My Wonderful Year | Page 3

One is assigned a deck chair, for which one pays of course, and a blanket for the trip, so one may wrap up as comfortably as one wishes without feeling that he may be disturbed. But the nicest attendant of all, I think, is the dining room steward, who caters to one's every wish. Just the thought of the three daily visits to the dining room prevented my becoming seasick.
Boat passengers are not exposed to any unnecessary hazards. A life belt for each passenger is found in his cabin with directions for its use tacked on the door. The life boat and the seat number for each person are given in the list of directions. One of my first acts was to try on my life belt and locate my life boat. After that I had a feeling that all was well, and I was eager to participate in the pleasures of the voyage.
In order that one may at least know who his fellow travelers are, a list of the passengers is posted in the foyer by the elevator. Each passenger is also given a folder containing the list of passengers.
The first meal served on shipboard was lunch at 12 o'clock for which I was more than ready. I had been too excited to eat breakfast; moreover one of the numerous precautions I had been given against seasickness was to forego breakfast on the morning of sailing. The appointments of the dining room were beautiful and inviting, cut flowers on the tables, crisp linen which is changed at every meal, faultless silver service, dining room stewards in tuxedos, and appetizing French foods. One's every wish is anticipated. One finds on his table at each meal a printed menu folder with some picture of French life on both the cover and the back. The menu is printed in French and English with a suggested menu. One has a choice of every course, and for one's tea it may be China, Ceylon, Orange Pekoe, Mint, Linden, Vervain, or Conomile. Sometimes I chose the selected menu and again I trusted to luck for the outcome of my selection. Fortunately I did not have the experience of the person who selected a meal from a French menu to find when the dishes were brought to him that he had all liquids. Here is a suggested menu.
Menu
Du
Mercredi 25 Septembre 1935
Menu Suggestion
Pot age Dartols
Supreme de Turbot Montfermeil
Aubergines a la Proven$ale
Poularde du Mans Rotie au Cresson
Pommes Fondantes
Salade
Bombe Suedoise
Langues-de-Chat
Corbeille de Fruits
S. S. "Normandie"
Classe Tourists
Breakfast is the informal sort of meal on shipboard that it is in most homes. It is served from 7 to 9. One sits wherever one chooses, but for lunch and dinner one has a special seat which is assigned by the maftre de hotel. These meals are served at noon and seven respectively. Tea is served on deck at 4 o'clock on individual trays. This special seat assures the dining room stewards that all of them will be remembered at the end of the voyage. My steward was trying to learn English and I was practising my college French, so my meals were interesting.
The one memorable night on shipboard is Gala night, which is held the night before the last night out. The dining room takes on a festive look, and paper hats, noise makers, serpentine, and jollity hold sway. The passengers are dressed in their best, the menu is more elaborate than ever, and everyone receives a souvenir from the captain of the ship. I am glad that my souvenir is one that I can keep, a leather billfold wih 'Normandie' stamped on it in gold letters. After Gala night everyone begins to pack, for he knows he is near his journey's end, but I had done very little unpacking, for I wanted to be ready to debark at a moment's notice. I enjoyed my first ocean trip immensely. I had neither a dull nor a sick moment crossing the Atlantic.
CHAPTER II
ENGLAND
Although London was my destination, I first set foot upon foreign soil at Havre. The stormy weather prevented the tender's coming out to the Normandie at Southampton, so we were taken to Havre, France, the Normandie' s berth, where I had my first experience boarding a moving train. My cosmetic case did not get stamped by the custom officer who inspected my baggage when I first went through the customs. I wavered for a moment between boarding the train and leaving the case, but since the case was a gift, I made a frantic effort to retain it. This experience drew heavily upon the tranquillity that I had stored up on shipboard. I did not have time to regain my composure before I arrived at Dieppe and was ushered aboard the cross channel steamer which took me to New Haven, England. I