IN EUROPE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 220, 17 August 1937, Page 2

IN EUROPE

TRAVELLERS’ IMPRESSIONS. Whimsical and abounding in humour, an address by Mr P. Heuts, of Holland, brought much merriment to the members of the Palmerston North Rotary Club at their weekly luncheon yesterday. The speaker gave a description of a journey from England through Holland and Germany and; while lie did not in any way attempt to describe fully the various cities or districts through which the traveller would pass, he commented on the impressions one would receive, picking out some striking fact here and there. Mr Heuts said lie had undertaken this journey before he had left for New Zealand last year and the trip of 1600 miles had cost -him £45.

Describing the departure of the traveller from England, the speaker commented that Holland most of it below sea level, was very flat. On that account the ship seemed to arrive suddenly. At one time there was sea all about it and at another a city was nearby. From the Hook of Holland, if one could afford it, one flew in one of the superb Dutch air-liners to Amsterdam. That trip, when taken by car, was made magnificent by the wealth of tulips, bulbs, and hyacinths. About Amsterdam the land had once been sen-bottom. AUsitors saw a good deal of tho windmills and the canals when in Holland. The windmills pumped the water into the canals and if they were to stop the country would soon he covered. Tlfe railways in Germany were most comfortable, the thirdclass carriages being better than firstclass here. The seats folded down to make a very comfortable bed. Berlin, to the visitor, was cleaner than London and the people were using science to every end. Hamburg, the second biggest sea-port in Europe, was very old and had many traditions. The people there seemed more eloquent and more of an artistic vein. Great volumes of traffic passed between there and Berlin, between which there was a television telephone service. The speaker touched on Nuremberg. Heidelberg, Munich, and the Bavarian mountains, the last-named being a favoured resort and very beautiful. Lake Constance, the Black Forest—where the people were extremely, hospitable—Cologne (where there was an annual festival near Lent) and the Rhine Valley were all dealt with by the speaker. A vote of thanks was accorded Mr Heuts for his address on the motion of Mr R. H. Spencer. The chairman was the club .president (Dir A. A. Langley) and there were welcomed as visitors Messrs T. Thomas (captain of the visiting Southland Rugby team), K. A. Selwyn -and N. K. Baird (TnveronrgilD, M. H. Oram (Palmerston North), F N. AUckerman (AVellington) and IT. E. Bennett (Palmerston North) vho was the foundation secretary of the club and one of the first song leaders of the club: