European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 29, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Travel tips it s never Tod Early for travellers to Start Christmas Shobbie. R r. O by James  the Washington Post with Only a few minutes to spare in Milan s International Airport i stepped into the departure lounge s huge packaged foods shop a treasure trove of unusual gifts with Cartons of pasta in All forms jars of spicy olives hunks of Parmesan cheese exotic Olive oils and vinegars elegant boxes of chocolates and bottles of Fine tuscan wines. In my Rush i scooped up a big bag of dried porcini mushrooms for my wife and wished i had More time to spend. One of the pleasures or Pesky obligations of travel is buying gifts for me it s fun and i m always on the Lookout for offbeat easy to carry presents for friends and family. V to travellers like me the world is one big shopping mall filled with unusual things mostly inexpensive that one might never find at Home. Almost any destination whether in the United states or abroad produces some unique object food or Craft that will be welcomed As a gift so far i be had no complaints from the recipients. Well except for one. From Russia i brought Back a traditional Linen shirt still worn by Many Village men. I thought it was a Fine gift and i regret not buying one for myself. But the old Friend to whom i gave it has stashed it away in a closet and occasionally chides me about it. His disdain does t bother me. I m just puzzled How after All these years i so misjudged his flair for alternative fashion. In Fiji i purchased packets of fijian made Coconut Cream hand soap for Christmas stockings from California s Northern coast i brought Home jars of locally made Jam and Chutney. In the mexican Mountain Village of Taco i once hunted for Silver pins and pendants. In Santa be i chose Small pottery figures called storytellers created in nearby Indian Pueblos. In the Arizona desert i found bookends of polished petrified Rock. In Buenos Aires i bought leather goods for my in Laws. Packages of macadamia nuts and Kona Coffee were obvious gifts from a trip to Hawaii. In Utah this summer i contemplated buying strips of homemade beef Jerky from Roadside stalls but i could t think of anyone who would appreciate the gift. Consider starting your Christmas shopping for 1995 on your next trip even if if s in january. Ski resorts such As Aspen in Colorado and Park City in Utah boast shops As glamorous As any in America. And the Caribbean islands Are Rich in Quality woodcarvings hand Woven baskets paintings and other artworks All of which make appealing gifts. Many of the gifts i select Are handicrafts both traditional and Modem and i look for them in galleries and museums where the Best Quality tends to be found or from the artists themselves. Crafts age Well rarely going out of style and i Don t have to worry about getting a size that fits in Tucson i bought a Small hand Woven Basket in an airlines Aeroflot is a Puzzle for passengers by the new York times the biggest problem with Aeroflot these Days besides discomfort chaos unpredictable schedules poor Security and overriding uncertainty about safety is that no one really has a very Good handle on what Aeroflot actually is. The soviet Union s Aeroflot was by far the world s largest airline serving both Domestic and International routes until the end of 1992, when the Empire died. With the division of the country Region ligation and privatization the old Aeroflot has been broken up into nearly 400 separate companies. There is Only one company still legally named Aeroflot Aeroflot russian International airlines which does not Fly domestically. It had a spotless Accident record for eight years until a Pilot s son getting an Impromptu flying lesson crashed a new Airbus a-310 into a siberian Hill in March killing 75 people. Of the other hundreds of companies operating domestically in Russia products of the Aeroflot breakup some Are so Small As to be almost absurdly enviable without the resources to buy spare parts or keep up maintenance. There is pressure however in the new Market to ignore regulations and cram in As Many passengers and As much freight As the p Ane can hold. Then they tend to Fly around a series of a sports that Are in dire need of maintenance and technical improvements a radar to allow instrument and night landings. As an Ordinary passenger it is almost impossible to know what airline you Are actually flying and who is responsible. Some planes Are repainted with airline names but most regional companies still operate under the name Aeroflot and the planes look identical. In april the International airlines passenger association strongly recommended that travellers avoid Domestic air travel there. On major tourist routes however there is better Quality. The planes that Fly Between Moscow and St Petersburg for instance Are refurbished to approach Western standards and Are probably safer than the night train which is plagued by robbers who Gas sleeping passengers and then loot their compartments. There Are a few other private airlines most notably trans Aero that Fly Western planes with Western style service to places like Kiev Novosibirsk and Abu Dahabi. International Aeroflot also has leased Western planes in 1992, five Airbus a 310 s one of which crashed and in May two Boeing b-767-300 airliners. The airline recently announced plans for further leases to replace its Tu-134 s and Tu-154 a some of them More than 20 years old on medium and Short haul flights to Europe. The reason is not so much their obsolescence though the commercial director Nikolai Lebedev says the planes Are worn out As the need to meet stricter regulations on noise emission. Tu-154 s already Are banned from Berlin because of noise. 8&s Oak Tom a a traveler checks out the tax free merchandise at the Frankfurt Germany Airport. Artisans gallery on the Tolono o Odham Indian reservation. It was destined for a southwestern style Home. In Manzanillo Mexico i could t resist snapping up a colourful decorative plate from a Man i watched painting it whether you Are buying for yourself or for others the act of shopping encourages you to make Contact with the local Community if Only for a few minutes. I be had memorable conversations with a variety of shopkeepers a Young Man near Arizona s petrified Forest National Park who sold me a carved hopi Kachina figure while explaining its religious significance a jewelry Salesman in Wyoming who fascinated me with stories about his collection of historic Indian Trade beads. And yes i bought a necklace of Trade beads for my wife a piece that his wife had designed. One Hazard to year round Christmas shopping on the Road is that you sometimes forget for whom you bought the Turquoise pin in Albuquerque and who gets the Ceramic Mug from North Carolina. On the plus Side you get to enjoy the season without the stresses of Holiday shopping and maybe Best of All All of the Christmas gift Bills were paid off months ago. Arc Garmisch ski instructor training clinics Jan. 8-i2, feb. 6-Io. Mar. 13-17 All interested advanced and expert skiers Are invited to our ski instructors training clinic. This course is geared toward skiers wishing to learn to teach skiing As Well As ski instructors unfamiliar with the american teaching system. Certified instructors from the professional ski instructors of America will conduct the course. Participants will have an Opportunity to become members of the Psia. Training topics american teaching system ski safety class organization demonstration improvement personal skiing improvement Cost $ 189 includes 5 Days of skiing on the Hill instruction classroom instruction video analysis. For information arc ski school. Dan 4402-644 Civ. 08821 52066 for registration Call Dan 4402-575 december 29, 1994 stripes Magazine 21