Ruth’s Diary

August 5, 1939, Zurich to Luzern (50 kilos) It was raining hard when I left Zurich. I left earlier than the others as I had gotten up early to fix a flat tire. It rained practically the whole ride, but it wasn’t too bad as it wasn’t a long trip. I waited outside of (Cham?) for the others & rode on with Harold – another hostel on a hillside. As we couldn’t get into the hostel until 6, Harold & I went to buy lunch. After lunch the rain let up a little so Dot & I went down town. We window shopped & bot a few little things. Then as it was pouring again we went back to the hostel. We cooked our own supper & it certainly tasted good – stewed tomatoes, canned peas, boiled potatoes, & frankforters. The hostel was filled that night with quite a mixed group, a Scotch man in kiltis, 2 English girls, German & French Swiss, & a group of Americans. 3 the 2 brothers who had been at Zurich & were going to take a quick trip to Lake Como in Italy, another young Am. fellow, 3 from Marian’s group who had come on ahead because one had a bad hand, & then the 11 of us. Four of us played contract in between an exchange of experiences. This young Am. boy had relatives in Germany & had found them very reluctant to talk. They were not strongly opposed to the Jewish persecutions because they felt them responsible for Germany’s troubles after the war in the period of inflation. From his talks with Germans he had received the same impression that I had that they felt war was coming – coming soon, probably when the crops were in. Helen, also, had picked up in a conversation with a German, I think, another interesting angle – This one felt there would be a revolution in Germany before there would be a war. To bed at 10- our first real beds with springs – or rather couches with springs on the floor.