Our World Tour in 1990 (reblogged)

The Mont Blanc Tunnel turned out to be an absolute horror for us. I guess when this tunnel was built they had no idea by how much traffic would increase, and especially how much these big trucks would pollute the air. I reckon these days they make sure that ventilation remains okay. Certainly they would not any more build a tunnel with only one lane in each direction. The Mont Blanc Tunnel goes for 11 kilometres without any interruptions!! We had liked it in France and in Switzerland but we were happy when we finally arrived in Italy. Our beautiful 2CV had made it!

The following I copied from a Google page.

Tin snail, or timely saviour? The Citroen 2CV was mocked by many in its 40-year lifespan, but in the impact it had on cheap personal transportation it ranks alongside other greats like the Mini, Beetle and Land Rover.
The last ‘official’ 2CVs were built by Citroen in 1990, but now, against a background of rigorously policed speeds and closely scrutinised running costs, restored versions of the four-seat convertible are once again being built – in Wiltshire. And they’re finding a ready market among drivers looking for character, fun and an escape from depreciation.

This is a picture of the Mont Blanc Tunnel.

We stayed in different hotels during our trip through Italy. In Rome we found a very reasonably priced hotel close to the Vatican.

It was a Wednesday when we turned up at the Vatican. Lots of tourists had arrived in buses from Germany on that day. They thought we had come with them from Germany. The Pope greeted the tourists in German. We could hardly see him for he was a great distance away from us.

We spent a lovely day in Venice, we also had a look at the leaning tower of Pisa. But I have no picture of it. Here is another picture with Caroline and me in Venice.

From Italy we went to Austria and from there for a trip to Bayrischzell along the Alpenstrasse. On the way we had a look at Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart. On the Alpenstrasse we were caught in a blizzard. After a stay over at Bayrischzell we tried to reach the Zugspitze, the highest mountain in Germany. But it was bad weather. This is why the cable cars to the top of the Zugspitze were not in operation.

Here is what I Wikipedia says about the cable cars:

“Three cable cars run to the top of the Zugspitze. The first, the Tyrolean Zugspitze Cable Car, was built in 1926 and terminated on an arête below the summit before the terminus was moved to the actual summit in 1991. A rack railway, the Bavarian Zugspitze Railway, runs inside the northern flank of the mountain and ends on the Zugspitzplatt, from where a second cable car takes passengers to the top. The rack railway and the Eibsee Cable Car, the third cableway, transport an average of 500,000 people to the summit each year. In winter, nine ski lifts cover the ski area on the Zugspitzplatt. The weather station, opened in 1900, and the research station in the Schneefernerhaus are mainly used to conduct climate research.”

We made it to Neuschwanstein Castle just a few minutes before they were about to close. O our way back to Austria we stayed near Ober-Ammergau. We had accommodation in a pleasant hotel. When we woke up in the morning, our car was covered in snow.

Then back to Windischgarsten where Peter’s sister Eva lives with Harald, her husband. Harald built this house all on his own:

Eva and Harald with their dog Blinki in early 1983.

We stayed with Eva and Harald over Easter. Peter’s other sister, Ilse, had come also with husband Klaus and sons Daniel and Stefan. Ilse and her family live in Berlin. They all still live there. After Easter we travelled to Berlin. My Mum lived in a seniors’ home unit at the time. We took her in our 2CV to the Brandenburg Gate which was being restored after the Fall of the Wall a few months earlier.

24 years ago Mum was 79, about the same age that I am now!

Here is Peter with my brother Peter Uwe in Berlin, Adenauer Platz.

After returning our car in Paris we spent a few great days exploring the city, staying in a lovely old hotel.

Caroline is only eleven. I think she looks pretty grown up already!

Caroline and Peter did get into the shot I took!

Waiting for our flight at the airport. Caroline took this picture. This hat I wear was still pretty new then. I still have it and wear it sometimes!

As I mentioned in the first Part, we spent three days in Anaheim to visit Disneyland. Here is just a sample of some Disneyland photos.

You can see Caroline in the cup to the right.

Our Trip around the World in 1990 (continued)

In Singapore we went to the Zoological Gardens. Peter and Caroline had breakfast with an Orangutan. — In Singapore we went to the Zoological Gardens.
Peter and Caroline had breakfast with an Orangutan.

This is a picture that Caroline took at Sydney Airport before our Departure.

Gaby had come with David. Also Monika was there to farewell us. This was 24 years ago, meaning that none of Monika’s girls had been born yet, but Monika had of course already Troy and Ryan. They were ten at the time.

Here, Caroline is in the picture too, meaning we are to be seen here with all three daughters!

In In Singapore we went to this Chapel. — In
In Singapore we went to this Chapel.

Our Hotel had a Swimming Pool at the Top of the building.

This was the View from the Top of the Building.

After Singapore our next destination was Paris. I already mentioned in Part One that we picked up a 2CV in Paris.
We did a bit of sightseeing in Paris, where we had booked a hotel for two nights. Then we did drive through country area. Close to where the Mt Blanc Tunnel leads towards Italy we had some overnight stops at a hotel which had very basic accommodation. The good thing was, that from there it was not far to Switzerland. We had a few excursions to Geneva. I am sure we made some pictures there but unfortunately cannot find them at present. I have no idea, why they are not in the books with all the other pictures from this trip.

We arrived at this hotel in the evening and were happy to stay there for it was reasonably priced and the owners were very friendly.

I think I already mentioned what a horror the Mont Blanc Tunnel turned out to be. Well, I guess when this tunnel was built, they had no idea by how much traffic would increase, and that especially these big trucks would pollute the air and that they had to make sure that ventilation remained okay. These days they would never attempt to build a tunnel with only one lane in each direction. The tunnel goes for 11 kilometres without any interruptions.

I am sure we took a lot of pictures in Italy. I just cannot find them at present and have to try and publish some at another time. We stayed in several different hotel during our trip through Italy. In Rome we found a very reasonably priced hotel close to the Vatican.

We spent a lovely day in Venice, we also had a look at the leaning tower of Pisa. But I have no picture of it. Here is another picture with Caroline and me in Venice.

Here is what I Wikipedia says about the cable cars:

Then back to Windischgarsten where Peter’s sister Eva lives with Harald, her husband. Harald built this house all on his own:

24 years ago Mum was 79, the same age that I am now!

After returning our car in Paris we spent a few great days exploring the city, staying in a lovely old hotel.

As I mentioned in the first Part, we spent three days in Anaheim to visit Disneyland. Here is just a sample of some Disneyland photos.

ESCAPE FROM PARIS

‘Escape from Paris’, a novel written by CAROLYN HART. The time is WW II during the German occupation of Paris. I’ve just read this novel as an e-book. I felt very much for the characters in the book. I wonder whether this story has been made into a movie yet? Americans, English, French and Germans, all of them are main characters. The writing brings vividly to life how the war affects all of them. There is so much viciousness, suffering, outright hunger being depicted, but also great love and compassion amongst some people.

I was very moved by what the experiences of people were during this time. It makes me wonder again why there have to be wars and suffering which people inflict on each other. However it also makes me believe in the goodness of people and how they sometimes put their own lives in danger to help somebody else.

CAROLYN HART is a well established author and has written many other books.

My visit to Paris in 1954

I found in one of my old photo albums several photos from my visit to Paris in 1954. The guy with the hat is twenty year old Bubie. I mentioned him in my previous blog. The guy with me in front of the Eiffel Tower is one of the busdrivers (the older one). The French tour-guide you can see in the street picture with the METRO sign in it. He wears a coat. The one in the jacket is the younger busdriver.

In the group picture I am right at the back beside Bubie.

Berlin – Paris Return

Memories from EASTER 1954.
I was nineteen and a half!

Mum belonged to a theatre subscription group. The members were mainly elderly. For Easter 1954 this group had organised a bus-tour to Paris. Mum did not want to go and asked me, could I go instead. I agreed.

The distance Berlin – Paris is about the same as Sydney – Melbourne. However we did not drive straight through to Paris but had an overnight stop on the way, even though there were two busdrivers. On the way back, which was Easter Monday, the busdrivers had to go straight through, arriving in Berlin late at night.

The Paris accomodation for two nights was at Montmartre. I had to share the room with three elderly ladies. Not only that, I had to share a double bed with one of the women! The organisers apologised because of this. For the following night they had found another room for me: I was shifted to a different hotel to share a twin bedroom with our travel-hostess from Berlin who was an attractive woman in her twenties.

During the day a young French guide had shown us around. There was also a young woman who acted as interpreter. I saw a lot of Paris in the company of the two French guides and our two busdrivers.On top of this there was a young man from Berlin who had come on the bus with us. We called him ‘Bubie’. He was twenty and about to be apprenticed with a company in London. So he was quite an interesting young guy. However, I thought he was a bit full of himself. Typical of me to be so critical! In Paris and on the bus though he was good company for me. The old people soon started making comments such as: ‘Oh, quite soon an engagement might be taking place.’

On the night when I was supposed to share the room with our young tour-guide from Berlin, we had all been out dancing until the early morning hours. When I arrived at the door to my room, the door was locked. I knocked and knocked. Nobody opened. One of the busdrivers, who had been out with all of us, suggested to come to the busdrivers’ room which happened to be in the same hotel. I said this was out of the question. I wanted to be let into my room!! Busdriver-boy said: ‘She may have somebody with her in the room!’ I said I didn’t care if she had a lover-boy in there or not. I wanted to get into my bed!! After more and more knocking and a long, long wait in front of the room the door opened. Yes, indeed a lover-boy had been in the room with my room-mate. Lover-boy disappeared then. I was finally let into the room and into my untouched bed.

As a matter of fact only one of the busdrivers had been out dancing with our party. The other, a bit older one, had dutifully gone to bed quite early and was fit the next morning for the long busdrive back to Berlin. He wouldn’t let the younger one drive much. He must have been under the impression that the guy hadn’t had enough rest and was feeling rather tired!

Karl, my friend, had remembered the day and time when I would arrive back in Berlin. It was after 10 pm and he was waiting at the bus-stop with his bike ready to take me home. My little suitcase fitted on the back of his bike. I fitted at the front. Off we went. He was a smoker. The best thing he could think of to give me before we parted was one of his cigarettes. This was when we were not in front of my house but just around the corner. I smoked a bit of the cigarette telling him that I had had a good time in Paris. Then I left him. He had been surprised that my mum had not thought of meeting me at the bus-stop. As it turned out, Mum was not even there when I arrived home: She was at her friend’s place. I went back to work the following morning.