The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-08-17
A WOMANS
.t49lhAbaRS65AnD
BY Al!ene Sumner


spiritual subjects as flower markets,
perfume factories and the dis
| indignation Of brides at Monte Car
10, we will now return to my favorite
theme: How much does it cost?
Nor am l altogether to blame for
letter containing this classic line.
"And for heavens sake tell us
what it's costing! Can we possibly
make it by next year,"
One learns from bitter experience
only. Travellers who had done Italy
told us in Paris that we would find
things lever so much cheaper in
Italy,"
We learned. however, that these
same travellers were blithely paying
their good 425 francs per day for
room and breakfast whereas we, in
the shadow of the bedizened Eiffel
Tower were spending something
like Is francs each-it was As cents
then-for the same necessities.
Our advice to all young men and
women who would "go east, young
man, go east" is-stay in France
and live on nothing. For when you
leave France you begin to spend
money-oh, you'll be able to stand
it-maybe 50 for a room. But when
one has been accustomed to spending
80 cents, the change comes with
difficulty.
Nor does It wait for italy, In
Avignon, for instance, quaint little
town on the rushing Rhone which
you read about in your Caesar pony,
we paid $3.50. Recall, however, that
your quoted hotel price in Europe is
but the third Of it, dearie! This year
the conventional 10 per cent for
service is twelve or fifteen every
where, and the cute little govern
ment stamps costing this and that
litter the bills on all four corners.
And, though you pay your Is per
cent for service. a leering line of
some trillion million servants line up
with outstretched grimmy palms as
you leave.
crack, inclEding the W. K. Pansy
Herring Pretzel and the author, who
had just counted their pence after
a debacle in Paris including the
purchase of cloisonne lorgnet guar
anteed to make on resemble Mrs.
Monkey-Monk Gohoofis the First.
(Six dollars. Imogene9
Tho fo,,,o,,e To- ,,of4I,a.. I, ~
nor expensive in the summertime
at least it wasn't with lucky Prov
idence watching over us.
Our room with muraled ceiling, a
Romeo and Juliet balcony and a
vista of Palm trees, white villa, and
the cathedral, cost Pretzelfor short
and her protege 90 cents each per
night, including the polishing of
three pairs of shoes each per night
when you go, to Europe, Imogene,
take three pairs of walking shoes
for a summer-you can't buy any.
thing but high heels here.
Returning to such lofty subjects
as prices-here is a little tip for
nothing. When you're in Europe,
N'CiA SGT SilloI anu 10 GCOflO-
mize. Herring and I did
this. For instance, the desk clerk at
our Nice hotel assured us that our
room was 60 francs each per night.
We said nothing, but left our bag
gage and went shopping for other
rooms. finding any number of equal
ly palatial ones for 60 francs total,
or 80 each. T.
The next morning we asked for
our bill, about to depart. We
learned that each" meant both"
in French-style English. We swal.
lowed our pride" and tarried
And yet again-dinner at the no.
tel was 25 francs. While strolling
we had seen any number of 15.franc
menus. We tried one. We couldn't
decipher the bill of fare, so ordered
lobster Americana.
1t proved to be cold lobster with
mayonnaise. We asked to have one
broilad. They broiled the cold boiled
one and the bill was for both proc.
esses done to the one little lobster,
so francs.
One enters Italy at Vintemille. the
customs border line. AS at Cher.
bourg they marked the bags with
out opening. A dollar dinner in the
restaurant buffet, then on to Genoa,
eight hours away
One leaves featherLbed comforts
behind in France, also its garisf
striped wall paper, and enters the |
land of garlanded colored porcelaine |
wash bowls, fleas and biting flies, |!
yellow wall paper, Roman tiled floors |
and prices a third higher.
But naught to complain of-pala-
tial room, three meals day, for
$3.50 each.