1936 On the Continent

thought that his own country offered him so much worth seeing that he did not desire, in order to find relaxation and enlightenment, to undertake the long journey to the Continent. Also, being only able to speak English, which up to that time had completely sufficed him, he considered a journey abroad somewhat too adventurous. Adventures were not compatible with Mr. Marland’s quiet career.
    This attitude to life was changed, as he himself told me, when he retired from business. He then became restless and felt that he had missed a great deal through not learning to know other countries and people.
Mr. Marland decides to travel
    His friends returned from the Continent with a changed attitude to world events. The newspapers recommended most attractive and cheap journeys to the Continent; his son, who with his bicycle had travelled over half Europe, was now almost contemptuous of his complete lack of foreign experience. Then, when his wife wished to visitrelations in Scotland and hinted broadly how pleasant it would be to shut up the house altogether for four weeks, Mr. Marland’s secret plan ripened to a decision. He set off to the Continent for four weeks, to visit Germany, which country had, for a long time, interested him more than any other, and now appeared more interesting than ever on account of political changes.
    As travel abroad already seemed to him somewhat new and out of the ordinary, he decided to do one or two other things as well which he had never before thought of. So, for instance, he kept a diary about his travelling experiences, in spite of the fact that for four decades he had written nothing but business letters. He also decided not to mix only with those of his own class, but to miss no opportunity of getting to know the real life of the people in Germany, as he had never been able to do in England. When I met the returned and happy Mr. Marland and heard of the journeys he had accomplished, I asked him to let me have his travel diary. He thereupon, in his charming and obliging way, arranged for me to have his manuscript, only stipulating that I should leave out anything personal.
    I believe the following revised and somewhat abbreviated version of Mr. Marland’s diary may prove extraordinarily useful to others on their travels. Mr. Marland has the ripeness and sober deliberation of a clear-thinking business man, and also the unbiassed receptiveness of a man who travels abroad for the first time. And now we will leave him to do the talking, with one remark only—Mr. Marland’s travel notes make no claim in any way to completeness. He refers only to what he himself saw, leaves out everything which was not seen by him personally and takes it for granted that everyone like himself goes on his travels provided with good guides supplying correct information about the so-called “sights,” museums, and the topography of the towns. In addition, he must be excused if he brings financial questions rather much to the fore: his long business career, perhaps, causes him to give a prominent place to material considerations.
Mr. Marland acquires information
    I have decided to visit Germany. I shall not stay away more than four weeks in any case, and I do not at all knowwhether I shall spend the whole four weeks abroad. I shall certainly have to do without a great deal that I am accustomed to. I have chosen Germany for several different reasons. Firstly, because everybody says that it is the cleanest country in Europe, and I set tremendous store by cleanliness. Secondly, the organisation of the German State railways and the shipping companies is so notably efficient that the discomforts of travel are almost entirely absent. I have sometimes wondered at the fact that in Germany there is only one railway company and that a State one. I am indeed a supporter of private enterprise, but I can see that in the case of traffic the advantages of having a single enterprise like a state railway company can be considerable. In addition, the question of finance had no small influence on my decision. Owing to the peculiar conditions of international indebtedness, foreigners now have a good opportunity to travel cheaply in Germany.
Problems of German Currency
    I have been told that I shall have to buy my traveller’s cheques in England. I have a rooted objection to all official regulations, but when they are useful to me why should I not submit to them? If I took my money in cash to Germany I should only get about 12