Al & Mary’s trip to Europe for the 500th celebration of Rochats in Switzerland
07 18 1980 Friday dep. 8:55pm Atlanta 08 08 1980 Friday Frankfurt lv 9:40am
07 19 1980 Saturday arr Frankfurt 11:20am 08 08 1980 Atlanta arr 1:20pm
SOME OF YOU WILL BE DISAPPOINTED IF WE DON'T SEND A FEW DETAILS OF OUR TIME IN SWITZERLAND. SINCE VERY FEW ARE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND THREE WEEKS WITH THEIR CHILDREN ABROAD, WE CONSIDER OURSELVES VERY FORTUNATE. ROGER RENTED A BEDFORD CAMPER THAT WE PICKED UP ON ARRIVAL IN FRANKFURT. THIS WAS HOME FOR THE FIVE OF US COMPLETE WITH SLEEPING BAGS, STOVE AND SINK. WE PACKED TWO KETTLES AND A PLASTIC CONTAINER FOR WATER. PLUS A MINIMUM OF DISHES AND SILVERWARE. ALL OUR POSSESSIONS WERE IN SEVEN BAGS, INCLUDING SOME FOOD.
ROGER WAS GOOD ABOUT TAKING BACK ROADS SO THAT WE HAD A FEEL FOR LIFE IN THE COUNTRY, THE WINTER RAINS STOPPED ON OUR SECOND OR THIRD DAY THERE. IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG FOR THE COUNTRY TO COME ALIVE WITH ACTIVITY. ALL KIND OF HARVEST EQUIPMENT FROM. THE MOST PRIMITIVE TO THE MOST MODERN. THE TIME TO GET STARTED SEEMED TO BE BEFORE SIX A.M.
07 22 1980 Tuesday
IN MUNICH ON OUR THIRD DAY WE WERE INVITED TO MRS. STORRER'S SISTER, PAULA SCHMUTZ. SHE LIVES WITH HER SON ON A LARGE RANCH. THEY HAVE THOUSANDS OF LAYING HENS WITH THE BEST IN HOUSING FOR THEM. THE EGGS DROP TO A BELT WHERE THEY ARE CLEANED, SORTED, AND BOXED FOR SHIPPING. TANTE PAULA GAVE US EGGS ON DEPARTURE THAT WERE SUCH A TREAT AS WE TRAVELLED THE NEXT WEEK.
A BRIEF LOOK AT DACHAU, KING LUDWIG'S CASTLES, LIECHTENSTEIN AND MT. PILATUS. OUR CAMP SITES WERE VARIED; A CABBAGE PATCH, A HYDROELECTRIC PLANT, A SPORTFIELD, AND TWICE A CAMPGROUND. OUR TRAVELLERS CHECKS AND AMERICAN MONEY WERE OF NO VALUE EXCEPT WITH PASSPORT AT THE BANK. EACH COUNTRY DEMANDED A CUT AS WE CHANGED INTO THEIR LOCAL CURRENCY. SLEEPING WAS A LITTLE DIFFICULT, BUT IT IS AT HOME UNDER THE BEST CONDITIONS. WE ADDED THREE BLANKETS TO OUR POSSESSIONS AND ONE PIECE OF FOAM.
THE FLOWER BOXES AT EVERY WINDOW THAT ARE THE PRIDE OF THE FAMILY, THE VERY VERY CLEAN STREETS, THE SHOES LEFT AT THE DOOR, THE PILES OF WOOD SO STRAIGHT AND NEAT, THE HOUSES HUNDREDS OF YEARS OLD LOVED AND CARED FOR, AS WELL AS THE BEAUTIFUL HAND WORK SHOW THAT WINTER IS LONG AND HARD. EVERYONE IS READY FOR SPRING
AT LAST WE ARE IN BEAUTIFUL SWITZERLAND, ONE OF GOD'S SPECIAL PIECES OF ART. THE AIR IS SO CLEAN AND CLEAR WE COULD SEE EVERY STAR. DETAILS IN HARVEST WERE VERY VISIBLE FOR A LONG DISTANCE. TWICE WE WERE INVITED TO CLIMB DENT DE VAULION WHERE GRANDFATHER HERDED COWS WHILE REGAINING HIS HEALTH. THE SECOND TIME M. CHEVALLEZ PRESIDENT OF SWITZERLAND HAD LUNCH THERE AL$O. HE WAS INTRODUCED TO US AND SIGNED OUR NOTE BOOK. HE WAS ENTERTAINED
BY AN ALPENHORN PLAYER. ALSO AN ACCORD IANIST WITH A BAR ITONE SOLOIST. THIS IS ON A MOUNTAIN WITH THE COWS AROUND US!!!
WE VISITED OUR GRANDFATHERS HOME. AL CLIMBED UP AND HELPED HIMSELF TO A SHINGLE AND SQUARE NAIL WITH A BENT TOP INSTEAD OF A HEAD ON IT.
AUG 2, 1980 SATURDAY
800 ROCHAT’S FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TOOK THE TRAIN TO ROCHEJEAN, FRANCE.THIS IS WHERE OUR FOREBEARS STARTED YEARS AGO TO HIKE TO SWISSE. THIS TRAIL OF 17km WENT THROUGH A MOUNTAIN PASS. AT NOON WE ATE OUR SANDWICH WHILE SOME OF THE NATIVES SANG MOUNTAIN SONGS. BEAUTIFUL. ONLY ONE DID NOT COMPLETE THE HIKE BECAUSE OF AN INJURED KNEE.
THE NEXT AFTERNOON AFTER A GRATEFUL PRAYER 2000 OF US HAD DINNER TOGETHER. THIS WAS DONE SO ORDERLY THAT WE DIDN’T FEEL CRAMPED OR HURRIED. ALSO THE COWS STILL RANG THE BELLS AROUND THE DINING HALL. THERE IS MUCH UNSAID FOR OUR HEARTS ARE WITH INDIVIDUALS THAT LOVE THE LORD JESUS IN THAT BEAUTIFUL LAND.
COAT OF ARMS
ROCHAT
1480