Travel Tuesday: Mom's 1953 Europe Road Trip - Into Germany

From Mom's Europe trip diary, in the "PLACES VISITED" section:

September 2, Wednesday – Road between Zwolle [Netherlands] and Steinburg, Germany

Left the Netherlands around 12 noo after using up all my guilders buying candy.  Dutch customs o.k. but I did not like German customs, especially when I went in to see about car.  Joye got sick at German customs, but we drove on to Bremen and then Hamburg.  In both cities we saw a lot of the war damage from 1944 and 1945.  Left Hamburg going north, had difficulty finding a place to stay--finally found one in town* called Steinburg where we all went to sleep around 8:30.

* According to the "HOTELS STOPPED AT" section of the trip diary, my mother spent this night at the Hotel Zur Steinburg in Steinburg, Germany.

Here's a map of her travels over the last few days, from Belgium through the Netherlands into Germany:

This is the 26th in a series of posts transcribing entries in my mother's 1953 Europe Trip journal.

© Amanda Pape - 2014 - click here to e-mail me.

Matrilineal Monday: Mom's 1953 Europe Road Trip - the Netherlands, continued

From Mom's Europe trip diary, in the "PLACES VISITED" section:

September 1, Tuesday – Road between Amsterdam and Zwolle, Netherlands

After breakfast drove to Alkmaar where cheese market is.  However, people only bring their cheese to market on Friday.  Drove up to dike which made Holland much richer.  Drove across it and then south along the area that has been reclaimed since dike was built.  A masterpiece of hand work in that dike.  Drove to Zwolle where we are spending night.  Joye and I are sharing a room that has a shower and balcony.  Got all my chores done and had a very nice rest.

* According to the "HOTELS STOPPED AT" section of the trip diary, my mother spent this night at the Grand Hotel Wientjes in Zwolle, the Netherlands.

Gerrie and Joye picnicking along road in Holland

Hotel Wientjes [9 October 2004] / LennartBolks / released to public domain

This is the 25th in a series of posts transcribing entries in my mother's 1953 Europe Trip journal.


© Amanda Pape - 2014 - click here to e-mail me.

Mom's 1953 Europe Road Trip: The Netherlands

From Mom's Europe trip diary, in the "PLACES VISITED" section:

August 31, Monday – Road between Rotterdam and Amsterdam [the Netherlands] 

Drove around to see ruins and building being done.  Started on way to Amsterdam, arriving there at 12 noon.  Had difficulty finding hotel--streets narrow, some one way, cyclists driving one crazy.  Ate lunch (duck with mushrooms) at Victoria* where we are staying.  After lunch checked American Express then went on water tour of Amsterdam.  Very interesting sights were seen.  Even had to get up & go to front of boat under a bridge since water level was so high there.  Went out for dinner and then came back & went to bed.

* According to the "HOTELS STOPPED AT" section of the trip diary, my mother and her friends spent this night at the Victoria Hotel in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.


The next two photos show scenes Mom and her friends might have seen on their water tour of Amsterdam, as these photos were taken in 1953:

Nederlands: Aalsmeerderveerhuis: Sloterkade 21 en 22 [1953]  / Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed [Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands] / CC-BY-SA-3.0-nl

Voorgevels [Façades] - Amsterdam [1953] / Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed
[Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands], Gerard (G.  J.) Dukker / CC-BY-SA-3.0-nl

Here is the Victoria Hotel, where Mom and her friends stayed.  The photo was taken in July 1979, but the hotel, built in 1890, is still there today.

[Victoria Hotel,] Overzicht [Overview] - Amsterdam [July 1979] / Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed
[Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands] / CC-BY-SA-3.0-nl

Looks like bicycles are still an issue in Amsterdam.  This photo was taken near the entrance to the Victoria Hotel in 2009:

Amsterdam Zentrum [Center] [2009] / Sterilgutassistentin / CC-BY-SA-3.0

This is the 24th in a series of posts about my mother's 1953 Europe Trip.

© Amanda Pape - 2014 - click here to e-mail me.

Mom's 1953 Europe Road Trip: Begonia Festival

From Mom's Europe trip diary, in the "PLACES VISITED" section:

August 30, Sunday – Road between Bruges [Belgium] and Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Went to Mass at Bruges Cathedral--couldn't understand sermon--knelt in cane bottom chair.  Drove to Ghent & Antwerp where we lunched.  On other side of Antwerp went through customs (immigration).  Drove into Rotterdam and found place to stay with a private bath.*  Hallelujah!  Joye and I walked around and saw the ruins of the flood (very bad), had sandwiches at a tea room and came back to hotel to hang out a terrific washing.  Talked to an English woman in tea room and found that English don't like food either.  Saw Begonia Festival in Lochristi [Belgium] today - very beautiful.

* According to the "HOTELS STOPPED AT" section of the trip diary, my mother and her friends spent this night at the Atlanta Hotel in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Above left: [Stained glass window in] St. Salvators [Bruges Cathedral, 18 September 2012] / Steve Collis / CC-BY-2.0

Above right: Hotel Atlanta Rotterdam [circa 1935] / Public domain 

The Begonia Festival began in 1946 as a way for local begonia growers to make use of the flowers (they are raising the flowers to sell the tubers to gardeners).
The photos above and to the left were taken by my mother.

The flood my mother refers to was the North Sea flood of January 31 - February 1, 1953, which was most devastating to the Netherlands, with 1,836 deaths and extensive property damage.


This is the 23rd in a series of posts about my mother's 1953 Europe Trip.


© Amanda Pape - 2014 - click here to e-mail me.