10 09 1960 RWR to Marilyn

Dear Marilyn, 9 Oktober 60

How’s batching? I am just now eating Sunday lunch- German black bread, margarine, honey, & Swedisch buttermilk-the same stuff I had for breakfast & last night for supper, except that last night I had a bowl of liver soup (.40 DM = 10c) at a restaurant. You see I only have 70 pfenning in my pocket (~20c) & it has to last through Mon. breakfast i.e. till I can get to the bank.

Money goes so fast here. Since I arrived last Mon. night I have spent 150 DM (10DM = .24c). Of course I have paid my rent for a month (50 DM) and bought a transformer for my shaver (130 DM). Also several books, etc. One night I spent ~20 marks at the Oktoberfest. I went there with a junior from a high school in Detroit. Karen Bright who is daughter of the chaperone on our trip. Dr. Bright (incidentally) is Prof of Chemistry at Wayne State. After the “fest” we took a horse & carriage (10DM) back to her hotel.

I still can’t get over the fact that I was at your place about a month ago. How’s everything doing? Has it snowed yet? How’s classwork? Have you seen anything of that fellow at the railroad station? Are you well or do you still have a cold? Do you have many friends in town? Did you ever move or not? Why & wherefore? How do you get your clothes washed? How’s cooking? What do you eat? Etc, etc.

Now I will see if I can answer some of the questions you may have for me.

Excepting for yesterday when it rained all day, I have had almost continual good weather since I left home. I find travelling very challenging & stimulating & have learned to make friends very quickly. E.g.-Already I have an invitation for dinner tonight with an American couple here in München who are working for Radio Free Europe! Also they told me of the friend of theirs who is always looking for a companion for mountain climbing!

I am presently planning to buy a used V.W. perhaps a ’51 or ’52. I have nothing definite in mind. I would probably sell it & buy a newer one next spring. (in about 6 mos) which I would plan to bring bac to the states & sell there.

Temporarily I must handwash all my clothes in cold water as we only have hot water on Fri night & Sat. Excepting for handkerchief & underwear think. Excepting for handkerchief & underwear & then get it done in a wäscherei (laundry) which is quite expensive, I hear. Of course, I’ll have to get my white shirts done in a Wäscherei-my suit will probably need at least 1 drycleaning.

2.

Books here are quite expensive ~$20 for P Chem & $18 for Comparative Anatomie. I’m going to try to get them from a library or get 2^nd hand books.

I’m trying to recall back some of the good times I had aboard ship to tell you about, but I can’t think of many. I was on a student ship of the Italian line and took a short course in the Italian language while aboard ship. I did a variety of things, as I may have previously written. Today is the first day I’ve had in over a month to just sit down undisturbed and think.

The SMD (equivalent of Intervarsity) here has a prayer meeting every Wed. AM at 8 and a Bible study 7-9 Sunday evening. I shall shortly know what’s up.

Paula Lichte’s relatives apparently live ~10 miles from here. I hope to visit them perhaps next Saturday.

More later------

Indeed much later! In fact 7 days later!

Got a letter from the folks last Mon. answering some of my questions to you. I hope by the time this letter reaches you, all will be well with you. Your new home sounds good.—Do you like it?

Also-HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Is there anything you would like from Germany? I intend to get myself a complete Bavarian outfit Lederhosen (leather pants), knee socks, & hat & umbrella. If you would like girl’s outfit, I’ll shop around see what’s offered & then write you for size & if you’re interested.

Yesterday I was on a 200 mile tour of portions of Bavaria-including Oberammergau-of course the Passion Play House is closed, but the mts. Were beautiful-we went through a snowstorm, & the combination of mts. & snow made me homesick for the first time this trip-at least they made me remember some awfully good times we all had together.

Jeepers, I wish you were over here to enjoy some of these things too. Maybe you wouldn’t like theme, I don’t know. We spend a lot of time (when touring) visiting churches & castles studying architecture and paintings-I find it extremely fascinating even tho it’s the first time in my life I’ve really come across these things.

3. I’ve just finished reading a biography of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Quite touching and fascinating. I’ll be bringing it home with me & since it’s in English you may read it if you like. He built several castles the last ½ of the last century, each of which is magnificent in itself and between the interior decorations and the outside scenery (Alps), it is really quite a sight.

But life in general here is still rather dull right now. It takes so much time before one can really enjoy

Life in a new place. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve found that true also.

And cold is it ever cold here. I wear long johns & am still not warm outside-and I generally go waling for 2-3 hrs, at least, every day. Also the heating system has broken down in our classrooms. We are quite “huddled” together from 8:30 to 11 every morning. I’m finding the German quite difficult but am progressing faster then many (orally) and slower I Grammar (F,D-)

I’ve also been studying a little bit of local history lately. The name Munich fore example, comes from Monchen-the place of the monks-because there were so many cloisters in this area back in 1100’s when the town got going. It was originally just a small settlement where a bridge crossed the Isar River. (The bridge was on the old Salzstrasse, where salt was hauled from Salzburg Austria to Augsburg, Germany). I find such history quite interesting when I am able to actually see the places.

But enough, I doubt you’re much interested in this jay anyway-I wasn’t either till this year.

Please write when you have time. Much love-your brother Rog

P.S. Mon nite

Just got another letter from home saying you’re in real swingin’ shape & you pulled a neat 4 o’clocker the other day. Nice going, don’t overdo while you’re on top! I guess the folks are a little shook about my taking up folk-dancing-I wonder they didn’t get more shook last month when I told them that I intended to take it up if I got the chance! I doubt if I’ll do any more of it-no opportunity & no time!) But then I don’t think anyone but God understands me anyhow-if only for the reason that he’s the only one who can clearly see me both when I’m home, when I’m in Rochester & when I’m here; I rather imagine my letters home don’t help the situation!

Well, shortly I will be so enveloped in work I won’t have time for too much although I fully intend to do all I can-this includes (besides my 5 courses-PChem., Comp Anatomy, German, Sociology, European History) 2 other courses I wish to audit: 1 Bavarian History 2 Development of Ideas in the U.S. from 1900 to 1950. Also I want to learn to ski. Do some mountain climbing. Naturally I want to travel- I hope also to visit Communist countries. Finally I want to get to know Germany: farm families; the mtg in Frankfurt; children -all ages; their churches, museums, culture-Munich is just seeping with culture: operas, plays-several every night & I like them. Really not fair to say I like them because I haven’t seen any here yet! Particularly I want to see Faust. Having seen it in Rochester (English) & in Paris (French) I’d now like to see it in Munich (German).

So much for my plans. Tell me if you’d like anything from Germany & I’ll see what I can find. Also, if I can, next summer I’ll bring back a loaf of schwarzbrot (black bread) & a bottle of wine so you can taste & see what I have to live on. Really it’s not so bad, but I sure miss a regular diet of good food.