A word about the $$

It’s rather alarming how the dollar is crumbling over here. The euro and the British pound are now both worth about $1.50, and it is generally reflected in prices, i.e., something that we would pay about a dollar for will cost you about $1.50 here. That adds up over a two-month trip. I had a small pizza and one glass of wine and a glass of water (for which I must also pay) at a neighborhood restaurant last night in Rome, and I ended up spending about 15 euros (about $23). When you can find wi-fi available (which Peter calls “vee-fee”) it will cost at least 5 euros per hour. That adds up fast! I was here in Europe when the euro first was rolled out – at that time, it was worth about 90 cents. How things have changed! I don’t see any reason for it to change for the better. Peter has mentioned that the euro doesn’t go far in Australia, where he is moving. It’s difficult to know where Americans can travel anymore where the dollar goes at least as far as it does at home. The world is definitely changing.