Page 43

Willi is about 22 here

Montreux

Willi Distel arrives in Montreux; salesman at the Palace Hotel

Diary page 43

Translated from Willi's German.

Montreux When I stepped off the train at Montreux, coming from Lausanne, I had a very special feeling about this beautiful spot on earth: the lovely lake, the white, magnificent, sunlit mountains - it all made an unforgettable impression, along with the many grand hotels, the beautiful gardens and so on. I wandered about everywhere before presenting myself to a small, dignified gentleman. That same day I found a lovely room with a wonderful view of the Alps, with very nice, quiet people. The shop is the finest in Montreux - it is inside the Palace Hotel. When I arrived it was out of season and very quiet. There I met all the colleagues: Mayer, and Arnold with his wife, Theo the Viennese, Duffner, and Beier - they were a breed of their own. Only the very best clientele came into the shop; often you would have just three ladies in a whole day and still get through it. It would not have been a bad position had they not been so obsessed with selling: we were supposed to talk every lady into buying a fur if at all possible. The area, as I have said, is wonderful.

People: Willi (William Robert) Distel, Mayer, Arnold, Theo der Wiener, Duffner, Beier

Places: Lausanne, Montreux, Palace Hotel, Lake Geneva, the Alps

Interesting facts