Ruth’s Diary

August 1, Tuesday, Kempten to Lindau ( 60 kilometers) Our night in Kempten wasn’t so pleasant. On our return from window shopping in the city we found that bus loads of Hitler Jugend had arrived. Consequently we being Auslanders were moved elsewhere which was a farm down the road. We slept on a bare room on mattresses on the floor. Our window overlooked a manure pile. I tried to filter out some good smelling air by sleeping with my sheet over my face. We took it off there were 3 German girls slept at our feet & began the day about 5 A.M. giggling & chattering – while German boys kept up a constant tapping on the window between our room & theirs. Thus we were all in gay spirits at the start. Our breakfast was really good – the brotchen tasted better than any we had plenty of jam & butter, & a huge cup of cocoa. That brightened us a little. Before we set out we taped our bikes a little as it had rained hard in the evening & there were no places to keep them protected. However, we didn’t wipe them too much as we think it will be easier getting them over the border. We got a little earlier start than usual – 8:30 a.m. The first part of the trip was a gradual climb, but a long one, but once that was over it was practically down hill all the way. There were some difficult pushes, but the long coasts made up for it. Harold rode with me again today – helping out by making me laugh just when I felt as if I didn’t have another puff in me. I passed a couple of German boys singing “Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag” & Florence rode & talked for a while with a boy from Czechoslovakia. He had belonged to the Hitler N.A. organiz. although secretly for a couple of years before the Ausshluss. He said that Hitler gave the Czechs much freedom. He also apparently brot (sic) out again the same thing that I had heard before – that everything is done for the youth & little for the older. Practically everyone here has a uniform of one sort or another. We were supposed to stop somewhere for lunch – but we were so near to Lindau that we came on to the hostel. They couldn’t feed us, so Helen, Dot, & I went shopping & bot bread, ham, mustard, apricot jam, plums, peaches, & 2 kinds of pastry for 5/20. After a few minutes relaxation – we all washed & went out to find the town. We walked through a beautiful park with flower borders & came down by the lake. It was really beautiful with the mountains in the background & little sailboats & ferries. We also heard a very good concert outside of the hotel. It really was thrilling to think that you were walking beside Lake Constance (Boden See?). We had some kind of a vegetable stew for dinner at the hostel. Helen & I bought a currant pie which looked good, but tasted as if it had soap in it. Then I bot milk – 22 pt, a liter – we got 6 1/2 liters & for once we filled the boys. After supper there was the usual routine – writing & to bed. It was grand having a quiet bedroom for once in Germany.