In late 2016, my beloved Aunt Nancy passed away suddenly. It was a shocking event since we never got to say goodbye or get closure. It was a suicide, and something no one in the family ever thought she would do. She had disappeared November 3, 2016 and was found the next day, November 4. Today is the one-year anniversary. My family and I miss her terribly. Going through her things around the holidays last year, I stumbled upon her travel journal and photos from her travels to Europe. She had moved there in her early 20s to live in Germany and be an au pair. She had told me stories about her time there throughout my life, but never in such full detail. And reading her travel journal, I just wonder what bravery it must have taken to leave behind everything she knew in the States in the mid-1970s and make that trans-Atlantic flight to Europe where she would live for several months…I wish I was that brave.
As a dedication and to honor her life, I am posting excerpts and photos from her travels in the 1970s. She was always my inspiration when it came to travel. She was also the one person in my family who, instead of buying me presents for my birthdays, would take me somewhere local, a day trip, instead. She believed in making memories, not collecting gifts, and I am so glad to have those memories with her, as well as the life lesson.
Here are some excerpts from her travel journal. I love her view on Europe from that era:
June 24, 1977 - Amsterdam
I was amazed at the charm and the proudness of the Dutch woman and the manners of the men (particularly older) who often walk with their hands behind their backs.
It was also interesting to note the stand-up tables (no chairs) at the Dutch airport.
I found the Dutch landscape very enchanting with its watery mist which seems to rise up in a mysterious (way).
Fantastic that one sees so many people riding bikes along the level landscape - even the old ones.
Cows, cows, everywhere cows!
Am always disappointed to see signs that remind me of big business in America like - Exxon, Citgo, etc. Found quite a few in Holland. If I ever find a McDonalds in Amsterdam, I’ll condemn next year’s tulip patch.
The windmills & landscape of Holland were all that I’d thought they would be. And the people charming and the Heineken good.
I’m always happy to see small, economy-size cars in Europe & bravo for the transportation system.
June 25 - Bruges, Belgium
Found the people very nice - and was happy to note they do not stare at us even though we may look foreign. I feel right at home here!
Love the language spoken here - a curious mixture of German, a bit of French & perhaps Dutch - very melodic.
Am glad to see that dogs & cats are allowed into a few restaurants & cafes - I guess so long as they are accompanied by their owners.
Happy to see the people of Bruges watering down & cleaning off the streets - they really seem to take pride in their city.
Luckily people in Belgium do not seem to worry about stealing - if it at all exists - for they just leave their bicycles unlocked in front of stores. If we could only do that in America! Not as many people walk around here with suspicious eyes for their is not much cause to.
A lot of pigeons & other birds in this city. It’s nice to walk up to the humming of birds for a change.
Love the orange slanted slate roofs of the quaint medieval houses.
Saw a cat siting on the table of a restaurant - you’d rarely see that in America.
Noticed the white Lacey curtains in Bruges which were not made long enough to reach the window sills.
Older women rarely wear pants - if at all.
High point of my week: a fine Belgian man allowed me into a church museum for free & he displayed so much passion & love for his work - he lectured us about the ornaments in the museum even though he was there only to give out tickets. His English was terrible but his kindness & openness were really appreciated.
Mon., June 27 - Doddington
This is the first time that I have seen a foot bath in a hostel or hotel for that matter.
I really feel at home in England - not only is the language the same, but the manners & customs also seem more near ours. Young people here dress just as grubby as we do & really anything seems to go as far as dress is concerned.
Dr. Josiah Oldfield, a fruitologist, lecturer & scholar wrote many of his works in Doddington. The Monk’s Hut stands in memory of hi. He lived to be 90 years old. Had a degree in medicine & theology.
June 28 - Boston (England)
Interesting to learn that the mayor is chosen for only one year. I really loved Mr. Spurr. He explained the fascinating & peculiar history of St. Botolph’s Church to us. It’s the first time I have seen a record on a church of past floods. But a wall has been built up on the side of the church facing the river to protect it from the floods from the river. The foundation of St. Botolph’s Church was begun in 1309, but it was not until 100 years later in 1409 that the tower was built. In 1450 the tower was completed. I have never seen a church quite like St. Botolph’s & I loved its perpendicular architecture & decorated gothic style.
Reuben’s “Descent of the Cross” is displayed in the church. The Jacobian pulpit was built in 1612. John Cotton, who was once vicar of this church, fled from Boston to New England in 1633.
I love learning about how deeply connected the United States history is with the history of Europe. I feel that only by digging into other cultures does one truly understand ones own culture.
What I found fascinating was Guildhall (1607) the place where the Pilgrims were incarcerated for 10 days before being sent off to Lincoln. Seeing the prison cell really brought real dimension to many problems of the past, particularly religious intolerance. I really began to feel deeply for the Pilgrims’ suffering. The place the Pilgrims actually left from was Scotia Creek.
Mr. Spurr was really a fine old chap. He was so nice to share his umbrella with me in the pouring rain. I really think that English people have beautiful manners & are very considerate. Walking with Mr. Spurr in the rain was the high point of my week.
I find the chimneys in England to be very interesting. Most have a series of round pipes (?) jutting above the main chimney. The road system is also a point of interest. One will not find many signs with the names of towns written on them. One must know the route numbers in order to find the towns & cities. But the system works well as long as one has a map. It is really quite different from in America.
My stay in England has really been a very fruitful & informative one so far.
Scotland -
My heart could not stop throbbing when my eye first set upon the gorgeous Scottish countryside. Never before had I seen such beauty. I feel that my most profound spiritual experiences take place not in a church but in the beautiful countryside. I felt renewed.
I really admire the manners for the English & Scotch people - I feel more respected. They really take pride in their ways & their cities.
The chimneys in Edinburgh have more of a rectangular base than the round or square bases used in England.
Castle in Sterling - Mary crowned queen of Scotland here.
I found it very difficult trying to cross streets in England & Scotland since everyone drives on the left side of the road. But once I got used to it there was no problem.
I really feel that any Scots do long for independence from England after having heard a few mention this possibility as a result of the strong economic base in Scotland due to it'd North Sea oil. However, one still can see that the Scots seem to enjoy the celebration & pageantry of the Queens Silver Jubilee. Everywhere are picture of Queen Elizabeth about.
I was really surprised to see so many self-service restaurants in England & Scotland. I don't think that I ever came upon one in my travels through Austria & Germany. Anyhow, I feel that the English may be a but more westernized than other European countries. I find service in the restaurants quite fast, certainly faster than in Belgium.
England does not have its own style of cuisine like one finds in Switzerland, Germany & Austria. The only thing one can call English is perhaps the fish & chips & yet it does not take a great art to make them.
In Austria, I found cooking to be an incredible art - each restaurant has its own style or art of preparing meals.
I find that Americans are on the whole, louder & more boisterous than the Europeans. Every time I was in a restaurant or a bar with members of the group, they seemed to really be heard above all others. Sometimes I felt like slipping quietly under the table.
I met a really nice chap from England named George when we were in Bruges. I asked him what the stereotypes of Americans is in England. He said that we are thought to be loud. I agree. Why, I do not know. Maybe we don’t care as much what others think. In America, we are told to do our own thing. I think that Europeans think more of how others feel.
I enjoy the international language for traffic signals (red & green men) & for the toilets.
July 6 - Kiswick
Had a really great talk with 4 English chaps at the local tavern.Two of them are university students. We talked mostly about common social problems facing both Britain & America. All of them were worried about finding jobs due to the present economic conditions in Britain. But, unlike in America, British students (students in England anyways) receive 9 pounds a week during the summer months to support their habits or their schooling, whatever the case may be, until the fall semester begins. If they are 18 years of age or younger, they receive 11 pounds. Also, I don’t think that as many British students as American students work while they go to school. For one thing, their education is, for the most part, free, so they don’t have to.
I have noticed that in every country I have been to so far in Europe, none of them use screens in their windows to keep out insects & other foreign objects. Why, I don't know. Maybe because old houses were built with shutters & the tradition has been kept.
Oh, ye’ll take the high road and I’ll take the low road;
And I’ll be in Scotland before ye;
But way is my heart until we meet again
On the bonnie bonnie backs of Lock Lamond.
-Traditional Jacobite Air
July 7 & 8 - Bristol
I absolutely adored the Lady Chapel in St. Mary Redcliffe in Bristol. The color & beauty of the stained glass windows really moved me.
London
I really enjoyed the War Museum immensely. It actually made all of the stuff that I’ve been reading about in history books for years seem real - painfully real. I was at the same time amazed & horrified as I gazed upon the weaponry & other badges, etc. of World War I & II. Ms. Wilcoxson gave an excellent & quite thorough lecture about Britains place in the Wars. She was extremely interesting & interested in that she spoke about.
In the Islamic Art section of the Victoria & Albert museum, I absolutely marveled about the “most famous carpet in the world,” which was once in a mosque at Ardabel - dated 1539-40 A.D. Consists of 340 Persian knots per square inch.
What I admired the most was the Indian sculpture. Seeing it made me realize the glory of other civilizations.
Dover
I admired the bone ship which was displayed in the museum in Dover. The ship was made by French prisoners who were imprisoned in the castle in Dover during the Napoleonic War. The dishing & intricacy of the carvings were beautiful. I believe that the bones must have been obtained from the food rations given to those imprisoned. That’s really one hell of a way to transcend the prison environment.
Main area of landing for Omaha beach. Roosevelt & his brother received a gold medal. 10,000 graves in here. U.S. Property given by the French government. Caen was to be the first capitol of liberated France.
(Pont du Hoc saw yesterday). Son of Theo Roosevelt buried here (medal of honor)
I hope you can hear
Loud and clear
The love we feel for you
So dear in our hearts
We’ll always say
If it weren’t for you
Where would we be?
Looking over the beaches of Normandy - so vast and beautiful.
Who can believe what happened?
During the war? T
hen a cold wind blows.
Sending along the painful memories.
If human bodies suffering and crying out to God.
Then the water flows gently, wave upon wave.
To soothe my soul and wash away my pain.
Inside each pearly shell I see a bullet -
Piercing the beauty
Shattering the order of life.
Pieces spread around the sand.
The shattered souls of humanity,
Searching to find light in the wave of eternity.
If you or someone you know feels suicidal, call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255)