David leaves the house on the RER at 5:30am for a 7am flight to Stuttgart, Germany.  Only, the train doesn’t get him there until the plane has just left.  So, he waits in the airport for the 10:30am flight.

Tuesday, April 7, 1992

I attended a coffee in Rueil of the Northwest Coffee Group of the American Church.  Alice Landais displayed and sold her very famous Paris, silk, hand painted scarves and silk ties.  Price of the scarves began at $90USD and the ties $45UDS.  No, I didn’t come home with a sack full of either one but did have an enjoyable time visiting with some old friends and making more new ones.  David returned home late evening from Stuttgart.

Thursday, April 9, 1992

Bible Study for me in the A.M. and David leaves for Bristol, UK at 6pm returning Friday evening.

Saturday, April 11th, 1992

Departure for me to Dallas for a visit back home.

Editor’s Note

This actually ends Chapter 3 with Georgia flying back to Dallas.  It picks up Chapter 4 with her departure from Dallas on April 18th.  See you for Chapter 4.

Awakened about 9am by numerous cars arriving close to our tent and lots of conversation. All of a sudden the talking was gone. We assumed the people had come to the restaurant in the park for breakfast. But we learned later that this was not the case. Had our own church service of reading and absorbing one of the many sermons we ordered from our favorite minister in San Antonio and readings from the Bible.

About 11am loads of people returned from a 2 hour hike, took off their sweat suits, down to their bathing suits, and plunged into the cold, cold water! Temperature is about 40 degrees F outside. They had to be mad! This was a Swim Club consisting of all age people, young to old, and all in very good shape. We watched and tried to concentrate on our sermon lesson as we sat bundled in our goose down jackets, several layers of clothes and warm hats.

Departed Brugge about noon traveling farther north along the coast to Damme, Belgium. Traveled home on a picturesque side roads, arriving St. Germain about 6pm.

David flies to Madrid for two days.

Saturday, April 4th 1991

Depart St. Germain 9am for camping trip to the wonderful city of Brugge, Belgium, camping on Lac Loppem (a beautiful lake) outside of Brugge. The town was a smaller version of Brussels with a smaller Grand Palace, many beautiful buildings, a cathedral in which we “walked” to the top of the Belfry for a beautiful view, beautiful canals, and the weather held out beautifully for us.

Plans of camping this birthday weekend of ours were discouraged somewhat by a cold, rainy weekend but mostly because of David’s visit to the doctor for a diagnosis of the flu.

Saturday, March 28th 1992

My birthday.  Well, a most unusual one of playing nursemaid to a very sick patient.

Sunday, March 29th 1992

Sick patient remained at home and I traveled to The American Church – only to realize as I boarded the train that I was going to be very late, since we had forgotten to bring our clocks forward by 1 hour last night.  But I went anyway and got in on the last of the sermon and the last song, plus listening to a visiting choir after the service.

Tuesday, March 31st 1992

David’s birthday.  Lot’s of cards and wishes had been received the past few days for both of us.  David is feeling better but still not working full days.  Bought him a Peugeot bike for his birthday.  The RER was slow this morning, on strike again.  Wasn’t running in the evening.  David takes a bus from work toward St. Germain only to have it terminate in Rueil.  I jump in the car and manage to find the spot he has been dropped at.  What a birthday!

Breakfast tacos and services at the American Church.  Rain is beginning to fall now.  A walk to the Eiffel Tower, enjoying a windy, wet view of the city (but still beautiful).  An afternoon visit to the Palace of Versailles for David and Erin and catching up at home for me.

Monday, March 23, 1992

Erin and I dashed, in the midst of pouring rain, to the Notre Dame area to purchase a sweat shirt she had found earlier.  Back to David’s office and offo to the airport.  Erin’s flight was at 1:30PM.  A pleasant end to a good 10 day visit.

David proceeds to the show; Erin sleeps in; and I attended a German church service with the Bokers.  In the afternoon Erin and I took the fast train to Hamburg, visting St. Michaels church, the harbor and explored the city.

Monday, March 16, 1992

Erin and I visited HErrenhausen Gardens in Hannover – beautiful displays of cactus, amaryllis, orchids and many other plants.  Now it was time to catch up on some shopping.  Early dinner at a wonderful restaurant in the city centre and to the house to pack.

Tuesday, March 17, 1992

We leave Hannover 7:40AM on the ICE train to Mannheim, Germany, changing trains and arriving Paris at 5PM.

Wednesday, March 18, 1992

David is back to work in Paris and Erin and I toured Notre Dame, Sarbonne University, Cluny Museum, the Latin Quarter, and the Pompidou area in Paris.

Thursday, March 19, 1992

Bible Study for me; Erin manages to take the train to meet David and they tour the Louve and Orsay Museum.

Friday, March 20, 1992

One day trip for David to London.  Erin and I dash off to the market, catch a train to Chartres to visit the beautiful cathedral of Chartres.  Absolutely beautiful weather the last few days for touring.

Saturday, March 21, 1992

7AM TGV train to Lausanne, Switzerland and visiting the beautiful Eastern part of France and the Swiss Alps (this time of year covered with lots of snow.)  Train from Lausanne to Montreaux to visit the Chateau Chillon, enjoying a picnic lunch at the Chateau park area on Lake Geneva amidst the beautiful Swiss Alps.  Just breathtaking!  Boarded another train in Montreaux and went to Brig, Switzerland, a little farther into the moutains.  Beautiful city and gorgeous scenery.  Back to Lausanne to catch our TGV train, arriving Paris Saturday night about 10:30PM.

We took the train to the show and watched as lovely snow began to fall.  In the evening a few of us stopped at the huge Bierhalle for a wonderful dinner and listened and danced to the music of 2 German bands.

Thursday, March 12, 1992

I slept in as David proceeded to the show.  I drove in later with Mr. Boker.  This evening we attended a reception for all the U.S. exhibitors given by the U.S. Ambassador.  Very nice party.

Friday, March 13, 1992

David proceeded to the show and I took the ICE (fast) train in the midst of heavy snow to Hamburg, Germany (a very neat port city).  Another reception tonight with top officials in Germany at the City Hall.  As we leave the show for the City Hall on the tram the sun is shinning; we exit the tram downtown and are greeted by heavy wind and lots of heavy, blowing snow – so much that we could not see the building we were supposed to be going to.  But we made it and enjoyed good German food, live music, met more new people and had lots of fun.

Saturday, March 14, 1992

5:30AM train to Dusseldorf, Germany.  Erin was waiting there from her journey from the U.S.  Back to Hannover to the show and a big party at the Bierhalle for the American exibitors.

Night train to Hannover, Germany, leaving Paris at 9:35PM and arriving Hannover 8:40AM on Tuesday.  This time we have our Eurail passes from the U.S. for much easier traveling.  We quickly stashed our luggage into a train station locker and proceeded to set up the booth for the upcoming Cebit ’92 show.  The booth was sponsored in conjunction with the ITRC in Dallas and I was delighted to see Byron Cain there, allowing us to catch up on old times of our work days together.

In the evening (now Tuesday) we gathered our luggage and were driven to the home of Karlheinz and Erika Boker in Garbsen, a suburb of Hannover.  They were our guest host family, an older German couple who had traveled in the states; he spike some English and she spoke only German; lovely 3 story home; Karlheinz is a retired President of the Glassworkers Union in Hannover and still a member of parliament; Erika is the Vice Mayor of Garbsen.

Each morning we were treated to a German breakfast and lots of good company in the evenings.

Early to church and an early evening baby shower couple’s party of the Young Couples Group at the Church.  It was held at Marjo and Mark’s apartment and was lots of fun.

As we exited the metro station (close to the Eiffel Tower area), I said to David that the area really looked familiar.  He said he had never been to this side of Paris.  But it still looked as though I had been there before.  Well, I had.  When we walked by a familiar hotel, I realized it was where my Mom, Betty and I had stayed back in July 1989.

David’s kneww is much better.  He played golf with Ray in the morning, shot a 76.  Early afternoon we grilled fajitas, inviting Ray, Maura and Stephanie and Michael Watson.  They were great!  Not a single one left over.