Then Joliet and finally Chicago, Ill. Stayed at the Blackstone Hotel very good service but too ritzy - I was in room 203 and I saw Lollie Follon - she was in 227 - Visited the World's Fair here too wonderful for words - Gen. Balbo and his 96 Italian flyers are here and Chicago has sure given him and his men a grand reception.

Left at 9 p.m. on the N. Central - From now on we pass many cities along this part of the country - Many factories a few farms - Battle Creek - (Cereals for Breakfast come from here). Dearborn - Detroit - We passed many automoile factories here - Then now we go into Canada from Detroit - Canadian Inspectiors got on the train here - from here on we passed many farms - not many people are seen in Canada - It is very fogged and misty -

Finally we came to Welland, Ont. Switched and went into Buffalo - Crossing the bridge from - -Ft. Tierre (Ft. Erie) to Buffalo, NY. Very large City - Stayed here only 30 minutes then on our way we went - Rochester, N. Y. was the next stop and off again - Then came Syracuse, N. Y. a very nice city - Off again and from here on the Hudson River stayed at our side.

Boats and barges and small lake and river steamers are seen all along this route. Large hillsides on both sides the river covered with pines make it very pretty. Then there on the other side of the river we could see "West Point" It looks like a large fortress or castle - Then at Harmon we changed engines - leaving our coal engine and taking on an electric engine - very smooth and clean.

On July 19 I arrived here so I have 3 days here in New Yrrk City - First I went to the Stone & Webster Bldg. There I met Mr Fainham - Mr. Leigh - Mr Hackley (he sure was a swell fellow he showed me around the bldg and then around N.Y.C. There sure is a lot to see here - Empire State Bldg. (Tallest in the world 102 stories) - The old Woolworth Bldg. (was the highest a few years ago) "Wall Street" the financial center of the world - New York Exchange - J. P. Morgan's Bldg - Trinity Church.

From the Stone and Webster Bldg - Roof I saw the harbor of New York. We could see Govenors Island - "Statue of Liberty" on Ellis Island. Then we visited the aquarium. It sure was swell there. I saw all kinds of fish those that caught my eye were the electric eels - the sharks and the baby salmon - Visited "Times square" at night and this is one place that is sure lit up - I've made a few trips in the subways and they sure go fast. Mr. Hackley with the E. P. S. lives in the home Washington Irvin the famous American author lived in and wrote his stories - I visited his house the other night.

The Italian Flyers arrived in N.Y.C. ahead of us by just a few hours - They gave them a swell reception and parade where I saw them again - Wiley Post is supposed to arrive here tomorrow or day after - 22 or 23. They are getting a reception ready his wife in Hotel Roosevelt is waiting also for his arrival -

Oh! I almost forgot I've been writing my mother and my girl every day - since I left El Paso - . Well I'm getting ready for my trip across the Atlantic and tomorrow at 11:30 D.S.T. I'll be on my way to Gibraltar - Then Malaga then Valencia - Then time will tell just where the winds will push me too - I do hope it will be back to my family -

I hope the trip on the S. S. Rex of the Italia Lines is as good as the trip I have had.

What an inpression this ocean gives one - New York Harbor is sure a big place - Our boat is a pretty fast one and it didn't take us long to get out of sight of New York and Long Island.

Gibraltar July 27. 1933
Then for a sight that makes us wish that land was near - Water is seen every where finally the Azores come into sight. What a sight Land again then after a while we soon leave these few islands and then its water again until finally we see land again. Portugal then the northern coast of Africa - Finally our destination is at hand - Gibraltar here I and a few other passengers got off to go towards our destinations in Spain or elsewhere - It sure is terrible here in Gibraltar - a very bad class of people of mixed population - Spanish, English - French and Morocans & God knows what else -.

I sure had a swell trip on the S. S. Rex and I met some nice people - Nick, Katherie Helea - Jean Hammar - and Mr. Al Destefino. Mr. Tony Sands, etc. Good meals - too much food - nice cabins - Good service I wouldn't mind traveling onthis boat again - But that I don't know when it will be -

I know one thing I sure wished I could get out of this place called Gibraltar - It's terrible and it gets on ones nerves - There's only one thing in my mind - My Mother my Brothers and my Girl - Gee I'd love to see them and also my friends in El Paso - Now I hope everything goes right so that I may make my mother happy - I sent my aunt in Valencia a Telegram and I guess it will surprise her - Well I guess thats about all. I'll write here in Gibraltar. Now I must wait until I get to Valencia - oh Yes I'm staying at the Continental Hotel and its terrible too -

Finally that evening we arrived in Sevilla. I stayed here one night - This city is sure old - The moors from northern Africa once conquered this part of Spain and made this their headquarters - I visited the Alcazar or the stronghold of the Moorish Kings - This is one of the prettiest places I have ever been in - built arount the 10or 12th century - I visited the Cathedral and Giralda of Sevilla and this Cathedral is old and big - here I saw the tomb of Christopher Columbus, his son and also the tombs of the King and Queen and his son known as el Sabio (his son) -

This city is certainly of the Moorish style principally because the Moors at one time occupied this part of Spain - although the Moorish architecture is noticeable throughout Spain it dominates entirely in this section of the country - The streets are narrow and this is typical to Moorish towns - I visited an exposition grounds which in my conception is the newest and most modern section of this city - The garden is beautiful and although this city is very ancient it is very beautiful -

I left on July 24th at 3:40 P. M. on what is called the rapid transport. This train service is surely slow - slower than a 7 year itch - Finally after one of the darndest railroad trips I have ever had at 7:30 A. M. I arrived in Valencia - What a difference in people What a difference in construction - this city is truly one of the most modern and most commercial cities in Spain - Here there was a Fair and there was people from many other cities and towns in Spain - I tried to find my aunt and cousins at the station and failed so I took a car and went to their home. There I found them what a surprise for both parties. They had just come from the station and they too could not identify me - Gee but my aunt is nice & sweet and my cousins too. They treat me like a prince - asking me questions about my side of the world -

I didn't know I had so many aunts and uncles here but it seems that every day I meet some aunt of uncle that I didn't know I had. They are all sure nice to me. Oh yes I visited the cemetery here and it is much different to our style of burying our dead - But I won't go into the detail as it isn't a very pleasant subject - I visited the old cathedral which dates way back into the dark days.

Here I visited a chapel which is kept closed most of the time. Here I saw the Holy Chalice which our Lord used - also here in this same Chapel which is very dark I saw the chains which held the doors to the city of Marselles France and which was torn down by the Spaniards also way back - They have a large sellection of paintings of many Bishops here in this same chapel - It sure is mysterious and if its walls could talk it would without doubt disclose things that are surely unsuspected - -

I visited the church were my father was baptized and saw the same fountain where he was baptized. In this church one can surely feast his eyes on paintings worth many many a dollar. There is also Quite a bit of sculporal work - I also visited the home where my father was born which was then the aristocratic district of Valencia and now is considered the old section of Valencia - In this same section one can see the homes of which in those days housed the people of titles or the nobility of Spain and Valencia and which now house the ordinary class - This is surely a contrast of what time will do - The streets in this part of the city are very narrow and unlike the wide and modern construction of the new & modern Valencia - There are a lot of old and interesting things to see here in Valencia and I expect to see as many as time will permit me to-

The weather has sure been warm but being that in El Paso we have warmer weather This weather in Valencia doesn't seem so terribly warm to me. Its so damp - that the weather is sticky - There are a lot of palm trees here almost everywhere- I saw the rice fields and also the famous orange groves and let me tell you there are ertainly a lot of oranges here - They also have good cantaloupes -

The majority of the cars here are small - Like Fords & Austins etc. The people here seem to enjoy going to the beach - but being as I have had the experience of seeing nothing but water for 5 days I believe I'll stay and gaze at the good old ground for a while as on my return trip I'll see water for 7 days maybe -

I've visited a few small towns near Valencia and find them quite interesting - At Burjassot I saw the ailos and at Goderla I saw the underground homes that are very interesting - Then at Rocafort I saw some beautiful homes like we have in America - I been to some street dances they call "verbenas" and this is a very gay affair - I saw one of the "football" games here and they can sure play this game - I visited quite a few times a new place just finished called the "Club Nautico" - Its built next to the water front on the harbor. Its sure a swell place - They have a keen swimming pool and resturant.

I've visited the ship building yards and Valencia has one of the largest and best in Spain. This harbor here is half as busy place but not ? as busy as it was a couple of years ago -

Well if everything goes ok I'll ve leaving here on the 17th of Sept. and will be home about the 22. I wished I could have liked this place but its just impossible to live here after getting accustomed to another mode of life Things are very expensive here thats any commodites - Of course there are some things that are cheaper or as cheap but not on the comfortable things