Peter

I remember Holland (well Amsterdam) to be rather expensive anyway. Back in the 80's, as a struggling graduate (with a mortgage, mind), I remember staying in backpacker hotels and gazing longingly through the windows of bars, wishing I could afford a beer! That was at c 5G = £1 I think (so 2 - 2.50 guilders for fries or a beer now sounds cheap). Now you say it's c. 1.75 € a beer? At c. 1€ = c. £0.67, a beer would cost c. £1.18, which sounds quite cheap to me! Maybe my recollections or maths are all to cock.

Terry

>Oh sure, prices have gone up a LOT! Almost all Dutch believe that it started with the introduction of the euro and that it was caused by entrepeneurs who saw it as a chance to sneakilly rise their prices. The example I gave is mild. The truth is that a beer, or chips/frites, was 2 - 2.50 guilders and is now 'only' 1.50 - 1.75 euro. It looks as though it is lower, but in fact it is much more expensive. Going to a restaurant? Very expensive. The only sector that seems to have converted okay is the supermarket sector.
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>>Peter