atf newswire, volumne 9, number 40, Greetings from Athens ...

atf newswire volume 9, number 40 Athens, Greece 3 am local time Holiday Inn, Downtown Athens Room 512

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Gentle Readers,

I thought, as a public service, I would provide a few tidbits on my travels the past few months, for those of you who have this thing about traveling when the Travel Alert colors get into the pastel range.

Toughest security in airports--Frankfurt, Glasgow. Frankfurt's not overboard, an efficient, wonderful airport to walk through, but bags are checked, carefully, by people who seem to understand their jobs, and some airlines will ask you questions before you get on the plane, in the security test. Nothing difficult, so you don't have to study, but kudos to the airlines for taking the steps.

Worst security in airport, excuse me, most pathetic security is ... New York La Guardia. Last month, on a trip to Birmingham, England, where I went New York to Amsterdam, then to Birmingham, I flew on KLM. Very nice, however, my venture through La Guardia was suspect.

KLM was next to Uzbekistan Airlines, Lot Airlines, as well as several other airlines from Eastern Europe. The lines through the security checkpoint for their bags were a joke. Case in point, handlers were literally throwing bags through the testing machine, then kicking them off the travel belt. I watched this. Thankfully, most of the families in front of me, many taking gifts back to their families in Uzbekistan, had their bags closed with tape and packed in soft clothes.

Chicago O'Hare has gotten much better, as the staff are courteous, smiling and professional. They don't put up with sarcasm and the lines move smoothly. This is most improved airport.

We live in difficult times. Do I worry about flying? Let me put it this way. I won't get on a plane if I don't feel comfortable. That's a lot of things--if flight is too crowded, if weather is really bad, or certain airlines. I do have standards.

On packing in these new security days: On my last trip to Europe, I packed my computer in my shipped bags, and there were no problems. It was quite nice just carrying my favorite newspaper (Financial Times; great columnists, good CD and movie reviews, sensible Euro view of the world) and a book on the plane.

Flights are full this past summer and I fly economy on all European flights, normally back of plane, I request this. You get better service, and get a window or the outside of center row, which gives you more room, unless the lout in front of you puts his seat back so far that you can give him a tonsilectomy.

In terms of food, European airlines, Lufthansa, KLM, SAS serve decent food. I always get pasta (can't be messed up) and it goes well with red wine, water or tomato juice, my airline drink of choice.

I like to meet the folks who sit around me. Not exactly chatty Kathy, but am always looking for that next character for my first murder mystery. I found a couple on this most recent flight ... Young man, about 6 feet tall, short hair, just out of the U.S. military. Nice guy, did three tours of Iraq, one tour of Afghanistan, one time in Kosovo, all in 10 years. He'd just left the military and is moving to Germany to open an adult entertainment store with his girlfriend. His name was Adam.

My other travel companion was a gentleman from the Midwest, a plumber, who was traveling to Africa for his first photo safari. He also had 300 Gideon bibles that he was going to give out to kids in a country that is mostly Muslim. I did explain to him that in this unnamed country, his efforts might not be appreciated. My row partner told me that he had not considered that.

In order to save travel dollars, I tend to take one or two stopovers, as they cut the prices on most tickets. In many European airports, one revels at the efficiency of the airports and the timeliness and quality of the institutions. Great shopping and even museums in some. Amsterdam has a small museum of Flemish paintings!

In many airports, one takes a bus to the plane. On my last flight in Munich, I met a couple from Fall River, Wisconsin, where I used to print our magazines.

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I arrived in Athens, Greece at 11.20 p.m. on Friday, after having left Chicago at 9.40 the night before. I arrived in Frankfurt at 2 p.m., and had 20 minutes to make the Munich flight. My first thoughts as I hit the Munich flight was that my bag would be lost. The Lufthansa attendant told me not to worry, they would take care of it.

I love Athens. The last two times I had been here I was with my son, Adam, who is my travel partner many times. The airport is nice size, and as I watched for my bags, no luck. I made a report and Lufthansa assured me that I would have it in hotel next afternoon and gave me a bag with a t-shirt and toiletries, and I headed into downtown Athens for the Holiday Inn.

After midnight in Athens, taxi prices double. My drive, at speeds approaching 100 mph, was surreal. We passed cars going 35 mph on the highway into downtown Athens. Checking into the hotel, I found a small taverna open near the hotel and grabbed a salad and a beer with fellow meet traveler Bob Ramzak (read his trackprofile.com--great enewsletter on the sport) and we traded notes about the World Cup on Saturday and Sunday.

This is the end of the track season and some of the stars are still in one piece! (Look, a long track season wears some people out.) Isinbayeva is here, and she's been working all season long with a new coach, Dimitriy Petrov, the former coach of Sergei Bubka. Isinbayeva has changed her first five steps and her grip on the pole this season, and that and a new coach were an investment in her domination of the pole vault.

Everyone is still talking about Tyson Gay and his screaming 19.68 in Stuttgart--the turn had to be seen to be believed. Jeremy Wariner has shown he is champ of the 400 this season. He doesn't plan to compete here in Athens.

ATF will keep you updated, with one report each day on the World Cup this weekend. On Monday, an analysis and final thoughts on the meet will go out as well.

Well, time to finally go to bed, it's 3.30 here. Nice chatting with you all and speak to you soon!

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In the Fall American Track & Field and Athletes Only, Nike has inserted a new Pre Poster. Also included in the Fall issue is the XC yearbook and a poster on Ryan Hall, courtesy of ASICS, as well as the 2006 Fall Shoe Reviews plus reviews of the Fall XC racing shoes. Both issues mail the last week of September. As promised, University of Wisconsin Men's team is on the ATF cover as they won the NCAA XC last year (hey, I live in Badger Land, what do you expect?).

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Three superb movies to see when you get a chance;

a. Invincible produced by Mark Wahlberg, who acted in the movie. This may be the best sports movie in a dozen years. Wahlberg did a sleeper a few years ago about his southie Boston upbringing. He looks the part, and Greg Kinnear as the football coach is stunning. Must see!

b. Little Miss Sunshine I'm the product of two movie freaks. My parents, Stan and Marilu, will watch five movies in a night. Mom and Dad saw this three times. Story is of the most dysfunctional family it has been my pleasure to see, on their way to a beauty pageant for a cute little 11-year-old. Add Alan Arkin as a controlled-substance snorting grandfather, a 17-year-old son who won't speak, reads Nietzche and wears George Orwell t-shirt, and a suicidal uncle who is the foremost expert on Proust, and you have a movie! Rush to see this one, great message, teenage kids would get something from it.

c. Cache Here's the deal. Juliette Binoche only has to speak in French and I am lost for hours. But this movie is moving and very disturbing. Rent the DVD, about a relationship that disintegrates as their child gets farther and farther estranged from a French couple. Well done, great performances, but tough to see. This movie is in the title. Do couples keep secrets from each other, and how do those secrets destroy the trust in a relationship? Well done.

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Problems in China for Media?

Reporters Without Borders has reported that China has detained, beaten or threatened nearly 100 members of the media in the past 18 months. How will China treat media overrunning their country in the 2008 Olympics? What are the limitations?

Recent comments from some of our friends who have been in China in the past year have suggested that pollution/smog is horrific, and that Chinese officials are considering closing down factories a month or two before Beijing Olympics. Another traveler--one who has frequented Beijing over the past 35 years--urged me to visit Beijing now in order to see some of the most treasured but odd neighborhoods, which will be bulldozed due to new hotels and other modern accommodations.

The Olympics is a country's coming-out party. China wants to be perceived well, and there will have to be understanding on both sides. Understanding a culture before one places a camera in someone's face is a key. Free speech is important when giving the community an honest appraisal of the Games and a country that has fascinated the rest of the world for more than 2,000 years. But how does one report honestly in a country that limits speech? Ah, grasshopper, we do not have the answer to that yet ...

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ATF Newswire is published by Shooting Star Media, Inc. (www.shootingstarmediainc.com), for the good of the sport. (c) Copyright 2006. All Rights Reserved.

Shooting Star Media, Inc. is proudly represented by the Running Network, LLC (www.runningnetwork.com).

To reach Larry Eder, try larry.eder@gmail.com, text 608.239.3785 or call 608.239.3785.