Four Girls in Europe

On October 20, 1900, Clarissa Sands Arnold set sail from New York City for England and Europe on what would become the adventure of her lifetime. Over the next 330 days, traveling wtih five other women, she toured seven countries, slept in thirty-seven hotels and pensions, hiked in the Alps of Switzerland and the hills of England and Germany, drank the waters, bathed Turkish style, lunched among the ruins of Pompeii... A journey of this length and scope would be an extravegant trip today, but in the latter half of the 19th and early 20th centuries, such a journey became almost a rite-of-passage for privileged young men, and eventually young women, from the United States. Kleine Scheidegg. Aug. 4, Sunday (1901) [From Grindelwald] We have had so many rainy days lately that we decided if it cleared, to walk up to the Kleine Scheidegg, so we were up at five and ready to start at six-thirty. Everything was shut up and it seemed as if it must be the middle of the night. We went past The Bear and over the river then began a long steady pull. The girls laughed because I wore gloves and no collar just a handkerchief around my neck, but it was so comfortable and my hands did not blister ["Walkers from Grindlewald to the Little Scheidegg cross the Lütshine above the station of Grund... to Alpiglen 2 hrs., thence to the Scheidegg 1 1/2 hr." Baedeker, Switzerland, 185]. The path was great and pretty steep in places for it reminded me of the Bürgenstock walk toward the top... We got up to the Bellevue [Hotel Bellevue, The Kleine Scheidegg; built in 1854] at just ten, so it took us exactly the three hours and a half that Baedeker said. We were up above everything but grass, though they had little evergreens in tubs setting around and umbrellas for shade. The view of the mountains was superb and prettier than the panorama seems. ["The summit of the pass (6788') affords a striking view of Grindelwald, bounded on the N. by the mountains... On the S. fine views of the Mönch, Eiger and Jungfrau (13,670')." Baedeker, Switzerland, 159-169.] We had coffee first then took our lunch down to the station restaurant where we had Munich Beer that was simply fine. [Picture of the 4 girls hiking, with Alpine Stocks, skirts, hats and the Kleine Scheidegg in the distance.]