Ilona Riemer with her grandparents Samu and Terez Wollner in Abbazia

A family portrait, taken on holiday in Abbazia in the 1920s. Top row, left to right: my mother, an unidentified man, grandmother Riemer, grandfather Riemer, a waiter, and mother's sister, my Aunt Klari. The children at the bottom are (left to right) my sister, me, and Aunt Klari's son. The whole extended family went to Abbazia (now Croatia) for summer holidays. We traveled together, by train. Oh, that was a big journeyI It took almost a whole day. We had to change trains at Fiume, not easy with our large amounts of luggage. In Abbazia we all lived in the Breiner Hotel, which was a strictly kosher hotel. I remember that the meat table and the meat section were set with red covers, and the milk table and section with nice blue tablecloths. You could eat either meat or milk-based meals, but the two parts were kept separate. The Breiner was the only kosher hotel in Abbazia, so all our Jewish acquaintances also stayed there. The family all went together, my mother, my sister and I, and, of course, our Fräulein. Since she worked all year, it was natural that we wouldn't leave her out and go on holiday without her! My mother's younger sister with her two sons also went, as did their grandparents, and I think, others as well. There were always a lot of children in Abbazia, as well as acquaintances, relatives, and neighbors. Everyone knew everyone else. There was also always a rabbi who spent his summer holidays there, because the place was kosher enough for him. He conducted a religious service every Sabbath, as there was a synagogue there, too.

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