1936 On the Continent

But no, I won’t spoil my holiday travels. The great German exhibitions would also interest me, as I know they are amongst the best organised in the world. This year there are two important ones in Berlin. Between July 18th and August 16th the “German Exhibition,” and between August 28th and September 6th, the great “Radio Exhibition.” There is also a rich choice of Festival Weeks, first and foremost the “Bayreuth Festival Week” with its incomparable Richard Wagner performances between July 19th and 30th and August 18th and 31st. Last year they did not take place, so the attendance will be so much the larger this year. Personally I shall not be there, for to be frank I am not so keen on music. Probably my daughter’s practising is responsible for this. The State Festival Plays at Heidelberg between July 12th and August 30th give an insight into the artisticproductions of the new Germany, while the Römerberg stage performances at Frankfort between July 1st and August 31st have a long tradition behind them, and in the wonderful frame of the ancient town have a unique setting. Perhaps I might at least include them in my programme.
    Now I see that at the end of July the golf championships take place at Berlin-Wannsee. These would greatly interest me, but I ought not to travel to Germany just for them.
What clothes to take
    There is already more than enough of my programme, and one question only remains—what shall I pack for the journey? I have been told that I may safely leave my dress clothes at home, as in Germany they are only worn on the most festive and most official occasions. Where we should wear dress clothes, in Germany the dinner jacket is correct; for instance, at the theatre, when ladies are wearing full evening dress, it may be worn. For a traveller it is unnecessary, as dress regulations are less strict in Germany than with us, and no wry looks are directed at one if one appears in the best restaurants or in the stalls at a first night in dark street clothes. Otherwise my wardrobe will be sufficient—in summer there is less rain than with us, but it is usually not much warmer. In the winter, of course, one has to be somewhat more warmly clad—in Germany many men wear fur coats, whilst here this is but a speciality of Mr. Eden’s. The tall hat which, under English influence, was worn some years ago on the Hamburg Bourse, has disappeared from Germany as, so to speak, everyday wear, and is only to be seen at weddings, funerals and high official gatherings. My grey cutaway and my grey topper may be left at home, even should I attend race meetings, which I certainly intend to do (the races at Hamburg with the Derby, in Berlin Grünewald and Berlin-Karlshorst, in Baden-Baden and other places, are, I believe, quite equal to the English race meetings), as if I wear them I hear that I should at once be known as an Englishman, and though I should not object to this, as an Englishman I do not wish to be conspicuous.
    I think I know pretty well everything now which should be known beforehand, and am rather amused at my thoroughness. Too much of this may spoil a journey—the principal thing is not to be too much burdened, and this applies to luggage as well as to plans.
The Journey
    [The friendly reader must miss out Mr. Marland’s sea passage and railway journey, as we must save space, and so we are not publishing the 44 pages which Mr. Marland has given to his experiences in the Channel and on the journey to Cologne. With all due respect to Mr. Marland these are in no way different to the experiences of everyone who undertakes the same journey under the same circumstances. Mr. Marland was not sea-sick, though everyone else was, which in no way guarantees Mr. Marland’s seaworthiness, as he who tells the story of his journey is always the only one to avoid sea-sickness. We will therefore meet Mr. Marland again at the railway station at Cologne.]
At the Frontier
    That was the first foreign frontier that I have ever crossed. Other people—for instance, my son—who have travelled a good deal, would certainly not understand my feelings. I must admit that I was somewhat excited. One hears so much of the unpleasantness of the passport and customs examinations, and my foreign business friends had so much to say about the inquisition they underwent from the Emigration Officers when they came to England. At the German frontier, however, nobody asked me whence I came, what I was doing and how long I was