14 pages

1961 Mar 17 Rog to Italy after Munich 14 pages

17.3.61 2pm

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Am so happy to finally leave Munich. Never wanted to hit the road so bad in my life. Am practically sick with desire. I feel similar to the way I felt when I left the States. “I don’t ever want to go back”. Wrong cry.

Received first ride with salesman to Mindelheim. He recommended the Spanish Riviera as being far better than the Italian. (I shortly found out he had a Spanish wife!!) He also invited me to come over to his house some evening in Munich I don’t like his personality & so probably never will. [Hans Keitel-Schachneistr 6-tel 766224] (Linie 20 vorletyle Holtestele)

In Mindelheim I went to a Molkerei [dairy] to ask for some cardboard to make my “USA_student” sign. Was treated to 2 glasses of delicious buttermilk by the lovely (& I mean beautiful!!) Frau in charge! I also visited the Pfarrkirke [St Stephan] and listened to the long history of the church-from 1263 on! While in the church I watched some 10-12 yr old youngsters practicing for their first-what ever they call it-when a kid first joins a church. (1^st communion)

Went for a walk up a nearby hill. A 5-yr old boy came chasing after me to ask if he and his sisters & brothers could push my Packsack in the baby carriage in which the youngest of the family was sitting. Lovely kids. Shortly a police car drove by & seeing me with the kids, stopped to ask me who I was & where I was going!!

Received rides till I arrived in Isny where I spent my first night in a youth hostel. There was a large group of students there from Stuttgart making their yearly excursion from school (for 10 days). We sang rather lustily in the evening, and after I had heartily complimented a girl on her piano playing, she asked me if it would disturb me if she wrote to me. She “wanted to practice her English”!! (Hope to Sam Hill she writes!)

18.4.61 [18.3.61] Continued travels today until I arrived in Freiburg at George’s place. [George Suter] On Bodensee I revisited Meersburg, one of the most interesting & beautiful little castles one can find. Also spent some time travelling with a medical student, who treated me to coffee & pie. I was rather pleased to be with him because it rained all through the Black Forest.

Enjoyed seeing George again. Sacked out on his floor & nearly caught cold. We wandered around Freiburg, revisiting the cathedral and looking into some of his favorite haunts.

19.4. 61 [19.3.61]Sunday

Went to mass in the Freiburg Cathedral. Didn’t recognize the music, but it sounded good. There’s something almost mystic in these masses, but I find it very easy to pray in such an atmosphere.

Hitchhiked on down to Basel, arriving there before George. AS his uncle (our meeting place) wasn’t home, I went to the next door neighbors to ask where they might be. Being invited in to tea out of the rain, I waited there for George. Upon further invitation we had an extremely delicious dinner with 2 kinds of wine and “Schnapps auf Ananen”-the latter having a most exquisite taste. Each of us receiving a private room for the night, we slept amazingly well!

H. Suter-Zahn, 68, Jacob Burkhardtstr., Basle, tel. 34.95.13

Frau Stauffer 66 , Jacob Burkhardtstr., Basle

20.3.61 After visiting the Basel Münster, walking along the Rhein River, and generally visiting other interesting locations in town, we spent 5 hrs hitchhiking to Neuchâtel. It snowed somewhat today.

At one point, George & I were failing to get rides together, so I walked further down the road. A girl stopped to pick him up, and as he was getting into the car, 2 girls in Mercedes passed him and picked me up. Ace Ace Ace Comments on Rochat’s name at this point quite interesting.

1) “just read the name yesterday in the papers”. 2) “very famous person” !!!

Only the Jura mountains are able to be seen from this road. Since the passes toward Italy are closed, we’ll travel through Geneva.

Traveling to Genf we received ride to International Autoshow from Hans Grimm tel 064 635 22, Junkeracker, Menziken, Switz. He is Leiter & Abteilung für Verkaufsfördeng-Allgemeine Tabak Co.

21.3-22.3

2 days in Geneva. Stayed in Catholic dormitory. Quarters grubby, very cheap, moderately well located. Student restaurant nearby moderately hi-priced, excellent food.

Visited Promenade des Bastions, Russian Church, Marktplatz UN building, St. Pierre Cathedral (Chapel of Maccabees particularly pretty.)

Would be interesting in coming back to Geneva to study French, although I hear the program I Grenoble is much better.

Am amazed at the great number of expensive cars in Switz.

23.3

My 7^th and worst day on the road-except for the last ride, which saved the day! We had left Geneva late and didn’t get

p. 4. our first ride till 11am. South of Chambéry we got on the wrong road and footed a good 12 km. At 5pm we got a real luxury ride in Citroën to Aix-en-Provence.

I suppose I have never cussed so much in my entire life as I have today. The whole world seemed to be against me.

We found a nice cheap hotel- “Room” 1 for honeymooners”!!

24.3.61. (Fri)

Wandering around Aix, I took 2 pictures of army recruiters in front of the Hotel de Ville. For the first time I wished I had my movie camera in my hand.

Spent a good deal of the day in the cathedral. Extremely impressed. Took a number of pictures-which’ll never come out due to false handling of camera ugh ugh ugh.

Google English The Burning Bush is a triptych by Nicolas Froment, artist Avignon , directed the xv ^th century ¹ : Nicolas Froment’s “Le Buisson Ardent” (1476) was most impressive. [The triptych was commissioned in 1476 by King René for the tomb of his entrails ² . The work comes from the Grands-Carmes convent , destroyed during the Revolution . It had to overcome the altar of the convent where King René wanted his remains to rest. It remained there until 1792, then transferred in 1808 to the Saint-Sauveur Cathedral in Aix-en-Provence where since 2011 it has been exhibited in the Saint-Lazare chapel.

[dot does not see the burning bush 2020. Tomb of his Entrails??]

We saw our first palm trees in front of the Palais de Justy and during the afternoon wandered out the Route de Tollonet to see the landscape where Paul Cezanne painted. Like most of Europe, it was so close to being out of a storybook that it was actually unreal. Honeysuckles, dandelions, lupines, & pines were predominant. Route to Le Tholonet, 1900-1904

(La Route à Le Tholonet) Paul Cézanne (French, 1839–1906)

Also visited St. Jean de Malte-Gothic Cath. 1250 and St. Sauveur [Dot: same cathedral as the Aix Cathedral?]

It was interesting to note that many people in Aix have dark (like Negroes), non-Negoidal shaped faces. We presume that they are gypsies.

Visited the University (founded 1409), the second largest outside Paris in France. The buildings look their age (18^th cent.)!

Tourist info: 1. New fountain on Rue Marbeau [2020 Mike’s travel guide The Fountains of Aix]

2. Institute for American Univ @ Univ. of Aix-Marseilles

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Special performances in summer in this area:

1. Aix-music 2. Avignon (Palace of the popes)-drama 3. Orange (Roman Theatre) drama 4. Viason-l-Romaine, 5. Arles-drama

2.

In the evening we took the bus to Marseilles (200F) & saw our first Roman-? Aqueduct en route [ Traconnade, Saint-Antonin? ] Canal de Marseille Had a fancy dinner with “Rosa” wine “Bouillabaisse á la Marseillaise”.

We asked at a police station where we could sleep cheaply and a fellow @ the station offered to drive us to the nearest ‘Auberge de la Jeunesse.” He followed the following route: Blvd. Liberation, Ave des Chartreux, Rue Pierre Roche, Blvd. Dauzac, Chemin Veind #25 [couldn’t find Chemin Veind]. Then one follows “a.v.” signs painted on the stone walls (don’t climb over! There’s broken glass cemented in top for protection against burglary!) until one arrives at a large building with broken windows sitting out in the open. You are now at the fancy “Chateau du Bois Luzy”

[The development of the Bois-Luzy estate, which initially consisted of 23 hectares with pine forests, vines, olive trees and fruit trees, dates back to the 17th century, with the family of Robert de Ruffi, a notary. For 6 generations, it will remain in their family heritage before being sold to the city and converted into a Rest House for the Police and then becoming a youth hostel at the foot of the Parc de la Moline. The chateau, in its current form, was built around 1850 by Monsieur De Saint Alary. Its construction lasted several years. The mosaic in the central hall was executed by a team of Italian mosaicists, the same who made the mosaics in the Basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde, at that time. [2020 chateau is closed]

In the evening we made a memorable attempt to cross the moat of “Notre Dame de la Garde et les Pote” and enter the stronghold. We should have brought ropes along!! [What you missed: MARSEILLE - LE VIEUX PORT (OLD PORT) and NOTRE-DAME de la GARDE

[Grandma Hélène Delepine Rochat b 1876-d 1970 played Marseille on the piano with gusto in Kennewick in her eighties. Dew]

25.3.61

Due to lack of money and desire to hit the rod, we wandered back through Marseilles, noting particularly the market place, where we bought 2 gigantic pears. Saw for the first time denuded calves heads on the open market.

Enjoyed watching a boy drawing pictures on the pavement at the port (with chalk) and then standing back and expecting money for it. (which he often got)

We were impressed by the scenery on the road to Toulon as being similar to pictures of Spain-Huge barren mts with scrubby growth. Would like to know what kind of pines there are. 2 needles; needles point upwards; ~2 1/2 “ long. Another interesting pine is the “Parasol Pine”.

Pitched camp across the bay from St. Tropez. Our first night in the open. George swears he’ll go swimming. He’s crazy!

1 l. wine, 2 ½ loaves bread, cheese, sausage, figs constituted supper &

p. 6 breakfast. A nice sandy beach, heaps of “bamboo flakings,” seaweed, and large bonfire contrasted very nicely with nuptial chamber #1 with straw tick bed & douche @ Hotel Mirabeau! George’s ape-call trying to get into the H2O come morning was pleasant to hear! He actually made it-to his knees! Lonely planet’s History of St. Tropez

26.3.61 (Sun)

Receiving a pleasant but short ride thru Cannes to Nice, we nosed out a cheap restaurant where I feasted on “intesticules”, La Trappa Rosa wine, classical guitar music, and pretty Greek-looking waitresses. The intesticules are very soft-like brains but not so dry; like mushrooms but not so strong-almost tasteless.

Whether due to the wind we’ve just drunk or not, George & I have decided that travelling “per Autostop is O.K.-not just because of the people one meets-not because one sees more country (although one gets a completely different aspect on both these things); but rather because of the completely unexplainable experience of first cursing like the devil while trudging without food or drink along a hot road after a lousy nite’s sleep-and then suddenly getting a ride and being elevated into heaven in a twinkling of an eye. It’s fantastic, like a dream-the dream of a drunkard or dope addict. It’s a primitive life, where one thinks most often of the belly; a life of chance and gamble; and a life of emotion almost “ohne Vernunft.” [without reason dw]

In our last ride, we followed a much more scenic, but longer road along the coast. George talked French with the father, while I talked baby-talk with the ~4yr old daughter, who got car-sick & vomited.

Arrived in Cap d’Ail, where we spent the night in a youth hostel belonging to the Les Jeunnes Amities Internationales, about 3 km from Monaco. Situated within 30’ of the sea, the place provoked us to go for a quick swim before supper. The rocks were quite sharp and we received several minor flesh cuts. Man but that cold salt H2O felt good tho!! FUN FUN FUN

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27.3.61 Walked through Monte Carlo and visited Monaco. [Guelphs Francesco Grimaldi] Saw 2050 kg. skeleton of whale (in Museé Oceanógraphiques), stranded in beach in Italy 6 Sep 1896 which “ohne Zweifel” is the same harpooned by the Prince of Monaco 26 Mai of same year-the phantasies of a museum director.

Had much trouble getting ride out of Monaco and France. Finally separated & were brought together again by 2 Italians. Separated again. After 4 short rides (2 on motorcycles), I spent the nite (700 lire with hot bath) in Imperia. LUXURY MEANS MONEY

28.3.61

Walked from 7.00 am till 7.00 pm today. Decided to have lunch in small village. Bought 1 l Chianti, bread, cheese. Then went down to beach and stripped down to sunbathe. Being famished, I scarcely realized that inside of 10 minutes I had downed the whole bottle. Being well relaxed for the next 1 ½ hr., I then went to train station & took the cheapest ticket. Attempting to “oversleep” my ticket, the conductor wouldn’t let me off till I paid. It was my first attempt to make good use of the phrase “non capisco” (non capeesch). Capisce (pronounced cah-PEESH) is an Italian word that is used in American slang to say "got it" or "understand." Will have to try it more. Some day I also intend to wreak vengeance on the Italian RR for not giving me a free lift.

-Oh, the world owes me a living… & I aim to get it too!!

Hitchhiking in the evening out of Genova, an amazingly large seaport, I received a lovely ride from a lovely couple who treated me to a lovely supper, gave me a lovely bed for a lovely night & the next lovely morning they gave me a lovely ride on my way!!

Carlo Carcupino M.D., Milanino, Milan Their tour led thru Santa Margherita a lovely little town to Rapallo, where they temporarily were living.

29.3.61

After another nice hike up from Rapallo thru some lovely hills, I jumped on the back of a touring bus, which was slowly moving up hill, and hung on for dear life as ½ a day. French girls laughed & waved out the rear window. As I finally dropped off from exhaustion on another hill, I noticed a fellow in the car behind me standing up through his car roof photographing me. From the way he shook his fist & shouted, I presume he hadn’t completed the exposure!

I later received a ride & passed the bus; then they passed me again (walking)-each time shouting & waving. [When I finally reached the Youth Hostel in Florence, several girls came up to greet me-guess who?? Wish I spoke French!] FUN Spa B Fun

Arrived in Pisa in the middle of the afternoon and was surprised at the size of the town. The Cathedral next to the tower reminds me of Aix in immensity. The “Leaning Tower” became more fascinating upon longer observation.

Met 2 interesting Americans in the Youth Hostel. 1. Bill-journalist 1 yr-Scandinavia-Greece-Sicily (circus) to Spain. 2. Carl W Giessel, 43 vuados Vignos, Guillard, France (tel14-1745)

Student of internat. Diplomacy at Geneva. Recommended Grenoble for studying French. Carl and I toured Pisa together-got nicely gypped on our

p.9 supper 200 lire for bread alone. DIRTY BLOODSUCKING ITALIANOS

30.3.61 (Holy Thurs)

Hitchhiked directly to Florence-including ride with Pisa family with 2 lovely girls. Felt rather badly that it was such a small car!!!

Immediately impressed by everything in Florence within sight except for the famous cathedral, which I find quite ugly.

Visited several churches in evenings & attempted to photograph people kissing body of J.C. Such things are hard to believe. It’s a completely different world. Like a really haunted house. Dim candlelight. Kissing bodies. Chanting priests (Sometimes a doz. people at each one. (Utterly inefficient!!)

Met Sandy Calloway-UR student in Grenoble. Also met Jack Kotch-UR student in Paris.

Visited Pitti Palace- Modern Art Gallery (nice web site)- my tour was much too fast.

31.3.61 [Florence]

Was loaned German ID card by Klauss Ensslen, München 9, Albanistr. 1 iii in order to get in free to museums!!

Visited 1. Church of Badia Filippino Lippi’s “Apparition of the Virgin to ST. Bernard”

3. Casa di Dante-A reconstruction of Dante’s house. Discover the museum and Dante's Florence in the short movie written by Stefano Massini

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3. National (Bargello) Museum interesting rooms

1. Michelangelo Room

2. Donatello’s “David”

3. Luca della Robbia’s room-porcelain majorica

4. Loggia- Giambologna-sculpture (Eagle [image], turkey-cock, Mercury) [Rise of the turkey]

5. Verrochio Room David

6. Chimney Room-fantastically sculptured chimney

4. Ponte Vecchio = “the old bridge”

a. 1^st existed in Etruscan times

b. to all goldsmiths & silversmiths was given the privilege to own a shop on this bridge.

5. Palatine Gallery Artists whose works I particularly enjoyed.

1. Andrea del Sarto, Peter Paul Rubens, Titian, C. Allori, Tintoretto, Raphael.

2. Carlo Maratta, Fra Bartolomeo, Van Dyck, Bonifacio de Pitati, Salvator Rosa, Cigoli, Filippo Lippi, Rachel Ruysch.

***Spent evening at “crucifixion of Christ” -extremely impressive. Not expressible in words.

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1. Galleria d’Accademia

1. Michelangelo’s David well worthy of world fame.

2 San Marco Museo Fra Angelico very interesting collection of pictures

3 Chiesa Annunyeata

4 Chiesa di San Orsanmichele typical sign inside church read: “Men dressed in sleeveless shirts, or in shorts, and Women with uncovered heads, or earing slacks or low-cut dresses, or with sleeves above the elbows are strictly forbidden to enter the Church.” MONITO!!

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This sign was written in Italian, French, English & German.

2 4 61 Went to Easter celebration in front of big cathedral. Biggest disappointment in my life-2 big firecrackers-large crowd-waste of time.

Having spent some time touring Florence alone, am now spending a day with a German-and finding my own German quite rusty. Karl Heinz Wolf-München 15, Mathildstr. 4.

Actually I met George again here in Florence, the day of arrival and Cori Atwood was also here, we’re spending very little time together due to extremely different interests. George is going to spend about 5 days in the Uffizi gallery alone. Wiki Uffizi.

Visited

1. San Croce Church (Dante Monument)

2. Church of Santo Spirito (Church of the Holy Spirit doesn’t sound quite so bad; but why to they have to have a Bank of the Holy Spirit.”

3. Chiesa di San Frediano in Cestello

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1. National Archaeological Museum in Florence fantastic museum; spent 4 hrs rummaging thru 10 rooms of Etruscan goodies.

2. Visited Fiesole and Roman amphitheater. Well worth the visit.

The Convent, Church, & missionary Museum of St. Francis are particularly interesting. Many beautiful ivory carvings of ships. Left of the convent’s entrance door was a memorial from A. Einstein’s daughter! [was this in Assissi?? Dew]

Lovely view of Florence from Fiesole. [2020-20 min away]

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4 4 61 National Archeological Museum in Florence

Another 5 hrs in the museum. Quite fascinating.

Uffizi Gallery-At last I’m starting in one of the most famous galleries in the world. Am really impressed.

Evening- San Miniato Church-good view of town from Piazza Michelangelo

5 4 61 Galleria degli Uffigi

1. Giotto impresses me a. depth 3D b. space comp. c. color long lasting tempera

2. Many other painters here of great interest. This gallery [Uffizi Gallery] will remain one of the biggest “finds” of my whole trip.

During the afternoon, Cori and I took the bus to Santignano [Settignano] from which we walked to Fiesole. [1 ½ hr] A beautiful walk-gets one more into the atmosphere of the city!! Cori about ruined his pelvic girdle when he slipped as we climbed out of a castle we tried to break into-till we found it was still inhabited!! (Jack Kotch-Hotel du College de France-12 Rue de la Sorbonne) Paris, Ve, France DAN80;30

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Just finished breakfast with a 16yr old fellow who in the last 12 days has spent 3 days in Vienna, 1 day in Ravenna, & 1 day in Venice & has come the whole way (From Germany) by bicycle. Am I green with envy-altho I shouldn’t be.

Recommended eating places in Florence

1. Trattoria “Uccellone” via Matteo Palmieri 37R [300 Li meal + wine Presso Fi770]

2. General area of this trattoria is rich with “presso figgo” [fippo? Pizza? can’t read it dw] of 350-400L. price range. Also a small open market for vegetables.

3. University mensa-near Piazza San Marco.

p. 13 At 1.00 pm left Floreny (with heartbreak) for Rom.

Arrived in Sienna at 3.00pm. Spent sometime looking at cathedral and wandering thru the town. Sienna is quiet pretty; the surrounding landscape is magnificent; sunset glorious! If one could see heaven through Sienna’s eyes, it would probably be more beautiful than from any other position.

At 6.30pm received ride to Rome. Arriving in outskirts of Rome at 11.30pm, we proceeded to sack out in the hills. Sausage, milk, bread & wine again was our only sustenance for the day.

Awoke @6.00 to find

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Breaking merrily over the hills in the form of warm radiant sunshine & small magnifying pearls of dew drops on the grass.

Separated with George to hitch into town- little knowing how long it would be before we met again!

I found the Y Hostel full; but met a girl from Hannover wo wanted to hitch down to Sicily with me. Hmmm! Fun?? Fin??

Got a bed in Palazzo Salviati (600 L/nite dorm style) Met Jack K. & his buddy Roy Hansen of Manhattan again. We took a “free” shower at USD (2,via della Conilizione) drove around Rome, visited Appian Way, where we picnicked-I drank the …awfullest Chianti.

Visited “catacombs”, Saw “Jesus footprints” in San Sebastian catacomb and St. Peter’s footprints in Chiesa Quo Vadis. (I checked them & found Peter had the same size feet that I have-Now isn’t that just heavenly!!?)

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7 4 61-13 4 61 April 7-13, 1961

1. Tour of San Pietre-good sculpture-immense church-too much Catholicism. At 12.00 noon we got blessed by “ye ole Pope”-Everybody clapped, horns blasted-most disgusting sacrilegious crapp I ever ran across. Reminded me of idiotic Easter Sunday in Florence. Can’t understand how people can get so excited over such Bullroar. Can’t express how much less I now think of Catholic church. Only thing I enjoyed was the chance to speak German again-with the Swiss guard!

2. Hadrian’s Mausoleum-almost got locked in (on purposes).

3. Pantheon

4. Roman Forum

Borghese Museum-really worthwhile Bernini’s David [Smart History], Rape of Proserpina, etc

!Visited Mussolini Monument-quite impressed. [obelisk] [Balbo Monument is not right] Duce Duce Duce [leader] BBC Mussolini flickr

At one point of our wandering around Rome, Jack, Roy & I pulled over to the curb to check the map & see where we were. A little 10yr old boy came by who took our attention for a good ½ hr. One just can’t write down the conversation that followed. When he asked me if I was married & I said no, he about leaped in my face crying “Libero! Libero!!” (Paparo Fabio-Via Fucino 4/B-Rom, Italie)