Working in Freiburg, Germany
Hitchhiking Through Europe
1972
Bob and Jenny

[Click here for Other Adventures]

After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, in December, 1971 and working a few months to save money, Bob flew to England, hitchhiked through Scotland, then went to Germany, settling and working as a laborer in Freiburg in order to save more money.

In the fall of 1972 Jenny came to Germany and she and Bob then hitchhiked (plus one Hungarian train ride and ferry rides in the Aegean) through Europe, going as far south as Greece and islands in the Mediterranean, then hitching back up through Italy and to Bern, Switzerland before returning to the United States.

This account is based on letters Bob mailed to his Grandmother which were obtained, saved and passed on to Bob by his sister Meg. In addition, Jenny (now Jennifer), has contributed memories, editing, and other content.

Bob's letters are attached. The map below, based on those letters, depicts the probable, approximate route Jenny and Bob traveled through Europe (this is a 1972 map). Below the map is a current picture of Alemannenstrasse 78, Freiburg, Germany, the address where Bob lived while in Freiburg.

First letter

This first letter, written on June 10, 1972, provides a description of Freiburg and also includes a description of what it was like working as a laborer in Freiburg:

• Laborers who work hard and fast are told by other workers to slow down;
• If the boss stops by, as he occasionally does, everyone must look busy;
• If the foreman tells you to do something, you do it (a new guy did not and was immediately fired);
• One guy sabotaged some equipment in order to get a break while it was being fixed;

Second letter

This second letter, probably written on August 16, 1972 based on an envelope postmark and the order of the letter, includes:

• Bob took a two week vacation from working to hitchhike to Zurick with a woman he knew from Berkeley;
• They, along with a couple of guys, hiked in the Alps - see the pictures below. [Bob cannot remember the names of any of the people]

Third letter

This third letter, probably written on September 14, 1972 based on an envelope postmark and the order of the letter, includes:

• Bob will soon meet Jenny who is currently in France [updated in 2024] and they will hitchhike down to Greece;
• Bob has a new job, still "pick and shovel". Bob notes how strong he is from all the labor [and has always felt the photo above of him sitting and showing his biceps demonstrates this]
• A fellow worker from England offered to help get Bob a job as a math teacher at an English school for the first three months of 1973.

Fourth letter

This is the last letter written from Europe (and mentions a previous letter written from Vienna which Bob no longer has). The letter begins to be written while Jenny and Bob are on a ferry going to a Greek island and is eventually mailed from Bern, Switzerland.

• Jenny and Bob visit Vienna, Budapest, Subotica (Yugoslavia), Athens, Aegean islands (Mykonos [Mikonos], Kolumnos [Kalimnos], and Rhodes), Corfu (Greece), with plans to visit Crete, Naples, Rome, Florence, Venice, and Bern;
• In Budapest had "scrumptious pastries", the "best meal of trip" for $1.10, and for 15¢ went to a movie;
• In Subotica a student let us stay in his family's home, took us to a University lecture (which he translated for us), a play, and a party;
• While hitch hiking in Yugoslavia at one point kids got up on a roof behind us and pitched pebbles at us;
• Unpleasant weather in Yugoslavia turns to beautiful weather at border with Greece and stays beautiful all the way to Athens;
• We change plans, decide not to stay and work in Athens, but instead visit Aegean islands, hitch hike up through Italy and Switzerland and head home.

Letters Before Leaving For Europe

In the months prior to leaving for Europe, Bob wrote letters to his sister Meg, which occasionally mentioned the trip to come. Most of the content of these letters had nothing to do with the trip and hence the letters are not included here. However, here are comments from three of the letters.

• "Just wrote away to get an International Student I.D. Since I lost my fall registration card and all they required was a photo copy, I took Jenny's card, covered her name with a strip of paper and typed in my own. Tricky, huh? Want to bet on whether it will work?" [It did work]

• "A dilemma. I'll soon have enough money to move to Europe which should be a blast. Also, I have a chance to stay in the U.S. and work for a space exploration company (JPL) which is the only job I'm completely & totally enthused about. One precludes the other. Which should I do? Actually, the job prospect is really slim, but if I go after it & get accepted I'll be obligated." [Bob did not get a JPL job offer]

• "I just applied for a passport! I'll probably be leaving within 3 months after I graduate." [So would probably have left in April, 1972]