I'm a Virgin....."Euro"peanly Speaking

As you already know from my last post, I am headed to Spain for a mini-vacation in a few months. What you don't know is this will be my first foray in the world of the euro.

I hate the euro.

Why?

Two reasons-wait, actually three.

1. At Amsterdam's Schiphol airport last year, I developed a serious need for a McDonald's Filet-o-Fish sandwich. I was on a layover from Tanzania and I had been eating goat and rice for two weeks. However tasty those items may be, I really just wanted tons of tartar sauce slathered atop a hot bun. Total cost of my sandwich, companion's sandwich, bottled water and fries to share? $27 US DOLLARS!! Yeah, I am still pretty miffed about it a year later. WHO SPENDS $27 AT McDONALDS?? Since I am already veeeery frugal by nature, this was an outrageous injustice. I wanted to choke the employee and any other nearby Europeans, but I refrained.

2.  I was at a hostel in Beijing when I overheard a conversation between two Europeans (speaking English) in the next room.  Actually, it was more squealing and shrieking than conversing. They were fairly giddy over the exchange rate of the yuan to the euro. Phrases like "This was nearly free!" and "This would cost 3x as much at home!" were bandied about and right then and there I knew I was not cut out for Euro spending countries. Granted, I bought my fair share of knock-offs and other important Chinese souvenirs, but the buying process was never without haggling and walking away. On repeat. These girls simply smirked at me when I casually injected myself into their conversation to ask if they had bargained the prices down at all. I took that as a
" Why would we need to do that when we have practically stolen these items to begin with?"

Which brings me to my final reason of hating the Euro.

3.  This currency has been the single most preventive reason I have not seen any of the things I dream to see-the Colisseum, a Greek island (any which one will do) the fjords of Norway, the Portuguese coast, or the concentration camps in Germany (is that weird? I will say no since I am a social studies teacher).  I can't afford Europe! I was in the Czech Rpublic before it was on the euro and Istanbul last May, while partially in Europe, is still lovingly spending the lira.


 I guess I've only been to first base in Europe.