Date: September 23, 1938
Place: Interlaken
Weather: Continued perfect.
TIMELINE: new Czechoslovakian government mobilizes its army.
Today has been a perfect day with a perfect trip to the Jungfraujoch. As an old shopkeeper said to me tonight, seldom has there ever been such absolutely perfect weather for this trip. The awe-inspiring feeling of being in the Alps defies description!
We took a train to Lauterbrunnen then switched to a train for Kleine Scheidegg. In speechless wonder, we drank in the beauty of pine-covered mountains where crystal clear streams tumbled downward in miniature waterfalls. After passing by small Alpine villages, we were transported via steep cog railway, which ascended through a long tunnel up to Jungfraujoch! The railway through the tunnel was a grand feat of engineering. Having wondered how it would feel at 12,000 feet above sea level, I discovered that (except for a little shortness of breath after climbing steps) all was fine. It was absolutely necessary to wear dark glasses because of the bright sunlight however its warmth kept us from feeling too cold.
We rented some “snowshoes” which turned out to be high galoshes, and went plowing out into an entirely new world — all ice and snow. There was nothing but a wonderful feeling of freshness and isolation from the rest of the world. Everything was blanketed with extremely deep snow. We tramped around and admired the beautiful views below. Perched high on a peak, we enjoyed our box lunches, gazing off into unbelievable splendor.
Now it was time to play! After visiting the blue-green ice palace, I sat on a sled on the ice rink while a handsome fellow twirled me around and around. Of course, this all ended with a snowball battle! Some of the folks went skiing, but I preferred to spend the time on other sports.
A group wanted to see the polar dogs so I tagged along. We descended on foot, and suddenly my left leg went all the way down through the snow bank! It was the strangest feeling! At the enthusiastic urgings of my fellow travelers, I took a thrilling dog sled ride along the side of the mountain and loved every minute!
All too soon, it was time to leave. On the bus to my hotel, I met Ed from Indiana. He and I had been visiting just about the same places. Our paths have crossed often but we have never noticed each other. Ed made me promise to come to the Casino Kursaal tonight. I dashed back to the hotel then hurried over to a street market which was about to close for the day. I purchased two cute hand carved wooden cake plates which had Swiss-movement music boxes inside. When you lift the plate up, the music begins; when you place it back on the table, the music ends after the tune is finished playing. It actually alternates between two different melodies! After much searching, I located a genuine Swiss dinner bell for Mother. The storekeeper was delighted that a foreigner would actually ask for such a bell because they were usually purchased only by the Swiss. The wooden framework was made in China, for which he apologized. He explained that it had to be carved in one piece and Switzerland did not have the right kind of trees for this technique. I had these things shipped to the RMS Queen Mary, and now wonder if I will be able to get them into my cabin on the ship!
After dinner, which tasted scrumptious to a hungry mountain climber, I ambled down to the casino and met Ed. We listened to a lovely orchestra until 10:30, and then went to another place for dancing. Ed told some wild tales of his travels in Russia. When I arrived at the hotel it was locked, but a nice concierge came down in his bathrobe, to let me in.
Date: September 24, 1938
Place: To Montreaux
Weather: Fine but vision not too clear.
TIMELINE: London considers precautions for air raids by setting up gas mask distribution centers. France is amassing troops.
This morning, I pulled up stakes at Interlaken and was off for Montreaux. On the train, I got to talking with the Wendell, an Englishman from Sidney Australia. Wendell plays a great deal of Cricket and travels about reporting on Cricket matches. We discussed everything under the sun while enjoying the lovely Bernese Oberland scenery. It was a marvelous ride along the sides of mountains, dipping down into valleys and up again. As we descended from the top of the final mountain, we saw the whole town of Montreaux laid out before us. Wendell had no hotel reservation so he tagged along with me to the nearby Terminus Hotel. The clerk assigned him a room right next to mine. It certainly was delightful to have a companion for sightseeing. We had lunch at the hotel and made arrangements for a motorboat ride around the lake and to the Castle of Chillon. As we approached the dock for our tour, up came an American girl named Lucille. She worked for NBC in New York City. Lucille turned out to be lots of fun, and the three of us enjoyed Montreaux together.
Although one could see a veil over the distant mountains, the sun was shining and the lake was very blue. During our tour of the Castle Chillon we found out that it dates back in part to the eighth century. We saw the various rooms including the chapels, dungeons, and the torture chambers. After our return boat ride, we three relaxed in a tearoom beside the water. My smattering of French has come in handy as I have not encountered any villagers that speak English. After a walk through the town and making a few purchases, we returned to the hotel for dinner. After dinner, Wendell, Lucille, and I wandered down to the Kursaal Casino. One can find a casino in almost every city in Switzerland. It is a central amusement place. At 8:30 one can listen to an orchestra that plays excellent classical music. Guests sit at little tables and order coffee or drinks. During intermission, people try out their gambling skills. Wendell said he was going to try 5 Francs worth. After losing it all, he sheepishly returned to the concert. After the concert, there was dancing in the bar room, featuring a Hawaiian orchestra. For being an extremely tall man, Wendell was an excellent dancer. He took many turns around the dance floor, alternating between the two of us. I also danced twice with an extremely good-looking Frenchman, — an excellent dancer — who spoke no English. He seemed to be a part of the place, dancing a lot with the Hawaiian female performer. I felt very flattered when he asked me to dance with him when the orchestra played the last dance before closing.
When we started home, Wendell demonstrated the exact steps of the Lambeth Walk. We danced and sang all the way. By then, the natives knew beyond a doubt that we were crazy. Here too, we had to rustle the porter out of bed at 1:00 a.m., to let us in. And so, to bed!
Date: September 25, 1938
Place: To Geneva
Weather: Not so good — rain in afternoon.
TIMELINE: the French government decides to commit to defending Czechoslovakia, if the Germans attack. Great Britain indicates that they would stand by France.
Lucille and I had a delightful boat trip from Montreax to Geneva. Upon my arrival, I was met by a representative of the hotel — to my surprise. He was the cutest man, whose eyes were just leaping with laughter. He carried the luggage on a bicycle and I walked over the bridge to my hotel. The room was furnished in a modernistic style. As my gracious porter labeled it — “Very American.” In the afternoon, we took a sightseeing trip in the rain. We visit numerous monuments and drove out to the place where the yellowish, dirty Arue River joins with the deep blue Rhone. We drove by the Palas des Nations. All nations of the world are represented here, except Germany. On the way home from dinner, Lucille and I stopped at a sidewalk café to listen to a delightful French orchestra. We tried to drink some beer — nasty stuff!