride to Venice. We boated the canals, visited the Duomo, boated out to the island of Murano where the glass factories are (they were closed), and watched children of all ages in the Duomo Square parade around in costumes and attack one another with confetti and flour -- this part of pre-Lent carnival. The day was very hazy, and entrance fees were stiff, so we returned to Padova. Canal travel is dirt cheap though: total for the day, 51 cents."
February 18th: "We spent the following day around Padova -- the old town being more attractive. The Salone is an enormous market place, very near our hotel. The prices we found more expensive than at the Florence mercato, but we bought fresh fruit, cheese, and bread anyway. Then we visited St. Anthony's -- a huge, bulbous-appearing cathedral. One of the stained glass windows consisted of three dice, showing the numbers 3, 4, and 6. I can't figure out the symbolic nature of that. We tried to walk through Europe's oldest botanical garden, but it was closed. That's one more quirk of Italy -- no two establishments have the same hours, and not always are posted hours observed."
February 19th: "We left Padova in the morning so we could visit Ravenna and make Rome before American Express closed for the weekend. We made Ravenna, but didn't reach Rome until near midnight. In Ravenna we saw several churches with lovely mosaics, and had a good pizza at a tiny Tavola Calda. We spent most of the remainder of the day at the station in Rimini, waiting for a train that never showed up. So we caught a train two hours later, which finally brought us to Rome." For some reason we didn't take any photos in Ravenna.
"We had no trouble finding the hotel we'd selected from Let's Go, but it was priced a couple of thousand lire more than reported. We stayed there anyway, one night."
"We had no trouble finding the hotel we'd selected from Let's Go, but it was priced a couple of thousand lire more than reported. We stayed there anyway, one night."
February 20th: "Next morning we moved to the Pension Cristallo, and then walked over to the Colosseum to catch a bus out to the Catacombs."