— The Continent ~ May 27 to Sept 30, 1957

This video was taken 3 years later but it gives a good idea of what it was like on the car ferry leaving Dover and getting into Ostend, a port in Flanders.

The only difference is that when we crossed, the English Channel was revoltingly rough and we all felt seasick as the ferry was pitching and rolling! And to add to the misery, everyone on board seemed to be throwing up and the smell just spread right around the ferry, making us feel even worse! Ugh! ?

 

 

Daddy managed to get a cabin for us and after lying down for a while, we all felt a lot better than we did camping up on the deck!

Belgium ~ May 27-29

The ferry passed close to Dunkirk and finally docked at Ostend at 6pm. The customs officers were only interested to find out if we had cigarettes and whiskey before waving us off the boat.  We got on a straight, fast road and arrived at Brussels (aka Bruxelles [French] / Brussel [Dutch] in one hour and 20 minutes.

There was a lot of road works happening in the city because of the World Fair (Expo 58) which was going to be held from April 17 to October 19 the next year so our progress was slow but we found the Samson Hotel on the rue de Merode. Dad went inside and checked out the rooms and as they were nice, he said we’d take two!  Had dinner at a restaurant around the corner then came back and we all crashed, exhausted by the busy day.

There were friends of my folks in Brussels called Valia and George Devleeshower – probably from Shanghai days – and when mom rang Valia up the next day, she invited us over for lunch. They lived at 110 Avenue Maréchal Joffre and no doubt the name of Avenue Joffre would have brought back memories of their time in Shanghai ?

It was interesting to find a site about Avenue Maréchal Joffre on a Belgian site where it stated that the oldest buildings on the avenue date from the inter-war period and are mostly located on Oscar van Goidtsnoven Avenue.

There are also several townhouses, one homogeneous style row houses Art Deco from #108 to #120 built between 1932 and 1937. As the Devleeshowers lived at 110, their place must have been an Art Deco beauty!

We found our way to their house without any difficulty and enjoyed a lunch of soup and piroshki.  We chatted with Valia and her daughter then at 2pm, we left and had a look around Église Sainte-Marie, the only Byzantine-style church in Brussels.

When we finished looking around the church, we drove to Place Rogier, near the Gare du Nord, and had a look around then when it was dinner time, we went to La Plaza Hotel for a meal.

The next day, the 29th, we drove to Waterloo to take a look at Lion Hill.

This was the main memorial monument of the Battle of Waterloo, and indicated the spot where the Prince of Orange was hit in the shoulder by a musket ball and knocked him off his horse.

It was a man-made hill which was completed in 1826 and has 226 stairs leading to the top of the monument, where there’s a great vista of the battlefield.

When we finished with the hill we drove back to Brussels and went back to La Plaza Hotel to have lunch and then went to have a look at the Manneken Pis, which we’d heard was a must see!

Manneken Pis means “peeing boy” and there are a lot of different ideas as to why this statue was erected. It was designed by Hiëronymus Duquesnoy the Elder and put in place in 1618 or 1619 and the best suggestion why it was made was that it probably started out as a public fountain with the peeing boy as a homage to the tanners, as medieval tanners let children and street urchins piddled on leather to make it more supple.

Back in the ’50s, there was no nudity at all and since I didn’t have a brother, I had no idea what a naked boy would look like so I remember I was a bit boogly eyed at this little fella piddling into a basin! I believe in our first leave when we were in Florence, my mouth dropped in shock when I saw Michelangelo’s “David“! Mom said she had to drag me away from the statue and tell me to close my mouth ?

After we finished with the statue, we headed back to the Samson Hotel to relax before going back to the Devleeshowers.  We had a cold dinner with them then we drove in two cars, ours and George’s, back to the Samson, where daddy left our car.  We piled into George’s car and he took us around Brussels at night, showing us all the highlights of the town.

We all came back to the Samson, said goodnight and goodbye to the Devleeshowers  and crashed after a very busy day.

We were looking forward to heading to Holland as I think my parents weren’t impressed with Belgium or Brussels!

Holland ~ May 30-June 2

We said goodbye to the Samson Hotel at 11 and headed for Antwerp and the border with Holland. Getting through customs was pretty simple and before we knew it, we went through Rotterdam and The Hague.  Dad remarked that as we drove through some suburb, he was very impressed with the state of the houses and beautiful gardens they all had.

We got to Haarlem around 4pm and drove around looking for a hotel. Dad finally gave up and asked a policeman who was on a bike if he could recommend a good hotel.  He told us to follow him and we slowly found our way to the Hotel De Leeuwerik on Kruisstraat.

Dad went in to check it out and was happy with the rooms so booked us in for the night, We were hungry but all the restaurant could offer us was tea as it was Ascension Day and everything was shut ?  Well, one thing for sure, I doubt anyone in Holland would remember Ascension Day in 2018 and I bet all the shops, restaurants, etc, would be open for business! I think it’s a great shame in a way!

We drove to Nobellaan 9 and had tea with Gabbi Keyland, my parents’ friends we saw in Singapore in 1953.  When we left, dad got lost trying to find the hotel so he asked a policeman, who was on foot.  The cop got into our car and directed us straight there!!  Such service in those days ?

We had dinner in the hotel’s restaurant which was full of people, making it seem a very festive occasion! Us girls had paprika schnitzels while dad opted for a Weiner schnitzel and afterwards we all headed to our rooms and collapsed fast asleep!

The next day daddy was ready to rock n roll by 9 and was somewhat annoyed that we girls took our time to get ready.  Poor guy – having 3 females to contend with! ?

We got to the Keylands’ place in Heemstede at 11:20 and picked up Gabbi and their daughter Inga, then made our way to Amsterdam.  Gabbi guided dad through a maze of narrow streets, filled with bicycle riders swarming one way or the other in unison, like a starling murmuration!  Well … perhaps that is a slight exaggeration of how the cyclists rode together but they sure reminded me of starlings ?

Dad managed to park the car near Dam Square (the photo on the left shows an aerial view of the square) and we walked to Formosa, where we sat having coffee while listening to a busker playing Chopin on the piano!

Violet Dekker came with her husband and sat at the next table so we had a lovely reunion of old friends!

When we finished our coffee, Gabbi took us for a stroll down the main shopping thoroughfare and mom and dad were very impressed with the quality of merchandise, the prices and the people!  Dad remarked that there were far more good looking people in Holland than in Belgium! ?

Dad treated the Keyland ladies (and us, of course) to a Chinese meal at the China Restaurant and then we walked back through the shopping centre as mom wanted to see if she could find Vico products to check out.  Vico was a Dutch company which specialised in making beautifully soft suede and leather jackets and coats in those days.  I don’t think she got her wish but instead she bought me a pair of shoes  ?

 

Daddy being daddy and on the Tramways management team noticed that in Amsterdam, like Brussels, they had fast, noiseless tramcars with rear warning lights and trafficators (a directional signal on a vehicle for indicating which way it is going to turn – like we had on cars in those days)! However, incredibly, the Dutch trams had mailboxes on the back car so that people could mail letters easily! I guess?!! ?

We then went to a canal and bought tickets for a trip on one of the flat boats, which were smaller, flatter versions of the bateau mouche in Paris.

The trip took 1 hour and 10 minutes and we tourists were enthralled by the narrow canals, the bridges we sailed under, and the twists and turns the boat made following the canals.  It was truly a marvellous experience ❤️

When we got back on land, we had a drink at an outdoor cafe then drove Gabbi and Inga back home to Heemstede, where Willie joined us after work and Gabbi prepared a wonderfully filling dinner for us!  We all had a lot of fun yakking and laughing, the parentals especially, and it was sad to say goodbye to the Keylands when it was time to go.

On the way back to the hotel I think we all agreed that Holland was really a lovely country and yes, way better than Belgium!

We left Haarlem the next day — after having a fabulous breakfast of sliced meat, cheese and an assortment of bread — and headed to Arnhem with stomachs filled ?

Stopped at Utrecht for coffee then carried on along a beautiful road to Arnhem and ended up getting rooms at the Pax Hotel.  Had lunch there then went for a short stroll down the street before getting into the car and driving to the Airborne Cemetery.

Click to enlarge

The Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery, more commonly known as the Airborne Cemetery, is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery in Oosterbeek, near Arnhem, the Netherlands. It was established in 1945 and is home to 1759 graves from the Second World War. Most of the men buried in the cemetery were Allied servicemen killed in the Battle of Arnhem, an Allied attempt to cross the Rhine in 1944, or in the liberation of the city the following year. Men killed in these battles are still discovered in the surrounding area even in the 21st century, and so the number of people interred in the cemetery continues to grow.
[Source: Wikipedia]

We all found it very sobering to walk down the aisles of gravestones – so many there ? Certainly drove home the futility of war!

Daddy drove us back to the Pax Hotel and he and mom went for a walk, leaving Lindy and me to relax in our rooms. They stopped for coffee at De Rotonde then on the way back, bought chips and salt cucumbers from a stall.  Was that for our dinner? ?

Checked out of Pax the next morning after a filling breakfast of cold cuts, cheese and bread, and headed for Maastricht.

Saw lots of windmills en route, which excited us (!!) and when we finally rolled into Maastricht at 2, we checked into Hotel Woolwich on Statenstraat, which was on the Vrijthof.  The Vrijthof is a square in Maastricht’s city centre.

One of Lindy’s girlfriends from KGV, Trude Hoen (pronounced Trudy Hoon), her brother and parents, had left HK a year earlier to come back home to The Netherlands so after a quick lunch at the Café Suisse, we walked to their house to pay them a visit.

Not realising how far their house was from the city centre, we walked for miles but it was enjoyable, and Lindy and Trude were very happy to see each other again.

They both got on bikes and cycled away, so mom, dad and I caught a bus back to the hotel. The oldies left me in my room and went for a walk to see the city’s sights.

There were market stalls open for business selling nieuwe haring (fresh “new” herring with onions), friets met mayo (Dutch fries with mayonnaise), cucumbers and all other kinds of delicious snacks which set mom and dad’s mouths watering!

Trude and Lindy came back to the hotel and we all chatted for a while but when she left, we went out and had croquetten and chips for dinner at Markt Friterie. On the way back to the hotel mom and dad had more nieuwe haring, bought more friets and also some lovely strawberries and oranges to eat in the hotel room.

Now according to my father’s diary, we left Maastricht the next day but I have quite a few photos of us with Trude and her mother and brother so I think we stayed there longer than a day!

 

Enjoying a coffee or drink with Trude and mom and Mrs Hoen in the background (Click to enlarge)

Wandering around Maastricht with Trude and her mother (Click to enlarge)

Germany ~ June 3-July 7

We got the car packed up and left Maastricht at 9:50am and headed for Vaals, a border town in the extreme southeastern part of Limburg.

We had our passports stamped by the Dutch and drove about 20 yards forward to the German border.

*Shock!* *Horror!*  ?   We were told that we needed visas to enter Germany so it was suggested that we return to Maastricht to get them; but then, almost as an afterthought, the customs officer said to dad that he could get the visas done there and then!

It seemed to take forever, over an hour and a half, and true to our nature, we ladies were having fits imagining all sorts of terrible things which could happen but finally all the papers were completed and, apart from a weird thing that Lindy’s visa had dad’s name written in her passport, not hers, it was all done at a cost of Deutsch Marks (DM) 40.50 ?

Dad wanted to stop and have a look around Köln (Cologne) but the road he ended up was going to Bonn so he decided to carry on and never mind Köln! When we finally arrived in Bonn, dad parked in Münsterplatz and we all got out, trudged to the bank with him, then to Bonngasse to check out the house where Beethoven was born and grew up in.

Stopped at a cafe and enjoyed drinks with cakes, then back into the car and found the road heading to Koblenz, an ancient town which straddles both banks of the rivers Rhine and Mosel.

Dad stopped at the Hotel Kleiner Reisen, which was on the river with lovely views, but they were full so the porter suggested we try Hotel Pension Renner at Kurfürstenstraβe 79, which we did.  Mom and dad approved of the big, clean and comfortable rooms and the room price even included breakfast, so checked us in.

We lugged our luggage to our rooms, washed up then walked to the Bahnhof to have dinner, then walked back along the bank of the Rhine to our pension.

The next day, Tuesday June 4, dad was worried about the engine as it kept dying while he drove it, so after saying goodbye to Frau Renn er and promising to send her a postcard from HK, as well as some other guests, we packed up the car and dad drove to an Opel garage.  Fortunately the trouble wasn’t serious – some screw needed tightening which the mechanic did and he didn’t even charge dad for his work!

Dad took a secondary road to Heidelberg which wound along the Rhine and then into wine country, where we saw lots of vineyards and places where they made wines, all ending in “-heim” ?

We stopped for lunch at Nackenheim and then continued on our way to Heidelberg, where dad drove around looking for a nice gasthaus to stay at.

Dad stopped at the Parkhotel Haarlass on Ziegelhäuser Strasse and decided that this was perfect as not only did it have a huge car park but the River Neckar was just across the road, so he booked us in and we all headed up to them with our suitcases ?

Heidelberg is situated in the Rhine Rift Valley, mainly on the left bank of the lower part of the River Neckar, bordered by the Königsstuhl and Gaisberg mountains. The Heiligenberg mountain rises on the right bank of the river. Heidelberg is among the warmest regions of Germany and there are almond and fig trees; there is also an olive tree in Gaisbergstraße.

According to the blurb about Heidelberg, there is a wild population of African rose-ringed parakeets, and a wild population of Siberian swan geese, which can be mainly seen on the islands in the River Neckar near Bergheim, but we never saw any when we visited

Dad thought we should all walk to the Stadtmitte (town centre) until he saw big, black clouds on the horizon so we all bundled back into the car and drove there!

We circled around in the city centre while it rained and then headed for the Schloss Heidelberg, where we parked and had a walk around, as the rain stopped (thank goodness)!  Beautiful views from the walls and the air seemed like it was refreshed by the rain – so clean and fresh!

When we had enough wandering around the walls we headed back into the car and dad drove to Universitätsplatz, parked and we wandered around the square. Mom bought some cherries while dad got some Agfa film, then we found a place to have dinner.  We all went full German – schnitzel und bratwurst – and I enjoyed eating everything off my plate as I was starving after all that wandering ?

After we finished dinner, dad drove us along the bank of the river before heading back to the hotel. Once we kids had our showers and crashed, the oldies stayed up at their window, watching the activity on the river.

 

 

As we stayed in Freudenstadt for over a month and did a lot of things with Valia and Helga when they were there, I made a new page for all the happenings so please just click on the link below.

Freudenstadt ~ June 5 – July 7

 

France ~ July 8-15

We left Freudenstadt at 10:15 and made our way down the pass to Kehl. Dad was saying the scenery was much like Switzerland – beautiful valleys, high peaks and forests as far as the eye could see!

We got to Kehl around noon and the border formalities were very brief. They didn’t question dad, they didn’t stamp the passports, they just asked for the carnet (Carnet de Passages en Douane), stamped that and waved us through.

When we got to Strasbourg, dad parked opposite the Cathedral and we went to a brasserie and had escalopes for lunch and mom and dad noticed immediately how high the food prices were in France compared to other countries ?

We then got back into the car and headed to Nancy, arriving at 4:30pm.  Got a couple of double rooms in a hotel but they were on the top floor so were terribly hot when we entered them.  Undeterred, we dumped our suitcases on the beds and headed out to Place Stanislas to find somewhere for dinner.  Had sausages then headed back to the hotel to crash.

The next day we went back to Place Stanislas for dad to take a photo as it was pretty impressive, mom bought baguettes, jambon (ham) and candy, then we got back into the car and headed off to Paris!

Stopped to eat the baguettes and jambon for breakfast, then later for lunch, and finally got into the city and found our way to Hotel Martha in the 16th arrondissement.

With its ornate 19th century buildings, large avenues, prestigious schools, museums and various parks, the arrondissement has long been known as one of French high society’s favorite places of residence. The 16th arrondissement hosts several large sporting venues, including: the Parc des Princes, which is the stadium where Paris Saint-Germain football club plays its home matches; Roland Garros Stadium, where the French Open tennis championships are held; and Stade Jean-Bouin, home to the Stade Français rugby union club. The Bois de Boulogne, the second-largest public park in Paris (behind only the Bois de Vincennes), is also located in this arrondissement.

We girls were on the 4th floor while mom and dad took a room on the 5th floor and once settled, we walked to Rue Daru for borscht and piroshki at A la ville de Petrograd.  After we finished and wandered out, we found a place called Daru, which had a menu full of wonderful Russian food!

Walked along the Champs Élysées, window shopping and looking at the crowds, and dad said that the city looked even more attractive than it did four years ago! Lindy was mooning and sighing, wishing she’d meet a gorgeous Frenchman to take her out in the City of Love! ?

Wednesday, July 10, dawned bright but cool and we didn’t do very much. Had a stroll along Boulevard Haussmann in the afternoon then rested until 8:30pm then we went out, found a restaurant and had dinner before going back to the hotel to crash!

The next day we went to Les Invalides to see Napoleon’s Tomb and then we headed to Daru for lunch.  The atmosphere there wasn’t pleasant – mom and dad couldn’t put their finger on it – so we agreed that we didn’t want to return after we finished our meal.

Drove to Versailles and went through the palace again and we all agreed that it wasn’t as interesting the second time around, and it was so expensive! When dad bought some bottles of water for us, he had to pay ‘service’, as if he’d been in a restaurant and was served by a waiter, and then when we sat down at a table outside, he had to pay 10 Francs for each chair we sat on! ?

Going back to Paris, we gave a lift to a New Zealand student called Mr Thomson who was visiting from Munich.  Had dinner at the restaurant in Hotel Martha and then we headed to our room to sleep!

On Friday, July 12, we drove to Sacré-Cœur, a church, or rather a basilica, which was built on top of a hill called the Butte Montmartre and occupies a commanding position over Paris. We had lunch nearby, then walked along the streets of Montmartre which, at the time, was an area full of artists, but after a while we all got bored so headed back to the car and drove back to the Martha.

Mom and dad went for a stroll along the Champs Élysées then stopped at a café for a coffee and enjoyed watching the people pass by ?

They came back and we all had dinner at the Martha, then mom and dad got spruced up, kissed us goodnight and headed off to the Palais Garnier Opéra House. Dad parked at the Place Vendôme and they walked along Rue de la Paix to the opera.

The first number was Symphonie Fantastique and dad wrote that it didn’t impress them much and the choreography was unusual – a mixture of classical and modern dance.

The second number was “Entre Deux Rondes” with Liane Daydé and they enjoyed it much more, as Mlle Daydé was graceful, relaxed and created a good impression with the audience.

The third number was Études set to the Czerny Studies and dad said that it was really interesting as it showed the progress of a dancer, starting with ABC and culminating in the most difficult pas. The work at the barre exposed the ruggedness of the corps de ballet!

On the way home they drove through the Place de la Concorde and daddy said that he thought driving through Picadilly (in London) was a joke but Paris was more of a challenge! Of course it was more difficult driving a right hand car in a left hand car country ?

Had a very lazy day and in the afternoon it started to pour so all in all a pretty unexciting day apart from the fact that someone broke our car’s aerial and mom got some lovely hors d’oeuvres, which we had before going down for dinner at the restaurant.

The next was Sunday, July 14 – Bastille Day! We got up early and went to the Place de l’Etoile to watch the parade. The weather was fine and cool, there were hundreds of people there and the mood was festive ?

Dad was surprised to see senior police officers smoking on the job and he said the marching of the troops was pretty bad compared to the British parades but he did enjoy seeing the Bedouins on their horses with their swords drawn.

Went back to the Martha for lunch then the oldies went to their room for a siesta and Lindy and I just read in our room.

At 4pm we went out for a cup of tea then walked to the Eiffel Tower, made our way to the Seine and watched the crowds on the banks, then walked to Rond-Point des Champs-Élysées. Passed Christian Dior’s store at 30 ave Montaigne before getting back on the Champs Élysées and making our way back to the Martha.

Poor old mom, she had to start packing suitcases and got all hot and bothered when she couldn’t shut the cases.  Then the fireworks started and dad said he was sorry we weren’t staying one more day so that we could have gone out to enjoy the fireworks instead of packing! ?

1957 Bastille Day parade marching down the Champs-Élysées

We left Hotel Martha at 10 and it was pretty easy getting out of Paris. Took about 45 minutes to leave the city limit and that included time spent at the gas station, filling up and checking oil and water. Oh the things people used to do for drivers way back when!!

Drove through Porte d’Italie, past Orly to Fontainebleau where we stopped and took a walk around the château. There were so many fish swimming around in the lake and the gardens were well kept, like Versailles.

The road to Dijon was interesting and varied and for lunch we stopped the car for a ‘piquenique‘ ? We got to Dijon at 5 and dad wanted to look for a hotel but apparently we three women shouted that we wanted to carry on further. Dad was tired so mom took over the wheel and the naughty girl was sprung overtaking on a double line so she was stopped and fined 900 Francs ?

We finally decided to stop for the night when we got to Dole, Louis Pasteur’s birthplace! We were amazed that people still lived in houses which would have been around 300 years old and hadn’t done anything to modernise them inside!

Dad found a decent hotel and we all piled into our rooms, had dinner in the hotel then went upstairs and we all fell fast as we were quite exhausted!

Daddy got up early in the morning and got the car out of the garage, then enjoyed watching the fishermen in the canal getting their catches. He went back to the hotel, paid the bill and was pleased to find it was very reasonable. Had breakfast and then we got in the car and headed towards the Swiss border.

The scenery was gorgeous and the road gradually went higher and higher and all of a sudden we were at the border!

 

Switzerland ~ July 16-26

Drove all the way through Neuchâtel to Marin, where we stopped for lunch at Hôtel du Poisson. Dad decided we should stay the night there so he booked a couple of rooms and after lunch we went for a walk to the lake.

Our walk continued through St Blaise, where we stopped at a café for a drink then took a trolley bus to the centre of the town and stopped to listen to a jazz band before heading back to the hotel. Had dinner then we all went to bed feeling very tired.

The weather was awful the next day, raining cats and dogs, so mom and dad went to Neuchâtel to cash some money then paid the hotel’s bill before we packed up the car and headed off.

We stopped at Grandson for lunch and by then the weather had cleared up, so the rest of the journey to Lausanne was an enjoyable drive.  When we got to the city, we drove around looking for hotels but then daddy thought it’d be a better idea to park the car and find a hotel on foot, so we parked in a car park and started our search.

Dad reluctantly settled on Hotel d’Etoile so put our suitcases in our rooms then went to find a barber for dad and a hairdresser for mom.  That done, we wandered around the town looking for a Vauxhall dealer while buying shoes for Lindy and film for daddy.  I don’t think we were successful in our search so we had dinner at some restaurant then trudged back to the hotel to crash.

Thursday the 18th dawned bright and beautiful, so dad sent some mail off and after paying the hotel bill, we bundled into the car and got onto the road to Montreux. The scenery was beautiful with the other side of Lake Geneva surrounded by huge mountains, some even covered with snow!  The drive was easy and we enjoyed our unhurried journey looking at the magnificent views out of our windows.

Got into Montreux and after checking out at least 11 hotels, dad and mom found a new one with modern comfort on Avenue Nestlé, so they booked two rooms facing the lake.  Dad managed to score a great deal with the prices when he told the madame that they had two children sitting in the car, all tired and worn out!  Hah!  What a champ!! ?

Apparently we were all very happy with the accommodation after, in dad’s words, that dark dump of a place in Lausanne!!  Too bad they didn’t have Trivago or TripAdvisor back in those days – would have saved so much trouble!! ?

Had lunch at the Hungarian Restaurant in the hotel then Lindy and I went for a walk down to the lake while mom and dad when to a photo shop to get some film printed before finding a garage which would service the car.

Got back to the hotel and it was just in the nick of time, as the weather suddenly turned cold and rainy.  We stayed in our rooms until 7 then went down to the restaurant for dinner and then braved the outdoors to walk along the lake shore.  Apparently there were lots of strips of lights along the whole length of the shoreline as well as in the main street, so it gave off a very happy and festive atmosphere.  Stopped at a café for tea and coffee, then headed back to the hotel.

Dad took the car to the garage and came back for breakfast, after which we all walked to collect the car after its servicing.  Piled in our trusty automobile and headed to Geneva.  It had rained hard during the night but the weather cleared during the morning and it made for an easy drive.

Parked the car, had lunch and then went to the GPO where dad sent postcards to various friends. Walked along the main streets looking at the stores and also popping into the British Consulate to enquire if we needed visas to enter Austria.

Geneva was nice enough but it didn’t impress the oldies. Dad said there were lots of private villas hidden in large gardens behind high walls so there was nothing really interesting in the city’s scenery, so to speak.

Headed back to Montreux and decided to take it easy without any more excursions; also the oldies were rather taken aback by the cost of things in Switzerland and didn’t want to be caught short. Had dinner at a small restaurant nearby and as the weather turned lousy, we were all very glad to schlep back to our rooms and crawl into bed.

The next morning mom and Lindy went shopping while daddy and I headed to the lake to see if we could go for a boat ride.  Unfortunately it started raining so we caught a bus to Villeneuve and took a ferry back to Montreux.  Met up with Lindy and mom then had lunch at the same restaurant as we had dinner at last night, before going to Château de Chillon.

The château is built on the island of Chillon, which is at the eastern end of Lake Geneva between Montreux and Villeneuve, and it is the setting of Lord Byron’s poem “The Prisoner Of Chillon” (1816) about François de Bonivard. Byron also carved his name on a pillar of the dungeon.  We all really enjoyed ourselves walking through all the drafty halls and spooky dungeons there!

When we finished exploring the château, we had tea and coffee at a café then walked to the photo shop to pick up dad’s photos and get more films. We stopped for lunch and afterwards daddy, Lindy and I went on a small motorboat that took us to Chillon Island and back, while mom stayed on dry land.  The water was very choppy so we got pretty wet but it was a lot of fun!!

We had dinner at a café opposite Confiserie Zurcher’s and although the hamburger was lousy, there were lots of French fries to fill us up and mom and dad got a glass of Villeneuve wine to try. Dad thought it tasted similar to Neuchâtel wine.  After we finished we wandered to the market which had some little fair on, then went to the pontoon at the front of our hotel.  Sat on the bench and were captivated by the swans doing their night fishing! The other swans were cleaning themselves, preparing for their sleep, while three younger swans were standing in the water, tails sticking up vertically while watching for the movement of the fish!

It was such a lovely atmosphere to sit there watching the swans, listening to the water lapping against the shore with those lovely lights glimmering on the shore and sailing boats creaking and groaning at their moorings.

Sunday morning was awful – lots of rain and wind – so we took a long time at the breakfast bar! We were joined at our table by another young lady, Fräulein Rosemarie Feierling, who presented Lindy and me with a box of chocolates each and asked if Lindy would like to go to the casino with her and her friend that evening!

Good grief!  Can you imagine that happening in this day and age (the 2010s)?  Some strange young lady joins your table and invites your 17 year old daughter to the casino?  She’d probably be accused of being a sex trafficker or Nxivm procurer or worse ?  How times have changed, and not for the better!! ?

By the time we finished our long breakfast it was time for lunch so we walked to Séchaud for a bite to eat. From what I have managed to find out, this was a famous chocolatière – lot of yummy things for the sweet tooth folks in Switzerland, not just Montreux!

The weather stayed rainy and although we tried to take a walk after lunch, it was too cold and wet, so we headed back to the welcoming warmth of our hotel.

Lindy went with Rosemarie and another girl to the cinema and poor old mama had to pack the suitcases, while dad wiped the car clean and I entertained myself with games.  We had dinner at Séchaud then came back to our rooms.  Lindy met with Rosemarie and her friend to go to the casino at 10 so mom and dad played canasta until she returned, at 2am.  I had a lovely hot bath and crawled into bed to sleep!!

As the weather was particularly putrid, dad decided to stay another day in Montreux so we stayed in our room until lunch time when we headed to a café – and this got me stumped as my father wrote (D Kilbee) after that – so I don’t know if he meant that Dorothy Kilbee recommended that café or what!?

Anyhoo, after we ate Lindy joined up with Rosemarie to go for a walk while we went to the GPO to mail a letter and then, as it started to rain again, we headed back to the hotel.

We had dinner at Séchaud and afterward, Rosemarie came up to mom and dad’s room to see slides of our journey from Hong Kong.  She was a really nice, friendly girl whom we all liked and she certainly made Lindy’s stay in Montreux a lot more fun with her presence!

The next morning, Tuesday July 23, was grey and drizzle but it cleared up after breakfast.  We said goodbye to Rosemarie and drove off to Bern at 11.  The road went up and up then ran through some valleys which made our ears pop due to the altitude but it was a very pleasant drive.

We passed through Bulle, which we found out to be the economic centre of the Gruyère region and famous for its Gruyères Museum (Musée Gruérien), a particularly interesting heritage and folk art museum, and turned off the main road to get to Gruyères. This was a very old and picturesque village with an ancient château atop a hill.

We stopped at the Fromagerie de Gruyères (which obviously wasn’t as modern as it is nowadays) and had a look at cheese presses and other interesting things before continuing on our way to Bern via Fribourg. Daddy said he felt much happier seeing all the road signs in German once we passed Fribourg instead of French as he could read them easily!

Arrived at Bern around 1:30 and found a nice restaurant to have lunch. Daddy enquired about pensions in the area and was advised to go to the station and ask there, which we did.  He was told about a small pension, Hotel Alpenblick, on Kasernenstraße, away from the city centre and got two rooms there.

We unloaded our bags into our rooms then drove to the GPO to see if we had any mail waiting for us at the Post Restante. The Post Restante was a service that all GPOs on the Continent offered to people visiting their countries. The office would hold the mail until it was collected by the person or families the letters were addressed to. There were two letters for dad and one for Lindy! Nothing for me or mama – boo!! ☹️

After picking up the letters we went for a wander and bought some cookies and apricots, had a drink at a café then drove back to the hotel.

We weren’t particularly hungry but when we heard there would be liver for dinner, my folks decided we should eat downstairs!! Liver? Ermahgawd!!! ?

We all agreed that the portions in German Switzerland were way bigger than those in the French part, and also cheaper! Nice!  We had a large bowl of soup then a plate with three slices of liver, bacon and potatoes, followed by fruit salad and cream! ?

After dinner mom and I played Canasta, Lindy wrote letters and dad was making sure his cameras were loaded and ready for the next day.

The next day, a Wednesday, dawned bright and sunny so after breakfast we went down to the centre to watch the display of the Clock Tower, known as the Zytglogge, at noon.  We were all pretty disappointed with the show as we’d imagined it would have been a bit more elaborate in its display.

Had lunch at a café in Marketplatz then went to see the bears at the Bärengraben (bear pit).  The enclosure was pretty basic – concrete with a wooden pole sticking up with sticks protruding out for the bears to climb up and down if they wanted to. Poor little buggers ?  But the bigger bear of the two made us laugh by standing on his hind legs and turning around!

Certainly in 2013 the Bärengraben looks a heck of a lot better and far more fun for the bears that are there!

After watching the bears, we went to the bank for the oldies to cash some cheques, then mom wanted to do some shopping and then dad drove to Rosengarten, where we sat and enjoyed looking at the panorama of this really old city. Rosengarten (Rose Garden) is one of Bern’s most beautiful parks, offering an unrivaled view of the Old Town and Aare Loop.

Both Lindy and daddy were feeling really tired so we came back to the hotel and they both went to sleep until dinner time.  We went down to the restaurant for dinner then came back to our rooms and everyone went to sleep.

Had a lousy breakfast and left the Alpenblick without any regrets. One thing dad did mention was the men’s loo. There were just partitions between the loos, nothing solid, so the poor guy was embarrassed to use it!  I now know where I get my hang-ups about using the public loos, etc!  Thanks dad!!  ?

We drove to Luzern along an easy and picturesque road running through villages and fields. Most of the houses were pictures in themselves and dad was mad with himself for not stopping and taking a photo of one of those houses for posterity’s sake! He did stop somewhere for us to have a drink and we had our first taste of “gilfel”, a crescent-shaped pastry with marzipan stuffing.  Dad had 3 in one go practically – talk about sweet tooth!! ?

We got to Luzern but it didn’t impress us so dad carried on to Zürich.  A few miles before we got to Zürich the road became really first class so mom continued to the city, and the scenery reminded us all of France.  We stopped at a few hotels en route but there was nothing that dad or mom liked about them until we came across Hotel Krone, a big, clean, modern place so dad booked one double room and two single ones.  Apparently I was not very keen to sleep in the room by myself but Lindy was thrilled to be on her own!

We went for a walk after leaving our bags in our rooms and stopped for sandwiches and drinks at a café, as we were all pretty hungry after the drive.

Walked along Bahnhofstraße (the “-straße” is how the Germans write the word “-strasse“, which stands for “street”!) then sat by the lake, where we were entertained by a young black poodle being silly with its owner ?

Came back to the hotel via a street which ran parallel to the Quai where all the bars and salons were situated and by the time we got back to the hotel, we were pretty pooped.

Had dinner and then we went to our rooms and, me being a brave soul, slept all by myself in my own room!!

There are some black and white photos of Zürich in the 1950s which will give you a good idea of what the city looked like when we were visiting HERE.

The next day after breakfast we went to the Russische Orthodoxe Kirsch (Russian Orthodox Church) and could smell the incense from the road. There was a single voice intoning hymns and when we went inside, we saw it was just a two room flat.

The front room had candles on a table and some bibles and the church was in the second room. There was a priest and a one-man choir but the service was conducted nonetheless.  Dad thought the priest didn’t look particularly friendly and when we wandered back into the front room, dad saw the bibles were printed in Moscow so he said we should leave!  We were not going to participate in a church which gave its allegiance to the Soviet Union’s Patriarch.

Drove to a park by Zürichhorn but dad was concerned about a rattle which came from the boot.  At first he thought it might have been the boxes of slides that were moving around when the car was in motion but it turned out it was something from the car itself.  We took the car to GM by the Opera and left it there to be checked.

Walked along Bahnhofstraße, had lunch at Alfa Café then went back to the hotel to rest. Picked up the car at 5 and was told there were some loose screws which hadn’t been tightened by the GM mechanics in Montreux!!  Lindy had stayed in the hotel so mom, dad and I went for a drive and stopped for coffee at a garden café where all the waitresses and waiters seemed to be over 50 years old! ?

Dad treated us to a ride in a snazzy motorboat, which zipped around the lake and gave us an enjoyable break from our routine.  Got back to the hotel and had dinner then went for a walk along the promenade.  The city looked very cheerful with bright lights twinkling and floodlit churches and other buildings. There was Swiss music coming from the cafés and the lake looked very festive with brightly lit motorboat pontoons on the calm waters.  Very restful and enjoyable to see!

Came back to the hotel and I cracked! I couldn’t bear the thought of sleeping all alone in my room so my poor papa had to sit in my room until I fell asleep!  What a wimp ?

Austria ~ July 27 – September 2

Dad went shopping for colour films before breakfast – I’m sure none of you kids can imagine what it was like to go to a film shop and purchase rolls of Ilford, Kodachrome and Ektachrome films for one’s camera.  Black and white film, as well as colour films. ?

We had to put them in the appropriate camera and wind them to start at 1 before taking photos.  Then when the film was finished, we had to wind the film up into the roll, take it out of the camera and put it into its container before taking it to the film store to be processed. AND, if you made a bad shot or three in some country you were passing through, you wouldn’t know until you saw the printed picture so there was no going back to take it again properly!! ?

There was no instant gratification available in the 20th century, unlike these days in the 21st century!!

This article about film might give you an idea of what things were like for us oldies ..

CAMERA; AN EVALUATION OF 21 COLOR FILMS

After we all had breakfast, we loaded up the car and drove away from Hotel Krone and Zurich in the pouring rain! Our journey took us via Winterthur and St Gallen, and only stopping at Rorschach for lunch.

When we reached St Margrethen, the border town, dad changed all his remaining francs for schillings and we passed through the formalities quickly then continued on our way to Bregenz.

Just our luck, the city was celebrating the Bregenzer Festspiele, a performing arts festival which was held every July, and all the hotels were full to the brim!! ?

By this time poor papa was feeling tired and was anxious to find rooms for the night so he stopped at a Gasthaus to enquire if they had any rooms available.  They didn’t but the owner gave dad the address of Josef Deuring at Feldmoosstrasse and said they might have space for us!

It took some time to find our way to Feldmoosstrasse but we finally found the house, but they only had one double room available ☹️  After talking to Frau Deuring, dad managed to persuade her to free up a single room as well, which he thought Lindy would enjoy being in, while I slept in the room with mom and dad.

Apparently when we girls saw the room we were going to be in, there were long faces all around but dad was tired and said he couldn’t care less if we weren’t happy that the room didn’t have a basin! Can you imagine it – the four of us sat miserably in that room like a bunch of refugees, our mood as dark as the sky was outside!!!  After our little pity party was over, we got in the car and daddy drove to the centre, where we had dinner at a Stube (a Bavarian student-type restaurant) then came back and crashed.

Sunday, July 28, dawned wet and miserable ? After having breakfast, we piled into the car and dad drove through Bregenz and up into the mountain heading for some Fluh.

It was a very old, interesting place but as it was raining hard, we weren’t about to get out of the car to explore! From what I can find out, the village Fluh is located at 743m above sea level and is known as the sun terrace of the state capital Bregenz! However there seem to be several “Fluhs” around Bregenz so I have no idea if we went to the village called Fluh or to another Fluh! ?

So down we went again and as Bregenz lies on the southeastern shores of Lake Constance, dad drove to the Promenade where he parked and we managed to see a bit of that area when the rain stopped for a short time. Managed to find a nice hotel to have lunch before we continued along the Promenade.

It was such a shame that the rain wouldn’t hold off for longer as the moment it started to pour, we had to hurry back to the car and sit there, watching the small steamers discharging holiday crowds from Germany and Switzerland.  When we got bored with that, dad headed back to Feldmoosstrasse to our rooms and mom and dad had a siesta.  God knows what Lindy and I were doing during that time – I don’t suppose I would have been in the double room with them while they were sleeping so perhaps I was reading in Lindy’s room?!!

Dad slept until 4:30, while mom didn’t wake up until 6pm but they both felt much better after their snooze! We bundled into the car again and dad took us to the Festspiele then back to the centre where he parked and we all trundled out and about.  Had a fish dinner at the Hotel Central and while we were eating, daddy said it was such a shame that the weather was so bad that we couldn’t wander around and explore this interesting old city!  They accepted three types of currency here – Austrian schillings, Swiss francs and German marks, which was really so unusual back in those days.

When we returned to the Deurings’ house, we were pleasantly surprised to hear the family singing Tyrolian songs accompanied by someone playing the zither.

Frau Deuring banged on our door at 7 to wake us the next morning, which was Monday, July 29, so we had our breakfast and had the car all packed and ready to go by 9am! Fortunately it wasn’t raining, just overcast, but it slowly cleared up.

We had to follow an umleitung (a diversion) to Götzis and it was a reasonably good and straight road running alongside the railway, which was on the Swiss side. It took us up into the mountain ridge through the valley and the view was just stupendous!  We passed through some incredibly picturesque villages before we came to Feldkirch, a big place, which reminded my father of Bad Wildbad, a town we visited when living in Freudenstadt.

The ascent to Arlberg Pass was quite sudden and steep — it’s a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2,811m (9,222ft) above sea level — and they were doing road repairs in the most awkward place! ?

We got up to the summit before we knew it and daddy stopped there to take a few snaps of the snow covered mountains. The descent was steep and there were more road repairs in two more places so everyone had to drive at 10mph (16kph), so very slow going!

We stopped for lunch at the Posthotel in Landeck and dad was pretty furious that he got stung for 165 schillings for a single chicken lunch!

Arrived at Innsbruck at 2:30 and tried a few hotels but they were either too expensive or full up! Feeling a bit defeated, dad drove to the GPO and picked up 8 letters from the Poste Restante and then drove to Hotel Neue Post but they, too, were full up ☹️

When daddy was getting into the car a woman approached and asked if we wanted two double rooms. Dad said yes and she said she had rooms to let! She looked a bit odd, almost as if she was suffering from nervous shock, and we were all a bit worried about going to her house but dad decided to give her a chance and invited her into the car. I remember her and recall that she used to say, “nervös, nervös” (which means nervous).  It was only 12 years since WW11 ended so perhaps she was suffering from PTSD?

She directed us to Friedhofstraße 15, a large building opposite a cemetery.  Actually “friedhof” is German for cemetery so Friedhofstraße means Cemetery Street ?

It really was kind of scary in retrospect – what if she or her husband had been a serial killer?! No one would have known we had gone to her flat so if we’d all disappeared overnight, Balia, the Yatskins, Sashka and other HK friends would be none-the-wiser ?  In one poof the family Parks would have been wiped off the face of the earth! Thankfully that didn’t happen ?

We all went up to the 4th floor and found a clean, 2 room flat with a bathroom and kitchen so daddy said we’d take it, at least for that night, so paid the lady the rent. Later her husband, Herr Urabl, came around to introduce himself and he seemed a really nice guy so we felt much more secure in our flat! He worked for the State Railways and the whole block of flats was for their employees.

We went out while it was still raining but it cleared up by the time we got to the city’s centre and it was fun to park the car and walk along familiar streets which we remembered from four years ago. Had dinner then went back to the flat and everyone but me felt off-colour so we all crashed in our beds for the night.

The next morning mom was still feeling rotten – weak and giddy – so after having lunch dad took her to a doctor who fortunately spoke good English.  He prescribed some medicine, which dad got, then took us for a drive to Schwaz Silver Mine, which was 30-odd kms away, and after having a look around there, we came back, had dinner and then went back to the flat to crash as we were all pretty exhausted.

We didn’t do very much during the day as dad had to take the car to the GM dealership for a check-up, and picked it up later in the afternoon.  We drove to the Tiroler Landestheater, parked the car outside the front and found a nearby keller (the word means basement/cellar and is usually used to describe a German restaurant) where Lindy and I had a pretty good paprika schnitzel while mom and dad had chicken risotto.  Got to the theatre and watched three ballets they had on – “Die Brautnacht“, “American in Paris” and “Hamlet” – the first one was more like an operetta or even a pantomime than a ballet but it was easy on the eyes, the 2nd one was just okay and the last one, Hamlet, was very effective but wasn’t a ballet in any sense. They made good use of the projections for the backdrop effect, and the orchestra was good, complete with harp!

Came back home tired again so it was good to crash into bed and sleep!

Thursday was August 1 so we all wished mom a happy namesday and then had to go to the German Consulate to get transit visas for our stay. Then dad drove to the Nordkettenbahn, parked, and we joined a fairly large crowd of sweaty people to get onto the funicular up to Hungerburg.  Had to wait 1.5 hours at  for our turn to get in our cabin and we were packed in like cattle ?

Mom was still feeling lousy and dad was watching her anxiously in case she keeled over in the cabin, thinking that perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea for us all to visit a mountain! When we got to the top, dad went to the booking office and managed to book places for us on a car which was leaving in 10 minutes, rather than getting down 2 hours later.

He told mom and she blew her top! Poor dad – he felt that he could do nothing right!!  We went for a short walk and I found a patch of snow, so we thought that was rather special!! It was such a shame that we didn’t get to enjoy the visit as the weather was perfect and it would have been a great experience.

We went into the city to buy some sausage, cheese and bread and we were twice approached by children and adults who offered us accommodation so I guess that was a thing that people did to generate income.  Had our dinner and then we all went to sleep.

Fortunately mom was feeling better the next day so she started with washing the clothes, Lindy wanted to write letters, and I went to the GPO with dad. When we got back to the flat, we all wanted to go exploring so we piled into the car and drove through some narrow streets towards the mountains.  Found ourselves at Schloss Ambras, a Renaissance castle but it was closed so we drove to the Imperial Palace (Kaiserliche Hofburg) and had a wander around.

After lunch we went to a milkbar where we were fascinated by the equipment they had to make incredible splits and shakes! They had a contraption which they put whole bananas in milk and mushed them all up.  A machine for whipped cream which filled glasses with beautiful ribbons of cream! It really made us feel like country yokels watching these new gadgets and ordered big splits to have!!  Even mom ordered one – a fruchtbecher, which translate as a fruit cup, and which was so big that she couldn’t finish it!! ?

After gorging on the ice creams, we tottered to the Tiroler Landestheater to get tickets for tomorrow night’s program, «Der Zarewitsch» (The Tsarevich), an operetta in three acts by Franz Lehár, then went to the Breinölzl Gasthof to reserve a table to see Tyrolean entertainment that night.

Came back to the flat to rest and at 8:30 we headed to the Gasthof, which turned out to be a theatre which had tables for drinks but no food. Good thing we weren’t hungry!! ?  The show was very interesting and gave us practically every aspect of Tyrolean entertainment. The place was packed and dad mentioned there was a reek of stale perspiration, which made mom feel ill again.

 

After our wander through the museum, we found a restaurant and had lunch. When dad got the bill, he checked it and found they had added on extra schillings, like the restaurant we went to the day before did as well. My father was not impressed and assumed it was a thing restaurants did in Innsbruck to visitors!Had a fairly quiet day the next day, a Saturday, and took a tour around the Museum of Tyrolean Arts (Tiroler Volkskunstmuseum) which is considered one of the finest regional heritage museums in Europe. Located next to the Hofkirche and across from the Hofburg in the Altstadt section of Innsbruck, the museum contains the most important collection of cultural artifacts from the Tyrol region. [Source: Wikipedia]

The city was bustling with crowds and dad made a wry remark about there being too many tourists around ☺️

That evening we went to see «Der Zarewitsch» and it was okay but nothing like the fun and gaiety we enjoyed when seeing Emmerich Kálmán’s «Gräfin Mariza» (Countess Maritza) during our last leave which was full of happy Hungarian gypsy music! The Tsarevich is a brilliant operatic adaptation of Polish novelist Gabryela Zapolska’s eponymous historical play which was first staged in 1927. However being about Peter the Great’s son, it was never going to be lighthearted and cheery! Oh well!  It was an experience nevertheless ?

Big surprise on Sunday morning! Dad moved over from his side of the bed to cuddle mom and “kerplunk”, the bed collapsed ?  I was cuddling mom on the other side so perhaps that’s why the bed broke? ?‍♀️ Frau Urabl  didn’t seem at all surprised at the news and said she’d get her husband to fix it.

We got into the car at 11 and had no idea where to go so dad drove to the other side of the River Inn and driving along the road there, with all the private houses behind gates, reminded us all of Haarlas in Heidelberg. Before we knew it, we were headed towards the Brenner Pass so stopped for lunch at the Schönberghof. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous – huge mountains with green slopes dotted with red-roofed houses.

After lunch we continued on the road and it was in great condition, with just a gradual ascent up to the Pass, and right after we passed Brennersee, a lake 1,310 metres above sea level, we arrived at the Italian border.

We turned back and stopped at the lake to take photos then headed back to Innsbruck, stopping at the café behind the milk bar for tea and cakes.  The cakes were good but not a patch on the ones we had in Freudenstadt.

Went back to the flat and poor mom had to start packing the suitcases, while Lindy and I played Canasta, then when it was time for dinner dad took us to a beer garden where we had a lovely meal – gulyas (goulash) for me and Lindy, and mom and dad had a Hungarian gypsy dish called «ziganer», and we enjoyed listening to a Tyrolean band while we ate.

We left Innsbruck on Monday, August 5, at 9:30 and the road we were on went through some rather monotonous countryside running through the valley.  It was also occasionally fast then slow, due to repairs, and just before the German border the scenery changed and was magnificent to look at.

We were keen to visit Berchtesgaden going through that little pocket of Germany but our visa was just for a two hour trip so dad didn’t want to chance us spending more time than we were allowed there.  As it happened, it just took half-an-hour to drive through and it was 2pm when we entered Salzburg!

Didn’t have much luck finding a hotel – the ones dad tried were either full or too expensive – so when we dropped into a small bar for a drink, dad asked the proprietor if he had any rooms. He said he didn’t but told dad to try the Bavaria Café and gave dad the address, Bayernstraße 34.  We got back into the car, drove there and managed to get two adjoining rooms! Yay us!! ?

The hotel was run by a lady called Frau Fries (pronounced “Freece”) and her husband’s mother, called Oma (German and Dutch for grandmother) Fries, while her husband, Karl, was a dentist. They also had a gorgeous German Shepherd called Wolfie, so I was in my element! I was thrilled to be allowed to play with him – he was such an intelligent and gentle dog ❤️

We rested until 7 when it was time to go down for dinner. We each had large plates of schnitzel, which tasted delicious, and after dinner dad got into conversation with a German fellow who was also a guest there. He told us that in Innsbruck they have currents of cold and warm air in summer  which makes people feel so depressed and apathetic! The condition is called Föhn and affects so many people that the university suspends classes as students just don’t have the energy to study ?

After dinner we went for a wander through the old town and loved the way it looked as all the churches and castles were floodlit.

We ladies all slept late so daddy went downstairs for a cup of coffee on his own.  When we finally woke up, we went down for a late breakfast then shuffled out to do some sightseeing.

Saw Mozart’s Wohnhaus (residence) on Makartplatz, which had two-thirds of its building destroyed by Allied bombing during WW2.  There was a beautiful church opposite – it was called Dreifaltigkeitskirche (Holy Trinity Church) – and was built in the Baroque style, but we decided we wouldn’t wander around inside the church.  Instead, we went to the Zum Eulenspiegel for lunch

In 1949, the owner at the time Hans Grassl, and architect, Hochreither, renovated the 500-year-old patrician home into an original restaurant with unique atmosphere and style. The dining rooms on the second floor represent a medieval residence, ‘Eulenspiegel’s private and intimate apartments’. The charming individual dining rooms with a delightful view over the city of Salzburg and the rushing Salzach River consist of ‘the study’, ‘the wine room’, ‘the lady’s room’ and also a cosy little bar. The comfortable dining rooms with original wooden furniture, full of local colours, carved wood, weapons and open fireplaces will impress and please you. There is a real cosiness which invites you to enjoy your meal. We should also not forget to mention the lovely and original interior artwork by the Salzburgian painters Wilhelm Kaufmann and Leonhard Stemeseder. [Source: zum Eulenspiegel Restaurant website]

It was an experience but not something we would all want to do again.

We went back to the Bavaria Café and everyone decided to lie down for a siesta, including me. At 7 we all went out again, dad parked the car and we trooped over the bridge to the right side of the river. Had a lovely dinner at the Mündurhof Keller and then we walked around the streets to get a feel of the old city. The town looked extraordinarily beautiful at night.

Poor old mom was feeling really bad – pain in the heart, giddy, pins and needles in her legs and arms and she had black circles around her eyes.  Daddy was sure she had heart problems and felt so worried about her so told her to stay in bed the next morning.  She poo-poohed the idea but promised to see a doctor if she didn’t feel better. Typical of mother! ?

Mom felt better the next day (Wednesday. August 7) so we decided to check out the gardens at Hellbrunn but when we got there, we saw the ticket office was closed until 1pm. The grounds looked interesting through the gates but as it was a horribly hot day, we decided we wouldn’t hang around so dad drove us to the Hellbrunn Schloss. It was 1pm when we got there and when dad saw the queue for the lift, he decided we’d visit another day. Hungry and tired, we went to the Jugoslav Stube which was nearby and ordered our first taste of Yugoslavian food! I think it was pretty awesome but I never had a sweet tooth so passed on the baklava, which dad ordered.

The oldies had another siesta after lunch while Lindy wrote letters and I read a book, then at dinner time we went downstairs for our meal then out to Grand Café Winkler, which was at the top of Mönchsberg in the old town.  We had to get in a lift to get to the top of the mountain and once we were all seated at the café, the view was just incredible! We looked down at the lights of cars, weaving through the narrow streets, the lit-up bridge across the Salzach and the mountains beyond – we sat there spellbound, not wanting to take our eyes off the scenery!! ?

The next day we went back to the Hellbrunn Schloss and daddy remarked how much nicer it was from the outside than inside. We had to take a tour guide to take us around the palace, something we weren’t too keen on but as dad said, we learned more with a guide than if we traipsed around without one ?

Had lunch at the Jugoslav Stube again but this time dad and I had Weiner Schnitzel while mom and Lindy had something which sounded like Balkanska something or other! How brave were they ? Daddy said the Jugoslav chap who was sitting at the next table reminded him of Olofinski – his voice and mannerisms were so similar!

Went back to the hotel and rested till 5, then we all went out again. All the shops on our side of the Salzach so we crossed the bridge and mom and dad went for haircuts on the other side!  After that we wandered around the Mirabell Gardens, which were very nice and which had a lot of statues scattered amongst the plants.

We heard a choir practising in the Konzertgebäude (Concert Hall) … Salzburg seems to be a city infused with musicians and singers as there was music coming from almost every house! My father was in 7th Heaven!! ?

Had dinner at the Münchner Keller and had a really nice, filling dinner before getting back to the hotel at 9:30. Lindy and I went to sleep but poor old mama had to start packing again! ?

The next day – Friday, August 9 – we said goodbye to Frau Fries and left the Bavaria Café at 8:30, on the road heading to Bad Ischl, and were pleasantly surprised at the beautiful countryside. We went through Ebensee, a market town which was surrounded by three picturesque lakes – the Traunsee, the Offensee and the Langbathsee.

I must say I got a shock when I went to research Ebensee. The first link on Google was about Ebensee Concentration Camp! I very much doubt my father was aware of that fact as he was waxing lyrical about all the beautiful houses that we passed which sat on the shores of the various lakes!

After passing through Ebensee, the scenery became monotonous and with the heat and the sun shining into dad’s eyes when he was driving, he was getting pretty exhausted.  Stopped for lunch at the “Goldener Ochsen” (Golden Ox) just past Linz, then carried on, arriving in Vienna at 4pm.

“Okay, now where?” he asked, and we ladies just shrugged, having no idea! After thinking for a while, he decided we should go to Hotel Alserbach which was on Alserbachstraße. Found our way to the hotel and, as luck would have it, there were no rooms available ?

The staff recommended a new place, Hotel Waldheim, which was situated in Wienerwald (the Vienna Woods) and a fellow offered to drive us there – a journey of seven miles from Vienna. As it turned out, the hotel was nice and just the sort of place we would have picked, so dad took two double rooms. Unfortunately they could only give us the rooms for two nights, which was a bummer!

After getting settled in our rooms, mom and dad decided they’d go for a walk to see what was around the hotel. They walked along a quiet, narrow path with a lot of trees on either side full of apples, pears, plums and some other fruit dad couldn’t identify. He said it was like being in a very well-to-do village.

The next morning as we all went downstairs for breakfast, the song on the radio was “Vienna Woods“, which dad said was most appropriate for the occasion!  After breakfast mom and dad left us and drove to the city to do some banking and also leave some film for development. After that they went to the Poste Restante window at the GPO to picked up the mail which they had kept for us.

They were keen to find another hotel where we could stay when we had to leave the Wienerwald one so they walked around, going into all the hotels they came across but every one said they were all full up!

The folks mentioned to us that they could see a lot of bombed-out buildings from the war years and buildings which had their windows blown out but were still standing. The city just didn’t have an air of beauty to it – it looked grey and depressing to my folks and it was a fairly sobering reminder of the fact that the war had ended just 12 years earlier!

We went down for dinner and both mom and dad said how disappointed they were that we could only stay two nights at the hotel as it was just lovely and quiet and restful! Still, it was what it was ?

Just before breakfast the Manager took dad to another pension called, would you believe, “Wiener Wald“, which was down a narrow, bumpy, unpaved road but had rooms to let so once we finished packing up, we put our suitcases in the car and drove to Pension Wiener Wald. We dropped our suitcases in our rooms and then dad headed onto Höhenstraße towards the Kahlenberg.  The view must be fantastic on a clear day but when we were there, it was noon and the air was hazy, so there were no fantastic vistas to oooh and aaaah over!  So sad, however we were impressed to see how the mighty Danube cut through the city like a broad ribbon!

Was very interested to find out that find that the Kahlenberg was actually made famous by Polish King Sobiesky, who marched over the Kahlenberg with his army in 1683 and liberated Vienna at the very last minute from the Turkish occupiers.

Dad drove into the city and took us to a famous restaurant for lunch. The Griechenbeisl is a bistro in the suburb of Stephansdom which dates from 1447 and frequented by Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert and Strauss among other luminaries!

The photo my father took doesn’t show the sign for “Der liebe Augustin” very clearly so I found this picture (on the right), which is from Wikimedia ?

According to the Griechenbeisl’s website – «Today guests can enjoy the delightful music of a zither player in the same room as the famous ‘Der liebe Augustin’ sang and performed with his bagpipe in the 17th century. Every Viennese child knows the songs and stories about ‘Der liebe Augustin’ who fell into a plaque pit while intoxicated with alcohol, and yet survived.»

Enjoyed our lunch then went for a wander along the empty streets, stopped at the Stadtpark (Wiener Kursal) and listened to the music.

Went back to our pension at 6:30 and had cold cuts, while the oldies enjoyed some Austrian wine with their dinner. Daddy talked to the owner and his wife and they all had a very interesting chat while Lindy and I headed for bed.

The next day the owner showed dad his collection of beer mugs and antiques and was thrilled when dad played a tune on the old grand piano there!

The next day we spent going around the place looking for a hotel which had rooms for us the following day. Lucked out with three hotels but the fourth one promised there would be rooms for us so we quit looking.

Drove to the city and parked at Schwedenplatz, went to Poste Restante to pick up our mail then headed to Deutsches Haus for lunch. Dad really enjoyed their suppenhuhn (chicken soup).

After lunch the oldies did some banking and mailed some film to Balia then we schlepped to the Opera as dad wanted to get tickets for “Die Fledermaus” but he found that they’d all sold out ?

I wonder if that was why dad was so keen to find hotel rooms for us as I can’t imagine why else he was eager to stay in Vienna?!

We drove to two more hotels on Alserbachstraße but they were full so we were all feeling utterly fed up with the whole thing. Dad said that if we strike out tomorrow, Tuesday, then to hell with Vienna. He said we’d go to Wiener Neustadt.

Just as we got back to the pension there was a huge thunderstorm that broke overhead and to make matters worse, we saw a bus full of fat men and women who were visiting Vienna from other cities in Austria.  I’m surprised dad didn’t waggle his finger at the tour guide and accuse him of all our bad luck finding decent accommodation!! ?

We had a lazy breakfast the next day, August 13, then dad settled the bill and we got a big farewell hug from the owner and his wife. We drove to the hotel which had promised us rooms would be available but when we got there, they said there was nothing! That was the last straw! Dad drove to the GPO and asked the Poste Restante fellow to forward all mail to Trieste and then we drove on to Wiener Neustadt.

Daddy had a good old grumble about Vienna, saying how rude so many of the people were, even the waiters who served us in expensive restaurants appeared to look down their noses at us, how dirty the houses and streets are, so to hell with that city!

Drove through Wiener Neustadt but it was too early to stop so we carried on. We passed through Neukirchen without dad knowing we’d gone through then the road went uphill, winding like vermicelli to a lovely place called Semmering.

Daddy drove up to a huge hotel called Grand Hotel Panhans and went in to get rooms and he almost fell over when he was told they were all full up  ?  Apparently the hotel was a “kurort” (a resort) so was full of “bodies”!

Had lunch at a Gasthof then continued on our way. When we got to Kindberg dad stopped at the fancy looking Hotel Gruber and got two rooms, both with baths.

Three generations of the Gruber family owned two adjoining town houses in the main street and initially operated there a butcher’s shop and an inn. Frequent guests of the hotel were the Styrian Governor Josef Krainer sen., as well as the British Foreign Minister and later Prime Minister Anthony Eden (who was there in 1954), also Eleanor Roosevelt, Maxi Böhm and Udo Jürgens.

The hotel looked like a museum inside – wrought iron gates with many items hanging on the walls! We went to our rooms and had long baths, something we all needed after having bird baths in Vienna. After scrubbing ourselves silly, we went downstairs and had dinner in the garden. Although the day was very warm, the evening turned nice and cool so it was very pleasant.

It was surprisingly noisy during the night with many cars driving through Kindberg but we all had a good night. Had a decent breakfast and after dad paid the bill, we got into the car and headed for Graz.

We arrived at 12:30 and dad got two rooms at Hotel Goldener Engel. Daddy wanted to see some old friends from Peking called Kainz so after leaving our suitcases in the rooms, we went to the Police Station and dad explained that he’d like to get in touch with this couple and asked if he could be given their address.  No way dad would have got anything out of the police in this day and age (2019)!!

They told dad that the Mr & Mrs Kainz were at Keplerstraße 34 and dad was happy to see that they lived quite near to the hotel. Before heading to their house, we stopped at Hotel Weitzer for lunch.

When dad knocked on the door and Mrs Kainz answered, she didn’t recognise dad and when Mr Kainz came into the hall, he looked at dad with some recollection but dad had to remind him about them being friends in Peking before he twigged who dad was!

Dad didn’t stay long there as he had to take the car for servicing at GM then walked back to the Kainzes’ flat and chatted to them until it was time to collect the car.

Drove back to the hotel and we had a seriously weird dinner of tea, cookies and bananas!!! ?

The next day was Thursday, August 15, and Mr Kainz came to the hotel at 7:30 to speak to my father. He said that they were so thrown by dad’s surprise presence that he and his wife were almost speechless, not knowing what to talk to him about, and that night neither of them could sleep well.

Poor Mr Kainz was quite emotional and asked that we stay another day in Graz so that they could talk more to daddy. Daddy was undecided and he looked at mom to see what she was thinking and got the impression she wasn’t keen.

Dad felt it was rather unfair that he just dropped in on them out-of-the-blue and just chatted for a couple of hours but then he thought that the only thing they had to talk about was Peking and once that was exhausted, there would be nothing else in common! And to think that my father was in Peking in 1926-1933 – 30 years ago – and there was a world war after that time too!

Looking at the photo of the older Mr Kainz, I wonder if this one, taken in Peking, shows Mr Kainz with daddy when he was 30 years younger? I reckon it was!

He explained to Mr Kainz that he’d only allocated one day to Graz as he didn’t really know if he’d find the Kainzes, and he really couldn’t change our plans. Dad felt dreadful as Mr Kainz was terribly upset that we couldn’t stay another day but they said their goodbyes and the poor old man went back home.  I find it quite sweet that my father didn’t mention the Kainzes’ first names – he must have known them in Peking but because he was a younger man, he felt he had to refer to them as Mr & Mrs ❤️

Dad paid the bill and we left Graz at 9:30. It was a fabulous morning, cool, sunny and bright, and we were zipping along at a comfortable pace, really enjoying the scenery. As we reached Wörthersee, the lake before Velden, dad started enquiring about rooms but seeing the crowds everywhere, he wasn’t hopeful!

We drove through Velden and stopped at some lousy roadside restaurant for frankfurters then turned back to Velden to look for Augsdorf. Found the hotel but Frau Egger only had one room free ? I have no idea who Frau Egger was as dad didn’t mention her or her hotel earlier ?

Drove along the road to other places but they were all full so then we turned around and headed for Villach.  There was nothing at Villach, there was zilch at Spittal, and there was nothing anywhere in the area! The words “alles besetzt” (all occupied) were ringing in all our ears! ?  Hmmm, perhaps this was karma for dad not staying another day in Graz after all!! ?

Before dad knew it, we were out of Kärnten (province of Carinthia) and were driving through wild and beautiful country on the way to Salzburg.

Mom was driving and Lindy and I were all for us heading straight for Salzburg but dad was worried about her having to navigate the Katschberg Pass, driving along the most tortuous roads we’d ever seen! We stopped at the top of the pass to let the engine cool as the radiator water was boiling.

We crept down the mountain at 10mph and just before St Michael, dad saw a farm house with a sign saying they had one room free. Dad stopped and found the room had two beds, so dad took it immediately. The frau brought in a couch, which was for Lindy. We drove to St Michael, had dinner, then came back and crashed – mom cuddling me in one bed, daddy on his own and Lindy, as I said, on the couch!

We all had a bad night’s sleep and were wide awake by 6:30! It was pouring cats and dogs and dad was worried about driving over the Radstädter Tauern Pass but we weren’t keen to spend another day at the farm so we had a cup of cold milk in their kitchen, which was huge, warm and sparkling clean. Daddy paid the bill and off we went, crawling up the Alpine road behind a stinky bus; however the scenery was so fabulous that the rain and bus couldn’t spoil the beauty of the countryside!  ?

The road up to the pass was incredibly tortuous, steep, full of potholes and narrow ?  At the top of the pass we saw many Gasthofs and Berglifts so dad stopped at a Gasthof  for breakfast. It was so cold outside that it was great to go into a lovely warm room. Daddy rang Frau Fries from Radstadt and she told dad that there’d be one room ready for us when we arrived in Salzburg! We all felt extremely relieved and happy to be going back to Bavaria Café, the Fries’ hotel.

We arrived back in Salzburg on Friday, August 16, at 11:30, had lunch at 12:30 and we all had a long siesta in the afternoon. Had dinner then went back to our room to sleep but during the night I felt really sick. Daddy wasn’t surprised as he said I was eating mainly dry food and cakes so it was all catching up with me!

We all slept late and went down for breakfast at 10:30. The oldies went off to cash cheques at the bank while Lindy and I stayed behind to laze around. They came back and took us to lunch at the Müncher Stube, then we went to the ice cream place for yogurts. Dad got tickets for tomorrow night’s performance of “Schneewittchen” (Snow White) at the Marionette Theater, then we went back to Bavaria and the oldies went to sleep again.

Poor mom and dad were so exhausted – I don’t think they really relaxed during the 11 days we were away from Salzburg! All the “alles besetzt” hits we had in Vienna, the rather embarrassing meeting with Mr Kainz in Graz and then more “alles besetzt” all the way until St Michael. We all felt so much at home with Herr & Frau Fries, Oma (her mother) and their gorgeous German Shepherd dog called Wolfie – their hotel was like an oasis of calm and happiness – so I think the oldies were getting rid of all their stress by sleeping so much! Poor babies ❤️

Being Sunday, dad took us to the Salzburger Dom Cathedral to listen to Messner’s Mass for organ and soprano and he really enjoyed it. I’m not sure if we ladies had such a great time but it was dad’s event so no grumbling!! He told us the organ music was played beautifully and when it came to the crescendo parts, the whole cathedral vibrated and sent shivers down his spine!

When the Mass ended we went to Petersfriedhof (St Peter’s Cemetery), where the catacombs – which are hewn out of the Mönchsberg itself and date back to late antiquity – are. The mystical caves served both as hermitages as well as burial sites. The entrance to these Early Christian catacombs is located at the graves of Mozart’s sister Nannerl and Michael Haydn. After 48 steps there is the “Gertrauden Chapel”, dating back to 1178. 36 steps further up is the “Maximus Chapel”.

Had lunch at some dreadful restaurant – rotten tomatoes and cold chicken! Bleah ?  Mother was so disgusted with the food that she refused to eat it! At 4pm we went to see «Schneewittchen und die 7 Zwerge» and enjoyed watching the marionettes do their thing, then went back to Bavaria.

It was pouring with rain so after dinner we all played Canasta and then headed to bed.

The next day was Monday, the 19th. Mom, dad and I left Lindy at Bavaria and we went shopping but ended up not getting much. Went to the Mozarteum to get tickets for the Opera Evening and while there, dad was mesmerised by the sound of the piano playing. He walked into the classroom of Prof Rio Nardi and heard some wonderful playing of Bach, especially a difficult technical piece which was beautifully played by a young lady.

Went to Münchnerhof Keller for lunch then had ice cream at a small place before returning to the Bavaria. The weather went all cold and we were all shivering as we headed back to the hotel. Lindy was in a grumpy mood as she was cold and hungry but, as dad said, whose fault was that?! ?

The oldies left me with Lindy and went back to the Mozarteum to listen to three young violinists and two singers. They were very impressed with both the playing and the singing – I think dad was in his musical element here and was absorbing everything by osmosis ?

When the musicians finished their playing, mom and dad came back and we all had a delicious dinner cooked by Oma Fries. After dinner, dad showed the Frieses slides of our journey on the Victoria and places in England, much to their delight.

The next day Lindy and mom went shopping and I teamed up with dad for the morning. We all met up by the car at 12:30 then went back to Bavaria for lunch. Oma is such a great cook and we all enjoyed her pork cutlets. Dad and mom left us girls in our room and they went back to the Mozarteum to listen to a concert put on by Prof Rio Nardi’s students and dad was in ecstasy at their performances!

Oma made fried chicken for dinner and it was delicious – we really ate ourselves silly – then we played Canasta before heading to our rooms and crashing out!

The next day mom and dad slept late and only got up because Frau Fries knocked on their door and asked dad if he could move our car as another guest couldn’t get out. He did that and then we all had breakfast at 11, then we got in the car, dad drove to the bank to cash some money and then drove to Schwarzstraße where he parked the car. We walked halfway up Kapuzinerberg, then toodled off to the Münchnerhof Keller for lunch.

By the time we came back to the hotel, it started to drizzle so we stayed inside until 5, when we all went back to the Mozarteum.  We listened to a couple of girls who sang arias from operas and then went to the milk bar for ice cream and tea!

Came back to the Mozarteum and went to the Grand Saal where the pupils sang, played and conducted in 3 acts of various operas. My father was really impressed with the whole show and at the professionalism of all the students.

We got back to the Bavaria at 10pm and Oma prepared schinken (pork cutlets) for us!  My goodness, I wonder what time they closed the kitchen there!!

To get to the Altstadt (old city) from Bayernstraße we just drove or even walked to Neutorstraße to go through the Sigmundstor tunnel.

The next morning was cold and showery so mom did some sewing and ironing, I was helping Oma, Lindy was learning Italian while daddy wrote a letter to Balia. At 5 we all trooped back to the Mozarteum to listen to more pupils playing then had dinner at Münchnerhof Keller. When we got back to the car, dad found a parking ticket on his windscreen – boo! – because he’d parked on the sidewalk!! We headed back to the hotel, daddy not so happy.

Fortunately the next day, Friday, August 23, dawned bright and sunny so we went back to the Mozarteum for daddy to buy tickets to the Schlosskonzerte Mirabelle and then we went to the Wachtpost (police station) where daddy explained to the officer that he’d parked like he did because his youngest daughter (that’d be me, thank you!!) had a terrible stomach ache and needed to go to the Ladies!! ?

The nice policeman tore up his ticket and gave him a stern warning about not parking improperly then we left. I hope I had a suitably pathetic face to make the officer feel sorry for me and daddy ?

Daddy then drove to Werfen as he wanted to see the ice caves. The Eisriesenwelt is a natural limestone and ice cave located in Werfen, about 40 km south of Salzburg. The cave is inside the Hochkogel mountain in the Tennengebirge section of the Alps. It is the largest ice cave in the world, extending more than 42 km.

Mom was not keen, especially when she heard the whole thing took 5 hours, but daddy was so we got onto a small bus and were taken down through narrow lanes, across the fields and up a windy, steep road just wide enough for the bus.

Mom closed her eyes and wouldn’t look, Lindy and I were giggling nervously and daddy was thanking his lucky stars that he didn’t have to drive our car along the road ?

Eventually the bus stopped way up on a mountain and we all got out and had to trek through woods and a path hacked out on a steep side of the mountain just wide enough for one person ? Halfway up dad got cold feet and suggested we should turn around and go back but this time mom wasn’t keen and said we should keep going!

After a long and tiring walk we finally reached the cable car station, and after some time, we got into the cabin and went up higher and higher to the top. Got out and rested by the gasthaus, enjoying the panorama from what seemed like a bird’s eye view.  Dad wrongly thought that we were going to be taken to the ice cave in a small train having seen narrow rail tracks, we had to walk along a really difficult path which looked like it was zigzagging up the side of the mountain.

Poor papa – he wasn’t good with heights-  so as we climbed higher along the path and there were no barriers to stop anyone slipping off the path, he felt more and more giddy and had to press his body close to the mountainside with his eyes down on the path to keep going.

We eventually got to the ice cave and the massive door was open but we had to fight against the strong, icy wind blowing out of the cave! Dad looked at some of the stalactites pointed out by our guide and found them very interesting but then his eyes landed on a frail wooden staircase heading up into blackness and he realised there was no way he’d be able to go up there! PLUS we were dressed for a summer’s day with just coats on while the other visitors had on thick winter gear! Oh dear!!! ?

Just then the earlier party which had finished the tour came into the cavern and that made dad’s mind up. He told us he was going to wait for us outside so told us to enjoy the ice show and he’d see us when we are finished ?

So, mom, Lindy and I went up the stairs single file with the rest if the group and dad went outside. He sat on a bench and looked at his watch – 4:15pm – then looked at the path we’d have to go back along to return to the bus. He was not a happy chappy imagining that journey!

He felt okay when the previous group of tourists were milling around but once they all got on the cabin car and went down, he was all on his own. It got too cold for him to sit on the bench so he  began pacing up and down to try and keep warm! Without a soul around, my sad father was feeling all alone and very unhappy, and this was the man who insist we get to see the Eisriesenwelt ?

Meanwhile, we girls inside were getting our feet wet sloshing through puddles in the caves and we were feeling very cold and very tired! It was 6pm when the tour ended and the guide opened the door and we saw daddy shivering outside while we were shivering inside!

This video found on YouTube was taken in 2015, 56 years after we were there. Obviously they made a lot of improvements to make it easier for visitors to get up there but it gives you some idea of how far up the caves were, and what they were like from inside! I can almost feel the icy winds whistling around my ears when I look at the video!  Brrrrrrrr ?

I also wrote about our experience which was printed in the KGV school magazine when I was in Third Form. You can read my story HERE.

Daddy was pretty shaky when heading down the path, very obviously scared to cross some of the more difficult bits on the path, and Lindy and mom were quite concerned about what to do if he collapsed. Of course I was blissfully unaware of what was going on so just kept moving downhill, eager to get in the bus and off my feet. LOL!! ?

We arrived safely at Werfen and piled into our car, keen to get back to Bayernstraße and have our dinner. Daddy said he had had enough of mountains and wasn’t planning to do any more exploring of ice caves, and mom, Lindy and I all agreed we’d had enough of ice to last us a lifetime! ?

We arrived back at Bavaria and dad ordered wine for all of us, even me, to ward off any bugs we might have caught in the cold environment, and daddy topped his share of wine off with three glasses of brandy, then we all shuffled upstairs to crash!

The next morning Lindy stayed “home” while I went out with mom and dad as they were going to the bank and dad wanted to take some photos of the city. Came back for lunch and the weather turned cold and wet. Daddy mentioned he wondered how the visitors to the ice caves would enjoy their experience in such unpleasant weather!! We had a siesta in the afternoon then I played Canasta with the oldies before we had a delicious dinner of bratwurst met kartoffel und sauerkraut (German sausages, potatoes and sauerkraut).

Sunday dawned bright and sunny so I went with dad to the old town for him to take some photos. Came back for breakfast then we all went to Mirabellgarten (Mirabell Gardens), listened to the Police Band then as it was such a beautiful day, we got into the car and dad drove to Mattsee and back through hilly countryside. It was a really pleasant journey which built up our appetite so we were all keen to have lunch at the Münchnerhof Keller.

Had a bit of a wander to walk off lunch before heading back to Bayernstraße, played Canasta then it was time for dinner.  Had another great meal made by Oma and noticed that the weather had turned cold and wet again!!

Had a rather lazy Monday and in the evening the oldies went to the Mozarteum Grand Saal to listen to the students play their pieces while Lindy and I stayed at “home”. I was not really concentrating on anything as the next day was going to be my 10th birthday and I was so excited about it. Somehow my age being in two-digits meant that I was no longer a child in my mind!!

Tuesday, August 27, finally dawned – I had been awake since 6:30 but had to lie in my bed, pretending to be asleep, until the family came in two hours later to sing “Happy Birthday” to me then I had to pretend waking up all surprised!! Ahhh the things we do – so often life is like being in a Kabuki play! LOL! ?

I had lovely presents … Kinderpost, a geographical game and 10 schillings ?  When we went downstairs for breakfast, there was a pile of birthday cards from friends and family in HK, I had a telegram from Balia and Sashka wishing me a good birthday and Frau Fries brought in a lovely small cake with a Happy Birthday card from the Fries family and Wolfie!!  I was absolutely elated and felt quite spoiled ?

We played the geographical game till noon then left to have lunch at the Münchnerhof Keller then we went to the Mozarteum for daddy to buy tickets for Thursday night’s performance.  Honestly – my folks spent so many evenings and weekends at the Mozarteum, they should have pitched a tent on its grounds and lived there!!! ?

When we got back to Bavaria Lindy and I played Kinderpost – it was a game about a “pretend” post office – while mom and dad played Canasta until dinner time when we all enjoyed a delicious schnitzel made by Oma! The dinner was a fitting end to a lovely day, IMHO! ❤️

The weather was horrible the next day! Very cold and raining, and we all thought about the poor folk who might have gone to Werfen to visit the ice caves!

Had gulyás (Hungarian goulash) for lunch then afterwards Mama went to bed as she had a bad cold coming on. Lindy stayed behind to keep an eye on her while dad and I braved the outdoors to go shopping for bits and pieces. Came back feeling wet and cold and just messed around until dinner time, when we ladies had knödel braten (fried dumplings) while dad opted for schweinekotelett (pork chop) with all the trimmings.  Headed off to bed after stuffing our faces ?

Another cold day on Thursday – the temperature was 5°C in the early morning and there was snow at 2,000 metres ? We all stayed “home” and were grateful for the tiled heaters in the  rooms which really kept the rooms toasty!

 

 

At 5 the oldies braved the weather when they headed to the Mozarteum for more music and enjoyed the performances of the students from different parts of the world – Japanese, German, Belgian, American to name just a few! Then they came back and we all had dinner before we all headed back to the Mozarteum’s Grand Saal for the 2nd Schlußkonzert.

There were altogether five conductors who took part and lead the orchestra for the various pieces and dad said his favourite was the Yugoslav boy. He commented that it was a very interesting and enjoyable concert!

Although the rain had stopped in the afternoon, it was still terribly cold and poor mom was shivering during the performances. I think she was very grateful to leave the Mozarteum, come back to Bavaria and get into a warm bed!

It was a relief that the next day dawned bright, sunny and a little warmer after the recent Arctic freeze! Daddy paid Frau Fries the week’s account and told her we would be leaving in two days time, on Sunday.

We all headed out, first to the bank then to Mirabellplatz to do shopping and then went to Münchnerhof Keller for lunch.  Did more shopping after lunch before returning to the Bavaria then had schnitzel for dinner before retiring.

The oldies went out shopping after breakfast then came back to pick Lindy and me up before we went to the Münchnerhof Keller for our last meal there. Daddy told Herr Ober (waiter) that we were leaving the next day and he wished us all a very «gut fahrt» (good trip).

Poor old mom had to start packing in the afternoon while dad sat talking to Oma and Karl Fries downstairs, telling them things about Hong Kong.  We had a delicious fried chicken for dinner, which Oma made and after dinner the whole Fries family joined us to enjoy a bottle of wine and more talk! There was a bit of unpleasantness with some guy who had draunk too much beer to drink and was uttering rude remarks about the Brits and Yanks. It got bad enough that Oma wanted to call the police to deal with him but fortunately he staggered out, saying something to us which dad couldn’t quite grasp but for one phrase, which was “bis nächste krieg” (until the next war) ?

We all went to bed feeling very sorry about leaving Bayernstraße 34 as we had the most relaxing and enjoyable time staying at the Bavaria and really liked the family.

At 9am on Sunday, September 1, we packed up the car and left Bayernstraße after saying our fond farewells to the Fries. I burst into tears when saying goodbye and Oma too looked upset – we hugged and I climbed into the car. When dad drove down the street, Oma stood on the sidewalk and waved until we went out of sight!

I was snottering all the way until Hallein, which was about half-an-hour away. I got on so well with Oma that I felt like she was another grandmother of mine. I helped her around the café, in the kitchen, played with Wolfie and took him for walks … I felt like I was with my Austrian family and it really was gut-wrenching to leave them ?

Mom drove until way past Werfen then dad took over. We reached the toll road for the Großglockner-Hochalpenstraße (Grossglockner High Alpine Road), dad paid 5.80 schillings and up we climbed! The pyramid-shaped Grossglockner is not only the highest mountain in Austria at 3,797 metres (12,460 feet), it also counts among the highest peaks in the Alps.

This video was taken in 1937, just 20 years before our journey on that road!

The road was good but steep, with 16 hairpin bends, and when dad saw the sheer drop on his right he felt very uncomfortable but bravely ignored his sick feeling! Of course driving a right-hand car there would mean the poor guy would see the drop right there out of his window on his side!

We stopped at the highest point on the road, 2,504m, and found the views breathtaking. The road started to go down and before going through the tunnels, dad stopped and we girls got into a deep pile of snow and started throwing snowballs at each other!

After passing through the Hochtor, one of two tunnels which the road goes through, we stopped to have frankfurters at a gastaus buried in snow ?

After the tunnel the road started zigzagging (10 times) and eventually we approached Lienz. It was about 2:20pm when we got to the crossroads – Lienz to the left in Tyrol, or Villach in Carinthia to the right – and we girls were all for going straight to Villach, as it was closest to Italy! What choice did my father have?  ?

Poor Dolomite Hotel in Lienz … they would have kept two rooms ready for us but we weren’t going to turn up! At 4:10 we arrived in Villach and dad got two rooms at the Hotel Europa. Dad and I went out for a wander and ended up with him having tea and me having an ice cream, then when it was dinner time, we all went to a Brathaus which was across the road.

Came back full, had a fabulous hot bath and fell into my bed to sleep like the dead! What a day!!

Italy ~ September 2-30

We left Villach at 10am and in less than an hour we reached the border, thanks to the fast, beautiful road. The Customs didn’t ask any questions but Passport Control fingered through my folks’ and Lindy’s passports with great interest! As usual at the various frontiers we crossed, dad changed his Austrian money into Italian lire

When we were waved through, the road took us between huge mountains and there was a picturesque railroad alongside which went over huge bridges in between tunnels and seemed to be carved along the mountainside. Then the mountains fell behind us and we were moving along at a nippy 50mph in the pouring rain!

We stopped at Udine and had a nice lunch before driving along a straight road towards Trieste. The weather cleared up and the sun came out, making us all feel rather hot and out-of-place in our sweaters and coats, especially when we passed through Monfalcone, a resort before Trieste, seeing everyone wandering around in shorts and even bathing suits!

Dad found rooms for us at Hotel Abbazia so we dragged our suitcases to our rooms while dad went to the GPO and picked up 22 letters for us from the Poste Restante! It always felt like Christmas when we got a pile of letters from our friends, and could catch up on what was going on in Hong Kong ? The kids these days would not have any idea about things like that, since they get instant notifications about life via Facebook or email!!

Dad remarked that Trieste looked very nice but the attraction of the place were the outlying places along the Adriatic Sea. 

We all went for a long walk along Via Giosuè Carducci, stopped at a trattoria for dinner then headed back to the hotel.  It didn’t take us long to crash into our beds and start snoring away ?

The next day dad went to change some money when we three girls were finishing off our breakfast and by 10 o’clock we were on our way to Venice.  It’d turned cool, was windy and rain was falling! Bleh!

We arrived at Venice at 12:30, circled around the car park but were unsuccessful in finding a spot to park so dad decided to head back to Mestre, where he found a simple albergo (hotel) and booked two plain rooms. We put our suitcases into our rooms then went to have lunch at a place next door.

When finished, dad loaded up all the cameras and back into the car we went. Drove back to the car park in Venice but after circling the spot four times, he gave up; he drove to a multi-storey car park and paid 800 lire for 24 hours!

We took a motor boat to Piazza San Marco (St Mark’s Square), and on the way daddy was fascinated to notice a policeman on the Grand Canal who was operating traffic lights for all the boats, barges and gondolas, and who was very diligently taking down the number of barges which had parked on the wrong side of the canal ?

Daddy took pictures, we all fed the pigeons and I was in hysterics at how they tickled my hands when they ate their seed! We had drinks at one of the cafés on the square, then took a motor boat back to where we parked the car.

We didn’t get back into the car – instead we all had a wander around the terribly narrow lanes which led off from the canals, crossed over a gazillion bridges and felt like we had been transported back in time, seeing such ancient dwellings and old fashioned boats on the canals!

In dark alleys there were modern espresso bars with radios and TVs blaring, while along the canals there were workshops that looked like they belonged to the times when the Doges were in power in the 13th century!

The beautiful palazzi (palaces) with their marble steps down to the canal and their own pontoons with a beautiful black gondola bobbing alongside, waiting to transport their owners looked out of this world. So old-worldly in our modern day and age!

Found our way back to the car and got back to Mestre at 7:30. We went to the Ristorante Vivit for dinner and were back in our hotel by 9:30.

We left Mestre at 8 on September 4 and after an easy drive along a good road through orchards full of apples and grapes, we arrived at Rimini at 12:30pm. Dad stopped at the Hotel Centrale and took two double rooms for us, so we unpacked the car and brought our suitcases to our rooms.

It was a lovely place with a terrific beach and all sorts of amenities that go with a popular resort on the Adriatic. We had lunch at the hotel then drove to the Repubblica di San Marino, which was about 15 miles from Rimini.

The road took us straight up to the castle and we got a fabulous view of the countryside for miles around! However, because there was a cold wind blowing and a steady drizzle, we went for a drink at a place full of San Marino pottery. It was great to warm up with hot chocolate and a slice of San Marino Torta Tre Monti.

Tre Monti refer to the Three Towers of San Marino … Monte Titano stands at 739.14 metres (2,425 feet) above sea level and serves as the highest peak in the country and is home to a wide variety of eye-catching flora and fauna. Dozens of different species of trees thrive on this mountain including oaks, laburnum, cypress, and fir. They serve as a home to the many birds and mammals of this area.

Before leaving the café, mom bought a torta and a bottle of wine for us to take away with us.

There were busloads of sightseers, mainly Germans, and we all wanted to escape the hoards as soon as possible.  Daddy remarked that there were so many menus, etc, printed in German because they were the majority of tourists in Italy these days!

We drove back to the hotel and while mom and Lindy stayed in their rooms, dad and I went for a wander down to the port to see the fishermen loading up their schooners for night fishing.

Walked back to the hotel and we all had dinner then back to our rooms to enjoy sweet dreams! Sonni d’oro ??

We left Rimini at 10 and the drive to Grottammare was interesting but poor papa was tense as anything as the two-way road along the coast was full of tankers, heavy trucks and other big vehicles!

Dad had kittens every time he had to overtake one of those monsters and driving behind them was horrid because of the diesel fumes they belched out! Feh! ?

We arrived at the outskirts of Grottammare at 1:30 and the place looked bleak and very uninteresting but once we found the esplanade, we were so relieved at how pretty the town was! We were meeting up with the Alcocks, Mrs Alcock and Robin were on the Victoria with us heading to Genoa, so Lindy was feeling quite excited to see her old friend again!

Dad tried several hotels, including Albergo Italia (where the Alcocks were staying) but it was a case of «tutti occupati» (all occupied); however we did find rooms at Pensione Clementi, which was a great little place as you could literally walk out of their dining room onto a sun deck and hop straight onto the beach!

We brought our suitcases into our rooms and after lunch, the oldies had a siesta while Lindy and I unpacked. When they woke up, we had a walk around the town and really liked the place. Had showers after dinner then we all fell asleep to the sound of passing trains! Some bright municipal spark added them alongside the coast road ?

The trains kept us awake most of the night but no-one was grumbling as we all enjoyed the resort atmosphere of the town! It was great to step out onto the beach after breakfast, feeling the cool breeze in our faces and the relaxed ambiance of the place.

Met Robin and her parents and they invited to «fare una passeggiata» (take a walk) with them up to the castle. It turned out to be a very enjoyable walk. In the evening Lindy went out with the Alcocks while mom and dad played Canasta till her return at midnight.

Saturday, September 7, dawned bright and hot, so daddy borrowed a pair of Mr Alcock’s trunks and enjoyed a dip in the Adriatic! Mom, dad and I joined the Alcock parents for a ride in a motor boat which was great fun as the sea was choppy, so we banged and crashed against the waves!

After lunch daddy hired a bike for me and after a wobbly start, I found it easy to ride so went shooting off, leaving dad in the dust!! The poor fellow! ?

At 6:30 we met the Alcocks at Bar Diana and enjoyed a drink sitting outside, under plane trees, and feeling the village life around us before going back to Pensione Clementi for dinner then we all went to bed as we were leaving for Rome the next day.

Poor dad was really bothered by the trains during the night! He said at one stage he dreamt that he was tied to the track and could hear the train bearing down towards him but despite struggling with the rope, he couldn’t get untied and woke up in a sweat with his heart racing ?

However he did enjoy hearing the church bells ringing every hour, as well as the one, two or three bells in a higher pitch every quarter of an hour. I wonder which poor soul was tasked with that job, ringing bells throughout the night!!

Robin came to say goodbye and after dad paid Romeo, the proprietor, the bill, we packed up the car and took off at 8:30.  The weather was warm and by noon it was stinking hot ? The road was pleasant to drive on but terribly windy and took us up and down the mountains. Sometimes the scenery looked like we were in Switzerland when we drove through the mountains but most times it was typically Italian. Olive groves and a castle or ancient village perched on top of a mountain or hill!

We got to Rome at 1pm and went first to Hotel Alexandra, where we stayed in 1953, but they were full!  Oh noes!! Daddy then started going to the list of recommended pensiones but all he got was the «tutti occupati» run-around! Shades of Vienna!  ?  We drove around to other hotels, got lost, went back to the centre of Rome and finally la mama found a place on Via Barberini! It was about 4pm when we hauled our suitcases to our rooms, hot, hungry and tired!

We trooped around the corner to the Trattoria Basilio (where we ate 4 years earlier) and got a tasty meal of zuppa di vedura (vegetable soup)  and cotoletta alla Bolognese (veal cutlet alla Bolognese). We walked to Hotel Alexandra and the oldies and Lindy had coffee while I had San Pellegrino Aranciata (orange soda), then continued to the Fontana di Trevi (Trevi Fountain), where we did the touristy thing and threw some coins over our shoulders into the fountain.

The myth of the Trevi Fountain
Why are there always people in the fountain throwing coins into the water and taking photos of themselves?
The myth, originating in 1954 with the movie “Three Coins in the Fountain,” goes like this:
*  If you throw one coin: you will return to Rome.
*  If you throw two coins: you will fall in love with an attractive Italian.
*  If you throw three coins: you will marry the person that you met.
In order to achieve the desired effect, you should throw the coin with your right hand over your left shoulder.

I confess I was pretty horrified when looking at photos of the Trevi Fountain in the 21st century! Scores of tourists standing about 10 deep around the fountain, taking selfies and chucking coins into the water. I read that the municipality of Rome collects about €1 million (that comes to roughly A$1,626,406.19 ?)!  How lucky were we to be just about the only tourists there in those days ❤

 

The next day, after breakfast, we walked along Via XX Settembre all the way to the “Wedding Cake” (Monument to Victor Emanuel II) and boy were we hot, daddy especially in his Tweed sports coat! Then we dragged our tired bodies to the Coliseum (Colosseum), then on to the Roman Forum (Forum Romanum) and by this time poor papa was pooped!

Had lunch then headed back to the hotel. Lindy and I went to our room to rest but mom and dad went back out to the Casa del Turista near St Peter’s to look for a different hotel as they objected to paying through the nose for very ordinary rooms. To no avail! ?  Both mom and dad were so unhappy with our rooms that they thought that it might be an idea to leave Rome the next day but for some reason they wanted to show me the Vatican and for us to take a carriage down the Appian Way – things we did four years earlier but which I didn’t remember!

Had a lovely dinner at our favourite Trattoria St Basilico and came back to crash into our beds after a tiring day!

The next day, a Tuesday, dad went down for a cup of coffee and started hunting for decent hotel rooms for us, without any success  ?  Mom was in her bedroom and wouldn’t tell the maid if we were vacating the rooms that day but when dad came back and said he’d struck out, they decided to stay there till we planned to leave Rome.

Went to the Vatican to take another look around and mom posed with one of the Swiss Guards there.  It was 30C in the shade so we were all sweating madly!

Came back to St Basilico for lunch then we all rested in the afternoon, then when it was 6pm, we trooped out again to catch a bus to Villa Borghese for a looksee then walked back along Via Veneto to Fontana di Trevi.  We passed a restaurant called Piccolo Budapest, and mom and dad were interested in trying it out but when they checked out the prices on the menu stuck to the window, they thought better of it so we headed back to St Basilico.

I was seeing if there was anything about the Hungarian restaurant online and found a book called «Roman Holiday: The Secret Life of Hollywood in Rome» where it stated that Piccolo Budapest was the favourite restaurant of the actress Ava Gardner and that she used to go there with her publicist, David Hanna in 1957!!  I wonder if we would have seen her there had my folks decided to try that place out ?

Oh my, further research showed that the actress Jayne Mansfield also enjoyed going to the restaurant and was serenaded by a gypsy violinist! No wonder my folks decided the prices were too high for dinner – it was obviously “the” place to eat for the glitterati when in Roma and we probably would not have been allowed in as we hadn’t packed our gowns and fur stoles for the trip! ?

Dad mentioned that the traffic was very heavy along all the streets so with the heat, and the smell of car fumes and dust, it made for a rather exhausting time when we walked the streets, so we were totally pooped by the end of the day!

Dad took the car to GM to be serviced in the morning and when he came back, mom and Lindy went off to the hairdresser’s while dad and I went to the GPO.  Met up at a a little while later at a sidewalk café on Via Veneto then took the number 62 bus to St Peter’s. We exhausted ourselves wandering through the Vatican museum, looking at all the treasures on display, before heading back to St Basilico for lunch.

We collected the car and drove to St Paul’s Basilica then headed to the Coliseum, where dad got us a horse drawn carriage to take us along the Appian Way to the Catacombs of St Callixtus. Everyone enjoyed the seeing the sights while clopping slowly along but especially me, since I was sitting up with the coachman!

We returned to the Coliseum, got back to the car and dad drove us back to the pensione. He dropped us off as there were no parking spaces available, then the poor guy had to circle around to look for one. There was nothing available so in desperation dad drove to Via XX Settembre and parked the car there.

We went to St Basilico for dinner and then the oldies went to pick up dad’s colour film from the photo shop. He got the black and white print but the colour Ektachrome prints still weren’t ready so dad started spitting chips!! The proprietor promised that they would be ready by 7am the next day so my folks walked out and headed to the car. Dad found a police notice on the windscreen saying he’d infringed Article 34 of the Traffic Regulations and wished him a happy stay in Rome!  How nice was that? ?

Dad commented that this trip to Rome wasn’t as exciting as our first time four years earlier – just very tiring – and he was glad we were leaving the next day!

Arriverderci, Roma
Goodbye, goodbye to Rome ???

Dad hurried to the photo store to get his Ektachrome prints at 7 and thank goodness they were ready! He then rushed back to the hotel to chivvy us up to get ready, he paid the bill for the lousy rooms, packed the car and we went to an espresso bar for breakfast. Once finished, we got into the car and waved goodbye to Rome!

He drove as far as Viterbo then mom took over. It was overcast and much cooler than in Rome, much to our relief, and as dad was feeling tired, he sat in the back and snoozed. The road took us through Radicofani, which occupied the highest point of a hill, at 896 metres (2,940 ft), where we stopped to admire the beautiful panorama below.  It was very cool and the drive reminded us of the Swiss passes we had gone through earlier.

Arrived at Florence (Firenze) at 1:30pm and went straight to Villa Natalia, the wonderful pensione on Via Bolognese where we stayed at in 1953, but to our dismay, we found out that it stopped being a pensione two years ago!  Oh noez!! ? A lady there told us about a pensione not far from Villa Natalia, on Via Trieste, so we drove there and found a comfortable villa with huge rooms and a beautiful garden – Royal Hotel! It was a no-brainer! Dad got us two rooms there and the one the oldies had was so big it could have been a ballroom and it had a balcony looking onto the grounds!

If you have eagle eyes, you might notice that I – being the fun person I was/am – drew little figures of dad, me and Blacky in the garden, with my mother waving from the window above on the pamplet dad kept for the hotel ??

We girls had to get a room downstairs but just for one night then we’d be moved upstairs next to our parents’ room.  We all had a wash then went for lunch, and afterwards the oldies went upstairs to sleep off Roma, while Lindy and I stayed sitting on chairs in the garden.  I was especially happy as there were two resident dogs there, a beautiful German Shepherd named Diana and a very friendly black dog which was called Blacky! Bliss!! ?

The folks woke up at 6:30 then got ready for dinner, which was served at 8, then we all went to our rooms for an early night. My poor mother looked like she was about to drop from tiredness!

The next day was Friday the 13th and the parentals slept till 8:30 before coming down for breakfast. Poor old popsie looked so tired so mom suggested he goes back to bed while we went shopping but dad wanted to see Florence so he said no, he was coming with us!  We clambered into the car and off we went – dad parked and we walked to Ponte Vecchio and had a look at the goldsmiths’ shops, which were full of beautiful rings and other objects but my parents didn’t get anything there!

On the way back to the car dad dropped off his Ektachrome film in a photo shop and was told they’d be ready at 8pm the next day. He said to us he hoped that they weren’t talking through their hats, like the Roman photo shop proprietor!

Passed the Duomo on the way back to our villa and it certainly appeared different to the other churches we’d seen in Italy in the past so  Hwe were all looking forward to seeing it from the inside. Got back to the villa, had lunch then dad went upstairs for a siesta and we girls went shopping. He was concerned when we weren’t back after 6pm and it wasn’t until 7:45 that we arrived back, much to his relief! After dinner we all had a lovely soak in our baths then crashed.

The next morning I got up and by 7 was playing with Blacky in the garden. Lindy told me to wake the oldies up so at 8:30 I banged on their door and they came down to breakfast once they’d got ready. After breakfast we went to the Galleria degli Uffizi (Uffizi Gallery) to immerse ourselves in some culture! Although it was so interesting to look at all the paintings, it was also quite tiring so after an hour or so our father said, “basta!” (enough!) and we went back to the villa for lunch.

Afterwards we headed out again, this time to check out il Duomo. It was quite amazing – with all the fancy carvings on the outside of the church, once inside it was quite bare but the Baptistry was full of mosaics on the ceiling. We then wandered to the Basilica di Santa Croce (Church of the Holy Cross) and found that to be super interesting as it had all the tombs of famous Italians there … Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Rossini, Cherubini, and others ?

Went from there to the Market Square and had a look at all the straw and leather goods which were on offer before heading back to the car. There was a warning from the police for illegal parking but, since we had an English license plate, they didn’t give us a fine! Phew!  Back to the villa for dinner then bed!

Sunday dawned and it was another beautiful day so dad decided we should visit the Accademia Gallery of Florence (Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze) to see Michelangelo’s David and as dad was driving along Via XX Settembre, I with my eagle eye spotted the cupolas of a Russian Orthodox Church! Dad parked the car and we went into the church, while the service was in progress but with only five people attending ?

The church was built in old Byzantine style with five cupolas and inside it was so beautiful! Marble floors and marble on the walls. The paintings were also gorgeous and seemed to be in typical Florentine colours. We were surprised when the priest told us that there was another church – of St Nicolas – in the basement and batushka (priest/Father) took us down to have a look.

The soft beauty and warmth of the old church was so impressive and batushka told us that services were held there during winter, as it was much warmer there than in the top church! It was built in 1903 and was supported by the Demidoffs, a wealthy émigré family until two years ago, when his widow died.

We got back into the car and headed to see Michelangelo’s David and went up to see the panorama of Firenze before heading back to the villa for lunch and a short siesta then got back into the car to see Palazzo Pitti (Pitti Palace), which turned out to be closed. We had a look around the Boboli Gardens then got back into the car and drove to the photo store.

The Ektachrome film was supposed to be ready yesterday but when dad showed his receipt, the owner couldn’t find the film anywhere so told him to come back “domani” (tomorrow)! Seems to be what all Italian photo shops tell their customers – gah! Poor papa! ?  We stopped for a coffee at an outdoor café on Piazza della Repubblica and were treated to singers who sang opera as well as popular tunes! Back to the villa for a lovely chicken dinner before hitting the bunks!

Mom and Lindy went shopping in the morning and dad and I went to collect his Ektachrome film. Knock me down with a feather, Trevor! ? It was actually ready to be picked up! Amazeballs! ? Dad then drove to Piazzale Michelangelo for a looksee before heading back to the villa for lunch.

After dad had a siesta, he, mom and I went shopping for leather goods to take back to HK for the family and their friends. As we walked along the Ponte Vecchio, daddy was waxing lyrically about the scenery, telling us to look at the last glow of the setting sun which left a reflection on the river, and to look at another bridge whose three arches made perfect circles on the water. It made a perfect picture, he said, and we stopped for a while to take it all in.

Mom and I agreed with daddy that Florence was such a beautiful city and the old, narrow streets there reminded us so much of those in Venice. We loved seeing the crowds of locals shuffling along the main streets with the accompanying sound of Vespas madly roaring along at crazy speeds. Dad said he was surprised there weren’t piles of knocked down pedestrians and bits of smashed vehicles on every corner ?  Poor guy admitted he was very tense driving around Florence and said it made driving in Paris a breeze in comparison! Got back to the villa, then Lindy joined us for dinner. I went out to play with Blacky and found it quite cool compared to the warm day we experienced.

The next morning I stayed at the villa to play with the dogs while mom, dad and Lindy went shopping, and when they came back mom had to start packing again!

I gave lots of hugs to Diana and Blacky and we said goodbye to Florence on Wednesday, September 18, leaving the villa at 9 after breakfast. Dad jumped onto the autostrade to Pisa and it took 70 minutes to get there.  Mom and I walked all the way up the (Leaning) Tower (Torre di Pisa) hile Lindy and dad went to check out the church, which looked like the Duomo.  Dad said the walls were covered by huge paintings, the ceiling done in golden squares and there were lots of statues, which made it look very beautiful.

After we’d finished Pisa, dad drove us to La Spezia so that we could have lunch at the same restaurant we went to in 1953, La Stella d’Italia.  It took an hour before we were served and when we got our food, it was just okay; however the bill was astronomical so the oldies were really disappointed!

Drove up to Passo del Bracco, like we did four years earlier, up into the Appennine mountains and  we were able to get a bird’s eye view of Portofino from the top of the mountains. Got down to Pieve Ligure around 5:30pm and found our pensione. It was on the main road to Genoa, on a particularly narrow and bendy part and no sidewalks ?

Poor papa stopped the car in front of their door and practically threw our suitcases out, terrified that a speeding car would come barrelling around the bend and crash into our boot! After getting our stuff out, he drove off down the road to where there was a garage for him to put our car into ?

The pensione was clean and the owners were very pleasant but the noise from the traffic on the road and the train below was hideous so mom and dad decided to look for new accommodation the next day. We’d all been spoiled by our fabulous villa in Florence!  Had dinner at 7 then dad, Lindy and I watched a bit of TV before heading to our rooms and a sleepless night.

The next two days were spent in Genova going to the Lloyd Triestino office to change our cabin to #95, then to the Thomas Cook office to make sure the suitcases we sent had arrived, then there were two more restless nights with the trains making all our dreams a little bit terrifying ?

We left that pensione the next day, Saturday the 21st, and headed to Nervi to a lovely pensione off the main road and which had a big garden with lots of cats! I was in my element when I knew that  ?  Dad had to drive back to Pieve Liguri as mom had forgot to pack my dressing gown but he didn’t mind as he was happy to come back to our pensione on Viale delle Palme (Avenue of Palms)!

Daddy was so happy to be in this pensione that he was almost walking on air! After those dreadful nights on the main road, this place was really like paradise and we were all smiling like Cheshire cats, which was good to see!

After a tasty dinner we went for a walk in the park and ooohed and aaahed at the floodlights there which lit up the trees, then we found our way to the path along the sea front! My mother was singing and that was a sure sign she was feeling really relaxed and happy! So good to see ❤

The next day we had breakfast then all went for a stroll through the park and onto the path along the sea front and before we knew it, it was time for lunch! Had a delicious lunch and then dad decided we should see the necropolis and off we went in the car.

It was a very interesting place and we were all surprised when we saw the corridors with coffins embedded in rows into the walls, like at the catacombs, with plaques, lit lanterns and bunches of flowers ?  We walked down the steps under the chapel and saw more coffins with burning candles stored there. The smell was pretty awful and dad was wondering if the smell was from the coffins or from the stale water in the vases ?

Dad then drove to Piazza Vittoria and stopped so we could go to a café for a drink and then we came back to the pensione, dinner and bed!

The next day was September 23, which meant we only had seven more days before the “Asia” would leave Genoa and head back to Hong Kong!  Eeeeek! ?

I know there were times when mom and dad were fed up with all the driving, especially when there were no hotels or pensions available like in Austria, or when we ended up in noisy pensiones on the main road, like Pieve Liguri, but for the most part we all had a ball during these four months and now it was coming to an end! Sniff ?

Mom and Lindy went off to get their hair done and daddy and I took a bus into Genoa to pick up his films. We all got back for lunch then after the oldies had a siesta, mom, dad and I decided to go for a walk. We got to the path along the sea front and had a fabulous walk, taking great gulps of the sea air!

We loved Quinto – the tiny harbour full of brightly painted boats, the surrounding old houses and narrow streets wending their way through the village. So quaint ❤  LOL! Quaint Quinto – I’ve coined a new term ??

We went through the village to the main road and then walked back to our pensione, had dinner, had our baths and then crashed into a deep, deep sleep.

The next day was overcast but still warm and after breakfast mom and dad decided to go to Genoa to see if they could find a new shopping district. Dad ended up on a hill high above Piazza della Vittoria but it turned out to be a residential area with lovely views of the port so dad drove down to the Piazza, parked the car and they went for buy a few items before heading back to Nervi. After dinner dad and Lindy went for a walk while mom had a bath and I went to sleep.

Wednesday was cloudy as well so it seems the dull days were there to stay, but fortunately it was warm! Before lunch dad, Lindy and I went for a stroll along the sea front and mom stayed in the garden reading. I was feeling a bit off, like I was coming down with a cold, so after lunch the oldies left Lindy and me and went by train to Genova.

Dad bought tickets for “Carmen” at the Teatro Politeama Genovese and then he went to a Travel Bureau and asked where the main shopping drag was. He was told to go to Via Luccoli and so they did and were happy to see it was exactly what they were looking for! Dad said it was a long, narrow street with beautiful shops and mom was thrilled!

She bought dad black and brown gloves, shoes for Lindy and me, and nothing for herself! They came out at the waterfront and walked a long way to the docks before getting to Piazza Principe and boarding a bus back to Nervi.

Lindy and I had visions of the oldies being kidnapped by bandits as they’d been away for so long (those were the days before mobile phones!!) so were very relieved when we saw them!

The next day I had breakfast in bed as I was still feel off colour and had a temperature. Mom and Lindy went shopping while dad stayed with me. The girls weren’t back by lunchtime so dad and I ate without them, and they finally rocked back an hour later with all kinds of goodies.

After lunch we drove to Portofino via Santa Magherita Ligure and we were all very impressed with the beauty of the town, even though the place was crawling with foreign tourists which surprised my father as it was the “off” season ?  Then the heavens opened and we went back to our car and drove back to Nervi carefully!

The next day I felt a whole lot better but apparently there was a flu outbreak in Rome so mom insisted that I stay in bed, so had both breakfast and lunch there. So boring! Mom brought me some fried chicken which made me really pleased as lunch was very bland ?

Mom and dad had a siesta and then dad got Lindy to come out with him while mom started packing as he said it was silly for her to sit in a room when there were only two more days in Italy! They had a walk with the residents before coming back for dinner. I was allowed to join the family for dinner and afterwards we went for a stroll to the sea front before heading back to go to bed.

Saturday dawned and mom and dad took most of our luggage to Thomas Cook to put on board then when they got back, mom and Lindy headed out for more shopping! They got back at 6 then had dinner quickly then we all went to see “Carmen”. Oh wah! Having been dragged to operas in the past, both Lindy and I knew Carmen was supposed to be a svelte young lady but the star of the show weighted about 100 kgs, was short and had bulky arms and legs! Lindy and I started to giggle and the more irritated our father got, the more we couldn’t stop shaking in our seats! Poor daddy was not a happy chappy with his children! ?

Our misery ended at 1am and dad drove us home safely in the rain so that we could crash into our comfy beds and ????

Sunday, September 29, saw dad rise at 7 because his mind was totally preoccupied with us moving to the Hotel Aquila in Genova!  We all had breakfast then dad went off to pay the bill and we made sure we had collected everything from our rooms as it was the last day we were spending on land ?

Dad kicked us and our luggage out at the Aquila then drove to the Colombia Garage to be greased before being loaded onto the Asia. He walked the short distance back to the Aquila and came up to his room, where mom was unpacking a few things. He approved of the room and liked the view, but we were all very disappointed with our lunch at their restaurant. Very expensive buffet and we all came away hungry and bad tempered!

Dad and I went to pick up the car and then he drove to the docks but when we got there, poor dad was told he needed a car freight ticket so we had to drive to the Lloyd Triestino office to pick it up. Almost had an accident when dad took an unexpected left turn and he got told off by a policeman! ?

However he got his ticket and back we went to the docks, with dad keeping an anxious eye on the gas as he didn’t have much. Thank goodness we got to our destination without problems and the carnet was stamped “Uscita” (exit) and they took the car off daddy, much to his relief!

Came back to the hotel and dad rested till 4:30 then, as mom had just washed her hair, he took just his two girls out for some coffee and cakes. We were sitting outside, watching the TV inside, but when the weather turned cool, we went back to the hotel. Mom was fast asleep so we girls said goodnight to dad and went to our room to sleep. We were both really excited about getting onto the “Asia” tomorrow!

 

 

 

September 30 ~ Arriverderci Italia, ciao la bella nave “Asia”!

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