California, France, Kenya

Sep 19, 1976. The folks left me at Rickey's to catch the airport bus - which was 45 minutes late, but so what?  Had a nice English couple to gab with.  Checked in at Oakland with 71 pounds of luggage: why didn't I try to hide my small pack?  Just trusting to fate, I guess.  Uneventful flight - even slept a few hours.  Plane forced to refuel at Shannon because of headwinds.

Sep 20, 1976.  Feeling fresh, despite about 4 hours/night of sleep during the past week.  Decided at Gatwick to go straight to Paris, after phoning the Chadwicks to check in.  Took train to Bologne (three changes), hovercraft to Calais, train to Paris.  Met some nice people, too: a man living not far from Gatwick (we talked about hops, how they grow, what they are used for), a girl of about 20 returning from school (lovely, but very shy), a stewardess off our flight (who hates where she now lives).  Met Nigel on the hovercraft, and invited him to stay with us.  He was on a weekend of travel from London, where he is an "apprentice" for a law firm.  Very nice and clean-cut.  I invited him to stay with Yann & Dom, and he accepted with hardly a pause.  Phoned the latter at Gare du Nord, and met them at Gare de Lyon for a 20 minute ride to their chateau at about midnight.  They looked great.

Sep 21, 1976.  Slept till noon, but felt great when I awoke.  Dee Wilson is also staying, with Camillo (?) a formerly-pony-tailed friend of Becky Manning's, now traveling with Dee for a month before heading for the East Coast.  Dee is fresh from Oslo, and loved Norway like Inger.  Saw her when they returned from a day of sightseeing with Nigel.  Went to town with Y & D - they had a big meal with H.P. at Lucas Carton (place de la Madeleine), and I had a blind date with Marie-Pierre, a friend of Dom's.  Separated since July after 6 years of marriage, she was very contained and nervous, but talked a lot about inconsequential subjects until Y & D exited at 12:30.  We had a modest meal in San Germain, and a coffee after.  A very pretty, very nice woman, but I suspect impossible to get to know.

Sep 22, 1976.  Great discussion with Dom today - she told me they had passed a fantastic week with their American friends from Vermont.  Details private, but a big step (forward) in their marriage.  No wonder they look & act so full of life!  Another thing: Guenaille is so warm and affectionate to me, that all I want to do is hold her in my arms.  What a warm sweet girl she is!  Eric is about a foot taller than when I saw him last, and is very much a young man.  The two children play wonderfully together, and are very independent in their movements (no surprise). 

9 PM:  Sara Holt phoned from Paris.  I had made a date to see her on Thursday, but she had been waiting for me since 6 o'clock Wednesday.  I hustled into town in Dom's car, arriving at her apartment/studio by 10:30.  We talked until 3 AM, and crashed on her bed.  What a girl!  Living in Paris for the last 8 years, with a man for 6 of those years, she is once more alone with her art, which is very good indeed: plastics in primary colors and shapes, plus painted metal shapes, some very large.  Must write folks about it.  I confessed I had the hots for her since about 13 years ago, and threatened to visit again after two years in Africa.  She laughed, thinking two years was much too long a time to think of or plan after.

Sep 23, 1976. Up at 8,  Sara had already been to market and hence a nice breakfast of eggs, coffee, and toast was awaiting for me. Talked a bit with her roommate, Nancy, from New York; then some business in town, taking advantage of Dom’s car.  Sarah returned from the bank with an even bigger smile than usual: the teller had given her 360 francs too much on her check of 95 francs!  To celebrate, we took a bloody Mary at La Campole, then a lunch of oysters, a Pouilly Fumé, and a salad. 100 francs!  The best service I’ve ever had for a luncheon. Old waiters who make every delivery and occasion. Sartre still eats lunch there.  Said goodbye to Sarah, and will miss her, I am sure. Got my passport fixed in the afternoon, and dropped in on Fritz Dulles for a few minutes of Andover reminiscences. Fritz has a fat job since 18 months with an American law firm on Rue Royale, and doesn’t at all mind the life.  Arrived back at the Château in the evening, having driven past Versailles by mistake; all in bed early for the party the next evening.

Sep 24, 1976. A nice day of shopping and sightseeing with Yann and Domitille. Bought a tray for Jacques and Catherine, and lots of rum for the party. Ate lunch at St Germain, ogling and commenting on the women.    (Ramses II) at the Grand Palais, and returned to prepare for the party. Pretty good party, too: men from HP,  women from HP and elsewhere. Met some nice ladies; had one very tight dance with a married blonde who left early, regretfully. Spent the late evening with Marie Pierre, but no avail: she is very shy and nervous (and admits it); very difficult to do anything with her besides ask questions, which she answers (if not too personal). Poor girl! I like her very much.

Sep 25, 1976. Woke up early and drove the kids to school. Returned to discover (after a call to Nigel) that the landlady probably ripped off my sleeping bag when she was in the château two days earlier. The bitch had already turned off the hot water. Kind of crazy. Dom promised to phone her lawyer – maybe I’ll get it back probably not.  Said goodbye to Yann: still did not have a good private conversation with him. Anyway, what a great guy! Can only hope to see him in Africa or India later. Catherine (Ian's wife) and Martin (friend now living only 5 km away) stayed with their kids while Dom, Marie-Pierre and I drove into town. We left M.P. at the pharmacist, then headed for a park to smoke and talk until 4 - 3 good hours of closeness with a woman I love.  Dom cried at the station, and then boom! No more Cordelles. I’m in the train now, between Dijon and Lyon, heading for Jacques Clay, and thinking how nice the four days with Yann and Dom were, and how good I feel about them both.

Jacques and Catherine met me at the station, and we drove to their rented house in Pinet, not far from the house of Yann‘s parents. Clear skies, cool temperatures. They look great. Catherine is so warm! She probably doesn’t realize how sexy she seems, with her total concentration on Jacques. She is much less timid than before they were married. 

Sep 26, 1976. Slept until noon, then a nice breakfast with Catherine while Jacques slaved away at H. P. He returned at three for a nap, and together we went to John and Annie Vine’s. They have two children now, a boy of three and a baby girl. The boy greeted us in a lounging coat and slippers, looking and acting remarkably like John. Later, during dinner, we discussed women’s rights, with Catherine remarkably vehement.  Annie started to get interested in her possibility to become a doctor or pharmacist, but the hour was late, and we returned home exhausted.

Sep 27, 1976. To work again! Spent the morning visiting old friends at HP. Jack Magri gave me the name of the friends he will visit in Kenya in mid December: Patrick and Mona Frere (Nairobi).  They met on an earlier trip to Kenya when Jack was in the Peace Corps in Somalia. Lunch at K Store with François, Christian, Jon, Jacques, and Catherine. I am now alone at the Maison Du Café, writing letters and watching the beautiful Grenoble minettes go by. Life is really not so difficult.

I visited Monique at her perfume store for an hour – she was delightful as always; full of energy, full of life; and happy to see me. She married since I saw her last, but, after six months, she got fed up and divorced him. I think she must’ve been too much for the guy. She wants to visit me in Kenya! And wants me to phone her as soon as I get there! I got away by promising some postcards to her and her daughters (the elder is now 13 years old; Patricia must be around 10).

Took the train to Valence at 7, where I was met by Françoise, who treated me to a fine meal of pizza and stuffed rabbit, and then drove me in style to Aubenas. Nicole and Mrs. Cholvy met me, and the reunion was very pleasant. Nicole and I went straight to bed.  We talked a lot that night, and agreed that if things didn’t work out, we ditch each other; but we also agreed to try very very hard before calling it off. I feel pretty good about Nicole right now, but I still give us only about a 50% chance of making it. We shall see…

Sep 28. 1976. Lazy day. Slept until 10 or 11, then a leisurely breakfast in the kitchen. Mrs. Cholvy apologized for the tiny bed we were using, and would not believe me when I told her I preferred it to a larger bed. It started to rain today, then ending a draft which had dried out Obina since last winter.  Got mildly loaded with Nicole at night.  More talking until 3 AM.

Sep 29, 1976. Slept until 10. What a nice, lazy life. Goofed off all day, with good meals, the main distraction. I forgotten how good the local Reds and rosés are in Aubenas; and the goat cheeses are still delicious. The homemade soups; the gratin of cauliflower; the simple salad with the oil/vinegar/mustard dressing; the uncooked pork slices; the cakes; the cherries and alcohol. Get the picture? I am consciously trying to eat less, and it is easy to do so. Saw “Waldo Pepper “ in town; not bad.

Sep 30, 1976.  Goddamn – slept until 10 again. I was getting forward to five hours per night in California: what’s happening? I guess there just isn’t much to do here. Went shopping with Nicole, and I’ve decided that Albina is the nicest small town I’ve seen in France. Plenty of people, cute shops, lots of things to look at. I thought seriously of renting a place in the country, but who knows what happens after Africa? visited a woman in the afternoon who lived in Kisenyi for two years – will return on Saturday for an address in Burundi.  Francois’ friend cooked us a fabulous meal – took us three hours to finish it. Nicole got nice and drunk. Saw more horrible slides of Montreal and Quebec. Made a lot of love. Nicole laughed so hard Mrs. Cholvy thought she was sick.  Nicole tried to poop (it’s been nine days now!).  Good times.

Oct 1, 1976. In bed until 1230! What a lazy slob I’ve become. Rained like hell all day. We packed our backpacks, and decided to leave lots of stuff behind: bin, sleeping pads, heavy shirt, etc., etc. Packs now quite manageable. Bought a $12 pair of tennis shoes to wear in Africa; Nicole has the same. Had my hands manicured by Nicole. They look great, and I love the attention. Saw Mr. Cholvy for the first time. Funny man: he comes and goes on his own schedule, and the room is always tense when he’s in it. This family needs to communicate a whole lot more than it now does.  12:30: time for bed.

Oct 2, 1976. Jacques and Catherine arrived this morning to pass the weekend with us. Big meal, then an afternoon walk. Visited some relatives of Matteo, whose son had spent some time in Madagascar, but he wasn’t there. The father turned out to be an astronomy nut, was a little Japanese refractor in the second floor and a window in the roof. Daughter, very mysterious, with a Moroccan child acquired while working in the deserts of North Africa. to the casino in Val-Les-Bains in the evening - awful disco. Got sweaty in five minutes and left.

Oct 3, 1976. Lazy day, big meal - the usual. Nicole packed at the last minute, and off we went to Grenoble with Jacques and Catherine, and then by night train to Paris. Awful ride, mostly due to the large number of young, drunk French men, on their way to the army. Nicole magically found us seats at Lyon, so we got some sleep after all. How can I do without her?

Oct 4, 1976. Nice long hot bath at Helene‘s flat. She’s looking nice. Good news: the sleeping bag which was stolen by the landlady is back, thanks to Jan and Dalas’s persistence. Went to the château with Karen (English friend of Helene’s) to retrieve it, and we got so loaded on Dom’s stuff we were effectively immobilized until 4 PM. Rushed back to Paris, dropped my stuff at Helene’s, and then for a 45 minute visit with Sophie Rack (!), with predictable results. She’s gotten slightly fatter, but her short hair makes her look younger. She’s beginning a magazine with two others: subject: women around. They’ve got the money, and will start in just a few weeks. Lovemaking only slightly successful, and the Spark certainly from her eyes. C’est (en fin) fini!  Evening at the New York City, ballet: severe, classical, simple, dancing to box Goldberg variations (one and a half hours nonstop), and some livelier Brahms.  Pretty big change from the usual Balanchine.

Oct 5, 1976. An awful day which ended well. Train and hovercraft and train to London, one hour late for the reunion at Saint Martin in the fields. Chadwick’s not in. Wrong phone number for Zara. Walk to tour flat which she moved from 18 months ago. Janet How to a concert. Finally located Nigel near St. John’s Wood: he had about 12 people in for drinks and talk, and I and my Armagnac fitted right in (the bottle lasted about one hour).  His three roommates (solicitors as well), his sister, and sundry others. Sarah Jane and I talked about solicitors and barriers (she is one) for an hour, and I now know it all. At midnight, only a few were left, and the most British of the roommates ( hints all evening of his nobility) got nice and gross, first by grabbing one girl with his feet, then suggesting to another roommate that his girlfriend masturbate him, and finally pouring beer in the hair of one of the girls. Good fun. I am now feeling pretty crummy, with a bad sore throat: and a long time.

Oct 6, 1976. Up at eight with the same cold. Raining like hell. What a horrible morning. Manage to contact Mr. Chadwick, who had a message for me (which he had lost); but still managed to discover that Scott and Bardie were staying at the Avalon Hotel.  Contact (of a sort)!  Janice’s phone out of commission.  Hovercraft crossings canceled, so Nicole comes in (hopefully) at 4:48, two hours late. Bought a Chinese flute for 45 pounds., then off to the train station. In fact, a totally wasted day. Nicole not at the train. Spent the next several hours meeting trains and phoning people. No dinner. Planned evening with Nigel a loss. Finally, at around 9 PM, Nicole phones!  Her tale of wor since she left me in Boulogne is too complicated to include here; at least she made it. We stay up late talking with Nigel, then to sleep (for the first time in the double bags).

Oct 7, 1976. Not too early, then baths and breakfast with Nigel, Oliver, James, etc.  Visas at the Kenya high commission (looks like our ongoing reservations were not really needed!) Then medical insurance for Nicole through an agent of Lloyd’s of London. No time for much else before hustling off to Heathrow and the plane to Nairobi. Hello, Scott, Ken , etc.!

Oct 8, 1976.  Changed planes in Khartoum: 70° at 6 AM, but actually quite comfortable. Our onward flight was delayed because there was not enough fuel to continue; fortunately, a well-heeled fellow traveler agreed to pay for the required fuel. Ah, Africa! Then a long flight, along lake Rudolph for a while, arriving midday at Nairobi. We met (through a young lady we met on the plane) two women working at the Masai Research Center: Barbara and Amy, plus Gooker, an infant baboon they had with them. They invited us to visit them someday, and we accepted with pleasure: spent our first night at the hotel, Sean, sleeping 14 hours straight.  Our first night in Africa!