New Olympic Museum Opens in Switzerland

A new five-story Olympic Museum devoted to the Games’ history and heritage has just opened in Lausanne, Switzerland--headquarters for the International Olympic Committee. The museum, which overlooks Lake Geneva, contains ancient Greek and Etruscan objects, historical documents, an extensive video and film archive, Olympic coins, artifacts such as Carl Lewis’ running shoes, skier Jean-Claude Killy’s crash helmet, a photography collection and modern art, including works by Auguste Rodin. Interactive audiovisual programs and touch-screen displays will allow visitors to follow the history of the Games. The museum, at Quai D’Ouchy, CH-1006 Lausanne, replaces one in an old mansion on the Avenue Ruchonnet that closed last August in preparation for this opening. Admission is about $8 for adults, $4 for children 10 to 18 and free for children under 10.

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Travel Quiz: What does Amtrak stand for?

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Don’t Eat on the Street: A newly released Mexican health department study says most of Mexico City street taco and fruit vendors are selling foods infected with harmful bacteria, and the officials are urging locals and tourists not to eat at outdoor food stands. The study found that 81% of the fruit tested on the street was infected with fecal bacteria, as well as 73% of the seafood and 62% of the leafy vegetables. Filiberto Perez Duarte, a health department hygiene specialist, told the independent news agency Excelsior that parasites and salmonella were also found in random samplings of foods being sold on Mexico City street corners. The study is an effort by local authorities to crack down on unsafe vendors.

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No Volcano Hiking, Please: Indonesia has banned tourists from hiking near the Krakatau volcano, which a century ago underwent one of history’s biggest eruptions, after a smaller eruption two weeks ago killed an American tourist and injured five others. The official Indonesian news agency Antara quoted a local official as saying tourists wanting to visit islands around the volcano in west Java should write a letter promising that they will not climb the mountain. Write: Soedjadi Danuwinoto, Jalan Ir. H. Juanda 9, Bogor, Jawa Barat, Indonesia, or from the United States call 011-62-251-24014. The volcano, which lies in the Sunda Strait between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra, started spewing smoke and lava late last year. Eruptions sent colorful flashes up to a few hundred yards high, attracting tourists who were staying on nearby beaches.

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Quick Fact: More than twice as many men as women in a recent survey said they never get lost while driving. (Source: Budget Rent a Car Backseat Driver Survey.)

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Malaria Drug Testing Results: According to a recently published major study in the British medical journal The Lancet, the anti-malarial drug mefloquine is more effective than chloroquine, at one time the drug most commonly prescribed for travelers to Africa. This is good news since the parasite that usually causes malaria has grown resistant to chloroquine, and mefloquine, which has been on the market for the past several years, has become the most commonly used anti-malarial for Americans traveling in Africa. The study of 145,000 travelers to East Africa from 1985 to 1991 was prompted by disagreement among tropical disease experts over mefloquine’s effectiveness. And scattered reports of seizures or psychosis linked to mefloquine interactions with other drugs had ignited fears over its safety. Experts generally believe mefloquine to be safe, however, except for people taking certain kinds of drugs for neuropsychiatric disorders and heart disease, women in the first trimester of pregnancy and small children, for whom determining dosage amounts is difficult. The Lancet study was conducted by investigators at the University of Zurich, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, African Medical Research Foundation in Nairobi, Kenya, and F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd., makers of mefloquine.

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New Rail Station at Manchester Airport: England’s Manchester Airport recently opened an airport rail station connecting the airport with downtown Manchester (just 23 minutes away) and also offering direct service on BritRail to other parts of Northern England, including the medieval city of York and the seaside resort of Scarborough. Service by a transfer of trains is also possible from the airport to the Lake District and to London. The new tri-level station is adjacent to the domestic terminal.

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Golden Oldies in Amsterdam: To honor Amsterdam’s Golden Age--the period of extraordinary economic, cultural and artistic achievement in the 17th Century--a city-wide celebration featuring special exhibits, a series of concerts and canal tours began June 5 and will continue until March 6, 1994. A highlight of the festivities will be the exhibition “Dawn of the Golden Age” at Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, Dec. 11 through March 7, 1994. The works of period artists, including Rembrandt’s newly restored “Jewish Bride,” will be displayed, along with 17th-Century furniture, tapestries and ceramics.

In conjunction with the festivities, a Golden Age Pass is being sold for about $17 by the Amsterdam Tourist Office. The 28-coupon book (with a total value of $70) represents free admission or discounts at a variety of historical sites. Among the free offerings: admission to the Rijksmuseum and the Amsterdam Historic Museum, a boat trip along the city’s 17th-Century canals and a walking tour of the city. Discounts of up to 50% are offered on admission to the Jewish Historical Museum, the Trip Brothers House, The Old Church, the Royal Palace and the Van Loon House Museum. For more information, contact the Netherlands Board of Tourism: (212) 370-7360.

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Comparatively Speaking: Cruise-ship sanitation scores for ships inspected in April and May (a score of 86 or higher indicates acceptable sanitation): Caribbean Prince, 89; Caribe I, 53; Crown Princess, 94; Club Med I, 78; CostaClassica, 89; Mayan Prince, 89; Nantucket Clipper, 92; Nordic Empress, 96; Regent Star, 66; Regent Sun, 92; Royal Majesty, 97; Seabourn Pride, 91; Sovereign of the Seas, 89; Statendam, 86. (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.)

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Quiz Answer: American Track.