Ima begins the diary of her adventure in Berlin, 1908.

January I. (1908)

First, how I came to be here after my four or five months travel abroad. The last two months of my tour, I knew or rather had decided to stay for the winter in Germany. It is needless to say, however, what a trial it was to come to such a conclusion. But Brother as usual came in at the final moment to insist that I take any opportunity to improve myself! It was in Florence almost at the close of my trip that—still without any definite places to locate myself in—that [sic] I met Alice McFarland of Houston—and she, I suppose, is the direct cause of my being at Mommsenstr. 22, Charlottenburg. The way she got into Florence on the evening before we were to leave and so accidentally came to our hotel, in fact, how she got Mrs. Cranberry’s address during her visit to Berlin, the whole thing is absolutely strange for Alice had gotten her facts a little mixed.  But for that, though, I shouldn’t be here. I wrote right away to Mrs. Cranberry and asked her if her landlady had an extra room for me in her “Pension.” Mrs. Cranberry is from Houston. I had known her slightly there through friends—quite well. So I thought it might be nice to stay in the place with her, at least until I could find a German family to live with—I was most anxious to learn to speak German – more than to take up my music, really. – Well, by the time I got back to Florence, I had an answer to my letter from Mrs. C. She was most cordial and told me that they weren’t in exactly what would be a Pension, but that there was a room for me. On the ninth of October, I bade my dear friends good-bye and started out on my journey all alone and awfully lonesome, too. The following night I arrived in B.  And what started me off in B. just right was being welcomed at the station by Mrs. C. and her Brother. Grosse [?] was at 5 Savigny Platz to welcome me there. I remember the next morning when I was tired and homesick, and wondering really what I was going to do here. The Merchant came in and told me that they were going into a Wohnung [apartment] of their own.

This is a work in progress. Who were these people?

A mysterious stay in Munich ends, September 3, 1907.

Ima left the pension in Munich, after a mysterious eleven days in lateAugust through early September. Whatever else she did, she improved her German. 

Sept. 3 - Tuesday - Innsbruck

Here in the rain. Rode the train 2^nd class with the cook in my compartment of some Frau Grafin who was herself 1^st class. My companion and I carried on an animated dialogue in German--most enlightening!

Great to find the crowd here--only the men arrived this morning.

[Ima rejoined her travel companions in Italy on September 3. Since August 23 she had been on her own, staying in the “Musicians Pension” in Munich.

Her diary does not account for all of the days she spent there.  

Did she have a secret romance ?

Her travel diary ends in Florence on October 4.  Some time before that date she had obviously made the momentous decision to stay in Berlin. She wrote on October 4: 

Letter from Leah Fisher about my stay in Berlin this winter.”

Who was Leah Fisher???

Ima Hogg was a belle. No wonder she had romances!

This is Ima about 1900. She was the daughter of a famous politician, she was a talented musician, a skilled horsewoman, a graceful dancer. Every young man she met fell in love with her, long before she went to Germany. One of them was Willis B. Reeve, in Houston in 1905. He wrote her passionate letters, he visited her at Varner Plantation, he followed her to Cliff House in Manitou Springs, Colorado. 

Since this blogger is planning a visit to Cliff House, there may be more to come about the Reeve  romance.

Munich, 1907: Who were the “interesting men”?

More of Ima’s stay in Munich at the musicians’ pension:

Aug. 28 - Thursday Munich

[Wednesday, August 28, and Thursday, August. 29?]

The “interesting men” have gone & in their places very interesting ladies. Have dared to play on the piano here a little. Mrs. Cooper and I carriaged to the Rheingold with little French lady. Had good seats 827-829--Whitehill the Witan was an old friend of Mrs. Cooper’s with an interesting story to his career--and after the performance met him. Quite a striking looking man. Has a good voice, too....Got home in time for dinner.

Aug. 29-Sept. 2 --Friday. Munich-[-

Glorious full day! [Friday, August 30?] Burgstaller as Siegmund in the Valkyrie....[here she gives a detailed description of the opera] Dreadful to come to earth and find oneself in the rain, too, waiting for carriage. [more details of the opera, which she liked better than the Met’s version.]

Met many delightful people at the Pension. Mrs. B---[illegible] of Brooklyn & the Woods also of B[rooklyn].--Mrs. Cooper, Miss Cummings & I went to the Nat. Museum & rushed through to our regret. [ Here she gives a detailed description of the art they saw.]

Friday was the opera, perhaps Saturday was the museum. What did she do on Sunday and Monday, Sept. 1 and 2?]

She does not say.