Ed Prifogle
1185 Narragansett Blvd
Suite 106, Cranston RI 02905 401-785-0411 email address
AUGUST 24,2004 Volume 1 Issue 13
Previous Issues
| Home Page FROM THE EDITOR  Ed Prifogle I would like to dedicate this newsletter to Roy Buckman and wish him a speedy recovery. His site Military Space Available Sign Up, FAQs and Space A Board is the most useful and popular web site for Military Space Available Travelers. Military Living's Europe Guide lists many Eastern European Resources. Read Ann Crawford's latest newsletters. Click here to view the new Military Retiree Handbook from Fedweek. This newsletter features Eastern Europe. Click here for airline, train, auto rental and bus information from Rhine Main, Ramstein, Aviano and Naples to these countries. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Central and Eastern European Countries 2. Casey Desmond's Latest Song 3. Military Travel Discounts 4. Mike Bird's Space A Story 1. Central and Eastern European Countries and Cities
Click to enlarge View
the following list of travel reference information to learn more about
the countries, how to get there, where to stay, dining and major
attractions.
 St. Basils-Moscow View these selected city and country links : Start with Mimi's Eastern European Web Cams Finland Travel Guide Finland Cities Helsinki Finland Travel Guide Poland Travel Guide Polish Cities Warsaw Travel Guide Warsaw Travel Map Estonia Travel Guide Tallinn Travel Guide Latvia Travel Guide Riga Travel Guide Lithuania Travel Guide Vilnius Travel Guide Belarus Travel Guide Ukraine Travel
Guide Russia Travel Guide Czech Travel Guide Slovakia
Travel Guide Romania Travel
Guide Bulgaria Travel
Guide Armenia Travel
Guide. Turkey Travel
Guide |
2. Casey Desmond's Latest Hit Click on my granddaughter Casey's picture to listen to her latest studio recording. Allow several minutes for loading time. While waiting for the song to load, listen to this song. It's worth the time to listen to her beautiful original songs.  3. Military Travel Discounts We have arranged with a major European Bus Company to offer discounts to the Military and Space A Travelers. Visit the major European cities by luxurious bus travel. Contact Golden Fleece Bus Lines at 1-800-GOLDFLEECE and mention CODE:Mildum for 2% discount.  Golden Fleece Bus Lines 4.
Mike Bird's Recent Space A Story This trip report
appeared on Dirk's Space A
Board and was slightly edited by me. Spain When I arrived at
Moron I caught breakfast at the chow
hall, very good food. 5 of us split the cost and had to go to Moron
city to have our passports stamped at the local police station. Moron
is probably one of the most beautiful friendly towns in Europe. I want
to go back and spend some time there. The cab was 100 Euros split 5
ways to Seville train station. I found out though you can take the mail
truck daily to Rota for free. Also there is a train station near Moron
which will take you to Rota. Rota's train Station is named Porto Santa
Maria. Once in Seville we caught the train to Rota. There we caught a
cab to Rota. No flights to Germany from Rota. Spent the night there for
$12.00. Washer and dryer in each room so I washed clothes got a good
nights sleep. Sardinia and
Sicily Next day caught a
C-9 to Sardinia and on to Sigonella.
Sig is so friendly. People stopped and gave rides to billeting. I
caught a ride with base police.$14.00 a night the same deal. Next day
caught a flight out to Naples. Naples In Naples had a
C-130 to Germany, 5 seats, 29 wives and
children trying to compete to get a flight to Germany to try to get to
the USA. 2 wives told me they had just been in Italy for 4 weeks and
were homesick and had to go back to see mommy. By the way Rota said if
I needed to return to the USA just come back there and they insured me
a flight back to either Norfolk or Dover. They said for some reason
dependents are not using their system to the USA. It had been quiet
there in the terminal. I kept that thought. So anyway not getting out
of Naples I rented a car with another fellow in his name. $48 one way
to Aviano. The drop off was at the terminal there. We offered to take a
couple of dependents with us No one wanted to go. It was their loss. Driving to
Aviano We had called in
advance. There were plenty of seats to
Germany on the Freedom Bird that originates there. Over 200 seats
either to Germany or the USA via Rhine Main. We had an easy drive, not
much traffic. 80 miles from Aviano there was an accident closing the
freeway for hours. No food, water, and running low in gasoline. When
the freeway reopened we took the first exit off to a tiny village in
hopes of food and gas. The Accident Just then a car
doing over 100 miles an hour struck us.
He flipped over twice into a ditch full of water. We knew he and his
occupants were dead. There was no one around on this deserted road. We
then heard screams. We got our thoughts (together) and ran over. We
pulled three people out. They were walking around and seemed o.k. They
did not speak spoke English. We said oh no! We'll be fried since we
cannot explain our side of the story. Next a couple of cars came by
with cell phones. They called the police and rescue folks. Within no
time it was a zoo there. Hundreds of onlookers appeared. It was scary.
"Hang the Yanks." we thought. Two occupants of the
other vehicle laid down and
actually acted that they were in severe pain. The ambulance put back
boards under them and neck braces off they went. Oh No! we looked more
like the villains to the crowd we thought. The National police
Caberanera (sp) came. They finally called in someone who spoke English.
Now here is the lesson to all on this board. All he wanted to see is
Passports, and International drivers licenses which we had. Nothing
more. All they offered the
driver at Naples is extra theft
insurance which he waved with his credit card. Come to find out in
Italy the rental car company Eurocar had to provide the Insurance. He
found it in the glove box. He said that this would cover our loses. He
said in Italy this is no fault and no one will be cited. So then he
gave us bad news. Even though our car was drivable we had to have it
towed because the air bags are set and may go off. Makes sense. Now we
are thinking how do we get to Aviano. Out in the middle of
nowhere. Walla! the family of the
folks that hit us offered to take us all the way to Aviano air base via
supper on them. This was unbelievable. They took us to supper and drove
us to the main gate. The guards said they could go on base to take us
to lodging. Lodging had one room left. I slept in the bed the other
fellow on the couch. Had to be up at 6, be at the terminal by 7 a.m. A
military police van runs a morning shuttle free of charge to help
passenger get to the terminal. We arrived in time to process in. The
folks at the terminal said this is the best place to get flights to the
USA because of origination of the DC-10. They even got every CAT VI on
and even announced more seats to the USA. We went to the
rental car company office located in
front of the terminal. Turned in the business card of the tow company
and gave them a copy of the accident report. We were told there would
be no costs that the insurance would cover the car. They also said if
we felt any pains later they would pay our medical. (lesson learned on
Italy Rentals) Germany I arrived in Germany
and took the free bus to the Main
Terminal at Rhine Main and caught the train to Mannheim. Ryanaired (
from Hahn) back to Rota after 3 weeks. I then caught a flight out the
next day to Dover. Return Home I got home in time
to be directly hit by Hurricane
Charley here in Winter Haven. Just got our power and water restored
last night. There were over 130 MPH winds here in Winter haven. It
looks like a war zone here, very bad situation. Many thousands homeless
both here and Punta Gorda. We were blessed by God and spared our house
and mostly our lives. This was the third most scary thing in my life
next to me going through Chemo Therapy, My Pintatubo, and or 3 years
in Vietnam. Conclusion Now the wife wants
to do Spain or England in the middle
of September or November with a couple of guys on this board. By the
way, a lot of guys could not get out of Ramstien. I talked two into
going to Spain with me. They did and both left on my flight. There was
another flight going the same time to Travis which left with only one
person with 72 seats. The guys at Ramstien had slept in the Base
laundry each night for 7 nights, no CAT VI's getting out, no rooms at
the Inn there. At Rhine Main over 500 dependents trying to compete to
USA but only 45 seats on 2 Freedom Birds that day. I wish I could be a bee in the corner at terminals around the USA watching these families trying to get back this late in the game to start school. Forgive my grammar and spelling. I'm really tired cleaning up after this disaster. Mike Bird |
