Four Girls in Europe

Book excerpt: "To think we are really across the Atlantic and have but to look around to find ourselves hurrying to be off the Steamer onto the tug to be brought into Liverpool!" Clarissa Sands Arnold, October 27, 1900. So begins the Diary of a year in the life of one American young woman. The beginning of a journey of wonder as Four Girls and their two female chaperones tour England and the Continent, following the well traveled path of The European Grand Tour. They become part of the throngs of middle class and wealthy Americans trying to acquire some Old World polish while experiencing the ancient history and varied cultures not available back home. Clarissa's account chronicles the experiences and logistics of such a prolonged trip by six women traveling alone, without any male protection. It also serves as a fascinating glimpse into the political and social world of Europe at the beginning of the twentieth century.