On January 30, 1989 all our furniture got packed up and loaded into a container.
On the way to Italy where we both would move to next...
Next day, January 31, we drove first to the Philadelphia airport for getting us a rental car for the remainder of our stay in the USA.
Pieter standing in the door opening of our small apartment in Shillington, Pennsylvania...
Our final moments...
Pieter in the backdoor of our kitchen, before closing up and returning the keys.
The inspection had been done and we got our $ 750 back as the apartment looked a lot cleaner now then when we moved in!
It was the day that the movers would come to load up our two cars.
Seen here bottom left...
Looking for an area with the right slope for easier getting the Mercury Sable onto the ramp into the container.
So here we go, in caravan, truck with container, one of the moving company's men in the rental car and Pieter in our Mercury Sable, then me inside the Ford Escort.
There were also some boxes with clothes inside, that got quickly swung outside onto the road...
Pieter looking on, alongside our Mercury Sable as we were NOT allowed to touch our cars.
They were now under the moving company's insurance!
Pieter has put on his portable jacket as it was cold...
The selected area proved barely having enough slope...
Here the guy stepped into some Dog Shit... 💩
Ouch, after having cleaned out our cars on the inside meticulously, as being demanded!
I'd taken them to the carwash, for the exterior.
But we had now nothing to clean it off with... what a nasty smell from that humongous turd!
Soon the blue lights came flashing by!
A lady in that neighborhood had alarmed the police as she thought of another car theft...
~
It was tough for legitimating us with a Georgia/USA drivers license, a heavy Dutch accent and the 'unbelievable' story that we were loading up for our move to Italy!
Haha, so many cars got loaded up right there!
Now my 'Essy' was ready to be driven onto that steep ramp!
Luckily, the guy with the Dog Shit under his left foot, did not handle my Essy... so she would not stink inside!
Pieter had pulled the hoodie over his head as it was so mean cold...
Now both, Merc and Essy were inside their container for making the long journey across the Atlantic Ocean, to the harbor of Genoa, Italy...
It would be around Easter when we FINALLY retrieved both of them in Triest, Italy.
Due to a harbor strike in Genoa, they had to go elsewhere!
Those were our 8 weeks of living out of our suitcases... see link below!
Our Pennsylvanian chapter closed...
Driving in our rental car to Wilmington, Delaware for staying with our Jewish friends.
Related post:
Shillington, Pennsylvania where we lived | previous post by me
Living out of our Suitcases - BUT we LIVED near Venice, Italy! | previous post by me
Really exciting! I haven’t thought about how cars are moved. Dog droppings hang everywhere. I have stepped in many times. Even in the woods! The smell and the mess is pretty awful.
ReplyDeleteDearest Anne,
DeleteYou bet it WAS exciting at the time!
Two cars behind each other do fit in such a huge container and that's how they go.
The smell was awesome indeed but we could not do anything, nor were we allowed to even touch our cars.
Hugs,
Mariette
Amazing photos. Driving up that ramp takes skill.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Dearest Victor,
DeleteWe didn't even know we made those photos... just unearthed the negatives and now it comes back very vivid.
It was quite tricky to drive up that ramp with a rather low car, as most are.
Hugs,
Mariette
Well, that was an...interesting...adventure! Ewwww to the smell! :-D
ReplyDeleteDearest Kim,
DeleteYeah, we see it all played out in front of us again after having found those negatives and scanned with that new Kodak. What a day that was!
The stench was awful...
Hugs,
Mariette
This made me think of all the container ships stacked up off the coast of California right now. How many people are waiting for their cars and/or belongings to be delivered, not to mention all the retail merchandise? Talk about a pile of dog poop!
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Mariette!
Dearest Martha Jane,
DeleteOh sure there will be personal belongings in some of them, like with ours and then having a big strike for months! Now it is because of dirty politics, which is even worse.
The dog poop was awful...💩
Hugs,
Mariette
What A Photo From Delaware - Enjoyed All Of These Photos - Also, Appreciated The Photos Of You Two From Your Long Drive Home But Sad Post - Sending Love And Light
ReplyDeleteCheers
Dearest Travis,
DeleteYep, we've resided a while in Delaware and Pieter had to commute from there to the Reading, Pennsylvania area to the office. Not nice in winter time...
Hugs,
Mariette
Oh my! What an experience … holding my nose as I read. LOL
ReplyDeleteDearest Helen,
DeleteYou are good at envisioning things, as I am and I still can feel it creeping up into my nostrils.
Hugs,
Mariette
Anécdota de una vida, que ahora con el tiempo, parecen divertidas.
ReplyDeleteBesos
Querida Antónia,
DeleteSí, ahora uno puede reírse de eso, pero no en este momento ... Fue horrible. Pero hemos vivido muchas aventuras y todas terminaron bien.
Abrazos,
Mariette
I really did enjoy your photos from 1989, what a blast from the past. But I don't envy that move you had to make from Philly to Italy, moving can sure be stressful!
ReplyDeleteDearest Heidi,
DeleteIt is a good thing that we don't know ahead of time what is awaiting us.
This move could have made us think twice if we could have 'sniffed' the beginning of all sorts of problems...
But we made it and all in another language!
This makes you RICH; on the inside I mean 😉
Hugs,
Mariette
Memories….amazing how much energy all of this moving takes. Maybe it was easier when we were younger? Our International move was when I was in my early thirties. We sold our cars and bought ones when we arrived at our destination. I so enjoyed running around The Netherlands in my little red VW bug. As for the dog poo….I wish people would pick up after their pets.
ReplyDeleteDearest Janey,
DeleteThis was quite a memory indeed and you are so right, if people would pick up after their pets, it would not happen.
When we came to the USA I was also thirty-two. Wish we could have met while you were still living in The Netherlands!
Hugs,
Mariette
Darling Mariette! What a perfect post to read to start my day. I laughed and snickered and felt sorry because of the smell. What a wonderful (?) memory!! Love Nan
ReplyDeleteDearest Nan,
DeleteHappy you got a good laugh at it; we now can too but not at the time!
Big hugs,
Mariette
Eeeek! I can't stand the stench of dog poo.
ReplyDeleteThat episode seems funny now but it certainly wasn't amusing then!
Happy Wednesday, Mariette.
Dearest Veronica,
DeleteYou are absolutely right about that!
It was awful back then and worse that it remained on the floor mat and we could not touch it...
Hugs,
Mariette
Ach, ja, das Fernweh kommt gleich durch bei mir :-) Danke für den schönen Beitrag liebe Mariette.
ReplyDeleteIch schwärme auch gleich in Freude...
Italien, Genua, Triest - ich machte z. B. eine Fahrradtour von Florence nach Assisi...
Viele liebe Grüsse zu dir und hab eine schöne Zeit. Umarmung Viola
Liebe Viola,
DeleteJa, die Erinnerungen an Italien waren schon schön aber nicht diesen Tag wo der Mann in Hunde... tritt und alles mit im Auto nahm!
Welch eine Fahrradtour habt ihr da gemacht; tolle Erinnerungen.
Ganz liebe Grüße,
Mariette
I hope that now at a distance of time, these memories make you smile.
ReplyDeletexoxo
Coisas de Feltro
Dearest Christina,
DeleteYes, they did make us smile, we even didn't know these photos were made... never developed as we were moving to Italy. They are precious now for re-living this encounter!
Hugs,
Mariette