As we climbed the mountains into Switzerland the car kept burning out. Fortunately there were places on the road that we could pull over and let the damn thing cool down. Good views, though, of the Swiss Alps.

Switzerland was quite different from any other country we visited on this trip. The Swiss were a pathologically neat and clean. Once I parked with one of my tires touching the inclusive parking lines. More than one passerby pointed their fingers and shook their heads.

Staring at the car.

Jo and I were standing on the street when we noticed a bakery. We were admiring the good looking baked sweets in the window when one of the servers came out with two sugary buns. “For you” she said. Delicious! Apparently we looked looked poor hungry travelers.

Which we were.

Crossed the river and entered Germany.

Landed in London then took a taxi to Jo’s address. She wasn’t there but Midge was. They were sharing a flat with two other girls.
I waited ’til Jo came home from work. Surprise, surprise!

I stayed with them until Midge told me that the other girls resented my presence. I went looking for a place to rent. Ended up in Notting Hill being interviewed by a mother and daughter.

This is the street where my flat was located.

It was at this time I noticed that Canadians had no recognizable status in England. I got the same attitude from upper, middle, and lower classes. I kind of bemused reaction as if they didn’t know where I belonged in the hierarchy. After a while I learned to use this to my advantage. My future landlady and her daughter told me the price and expected me to argue. They were stupefied when I told them the price was fine and I’d like to pay three months in advance! Astonished silence. Then  they asked me where I worked and, once again, were amazed that I didn’t have a job.

One day  the lights went out in my building. The landlady called me from the ground floor.  “You’re an American you can fix the power” I said I’d have a look. It was a hodgepodge of circuits. I told her I didn’t have the slightest idea how to fix it, oh and besides “I’m Canadian”.

Jo began spending time in my room and at one point asked me to marry her! Big plans from hereon in.

I’m not sure about other programs but on Windows you can click on the picture and ‘open in new tab’. The print will show original size.

On Wed. Feb. 8, 2023 I’ll be publishing my blog of our trip to Europe  in 1965, including East Germany (before the wall went down)

On Wed. Feb. 8, 2023 I’ll be publishing my blog of our trip to Europe  in 1965, including East Germany (before the wall went down)