Thanks Fernando for the info on the peseta to Euro changeover period. According to it I'll spend my pesetas on chocolate & churros when I get there in early February.

As for 'Brit' bashing: In Torremolinos one year we stopped for a coffee on the way to the beach. The 'counter' people couldn't understand me when I ordered dos cortados. I finally had to revert to English and ask for two coffees, cream & sugar. But it's not just the 'Brits.'

The same thing happened to me more recently in Benidorm. We stopped in a German restaurant and tried to order in Spanish. The waiters couldn't understand us. They didn't know English either, so being very hungry, I had to rely on my two semesters of college German from many years ago.

Maybe it's because of the EU; but it's a shame when a Spanish person can't expect to be understood in a restaurant in his/her own country. And I'm not referring to Euskera or Galego or Catalan: I never encountered a problem in Galicia or Basque Country or Catalunia with people not understanding castellano.

Maybe this thread is morphing into a discussion on "culture-importation" ???

Thanks everyone for the Euro-info. I leave in two days for Madrid, and can't wait to see the new coins. Anybody post when the bills are being released? I should go back to that link Antonio provided.

... ... ...

PS: I think the great moral to the subtext of this thread is this: It is a shame when people pay a thousand+$ (for Americans) to travel to Spain (or where-ever) only to bring their culture with them! Shameful! Isn't the purpose of traveling to experience another culture!?!?!? Well, on a happy note, I guess I'm a little relieved it's not just tourits from the U.S. that are so irresponsible. Sounds like the Germans and British are no better than the average American in how they experience a foreign country...what a pity.

Bricamb,

Thank you for your most rational response to my attempt to elicit a response from the British.

As a citizen of the U.S., I feel that I visit every country (in Latin America, Africa, or Europe - doesn't matter) with the burden of being an "American." We have such a nasty reputation, I enjoy showing other cultures we don't all deserve this "bad-rap"!

As for my comments on a "American" dialect. Well, technically it's true. We do have a different accent. Also, the British - on average - handle the language with much more grace than the average American. Many times, I think, an average American views the British as uppity because they have a better vocabulary along with a "funny" sound (as some of my less cultured fellow countrymen would say - "funny how they talk").

The problem, however, is that I don't like stereotypes, and I simply resent the arrogance directed to "Americans" by many in Britain AND Europe. We are a vastly diverse nation, and not all of us embody what disgusts EU people. We don't all own a gun FOR PROTECTION (nothing wrong with hunting!), drive a SUV, over-consume everything, and say "'like' this..." or "'like' that..." So whenever someone says, "OK, I'll speak American with you" I just simply think they have either never visited my country or they are just jealous and nasty. You're right: the best defense is to avoid these people.

Hmmm...I guess this email is way off target of the thread. Just wanted to thank Bricamb for a rational response to my provacative post - we have great people in this community!

Have you checked if you computer is Euro-ready?. Are you able to type/see the Euro symbol?. Since most of you are using Microsoft Windows as the operating system, check out Microsoft's website for information about how to update your system.

From what I've read, if you are using Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition or above, then, your operating system is Euro ready. If you are using Microsoft Office 2000 or above, again you won't have any problems. If not, you can download specific updates for your systems.

Don't forget to check any other software you are using.

By the way, it seems that European (or at least Spanish keyboards) have the Euro symbol at the letter "e" and you get it by pressing Alt Gr + e. However, I've read americans keyboards need a different combination to get the Euro symbol.

On my standard US keyboard while running Windows , € ,the Euro symbol, can be generated by holding down the Alt key while entering 0128 on the right number pad.

On my standard Spanish keyboard you can get the Euro symbol by typing the following combinations:

Alt + 0128 (like American keyboards)

or

Alt Gr + e

or

Alt Gr + 5

Get EURO ready!!

I'm down to 1 solitary 100 pta coin. I think I will keep it as a souvenir.

Here's a couple articles from my old town's newspaper (registration is free):
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/28/international/europe/28PESE.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/28/international/europe/28CURR.html

During one of my first days in Madrid (December 23rd, maybe), one of my ladyfriend's friends brought over one of the bags of EURO coins which all can/could get from their banks as a kind of introduction to the new coins (only coins and ONLY 1 bag per customer at their respective banks). Imagine the two older ladies (my ladyfriend's mother is 78 years old and her aunt is 72) with their poor eyesight trying to distinguish the different coins, particularly the smaller copper ones. Those poor people. But, with time, I suppose things will get better (or worse) for them as time goes on.

During my time in Spain (December 22 - January 2), THE HOT TOPIC on EVERYONE'S lips was, of course, THE EURO.

January 1st came and 3 of us drove to Segovia for a walk around town and to have a GREAT lunch at Duque (impressive website! A review will come soon to the "Food, Drink, & Entertainment" forum). On the way, we passed through the Toll Gate. My ladyfriend paid in pesetas and the attendant gave us EUROS in change!!! WOO HOO! Our/my first Euros!! I "bought" ALL these Euros, from my ladyfriend as souvenirs of "The First Euros From Europe" (at least for me).

At Duque, the bill was totally listed in EUROS (I paid with a credit card -- $$$$ YIKES! That was expensive, but oh-so gooood!). After a stroll through Segovia and before leaving, we stopped into a real coffee shop (only served coffees and teas) and EVERYONE around us was chatting about the Euro and how they weren't comfortable that the change they were receiving was accurate because it was impossible to calculate "in the moment" if paying in pesetas and getting Euros as change.

So, I have a few EUROS and brought back as many assorted peseta coins and a few bills as historical souvenirs too. I'll miss the peseta for sure.

Certainly, as soon as everyone has spent all their last remaining pesetas and are using Euros as payment and then getting back Euros as change, it will be easier. Good luck, Euro!

Sadly, MadridMan

Just a quick question for the Spaniards on the board (or anyone else who knows)...how are Spanish people pronouncing the word "euro"? "Eh-oor-oh"? "Yoo-ro"? The first seems more likely to me, given what I know of Spanish pronounciation, but maybe not? And are there euro-related nicknames for money yet? (Like "duro" for 5 pesetas?)

I don't want to sound silly on my next trip to España!!

Buena suerte, euro!

Pero te echo de menos, peseta!

I have a few 100-peseta coins tucked away too, as souvenirs. I always loved those coins...nice and heavy, and a good size. Does anyone have a link for a site that compares the sizes and colors of the euro coins with the old peseta ones? Coins are always trickier for me to learn when traveling than bills.

Tara

I have also my euros by now, both notes and coins

My first impression with the coins is that they were tiny compared to the pesetas, and less heavy. With the notes my impression was that they were very thin compared to the pesetas. However, I think the euros are quite good looking

The word "euro" is not pronounced as in english here, we pronounce as "Europa" in spanish "Eh-oor-oh" as you said taravb (we don't see it as a forgein word, it is familiar to us). Also, we don't call the cents "cents" but "centimos". I'm not sure if this will last, perhaps in the future we will call them cents (pronounced in the spanish way of course).

"And are there euro-related nicknames for money yet? (Like "duro" for 5 pesetas?)"

Not yet, but I'm sure they will be, and some of the pesetas nicknames will surely still be used. Historicly we have been very imaginative putting nicknames to the peseta (rubia, pela, duro for the 5 pesetas coin, etc). For example, I call by now the 5 cents coin a "duro"

In the MM party I was asked (by Shawn) if we are not sad of seeing the peseta going. For sure! But keep in mind that we don't see her like in other countries as something with a patriotic or soberan value. More than disgust what we have is the pittiness of loosing it. But we (overall) see the advantages of the euro, and welcome it. We are a very touristic country and the euro is just great for tourism.

I think that the only problem is the adaptation we have to suffer. 1 euro is 166.386 pesetas so it is very hard for old people to convert it instanctly without a calculator (althought there are simple rules as 3 euros=500 pesetas).

Fernando