The main reason why they still talk using the old local
currency is because they are unable to evaluate the prices
for goods and services in Euro.


In Germany it is easy because the 2 Deutschmarks are 1 Euro.
(1 Euro = 1,95583 Deutschmarks).
So when they hear a price in Euro they just multiply it by
two and use the resulting value to compare with what they used
to pay in Deutschmarks in the past for the same
goods or service. (Takes max. 1 sec. mentally).


In France it is a catastrofy. (1 Euro = 6,55957 Francs).
No way to convert that mentally. In France they are still
stuck with the conversion problem introduced by the
"nouveau Franc". In the early 1960's, they switched to
the "nouveau Franc"; one of those was worth 100 of
the old ones ("ancien francs").
(1 nouveau Franc = 100 ancien Francs).
Many people in their sixties are still counting and
making every day transactions in "ancien francs".
Now with the Euro..........


Italy (1 Euro = 1936,27 Lire).
Mentally Euro to Lire is add 3 zeros, multiply by 2
and remove 3%. This simple calculation is a problem for
90% of the Italian population.
(Try to convert mentally 57'330.15 Euro in Lire).

So next time you go to Maranello or Modena say your
prices in Euro and the discount in Lire. (Italians
still like all these zeros and think like millionaires).


Luciano