In September 1969, the Nevises embark on a year's stay in Europe. Passports had to be renewed or ordered. Arnie and Newlin rented out their house to two sisters from Alaska wanting to check out Florida for retirement. (They did not like it and left before the year was up; Arnie had to rent to another family to complete the year.)
Arnie sold both family cars and purchased a new Volvo. There was a deal whereby he bought the car in the U.S., picked it up from the factory in Sweden, used it for a year, and returned it to the factory for shipping to the U.S. Arnie would not then pay the import tax on a new car because it was by then a used car as it went through U.S. Customs.
Departing Gainesville, we drove a rental car to the Jacksonville airport and flew to Chapel Hill, North Carolina to stay over night. Arnie had a job interview at the University of North Carolina. (His position in the Neurology Department at the University of Florida had become unpleasant due to a bad relationship with a colleague, so he was looking around for alternative employment. The department at Chapel Hill had a lot of infighting, so Arnie did not pursue it any further.)
From North Carolina we flew to New York City and took a taxi to a hotel by Pennsylvania Station (I think it might have been the New Yorker Hotel on Eighth Avenue). Arnie had to return to the airport to collect several steamer trunks along with our suitcases we brought with us on the planes and deliver them to the pier for lading on the ship. In his absence Newlin took the boys for a walk around the block but found that neighborhood of Manhattan very seedy and grimy, so we promptly returned to the hotel for the evening.
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| Newlin's passport photos |
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| Arnie's passport photos |
As thin as Arnie was (155 pounds at 5'10") and physically active, he suffered from hypertension and took medication to control it. He consulted a specialist before the year in Sweden.
The next morning we boarded the S.S. United States, the largest and fastest passenger ship ever built in the United States. It was super exciting to sail by the Statue of Liberty through New York Harbor and then start exploring what the ship had ot offer. There was a movie theater and indoor saltwater swimming pool and gym. Allan and Joel tried shuffleboard on deck but it was too windy and cold.
Here we are at Pier 86 excited for our five day Atlantic crossing:
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| left to right: Andrew, Allan, Newlin, Aric, and Joel |
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| Dining was a special occasion; Andrew, Allan, Joel, Arnie, Newlin, and Eric in the cabin class dining room |
This photo shows our muster drill. Joel is holding his arm that way due to a recent surgery. (While the family was packing for this trip, the sliding glass doors between the family and enclosed porch were closed and Joel, running and jumping, crashed into one, shattering it and severing his left hand ulna nerve. The cast was remove shortly before our departure from Florida and Arnie has to exercise Joel's hand and fingers daily. It was painful and Joel always shed tears. The rest family was not allowed to be present after one session when everyone was crying and Eric begged Arnie to stop hurting Joel. Joel continue physical therapy in Sweden throughout that year but with professional physiotherapists.)  |
| Muster drill on the S. S. United States: Allan, Arnie, Andrew, and Joel, September 1969 |
Here is a photo of Pier 86 I snapped one night in August 2013. Since 1982 Pier 86 has hosted the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum as well as the renovated USS Intrepid.
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| Pier 86 with "United States Lines", August 2013 |
In 1969 the United States Line suddenly discontinued sailings on the S.S. United States on account of declining sales; the age of ocean liner travel was over. We sailed on the second to last round trip voyage that ship would make as a passenger ship. We returned to the U.S. in 1970 by airplane.
Disembarking in Le Havre, we took a train to Paris. We visited the Eiffel Tower at night. Then we flew first to Denmark and from there to Gothenburg to pick up the new Volvo. From Gothenburg we drove to Uppsala and moved into a rented furnished four-bedroom apartment overlooking the Fyrisån River.
The family was amused on our first day in Uppsala, breakfasting in a hotel restaurant, because Newlin ordered tea, and emphasized "tea, tea"; the waitress understood immediately and brought her a bottle of beer. Apparently it sounded like Newlin was trying to say "tee tee" (or T-T in Swedish), the nickname of a brand of beer called Tre Torn (three towers). Newlin was never partial to the flavor of beer, but she valiantly sipped her T-T during breakfast. And she never made that mistake again.
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first post in Flashbacks How the Nevis family came to California
first post in Arnold's Story July 1943
first post in blog Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943
