Wow, those brits really hate the Euro, check out this link. Is the Euro a rash move?
They claim that the coins due to their metalic content are more likely to cause a rash due to handling than most coins! There isn't any direct research, only some sort of experiment with human sweat.

As for being an American the Euro will be very convenient. Its so close to the dollar that its practically 1 to 1. I think I may be more used to it when I go to Spain on January 17 than a few Spaniards!

Hehe, but it makes you wonder, what's going to happen to those beauro de cambio shops everywhere. They are going to loose a lot of business it seems. What will they trade now Pounds Dollars and Euros? Well, it serves them right for hosing people on the rates since the beginning of time.

Michael don't make much credibility to those news...

UK has always been anti-european (as a supranational concept). It is an historic attitude of isolationism and looking to the US instead of looking towards Europe. It has worked very well for them for centuries.

It is my opinion, but I think that in this matter they have all to loose if they don't subscribe themselves to the euro. They will be caught between two powerful currencies.

Anyway, even if they accept it, they don't need to like it.

Maybe someone of the british members here could argue a little further.

Fernando

As always , Fernando likes to "stir the pot." Love it - makes life around here much more interesting! It's amazing how uppity the British can be. In this case towards the Euro. Having the strong pound won't be so attractive when they try to export to the European continent. Who do YOU think will get the last laugh...

It's facinating to read European coments regarding the British. If I may stir the pot a little more, and engage in a little FRIENDLY Brit-bashing (please note: my roots include British)...

Sounds like these Brits are a little two-faced. I found it interesting Fernando writes that Britian looks to the U.S., and NOT to Europe. Maybe I shouldn't be so surprised, but then again many Brits can be o' so snooty to us Americans (yes, I know this is not always the case, but...!).

Don't get me wrong, Americans do look toward England with respect - like Mexico looks towards Spain (our mother-countries), but man o' man are Brits arrogant to us Americans.

I can never leave Europe with out some gent from England telling me he "wouldn't mind that we would need to speak American, and not English!" I'm always polite, and smile, but behind their backs I laugh. Like Latin America speaks Spanish, Americans speak English!!!

Maybe because the sun now DOES set on the British Empire they have to look towards America...just a thought.

... ... ...
(Please, please, let's not turn this into a bash Britain thread - this was in "good-fun," even if there is some truth to their arrogance. Americans are very grateful they were the first country to stand by us after the attacks.)

[ 12-16-2001: Message edited by: JJP ]

I sure hope some British, I know we have some, would like to defend themselves...

I just read an article in El Mundo today about price rounding- it seems the real estate market is seeing it in large sums of pesetas.

Hello, just to respond to a few of the points put forward re. the UK, I do think Britain has quite a few people who do not like Europe... as Maggie Thatcher once said.."All our problems have come from Europe and all the solutions from English speaking countries." Also some people here are afraid of having their way of life dictated by Brussels and who see European regulations as the erosion of British sovereignty by the EU. However, the UK has been a full member of the EU since 1973 and wasn't Winston Churchill an early Euro enthusiast? Also thousands of Brits visit France, Spain, Italy, Greece etc every year and love those countries so not everyone can hate Europe. I dont think that, for better or worse, the UK can be called isolationist...after all the British Empire spanned the globe and we now have millions of Asian and Caribbean people living here not to mention the EU citizens. I do not think that anyone under the age of sixty seriously laments the demise of the empire... if they do, they'd be thought of as pretty sad! As for the British being arrogant towards Americans, there are probably quite a few Brits who are but they would be arrogant towards anyone who wasn't English and are definitely worth avoiding at all costs!

Shawn,

I thought only banks took traveller checks and you had to cash them to pay anywhere else.

For any transaction that doesn't need cash, you can use the Euro. However, cash can't be used until January 1st 2002. That is, if you go to a bank to cash your traveller checks, you'll get pesetas until January 1st. After that day, they'll give you Euros.

Maybe someone can answer a question for me: In October I exchanged all my peseta notes for Irish Punths which I proceeded to spend, mostly on pints of Guinness, etc. It was in anticipation of the Euro conversion. I will be in Spain around 5 February. I have a couple of mil worth of coins: 500, 200 and 100 peseta (which they wouldn't take where I exchanged my peseta banknotes). Will I be able to spend those coins or exchange them for Euro coins when in Spain for Carnaval (5 Feb - 14 Feb)? Will I have to take them to a bank?
muchas gracias de antemano

From the 1st of January to the 28th of February every commerce has to accept pesetas (but they will give you back euros).

From the 1st of March to the 30th of June you can only use euros, but your pesetas (or any other european currency) could be changed in banks. From the 1st of July ahead you can only change pesetas in the Spanish Central Bank (Banco de España).

Bricamb, in fact Britain has been very isolianist historicly. Nowadays this is changing, but british normally view us as no more than africans who live in the region in which they take holidays... I've been insulted more than once for being spaniard in my own country by british. It's a pitty I speak english... I could understand their insults, but they couldn't understand mine...

Of course this is a generalization. There are thousands of british who come to Spain to drink until they are in coma, but many others apreciate our culture and respect us.

Do you know that in some beach places there are english pubs in which spaniards can't enter? or that in Mallorca there are places in which all the texts, prices and so on are in german marks? This is quite disgutsting

Anyway, if not for the tourism that comes from Europe (mainly) Spain would be a much poorer country than we are. So we should be more than grateful. It is just a pitty that the tourists only want a place with sun and in which they can drink and eat the same than in their countries, instead of trying to understand and know another different culture.

For me, this attitude is like if when I went to London I would have search for a spanish restaurant to eat... No way! Me and my family tried to watch, see and experience all what is left of the english culture (now London is anything but english...).

It's just my opinion I don't want to "stir the pot" as JJP says, only express my points of view with all due respect.

Fernando

Hey Shawn. I did just have a birthday, the 6th. I turned 29.

I have to admit that I feel sad to say goodbye the the peseta, and other European currencies, but hopefully it will be positive for you.