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Published: April 27th 2007
As many of you are aware, the dollar is at an all-time low against other major currencies, including the Euro, making it very expensive for Americans traveling in Europe. While you should still feel free to make a donation to the Conley Family travel fund if you choose, first let me assure you that we have found lots of ways to stretch our funds while here in the Old World, and that Ryan is the only one who regularly complains about that empty feeling in the pit of his stomach.
One of the most expensive items for the European traveler, of course, is lodging. Angie thinks we are too old to be making the youth hostel circuit, and real hotels are very expensive, especially if everyone wants to sleep in a bed. (Kids today demand so much!) What we have found, though, is that the construction boom here has some unintended benefits. On nearly every street you can find a number of those large dumpsters filled with pretty soft construction materials like plaster, drywall, etc. You’d be surprised just how warm that loose asbestos can keep you on cold nights when you borrow down into it, and chunks of plaster make a pretty good pillow. And everyone gets his or her own dumpster, so there is no bickering about stealing covers or being on the wrong side of the bed. A classic win-win!
Feeding three growing children is no small matter either. Sure, we could resort to classic dumpster-diving techniques like we do at home, but the kids seem to think they are too good for that. No worries! Here in Europe, waiters are notoriously slow in bringing the check at the end of a meal. So we’ve taught the kids a new game: restaurant hide and seek. Here’s how it works: after we finish eating as much as we want, each of the kids leaves the restaurant alone in 2 minute intervals and heads outside to look for a place to hide. Angie excuses herself to go the restroom but actually follows the kids. At the right moment, when the waiter’s attention is diverted elsewhere, I run out of the restaurant, yell “Ollie, Ollie, in come free”, and the kids all converge on me. We go running off into the dark night laughing and singing. And since there is no tipping in restaurants here, the waiter is really not hurt. Another win-win.
With those two big expenses taken care off, the rest just becomes a matter of watching our pennies. The metro, for instance, is a great way to get around both Paris and Madrid. Whoever designed the turnstiles, however, apparently didn’t consider just how easy it is for a child to walk under them. Its almost as if they are ok with children sneaking in. Buying two tickets instead of five saves a considerable amount of money over time.
And don’t think that we are neglecting our children’s education. Most of the museums here offer free admission to children under six. You’d be surprised how often the attendants believe that Tommy and Ryan are twin six-year-olds, especially when we pretend not to understand Spanish, French, English or any other known language. (If someone figures out we’re speaking in Pig Latin we might have a problem.) After a few minutes of incomprehensible babble and some timely drooling from the boys, they almost always let the kids in for free!
Since we are also trying to teach the kids good personal hygiene habits, the fountains here really come in handy. We always carry shampoo with us, so that when we find a cleanish fountain with not too many people around (kids can be so modest about public nakedness) we throw them right in, clothes and all. After the initial shock they almost always have lots of fun, especially when those bubbles start flowing. Sure, walking around in wet clothes takes some getting used to, but the sun has been out most days so they dry pretty quickly. And we’re doing our part to help the environment by cleaning up some of that scummy green fountain water with good clean American soap. Did I hear “win-win”?
And lest you think that the youngest can’t contribute to family well-being, just wait until you hear what Keenan came up with. At first, she decided that she wanted to sit on a busy street and sell her artwork just like the bootleg CD sellers here, but she wasn’t making very much that way and art materials cost money. Then inspiration hit: she saw a blind woman in Paris and decided that would be an easier way to make some spending money. So now we put her in a dirty dress with no shoes, “forget” to comb her hair, give her a pair of sunglasses and a paper cup, and hide around the corner. Its amazing how much she pulls in in an hour. And best of all, we can use this one when we get home; look for her on an exit ramp off 35-W at Diamond Lake starting in June!
So there you have it. Its been a educational time for our kids as they’ve learned how to live in Europe on $5 a day. Not too mention all the interesting people we met when we slept down near the Seine that night; but that’s another blog entry. I have to run now; I promised Angie I’d pick up a nice bottle of French Champaign before I collect the kids and their paper cups. Ciao!
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Scott Kulstad
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Great stuff
And to think... you could make money by doing this stand-up act. Very good stuff, TJ. Take good care...