Mostaganem 1954

Letter from Claude, addressed from Mostaganem, Royal Hotel, Avenue Raynal, where we stayed pending the completion of the bridge and Chaussées building, and where we had to be permanently housed.

Date of end October 54, right after we arrived

Addressed toLt Colonel and Madame Rougier, Miss Fanny Rougier, 6 rue Hardy VersaillesS and Oise 

Dear family
I am writing to you from the hotel and from my window I see under a cloudless sun, the sea, a little peeled hills and white houses. I am quite seduced by Algeria and especially by our new residence. So there are 50 thousand inhabitants (of which 20 Europeans seem to me, which seems to me to be a lot because we meet mostly Arabs) and the city is very cheerful, it has nothing to do with the small towns of province where there is no cat in the streets and where one knows boredom - here the Arabs palabate all day around the streets and on the sidewalks; Women are veiled, they are only seen a small triangle that is their window on the world. Arabs look very friendly, affable and peaceful and very lazy.

I'm getting to know the city well, there's a market to make all the housewives pale.
fish market (shrimps like half the hand), poultry (300 to 450 kg) and eggs (15 fr), vegetables, crisp and tender vegetables, that it is a delight, for nothing.-

I started searching for my mattress (600 to 700 fr. Of wool), but I'm a little worried about quality, because the fibers are very fat, I think they're not very well washed, otherwise it's good quality; is there any disadvantage to the wool being oily?

Meanwhile, Yves goes to the office from 8am to noon and from 2h30 to 6h30, the service car comes to pick him up, so it is as accurate as a clock. He is the big boss, he has about ten territorial subdivisions under his orders and his estate goes over 300km inside for 150 to 200 km long; so he has a piece of desert – if it wasn't so far away, I will accompany him in his tours and I will surely see what to rejoice at.
The chief engineer of Oran, who is said to be a little bloated, has received us at his home very kindly, he is a jovial and welcoming man.
The crossing went without the shade of sea sickness. Time passed very quickly, with cinema in the afternoon, tea, boat races, and a good night over the market.
We had lunch in Toulouse, where we saw Grandma (still in good condition) and Aunt Lucia, and it was a great pleasure to see them again. I left with Yves in a car.
Today we're going to go stinging. We visited our future apartment that didn't disappoint my hopes. I'm telling Fanny there's a beautiful view, and when she comes to see us, she brings her painting box. (see sketch on the letter, with information: our house, Arab city in the distance, square, town hall, garden)[back to the house: except on one side of the house where we have in front of us a Prisunic who found way to install at our height above his house, 50 m away from us, large and visible letters of 1 m high, so I plan an opaque curtain on this side]. We wait for him next quarter, because our new house will be well organized.
The address in Paris of the Company of Navigation is 1 rue Scribe (and I saw that the way back in the 3^nd class that exists only on some boats was worth only in the 12,000Fr – and tourist class in the 15,000 – and besides that out of season, there is 20% discount I believe.
I hope all this will make my little sister feel better.

Letter from Claude, addressed to Vonette
Mostaganem, 6 January 1955

My dear Vonette

Thank you for your long letter that has made us very happy. I hope this year will be a good year for you – we wish you all the best.
Here in Mostaganem, there is not really a winter yet. In general the trees have not lost their leaves yet (I think the vegetative cycle is longer) and we have a good little mild temperature... which did not prevent Yves from catching a small flu and I was on the tangent.
We went to Algiers for Christmas, which seemed like a beautiful residence and I think my sister-in-law who stays in the university stream because she spent last year I believe a certificate of psychology and this year is taking some courses at the local Sc. Po, will be the indiscreet ear you are looking for. I wrote to her asking to be nice enough to take care of this – know if the thesis will be supported in Algiers and when, and attend it by taking notes, and I forwarded your questions to her.

I congratulate you on not letting the Japanese print go to sleep: when we've done our best, it's too stupid to forget everything.
Our apartment is always beautiful, it is even more beautiful, especially as the curtains hang and the pavements take a beautiful reflection. I have a fatma that comes 3 mornings a week, and works like an angel.. but I didn't think the life of a housewife was so occupying.
I became a very good cook, because I realized that I was greedy (and Yves was also) and it was the secret of wisdom to become a blue cordon.
There are not many worldly things to do in Mostaganem, but we know in Oran very friendly households.. and Algiers is not far away, especially when there is an absolutely charming brother-in-law and sister-in-law.
I pretend to get into Arabic and follow classes next year... but it's not moving very fast and Arabic looks like a language to sleep outside.
Here the spirits are very peaceful and the troubles are very localized and in Mostaganem we do not know everything. The surrender of the fellaghas of Tunisia has aroused a wide range of opinion movements and some circles do not mind saying that Boyer of the Tower is a donkey. But I have not changed.. I am interested in the newspaper from far enough and the marriage has not made me much stronger than before in contemporary history, although I am a historian of formation.

What interests me much more is the Roman remains of North Africa, which I have not seen yet. But the next time we go to Algiers, my brother-in-law will take us to Tipasa.
The countryside is beautiful. When you have always lived in the eastern countries, the Mediterranean landscapes seem a miracle.

I'm fine, we're waiting for our little heir to start June, with the hope that everything will be fine by then. But I'm very sorry that I can't go with Yves on his big tours. Yves is very happy with his work, which is very interesting and varied.

Letter from Claude, addressed to Vonette
Mostaganem, Tuesday end of January 1955

My dear Vonette

Thank you for your last letter and for writing to Mrs. Géli.(Papered observation by Vonette, for Claude's parents to whom she followed the letter: "Mme Géli, ex Marie Poisson, currently Madame la Contre-Amirale à Oran. I thought it was a presentable relationship!") .
By the greatest of chance, we met her last Sunday. Indeed we were invited to lunch with settlers (Muller)who live in the vicinity of Mostaganem and whose daughter (who married a marine officer) is a friend of my sister-in-law (Christian probably), - and the Géli tribe (Ms. Amiral, two daughters-in-law, one of whom lost a baby and another who lives in Mostaganem (This is Ginou Géli, who will have 5 boys of our children's age) And we've met and Mrs. Géli seems to me to be a very close friend of the people who are in the world. very I told her a lot of news and she told her daughter-in-law in Mostaganem "My friend gave me this young woman, so I trust her" and it was very well said. So we're going to be close to the Géli de Mostaganem (Ginou Géli will be a dear friend of Claude's.)

Yesterday we went to Oran to have dinner with friends and I shopped all afternoon – so today I am quietly in my house and admire my beautiful installation.

Here are some additional details (Vonette's observation: "I wrote: we don't even know the colour of the walls, lamentable reporter!") The walls are yellow in the two rooms called reception and green in the other two. We are ruining ourselves in furnishing fabrics, but when it is done there will be no more to talk about.. and I think this summer on returning to Versailles, I will make the sales room (from Versailles) to bring back beautiful antique furniture because our large room is not full enough to do "cossu". (in fact we bought several old furniture, but especially from the antique dealers in Aix in Provence)
We're fine. There's always the sun here. We're waiting for him to report. (Vonette's observation: "I said, we have to send you a reporter.") with great impatience and we kiss you very affectionately Claude

PSIn a few days it will be the anniversary of the death of Aunt Notte (the mother of Vonette and the sister of Claude's grandmother) and be sure my dear Vonette that I will be united with you in prayer.

Letter from Claude, addressed to his parents

Date of end of January 1955

My dear Dad, my dear Mom,

I haven't written to you for a long time. It's all right and there's nothing extraordinary. Yves is on tour for the day, so I took advantage of it to take a nap and sleep like a night out until 4am, which I hadn't done in a very long time. I put on some beautiful music, the four seasons of Vivaldi, with our "microsillons" and I enjoy music. Fortunately, in Mostaganem it is impossible (as in North Africa in general) to hear normal and suitable TSF, so let's never listen to it and pick-up replaces it favorably.
I went to see before yesterday Dr. Lamur, who has a clinic in Mostaganem – which was recommended to me by three different people, my doctor, a friend from Tandree and a lady from Mostaganem, and which made me feel good. His clinic looked like an old provincial house that dates back to the conquest of Algeria and I like it quite as a frame. The delivery will take place between June 2 and 7 in principle. I weigh 56 kg 500 and I start to be a big lady.
My dear fatma is no longer coming because she is too tired and gives me her 13/14 year old daughter instead, which I will take a little more for the same price because she does not work very fast, but it is very conscientious and it makes me invaluable services, because the tiles, contrary to what might be believed to be much harder to maintain than the parquet.

I saw this smallpox epidemic that started in Vannes, and thank God it's not like the epidemics of the Middle Ages anymore, thanks to the good vaccines.
Our red carpet bought in Algiers – and you're offering us a little piece with your Christmas gift – is very nice. (the one from Vierville, made of wrought iron, bought at the Puces) is refurbished, and I'm making a "sketch" of our chairs for the ironmaker. (These are the 6 white iron chairs that are in Vierville)
I hope Dad's rheumatism crisis gets better. It's a diseased beast but it's very embarrassing.
I see that Jacqueline's house is still the den of incredible stories, firefighters, they were all missing! I hope his ugly ones grow in beauty and wisdom.^nd.
We have received a letter from Tandree announcing her visit by the end of March, she will be very welcome
I think Fanny is starting to be in preparation for her departure, the newspaper had announced snow in France for the second half of February, I hope that the weather will not be wrong and that there will also be beautiful sun.
The François d'Algers may come to us for the Fat Tuesday.
We kiss you very affectionately.