News, Tips & Bargains : Swiss Help Is Just a Phone Call Away

Switzerland is a country of four languages: German, French, Italian and the Latin-derived Romansch--all of which is little help to the English-speaking tourist. Now, assistance is at hand in the form of “Anglo-Phone.”

Dial 156-6531 from anywhere in Switzerland to reach English-speaking operators who oversee a database of travel information.

For about 90 cents a minute, they will provide current information on everything from ski conditions, cultural activities and social and fitness clubs to where to find English-speaking doctors, lawyers and other professionals.

A spokesman in the Swiss National Tourist Office said that Swiss occasionally call “Anglo-Phone” “because it sometimes has more information than is available to the average resident.”

And “Anglo-Phone” never sleeps: Operators work 24 hours a day.

Rising From a Hummel Start

One of the nation’s largest private collections of M.I. Hummel figurines and collectibles--amassed over 60 years by a Los Angeles resident--is now among the featured attractions at the Hummel Museum in New Braunfels, Tex.

The 1,100-piece collection, which includes pieces never before on public display, is valued at about $500,000 and was donated to the museum. The figurines, drawings and paintings are peasant children characters dreamed up by Sister M.I. Hummel in Siessen, Germany, during the 1930s and ‘40s.

Admission to the museum, 199 Main Plaza (22 miles north of San Antonio), is $5 for adults, $4.50 for those 65 and over and $3 for ages 6-18.

For information, call the museum at (800) 456-4866.

Outlet Malls Near and Far

Here’s a handy listing for those who do their best shopping after Christmas.

“Outlet Malls USA,” a 12-page list of malls and outlet centers around the country, has just been updated by its author, Judy Colbert of Crofton, Md. A self-professed “outlet maven,” Colbert has issued the listing for five years. Copies are available for $3 by writing: Outlet Malls USA 1994, P.O. Box 3308, Crofton, Md. 21114.