Havana, Cuba, February 6 1939
Dear Marie and Valdemar,
Now you have to get a little holler from the world sailors and thank you for the last letter which we got sent to Havana from Mollers in Miami. It was a fresh gust with snow and ice which we need a little but those you probably would rather have been without. It is not that the heat is too pressing so we can’t stand it here on this latitude now at this time of the year although it is warm enough. So, Lars is in the bathing suit the whole day also New Year’s Day and then we can include him with the Vikings even though he doesn’t swim or race or is that cheating. Or is it absolutely supposed to be on the well-born latitude you have to parade in that costume to be included? Mutiny on board we have daily whether it is because Peter forgets to bring me chocolate or Lars has to put away his blocks because it’s way past bedtime or because Peter absolutely wants Musen to eat the plate clean or the baby thinks there is so much too little in his bottle or on account of a thousand other things. The most fussing is of course Peter on account of children too much screaming etc. This probably will give a living picture of life on board. The day before yesterday we threw off the lines in Havana to anchor up in a little harbor 24 miles more westerly. Havana with the big tourist steamer harbor, sometimes 2 to 3 in one day and all with every other day anyhow a new one. We were on “Kungsholm”, “Oslo Fjord”, and the last one an American “Manhattan” was the biggest 24,000 tons. The chief officer was interested in our project and came on board. Peter was invited in the evening, dinner with music, and the day after that the whole family came for afternoon tea and then followed a warm bath in his private bathroom. It was a little bad with the bathing in Havana. Such a steamer is actually much more of a house than a ship. There are 300 – 400 people, 2 elevators and every other kind of thing.
Last bulletin on baby. He has got 2 teeth and he can stand with support. He is soon no more baby but Per, and “every time I look at the cow and I think of my Per” (rhymes in Danish). Now the paper is running out, so finished for today
with many loving greetings from your devoted Lars, Musen, Per, Peter, Else
addr. Dan. Consulate Mr. List, Grace Building 64 Harlow Street, Kingston Jamaica