TRIP TO FRANCE AND SWITZERLAND February 2, 2004 While still on board the ship, there is a ship's photograph of my father and six other men in their tuxedoes, wearing funny party hats, sitting together at three tables all of whom looked bored. However, my father is confusing me with the chronological order of the memorabilia in his two scrapbooks. I was about to report of their arrival in the port of La Havre on November 25, when I remembered seeing other things in the second scrapbook. So trying to pick up the thread of what was going on aboard the Ile de France, I'll start off first with the two business cards enclosed in it. One was from Marcel Chapuis, Inginieur Civil des Mines, EMP, Ingersoll Rand, Paris. The other one was from Marcel Villers, Inginieur Civil des Mines, A. I. Lg., Ingersoll Rand, Brucelles (Belgium?). Below those two business cards was a post card of the glorious dining room aboard the ship. When I turned it over, I was speechless! He had addressed it to "Miss Vee Housman, 133-81st St., Niagara Falls, New York, U.S.A. His message to me was "Vee: This is the room where we eat while on the ship. Your Dad." As soon as I read his message I burst into tears. I really don't remember him ever sending that to me but I guess he thought enough of the post card to put it in his scrapbook after he had returned home. Nonetheless, I'm certain that I had been thrilled at the time I received it. Who knows but what I had taken it to school and showed it to everyone in my second grade class. During that time frame Daddy wrote another letter to Mother on November 23, 1938. It says: Dear Verna, I'm still on my feet and have not missed a meal. This is the 4th day out. Monday we were in the Gulf Stream and the temperature was 76 degrees. Tuesday we left the stream and the temp dropped and the boat began to roll very badly. In the evening while watching the show [movie], "The Marx Bros. in Room Service," a heavy sea struck us and all of the chairs slid to one side of the ship and we all piled up. At dinner they had the dishes anchored down so they could not slide off the table. It is still so rough that pen and ink is out of the question. They push the clocks ahead five minutes every two hours so that on an eastbound trip each day has 23 hours only. There will be five hours difference by the time we hit Plymouth [England]. Discovered the pink ribbon last evening. It is still unsoiled but that may be taken care of later. [Oh giggle, giggle! What in the world could he have been referring to? Did Mother slip a pink ribbon into his luggage and did the ribbon have some sort of very personal meaning between the two of them???] Monday we were with a very mixed group. Earl and I (American), a Frenchman, a Belgique, a Brazilian and an English girl. The language used was mostly English but every now and then they would shoot a question in French. The English girl has been confined to her room since then. She claims a sore throat, but I suspect it is plain seasickness. Earl was saying that he is going to cable his wife when we sail for home and have her meet him in New York at the company's expense. So I don't see why you and the kids can't hop on the train and come to N.Y. to meet me. I will cable you when we will be there. You will probably stay at the Roosevelt Hotel. Keep the company paying for the trip quiet. That will be just before Christmas or perhaps as it now looks, we will arrive Christmas Day. The food so far has been excellent but impossible to describe. We pick out an impossible sounding dish to try it. The other evening Earl picked one out that I translated as Stuffed Pigs Feet. He razzed my translation, but that is what they brought him! We shoot clay pigeons every morning from the sun deck. Yesterday and today our scores were terrible due to the roll of the ship. We get into le Havre at six o'clock Friday evening and will be in Paris at Midnight. Will try to write you another letter before we land but don't count on it. Will at least send you and the kids cards from Paris. Charly