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19.4.60

Dear Folks,

Well here I am back on The Burg, here to stay for about a week, until we leave
for Berlin next Tuesday evening. I'll probably spend Friday in Stuttgart shopping
and thus getting set to mail lots of stuff home, probably ship just a suitcase full of
clothes (since shipping takes anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months, and I want my gifts
on arrival, not in September). Whatever I mail I'll write to tell you about, and
give directions as to opening, etc. The rest of the week goes to STUDYING, and hard!

Got 3 letters from you today - your Easter card, a newsy letter from Mom
(you're a wonderful correspondent Mom, and I really appreciate the frequent letters) and
an "enclosure" letter full of goodies. I really love the track coverage, so keep it
coming. And I hope the meet this June works out as it should be terrific.
Incidentally, how are jobs lining up? Can I write Mrs. Craven? I can begin
work on the 13th as I imagine you have figured - hope you can tell me something definite
soon. The $100 arrived in good order and will help a lot. I forgot about the
220 voltage problem here so may have to buy the projector in the U.S. (will check this
Friday); if so I will save the $40 to buy it with. As to coming home, I'll be writing the
travel agent in the next day or so, so get yours $403 ready! May take off from Frankfurt
direct, instead of from Stuttgart and connecting at Frankfurt as planned. The cost is the
same, and it would be easier in our return trip from Vienna because Mary Jeanette
(who is driving us to Vienna) meets her folks' plane in Frankfurt on the same day as I
leave. This won't affect the S.F. end, but might be easier for me over here.

Our last day in France was a pleasant sunny one most of the way - it rained some
on the way home, east of Nancy, but that didn´t bother us a bit. I had just a
couple of hours more to wander in Paris for which I had saved the immediate
area of our hotel. I think I mentioned that we stayed in the Latin Quarter (i.e. the students
quarter around the Sorbonne, where they used to speak Latin) on the Left bank, about
2 blocks from the Seine and Notre Dame (which is incidentally built on an island in
the Seine). I walked along the river bank, took several pictures of the wonderful
view of the cathedral. Then I went inside for about 1/2 hour, to walk around, as I
hadn't done so Sunday. The two rose windows (43 feet in diameter!!) are
just beautiful, the architecture both inside and outside quite graceful, lacking only
the tall spire of the German gothic. From Notre Dame I went to the Palace of
Justice, which has in its courtyard the Saint Chapelle, a small chapel
used by Louis IX, which has the most beautiful stained glass windows I've seen
anywhere; they are 13th cent. (which is early gothic, early for stained glass) and have
unbelievably rich, lush colors, though the figures and scenes are small and detailed
less interesting than more modern work (as in the Köln cathedral). This rich
colored glass was lost before the 15th cent. (as a production method) and none of the
windows since then have this unique beauty.

Went next to the Conciergerie, also in the Palace of Justice, the site of the
prisons during the time of the French Revolution of 1789-93. It was here that Marie
Antoinette, Robespierre, Danton and thousands of others awaited their
death in the blood bath of the guillotine, and I could sense a little better than
before the more gruesome reality of the "glorious democratic" revolution. Our ride home
was lovely as the ride to Paris had been - beautiful green countryside!

Dinner time. Another letter soon - Lots of love. George