Judy Travels Abroad: a handwritten 1958 European tour diary

I'm thinking that Mrs. P. was the previous tour group leader. It sounds like Judy and her friends have joined up with a new tour group, the Ambassador Group, with a new leader named John R. And I believe the "Martha-like characters" are girls in the new tour group. I'm wondering what kind of personality flaw she is referring to with that phrase. I've googled 50s slang but can't find anything.
 
Date: Saturday, July 12, 1958
Place: Hotel Museum Pension (just like The Rothesay)
Sue's: "Can't believe that two such places could exist but of course curly-locks John helps us endure cruel fate!"
Join the club, tub.
Weather: not noted


Boy, what a night - that darn tooth kept me awake all night so in the morning, Angel of Mercy (??) Sue R. served breakfast in bed to the suffering Miss B--- (me). John found a dentist for me but he didn't work Saturdays so this real nice fella in the hotel called another one and made an appointment for me at 1:00. Judy, Marge, and I went downtown and I just had time to buy a shoe charm ($3.16) before going to lunch.
The dentist was the sweetest little man you ever saw. He had to lance my gum. First he squirted something on it to freeze it, so I didn't even feel it. All he charged was three guilders + 50 cents (93 cents US!). Dr. Smith would have charged at least $10.00! My jaw was so swollen before that I looked like a squirrel with its mouth full.
Sue and I went back downtown shopping and I got a darling blue pleated skirt ($10.40) and blue and white striped blouse ($4.90). Then went back to the hotel and called mom on the phone, $20.00 for six minutes! I was so glad to talk to her that it was worth every cent. I called at quarter after five and it was quarter after eleven a.m. at the lake.
Our new group of Marthas also includes two horrible bachelor brothers complete with pipes! Even the Kansas State Crew would look fabulous compared to them!

(Sue's comment is written in different ink/handwriting. Apparently Sue wanted to add her own observation to Judy's notation today.)
 
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Date: Sunday, July 13, 1958
Place: Brussels, Belgium
Weather: Nice but kind of cool
(Maybe I'll have a chance to practice my French! )
(Had a letter from Mom.)

Donna and I got up this morning at 6:30 for seven o'clock mass. The benches were high and wooden, something left over from Pilgrim times and very uncomfortable! They took up at least 50 different collections, and the sermon, all in Dutch, lasted a half-hour.
After eating breakfast, we took taxis to the train station, trip was from 9:30 - 2:00. Cheers - our hotel is called the Splendid! We really have a nice room though, and we have the only shower, so there has been a continuous stream of Ambassadors coming in to use it. (We four, Judy S, Otter, and Donna, and I feel like Queens!)
It's funny how your first impressions of people change. Yesterday I wasn't impressed with Rockney or the group at all, but last night John took Sue, Judy H, and I back to the Linx at 11:30. John danced with me (3 times!), cheek-to-cheek, and so close you couldn't have slipped a dime in between us. (Something for the movies!) Now, I think he is loads of fun - he likes to do things too!
After lunch I slept 'til it was time for supper, and after that John took Judy H, Sue, and I to the World's Fair, or Expo, as they call it here. It certainly is fabulous, you could walk for miles and not see everything. Our pavilion is round, and just beautiful on the outside but what a disappointment inside. There is just nothing typical! We were so hungry that we zoomed up to the Brass Rail to have a hot dog and a chocolate soda (1.00)! I knew I'd do that before I left the States. The Antomium impressed me most. I've never seen anything more beautiful!


The Antomium, built for Expo '58 and still standing:
blog-atomium-398.jpg




The USA Pavilion:
640px-Expo58_building_USA.jpg
 
Date: Monday, July 14, 1958
Place: Brussels - World's Fair
Weather: Sunny - just right

Spent the whole day at the Fair - my sore feet. Sue and I rode in the cable cars, visited these pavilions - Russian: too big, too many big things; Czek: my favorite, especially the toys and the planets containing tiny glass figures; Belgian Congo: films of native dancers; also visited Finland, Israel, and France. Got lots of post-cards (some for Jim) ($1.40) and three sets of slides of the Fair ($7.00) so I'd be sure they would turn out. Also sent Dad a small model paperweight of the Atomium ($8.00), and a tiny gold one for my charm bracelet ($7.00). Also my spoon ($1.50). Had lunch at Weils. After supper at the hotel, Judy H and I went to see The Brothers Karamazov ($0.60) in English with French subtitles!


Date: Tuesday, July 15, 1958
Place: Brussels, Cologne, Germany
Weather: Warm

Talk about well-organized trips! Went shopping after breakfast and I got this darling sack dress (cost not listed) that Judy and I saw at Paul Emy's last night. We went back to the hotel for Sue, and then we three and John went to Maria Loix's for lace. I got a darling blue bridge set, and a bun holder, also six placemats and napkins for Mom (all for $28.00). (I may have to send home for more money - good luck!)
After lunch, Sue and I went back to the Worlds' Fair and went up to the top of the Atomium, and then had a soda. We were to be back at the hotel at 5:00, but we got on the wrong tram and were on it for an hour. We didn't get back til 6:00, but the bus was late, what luck! We just made the 6:30 train.


I haven't been able to find out anything about Paul Emy... other than a reference to him on someone's family history website that states, "after which he worked for Paul Emy in Brussels for a few months in 1912". Is anyone familiar with this designer?

Maria Loix:
loixlace1.JPG
 
Date: Wednesday, July 16, 1958
Place: Kologne, Rudesheim
Weather: Cool

Good luck on trying to write with a hang-over. It's 1:20 and I just got in after being out with John on a tour of all the wine-cellars! Sure was a fabulous evening!
Got up this morning and after breakfast we all hurried down to take pictures of the Cathedral. Then we took a train, about an hour to the place where we had lunch. I sat with John, but slept most of the way. After lunch we took a steamer down the Rhine from 1:30 'til 6:30 and it got quite cold! Glad I wore my wool suit! There were lots of beautiful castles along the way.
We started on our tour of the wine cellars about 8:30. I just had time to change into my cotton knit, and was informed by the little man at the hotel that I had a package from Dad.
As soon as we got to our first cellar, John asked me to dance. He told me that this other fella at the next table (cute) asked me to dance but I didn't see him. Pretty soon we left the crew of Marthas and went off by ourselves. John got me a sausage and bun and then we went to another one (tavern, that is). Had more fun dancing! Good luck on getting up at 8:00 tomorrow.


Cologne Cathedral:
edf7bce67d.jpg



The old brick arch wine celler of the Winery Stahl:
gewoelbekeller-450_01.jpg
 
Jonathan said:
A 1958 Atomium paperweight: http://www.modernabode.com/O038.html
Click to expand...
How neat! Hmmm...300% appreciation, a good or bad investment, LOL?!

Date: Thursday, July 17, 1958
Place: Heidelberg
Weather: Cool

Good luck on feeling fine after drinking ten glasses of wine the night before. John came down while I was getting dressed (just in my slip) to see how I felt!
Before breakfast, I went down to the post office to get my package - Mom sent some packages of soap and some wash-and-dri's, $5.00 worth and it cost $5.00 to send them! John said, "Think of the wine we could have bought with that!"
We now have our own bus and a driver named Crispen who can't speak a word of English. We left at 9:30 and got into Heidelberg at 2:00. After lunch we went on a tour with our guide named Peter.
I like Germany. The people seem very happy (they certainly like to have a good time). Heidelberg is quite hilly and full of quaint houses. First we went to Heidelberg Castle, went down to their wine cellars, and saw the statue of Perkeo who guards this "giant barrel". Up on one of the terrace floors there is a man's footprint, and if you step in it and it fits, you are unfaithful. John stepped in it, and it fit! He told me to try it, but Peter said all girls were unfaithful - annoying! Went to see the Student Prison with its drawings, and names all over the walls, and then shopping. Got a stein charm ($4.52), my spoon ($1.67), and three Hummels ($10.57)! After supper we went to the Red-Ox! What a time!


Heidelberg and its castle:
Heidelberg-Germany.png



Perkeo of Heidelberg, shown with his three symbols: wine goblet, key, and clock.
Perkeo_of_Heidelberg.jpg



I remember these!
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Date: Friday, July 18, 1958
Place: Lucerne, Switzerland
Weather: Warm!

Still laughing about last night! I met this fella named Paul, who was talking to his friends a mile a minute in German and to me in English. I thought he really did well with his English and asked him where he learned to speak it so well. He nearly died laughing and told me he was from Florida! At breakfast we heard "Big Rock's" sob story - he had left his door unlocked and someone came in and took $41 out of his bill-fold! Too bad, that would have bought a lot of wine! We left for Lucerne at 9:00 - had lunch in some hotel along the way - there was a huge line waiting to get into the john (Damen) all through lunch. Big Rock was dressed in his Bermudas! Quite a sight.
We stopped along the way and consumed some pastries that John had. (Otter sat on them on the bus!) We finally arrived at our hotel, The Star, a Jewish one at that, at 7:00. Sue and I have been avoiding Dick (the Mr. Peepers Bobbsey Brother) all day, but he did manage to sit behind us on the bus, and nearly drove us wild by singing, China Night in a hideous voice. Rickety-tickety-tin, as we sang all day and drove Bill (other brother) nearly out of his idiotic head. At supper two Cyrano English boys were at the next table - lovely view! After, Sue and I left the group and went off by ourselves to look in the shops. I got two music boxes ($31.75) to send home, one a jewel box with a revolving dancing couple inside, and a bracelet. Met some Swiss fellas who couldn't speak English and were calling us both Isabelle.


Miyoshi Umeki (aka to Americans of a certain age, Mrs. Livingston from the television show The Courtship of Eddie's Father):
 
Date: Saturday, July 19, 1958
Place: Lucerne, Switzerland
Weather: Warm

Woke up this morning to the ringing of church bells - don't see how the people around here could ever be late for mass. After breakfast, Sue and I hurried to the stores to spen our money and I do mean spend! Got my charm, a little man on skis, and then went to Gubelin's where I got one of those Rainbow watches ($55.00). (Mom and Dad just got me a watch last Christmas!) It has a gold base and leather straps that you can change, also other colored bases. I got a light blue one, and a black one, plus straps to match, and a pink one. Got two chalet music boxes ($9.40) to sent to Aunt Marie and Jan and my spoon.
After lunch I went back and got two more straps - red and beige and then at 3:00 John took us swimming at Lido Beach. The mountains around there were just beautiful and did it seem good to go swimming again. We soaked up some sun, and gazed at the people in their bikinis who looked at us as if we were over-dressed.
After supper, Sue and I went back downtown and guess what I got: a navy blue strap and white base, a green base and strap, and a yellow one! Do you think I'll have enough? No wonder I had to send home for more money! Also got mom a beautiful wood-carved lazy susan that turns around and has a music box in the base. Had coffee at the Red Garter!

(Judy was lax today and didn't record the cost of all her purchases!)

A Gubelin "Rainbow" watch and straps:
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The new job I started in February is keeping me too busy to keep up with the Judy Travels Abroad blog so I'm getting ready to send the journal off to another party for transcription and a spiffing up of the blog. Here's one more installment for now:

Date: Sunday, July 20, 1958
Place: Bregenz, Austria
Weather: Rainy - Warm

Donna and I got up like good little girls at 7:00, had breakfast, and went to eight o'clock mass. Left at 9:00 and went through Zurich - not too exciting except that Bill Bobbsey kept sniffing and Sue gave him some toilet paper as a gentle hint!
The scenery through here was just beautiful - tall pointed mountains and the bluest water you've ever seen! (My camera was in my suitcase.) We stopped at a cafe way up in the mountains and the stomachs (Sue, Judy H, and I), as Mrs. Pratt would say, consumed coffee, hot dogs, and pastries joined by Big Rock who couldn't understand why we were eating just before lunch.
Stopped in Liechtenstein for our sack lunches - good luck, more hard rolls - never want to see another one, and when I get home I want some hamburgers and chocolate cake.
Decided to get dressed up for dinner (we are staying at the Krone Hotel - rooming with Donna K), so wore my new sack dress. As I was leaving the table John was right behind me, and gave me a poke saying, "See you're wearing your sexy sax". Sue was taking in this touching scene from the rear! We went to a light opera, The Bartered Bride. It was out-of-doors, and we were on one side, and the action took place on the other side, separated by water. It really was beautiful - costumes, settings, and all - but it was too long, and besides that it rained every now and then.
When I got in after the opera, Donna wasn't back so I had to go down to get the key, and this real cute blond bus boy said he had a room and I could come down there! Good Luck!

 
Inspired by this diary I am keeping my own record of the tour of Romania I am currently on - though I have traveled here many times I have only once ventured further than Arad (my mother's home town) some years ago. This is a semi-planned trip - we know the towns and/or sites we plan to visit but have not booked hotels, each night's stay is a surprise venue! Half our circular route follows the Danube river and half is in the forest 'mountains'. While I am not being funded by rich parents as Judy was I feel wealthy here - as the spending power is 5:1 to the £.
Romania feels like a time-warp - the traditional village people live in medieval style farming communities, while the younger generations are left with communist buildings, ideals and even many laws.
 
Melanie, I would love to see some photos!

I, too, am inspired by Judy to keep a journal during my upcoming two-week trip in the UK in the first two weeks of August. My 17yo daughter Emma and I will be visiting England (London, Lake District, Oxford, Cotswolds), Scotland (Edinburgh), and Wales (Cardiff). I've even given Emma the journaling bug, she will record her own version of the trip, as well.

As for the Judy Travels Abroad blog, tomorrow starts the daily entries that were NOT published here. She continues to write daily all the way through August 18. Judy will be visiting Austria, Germany, Italy, and France in the coming weeks. :)
 
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Reviving this 2015 thread just to add a link to the final weeks of Judy's travel diary.
I no longer maintain the website but (thanks to the wayback machine internet archive) the entire diary, including the final weeks not posted on this site, can be found HERE.
Since the Judy website is not being maintained, some of the photos/links may no longer be working.
 
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