European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 09, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 the stars and stripes wednesday August 9, 1978 strikes junk food and disdain for Dollar a modern american tour of Europe _ a i. Hoai Thiv ale the first they were offered the Choice of a i b Tad Bartimus London my for 20 years John Stewart and his wife dreamed of coming Back to Europe to relive its Romance. When they finally made it they found strikes junk food shoddy service and a Universal disdain for their hard earned american Dollar. This rip has really brought Home Tome that we Are no longer King of the Moun Tain said Stewart a self employed a accountant who lives in Shawnee Mission Way to travel the world these Days is to lose a War. All we saw were japanese and German tourists. I think they re the Only ones who can afford stewarts both in their mid-40s. Were shocked by the Prosperity and High Cost of living in Europe. They remembered its Economy was Only just beginning to re cover from the devastation of world War i during their 1950s visit. Watching my Wallet sink i came to Europe to see the Eiffel Tower and Westminster Abbey Stewart said. I got to do that but 1 also spent a lot of i of time watching my Wallet shrink As the dollars value declined More and More i Twenty years ago everybody in Europe Rode a said Eugenia Stewart. Today everybody s got cars and they 6. Drive them All at once. We could t afford a eat in their restaurants or buy their of clothes or pay a Dollar every time we � wanted a Glass of Stewart his schoolteacher wife and 15 a old daughter Karen arrived in i july 21. Their charter flight was hours late a Harbinger of things to x the Middle class Middle american Lily saved diligently for their three Elk vacation. They spent a year collect brochures consulting travel agents tearing British rail passes and paying for six Day bus tour of France Luxembourg Belgium and switzerland.1 began to get worried i i had never really paid much attention to the dollars Exchange rate with other ?pcle8 until we started getting ready for this trip Stewart said. When i. Did 1began to get worried. The travel agent in Kansas City said i hould go to Mexico this year that 1 should have gone to Europe last year Way the Dollar s going Down i m glad we came this summer. We t Ever be Able to afford to come they spent the first week touring eng land Scotland and Wales by train on their pre paid passes. They slept in cheap bed and breakfast boarding houses or sat up All night chugging through towns and villages. They ate very bad hamburgers and a lot of longed for trip to the scottish Highlands was foiled by a Wildcat strike of railway signalman. They spent a Lota of 12 hours sitting on dirty platforms in the rain waiting for late trains. Great British train service for the past year i be been telling Karen about the great British train serv ice How they always ran spot on Stewart sighed. His wife lamented the Buffet car s soggy sandwiches cold soup and watery Coffee the modern legacy of yesteryear s snowy Linen and service with a smile. Their teen age daughter listened in silent disbelief. July 30 they set out from London s Victo Ria station for their six Day bus tour of Europe. They crossed the English Channel on empty stomachs because the ferry ran out of food. Their Lour guide was an hour late at Ostend and had lost her notes. As they whizzed through Belgium on a freeway she stood up Only once to Tell her charges there s Brussels and Point vaguely toward a Distant Patch of smog. Her next utterance was goodbye Belgium hello we never knew what town we were in. Only inc said mrs. Stewart. The first Day they arrived a their Luxembourg hotel shortly before Midnight. They discovered that drinks not just Al Cohol but All beverages weren t include just looking the stewarts do a Little window shop Ping and less buying during their our Stop in Greenwich England. Aped in their package Deal. They ale the first of four pork chop potato ice Cream dinners put in front of them in four different restaurants in the next four Days. Their waiter refused to return with dessert be cause another tourist at their table asked for ice water. There was one toilet for 20 hotel rooms. The single Shower was in the Luxembourg tour consisted of a 20-minute. 12-Block bus ride. They were Al Lowed a free hour to shop Between 8 15 . And 9 15 . The stores opened at 9-.3q . By then they d been driven into brochure touted luncheon break was at a Remote French truck Stop. Lat that afternoon their tour guide made the Day s fourth announcement we Arenow in Switzerland and the hungry midwesterner finally caved in and spent five dollars on three cinnamon Rolls. But when went to pay the Swiss manageress tartly told Stewart she would not accept his Dollar travellers checks an wanted payment Only in Swiss francs. He was forced to change Money from the tour guide at a Rale much higher than the Banks gave that priced Swiss watches and found some were cheaper Back Home. They settled for a chocolate bar each As their Swiss souvenir and saved the wrappers for the scrapbook. From the colourful brochure the slew arts had believed they would spend two nights in Lucerne their hotel was 30 Miles away. They were among the Lucky six out of 23 parties who got a room facing Lake Lucerne and the Alps. The rest opened their curtains on a Brick had to stay fully dressed All the time because when we opened our door somebody always asked Uhey could come in and look at our View said mrs. Stew Art. The a a party at $10 extra a person or a night ing through a town with one Mai they ate their pork chop and chose it walk. The next Day instead of the Bally hot afternoon in inner Lakin they sat on a Roii Side Bench while the affluent half of the tour paid 22 apiece to ride a Tram up a Mountain and make a snowball. By time they got to Interlaken every Tawas closed for Swiss Day. They spent minutes watching a Parade but. Wen dered Back on the bus before it was over.-1 at first i did t care i had this Magnhil cent View of the Alps which is All i wanta to see anyway said Stewart. Then to fog came and i might As Well have beet Kansas " they finally got to Paris thet guide recommended a chinese restaurant gestured that the Seine was somewhat re that Way and departed. The Stewart checked out menu prices in Bistro window and settled for a big loaf of bread Che Avand a bottle of soda in the Park. But Ite loved the louvre and the Eiffel Tower i Karen got to practice her High acted they were herded out of. Hotel shortly after 6 ., arrived hours ahead of the ferry s scheduled ing time waited in line while customs cers staged a three hour slowdown Ani sailed Back across the Channel two boo late. Despite All the Travail and dreamt of romantic european Holiday becoming i very different reality the Stewart they had a Good time and Are glad a came. The really disappointing thing boil the whole european trip Stewart is that no one Ever stamped oar ports. We can t even prove a stripper who helps get it together Story and photo by James Winchell Kaiserslautern Louise Story is a stripper for the . Often she is in such a hurry that the fabric is simply torn away in shreds. And then she s left with a naked chair in front of Story of Cadiz by works on the Assembly line reconditioning sofas and chairs at the 21st support come s upholstery mainly Nance shop Here. She is one of two military dependents on the 67-person local National payroll that turns out 60 to 80 pieces of revamped furniture and More than 40 new mattresses a Day. Located at Panzer Cavern Here the shop infuses new life into areas of hospitals dining facilities Day ers rom Burt Wood Englan mattresses Ais a to a 5 the shop cover the windows of enlisted soldiers rooms throughout Germany. Occasionally a team goes out to Lay carpet and hang curtains in military vip quarters thanks to an idea implemented several years ago the Cost to contract the work added what la wouldst on run h., tag wih pair of wed of i s Louise Story strips away the old fabric of an easy chair
