In 1987 I spent 5 weeks in Europe visiting friends, many of whom I had met in 1985 on a trip to the South Pacific. The following are excerpts from my journal.
First stop, England. From there a long train ride to Stockholm to visit Maria and some other people I had met in Fiji. 5 October, Stockholm.
We woke up at 8 and had a nice breakfast of pate, bread, caviar and tea. The caviar came in a tube! Maria left for work at nine. I listened to the tapes I bought in London. Yuck! Oh well. I changed money at the bank and walked around Maria's neighborhood. Can you believe that there's a 7-11??? Yep - green and red with ice cold coke and microwave hamburgers!!! I got some cheese and bread for lunch. 7.20 for the cheese, 2.70 for bread. I also fixed some rice, after talking about food so much I wanted to try cooking again. It was very good!
Maria had a lovely little flat in the heart of Stockholm. It was decorated very nicely and was perfect for one person. Two was a bit crowded but she dealt with my staying there quite well. Maria was a terrific cook and we spent many hours talking about food. I enjoyed a wide variety of food while staying in Stockholm.
She taught school and I did spend a day visiting her class. She showed me the sights of Stockholm, a lovely city. We ate good food, walked all over the place and enjoyed a pleasant visit.
I tried to read but I was so tired I just fell asleep. I slept for nearly 3 hours! Maria came home at 4:30 and we went out - to the Old Town. It was good fun - lots of people everywhere and small shops to window shop in. We saw the Opera House and had an Irish Coffee in the trendy Opera House Cafe (118-). The matchbooks there have a space for your name, telephone number and interests, so you can give it to someone you are interested in!
We walked around the old town and saw where Maria used to live. Nice but a bit noisy. 16 October, Milano.
Another city, more questions. I like Italy - but I've got to learn Itailian. (So far I've felt that way about every country I've visited.) I was thinking about how few Europeans I met on my trip to OZ. Mostly, I met Aussies, Kiwis or Japanese. I think it was because of where I went and the fact that they spoke english. Whatever the reason - I think Maria, GP and English Steve will be friends for a long time.
I guess the only way I'm ever going to learn a foreign language is to make english a foreign language. I'll have to live in another country to really master a language. Now I want to learn how to cook, decorate my place really nicely, learn several languages and travel more (and with more of a purpose.) And I still need to work on computers, math and physics! I see a problem here.
I met GP in Australia in 1985. He was riding the perimeter of Oz on a motorcycle and I joined him for a week's adventure up Cape York. Since his return to Italy, he had landed a job with an Italian Adventure T.V./magazine called "Johnathon". He had sent me postcards from some of the exotic places he had been. He was quite the traveller. 18 October, Genoa, Italia
I slept well, got up at 10:30 and had cafe and fete biscoutti for breakfast. Then I went to mass with GP. The church was very nice inside - all decorative with hanging chandiliers and painted walls and ceilings. I was very surprised at how many people wore jeans to church. I thought I would be underdressed but I wasn't. There were lots of young people there.
After that GP saw his old girlfriend - and they talked a long while. It was an incredibly beautiful day so I sat on a bench in the sun. Then we went back to GP's parents house and had lunch - breaded veal, lasagne with pesto - and of course bread, cheese and fruit. I've eaten so much I can't believe it! But the food is so good!
GP's parents lived in Genoa. They had an incredibly beautiful house right next to the train tracks. It took some getting used to the trains going by but the house was so wonderful that you quickly forgot the noise. Marble stairs with carved wooden rails, tall ceilings, a tiny little library with books stored to the ceiling, and the kitchen that could hold one person at a time. But GP's mother was a fantastic cook! How she accomplished those culinary feats in that tiny kitchen I will never know. 31 October, Martham, England
Back to England to visit a friend I had met when I first visited Europe in 1975. Elaine was from Southampton and has had a wide range of jobs during her life. She is incredibly well read and has always been someone I enjoy talking with.
Another Halloween. Two years ago I was in Cairns. Hard to believe. Last year it was JPL. Almost time to go home. Now I've seen the various sides of life: single, engaged, living together, married, married with children, married and seperated, married and ??? The future will tell.
So which lifestyle do I want? Children? Yes, I still think so. Married? Yes - if I can find someone who will grow with me. Career? Well, something worthwhile and something that pays well. I need to be responsible for me and my possessions. This is the same stuff I've been writing for years. Have I learned anything?
So where are you headed in life?? Can you have security *and* adventure? Maria has done this somewhat. GP? He has the scales tipped in the other direction - more adventure, less security. What are you going to do??