European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 24, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse The Lauern Tunnel in Austria ind slowed us considerably until we came Down out of the mountains impossible to sleep so i the Snow and talked tit the Driver who was l ill All bad As a country Western Singer. By the Limp we readied the yugoslav Border just outside Trieste Italy it was obvious that we would be no late for breakfast so we pm Onyta hold and the hotel agreed to hold the Baton and eggs. The passengers had time Lor Coffee Al the Border but the guides stayed it the crossing station to collect hit passports when the visa Stamps wore Given. The buses been assigned staggered times of arrival it the hotel so hut the lobby would not be inundated Wilh people. It worked the keys were the rooms were quickly assigned but the tour guides did t have rooms. Not yet nol until everyone else accommodated .1 problem compounded by a broken heal ing system in one of the hotels in our beat Side Complex. So after a Quick it nearly noon we started signing up people for optional Tours and handling questions Inri requests ind thank you whoever Kepi us supplied with Toffee. Our room is told complained one couple Well ours is too warm another chimed in. Will the shops be open saturday where i buy flags Gin i gel towels in the Pool or should we use the ones in our room i need a vegetarian plate in wily in t the Venice Lour saturday instead of Friday i gave up All thoughts of a . Just a Nice Bath would do. Bui when i Gollo the room shared by four guides the hoi Wajler was used up. A Quick splash. the wrinkles out of the cocktail dress Ami hurry downstairs to the Welcome party. The guides circulated among the guests. Yes Gin s available it Ihal table this drink is the local bitters Wilh Orange cola yes i la Send the Wailer Over at dinner Lime we ill played Fren. Some 401 guests had to be sealed quickly and we Learned Why groups of five or 11 Are the Bane of restaurateurs. We did get to Sil Down Long enough for the thanksgiving Turkey dinner but most of us missed the fat Minjo baked Alaska for dessert. Aboul Midnight the guests began to Drift away to dance or to bed and the guides settled Down in a quiet Corner to divvy up assignments for tomorrow. The four of us sharing .1 room set our alarm clocks for the same time to nuke sure we d Wake. We had to be at breakfast Early to see hat everything went smoothly to gel the buses loaded for the Day trips to answer More questions 1 we Happy to be on Board the i Stria tour a local guide would take Over the Mike and make the firm h arrangements. But i was in charge of the head Tyml of answering even More questions of making sure the local guide gave he people enough shopping Lime and of finding the ones who got lost in i own. The Day after was . 1 sat at the information desk by this Lime i acquired the Knack of giving authoritative answers to any question and there were Only a half dozen crises things like a Little girl getting locked in the toilet. 1 even had a couple of hours to walk to Piran tin fishing Villa Fie Down the Road and find out where Hal plan could buy flags. The Hays were Long the nights were Long but i was beginning to understand Why tour guides Are so enthusiastic about their jobs. They ill have Ilif Hercul reasons for being Here but the common is the enjoyment in working Wilh people. Meg is american in opera Singer. She s nne i my roommates and she sings in the Shower she s gelling lot of requests losing for the group but sin prefers to Wail she will sing for the Christmas in tour it s time to Start auditioning again she said but being tour guide i ikes up so much of her Lime Hal she s torn Between the two jobs. Ciesli is German an architect. She manages in juggle a regular Jonh raising three children alone mrs Lour guiding. Afler i got a divorce i was just moping around the House being miserable she said. So i decided to do something about in. Thai s How i started being Fred is Merit an a geography major. He d a great the i critique. Sheets from the guests give him High Points for the information he dispense but right now he s .1 full i Ime Lour guide. 11 s be i or than Silling behind a desk and he gels new students every trip. Reorg is German a University student majoring in economics. The Leen age girls hang around the information table when he s there bul he s got a Girlfriend Back at school and in t dazzled. And then there s Mary. She mothers us All guests and guides alike. She s the one we ask fur advice she s the Ime we Call for when there s a complainer we can l handle. She lakes it All in stride. Never raising her voice never losing her Cool. She s already there when we arrive in the morning and she s still there Tulien we drag our tired bodies off m bed at night. So the Days pass getting to know our people gelling to know the Oiler Quirles. The bus schedule for the return trip is posted Frankfurt leaves Al 2 in . I Lake a group into Piran for a walking tour of the Village leave them Al lunch and stroll slowly Back to the hotel winding Down hoping the trip Back will be a smooth As the trip Down. It s 1 . When i walk into the lobby and say hello. To a couple of the niger guides you and i Are mapping buses said Fred. You re taking the Wiesbaden bus t knew the double Decker was staying for the live Day guess but this switch meant i d have a whole new group to gel to know. And i had to pack Quick thai bus was leaving in half an hour. No time to say goodbye la my group no time in say thank you to the guides for helping me Over i i rough spots. Count Heads make sure everyone on the list is on the bits. sure the families Are sultry together. A Lille boy in l feeling Well bul he curls up on a Seal and does not whimper. We have dinars left. Can we Slop and spend them at that limit a Mii Avenir shop by the Border wha Lime u ill be Vwe dinner what time will we cd Home there Art a be minis new As there Wen pm the Way Down. When i win iln1 stale pottery i la never gel on a l i again said the Driver. Bul i m less Ini i mov when i get Home i la just sleep for 1 hours in rough. 24, 19s7 Itri pts nug Jiin 7
