Stanford Student Letters and Memoirs

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a bottle to take back to the burh with us to share with Dr. Boerner since he helped us plan our trip and is anyway a generally great guy.

March 28th

Sunday we had a few more mile of the rugged Rhine to Rudesheim, then mostly flat slightly rolling country on into Weisbaden and across to Mainz. The most interesting incident was in passing Bingen where there is a stretch of shallows and very dangerous water. Just about the time we rode by a large barge had run aground and damaged its rudder, tying up traffic behind it as effectively as a big accident on the Bay Bridge. We stopped for about a half hour to watch as the damaged ship drifted carefully backward through the line of companion vessels to find safe anchorage for repairs. Then slowly the waiting boats moved single file cautiously thru [through] the narrow safe water channel. While all this was going on we fired a constant line of questions to an old man standing beside us, and in that half hour we learned a lot of river lore. Once again, traveling by bike and thus seeing so much more of what we pass, and speaking German, made possible the sort of experience which is inaccessible to the average traveler.

In getting into Mainz, we went first to see the cathedral- a sort of white elephant of several architectural styles- built of soft pink marble, and yet to me pleasing in spite of its mixed style. Unfortunately the inside is closed for restoration so we had to miss that part. After stopping briefly to see a monument to Johannes of Guttenburg (who was born and prited [printed] his famous book here in Mainz) we rode on out here to the hostel which is situated on a hill above the Rhine near where the Mainz flows is. It is large (300 beds) and modern ut there were only four of us here last night so it was sort of family style.(

Today is again sunny and beautiful and we are leaving soon to bike on to the city of Worms then on to Heidelberg and mail again!!!!!!!!! where we stay all day Wednesday too. From there probably 3 days back to Beutelsbach. I am glad we have cut our daily travel down to about 50 kilometers. It makes about 6 hours leisurely biking and time to stop and see things. And at night I am still plenty tired to sleep well and the muscles seem to remember each morning that they worked the day before. We were really put to shame last night to learn that one of the fellows staying here came yesterday by bike, a distance by his route of 120 miles, and part of it pretty hilly country too. The day before he had gone from Munich to Stuttgart- so by German standards out [our] efforts are fairly small time as you can see. Of course, we are each carrying about 30 pounds of baggage to weight us down.

March 30th

Another three full days have gone by since I wrote from Mainz and in 3 more we will be back in Beutelsbach. It has been quite a trip- very interesting and much fun but we will both be glad to get back to the burg and see everyone again, and to return to hot showers, really clean clothes, three hot meals a day though our cold ones have been terrific and fun too. We are staying tonight at the hostel in Everbach, between Heidelberg and Heilbronn on the Neckar river. The ride along the Neckar is the last leg of our journey, taking us as far as Ludwigsburg (near Stuttgart) for Friday night. From there we will ride to Beutelsbach Sat morning, probably stay with the

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After a huge dinner from our pqcks [packs], we went out again after dark to walk through the fortress and look out at the lights of all the villages, a light breeze carrying sounds from miles away through the still night.

Yesterday morning we rode the 27 kilometers along the foot of the hills into Heidelberg. All along the way we passed countless blossoming fruit trees, with flowers of pink, green, yellow and the light green new leaves. It was a rainbow of color on a sunny day. It was fairly easy riding and we were in Heidelberg by 11 AM. After dropping our gear off at the hostel we went by the Railroad station to buy the week's Time magazine and then to the American express to get mail. Then we went to the university mensa (cafeteria) for another good inexpensive 30c hot lunch, and off to walk around the old part of town. By far the most interesting was the famous Heidelberg "schloss" (There is no good one-word translation though castle is often given. The combination palace-fortress is as close as I can some) It is mostly the huge baroque palace with statues and colums [columns] sculptured into walls. But the palace is built within the remains of the medieval fortress, With round turret towers, moat, and stone bridges etc. Around it are beautiful gardens with the trees just showing their brightest spring green.

From the castle terrace there is a full view out over Heidelberg and you can begin to appreciate how beautifully situated it is. It is right at the beginning of the valley of the Neckar and the city is built only in the bottom of the valley, the hills above remaining thick with lush green forest. It is rwally [really] a perfect, romantic setting for a city, with the river winding back into the hills out of sight.

Coming down from the castle, we located part of the old university, wandered around the old part of town and then had dinner at the mensa and returned to the hospital to wash clothes and write and read before bedtime.

This morning we awoke to gray overcast skies and, by 11 AM, we were having the first real rain of our trip which is pretty lucky for this early in the year. We spent the morning wandering again, watched a couple of ships going through the river locks where a spillway changes the height of the Neckar about 6 feet, then back to the old university to see the student prison.

This was really an interesting experience. It consists of about 6 or 7 small rooms in the main old university building, set off by barred door and windows, simply furnished with a wood table, 2 wood chairs, 2 beds. The prison was used from about 1720 to about 1914 to hold, for a few days each, students who were drunk, rowdy, fighting etc; the most interesting feature is the collection of verses, sayings, signatures, and self portraits which were painted on the walls, layer over layer, by the "residents" over the 200 years. They were often quite witty and their general tone suggested that being in the prison was more of a lark than a general disaster.

After lunch at the mensa again, we went back to the hostel to pack up, put on raincoats and begin the journey up the Neckar. We didn't know what sort of country to expect since the river is smaller and more winding than the Rhine. But it turned out that the road was flat and smooth, followed right along the river, and we made the 33 kilometers to Eberbach before 5 PM. And with raincoats the rain was no great bothet either, thank goodness. The

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The Necakar is, from the standpoint of beauty, even better than the Rhine valley. The thick fir and pine forests come right down the hillsides to the river's edge; occasionally there are small orchards and, with green grass growing between the trees, they look like well manicured parks among the forests, It is really beautiful countryside and we have a whole day of it tomorrow on the way to Heilbronn.

April 3rd.

Well, we just finished a delicious breakfast here at the Krauters- ham and scrambled eggs and 3 varities [varieties] of cake- fruit cake, a sweet frosting cake and a pound cake which Bridges baked last night with Frau Krauter an interested observer. (Bridges is the other boy making the trip with George).

We have had a marvelous weekend here arriving Friday afternoon- a day earlier than we estimated a week ago. And now, after lunch, sure to be another big meal, we will go on up to the burg to unpack, wash clothes, and start sharing travel experiences. We have meetings and registration beginning tomorrow afternoon, classes Wednesday.

From Eberbach home, the trip was not particularly unusual. We pulled a fast one though. Instead of stopping Thursday night in Heilbronn, we went the 85 kilometers to Ludwigsburg in one day. The ride along the Neckar to Heilbronn was again beautiful- even in the rain. As we moved south the forests withdrew from the river's edge, the valley and lower slopes widened out and farms began to appear, all green and fresh in early spring. Above on the hilltops south of Eberbach were several castles much like those on the Rhine.

Just got back from a brief trip to the burg- many kids are just getting back and all have apparently had a wonderful time. One of the fellows on the Russian trip met Slavic (my Polish roommate last spring) at Warsaw for an evening and they had a great talk about old times at Stanford. The weather today is spectacular- springtime, warm and sunny, the blossoms just coming out, full of green and new life- a wonderful day to get back to the burg.

The country from Heilbronn to Ludwigsburg was much like that here in the Ramstal valley- rolling farmland- hard work on a bike. But we took it easy and walked up the long or steep hills and rode down. Friday morning we spent in Ludswigburg visiting two or three palace-castles there. Huse 460 room sprawling affair is one; the other only a small palace (actually a hunting lodge) about a block square. Around it are acres of wonderful woodland, now a nature preserve with paths to stroll on where we saw several deer and waterfowl. It was a pleasant stroll, much more fun than seeing the wastefully luxurious palaces. I don't like many secular, baroque buildings though some of the churches are beautiful.

Then from Ludwigsburg we rode easily the 20 kilometers to Beuttelsbach, arriving at 1PM and really glad to be back in the friendly, familiar grounds. We came straight to the Krauters and were immediately invited to stay here for the two nights before the burg opened. After a short trip up the hill to get our stacks of mail, we spent the evening talking about the trip etc. Yesterday morning I got a haircut and then spent a couple of hours cleaning and repairing the bike. After lunch while the Krauters were in the woods hauling some firewood, I spent the afternoon mounting about 100 pictures from the Black Forest and the first 2/3's of our bike trip. It is a long job for so many and I am glad to have it done before classes start. Also it was a quiet restful afternoon with Tschaikowsky music in the background on the radio and that was fine with me.

I am really eager to get back though and get going on the new quarter. I have met Professor Tarshers already a fineman about 45-50 with a darling 4 year old daughter and a European wife. He studied and taught at

14.5.60

Hi Darling, and Ma & Pa too

Well, we had quite a day in Tübingen yesterday - a mixture of collegetype fun and interesting conversation. The town itself is simply beautiful, located on steepish hillsides rising from the quiet, smooth-flowing Neckar. Its sort of romantic - rustic with lots of old houses; and the presence of the university (it really is essentially a "university town", that being the main reason for its existence) only adds the student atmosphere to the already special scenic beauty. It's an ideal spot of a university (especially from the extra-curricular point of view!).

We arrived about 11 Am, spent 2 hours before lunch walking around the town for a while, then taking a beautiful rowboat ride on the Neckar. This is a favorite student pastime, both for groups of boys or girls and for couples (or even triple dates in one case I saw). There is a long, low narrow, tree and grass covered island in the stream and we spent about an hour rowing leisurely up one side of it, back the other, four of us and one German student. All along the bank of the island were students reading or just talking or lying in the sun - it was so peaceful and pretty!

While we were eating lunch back at the fraternity house a sudden storm blew up and it began pouring rain, continued intermittently for the whole afternoon. We went down to the Stift - an Augustenian cloister from the 15th century, now a dorm for mostly theology students, others too - heard a talk about the history of the town, the cloister, etc. Several famous people have studied at Tübingen, one of Germany's best universities (dating from 1420) - Kepler the astronomer, Hegel the philosopher, Schelling (a contemporary of Hegel in idealism), Hölderlin, a lyric poet of the 19th cent.

From the Stift we rode up to a cafe - hangout of the students, overlooking the Neckar valley, and sat around drinking a delicious hard cider - lemon juice drink and sharing college songs together. We 30 from Stanford sang our classic drinking songs, then joined them on German songs. Lots of fun of course.

Then last night we had a dinner-dance at the fraternity house, had a chance both to dance and have fun and to talk about German and American universities ans student life. We finally had to leave about 11:30 in order to stagger into bed here at 1:30.

Got to go now to ride with Dr. Tarshus to Stuttgart - another bunch of errands.

Lots of love, George