European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 12, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 the stars and stripes daily Magazine May 1985 Dollar delusions not everything is a bargain  new York times it was surely just my Luck that the Day i arrived in Paris in april was the Day that the Dol which for weeks had been commanding More than 10 French began its la was nothing dramatic it hovered around francs for the next few Days but it had an effect at least As sobering As the rain Clouds that failed to break for an entire for along with most americans who have been pouring through every train station and pier on the continent in the last arrived with the sense that the Dollar was now the ruler of Western those possessing the Dollar in our View from Back Home in the United states had become like people with american currency to Trade on the Black Market in a third world they could have whatever they wanted it seemed As if other currencies trembled before he sight of the that was never quite the and the slight dip in the dollars value this far from being has in a sense served As a Welcome dose of there is no denying that the Dollar has soared in value in the last few not Only against the French franc but also against the German the British Pound and the italian among other and that the buying Power of the Dollar is vastly More than it has been for nearly a but the Strong Dollar and the recent dip is not nearly significant enough to undercut the Basic strength of the Dollar against european currencies is not the almighty Dollar of the it has considerable buying Power that it did not have a few years but the american who goes to Europe thinking it is possible to take the grand tour on a shoestring will be a night at the Ritz docs not Cost the same As a night at a Motel 6 in South Dakota a Saville Row suit will not make Sears Start to feel too till event is not to be enjoyed on a Mcdonalds budget although the crowds vying for reservations could be the envy of any fast food i dont want to paint too grim a for the fact is that one can see Europe More comfortably for less Money now than was possible five years and plenty of people know it Europe is More crowded with americans now than at any time in my so much so that it is no longer surprising to hear nothing but English spoken in a hotel or to be addressed in English by the cashier at the ticket window at the on my last trip 1 ran into some neighbors from new York in front of my and the next discovered a pair of also from new sit Ting at the next table at la Cou Polc the sort of coincidences that reminded me of travelling to Europe in student when everyone who could Rustle up a couple of Hundred dollars for a charter air ticket and a Backpack crossed the but the recent strength of the Dollar has not been Able to duplicate the bargains of those in the last couple of inflation has done its Nasty work in Europe More completely than in the United and As francs and pounds and Marks have the prices of almost everything have risen to some in the great hotels the the the Plaz Athenee have always been sex and they remain the French franc May be Worth Only about 10 but a double room in these hotels today has run up to at least of these and though the Dollar is it will take More than 200 of them to pay for one of these it would be worse if the Price were francs and the Dollar Worth seven or eight francs but it is still a fair amount of you need not live this of course most people do How about life at a More modest scale it is a great Deal More feasible than a few years but keep in once that Arthur Frommer has not called his Guidebook Europe on a Day for quite some and that inflation has been Felt at every level of the Economy in every european but a decent hotel room in Paris can certainly be had for a few Hundred and that is a much greater bargain than before the dollars great Rise not the a night i remember paying for a room in a left Bank hotel Back in the 1960s but a fair Price and so it is in you will not live for next to As you say in parts of but the prices Are and in most in stances will strike you As reasonable when compared to their counterparts in the major cities of the United in visitors should remember that what has always been relatively expensive tends to re main and what has always been relatively reasonable remain that in other the relationship Between the different things you May choose to spend your Money on have not changed that Paris is still expensive the French save for portions of the Cote is less Spain is less expensive than England or West Germany is neither outrageously expensive nor a great like business class on an air plane safely in inns in Small villages in every country Are less expensive than their Urban but the Cost of food does not seem to vary quite As sharply from City to country As the Cost of food is perhaps the real bargain now in France one category in which even the most jaded will be stuck by a sense of modesty i had a splendid dinner one night at Les the restaurant in the Cril which has two Michelin the Bill for four including a bottle of Champagne and a Fine came to about at the most two thirds of what a similar dinner would Cost in new and so it went with less ambitious a wonderful Midnight snack of oysters and Mot Chan Don at be a lat night Bistro bursting with could not have totalled More than for four a pleasant dinner for four with amply wine at la Maree a comfortable restaurant on the left was barely seemed surprisingly As 10trip or of second class metro tickets is but or about taxis move about Paris with an initial eight franc drop of the which was about 85 even a trip to the Airport rarely tops on the other which has always been expensive in remains the Strong Dollar offsets the pain but not entirely furnishings in particular seemed quite i saw a great array of brightly Well tailored shirts in a mens shop on the Boulevard but demurred when i saw the prices 480 or about per somewhat More than what a read made shirt would Cost in a shop on Madison Avenue in on the other were priced substantially below their equivalents in new women clothes tended to be somewhat below their Cost in new but rarely dramatically in prices Are some what and my Hopes of returning with a Spring War Drobe purchased at bargain prices for my son were dashed when i saw that prices for childrens clothing seemed barely cheaper than in the United and in some cases not cheaper at while the Range of inventive child ens clothes produced in France is there seems to be a clearer class distinction than in the United states the better designed outfits Are More frequently beyond the reach of Middle class buyers than in the United the lesson of it All is that whether or not the dollars current strength it is Worth making plans with and be prepared for what you think will be cheap May turn out not to but what you expect to be expensive May be a pleasant belgian National tour Ltd office Brussels banners on Parade at the Gran place during annual omm gang