Dec 19 - In the Air

Well tomorrow night just never came. The day went on and on and I put in what was for me the longest day. I arose at 8 am, packed and set out in a wet slushy snow for the airport of Luxembourg, about four miles out of town. I met two boys from Miami and while we waited for the baggage check to open we talked about our experiences in Europe. [I flew on the new discount airline Air Bahama, which operated DC-8s between Luxembourg, Shannon, Iceland, and Nassau. ] After a long wait, the airplane took off at 1 pm. An American girl from Miami studying in Switzerland sat with me on the return trip. We read each other's diaries, and so I got to know a good deal about her. We had a 45 minute refueling stop at Shannon, Ireland, then we were off from Europe. It's a strange but old country, the USA. We arrived after a 12 hour uneventful flight into Nassau at 6:30 pm local. I was late for my connection but got on another one at 8:30. Got through customs okay and were soon off to America on Pan Am. I arrived in Miami too late to catch my plane, so spent five hours at Miami International airport trying to sleep, but it was impossible.

Got away to Atlanta at 4 am, only to find no room on the flight I had planned to take. After a boring three hour wait in Atlanta, I got on a Los Angeles-bound Delta flight to New Orleans and Dallas. Had a 20 minute stop in New Orleans at 8 am, on to Dallas arriving at 10:30 am. My Aunt Margaret Cavnar picked me up at 11:30. Went home. My cousins Nick and Dick arrived and we had a real American hot dog lunch. Still not a "Z" of sleep since waking in Luxembourg. Got reservations on a Frontier flight to Lawton for tomorrow. Visited with my Scoutmaster Lon Sailers, the one who led us all to Sweden in August. Picked up Jim at midnight at Love Field and got to bed at 1 am.

Carolyn Emerson
1551 Salvatierra Dr
Coral Gables, FL 33134

Chateau Brillantmont
16 Av Secretan
1005 Lausanne
Vaud, Switzerland

Dec 18 - Luxembourg

Awoke at 8 am. Roamed Luxembourg until 2 pm, and went to see the move "The Killer Likes Candy" for 40 cents. Then I picked up the receipt for my suitcases at the Boy Scout Office, got the suitcases at customs, and started to repack in front of the luggage lockers in the station. As I started throwing things out I couldn't take, the bums started closing in on me to take what I didn't want. I retreated to my hotel room, carrying my luggage up four flights of stairs. Repacked and eliminated many things. I took the suitcase to weigh it. It came in at 16 kg and the bike weighs 16 km, so I may be a few kgs over the limit. Packed about six kg of books and paper into the flightbag, which I hope won't be weighed. Tonight is the last in Europe. Tomorrow night I'll be in Dallas.

Hotel $2.40
Movie .40
Snacks .50

Dec 17 - Luxembourg

Slept late again. Breakfast and went to Attillio's to have my clothes washed and read his [Boy Scout Magazine] Boy's Life which I hadn't seen. Had lunch with six of the family members. Went to the Scout hut with Marc's brother, Attillio's brother and a friend, all age 13, then to a bar for a beer and some billiards. Marc joined us later. I played him, then we returned home.

I realized that I should be in Luxembourg tonight, so I hastily packed, ate, said goodbye to all, and was driven to Hasselt by Marc and his Dad, Gustaaf and friend. They saw me off at 6:28 pm. The ensuing two changes of train, in Leuven and Brussels were ones to remember. Arrived In Luxembourg at 11 am, with a heavy snow falling. Checked into a real nice $2.40 hotel room across from the Gare [train station].

Train $8.00
Hotel $2.40