European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 19, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Above the Arno cuts through the heart of Florence. Below a drawing of castello Verrazzano and its vineyards in the Chianti Region. With various boxes suitcases satchels sacks and a heavy duty stroller. A Quarter hour before we had been Well organized and calmly waiting on the platform when the announcement came that the train would be about 15 minutes late. To escape the bitter cold we had carried our children and Luggage Back up the stairs and into the warmth of the station. Now i looked like Fred Macmurray in an old Disney movie gasping and panting sweat breaking out on my brow As i sprinted toward the impatient conductor with tote bags swinging and banging around my neck suitcases and stroller dragging along behind. My wife and kids who had gone ahead were safely aboard. Fortunately like most conductors this one took pity on lunatics and Damn fools. I heaved a sigh of Relief As he and Kugies helped get me and our provisions aboard before the Hamburg Rome express pulled out of the station. We made our Way Down the length of two cars to our compartment and settled in. A Short while later the new arrivals were welcomed aboard with an announcement Over the Loudspeaker. We Learned that there were 102 americans on this the German Railroad s first thanksgiving tour to Florence a spinoff from its hugely popular Vienna tour. The original plan called for a special All american train to Florence but because fewer people than expected had booked we had been put aboard a regularly scheduled train. Nearly All children Are enchanted by trains and ours were no exception. We were to find that the actual train travel would be the easiest and most fun part of the trip. Despite the convenience of automobile travel there is something irresistibly romantic about Riding trains especially at night cozy in a bunk with the dark Countryside rolling by. The lights of villages and towns glow brightly in the blackness and sleep comes with the gentle rocking motion the rhythmic Clackett Clack of the wheels on the rails and the sound of the whistle in the night. We woke in the Gray Early morning to the Winter City bleakness of Bologna. As the train left the City and headed across the Plain toward the Hills our Porter brought breakfast. It was t Steak and eggs but the prepackaged whole Grain bread cold cuts cheese and marmalade banished our hunger pangs. We managed to finish eating without letting the kids smear More than half of it on the seats and carpeting. In a Little while the train was in the mountains and the landscape turned from Frozen Farmland to Snow and evergreens. After an endless series of tunnels the mountains and Snow disappeared. Ahead stretched the gently rolling Tuscany of Olive Groves and Fertile Fields. As we struggled to gather up bottles and baby food jars repack bags and get the kids dressed we received instructions Over the intercom to prepare us for arrival in Florence. Unfortunately instructions were not enough to help us keep up with the hectic crush of disembarking americans moving in Masse through the station toward waiting tour buses. The Pace was continued on Page 8 january 79, 1989 stripes Magazine