Barbara Hannah’s first visit to Bollingen

Toni paid back hospitality by asking Jung to invite me to Bollingen.

I was frankly terrified when I first arrived at the Tower.

It was very cold weather and Jung was cooking in his original round kitchen in a long Oriental robe which he o􀁛en wore in cold weather.

He looked like a picture I had once seen of an old alchemist at work among his retorts.

He looked more whole than ever. . . . Toni, who was also staying there, just gave me some tea and told me to take a chair by the fire and watch Jung cook, then busied herself with fetching the things he asked for and her own jobs.

Jung was en􀢢rely engrossed in some absorbing cooking and in watching the fire. (He was a most unusually good cook and used in those days to cook the most complicated dishes.

I remember one sauce with no fewer than sixteen ingredients!)

I did not yet know him well enough to feel it as a companionable silence (which I learned later to enjoy more than anything), so a􀁛er two or three hours I took an opportunity, when he did not seem quite so engrossed to murmur: "I am scared stiff."

Although only a faint amused smile indicated that he had even heard my remark, the ice was broken and I began to feel at home.

After a bit he gave me an aperirif. . . then I even got a small job or two to do, and finally we were ready to sit down at the round table.

The marvelous food and wine rapidly banished my fear, though I was fortunate enough still to say nothing, except for a few appreciative grunt-like murmurs while we were eating.

That was indeed fortunate because as I learned later Jung hated to talk while he was eating a really good meal.

(He used to quote his mother, who said that chatteering was disrespectful to good food.)

The only remark I remember him making during that first meal was: "Oh, well, you already know how to enjoy your food, that is one thing (emphasis on the one!)

I shall not have to teach you!" Barbara Hannah, “Jung”, Page 199.