Green letters

21.3.60

Dear Folks,

Well, here I am in our second night in the Hague, and I'll try to fill you in somewhat on the last few days. I wrote a joint letter to Annie which you should get soon, about our trip to Amsterdam. I didn't mention much of the day before, but you could figure that we did manage to cover the 104 km. from Oldenburg to Winschoten, and without being completely exhausted either. We left Oldenburg about 9AM, arrived at the border between Germany and Holland at about 4:30 and in Winschoten about 6. And we took about 10 minutes off each hour to rest, and an hour for a hot lunch, so we didn't really try to press too hard. The country was very flat, yet we saw many thick pine forests (at almost sea level this is quite unexpected) between the green farm lands. As we moved westward past Leer and into Holland, the forests gradually disappeared and canals became increasingly - some little more than irrigation ditches through fields (every 15 or 20 yards), others large enough for navigation by barges, etc.

Morning 22.3.60

Our full day in Amsterdam Saturday was very productive. We began by going to American Express for mail, and I got a wonderful long letter from you and also a short note from Annie. (Since Am. Ex. Co. is closed Sundays we had them forward to Rotterdam where we'll check today.) Then we went for the morning to the Rijks Museum - paintings mainly from the 15th-17th centuries, including such greats as Franz Hals, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Rubens, Goya, El Greco, Van Dyck. The Rembrandt collection is particularly good. Then after eating lunch in a park behind the museum, on a bench beside a whole field of flowers, we went on to the Municipal Museum, mainly modern art. They have one of the best collections of Van Gogh anywhere, which shows both the Dutch and Parisian influence in his work very well; also several Picassos (who leaves me cold) and a large room of Marc Chagalls (whom I like quite well). They also had some current exhibitions of sculpture and art by contemporary artists - Toon Kelder and Robert Jacobson, who were interesting to see. One was rather abstract charcoals, many on the subject of jazz, and very clever; the other sculpture from scraps of iron (bike chains, tin cans, etc, etc) of human-like figures - mostly funny and also at times very clever, but not to me expressive of much significant feeling.

After 2 hours in the modern art we rode across town to see a much-acclaimed aquarium, which was really nothing very special after all. Then we went back to a spot near the hostel and took a one hour tour of the canals and harbor of Amsterdam on a touring boat. This was very interesting, particularly in the harbor, and gave us a beginning orientation so that Sunday morning we could ride around for an hour on our bikes and see some things again more thoroughly. After dinner in a stand-up cafe we went back to the hostel for the evening to read, talk and write letters (which have a hard time getting done for the talking).

I really came to like Amsterdam very much - it's a very friendly, fascinating city. The canals are everywhere, almost every block, and often crowded with barges, house boats, small boats of all sorts. Also it is a bicycler's city; there are more bikes than cars and the cars just have to make out for themselves because the bikes assume the right -of-way. So we were right at home as we moved around in the stream of traffic from place to place.

We left Amsterdam about 10AM Sunday, planned to ride on to Haarlem for the night. But leaving Amsterdam, we picked up a lovely tail wind, and so covered the whole 20 km in one hour, non-stop! Boy, wish it was that easy sailing all the time. When we got to Haarlem we located the Franz Hals museum, in a very small building on a side street, but it was closed until 1pm. So we ate lunch on a cold park bench nearby, then decided to go on to The Hague for the night. The stretch between the Hague and Leiden is the famous tulip section of Holland. We were about a month too early for the real season, but we did see a few fields in bloom here and there - deep blue and purple, pale blue, white, yellow (gorgeous daffodils). With these few and the many, many fields which are now small green plants, we could imagine how spectacular it will be in April and May. Also every house in Holland (and especially in this area) seems to have a potted plant or blooming flowers in its windowsill, so we saw many more lovely varieties this way.

Continued evening of 3/22 - Sorry this is taking so long, but just didn't have time to finish this morning.

We stopped off briefly in Leiden to locate the famous old university (nothing special physically, for all its academic splendor), and then rode on to The Hague, and about 9 km. beyond to Loooduinen, on the west side of town, where the youth hostel is located. It is an old mansion on a gigantic estate, with a tree lined front drive that reminded me of Stanford's Palm Drive. On three sides of the house are great open fields of green lawns, and in the surrounding woods, small canals with wooden bridges, and narrow walkways. It's a beautiful spot in every way, and I don't know how it ever became the hostel.

Yesterday morning before setting out see the Hague, we took a short bike ride (3km) down to the beach, rode along a path through huge sand dunes 20 and 30 feet high. It was a gray overcast morning, and the sea and horizon were one continuous gray mass - broken only by three small cargo ships steaming off to somewhere. It was my only look at the Atlantic (technically the English Channel I guess) for this trip, but I don't mind that too much if its always so gray and dreary.

In the city we went first to the Binnenhof - which is sort of a palace-administration building. In the center court (surrounded by an old building filled with offices) is a small building containing several large halls. The largest of these is a lovely hall on whose walls hang the flags of the Hollandish provinces, the shields of past ruling princes, etc. At one end is a lovely round stained glass window (again the shields, including that of all Holland in the center); the roof is beamed hardwood nailed with wooden pegs (rebuilt in 1904, though the building dates from 1280). Here are held special meetings of the legislature and large state receptions for visiting royalty or heads of state; and here in September each year the Queen marches in to officially open parliament for the year.

After lunch on a park bench nearby, we went to a small museum (the Mauritshuis) which contains several Rembrandts (including a late self-portrait and "The Anatomy Lesson"), Franz Hals, and a couple of good Vermeers, among many other mediocre paintings. Then to find directions to the Peace Palace (built in 1918 by the U.S.) we stopped in at the U.S. Information Service building which we happened to ride past. But here we found a small library and so sat down for

a couple of hours to catch up on the news, and relax. We bought the week's Time magazine in Amsterdam, but a good reading of one day's N.Y. Times added a lot. After this interlude we arrived at the peace Palace at 4:15 to find that the building closed at 4, so we had a tourist-style look at the outside. Then the half-hour ride back out to the hostel, and another relaxing evening of talk and reading. These easy evenings seem to be the best formula with a days walking or biking, and a 10 pm lights out in the hostels prevents concerts, etc. anyway, so we just stay in after dinner and take it easy (and write letters like right now).

This morning up as usual, and away about 9 to bike to Rotterdam (30 km). It was against the wind all the way, some up and down, but we're getting stronger by now, did te distance in 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Went first off to American Express and I found 6 letters waiting for me - 3 short ones from Anne (who was suffering from finals at the time), the copies of Tuck's fine letters (congratulate him also on his improved regularity, and tell him I enjoy them as much as you do), and two newsy ones from you Mom. So it's bright spirits tonight! Say did I tell you? - don't write to Köln because Amer. Express has no office there. Write to Heidelburg, Germany c/o Am. Ex. Co. (16 Friedrich Ebert Allee) until 3/26, then back to the Burg. After a very short ride through Rotterdam, we bought train tickets to Köln, got here about 6:30 this evening. On the way (Utrecht, Arnhem, Emmerich, Oberhausen, Düsseldorf) we came through the Ruhr of course, and saw endless huge smoke stacks and heavy factories. It is really industry saturared I guess. (Should learn more about that next quarter in economics, and in our trip to Luxembourg).

To answer a few questions: I'm travelling with Bridges Mitchell; he's a sophomore, and was a cellist in the Stanford orchestra with Anne. Former math major probably changing social science. We've traveled together before (mainly on the Rome trip) as I may have mentioned. As to my paper and interviews with the mayor, the only written material he gave me was a copy of the Gemeindeordnung (also in German of course); otherwise all my information came from him - he speaks no English, but very good German. And as I've said before, I can understand almost all of what people say (even when Germans are talking to each other) and fill in by context the words I don't know. And if something was unclear, I'd ask and Herr Plessing would explain it in other words. So I guess the paper is also evidence of my progress in speaking and listening to German.

Our itinerary for the rest of the trip (subject to daily revision of course): tomorrow 3/23 - in Köln (Cologne)

on the Rhine! 3/24 - through Bonn, probably stop at Bad Godesburg 3/25 - to Coblenz 3/26 - part way to Mainz 3/27 - to Mainz 3/28 - part way to Heidelberg 3/29 - to Heidelberg

on the Neckar! 3/30 - in Heidelberg 3/31 - to between Heidelberg, Heilbronn 4/1 - to Ludwigsburg 4/2 - to Beutelsbach

Should be lovely!! Another letter soon (and one to Pops too).

Love, George

16. 3. 60

Dear Folks -

First a little unpleasant business, then the more pleasant news of our trip. I'm writing this from the youth hostel in Hamburg. Last night we stayed here and left our bikes parked in the rack outside; this morning mine was gone - stolen. The bike belonged to the Krauters in Beutelsbach, so I feel doubly bad about. Naturally I had to buy one to replace it, and this we did this morning, after reporting the theft to the police. The cost of the replacement was 120 marks, and I think you could safely set the value of the Krauters' bike at $35.00. I hope the family insurance (ours, not theirs) covers this sort of theft, as you mentioned before. If it does we can get the $35 back; otherwise, unless the Krauters have insurance, we're out that much money. Our equipment was all inside, so no problems there. The bike was not locked because I left the key in Beutelsbach - too bad and stupid of course, but it's done now. After lunch here, we're going on as planned, by train to Oldenburg tonight if possible. So let me know by the mail whether anything can be done. Even though technically I didn't own the bike, it was my responsibility, and I had to buy the replacement, so I think this should be considered "personal property", don't you?

Our trip so far has been quite interesting, although the best part (Holland, I think) is still to come. We got away Saturday about 3 pm after 2 days of finishing up anthro papers, packing, etc. We went through Schorndorf, then turned northward in the general direction of Schwäbisch Hall (hope you have good maps of Germany for all this geography). That was to be our destination for the night, but we ran into some pretty rough country - woods and creeks, steep hills, much like the Blackforest and very pretty. We had to push our bikes up each hill, then ride down, push up the next. It was really exhausting work (especially on our first day) and we finally quit about 8 pm, stopped at a gas station and got directions to a nearby farmhouse. There they showed us a summer cabin with a covered porch (roof, no walls of course) where we spread our sleeping bags for the night. We ate a light snack (we have about 4 days food packed with us, will replenish as we go) then turned in, just about froze by morning (frost on the pumpkin!) and probably won't sleep outside again if we can avoid it. We need the rest to make the mileage we want to. Anyway, up at 6:30, load up and on the way - about a mile of pushing up hill and then the summit at last. From here mostly down or flat all the way to Schwäbisch Hall (we went through Althütte, Gaildorf), sometimes coasting at 30 mph! Along the way we passed through farmland, as well as forest, saw many small villages much like Beutelsbach. This is the sort of thing that makes bikes better than cars, for we really do see the countryside, and the small roads and villages as well as the cities.

From Schwäbisch Hall we took a train to Rothenburg, to save time and energy. There we took our gear to the youth hostel and set out for a few hours look at the town. It is a famous tourist center (though not in this season of course) because its an authentic medieval city, bounded by the high walls, standing on steep bluffs overlooking the Tauber river. Must have been an impregnable fortress in those days.

Continued in Oldenburg - the evening of 16.3.60

Sitting on a bunk bed in a cool (unheated) youth hostel, having just finished a very pleasant, leisurely meal in a nearby Gastätte (small restaurant - beer hall).

Anyway - back to Rothenburg. It was a lovely sunny day, and we strolled down the narrow streets, saw the Rathaus (city hall), went into one of the churches (which had two beautiful wood carved altar pieces - about 1500, in the German renaissance), stopped by the walls to look out over the river and valley. Then at dusk we found a small wood paneled gastette, had dinner by candlelight.

The next morning we took off about 8AM on our bikes, rode along the Tauber to Creglingen. This was a particularly beautiful stretch, with the river in the base of a valley, clutivated hills rising on both sides, little villages every couple of miles, etc. We stopped about 9:30 on the bank to eat breakfast (a sandwich, 2 eggs, slice of meat, piece of raisin cake given us by Frau Krauter, orange and water), watched a flock of ducks swim by (the river was about 20-30 ft wide, moved very slow and glassy smooth). About this time the sun broke through the morning fog and it was quite peaceful and lovely; and on the hills behind us farmers followed their horses, or walked about spreading fertilizer, farming much as they have for centuries before.

In Creglingen we caught a train for Wurzburg - a little old one with ancient cars with wood seats, almost empty of people so that the conductor had time to drop by and chat with us, find out where we were from, etc. He said we were the first bike travelers of the season, and most people say it's too early in the year; but so far our luck has been pretty good - almost all sunny weather, only cold since Hannover. We had only a couple of hours to ride around in Würzburg - too bad because it is a very interesting old city - university and former bishop's seat. We spent most of our time at the Marienburg castle, on a high bluff, with a fine view of the town and its many church steeples. Then on the train again, on to Hannover for the night in the youth hostel.

Up yesterday morning and right off to the railroad station to go to Hamburg. [We're?] trying mostly in these few days to cover mileage in moving northward, so sightseeing took a second seat in the large cities especially. In Hamburg I had time to wander around for the afternoon, but chose instead to write a letter, take a shower, wash a few clothes, etc, sort of a day off from traveling. The hostel there is very large (400 beds) and new, on a hill above the harbor. This is a fine location, for the Hamburg harbor is huge, much larger than any other I've ever seen, and bustles with activity, day and night. The great dock cranes are as thick as TV antennae on Los Angeles rooftops, and there are ships of all sizes loading, unloading or moving on. The city itself is sort of sooty, industrial, with a sort of smoky haze even under blue skies. This seems to be true of most north German cities. (Hannover, Bremen, Oldenburg too), in sharp contrast to Stuttgart or München in the south.

Well, we're rising early in the morning for a long day of biking - hope to make over 100 km., which is far more than we've done on any previously. The time we save now will come in very handy going up the Rhine or wandering in Holland, so it's worth the effort. Hope everybody's well and happy, and I'm eager to get to Amsterdam and the "mail box".

Love, George