Green letters

want to be identified with a party - there are two reasons given for this. (1) People remember well the NAZI party experience - what it produced and what a shadow membership in it could leave on one's post war record. They distrust open membership in parties, fearing later consequences of this sort. (2) In the small towns especially it is economically unwise to be an enthusiatic supporter of one party or the other. If a shopkeeper is a rabid supporter of the SPD (Socialist Democratic Party), conservative peasants who favor almost always the CDU (Christian Democratic Union - Adenauer's party) may supposedly boycott his store; sho why should he speak out and lose business. Such "radicalism" is viewed unfavorably, and people would rather go silently to the elections, cast their vote, and otherwise remain cautiounaly silent.

#6 Partly because of this seeming political indifference, but probably more for other reasons (different backgrounds in political thought - no revolution in ideas like ours of 1787) Germany tends to accept more authority in its government. Anthropologists trace this back to family structure, where the father is very dominant and this too may be a factor. But one difference that I observe is that they don't have our concept of the secular, amoral state; here the state is a legitimate moral agent, and has a definite responsability to protect the morals of the people. Thus whole areas of control and censorship (of T.V., movies, etc., etc.) which we often see in America as threats to our freedoms (as given in the Bill of Rights), they find here more valid and necessary. Currently there is less of this ("democracy" is the keyword, "authority" bad) but it is likely that the pendulum will swing back somewhat in coming years, and they have no body of political thought to oppose its doing so. Thus too the name Christian Democratic Union (Union because it combined a Protestant and a Catholic party which were in pre-war years separate) is no accident - many people support the party specifically because it is "Christian".

21.5.60

Dear Folks

Well, here I am in the midst of the next-to-last big trip of the season. We're going to spend a couple of hours in the hostel here in Antwerp this morning studying (and writing letters), since we haven't had time to do much yet in previous evenings.

We took off right after lunch Wednesday, spent a couple of hours in Stuttgart running errands. [I confirmed my plane flight with PAA, having gotten my ticket O.K., so that is all set]. Then we drove on the autobahn as far as Mainz; at this point we picked up the road along the Rhine which Bridge and I came down by bicycle. We drove in three hours over as much territory as Bridge and I biked over in 3 days, which gives you some idea of how much less you observe by car. But it was wonderful to see the Rhine again, especially since it is now green and lush, much more beautiful (and more romantic!) than when we first saw it. We stayed Wednesday night in the hostel in Bad Honnef, and awoke Thursday morning to find it pouring rain. May seems to be that sort of month in Europe: several days of warm sunshine, a day or two of heavy rain (often a really blazing thunder and lightning storm) to freshen up the air and earth. We drove most of the day Thursday to reach Amsterdam - through the Ruhr area past Düsseldorf, Duisburg, out into the flutter farming country through Emmerlich, Arnhem and Utrecht. Is is all wet and almost tropical green in foliage and thick grass; the trees along the roadside often joined arms overhead to shade the road. We got into Amsterdam around 4 pm and after registering at the hostel we repeated the boat tour of the canals which Bridge and I took - and I learned a lot more on the 2nd time through too. Then we found a small restaurant and had a huge delicious steak dinner (salmon salad, chicken tomato soup, potatoe, peas, milk, coffee, fruit custard too) for about $1.80!

Yesterday we drove north out of Amsterdam to Alkmaar, a smaller town

with crowded, colorful streets. Justly famous there is the an old cheese market where they display for sale huge quantities of whole cheeses. Then back down the peninsula to Haarlem where I picked up our old route along the small roads through the tulip fields. But whereas Bridge were too early for the best of the flowers and saw only a few fields in bloom, this time we were too late and they were all out for sale - we saw only about 3 fields in all still in bloom. Came down into The Hague, past the Peace Palace and out to the beach resort of Scheweningen. The sun was out for a while here and the beach was much prettier and more touristy than the gray beach and shore Bridge and I saw. We drove on down through Delft (a small, very picturesque town, the home of the Famous blue china) and Rotterdam, on down into Belgium through Breda to Antwerp. We got into the hostel about 8 pm, just had time to drive into town for dinner before getting back at 10 pm for bedtime. As fast as we've gone we've seen a lot of countryside, and its been a delightful trip.

Today we'll drive arund Antwerp for a while, go on and look around Brussels, drive on to Luxembourg for the night. Then tomorrow we'll roam around Luxembourg and Trier, Germany (may be Treves on your maps) and then for the Burg before it gets too late.

Well after a quick week or so of study and two brief days of finals I'll be off for Vienna. I've mailed for tickets to the music festival for while I'm there (it runs for a whole month, with top artists from all over Europe!) and have my fingers crossed - 5 concerts in all I hope. Saw a marvelous concert in Stuttgart last week, topped by a sparkling performance of the Dvorak cello concerto.

Well, we're about to get driving. Lots of love - George

See you in JUST THREE WEEKS!! You might arrange to have a slide projector at Jane's (mine if it comes) if you want to, since I'll have my pictures with me.

28.5.60

Dear Folks -

Well, just about the time I write this you should be in the midst of a great weekend with Jean & Irv. Wish I could be there with you all to share in the fun! I'm sorry it's been so long since I've written just an ordinary, non-travel letter, but time has been rather scarce here on the Burg toward getting my lit paper prepared - it was due yesterday and I just squeaked under the wire as usual.

Our ride through Belgium from Brussels last weekend was just grand. As we traveled eastward (through Namur, Marche en Famennes, to Bastogne) the country became gradually hillier and the forests increasingly of pine. Everything was so lush and green in the rain, it was simply amazing. As we neared the Luxembourg border we saw that there would be time enough to wander around the little country, so we got out the guide book + planned a route which zig-zagged around so as to cover most of the territory.

[drawing of a map]

As soon as we left the last town in Belgium the traffic died off to almost nothing, and all the way through Luxembourg until we reached the city of Luxembourg Sunday noon we hardly saw a car every 5 minutes. The country is one of rolling green hills, sometimes quite rugged and forested, always peaceful and gorgeous. Sort of had the feeling of being on top of the world as we wound through the countryside, passing through occasional small towns. We saw one town (Clervaux) with an old castle and a medieval abbey above on a bluff ovelooking the town, drove up to see it. Then on to another small town right near the German border where we stayed in the youth hostel, just down the hill from one of the best ruins of a medieval castle in Europe. On a steep high rocky hill, with the town circling its base, as if protected in its shadow as surely it once was. Sunday morning we drove through narrow, wooded and silent river valleys, past occasional farmhouses to the capital city. Spent an hour walking around - to see the Grand Ducal Palace, cathedral, etc. It is ideally situated half on and half at the base of a high steep cliff, cut by the

river which runs through the town - the whole country of Luxembourg is sort of a romantic dreamland, miraculously undiscovered by tourist crowds except for the capital city.

We drove on to Trier (Treves), one of the oldest cities in Germany (founded in 15 BC by Augustus, and a major city during the middle ages as well) and richest in history. Stopped only briefly to see the cathedral, some Roman remains, etc. before driving on to Mainz to catch the autobahn for Stuttgart and dinner here on the Burg. It was really a great weekend in which we saw a lot of country.

I'm spending the weekend trying to catch up on my lit reading, which I neglected while writing the paper. Also spent some time taking photographs around here and in Beutelsbach, and saw the Krauters briefly today, am going down tomorrow for luch and the afternoon. We have our finals on Thursday + Friday, and I'll try to squeeze in a visit to them on Thursday evening. Then Saturday morning (after a good bye party here Friday night, probably very sad and sentimental) we'll be leaving for Vienna! I'm really excited about that especially since I've got ticket reservations for several performances in the Vienna Music Festival (which lasts a whole month, gets top performers from around the world!). I have definite reservations for: June 5 - The Vienna Choir Boys, Vienna Symphony - Verdi and Haendel. June 7 - London Philarmonia - Beethoven's Symphonies #1, #9. June 9 - The Verdi Requiem, with many great singers (e.g. Leontyne Price) Vienna State Opera Chorus, London Philarmonia probable reservations: June 6 - Mozart opera - "Cosi fan tutte" or perhaps "Marriage of Figaro".

Wonderful music and also fine art museums available, plus the rest of Vienna to see - should be a full week! And then back here to catch a fast plane for San Francisco and back home again! Whoopee!!! I've been excited about that prospect for weeks - only two weeks from tonight!!

As to the projector, I will get an exemption slip on arriving in S.F. for that and the other three packages coming (books this week, when Jim done with them.)- these will be instead of invoices, I am sure. So just sit tight until I get there. My address in Vienna (from June 5-9) will be: c/o American Express 14 Kaerntnerring Vienna, Austria

See you in 2 weeks! Lots of love - George