Transcription of Document FFDoc-1243.pdf

Pat DeSimone - Pls add to your list Mrs. Ernest Richards, 58 Willow Lane, Nahant, Mass 01908

Tripoli Sunday March 1, 1970

Dear children, and all others,

On posting my last letter, I led you up to the landing on Friday 2/27 at Zurich, Switzerland. To my surprise, Zurich is not in the middle of mountainous terrain - that lies to the South and West. This is near the ski country, however, and the land is rather hilly, with snow (not near as much as Albany, NY) at this time. Following our expert IGE travelers like children learning a game, Willy and I arrived outside the air terminal in a few minutes (you have to pass through "passport control" and cash some money for swiss francs) to join Messrs Hilpman and Levada in a taxi ride into town. Our driver was a young lady, very agile, who jumped out quickly at our appearance and departure, to load our hand baggage and who pushed the throttle down hard till the little car zipped along at 120-120 kilometers/hour (75-80 mph). Zurich is a big town, and our purpose, it being around noon, was to find a restaurant that promised better food than the airport. A Swissair information employee had recommended a place called the "Feldschölssen," and that's where the taxi driver dropped us. We all hurried in and found the place was a beehive of activity - waiters, customers, waitresses, bus boys - on the ground floor. Mr Levada was looking for a quiet place, so we were tempted to leave. But on finding that the upstairs dining area was rather quieter (a matter of degree relative, not absolute) we stayed. I'm glad we did. For one thing we got to see a great many Swiss coming and going, and we were impressed with their liveliness, stylish dress, animated conversation, and lack of curiousity about us. For another, the restaurant was revealed as being owned by the Feldschlossen (Little Country Castle, literally) beer plant or brewery. Naturally, we had to try the beer. The first pilsener glassful was delicious and tasted like more. Then we observed you could choose your size, up to a 5 liter (about 5 quarts) container. Although Mr. Hilpman said this would just be enough to get him through lunch, we chose the ½ liter size, in a glass stein. We had two of those during lunch. For food, I had herring (again) as an appetizer, but it turned out to be sweetened with a sauce, and I was disappointed. For the entree I tried "Green Pepper Steak." This turned out to be a rather good piece of meat covered with gravy and green peppercorns. Black peppercorns (those hard round bits in salami) I have eaten many times, but not green ones. These are soft, and they added a zesty bite and tang to the steak when eaten with it. I would vote for that again sometime.

On leaving the restaurant we walked around the place (Zurich downtown) to get the savor of it, and I took a picture of the restaurant, for a memento (I hope it turns out OK, because today I discovered my automatic camera was malfunctioning.[)] We bused to the airport at plane time, very satisfied at having spent our layover time between planes in town and not at the airport. On schedule, 3:20PM, we took off via Swissair for Geneva and Tripoli. Geneva was a half-hour away and we had very little time on the ground, so didn't leave the airport. When we emplaned for Libya, I was surprised at the seeming large number of people headed for that destination. As my luck would have it, I was on the wrong side of the plane to get a good view of the Alps, and any pictures, as we flew southwest from Geneva. Later, when we passed over the Italian Alps it was too late - sun too low on horizon - to make good pictures. Perhaps on my return flight I may manage in better fashion.

It's a good thing we all had the small pleasures I've related to you on our trip to Libya. Because now that we're here there's very little of similar character to report. The mad bedlam at the airport customs and passport offices is left for verbal description. At 10 o'clock at night we finally loaded our bags onto a darkened bus, without driver, feeling our way in the dark. After a long wait the driver appeared and we drove in to Tripoli. The place is like an abandoned morgue at night, and when we stopped for the 2 or 3 traffic lights on the way I wondered why . We passed directly by the Barbary coast fort that is remembered by us in the U.S. Marine hymn - "... to the shores of Tripoli ...", and let out at the Uaddan (pronounced Wăh-dŏn) Hotel. After checking in we unpacked and then caucused till after midnight planning for our meeting on Saturday with the customer's engineers. We worked hard with these people all day Saturday, breaking only for lunch. But I don't think you want to hear about all those business details.

You will recall that there was a revolution here last Sept 1, and that has meant quite a change in appearances and in the way of life. For one thing, no English signs (except the ones posted by Al Fatah, the Arab guerilla organization at the airport) are permitted, and only Arabic is used for place names. Thus you don't know, literally, where you are - what street, what store, what restaurant - unless you read Arabic. I can read the numbers already (they're different from ours) but not the words. For another change, no alcoholic beverages are permitted, since this is contrary to Islamic law. Believe me, how that kills the night life in even the simplest of places, like the hotel restaurants. Then too (although I'm not sure the revolution had anything to do with it) you can't get bacon or ham or sausage with your breakfast eggs because this is also forbidden to the Islamic religion adherents. About other things, I shall not comment since that is the advice of our hosts.

Today, Sunday, we did not work. I went to 7:30 Mass at the Cathedral close by the hotel which was built during the Italian colonial administration. The whole service was identical to US procedure (ritual) but all in Italian. After breakfast we all four went to visit the Roman ruins at Leptis Magna, East of Tripoli. I took many pictures which will furnish a good narrative if they turn out OK. Tomorrow it's back to work! The other 3 men are scheduled to fly back to Europe Wed. or Thurs, but I shall be staying a while, under present plans. This will be enough till I write again.

Love to you all, Dad (Frank)