I am currently in Chamonix-Mont Blanc in the French Alps and I have discovered a new way of seeking out cosmopolitan places in the Euro Zone. Simply take a handful of your Euro coins and see where they originate from.
When I was in San Sebastian many of the coins were Spanish which reflects it’s status as a holiday town geared to locals. I remember handing a few French ones over to a Spanish shop keeper who looked slightly bemused when he discovered their origin!
In Chamonix today I picked up a handful of coins to pay for my cafe au lait and they were from Holland, Spain, Germany, Italy and Ireland – not one originated from France!
I am guessing if the UK ever joined the Euro currency then the make up of small change in Chamonix would very much reflect the number of Brits here. There is even a British section in the supermarket here with Marmite priced at €5 a go! I think I’ll wait until I get home to decorate my toast with the evil black stuff… 🙂