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Post by connie on May 30, 2011 9:32:34 GMT -5
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Post by floydragsdale on May 31, 2011 19:14:50 GMT -5
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I don't know, Connie. Just about everyone went to Paris.
However this one, though, is hard to believe. Read on.
Early December 1945 I had a seven day leave to Switzerland. Here's what the total sum of $35.00 for seven days in Switzerland bought.
1 - Train fare, for 7 days,
2 - Hotel Rooms for seven nights
3 - All Meals
Some of the cities were, Basel, Zurich, Lucerne, Lucarno, Lagono. The others I do not remember. One place was on the Swiss/Italian border.
One day our excursion went through St. Gottards Tunnel which is a fifteen mile long ride that entered the base of a mountain and came out near the summit. What a wonderful seven days of sight seeing that I had.
Transportation from Marburg, on the Lahn River, Germany, where I was stationed, was by rail all the way to Muhlhouse, Germany on the Swiss/German Border. That trip was a warm comfortable ride. Everyone had to go through customs in Basel, Switzerland. By the time I got through there, cold air and all, I had to find the boys room.
A lady attendant was directing traffic. Boys to the left and ladies to the right she indicated. My call from mother nature was urgent, so my attention was directed to my destination and nothing else. Thus, I neglected to "pay" for the privilege to get in and use the facilities.
While being relieved from a full bladder, I was tapped on the shoulder by another lady attendant, who had her hand out wanting money.
Had I been wearing false teeth then, I probably would have spit them out. With one unoccupied hand in my pocket I came up with a penny and paid the admission fee.
I left there with a sigh of relief and a barn-red face realizing that some practices in Europe are not as private as they were back in the States.
In spite of the learning experiences, I had a wonderful time touring the tiny Country of Switzerland.
Last, but not least, the Swiss government allowed American G.I's to spend a total $35.00 for Swiss souvenirs.
Floyd
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Post by connie on Jun 1, 2011 9:37:51 GMT -5
Floyd,
I was telling my husband at breakfast of your $35 PER WEEK expenses in Switzerland. Of course this propelled him to the computer. Certainly there must be a site that gives inflationary value... He found it. That $35 in 1945 was worth $431 in today's inflated prices. Still you would be hard pressed to spend a week in Switzerland today for that!
I didn't realize that the restroom attendants collecting fees went as far back as that. Funny story!
Connie
P.S. For those just beginning to learn about the 106th, I should mention that Floyd's post-war time in Europe extended beyond the division's return to the states and its deactivation.
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Post by floydragsdale on Jun 1, 2011 19:43:23 GMT -5
Hello Connie:
Tell Fritz that a few cartons of American Cigarettes more than paid for the whole trip to Switzerland.
Here's another story about rest rooms in Europe.
A G.I. in Germany, months after the war, was looking for the restroom facilities in a train station.
He saw the signs that read "Damen and Herrin. After studying them for a few minutes he decided that Damen was Da Men and Herrin was Hers.
It only took a few minutes for him to find out that his knowledge of the German language wasn't the best in the West.
Enough for today.
Floyd
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