Parties make the world go round!: It was most peculiar

June 15, 1954

Willie and I left Straubing this morning about 1000 hours for Nuremberg. We had lunch there and went out to Soldier’s Field. Then we got the plane for Amsterdam. We had to change in Dusseldorf.

Nuremburg Coliseum

Soldiers Field in Nuremburg

We are staying at the Huiza De Mooo. At first I thought that they were going to insist that we take a double room. [Obviously they are more modern on the Continent! LOL]

Amsterdam from the hotel window

Tonight we ate at the Brourwerswapen – very picturesque and pretty good food.

Then we wandered around Rembrandt Square – went to Cabaret “Dikla” and Boccaccio.

June 16, 1954

This morning we wandered around and found out how to get to Marken Island (supposedly a quaint fishing village, but current tourism sites claim it’s a tourist trap). After riding street cars and boats we got there. The people still wear the old costumes and live like they always have. It’s very quaint. Naturally it rained!

Marken Island near Amsterdam

We found out the train to Brussels didn’t leave until 8 o’clock, so we messed around and then had dinner at the Hotel Victoria. It was very swanky, expensive, and good. I enjoyed Amsterdam very much.

We got into Brussels around 2330 so we just checked in the Hotel Splendid.

June 19, 1954

Went for a sightseeing tour in Brussels – market square with the town hall – 1402. It has the highest tower in Brussels with St. Michael on top. The Kings House – a museum is here too. Victor Hugo wrote Les Miserables here. Then we saw the Palace of Justice which is one of the largest buildings in Europe – 1865. Saw Manneken Pis (a famous bronze fountain sculpture depicting a naked little boy pee’ing into the fountain’s basin). Went in Weitz Art Museum – his pictures are here only. Then we saw St. Michael’s Cathedral which is a lot like Notre Dame – oldest in Brussels.

Daddy in Brussels Square

Brussels Tower - the Pisa look

Brussels Palace of Justice

Town Hall Brussels

Trader House Square Brussels

Then we got the plane to London – staying at Kensington Hotel (quite the high class hotel!). We can read the signs here. Also the people drive on the wrong side of the street – most confusing. [I think it's funny that we always talk about people in England driving on the "wrong side" of the street when it's not for them. I wonder if they say the same thing about us when they visit the US.]

Thursday night Willie and I went down to Piccadilly Circus. Ate at the Trocadero. Then we went down to Place Pigalle – a night club. [Shocker, right? Just a couple of rapscallions partying the night away! ;-)]

Friday morning we went through the Museum of Natural History. That afternoon we went on a sightseeing tour after I saw Eleanor Belk. We saw Whitehall, Westminster Abbey, Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace – the Mall – St. James Park, Marlboro House, Clarence House – was the home of Elizabeth. Grosvenor Square. Saw the Wallace Collection, Big Ben, Parliament, Trafalgar Square, etc. Then last night we went to the Club Eve. They had some floor show.

St. James Park Mall

Parliament London

Nelson Statue at Trafalgar Square

Westminster Abbey

Today we left at 7:30 on a tour. Had coffee at tea room in Henley. This is on the Thames where they have the regattas. Then Oxford – went in the school Christ College – Cardinal Wolsey founded this one and Henry VIII went there.

The Thames

Christ College

Henley, England

Oxford, England

Ate lunch at Shakespeare Hotel in Stratford upon Avon. Saw Anne Hathaway’s house, Trinity Church where Shakespeare was baptized and buried, and the house where he was born.

Anne Hathaway Cottage

Shakespeare's Birthplace

Shakespeare Hotel

Then Warwick Castle – it is the oldest stately home. The movie about the Knights of King Arthur was made here. One of the Warwicks was responsible for the death of Jeanne d’Arc. It is on the Avon River.

View from Warwick Castle

Warwick Castle

Had tea at Bambury. One of the Crosses of Eleanor is here. She was the wife of Edward IV. They were bringing her body back from Scotland and erected these crosses at each rest stop. There is one at Charing Cross too (actually this is a replica).

Charing Cross

Tonight we had a most peculiar evening. Hilde met an Egyptian, so he and his Indian friend asked us over for a party. We went and I certainly did feel funny. There were a bunch of people of different nationalities discussing some little country near Pakistan with a tribal chief from there. As I say it was most peculiar.

June 20, 1954

This morning we got up and went to Buckingham to see the changing of the guard. It was most impressive. Then we walked through St. James Park and the Mall to Trafalgar Square. Had lunch at Lyons. Then we walked down to the Tower and the Tower Bridge. On the way we went through Fleet Street. We also went into St. Paul’s Cathedral which is the largest one here. [This always makes me think of "feed the birds" from "Mary Poppins".] Got a boat down to Greenwich on the Thames and back.