Salzburg
July 26, 1928
Dear Honey-dear:-
We do not leave for twenty minutes - bill all paid, luggage ready, lunch eaten. Put that to my credit - I do it right along over here! But it's just the allowance for the language - and once we needed that time! 'Twas on a station platform at Berlin (or somewhere!) and as far as we could judge the porter who was to meet us beyond the bars didn't do it. But an Amer. Exp. porter appeared by some pleasant miracle and got us to the right spot, which was miles away from where we had been sent by the porter, and at the very last moment the porter came up very much heated.
Well, Salzburg may be a little better that [sic] any other place! You surely ought to see Austria! You could spend two or three months here so happily. Just wait till you read my little book! By the way, I've sent all the post-cards, 7c, &c, from here because there was a convenient p.o. and the Austrians don't make you tie the string in loose bow knots like the Germans! They believe you when you say no writing. Some of the parcels are addressed to you, some to me. Open 'em all and look at all the cards and little guide books.
"Kreuzeckbahn (1652 m) Blick auf Garmisch - Partenkirchen u. Loisachtal
#183 Photo by H. Huber
"This is the car we rode up in and the view toward the plain -"
Alpspitze
#382
"This high one was nearest us"
Benediktinenkloster Nonnberg i. Salzburg
Nr. 2819 Türnitz, jetzt Mushaus genannt (1525)
Zistelalpe. Aussicht g. Gebirge
Gaisberg b. Salzburg 1286 m
Benediktinenkloster Nonnberg i. Salzburg
Nr. 2838 Aite Abteiinsignien (13.u.15.Jhrd.)
76. Blick vom Hupfleitenjoch ins Höllental
"This is the view from the Joch to which we walked. See the little pines in the foreground"
[Unclear to me if the following three items came with this letter, or whether they were stored in the envelope at a later date.]
K. Beuron #1044
Long passage in German on the reverse
Frauenschuh
Cypripedium Calceolus
"Tirol - Aug. 5 / Dear Mittie:- Lots of flowers in these regions. I get quite crazy over them. But we can't find the twin flower. Remember how excited I got over that in Phillips? I think it must be here somewhere, but of course it is out of season, and there are so many little vines. Yesterday we found five or six kinds of blue-bells, the prettiest a little hairy one! The "alpine roses" aren't roses at all, but tiny rhododendrons, a lovely bright shade of pin. - And the way the clouds come and go on the mountains is wonderful. Much love, and to Frank, too - Abby" [I believe Mittie is Abby's cousin, which might mean that Jessee added this card to the letter when returning it to Abby.]
Petite Rue Sous-Le-Cap, Quebec, Canada.
Addressed to Miss S. E. Smith" at Faculty House. Postmarked Aug 7, 1928 12pm in Montreal. Inscription: "Quebec is just as lovely and interesting as you pictured it to me when you were here. Three other girls and I are spending two weeks at Lake George and Canada and I am planning to visit Mrs. Cameron on the way back. Then soon to school! Dorothy E. Bell"
I grieved to let Vienna go, but there just is no time to read after you get by the place. When you come and stay, you can read the history of the part played by Salzberg along 900-1700 and appreciate the place! It has romance and tragedy as well as glory all over it. "Seven - eight - nine of the sisters died of hunger" - that's what the sister said today of the last war. The state will not let them sell their valuable things, and I think she did not resent it, but yet that was what it meant. 'Twas out at Nonnberg, the only nunnery which has kept going continuously all these years, on a wonderful rock, just down below the castle, their garden climbs the castle rock. She took us all about, and for the first time in my life I got some idea of the importance of these places. The Lady Abbess wears a crown hardly less glorious than the Bishop of St. Peter's - both are Benedictine. And those numberless dolls, they are each made by a sister not far from the time she takes the veil as a Bride of Christ and they may be made from her gorgeous bridal clothes, the last earthly ones she wears. For this convent formerly only the nobility were eligible, and the uncles and fathers of the novices gave them wedding garments - and I suspect they also gave much to the convent. Now there are 100 "choir" sisters who pray 6 hrs daily, and our guide teaches 30 hours a week, music, French and Latin, - but not "the mathematic" - or science! (The 100 "works" sisters have less education, can't read Latin, and pray less.) She could scarce reckon the price of our post-cards! They don't ever go out once they are in, except by papal permission - Sister Hildegardis had been to a hospital! The old part is architecturally most interesting, the "treasures" so varied, from this junk of tinsel dolls, to the gold and precious stones of the Abbess' crown and cross. There were blueberries drying in a dry (!) fountain under the Virgin's statue - we drank unhygienically [sic] from the well in the garden - oh, 'twas all a picture.
Another was of the Church of St. Peter, a baroque thing I went into because the guide would also go to the exquisite lit. the Gotic chapel of St. .Margaret in the middle of the Cemetery of St. Peter. But the brother first showed us a loaf of bread hanging by a chain - miraculously turned to stone! He seemed to believe it! The Holy Ruper's shrine is electrically equipped - the ever-burning lamp is a red bulb! So convenient. The treasures were stunning, the old bishops' mitres & garments and crosses, the reliquaries - all gold and seed pearls &c. The nuns of Nonnberg made many of the embroideries. And the old manuscripts - oh, Sister Hildegardis took down her ms. as if she knew them! - The monastery is rich in these things. There are Catacombs, too, in the rocks under the Castle where the early Christians lived - some came from Ireland! The cloisters at the monastery were exquisite - women allowed only around one edge. A monk sat reading in the garden - another in a room like a Fra Angelico cell! So many times we have felt as if we were in a play or a book, or even a movie set! The picturesque is surely everywhere in Salzburg - you must stay there long enough to do it justice as we couldn't.
One day we went out to Königsee - a most beautiful spot. Alice said 'twas more like Glacier Park than anything else. Wonderful color in the water, the deep-blue-green of the pictures even under a grey sky, and on the water fishing boats as queer in outline as gondolas, long, with an uplifted shallow prow, rowed from the back. Many nice little steamers. We went about halfway down to St. Bartholomew's; an old shrine. Now there's a restaurant where we ate under a tree. There was a little walk up in the woods, but the cliffs were too far off there to reach, particularly in a little rain. Then we walked along the shore, and found four kinds of orchids (!) and lots of other things. "Twas such a nice trip! We came down through a terrific shower, from Berchtesgaden (which we thought much over-rated) -
Another day we went to the top of the Gaisberg - about 4000 feet-up at mountain railway. A wonderful view of that part of the Tyrol, so many mountains, though not snow-clad, except in little bits. It was so easy to see history up there, the coming of armies through the gap, the wail of Russian prisoners in a concentration camp in the last war - It is right there. Flowers - yellow foxgloves on the way up, clumps of the low bluebells in the rocks. Oh, 'twas a great day, not really clear, but yet not raining on us. The next day it did rain, so Alice couldn't get to the Salzkammergut, a thing she wanted much to do. I was going to play around the town, which was feasible.
We missed the festival, the great event of the year, with Everyman given by a remarkable actor in the Dom Platz. The organ is the one Mozart played on, only I fear he'd not recognize it - it's been made over! The organist I hear twice, and once he played music, and the other time he just let her roar! Josef Messner, by name, finest in Austria.
You probably know the pictures of the castle - anyhow they're among the postcards - and it's omnipresent, the most ornamental thing you can imagine. The first night we ate up there - of course there's an open air restaurant! Funny little funicular to get you up - or stairs! We were shown around, but 'twas almost dark and we missed a few tricks. The view is marvellous - the edge of the mountains has advantages, also a lone ledge of a hill. It's more castle like than most any I ever saw - and it has a most extraordinary majolica stove! There are some red Untersberg marble pillars in the hall, twisted, very good, and all Gothic doors - Of course prisms and little slits and hidden passages galore. 'Twas the home of the Prince Bishops of Salzburg.
The Cathedral is baroque, but there's a queer old font, the Franciscan church is a gem, nave rather low and dark, but choir high and with such fine vaulting. I could easy get an architectural hobby! The contrast between these churches which still have their monuments unhurt and the despoiled English cathedrals impresses me all the time.
Most of this has been written in Munich. We came yesterday afternoon - and we go right on! It's beastly hot, and we couldn't get in the nice pension and are in a stuffy Hospiz. The one at Berlin was good but I guess it was the Grace Dodge of the Y.W's! 'This is poverty striken though the beds are fine. Mostly we have fared better. We'd not mind if it weren't hot, but it is and there are no public rooms, We need a garden now!
Well - we arrived at 4:10 or so yesterday, washed our faces, and started out to get located, when Alice saw a notice that the opera to which we had tickets began at 4 p.m. We both knew they began the Ring & Parsifal that early, but neither of us thought of their treating Meistersinger so! We got a taxi and went along at once, no evening garments! 'Twas at the Prinz Regenten Theater, miles away - the first performance of the Wagner festival. We may have been 3/4 of an hour late. We tried to keep our hats - we had no coats - to save time, but the official nearly shot us, so we meekly ran to the "Garderobe" and left 'em. Then upstairs the guards scarce whispered, but they passed us on from man to man till one shoved us through some heavy curtains into absolute blackness and heat - evidently a small, curtained space - we could see nothing but the brilliant stage in front! 'Twas well on in Act 1 - you know that is sort of stupid. We stood, with some dozen others and gradually saw merely a few folks in front. After a half hour or more the act ended, and we found ourselves in a cage [?], behind its rightful inhabitants. They stuff late folks in thus, it appears.
Well - then we hunted up a libretto - and the eats! There was a half hour pause and everybody ate. Fine buffet service - many little tables, a big garden, evening clothes and all sorts - a cosmopolitan gang! The rest of the opera was gorgeous - such a grand setting, perfect orchestra, huge chorus, very good principals - German opera at its best, I suppse. Hans Sachs was excellent! When I saw it in the U.S. once I wasn't at all impressed, but this was a different thing, and doubtless the effect was increased by the "singers" we've seen everywhere of late. Many are here now. Beckmesser was very much of a clown. Eva, a bit too old and buxom, but with a fine voice. But the great charm was the picture of the stage. After Act II, we ate again, only longer and more. And 'twas grand ice-cream, the first that was worth the name.
The last act was the most spectacular thing I've ever seen - so many folks, such a sense of space and proportion, and altogether so satisfying. Sachs deserved his crown! Then we couldn't get a taxi and had to get home on the cars, "Umsteigen" and all, and hardly knowing our address! But of course we arrived, though we're no longer in gracious Austria where the entire population is ready to help you. But wasn't it a joke? If ever we needed decent clothes 'twas then - instead dirty travelling clothes! Fortunately the Salzburg-Munich line is electric, and Munich has clearer air than Prague! And still more fortunately we met no friends! Our seats were excellent and really we had enough, even without a piece of Act 1, though we'd have liked to hear the fanfares and all that. But the Salzburg festival is the spectacular one - Max Rinehardt does it - lives there - they idolize him.
Today we've been to the Pinacothik and planned for the future - cutting out most of the time here. Prague, Vinna both hot - here worse! Though I must say it's cooler tonight. Anyhow this isn't as charming to us as either Dresden or Vienna - and we're crazy for the country. Two days at Oberammergau, two at Garmisch, two at Innsbruck, all through the Bayerische Reiseburo - which seems like the Bennett of these parts. We didn't know enough to get our own reservations. We're having a beastly time about Cortina reservations, in spite of beginning last April. Helen's place can't have us, but it took a paid reply telegram to learn this. Miss Randolph's place doesn't even answer such telegrams - we've sent 'em two! I'd like to know who gets the money - we lose it! This place didn't reply, but did reserve - so how do we know what's happening? But even so, no "parties" for me!
We like the Franenkirche here much, so much like beloved Lübeck, to our surprise. Do you remember it? One of the brick Hallenkirchen, and with a lot of old glass, and a painted altar piece instead of a baroque monstrosity.
But it's rather late - we rise early, to do a few things before the 2:20 start for Oberammergau. That looks to us perfectly lovely.
Good night, and lots of love -
Abby
My back is much better - not perfect - but my walking powers are vastly increased since Copenhagen. It needed practise!
Oberammergau, July 29
I do wonder what this place was like when you saw it! Let me tell you about today - I think it's different from your visit. We learned last night that the best time to go to church is 8:15 so we went - before breakfast, to mass. As we started a grand band came up the street, with a lively "drum major" in front. There were many groups of men behind, all carrying elegant banners, also a few women in peasant costume. These men! Their hats! There are so many kinds, the preferred perhaps a soft green velour, with two or three long feathers [sketched a feather] at the side and a considerable boquet [sic] of flowers also, alpine roses, edelweiss & others, real or artificial. Some have shaving brushes (or they look like 'em sort of sprayed out) at the sides, but not straight up the back as in Salzburg. Those knitted anklets around the calves are very popular, white or grey with green trimmings. The most elegant have also little green vines up the back.
At church the band played, and these groups all sat together. I think they got in a prayer for the war dead, and that the drummers did taps for them. This is the first day of the shooting festival, and these folks were local shooting or rifle clubs. When we came out of church it was pouring. They rolled the banners and carried them in rubber coats! The folks seem not to mind the rain - all the velour hats have been out all day.
This noon the shooting began, with another procession. We went out to the range and found a club-house with one huge room out of whose windows squads of men shot all the afternoon at the targets. The other room, opening very freely, had tables, as usual! There were young men & maidens, old men & women, and children! They ate at tables but nobody payed the slightest attention to us as we sat by the stove. 'Twas as local as sheep dog trials in the Lake Region. The band played, too, a full brass one, about 25 feet from us!
So we walked on, and presently the rain stopped. We went up a little slope, and picked mountain flowers - oh, very charming, it was. There were a few Alpine roses, though not many. But the view was lovely, you know what it is like. Altogether it's a sweet town, but not quite as idyllic as I expected, even though I'm sure we met Anton Lang tonight. There was a play last night - a parable - but we were too weary to go. Dresden, Prague, Vienna, Munich all h-o-t. We left Munich several days sooner than we planned - just to stay around up here longer. Tomorrow we go on to Partenkirchen & Garmisch for two days.
Yesterday in Munich I got a mountain picture I hope you'll like. 'Twas sent to you direct from Hanfstengel. Don't be alarmed by the length of the roll - I think the picture will go either over your mantle or over your couch. It's a colored print of a Compton picture and they seem to us the truest there are. These colors looked right to us, and I loved the reflection in the lake, just clear enough. If you don't like it, I'll do something else with it.
Went to the Basilica, to compare the architecture with the cathedral, a new church, the Basilica, very fine, in the real Roman style. Also to the Glyptothek, because I've been ashamed not to hunt up the Greek things. This seemed best to me in Roman things, but 'twas very interesting, a choice collection beautifully displayed.
Then I went out to the anatomical museum - good - and to the physiol. institute, which isn't large, nor yet small, a research institution, where Liebig (?) Voit & Pettenkofer worked. Imagine naming our streets after Benedict & Lusk - but Pettenkofer & Liebig have statues & streets and several more have streets! Pettenkofer street is next [to] Goethe & Schiller Streets. They seem to care more about their great men than we do.
But I must say good-night. One can sleep here. Munich was too hot.
July 30 Garmisch. We've had a fine day. This morning we walked out and up into the woods and up a trail on the Kobel, that steep one by the river. Maybe we went 500 feet up, I don't know. Not far, but a real trail. Saw several new flowers. It was a heavenly day after the rain of yesterday. That sweet little trichomanes fern is everywhere, in all the crevices. Then we came on after an early lunch by bus to Oberau, over a road that led around a considerable ravine, but I expect we'll see deeper ones! Next we took the train to Garmisch and got into a mess about overweight luggage! Nobody had said boo before and there wasn't a soul around who spoke English! We had no idea what they were driving at - didn't know the table our bags sat on was a scale pan, so to speak, oh, 'twas hectic for a while. Train came and almost went, all the little signals done [?], &c but we finally got the money paid and on board, and those little labels are going to be soaked off before we start again! Usually the folks stutter an English word or two and we know a few German words, but this was a new subject and we were unprepared!
Well - here we have a balcony facing the whole range of mountains - they're the highest German mountains, 8,000-9,000+. No snow peaks, but sheer rocks, and some snow patches. There has been the loveliest alpine glow tonight, seen right from our porch, and a moon rise over the mountain wall. The mountain formation is stunning. Tomorrow if it keeps clear we plan to go up one of those aerial things to a place where we can see the Zugspitze - we can't get it here, quite. I've never been on one of those aerials, but it doesn't take long! If the weather is like today the view will be wonderful.
You could come up here so easily, if only you came over to Vienna instead of California! It seems to me so much more interesting!
We got our hotel reservations in Oberammergau, Garmisch & Innsbruck through a Reiseburo in Munich, the Bayerishe one. It was too much bother to hunt little places for just a day or two for the crowded season. Good night - I'll write a bit tomorrow & send this one. See the Observer editorial.
July 31. We are back from one of the finest mountain days I ever had. It was a clear morning so we started for the "Kreunzeckbahn", the aerial railway. Alice had no particular liking for the mode of travel beforehand, but she most awfully wanted to get up there and 'twas the only way - and I've intended all along to try those things! This was about 1 1/2 miles with only two supports, the little car hung from a heavy cable about like my wrist in size, along which it runs by several little wheels, and pulled by a steel cable much smaller! There are 4 seats in the corners, the rest of the folks stand, maybe about 20 in all. And surprising to relate 'tis perfectly steady!
The views are wonderful. All the time above the tree tops or on their level, and for two long stretches much higher. It took 8 min. each way. The view right straight down on a tall spruce tree is something new! These spruces are splendid, with such a delightful fringe of little down-hanging branches on each big branch, and many bright brown cones. I'm only longing for more! If we had another day Alice would be ready for the Zugspitze itself, where the railroad (?) is much longer. That is the highest German mountain, 9,700 feet, and the aerial goes almost to the summit! I don't see how they ever build up so high. We saw the house through a glass from where we were, about 5,700. The view was marvellous, so many mountains and such handsome ones. Dreitorspitze, Alpsptize, and many, many lesser ones, beside the huge Zugspitze. The Alpspitze is like Antelao in shape, a fine pyramid.
We walked around the house and then out to Hupfleit-Joch, a fairly level path until near the end, with a gorgeous view and many, many flowers all the way - and at the end we suddenly looked down into a most precipitous valley with Zugspitze right across. It had even as late as this some ice and a small glacier left, and it surely was magnificent. The last noticeable tree here is Pinus montana with which the upper slopes are covered, before the last low green of rock herbage begins, and above that the sheer precipices. This pine I seem never to have seen, very dark green, short needles, two together, and little cones, lying nearly prostrate, perhaps shoulder high, though the trunk may be twisted around and a foot through. The color of the slopes is very dark. These go a long way above the spruces. Few larches and mountain ashes. The prostrate willows were there, and so many, many flowers. Alpine roses, of course, lovely and pink, and three kinds of blue bells, one the little pale blue crevice plant we saw on Gaisberg, another about 6-8 in. high with single flowers, 2-3 times as big and deep blue, very lovely. The third kind we saw little of, bigger with several flowers. A pale yellow monkshood, many I don't know! It was a wonderful walk. I guess it's going to do no harm to my back, for we have a godo long time to rest before going out to Eibsee for supper. 'Twas a clear, clear day with floating clouds to make racing shadows over the slopes and the plains where the towns lie, and I don't see how it could have been more wonderful.
My watch broke down - but the man who fixed it says it is a good watch! All for 5 marks. I hope he's right. This is the Copenhagen one. And I have an ivory chamois for my Xmas tree! I thought I'd buy one animal. Oh - I bought a yellow filter for my camera yesterday, so Iexpect today's pictures to be uncommon fine. The subjects were that anyhow! 'Twas a rare day -
Love to all the friends and to you - much - much -
Abby