84 Days Through Europe in a VW Bus Summer 1960

By Tom Blake

A true story about five guys from the Midwest, ages 20 & 21, who traveled and lived in a VW bus through Europe in the summer of 1960, visiting 15 countries, prior to their senior years in college. They drank a lot of beer, and met a lot of "girls." There is history discribed, primarily in cities like London, Paris, Stockholm, Brussels, Copehagen and Rome. They visited Yugoslavia when it was a communist country and were stopped in the middle of the night by the police on a dark country road. The trip lasted 84 days, ending with 17 days at the Rome Olympics. They were able to secure airplane tickets on the Olympic team charter flight back to the USA. Cassius Clay was on the flight. The book is based mainly on a daily diary that Tom Blake, the author, posted to. Also, the love letters home from one of the guys to his girlfriend in Indiana, who later became his wife. And the memories, several years later, of another of the men. Three are still living; two have passed away. A fun, gutsy, read about a fun, gutsy trip. And they made it on about $5 a day, using the book, "Europe on Five Dollars a Day" as their guidebook.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tom Blake
• Release date: May 22, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463684504

Tom Blake

Tom Blake is an author and syndicated column in Southern California. He has written more than 4,379 columns and email newsletters on finding love after 50. Tom's website, www.findingloveafter50.com, has articles and videos. Tom is a columnist for the Dana Point Times, San Clemente Times, and The Capistrano Dispatch in Orange County, California. He is the author of five printed books and several ebooks (on Smashwords.com and Amazon.com) John Gray, PhD, author of "Men Are From Mars. Women Are From Venus," says Tom is an expert on dating after 50. Tom has appeared on the Today Show and Good Morning America. Each Friday, he emails the complimentary "On Life and Love After 50" Newsletter to several thousand subscribers across the USA, Canada, and other foreign countries. Sign up at www.findingloveafter50.com, or email Tom at [e-mail]

Book preview

84 Days Through Europe

in a VW Bus

Summer 1960

By Tom Blake

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2020 Tom Blake

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard word of the author.

Published by

Tom Blake Publishing, Dana Point, CA. 92629

84 Days Through Europe

in a VW Bus

Summer 1960

Table of Contents

Prologue

The Five Travelers

Itinerary

The Netherlands

Brussels to Hannover

Scandinavia

Scotland and England

London

Paris

Germany and Switzerland

Austria and Yugoslavia

Venice and Florence

Rome Olympics 17 Days

The Years that Followed

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Connect with Tom Blake

Connect with Rick Lenz

Connect with Mike Natelson

Tom Blake Printed Books

Websites

Prologue

This book is a true story about five guys, ages 20 & 21, who traveled and lived in a VW bus through Europe in the summer of 1960, visiting 15 countries, prior to their senior year in college. The trip lasted 84 days, ending with 16 days at the Rome Olympics. I, Tom Blake, was one of the five guys.

I'll be the main narrator of the book, but not the only narrator. The other guys had valuable inputs and contributions about what happened 60 years ago on our trip. To minimize reader confusion about which one of us is speaking, when somebody else is making a point, I will mention that person’s name.

For example, Mike contributed lots of memories and he is often quoted. And Dave wrote letters home to his then girlfriend, Carol, who later became his wife. Carol shared copies of those letters, and many things Dave wrote are quoted in the book as well.

Hillar and Rick made some comments which are also included.

Again, I will alert the reader when--someone other than I, Tom--is speaking.

The Five Travelers (listed alphabetically)

Tom Blake, 20, Jackson, Michigan, DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana

Tom Blake in 1958

I was able to go on this 84-day journey for only one reason. At the start of my junior year at DePauw, my parents, Bill and Fran, in trying to get me thinking about my career and life after college, told me that I would receive a one-time gift of $800 in seed money. How I spent it would be my choice. I’m certain they did not think I would ask them if I could spend it before my senior year even began at DePauw.

However, when Hillar told Mike and me about this once-in-lifetime opportunity, something hit me. I thought, Oh my gosh. This is an opportunity to see and learn about Europe. I want to go for it.

Dad and mom reluctantly agreed to let me go. However, I had to stay within that amount of money, so, you bet I watched what I spent. Some readers might think—as they read this book—that there was too much preoccupation with money by the five guys. But there had to be. I was on a very tight budget, and Dave Emens was as well. None of the five of us were throwing money around. Being careful is how we made it through (give or take a few bucks).

At DePauw, I was on the varsity cross country, swimming, and track teams. I naively believed that on this 84-day trip, I would train nearly every day, for the upcoming cross-country season. I trained alright, particularly strengthening my right arm, by raising so many beer glasses.

2. Dave Emens, 20, Muncie, Indiana, DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana

Dave Emens in 1958

I can’t say how much money Dave had available to spend on this trip. But it wasn’t a lot. I have never known anyone in my life who was so good at keeping track of his nickels and dimes. He had a great mind for numbers.

At DePauw, when the fraternity brothers played bridge in the Beta Theta Pi fraternity house, I thought he had a huge advantage. He could count the cards played, and, he knew exactly what cards were remaining. The same for poker. On this trip, we often played poker in the VW bus, and Dave would almost always win.

Dave came from a family of educators. His father John R. Emens, was president of Ball State University in Muncie from 1945-1968. Dr. Emens, and his wife Aline, were friends of mine, just incredible people.

As you read this book, I think you will be amazed at how Dave managed his money, and, watched the money he spent on this trip. Some of his comments are hilarious.

Not only were Dave and I fraternity brothers, but we were both on the varsity Cross Country and Track teams together.

Dave passed away in 1994. Luckily, we have copies of the letters he wrote to his girlfriend Carol, while on the trip. His letters add color and show what a 20-year-old was thinking during our 84-day journey.

3. Hillar Falk, 21, Jackson, Michigan, Michigan State University, East Lansing

Hillar Falk in 1960

Mike knew Hillar better than I knew Hillar. So this is Mike speaking about Hillar's background:

Mike said, I am unsure how Hillar financed this trip, but I have a pretty good idea. I’m assuming it was from his dad, a doctor living in Guam, who purchased the bus in the first place. And since Dr. Falk asked Hillar to spend time in Europe putting miles on the car so that the car would be consider used,--when shipped back to the States at the end of our trip--which would reduce import duties--I assumed Hillar’s trip was financed by his father.. Hillar didn’t seem to worry about his finances, anywhere as much as Dave, Tom and I did about ours.

It's important to discuss Hillar's background because it comes into play often in the book.

Kay Falk, Hillar's wife, and now widow, shed light on Hillar's background: "Hillar’s family moved to Guam from Latvia, where he was born. Hillar’s dad was a surgeon for the Navy. He was not in the Navy, just worked for them. They had to flee Latvia because the Russians occupied Latvia and took over the Falks’ properties.

"Hillar and his family were in concentration camps; Hillar said they were better camps than where most refugees were interned because his dad, being a doctor, was assigned there as those camps desperately needed doctors. Hillar spoke of how often they had no food and how they would have to flee the camps at night. So scary for a little boy. He had nightmares until he died in 2013 about things that happened.

"They settled in Guam, probably in 1944 or 1945. They were only in Guam a couple of years and moved to Jackson in about 1950. His dad remained in Guam until he retired.

"The reason a lot of Latvians moved to Michigan was the weather is similar in Michigan to Latvia. His dad made his mother take Hillar and Ily, Hillar’s sister, to Michigan for a better education.

"Hillar said there would be 20-year-olds in the 6th grade in Guam so his dad sent them to Michigan for that better education and to be with other Latvians who had gone there ahead of him. His dad remained in Guam because of his career, and that ended in divorce.

"In 1992, Hillar was able to reclaim for the family their properties in Latvia. They sold all properties but one. Hillar oversaw the renovations of that building and it’s now on the National Historical Registry. I traveled with him several times to Latvia. The building is beautiful; he sold it in 2008.

Your 1960 summer trip, however, was the highlight of his life. He talked about it so much. As I said, Hillar passed away in 2013.

Another two paragraphs regarding Hillar’s background was provided by a high school friend of the four Jackson High School guys on