Ralph and Peggy Wallis — my parents
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks
Week 28 – July 8, 2025
Prompt: Travel
In the fall of 1983, I took my parents on a “trip of a lifetime” to Europe. At the time, my partner Pat and I were both air traffic controllers at the Houston Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC). We had heard that CargoLux, which flew cargo flights from Houston to Luxembourg once a week, allowed a limited number of passengers to fly in a special section of the Boeing 747—an upper-deck area typically used as a bar lounge on passenger jets. Seats were available to airport employees for $50 round-trip, and a family member could accompany them for $250. When Pat decided to visit his cousin, who worked as a civilian for the U.S. Navy in Naples, Italy, I said, “If you’re going, I’m going.” And then we realized—it was such a good deal, why not invite my parents?
I obtained a European train timetable from Cook’s Travel and purchased 15-day Eurail passes, planning every leg of our journey in advance. I knew my father had been based in Wiesbaden, Germany during the post–World War II occupation, so that was a must-see destination.
Ralph's postcard to Cooper Homes in Bentonville, Arkansas (his office): “10-24-83 Dear Gang, Made it here OK. Leaving here for Koblenz, Germany by train to catch a boat down the Rhine to Assmannhausen where I was billeted in 1946.”
Mom wrote on the back, “Koblenz Depot. After 36 hours without sleep everything is funny.”
"Libby finally got the lid off the cream."
Daddy was reading one of my tour books on the flight and found an entry for the Krone Hotel in Assmannshausen, about 25 miles from Wiesbaden. He remembered it as the place where he had been billeted in 1946. So instead of taking the boat to Wiesbaden as I had planned, we got off the boat at a small pier near Assmannshausen. We walked to the Krone Hotel, dragging all our bags, still having not slept, hoping it would be open and have a vacancy. Luck was with us! When the hosts learned Daddy had lived there during the occupation, they treated us like royalty.
Peggy sent the same postcard to Ralph “Dear Ralph, Having a wonderful time - Glad you are here."
The next morning, we strolled around Assmannshausen before taking a short train ride to Wiesbaden.
We took a similar picture showing the distances to Wiesbaden and Koblenz. Then we hopped a short train ride to Wiesbaden.
In Wiesbaden, we took a city bus tour. Daddy pointed out buildings that had been bombed during the war. I had planned for us to spend a night there, but after about an hour, Daddy said he had seen enough and was ready to move on.
Ralph, Peggy and Pat at the bus stop for our tour of the Romantic Road. This route included stops in Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Dinkelsbühl, two of only four towns in Germany that still have completely intact medieval city walls. After shopping for souvenirs, we continued on to Füssen for the night.
Mom’s postcard to Benton Co. Social Services, Bentonville, AR (her office), “Oct ?, 1983 Hi All, We are still speaking to each other and having lots of fun! We are in sugar beet country - it is harvest time. I’m not sure I’ll go back to B’ville donut shop. The pastry shops here are really great - but no fritters. The weather is beautiful. It was cold the first day. Thinking of you, Peggy”
The Castle was Neuschwanstein Castle, perched high above the Pöllat Gorge in the Bavarian Alps. Commissioned by King Ludwig II—“Mad King Ludwig”—in 1868, it was never completed. Its fairy-tale towers later inspired Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle. The thing I remember about the castle is how vivid the colors were in the huge paintings and murals that were over 100 years old.
Daddy to Cooper Homes, “10/27/83 This must be Thursday. On the way to Zurich. Paris tomorrow. Wow!”
Mom to her neighbor: “Oct 27 Dear Leta, Weather is great, country is beautiful and we are enjoying Pat and Libby, the trains, wine and a lot of nice people. We’re on a train in Germany, headed for Switzerland.”
Peg to Ralph, “Oct 28, 1983 6:15 a.m. Hi, I’m looking forward to seeing Paris with you. Will see you on the train at 6:57. Peg”
Mom to her office: “Sunday, October 30 – We went on a bus tour of the city, ate French onion soup and French pastry for lunch, rode the subway, and I am awed by this big place. The piano player in the café where we ate was from Texas. Love, Peg”
Daddy to his office: “Sunday Oct. 30 I’m feeling more continental every day—French onion soup, French pastries, and French wine. Rode the Metro subway yesterday. Wow! Leaving at noon for Switzerland on a high-speed express train.”
Mom to Mr. & Mrs. R. D. Wallis (themselves) “Paris Oct 30, 1983 Faster than a speeding bullet.” She signed it Mere Mere & Pere Pere
Meanwhile, Pat and I had a hiccup in Naples. Our train from Rome required reservations we didn’t have, so we had to take a different train, arriving at a different station than expected. Pat’s cousin didn’t have a phone, so we had written to tell him which train and which station to meet us at. When we arrived at the wrong station late at night, we found a pay phone and after some difficulty in figuring out how to use it, we left a message on his cousin's office phone, hoping he would check it when we didn't show at the prearranged time and place—and thankfully, he did. He and his wife eventually found us, well past midnight.
We stayed at their home a few days, but didn’t get to enjoy much authentic Italian food, as his wife was eager to cook for us herself. Still, we made it to Pompeii. I was surprised by the number of vendors selling souvenirs right outside the site. When you see pictures of Pompeii, you don’t expect that. It reminded me of the first time I saw the White House—so familiar in photos, yet surrounded by the unexpected in real life.
One vivid memory from that leg of the trip: sitting in the dining car of a train winding through the Alps, I noticed bed linens hanging from the porches in every little village. Was it laundry day everywhere? But the real delight came when the waiter served café au lait from two pots—one with black coffee and the other with steamed milk—pouring both simultaneously into a large cup. It was my first taste of café au lait, and it was heavenly.
The four of us met back up in Bern, Switzerland. From there, we traveled to Interlaken. Daddy found a small restaurant boasting an “American Breakfast.” He was thrilled to have bacon, eggs, and American-style coffee again. That night we went to a one-tent circus—no animals, just acrobats and comic acts. We loved it.
Our final stop before returning to Luxembourg was Brussels, Belgium. Pat and I visited the FAA’s international office there, thinking we might one day want to work overseas. That evening at dinner, we met two businessmen from Philips Electronics who thanked us for what the U.S. had done during WWII. They insisted on taking us on a nighttime stroll to see Manneken Pis, the iconic bronze statue of a little boy peeing into a fountain—a quirky emblem of the city’s humor and pride.
Back in Luxembourg City, our return flight was delayed, giving us an extra day to explore. We visited the Luxembourg American Cemetery, a fitting and quiet place to reflect.
And they did. For the next thirty years, they never stopped talking about that trip. It truly was the journey of a lifetime.
Weary Travelers waiting for flight home. Notice there are no suitcases on wheels. We schlepped those bags all over Europe.
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