5:30 PM January 11, 1970
Münster, Germany
Hi! Right now I wish you were here or I was there or we had some better means of communication as everything just wants to come spurting out and in no logical or coherent order. I think maybe I'll try chronological order from when I last wrote you, and if I recall correctly that was from Ibiza somewhere around the second or third of January.
Funeral services were not held for my BIC pen which was discarded after giving forth a final spurt of ink. We stayed in Ibiza a total of about six days and I really liked it. Alan and I may go back there in March but we've made no definite plans yet. There are all sorts of neat places where the rocks just drop off into the Mediterranean, the Spanish women still wear the long floor length black dresses, and really surprising was that I remember enough Spanish to be able to communicate a little. At least I had a vague feeling for the pronunciation and I could read phrases from a German-Spanish phrase book I'd brought along to ask things like "Where is the post office?" Serena, how is your Spanish coming? If nothing else I got to be a master of saying "no comprendo". I decided I would definitely like to go to Mexico and South America but first I'm going to learn alot more language. One day we took the bus over to San Antonio, the tourist center of the island on the north side. The town Ibiza, where the boat landed and we stayed is on the south side. There were alot more high class appearing hotels but being off season they were all closed. There also wasn't as much garbage (orange peels, bottles, etc.) on the streets and along the shore as in Ibiza.
We got the boat back to Alicante Monday night. It's an overnight trip and we managed fairly well in our second class cabin. They also have1st & 3rd class cabins and 4th class chairs. From Alicante we caught the train to Madrid. It was an all day trip with the train averaging 30 miles an hour. Rosie stayed in Madrid and Alan and I after 1½ hours in that lovely city -- we did see a fountain that really turned Alan on, it had a revolving base with the water spurting out of it creating an interesting affect. Anyway, because we spent so long in Ibiza, Alan and I were forced to sacrifice Madrid for the sake of Lisbon.
So after an all day train ride we jumped back on the train for an all nighter. We both slept fairly well as we were the only ones in the compartment and we arrived in "Sunny" Portugal about 9:30 AM. It was raining. The stations always seem to be crowded with friendly little men asking if you need a room. After we did so well in Rome we tried again in Lisbon and found a place where the rates suited our tastes. No one spoke English at all. There was one guy whose total English vocabulary was "Ima sorry Madame." It sounded kind of funny when he said it to Alan. We even ate a couple of meals there and Portuguese food isn't bad. Of course after Butterbrot and more Butterbrots anything different tastes good. I'm sure every place we went would have been better if we had heat. We did alot of walking in Lisbon and got wet, even though Alan has a large blue and white striped golf umbrella which always attracts alot of attention. It didn't rain the whole time we were there; only an average of five out of every six minutes. We didn't see as much as we could have as we both lacked the motivation, energy and desire to spend too much time out of the room. It wasn't any warmer there but at least it was only damp instead of wet.
With a fresh supply of Butterbrot and oranges we left Lisbon at 2:45 Friday afternoon headed for Paris a short 26 hour train ride. Our compartment wasn't completely full -- there was one empty seat. There was a French couple with a really cute baby and that livened up the prospect of our long journey a little. Unfortunately after a few hours it got dark and also cold as there was no heat. It has to rate as one of the longest nights of my life. Alan and the French man stretched out as best they could on one side, the wife and the baby and I shared the other side. I lasted about 5 minutes in the seat and then I stretched out on the floor which I had all to myself. That was good except it was cold and drafty and my coat just wasn't big enough or warm enough. What I needed was about 10 wool blankets. The night finally ended and we met Rosie again whose train had been hooked on to ours during the night. I was exhausted but I decided to wait until we got to Paris and I had a bed to lay my poor body down. I even tried to choke some Butterbrot down but by this time my system was rebelling and although I still felt OK everything I ate just went right through me so it was kind of a waste of effort and energy to eat. At 4:30 we arrived in Paris, a city I am sure I will never forget.
We took the METRO to some place where they recommend cheap hotels in an area where you want to stay. We had to be near the North train station (Paris only has 7 station) as our train for Münster left at 7:30 this morning. We were standing in front of this place, that is Alan and I were, while Rosie made the arrangements. I remember telling Alan that my stomach was sending violent hunger signals and then my head got all foggy, everything got all whirly, there was a tremendous noise of Niagara Falls in my ears and I could no longer see or hear Alan. It was the worst experience of my life. Here I was blind and deaf in Paris. I remember trying to step in the direction that I remembered Alan was in and I felt my knees give out beneath me. The next thing I can remember is sitting on the bed in our hotel with a sandwich in my hand. Yes, it was a good old repulsive Butterbrot that brought me through. While I was out of it -- Alan had caught me when my knees gave out -- Rosie got us a hotel, they dragged me into the taxi and somehow we got to the hotel. I was a little surprised to find us there and I felt really bad for having let them down. The whole trip until then I had been the specimen of health. I'll never forget Paris and I hope nothing like that ever happens to me again.
It was a short 7 hour zip trip from Paris to Münster and what a joy to be home again. Home, where I can understand what is said to me, and to be able to take a bath with hot water, a bed, a heater, and meals -- the kind you eat at a table with a knife and a fork. Wow, am I ever thankful to be here.
It was nice to find mail and your package. Dad, I was hoping you would send a diary as the old one ran out about 11 days ago for some strange reason. I'm already making good use of the pen. Mother, the pants-skirt fits perfectly and goes right with my entire wardrobe. Thank you both. The Völker's also said for me to give you there heartfelt thanks for the placemats. The Germans don't seem to have an equivalent so it was quite original on your part to send them.
Coming back here has also brought its responsibilities. It wasn't all idyllic and utopia. After three weeks of traveling with Rosie and Alan I realized how little I know Mike. And what am I doing getting serious about someone I don't know? Also, I'm afraid he sees me floating around in the clouds like an Angel which I'm obviously not. Especially since I usually do my best to be a more logical down-to-earth person. Anyway I have to write to him in the very near future and attempt to get things straightened out.
I was feeling pretty confident of my German after telling Mütti and Vatti about my trip but then Max (the German army guy I've gone out with a few times) called and babbled to me on the telephone for about 15 minutes about what he had done for the last three weeks. At least I assume that was what he said as I finally gave up trying to understand. The telephone is an instrument I'm better off without.
Alan has been encouraging me to go into nutrition so I have been considering that again. I think I would like to finish at K first though. Alan is a chemistry major and one of the most intelligent people I have ever known. He makes me feel pretty uninformed in about any area. He is very attached to his family and quite anxious to get back to Michigan.
Which brings me to the subject of my returning in March. I can fly to New York on March 22, 23, 24 (Sunday-Tuesday). Shall I plan to fly from there to Columbus?
I'm glad you all had a good trip to Florida and back. I was also glad to find a Christmas card from Roberta. Please convey my thanks and I will try to answer all correspondence in about 5 years when I recuperate form my present state of exhaustion.
I got your letters in Rome and Nice but not in
I saw the play "Oliver" in New York at one time. Was that with you? I didn't like it because it didn't match the book which has a sad ending.
Good night, dear family, I am now about to collapse into bed.
Love,
Catherine
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