European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 27, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                On the the old town Hall dominates the marketplace in wroclaw. By Ron Jensen Niernberg Bureau the Dawn slipped into the Day with the guile of a sneak thief penetrating barely the dense midwinter ceiling and softly pushing away the night. I first noticed its dim presence near Dresden a Lew hours after leaving Nurnberg on a car journey through Poland to krak6w, with plans to Loop southward on the return through Prague in the czech Republic. The the wroclaw opera House put on a production of the Nutcracker during the Christmas season. Purpose was to shed Light on the feasibility of automobile travel through Eastern Europe its Pitfalls and pleasures. Car trips have always suited me. In the states i disappeared annually two weeks at a time never knowing where i was going until arriving there eating in diners where waitresses speak with the words of a Lover More Coffee Honey can i get you anything else Darling this most american trait eludes us Here in Europe where a waiter or waitress exhibits a landlord s indifference toward a customer. I was reminded of this distinction in Early autumn during a breakfast Stop at an Arkansas diner with a longtime newspaper buddy. The waitress touched me and called me sweetie so often that i feared Arkansas Law might oblige  to marry her. After years of car travel stateside there were no More surprises too Many expectations realized and Hopes for adventure unrewarded. American cities and roads seemed All to look alike. Car trips through Western Europe can soon reach a similar level of familiarity.  restaurants Are without the character of american truck stops but they Are functional and dependable. Tourism is such an entrenched Industry in France Germany Italy Spain and other Western european countries that the language Barrier is hardly a Barrier at All More of a Speed bump on the Road to smooth vacationing. Hotels seem More and More Standard the Surprise Factor is reduced. The sense of wonder is lost. But what about Eastern Europe no longer part of an evil Empire the countries of the defunct Warsaw pact hold new treasures for american travellers to uncover. The former Buffer zone Between cold War adversaries is now a Frontier Ripe for exploring. Bus trips to the East Are plentiful. European trains  you almost anywhere you want to go with varying degrees of Comfort. But a Windshield glimpse of a new territory offers More in the Way of Freedom and enlightenment. I bounced around thoughts like these As i passed Dresden on my Way to the polish Border and on to wroclaw my first night destination. This polish City known to germans As Breslau is More than 1,000 years old and noted for its architecture. My continued on Page -1 january 27, 1994 stripes Magazine