Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1962-07-19
Mrs. Thompson Returns
From Travels Abroad

whats it like to sail from
the U. S. with a one way
ticket to Europe? This and
many other questions were
recently asked Mrs. John w.
Thompson about her four
teen and one-half months
round the world trip.
When Mrs. Thompson sailed
on April l, 1861, she had in
tended on spending a few
months in the Iberian pennisu-
la but had no definite plans
when she would return. She did
stay there for six months but
decided Ito come home the long
way" and off she started. "Tm
terribly interested in people and
/ wanted to see the people of
the world" she said. She clas-
sites her trip as one for purely
pleasure. '"The people were very
friendly to tourists, and, in a
way, 1 hated to leave every
place I went"
Between April of 1861 and
June of 1862 she has counted
among her visits, Holland,
Spain, Portugal, Switzerland,
Italy, Greece, Turkey, Japan,
Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, India,
Bangkok, Thailand, Hong Kong,
Tai Wan, Okinawa, Honolulu,
British Columbia, and before
heading Eastward in the U.S.,
Seattle, Texas, touched the Mex
lean border, Chicago, Cleve-
land and home to Md.
She advised there were many
highlights and so hard to men,
ton just a few. Among her
memories is learning to eat with
chopsticks in Japan. She thor
oughly enjoyed her months
stay there and felt that it
was among the most fascinat-
ing places. She ate Japanese
food, including raw fish and
cells. "The japanese way of liv-
ing is SO different from any
other" At the Inns where she
stayed the beds were made on
the floor and tourists, like the
natives, removed their shoes
when they entered dwelling.
One of the favorite drinks
there was Saki wine, and it is
served in special china cups ap-
propriately named "Saki cups"
Mrs. Thompson felt that
Japan Is probably the most
progressive country in Asia.
She described it as "a beauti-
full country with very gracious
people," In KyOto, the for
mer capital of Japan and still
the culture center, the more
traditional Eastern dress is
seen, but in the large cities
the Western garb is prevalent.
Spain and Portugal were also
favorites. She spent five or six
months, dividing her time be-
tween Madrid and Lisbon. She
took a six week motor trip
around Spain and Portugal.
While she was there her sister
in-law, Mrs. Alice Hostetler, of
Rockville, Joined her for a visit.
They attended the annual music
festival in Granada and saw AL
Hambra, the castle m ad e
famous through the writing of
Washington Irving.
THE people were charming in
Spain" she said. very friendly
and lovely" She mentioned also
that she noticed many Ameri-
cans, in retirement, had settled
there. "The Spanish dancing
and the Prado Museum in Ma
drid, where we saw paintings
done by Ell Greco, Goya, Valas-
quez, among others, in a fabu-
lous art collection were of par
ticular interest.
Most of her travelling. with
the exception of side trips, was
done by flying. After leaving
Spain she met friends in Cen
eva, Switzerland, and from
there to Italy, Greece and down
to the Island of Rhodes, a pos
session of Greece. She men,
toned the landscape here was
outstandingly beautiful, and
she encountered mum erous
temples and monasteries. There
were many areas in this region
where st. Paul had preached,
and the guides readily included
this information in their spiel.
From Greece, tine cradle of
w stern Civilization" Mrs.
Thompson travelled to Istanbul,
Turkey, and FIR o m there to the
Holy Land to continue her trip
around the world.
She included Italy as one
of her favOIite stops. She
found Rome quite sophisti-
Gated and historical, and
hopes some day to return to
the country for extensive
travelling. She also hopes to
return to Japan in the future.
Mrs. Thompson was asked
about the difficulty, or lack of
such, in exchanging currency in