Inspiring Women Magazine November 2023

have a sports club close by the house, so
immediately my sister and I took to swimming
and tennis.
We were “very American,” protected by the big
American communities that existed then in all
important cities all over the world. Dad had our
DeSoto car sent down to Buenos Aires, which
attracted attention. I, on the
other hand, had an American
bicycle with thick tires,
different from what existed
in Argentina at that time.
In 1956, my parents
separated. My mother,
sister and I passed through
the United States and
traveled on towards Europe
on the USS United States
from New York. We first went
to Paris, which was beautiful
but expensive and difficult
because we did not know the
language, so we took a train
down to Barcelona.
Contacting the American
Consulate there convinced
Mother that we needed to
go to Mallorca. At
the time, there
was an American
military base in
Puig Major, along
with artists and
writers there. The
word “artist” drew
our mother´s
attention, so off
we went.
Realizing there
was no bilingual/
international
school on the
island, Mother
started her own –
taking care of the
children of military
families working
at Puig Major
and other foreign
families whose
children needed
schooling in
Page 82
Coventryville – country home (top)
bottom row
Elizabeth's family in Argentina (left)
11 years old before leaving for Europe (right)
Page 83
Just arrived in Mallorca, 12 years old
English. Her school still exists and is among the
best: Baleares International College. However,
I could not wait for it to open, so I took up my
studies in a Spanish school.
It was a curious period. Franco had power and
restrictions were imposed. By that time tourists
were starting to flood in, but the Mallorquin
society still found it difficult to accept the
changes that “we” foreigners brought with us.
When I was 17 years old, I arranged to travel
to Bordeaux, France, to study language and
literature at the university. There I met a
very nice Spanish boy. He wanted to return
to Madrid, and, after two years studying in
France, I followed him. There I continued my
studies, focusing on commerce, tourism, and
translations. I also began attending St. George’s
Anglican church.
We married, but since I insisted upon remaining
Anglican, they would not authorize us to marry
at the main altar in any Catholic church, so I had
to pick the nicest sacristy I could find and we
were married there! We had two beautiful
children. We divorced in 1991.
I started to work for The Finnish Paper Mills
Association in Madrid, selling newsprint paper
to Spanish newspapers. After 25 years, I
changed to a Swedish company, Holmen Paper,
which was also dedicated to newsprint and
special qualities for magazines. I retired from
this company with a total of 45 happy years
of working.
Tell us about your arrival in your new country.
The arrival with my mother and sister to the
island went well. It was October. The weather
was warm and I found the island beautiful and
relaxing. Knowing the language and coming
from another foreign country, where I was used
to cultural differences, made it easier for me
upon arriving in Spain. Patience, common sense
and respect is the name of the game.
What was something about your new country
that you were not expecting? What surprised
you the most?
I can recall answering the door one day. There
was a nice man leaving an enormous block of
ice on the floor in front of me. I waited for
instructions as to what to do with it. My mother
finally told me it was for the icebox. She then
had to explain how the country was a few years
behind. She laughed and said it was like living
her youth over again!
Having a good appetite, I found the food good.
No objections there, although it did take me
time to accept the snails they so eagerly offered
in the restaurants.
What were the biggest challenges you had to
overcome adapting to your new country?
There were several cultural differences that,
as an American girl, I found challenging. For
instance, Spanish girls my age could not wear
“shorts” and should never be seen with the boys
of the neighborhood. This was difficult for me
because I was used to playing sports with boys
(and beating them). The late lunch and dinner
hours also took some getting used to.
The holiday season was also difficult. It was
impossible to find a turkey for Thanksgiving or
a Christmas tree for Christmas - only manger
replicas and porcelain figures.
82 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 83