Marseille, second biggest city of France, has its long story, was founded as a port, Greek's colony  in 600 a.C., was important in the Mediterranean, from there irradiated to all Occident the greek's culture, in accordance with what is engraved in one stone in the port, but from where also entered the great pests that crushed the Europe populations. From Marseille marched in 1792 to Paris the soldiers, singing "Allons enfats de la Patrie", song that became the popular french's national hymn. Famous "Marselhesa!". 

Went upstairs, aboard the Campana, some more families,  but none patrician. The lower decks were openned and the ship's wreckers worked feverishly transporting sacks and boxes with maintainance, barrels of water and chemist products, many bags, strongboxes etc.. It was weekend and on Sunday morning was brought from the church, Our Lady of the Navigators, one catholic priest to serve mass on ship: The captain, great part of the officials and sailors were assisting the Mass.

The Sunday morning lunch was feastful, menu was fish and shrimps and big milanese beefs with fresh greens salad with mayonnaise. The macaroni did not lack! The sunset begun behind the mounts around the port when we noticed a great sailor's movement in the ship - began to loose the thick cords, that holded the ship in the dock, the motors were turned on, followed various whistles  and the steam separated itself from the earth.  In the dock the passengers's relatives shouted the last goodbye, the passengers crossed themselves and the big transoceanic voyage was beginning.... I remembered, in that moment, how the sailors of the discovery epoch must had sensed, when their fragile sailing ships went out of the harbour, fronting the "unknown", leaving behind theirs families, relatives, sons, parents - not knowing if some day they will return. They needed to have many courage - or despair. Many times both! The Campana was going away the harbour, the houses in the mounts became each time more little until disappearing in the blue horizon - there was no more land to be seen - only the sky and the sea! Our ship increased the speed and a light balance began, that some of us sensed more, others less, and to move on board we learned with the sailors: "walk with the legs a little open, not to loose the equilibrium". Our ship took the south-west direction in accordance with verification with my compass: Gibraltar. Noticed in the ship's poop, where we were installed, I together with some mates, how the ship leaved behind itself a large strip of shine spume, that with the night arrival became silvery. The ship's prow opened a way in the open sea with the potents motors, that closed in the poop, where we watched the spectacle. In the dark sky the first star appeared -the Venus planet giving good wishes to the ship. The restaurant's bell rang: the dinner was served, we leaved the poop and went upstairs in the restaurant. The tables were covered with salads, ham, salame and cheese - it was the "self-service" to entrances, aftwards each one pick up another plate and followed to the kitchen door, where the principal dish was served: the macaroni! The bottle of "Chiante" was over all tables - water had to ask the garçon. Dessert: ice-cream, pudding and banana. The food was tasty and international food.  But the restaurant was not very crowded and in the day after missed even more people. At night we caught a storm and the ship balanced a lot, many people became sick, "sea-sick" - told the japonese cooker smiling. I and my voyager's companions were all well. After the storm the sky began to clear and soon the sun appeared, we pick up the blankets that we extended over the steel plates, in "our place", in the poop. Appeared away earth, we approached Gibraltar, but our ship maintained a certain distance from that island, which was british proprietorship. The Strait of Gibraltar has a crack of 15 - 20 km of width, which separates the European continent from Africa. There is a scientific theory, that the actual Mediterranean sea, in ancient times, was one very much lower lake in the Atlantic Ocean level, but with a terrible earthquake, the stones that separeted it opened and the Atlantic sea penetrated as a seaquake in the Mediterranean lake and caused the famous "Deluge" cited in the Bible.  The Deluge has support in the old written word founded in Egypt, Mesopotamia and Babylon. Mesopotamia, earth between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers - nowadays sadly known as Iraq and Afghanistan, were once knew as "Civilization Cradle"!

The people that inhabited that region was Sumerios, that created the famous "Hammurabi Code" - the first code of law in the world. In the ancient city of Uruk was found in encrust stone the "Legend of Gilgamesh" in assyrian-babylonian letters. The legend has approximately 4000 years! Gilgamesh was the fifth sovereign of the first Uruk's dynasty, was considered demigod, of giant size, lived happily with his friend Enkidu in his land. In trying to execute a service to Gilgamesh - Enkidu died. To recovery his friend from death, Gilgamesh went in search of a herb or medicine throughout the known world. In the sea-shore found an old fisherman, that told him to search in an island for a man who knew this medicine, in the middle of the sea. He was the oldest man in the earth because survived the Deluge, named Umapishtim - our known Noah! Gilgamesh went in his search and knew through him that in the deep ocean there is a flower that return the  youth. The Gilgamesh with great strength dove in the sea and found that flower, but in returning the surface, a fishing passing in his way swallowed  the flower and disappeared! Gilgamesh returned to Uruk knowing that only the gods are immortals, the men all die!  

But returning to our voyage by the Strait of Gibraltar. I did not know yet the "Legend of Gilgamesh" but knew another legend named "Atlantis": In accordance with belief of olden Greeks, after Gibraltar there was an island where a very developed civilized people leaved, that was destroyed by a vulcanian explosion! I had read that romance about "Atlantis" when I was twelve years of age - hidden, because my parents thought the book very "strong" because described the free love!

We passed by the Strait - the right side there were big stones, the left - African, it was possible to see little cities, but soon the Strait opened itself  and we entered the big Atlantic Ocean in the african coasts. Turned now more to South and in December 1, 1951, arrived in an important port: Dakar, where we received the permission to go up and visit the city because we had the prevision of station until afternoon. Anxiously we went up to the african land - Dakar is an important harbour and capital of Senegal, french colony. Typical colonial city: all the center surrounding by walls of european exclusiveness, with big houses and stores, buses and taxis in the streets, suburb with wooden and bamboo houses, covered with aluminum sheets. I was accompanied by the patrician named Edwin, that talker, who knew all.... Soon appeared a black adolescent boy around 15 years of age, who talked french and english and offered himself as our guide of the city by 10 dollars. We were in Africa, between Arabs, therefore needed to bargain: 5 - "not possible",6, 8 - final price.! O.K. He took us to the catholic cathedral ( by the entrance of the city there was a very beautiful mosque - 70% of population adopted a form of islamism), big government building, some stores type "Rive-Gauche" of Paris with indian carpets, beautiful paintings ( Mona Lisa copys, landscapes of Montmartre, of Senna, Manet, Monet) - naturally everything away of our pockets. The squares were full of trees - in the great majority palms, bamboos - tropical nature, we took some photographs there - one of another and of some women that carried everything by the top of the head- even the bottles. The girls were laughing, both of us too, feeling happy and emotion - I remember how many books about African voyages already had read and now I was stepping on this black earth personally! 

But it was becoming late, we needed to return to our steam. When we were returning to the harbour the ship already gave its first whistle: "Allons enfants de la Patrie.." let us continue our voyage! We went up the Campana tired and hungry, but happy with our visit to Dakar. At nightfall the sailors made their habitual work to unfasten the thick cord, loose the security currents, rising anchor, turn on the turbines and goodbye Africa! We climbed the ship-board to our restaurant - and attacked the macaroni and the "Chiante" wine. The dinner was excellent, the ship did not balance much, all the sicks recovered themselves, tropical flowers appeared in the vases. We talked until late hours, a gipsy band in a corner cheered the ambient - the gipsies! Who knew the gipsy music does not resist their beauty, they played "Oci Czernia", "Volga, mat rodnaia", "Czardas"- very well known songs in the Central Europe, violins, cymbals and bass, a little band, but melodic. When they finished, a young passed with extended hat in hand, there was no person who did not put a little coin in the hat.  

In the following day the Campana still contoured the Africa until more in the south, near the Equator changed the direction to South America. In the following day the sailors communicated to the passengers that those who cross the Equator for the first time must be baptized by the  "God Netune of the sea". In our group only two persons had already crossed the Equator, a patrician, photographer, that had already been in India to made a reportage to "Geographical Magazine" and another, already of certain age, that had worked as a sailor and knew all the world around. The baptism consisted in an oath of obedience and fidelity to Netune and ended with a pail of water in the head. Our "baptism" was simplified: The sailor, that represented Netune, turned on, in the H hour, a water hose with squirt and baptized everybody with a water-pump. We became all wet but as the sun was hot, dried in a little time. The captaincy offered  as "promotion" to the "old sailors": an enormous cake, covered with grated coco-nut and sparkling wine (in place of champagne). 

I found a sailor who spoke good English, and enjoying now our promotion, asked him if he could tell me our motion speed? The sailor answer: "The speed control is on upper-desk with the officer in charge, but I can estimate"- put the finger in the mouth to wet it and sense the wind direction, reclined the chest out of the ship, looked the prow to poop and afterwards told: "About 20 knots!". "How many Kms?"- insisted I - "That is 20 miles!" All the presents in this dialog looked themselves, a patrician, sailor, told: "This is 'nautical mile' and I do not remember how much is in Km, a Standard Mile is 1609 m" Then I, shoemaker, in accordance with my passport, opened the mouth: "English measures and weights are in my country basic material in school, I learned them in the second year of the Commercial Academy. The knot corresponds to the ship speed of 15.43 meters in half a minute, times by 120 it is 1852 m, that corresponds to the Sea-mile. Consequently 1852 times 20 is equal to 37.040 meters, thus our ship in the moment is moving to approximately 37 km by hour!" (Or calculating by knots: 15.43 times 20 = 308.60 meters in half a minute times 120= 37032 meters- the distances in sea are calculated approximately because the earth is not a perfect ball, is a little crushed in the poles and more lengthy in the equator, sea-mile or nautical mile corresponds to 2,025 yards, or: 91.44m times 2.025 =1852 m). 

I think that we must return a little to history: After the division of the world, that Portugal and Spain made between themselves, with the named Tordesilhas line, in 1494, the English began to enter in the navigation history. The first who appears in the list of the navigators is Sir Francis Drake (1543-1596). He became famous assaulting spanish fleets, that by their turn where robbing gold and silver of the conquered countries of South America - Drake was a pirate, famous with his ship of 100 tons, the "Golden Hind", very well build. The "hind" has in English two senses: the female of the Deer and also Buttocks. I presume the choise was for the first because on land he was a hunter and in that time deers lived  in the big forests. The forests covered, in the epoch, England and all North and Central Europe and was the place where deers and bears were found as well others big animals. Francis Drake was in the sea a great navigator and in 1577-80 became the second earth circumnavigator.  Besides with his enormous fortune, that he acquired as a pirate and gave to the queen Elizabeth I, he helped the improvement of the England's finance and was decorated as "Sir" and became "Kings-man". So tells the history that the queen liked him so much that even accepted to dine with him aboard the Golden Hind and gave him many properties, in the way that Drake  had castles and earths not only to himself but also to his descendents! In 1588, in a naval battle defeated the proud spanish flotilha and with this England became a naval potency.

Passing the Equator, our Campana ship of 26.000 tons, maximum speed of 30 knots, entered the still waters of the Atlantic Ocean, was made a cleaving sunny day, blue sky- profound, we stayed the majority of the day on board, taking sun-bath and talking. The patrician, a sailor of many travels, knew many seas, various world parts - told his adventures as a mariner in various ships, the storms he faced, even ships sinking, the brave sea of China and India, but also the beauty of some islands of the Pacific Ocean. We stayed hours with him, listening to his adventures! Now he was driving to Buenos Aires, where a friend opened a restaurant and invited him to became associated. In Manaus he had a woman that he would like to ask to live with him in Buenos Aires!- In this way is the sailor´s life! Only those who travel in a ship, in the middle of the ocean and in a light sky can appreciate the great spectacle that is to observe the stars: People see thousands of stars and planets and can imagine the immensity of the Universe!  The Universe has no beginning no end! Soon we recognized the Venus planet - the first star, that appears in the horizon, Mars, with its red light, star group Orion (three stars in queue, named also 3 Marys), but we searched overall to the Southern Cross, but we could not see. Consulting a sailor's ship he told us: It became visible more to the South! In truth, we only approach of Rio de Janeiro, it was located! Our earth turning, change also the stars positions and to locate between the thousands just one group, requires training and experience of an astronomer! A Copernik, Kepler - Leonardo da Vince! On december 9, 1951, appeared the first birds near the ship: gulls, sign of near earth! And in the afternoon the Pão de Açucar appeared, we were arriving the Promised Land - Brasil and the Marvelous City- Rio de Janeiro!  But the ship stopped in the bay entrance, it was Sunday and there was no place in the harbour. Only in the next day we began to enter the harbour, anchored and some immigrant's families began to down. We asked to went down the ship for some hours and the immigrant's official consented, but only 2 hours! We went reeling in earth ( in the ship we accostumed to the constant up and down movement) and climbing the earth with open legs not to loose the equilibrium. But soon we accostumed ourselves and drived to a bar, where was written "Coffee". We would like to taste the famous brazilian coffee! In the bar there was a big balcony and behind it a portion of beautiful smiling mulatto women. What most sympathetic environment! We asked coffee, girls asking something- but we could not understand, our portuguese knowledge was much restricted. I was very blond, bronzed by the sun and the girls were trying to catch my hair,  the most dare girl passed under the balcony and embraced and kissed me - I stayed without knowing what to do  and the girls laughed without end! Finally we were able to drink coffee, that we enjoyed too much, although much sweet!   From this day on I always asked in bars coffee without sugar... Girls asked us with gestures to stay until night, but we indicated our ship, that we were going to Santos. By the first time we payed with the "cruzeiros", that we changed in Genova. We found the coffee too cheap. In a newsstand I bought some magazines, Newsweek and one called Cruzeiro that costed one cruzeiro! It was full of photographs of beautiful girls. We would like not to loose our ship so we did not go away distant and soon came back. But the first impression that we made of the Brasil's land: "Is beautiful!".   

In the afternoon our ship whistled, called the late ones, rose anchor and departed to Santos, our entrance harbour to Brasil. We arrived the day next, Tuesday, december 11, 1951. We gave the farewell to our poland friends, that went ahead to Buenos Aires, also to our gentle patrician sailor and stepped in the Santos's harbour - the baggage was taken by the dock workers. We were taken to a big building , where it was written: "Customhouse", where our baggage was put in the middle of a saloon, each one of us went to search for our bags and an enormous queue around the saloon was made. They were almost all the Campana's passengers. I remembered our arrival in Munik, in the middle of the night with the shouts of the SS Obengruppenfuhrer in a grey uniform, that with a whistle organized the queue - it was in January, 1944. Now the things repeated themselves in Brasil, only in the SS place was a custom worker, to him: " Everybody is trash and vagabond, until You prove the contrary".  We needed to open our bags and one functionary passed from one to other, handling the contents and searching what we did not know: Gold, foreign money, food, fresh fruits, that were soon confiscated, each bag seen was closed and marked with chalk a cross..Then we dragged with our bags to another saloon where it was written: Immigration Federal Inspection, behind a balcony  there were seaten two employees and in the  formed queue there were more than 200 persons, men, women, and children which with the long wait became hungry and began to cry, mothers holding the little ones in their arms, some became angry others crying also, the men began to complain, but the policemen stayed calm and continued interviewing one by one, calling people from the queue, examining the passports and all the documents in our power. The heat in the saloon was becoming infernal, majority wearing heavy chothes yet, europeans, we were arriving from winter to brazilian's summer! At midday the two policemen went out of the saloon to lunch. In the saloon there was a barrack selling soft drink and sandwiches. I remember bying a soft-drink, half bitter, where there was the word "quinina". My colleagues remembered, quinine is good against malaria, and run to buy one also. At 2 o' clock in the afternoon other two policemen appeared behing the balcony and the interview continued. Near 4 o'clock in the afternoon my turn came, I arrived half tremulous but the policemen examined my passport and my work shoemaker Batatuba's contract, stamped the passport  and signed. I was free! I went out of the hot saloon soon, dragging  my baggage, outside it was still hot, but a light wind blew from the sea side. I waited the exit of  my colleagues, we called a little truck with the inscription: For rent. The driver put our bags in the truck and we tried to explain to him that we were in search of a cheap hotel. Man soon saw that we were immigrants and took us to an inn near the harbour, to a mate of him by sure, by the look a Portuguese. Charged us 10 dollars!. The Portuga took us inside the hotel, with various rooms, in each there were four double-decker, looked all clean, showed us the shower-bath and presented  us his mother. She was a sympathetic old lady that put clean clothes to the bed and two towels. She tryed to communicate  with us, tolding that she was also an immigrant from Lisboa! We took cold bath, refreshing, changed our clothes and in shorts, chemisette and tennis, picked up our documents and money and went out to knew the commercial district of Santos, that was also the center of the city. We saw the railway station Santos-Jundiai and there appeared the idea of sending our heavy bags by railway to São Paulo. We found also the initial bus point Cometa and Brasil Expresso. It was already becoming dark, we found a restaurant with taste food and good beer and by the first time we felt ourselves free. Santos was full of foreigners, in the restaurant was dinning a sympathetic american couple - there I had, after a long time, the opportunity to talk english, the couple came by ship and in the next day, they told, will follow to São Paulo. We returned to our inn, we were tired and went to sleep soon. In the next day I got up early, took coffee and milk, bread and butter, a coco-nut pudding and went with a colleague to call a cab to sent the big bags by railway station. There we despatch them and I send mine to Lapa and my friend to Brás. I thought initially also to took the train, but looking the schedule I noticed that the train would take three hours and a half to São Paulo and the bus  would only take two hours and we returned to the hotel and decided to take the bus that passed  hour in hour, closed our bills and bought our Cometa passages to 9 o' clock and gave farewell to the sympathetic Santos city, although a little too hot. The bus soon took the Anchieta road, yet new - we brought a Santos Guide and knew that Anchieta was a name of the spanish Jesuit monk that together with the priest Manoel of Nobrega found the São Paulo city. The road was marvelous, both of us thought, passed in the middle of the Atlantic Forest, that covered, in that time, all the Brasil seaside from North to South. Passed from one side to the other, making a half circle, going up a big wall of 800 meters, that was ahead of us. Look like going in an ancient path, made by mules and horses that in this form winned the steep road. After around one hour of climbing -(the road had almost no traffic, only saw  some imported cars - Fords and Chevrolets,  that passed  by us and some trucks that descended by other track going in the direction of the harbour) - in a big curve, that surrounded a giant tree, there was a stop point - the motor was over-heated and the bus stopped. We went out to breath the fresh air. From a big stone by the road side water flew, a natural fountain, as we ahead saw many more. The water was cold and tasty - a natural mineral water fountain! There we could observe better the Natural beauty: the orchids in the trees, many animals and savage birds crossed the road from a side to other, we saw colourful macaws, parrots, paraquitos, doves, and flowers by the road side that I had never seen! And enormous butterflys of profound blue, how much beauty in this blessed country!  Near the fountain there was a barrack, where a lady was selling sweets and saltys, they looked like tasty and I bought some peanut and coco-nut sweets, they were delicious! I bought also some sweets I did not know named "soft Mary", gelatin and honey and guarded them in my bag. After half an hour the driver called us back, we took the seats and the travel continued. In 20 minutes we arrived at the top of the big wall and now our driver speed. We continued passing forests, but younger, was not the original forest...Sometimes appeared by the road side a wooden barrack with children giving goodbye with colourful handkerchiefs. In some spots there were forest guards and the patrol police. Two travel hours went by  and the first houses appeared, we saw the plate São Bernardo do Campo. And in some minutes appeared the big plate São Paulo - at a distance appeared enormous buildings: São Paulo State Bank and Martinelli. The driver stopped in Municipal Theater's front, where there was a municipal bus stop and indicated us that there we could take the bus. We went down and I soon saw plates indicating various places. I found the Lapa plate and soon rooted myself in front. My colleague had to take the bus Pinheiros, we sad farewell, changed addresses and separeted ourselves - the photographer colleague had already his job assured, I not even knew if I would stay in Lapa, but I was going to try...In the arriving of the red bus with the Lapa plate I entered the bus, showing an address in an envelope and the recommendation letter of the Oldrich friend, (the patrician Oldrich, the one that crossed the Austria frontier in a boat without oars,  pushing  in water while swiming the family boat and who gave me the address of Mr. Josef Burda). The address was Coriolano Street, number 1684 in Lapa. The bus driver assented with his head and we departed. The city traffic was easy, there was no nacional cars and imported ones were little. In half an hour the driver gave a signal to me, pick up bag and little valise and went down in the Clelia street. Showed the address to a sir with white hair, he took from his pocket a notebook and pencil and drawed to me: turn left and afterwards first right is the Coriolano street. I followed the drawing, there was the Coriolano street number 1600, lacked  a little, walked a little more and found 1684. It was a double-house with a little florid garden by the front. Touched the bell, in a little while a girl appeared, I asked: "Is Mr. Josef Burda in?" The girl returned inside and soon appeared  a big sir, strong, half bald. I attacked rapidly in czech, presented myself and gave him the friend letter. He read with attention and his face soon opened in a large smile, stretched his gross hand in my direction and squeezed with strength. Order me to enter a great hall, with center table and six chairs around, a big sofa under the window to the street and a confortable easy chair. In another wall there was a "krendez". Accomodated himself in the sofa and called upstairs with thundering voice: "Slávko, máme visitu!" A lady of around thirty five years, beautiful, blonde, went down the stairs. Her blue eyes sparkled with joy in knowing that I was a patrician and my name was Oldrich. Introduced herself to me as Miroslava and her daughter, the one that attended the door, as Jane of fifteen years. They were refugees from Prague, Czechoslovakia's capital, where they had had a tissue shop that was confiscated by the communists and they were despoiled. They were living in Brasil since last year (1950) and they had one more daughter Claudia, who was born in the ship which brought them to Brasil. The lady told that the ship was French and the captain was Claudia's godfather in her birth. As the ship was french Claudia won the french nationality and afterwards, achieving eighteen years old, could travel in the captain's ship first class all around the world, without any expense. They showed to me the Birth Certificate all written in French. There I told summarily my adventures, showed my czecho documents and scholarship. I told them that I was in search of residence, but Mr. Josef interrupt that upstairs they had three bedrooms and that they occupied only one, the second was already rent to a patrician who was a truck driver and he was always away from São Paulo, doing transportation for a company and the third one was empty and could be rent by me. I enlightened that I was the owner of only 300 dollars, but that I gave in their hands, if they could allocated me and gave me some food. I showed them also my work's contract with the Bata company in the São Paulo's interior, where I must work, because they gave me the affidevit that served me to immigrate to Brasil as a shoemaker. Mr. Josef then enlightened me that the owner of the Brasil's branch is a patriot and he helped the immigration of all patricians and it was enough to visit his office in city and thank him for his help, and that he did not obligate people to work in his factory, he also thought that with my knowledge of english and german I could easily found better work in São Paulo, that actually there is an expansion and qualified people is needed. By the food, Slávka is a good cooker, and in the rent meals is enclosed. ".. and talking about food- interrupt Mrs. Slávka, it is already one o'clock in the afternoon, we had already eaten and what can I prepare to you sir?" I asked, more or less shy, for three mixed eggs - eggs are my favorite food. She got up and went to kitchen, that was also in the back of the house that had an backyard. While Mrs. Slávka prepared the eggs, Mr. Josef pick up my bag and lead me to my room. It was spaced with a window to the background and a bookshelf. The bathroom was by the side, with shower, everything clean, shinning, showed a very good housekeeper... And more, Mr. Josef told me that I could pay only after finding a job! Missing little days to Christmas and until Carnival nobody would admit new employees... I washed my hands,changed the shirt and went down room where Mrs. Slavka already served mixed eggs  with little onions, and an ice refresh, with bread and butter, everything was delicious! What a happy day! I had found room with complete lodgings in a marvelous family! 

The Jane girl was studying in a brasilian school since they came to Brasil last year and was talking good portuguese, Mr. Josef was talking just a little and Mrs. Slávka understood well, but did not talk much. In the afternoon Mrs. Slávka went out with Jane to the municipal market of Lapa and brought a new pillow to my bed and also sheets that soon changed. Brought also sausage, ham and delicious cheese to dinner. During dinner Mr. Josef opened one of his wine bottles's stock, we ate, drank and talked - changed our experiences of fugitives, talked about politics and they told me about their one year in Brasil. They had had lot of problems and the greater one was the lack of talking portuguese - thought to begin a new business, open a shop like the one they had in Praga, but without the language knowledge and the initial capital it was difficulty. Mr. Josef changed the garage in a workshop where he used to made some plastic products: bottle covers, bottles and sold them in the black market, cause they had no money to open a firm and order to print fiscal notes. I realized again the importance of the language knowledge abroad. Mrs. Slávka was a relative of the sewing machine maker Singer, a patrician, jew, that promised to help the Burda family and give the necessary capital but he need some assurances  but the poorest ones spent all their money in Brasil, in the house formation, rent and nothing rested more! But they were young, healthy and believed that with time things are going to improve... What courage! 

I went to sleep early that day, by the window of the backyard a light jasmin smell entered, in the neighbour house a dog gave a short bark, away a thunder sound... I was young, full of hopes and slept soon. I get up next day feeling the surroundings strange until I remembered where I was - in Brasil, in São Paulo in the house of friends that remembered me the Wetzlinger... I took a cold douche - was sweating at night, dressed my shirt and trouser "khaki" of explorer and went down to take breakfast, Mrs. Slávka took care of me like Mrs. Flora: capricious coffee with fresh little breads, already warm, butter,  fruit-jelly, and a cake made in the hour. I ate the coffee together with the family, less Claudia, the baby was sleeping yet. Mrs. Slávka asked me what I liked to eat in house: "Kidney at wine madeira, liver, gulash, milanese steak ( in my land it is said "viennese mode"), rolé steak, nhoque, eggs." Mrs. Slávka smiled and said "The food here is different, even the meat and kidneys taste different and in the beginning, you are going to find strange, but with time you are going to accustomed yourself". And Mr. Josef soon increased: "And drink cachaça, 51 and sugar-cane, in lunch you are going to try!" I told that I would like to buy paper block and envelopes to write the letters. Jane soon entered the conversation: "The paper shop is near in the corner, also in the grocery store there are lot of things - by the side!". I went down the street to make a look, what is there in the neighbourhood - really there was almost all, surprise was for me to find in the grocery, where they sell milk, bread, sausage, salame, cheese, ham, eggs and bananas, my favorite fruit. Jane who accompanied me and helped me with the purchase, soon complete:"In the corner there  is a japonese who sells only bananas!", and she took me there. When I enter in the house of fruits I gave a shout, "How many fruits!" . And bananas, cleared Jane, existed of various kinds: nanica, silver, gold... I indicated a thorny one- it is a pineapple, very taste. I bought soon bananas, a dozen ( that to the japonese was thirteen) of nanica, two pineapples, watermelon and orange. In the grocery I bought a big wallet  , we put the fruits there and took all happily to the house. Mr. Josef showed me how to peel pineapple and to cut in slices: what a tasteful fruit! 

After lunch I pick up block of paper and started to write to male friends and female friends that I arrived well in Brasil and how I was luck! Naturally the first letters were to my father and brother, my aunt in Vienna and indicated the address of Mr. Josef, with his consentment. I spent hours describing my ship voyage and my first impressions of Brasil. 

Friday night spoke Mr. Josef: "We go to movies!" And we went: The Burda couple and I, Jane needed to stay home with the baby Claudia. The "Jaraquá" movie was three streets up ours, with only one ticket people saw three different films! And good films, recent ones - in that time the north american cinematograph industry was in the apogee of the production and went out some films, that later became classics. In the intervals people went in the waiting-room to drink a soft drink and eat a sandwich, or a little packet of salt peanut and also of popcorn.

Before passing the films, the screen showed the cinematograph newspaper, of the MGM with the roar of the lion. The first part of the newspaper was about the international happenings  in vogue: The marriage of the Monaco prince with the famous movie actress, the great feast of the viceroy in India, ski competitions in Aspen, etc..In the second part the brazilian moments: Signature of a new law by the president Getúlio Vargas. In showing the Getúlio image, appeared in the room general burst of laughter, whistles and shouts - I looked around in all sides, thinking in police intervention, but the unique policeman present in the cinema was in the door laughting also. I did not understand - a president being mocked in cinema... I turned to Mr. Josef, he told: "In São Paulo is not esteemed!". What a liberal country... In the newspaper's third part was the most applauded, the everlasting football game of Fla-Flu, people gave cheers, bellows - it is well said outside that Brasil is the football and carnival country! Section began at 8 o'clock at night and ended one after midnight. Slávka went out before the last film, was worried  about Claudia. I and Mr. Josef stayed to the end. On saturday Mrs. Slávka invited me to know the Lapa Municipal Market. We took a little car used in fair to carry the purchases easily. The Market was at little distance of our house, about 5 or 6 corners towards Lapa's center. I was surprised by the building size, there were various entrance doors and various sections: Of vegetables and fruits, of meats, fishs, chicken, dry meats, oil barrels - (portuguese, spanish, french and italian), olives, lards, alcohol and soft drinks, sausages, hams, cheeses, butter, sweets, fruit-jelly...I became dazzle - I never have seen in only a building so many merchandise accumulated! Between the fruits there were some I did not knew, asked Slávka, but she did not know all. There was also a marked section: Imports - there I found lots of wine and european liquors, canned sardin, cucumber conserves, tunny..each pace I found some newness, delicious. Slávka pulled my hand, our little car was already full and also my wallet. We needed to return, the lunch hour already passed, we bought some sausages to lunch, pat of liver and "ball" cheese and returned - Mr. Josef already complained that was hungry, but soon became calm in seeing our purchase and the italian wine bottle bought to Christmas feast. There was missing little days to Christmas, when in our front house a truck stopped. Inside was another patrician, Francis, tenant, that occupied the another available room of the Burda family. He was about forty five years old, of Hodonin origin, a little city in the south of the Moravia state. This part of the country is occupied by people of hard race, patriot - from that region was originated the founder and first Czechoslovakia president - Tomas G. Masaryk (1850-1937), was of poor family of eight sons, his father died early and the sons had to work since little ones to sustain the family, was the only son able to study, graduated  in philosophy in Viena (only german schools of university degree existed in that epoch in the Austria- Hungary Empire - the same situation returned in the Third Reich epoch, under the Hitler domain, already mentioned in the Chapter 2). Masaryk lecture also in Sorbonne, during world war took refuge in Russia were he formed a legion of czech refugees and combated the "bolschevique" - communists. After the end of the war in 1918 was elected president of the Republic of Czechoslovakia. Formed an exemplar country, democratic, the german and hungary minorities had schools and all the rights of the czechs and slovaks. Was re-elected three times and died at eighty seven years old, all nation cryed the loose of this great man! Well, my Frantisek patrician was not great man, middle height, blonde, a little stammerer, but very happy and spiritual. He was married, had a couple of sons, but stayed in Czechoslovakia, taking care of the rural property, refugee was only Frantisek, that was delegate of the agrarian party and therefore persecuted. His wife was obliged to ask divorce, to be able to stay in the property. Each one of the refugee had a history to tell - and generally sad. He unload the Saint Catarina's wine bottles from the truck, boxes of fruits and sweets made there by the germany colony. Christmas we feasted in the czech mode: Mr. Josef bought in the marked a christmas tree, that was adorned by Mrs Slávka and Jane with colourful adornments and little candles. In the Christmas Eve we dine fish with russian salad, drunk wine and "caipirinha", each one received a modest present. After dinner we light the tree's candles, gave hands and chanted: "Narodil-se Kristus Pán, veselme-se..." as is custom in our land. It was a beautiful and moving moment... We went also to compliment the family of our house owner, she was a czech lady, already old, widow, that lived in Brasil already 30 years - she was married to a Portuguese that left her financially well, she had various rented houses, a beautiful residence and there in her house I saw by the first time a Television, Tupi TV, inaugurated in the last year (1950). We watched a little but as nobody of us understood anything,  we drunk  with Mrs Mary a champagne cup, desired Happy Christmas and retired ourselves home to continue to eat, drink and talk to midnight.

There already tired we desired good-night and retired to our beds. This was my first Christmas in Brasil,  I remembered of the ones in Austria and in my land - only the first ones- of children in Kridlovice with father and mother, my brother Vladimir and with my uncle and aunt of Vienna were beautiful - unforgettable- we were children and have had no problems... How will be my life in Brasil? Will I find job soon? In the middle of January I received the first correspondence of my land - of my father, was happy, that I arrived well in Brasil and that I found good reception in the Burda family. Afterwards another letters begun to arrive: of the Wetzlinger, of my aunt Mary of Vienna and other male friends and female friends of Munik, of Mr Rothe ( the swiss one, my mate in the BMW office), even Fanny of Munik and Sonia Hammer of Austria (the actress) gave notice.