Session: 123456789101112131415161718192021         Page 243244245246247248249250251252253254255256257258259260261262263264265266267268269270271272273274275276277278279280281282283284285286287 of 1029

Well, I talked him into coming with me. According to Gertrude's original instructions we booked airplane tickets to Lyons, where Gertrude and Alice were to meet us. At the last minute she called up and said, “Go to Geneva; it's closer.” Well, this meant one more hop after Lyons. We flew over the Alps in a little single-motor plane, and practically turned upside down en route. Jo got violently sick. Every time I turned to look at him, he was shaking his fist at me, he was so furious. We finally got down at Geneva, and Alice and Gertrude were waiting for us, laughing gaily. Gertrude said, “After I called you up, I found our home was much nearer to Lyons!" This was after we had bounced around for an hour over those mountains!

Well, then we started back with Gertrude giving directions. She was a great back-seat driver. Alice Toklas did the driving. We had to cross customs, of course, from Switzerland into France, which wouldn't have been necessary if we'd gone to Lyons. There was a great deal of excitement because Gertrude was bossing the customs people around. She then got us lost completely. We went through one village three times. The third time the people waved at us. Jo Davidson was going crazy. We finally arrived in Belignin, Gertrude Stein's southern villa. Everybody in town looked on Gertrude as the boss lady. People came to her with all their troubles-- sickness, births, deaths, divorces, anything at all. Gertrude ruled the roost.

The way she got the villa is a typical Gertrude Stein