Fifty years ago on June 1957 three just graduated MBA’s from Stanford embarked on a 2 month trip to Europe. The attached article from the Fresno Bee points out some of the details of the voyage. We arrived in Plymouth England on an Italian ship called the Castell’ Felice (Happy Castle - and it was very happy). It was probably the only time in our lives where we were outnumbered by a factor of three by young college girls.

      Going to Europe nowdays is no big deal but in 1957, few Americans were traveling to Europe. When I returned from the trip, the Fresno Bee printed the article shown below on September 29, 1957. I received calls from many service clubs to be a guest speaker about our trip. Very few in the audience had traveled to places where we had been.

      Prices were very reasonable and often just plain cheap: $3 each per night in Spain at a decent hotel near Madrid. Breakfast in Barcelona 12 cents - Astoria Hotel and a glass of wine for 2 cents. Imperial Hotel in London $4.00 a day including breakfast. Everything was not always as inexpensive as the prior mentioned prices but compared to the present price structure - a bargain.

      We all have great memories of our voyage and Barbara and I have made many more trips to Spain, to France where our daughter lives and to Italy to visit some of my cousins. I thank the friends of ours who told us to travel while we still were single and unemployed because once we settled down with a job and family, it probably would not happen for some time. They were correct. And the good times will never be forgotten. One question, Where has the time gone?

John Calvert & Gary Marsella in Venice, Italy

Bill Kessinger, John Calvert and Gary Marsella at the American Embassy in Paris

Gary E. Marsella

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