Santiago, Cuba, June 7 1939
Dear Valdemar and Marie!
Yes, dear friends, now its turned around, now I first say Valdemar and then Marie….as it has to be and now start learning German so you are able to speak it when Adolf comes to Copenhagen, or do you think it would be better I would start learning Danish , well, I surely can do it but not that fast. I have just written a very long letter to Norge, and it took me two days to find all the various words together in those Scandinavian books aboard – one of them Else’s cookbook – Mac and Pr. Monrad – Moderns Bog (medical Information) even though the letter didn’t have anything to do with eating nor with getting children. It was a very dry letter to a probably even drier Tiorwegirig shipping company whose fleet of MS “Vinland” kidnapped 4/5 of the crews of “Restmore” for a trip to Europe on June 2nd. I think my private secretary Else was captured by the name, she who took to drinking, when I went to town to buy the first pair of shoes for our yankee she moved over to “Vinland” and was already on her way when I returned that I could only reach our deserters via the fall, when I said but I have a whole box of rum on “Restmore” she said “Oh, I took half of it” and really she had taken half of it … and then when I returned home all boxes were empty, I waited 3 days and wrote a letter to Miami where I know a boy who would like to sail along. Until now I have not got an answer but I soon need someone around me otherwise I get lonely… I often feel as if Else has taken along everything but this is probably the first time, will be over soon, as I still think it will be the best for me and for Else and for the children that I finish the trip around the world, then write a book about it and so come back to Denmark. The rest of the journey shall not take longer than 2 years and when I think how fast those 5 years passed the 2 years will also pass fast. It is difficult at this time to say it was right what we did, later we will see what would have been right, now we have started this way and now we have to work on it and see what will come out. The thought that Else and the children will not come as strangers to Copenhagen makes me content and happy, they will be awaited of people so dear and good and loving that I often ask myself what I have done for it to call you my friends. But I hope I once get the chance to live near you to be able to do something for you as you did so much for us and probably will do in the future. Now you understand that Else and the children will reach Copenhagen the end of this month. She will probably call for money as the captain of the “Vinland” asked for 600 Kr. for the voyage. But I hope I get a reduction of the price by my letter I sent to the Boss in Norge. We don’t know yet the port of destination of “Vinland” since on the way to England the sugar first will be sold in London and then ordered, so you’ll have to wait for Else’s news. I also got Valdemar’s birthday greetings for which we thank.
Peter