Pilgrim in America

Driving toward Long Beach with Camille. On our way there she told me that several people were interested in the book, Tom, too. They said it would have a larger public than the Unitarian one. They asked Camille if I wanted to have a book presentation. I told her, only when it would be published.

It was raining all the way, but it cleared and started shining as we approached. We got out midway close to the ocean shore, and walked along a high wooden walk-way above the grassy dunes. We saw a whale carcass by the walk in memory of Lewis and Clark who found a dead whale nearby. Camille bought a newspaper in a shop. We talked about old skits (Laurel and Hardy).

In Astoria we shared a hamburger in an old sailor pub. It was the best meal I ever had in the US so far, and a glass of beer, too. Camille introduced me to the waitress, telling her I was from Hungary. The woman: "I thought he was from somewhere." Camille told me about the history of the pub. There was a trapdoor somewhere in the floor, the drunken guys were dropped in the cellar from where they were loaded onto ships. Next morning they woke up heading to China. "They got shanghaied."

We crossed that long beautiful bridge over Columbia river to Washington state. After we arrived, first thing, I went out to the beach. Camille accompanied me just as far as the end of dunes, to make sure I would recognize the sign to find my way back. Her hip hurts, cannot walk on the sand. She plans to have a surgery next November. I took a long walk and came back, then went out again after a half an hour to take some pictures for you before the sunset.

During the evening I showed the book to Camille, too.