Getting Out of Spain - 1 August 1964 - post 20

Army Museum across from the Alcazar


Door of El Greco museum


El Greco house detail

Then we walked out

Toledo Wall - Gate

and they picked us up and took us to a restaurant for lunch

City from restaurant

They also took us to the Toledo-ware factory.

I found out from the girl in the shop that women in Madrid wear their wedding rings on the right hand, but that she was from Barcelona and would wear hers on her left hand.

As far as food goes, the place we went in Valencia had the best food I've eaten in Spain. Below that I would rate this hotel restaurant and below that the Washington Irving in Granada, which also was the most expensive ($42.00 for dinner). The hotel restaurant in Valencia was really not too far below that.

I suppose I should have gone to the Royal Palace this morning, but I just rinsed out my clothes and ate an orange and a roll in my room and took a long siesta.

The one picture I want to get now is one of those men in patent leather hats. I have an hour before dinner and I'm going out to see if I can find one.

Love RosalieAnn

I never got a photo of those men in the patent leather hats


Charles V fountain at night from the hotel

Flying Madrid to Barcellona August 2-3​

Police on motorcycles near airport

I got to the airport early, and mailed my daughter a card, and had dinner etc. Then when the plane was supposed to be announced, they apparently said that there would be a delay. Earlier in the day they had been making announcements in French, English and German, but about 10:00, they abandoned that and went back to only Spanish. Anyway, we were supposed to leave at 11:30 and we didn't leave until 1:30. The mystery stories I had bought to read were a godsend.

Since I got to Barcelona finally at 4 am, I didn't go to a hotel, but just to a train station. [Another thing I did not write to my mom. The taxi driver in the taxi that I got at the airport to go to the train station was extremely concerned about my safety in the station, which he said was overrun with gypsies, and the ticket windows wouldn't open until about 6 am. He had me stay in his cab until the ticket windows opened and I don't think he charged me anything extra for that. He was right about the gypsies]


Railroad station Barcelona

About Aug 3 en route to Marseille.​

Dear Mother

Well I am safely over the Spanish border and have two remaining hurdles. One is to change trains at Narbonne, and the other is finding accommodations in Marseilles.

Coast between Barcelona and Marseilles

There was no dining car on either the French or Spanish trains, so I bought a box lunch at the station. For 9.50 NF I got a chicken breast, 4 slices of French bread, a large slice of ham, an orange, banana and a lemonade. Changing at Norbonne became very simple. As our train pulled in and I got out (haven't seen a porter since I left Spain) another train pulled in on the other side of the platform and that was our train.

Aside from a few minutes confusion provided when a conductor said the train was "complet", everything went smoothly. (There were plenty of seats). I had a compartment first with a mother and two children --French, who had obviously just come from the seaside, and then with two old ladies. Another daughter also came later. I slept a lot on the trains as I didn't get much the night before.

Monday, 3 August​

Well, I am now safely in Marseille.


Street from our hotel

[What I remember of arriving in Marseille was that I had to carry my suitcase with me while I found a hotel, and I was too tired to walk far. The hotel I found made me quite uneasy, so I left my suitcase, and found another hotel that I liked better. Then I went back with the porter from the second hotel to translate and picked up my bag. I didn't write this however]

I walked down to the port last night where I think the liberty boats come in. My room here is 21.27 NF a night, and I don't think it will be much more for 2. It has a double bed (there was a double bed in Spain too). If Bob doesn't take leave, maybe we will transfer a few blocks nearer the harbor. Cabs are much more scarce, and I presume much more expensive than in Spain.

My dinner last night (steak) cost 10 NF including tip and my breakfast which I hope will be arriving any minute, will be 3 NF.


Bristol Hotel

To my sister: I have switched hotels and am now at the Bristol [which I find from looking on the internet was a 3 star hotel on the main street]. We have rented a car and are off to the Riviera for the day. I have a couchette to Paris the night of the 7th and one to Nurnberg the night of the 8th, so will arrive on the Oriente Express at 9:20 or so on the 9th. If you can get me a ticket to Frankfurt from Naples 2nd class, the next to last possible train, please do. I can leave the night of the 17th and arrive in the early a.m. of the 18th I think. The Italian strike is over

(Ed. note: a later letter said that her sister thought she could stay until the 17th having misread her letter, and I can see how that confusion could occur unless she re-read the letter and thought about it.)

I also need a reservation to Italy, but we'll settle that when I get there.

Tuesday, August 4​

Today the ships came into port

Destroyer backing in

Tug with destroyer

Street from hotel window with Med-moored destroyer

Tuesday we had dinner at the Aux Ombrellas along the beach, where we could see the sun go down and lights go on along the bay.


Beach from where we had dinner


Beach



Postcard of the Quey 1964

Card mailed from the Intrepid on Aug. 6th.

Dear D

Today I am going to meet Daddy here in this port. At least this seems to me to be in the logical place for the ship's boats to come in. I have been unable to find out the French for "Fleet Landing". Take good care of baby sister and be a good little girl for Grandmummy,

Love Mummy.

(Ed note from my mom: I rec'd this card without the above letter since that went to her sister, and my only clue that she actually found Bob was that the card was mailed on board ship.)



Carrier anchored out in the Med