Green letters

14.5.60

Hi Darling, and Ma & Pa too

Well, we had quite a day in Tübingen yesterday - a mixture of collegetype fun and interesting conversation. The town itself is simply beautiful, located on steepish hillsides rising from the quiet, smooth-flowing Neckar. Its sort of romantic - rustic with lots of old houses; and the presence of the university (it really is essentially a "university town", that being the main reason for its existence) only adds the student atmosphere to the already special scenic beauty. It's an ideal spot of a university (especially from the extra-curricular point of view!).

We arrived about 11 Am, spent 2 hours before lunch walking around the town for a while, then taking a beautiful rowboat ride on the Neckar. This is a favorite student pastime, both for groups of boys or girls and for couples (or even triple dates in one case I saw). There is a long, low narrow, tree and grass covered island in the stream and we spent about an hour rowing leisurely up one side of it, back the other, four of us and one German student. All along the bank of the island were students reading or just talking or lying in the sun - it was so peaceful and pretty!

While we were eating lunch back at the fraternity house a sudden storm blew up and it began pouring rain, continued intermittently for the whole afternoon. We went down to the Stift - an Augustenian cloister from the 15th century, now a dorm for mostly theology students, others too - heard a talk about the history of the town, the cloister, etc. Several famous people have studied at Tübingen, one of Germany's best universities (dating from 1420) - Kepler the astronomer, Hegel the philosopher, Schelling (a contemporary of Hegel in idealism), Hölderlin, a lyric poet of the 19th cent.

From the Stift we rode up to a cafe - hangout of the students, overlooking the Neckar valley, and sat around drinking a delicious hard cider - lemon juice drink and sharing college songs together. We 30 from Stanford sang our classic drinking songs, then joined them on German songs. Lots of fun of course.

Then last night we had a dinner-dance at the fraternity house, had a chance both to dance and have fun and to talk about German and American universities ans student life. We finally had to leave about 11:30 in order to stagger into bed here at 1:30.

Got to go now to ride with Dr. Tarshus to Stuttgart - another bunch of errands.

Lots of love, George

11.5.60

Dear Folks,

Well, one month from tonight that big jet flies into S.F. airport! I'm already more excited about that prospect than I have been about any event over here so far. I don't know how I'll be able to stand it in Vienna, just wandering around - I'll probably want to hop the next free plane from there and fly home early. Say, in rereading the letter from the Travel Agency I just noted a question: my flight (#125 on Pan American Airlines) is to arrive in San Francisco at 8:30 p.m. But I don't know whether that's daylight or standard time - check with some Fresno travel agency and let me know will you? And arrive accordingly in S.F., since I don't especially want to stand around for an hour at that point!

Nothing much special has happened since I wrote last week. I spent the weekend here on the Burg mainly - to get some studying done. Friday I drove a bus load (8 of us) into Stuttgart, to meet Herr Zimmerman (our German instructor) and tour the modern art exhibits with him. There is one temporary exhibit, to be sold in an auction on May 17, and a recently acquired permanent exhibit in the city art gallery. Both are excellent and the hours we spent there very interesting - they have several Picassos (they can keep him), Cragallo (whom I like), Noldes, and many others, mostly German of course.

Saturday morning I spent a couple of hours packing and mailing things home - a suitcase full of clothes, and a carton with several things in it, some of it that I've bought over here. They should arrive around the 1st of June; I addressed them to me at 607 Equitable Bldg - you may get them without any problem, but more likely they will be held for customs clearance (which I must obtain in S.F. on return). If you get them however, please do not open them, but just keep them until I get there.

The rest of the weekend was spent about 3/4 studying and 1/4 enjoying the gorgeous warm early summer weather we have here. I spend most of each day in my bermuda shorts now - we can wear them to class too! - and have played lots of hours of volleyball in the past few days. With all the trees green and tulips and other flowers (and lilac bushes in pale purple) in bloom, the air fresh and warm, it is delightful beyond description.

Did I tell you, our Luxembourg trip is cancelled, since the authorities there will need our meeting rooms for their own conferences. But we have a 4 day weekend on our own instead and I'll be going with a carload of kids up the Rhine to Holland, back through Luxembourg, Treves and Strasbourg. Some familiar country to see again much that I haven't seen. That will be my only real trip until after finals,

we go to Vienna for the week before my coming home. We have a one-day trip this Friday to Tübingen to attend some classes at the university there, tour the town, and have a dinner dance as guests of one of the fraternities - 30 of us are going and it should be fun and interesting too.

I had a nice visit with the Krauters last night - hadn't been able to see thme for about 2 weeks, so it was nice to go back. Mom, I'm sort of cool on your sending anything over for them - not from my standpoint, but from theirs. Bridge and I gave them 1/2 lb of coffee when we stayed with then for the 2 days, and they were almost insulted. She is always giving me food to bring back to the Burg with me (as well as stuffing me while I'm there) and won't take no for an answer. It's part of their idea of hospitality, and its very different from our American idea of reciprocation, of social obligations. Maybe I can send them something for Christmas, but for now I think its better not to.

Just a couple more little requests - please send Annie a copy of the observations I wrote you on Berlin, since she missed out on them; hope you get those typed up and sent soon - I'll be home before you do if you're not on your toes! Second, could you set up an appointment with an oculist (isn't Dr. Weber the name of mine, next to the Warners Theater?), perhaps for the Monday - June 13, in the early afternoon? My frame has been held together with scotch tape since Rome (!! how's that for a shocking confession? - I don't want to be without my glasses here, and probably couldn't find my style of frames anyway) and I want the prescription checked too, since it's been some time since I've seen him. The only reason I suggest Monday is that I may want to spend a few days in Bakersfield that week before starting my summer job, if that's possible and I'll probably have other errands to run too - like getting a haircut! and clearing customs packages, etc. O.K.?? O.K.!!

Gotta write Annie now before lunchtime, so 'bye for now.

Lots of love, George

23.4.60

Dear Folks,

I have a few minutes before dinner now, time in which to say hi and pass on a little information before our big Berlin trip, which will demand every line of my writing time once I'm there. I've been at home this weekend as planned, using Friday for shopping and yesterday and today for study. I bought a projector and extra magazines to hold the slides (cost: $48 including mailing). It is a semi-automatic model, quite satisfactory. Since I mailed it Friday it may arrive in about 3 weeks. Also bought 2 pairs of shoes ($23 for both), a little something to send Annie for her birthday (May 4 is right) and a little present for Ellen - I'll send shoes, etc, in a carton along with a suitcase full of extra clothes, probably right after Berlin. Mailing time seems to be 3-4 weeks which isn't bad at all! I'll have to mail books, etc right at the end of the quarter, but won't need them during the summer anyway. Incidentally, don't pay any customs duties on any of the packages - write me in detail if any are demanded - they should be eliminated because of my $500 duty-free allowance as a tourist.

Glad to hear that you and Tuck enjoyed his week at home so much; wish I could have been there too! Guess we may have to wait until August to be a foursome again, except with Annie when I come home. Also glad you got such a good deal on his new car, and hope it gives him no trouble. I've been thinking ahead on my old Chevy. Hope it will last me during most of next year, then maybe trade it for something newer and less costly to maintain. Want the newer car about the time I graduate since from then on for about 5 years I hope to pretty much support myself (and maybe a wife!), but will have to do so on no money to spare - i.e. no heavy car expenses or buying new car. So keep the Chevy well warmed up and we'll hope for some service from it.

This has really been a productive two days of studying - two books for literature and 1 1/2 for econ, plus a 15 page story for German. I'm well caught up before the Berlin break now.

We leave for Berlin Tuesday evening about 10:30 (12:05 flight from Stuttgart, arriving 2:30 AM), so we'll start Wednesday's tours a little sleepy. Have 6 full days in the city, with much free time for observation, opera, concerts, etc. I've been looking forward to the experience for quite a while as you know, and will sure try to share it with you by mail. Bye for now.

Love, George

Mom - If you have any good suggestions on something to get Tuck (and also Dad) while I'm here, please pass them on. So far I haven't discovered anything special that is either more expensive or unavailable in the U.S. I hate to just get something to be bringing it, hope you might have ideas.

More [illegible]

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