Wither the Dolla

Travelers like us have a common fear, and it is one of those fears that comes back with a vengence and can cut both ways. I remember being in New Zealand in 2001, and savoring the beers that "only cost $4.00 NZ," since that was $2.00 US. But I also was in Austria in September 2004, and over there, the dollar was a puny 98 pound weakling against the mighty euro. Dinners were costly and so were hotel rooms. Just read a good explainer about this whole currency mess in Time Magazine. While US manufacturers are breaking records selling lots of lots to the people who benefit by using their strong Euros, those of us who visit and buy these are hammered with low value of our greenback.