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25.3.60
Hi again Darling -

Another day gone by, and tomorrow night will mark the 2/3 point of our
trip. It seems like a long time since we left the Burg, but somehow doesn't
seem like it will be long until we get back there. I guess that's because
by any other standards of distance - e.g. train instead of bicycle - we're not
far away, and also because the terrain is becoming increasingly similar to
that around Beutelsbach - more rolling hills, etc. Also when we reach
Mainz, we are only two days from Heidelberg, and then we're on the
Neckar - the same river that runs through Stuttgart! Dr. Boerner's idea
of following rivers [up the Rhein to the Neckar, up the Neckar to the Rems,
up the Rems to Beutelsbach] to tie the trip together was a good one. They
not only provide beautiful scenery, but also a sense of continuity.
Anyway I'll be glad to get back to the familiar friendly surroundings of
Beutelsbach and the Burg - and also to the comforts of hot showers, really
clean clothes (not those washed in cold water, as we have to now), warm rooms,
hot meals, routine, etc. We're having a lot of fun and seeing a lot, and
eating well too, but it's still not like the comforts of home. I can't
imagine how kids come to Europe to travel like this (living cheap, in
hostels, etc) for 6 months or a year or more - it would really wear me
out, and besides my artistic and aesthetic senses would soon be numbed
by the constant influx of new experiences, so that eventually I could not
appreciate anything. I think this sort of thing has to be done in small
doses - you can't get your "culture" overnight, and too much seeing means
actually less learning sometimes. In this sense our trip has been
fortunate - for a few days at first we were mainly out of doors in the
country or wandering in old towns. Then in Holland we spent more time
in museums for a while; now we're outside again. This way the experiences
are varied, and we don't get too much of any one thing. And all of it will leave
me very ready to begin another quarter of study and a few trips. I'm planning
long trips of Paris and Vienna besides our group trips to Berlin (which
will probably be the best week of the whole six months) and Luxembourg. Then
maybe a short weekend bike or camping trip not too far from home (Dr.
Boerner and Bridge and I may take one together if it works out!), or perhaps
to Ulm or somewhere like that. Or I may spend a weekend staying with
the Krauters (if we get back next Saturday as it now appears we will,
we may very well stay with them that night, since the Burg is closed
until Sunday sometime!). Already it looks like the time will be awfully
full, even more so than last quarter if that's possible. But that just
means that the time will fly by faster and June 11 will be here
sooner, and this is surely the best day of the while trip, darling, when
I fly back to you again.

Today went about as expected - we had no heavy winds, and took
our time all the way, biking easily (but steadily, stopping only 4 or