My Years with Ludwig von Mises.pdf - The Ludwig von Mises Institute

today? We tried-and were sent back. On this day only French,
American, and English citizens were allowed by the customs officers
to cross into Spain. "Come back tomorrow," we were told.
Lu was in a terrible state of mind. As calm and composed as he
seemed, he was not made for adventures and uncertainties of this
kind. I needed all my courage to help him overcome his desolation.
For the night we found quarters in the railroad hotel in Cerberes.
Dinner in the hotel, more than anything else, showed the straits the
French were in. As hors d'oeuvres we got a single, lonely sardine
served on a large plate, and as a main course they gave us some
spaghetti. There was no meat, no bread, no vegetable. But as a
consolation we were given a bottle of good red wine. The room we
stayed in overnight had one window, which opened to the railroad
platform. Though there were few trains running, just when we
tried to get some sleep, a freight train rattled into the station, people
shouted, strange red lights flared up, and then again came
darkness and silence, until another train passed through. We woke
up in the morning without having really slept. There was no bath;
one small gray outworn towel had to suffice for both of us. After we
had a cup of coffee, we tried again at the border. The day before the
officers had not even opened our passports. This time, after they
examined them, we were told that our Spanish visa was not good
anymore and that the Portuguese visa also had to be renewed,
since it had been issued in June and only those written in July
were valid for this month. We were ordered to get new visas from
the Spanish consulate in Toulouse.
Very early the next day, 4 A.M., Lu boarded a train to Toulouse.
He took with him the passports of all the passengers on the bus,
including those of seven Portuguese. Late that night Lu came
back, totally exhausted. He had managed to get visas for all the
passengers except the Portuguese. They were turned back for the
third time. Finally, the next day we crossed the border, immediately
got a train for Barcelona, and caught a plane for Lisbon. It
was a rather small plane and my first flight. I cannot say that I
enjoyed it.
When we arrived in Lisbon, we tqok a deep breath. Our first days
there were fully occupied with visits to the police (every foreigner
had to register), to the various transportation offices, and to the
American consulate. We were staying at a small but beautifully
located hotel on the coast. Many of our new friends off the bus
were also there, and we frequently met the other passengers in
town. We were still like a big family.
Lisbon was the most picturesque city I had ever seen. The
houses were painted either a brilliant white, a light delicate pink,
or, sometimes, a soft green or a bright yellow. Some of them were
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