palaces of the canal, that I resolved then and there to find out definitely how much it would cost to get me there. Two days after that I had reserved a second class passage on the “Baltic” (good enough for anyone, especially out of season,—this was in February), I applied to Washington for my passport, notified my employer that I was leaving in two weeks, and surprised my family and friends by announcing that I was sailing for Europe in two weeks. I was laughed at by them, sneered at by my employer, but evidently applauded by my government, for I received my passport in short order. I had $500 in available cash, and this is how I figured it out:
Steamer over $130 Steamer back 130 Railroad, Europe 100 Living expenses
8 weeks at $10 80 Extras
60
$500
I got a lot of first-hand advice from several friends and acquaintances who had recently been over, and some good tips from the steamship agency on railroad fares, etc. The rate of ex
change at this time was very favorable to me. but, 1 believe, is even lower now. The English pound was then $4.40, the franc 10 cents, and the lira 5 cents. Although I made no definite itinerary, I made a general route for my trip, knowing that I could change it at a moment’s notice if I wished. I would always avoid tour tickets for this reason. My rough itinerary was Xew York to Liverpool to London, with two or three stopovers on the way, two weeks; steamer to Le Havre, to Rouen, to Paris, four weeks; to Venice, to Florence, to
Genoa, two weeks, sailing home from there. I stuck rather closely to this route, changing only the latter part, for in Paris I took a job as tutor to two American architectural students in perspective sketching and rendering,—a great piece of luck for me,—and was taken by them on an automobile tour from Paris through Southern France and along the Riviera to Florence, to Venice and back to Paris by Switzerland. In this way I prolonged my trip two months and saw a lot of beautiful country that I would never have gotten to, and all with no additional expense.
It might be of interest to some to know that I am an architectural designer and my whole idea in making this trip was to improve my professional knowledge and ability. Consequently, I was
out to see the best that was to be seen in my line, and to sketch and photograph everything that appealed to me or that I thought would be valuable to me in my designing. So I started out with sketchbooks, pencils and camera, with eyes and hands ready to work overtime, patting myself on the back that, for once in my life anyhow, I had had the courage of my convictions. My motto was to be: Stop, look and sketch. And I certainly did just that! Whatever city, town or village I came to, there was very little there that I did not see. I made it a point to walk about as much as possible, fearing that I should miss something if I went by trolley or bus. I looked everything over from top to bottom, eager to see some minute detail that would interest me. Here I sketched a door surround, there a cap of a column, and now a piece of furniture. I made a snapshot of the entire
Old iron screen and gates of German design, circa 1700, sketched in the South Kensington Museum
Details of woodwork of architectural interest, made at
Hampton Court
Steamer over $130 Steamer back 130 Railroad, Europe 100 Living expenses
8 weeks at $10 80 Extras
60
$500
I got a lot of first-hand advice from several friends and acquaintances who had recently been over, and some good tips from the steamship agency on railroad fares, etc. The rate of ex
change at this time was very favorable to me. but, 1 believe, is even lower now. The English pound was then $4.40, the franc 10 cents, and the lira 5 cents. Although I made no definite itinerary, I made a general route for my trip, knowing that I could change it at a moment’s notice if I wished. I would always avoid tour tickets for this reason. My rough itinerary was Xew York to Liverpool to London, with two or three stopovers on the way, two weeks; steamer to Le Havre, to Rouen, to Paris, four weeks; to Venice, to Florence, to
Genoa, two weeks, sailing home from there. I stuck rather closely to this route, changing only the latter part, for in Paris I took a job as tutor to two American architectural students in perspective sketching and rendering,—a great piece of luck for me,—and was taken by them on an automobile tour from Paris through Southern France and along the Riviera to Florence, to Venice and back to Paris by Switzerland. In this way I prolonged my trip two months and saw a lot of beautiful country that I would never have gotten to, and all with no additional expense.
It might be of interest to some to know that I am an architectural designer and my whole idea in making this trip was to improve my professional knowledge and ability. Consequently, I was
out to see the best that was to be seen in my line, and to sketch and photograph everything that appealed to me or that I thought would be valuable to me in my designing. So I started out with sketchbooks, pencils and camera, with eyes and hands ready to work overtime, patting myself on the back that, for once in my life anyhow, I had had the courage of my convictions. My motto was to be: Stop, look and sketch. And I certainly did just that! Whatever city, town or village I came to, there was very little there that I did not see. I made it a point to walk about as much as possible, fearing that I should miss something if I went by trolley or bus. I looked everything over from top to bottom, eager to see some minute detail that would interest me. Here I sketched a door surround, there a cap of a column, and now a piece of furniture. I made a snapshot of the entire
Old iron screen and gates of German design, circa 1700, sketched in the South Kensington Museum
Details of woodwork of architectural interest, made at
Hampton Court