How dangerous | is Italy for |

tourists? 7

-ANSWER: © =< T feel a lot safer walking at . night in Italy, or for that ~

matter, any other European city than I do in Vancouver.

The political unrest doesn’t —

affect . the tourist unless you re stupid enough to

march into a'demonstration - | then, if the police don’t get - you with tear gas, someone.

will break: your camera.

The one crime you must

"watch for is purse-snatching

(or. pickpocketing). The purse

carry has firm zippers and a

short shoulder strap. I carry it high under my left arm with my elbow ‘tightly locked.

Thieves carry razors and

‘cut the straps of dangling

purses. They make off on motor scooters and are long

gone before you can remem- _ ber the Italian. word for

“Height 93

My husband. still carries

his wallet i in his back pocket,

and ‘why he’s never -been:

robbed is a mystery to me.

- However, with mens’ tailor-

ing as it is, where to safely stow a wallet is a problem. Inside jacket pockets are a good bet, but not if the temperature is in the nine- ties. European men have solved. this problem by carrying leather purses but

Canadian men are sensitive —

about’ this.

Oddly enough, ‘they think

nothing of lugging around a 30 pound camera case! Child molesting is 2!most unheard

of in Italy. As for kidnap-

pings, I wouldn’t worry too much, unless your name is Rockefeller or you flash a roll

of $1000 bills.

QUESTION: I’m taking my wife to the south of Spain for a month

this summer. We have -.

rented am apartment and a

car. I have two questions.

How difficult fs it driving in a foreign country? We don’t know any Spanish. Will this be a real problem?

ANSWER:

First - the driving. |! assume you have = your International Drivers Licence. The booklet that goes along with it shows you the traffic signs and gives you hints about driving in a forcign country. READ AND MEMORIZE! Driving there is easy as long as you remember that traffic acci- dents are three times more likely, so be alert.

Road signs in the South of

Spain are apt to be set three . feet off the ground and very

expected to pay there and .. then to someone who speaks

fluency in any foreign lan-_

which you can share with the

: with machine-gun: delivery ©

o Speak slowly and clearly, using the simplist. words and | phrases. Some sign language aa helps. -

-you’’, ‘‘you’re welcome’’.

abroad to wear Maple Leaf’. :

taken for the ‘‘Ugly Ameri-

world and well known ‘as | - oon, er — | eo oe | oo generous tippers. — , oo . | ; | | Sc _

980-3464 986-6222

difficult to seel. ‘Make: sure “soon as ; they could find. “some

< your wife helps you navigate scissors, the flags were being -aS sometimes they are only snipped off.- 7 SIF we -could.

visible from. the passenger’ s pass | for-~ Europeans,:..we.

- side. Have a lot. of. patience -wouldn’t be taken. advantage | , vand take your ‘time.

of. Everyone ‘here thinks all | . Saas es rich and so _ VENICE, THE CANAL CAPITAL of the world, ‘retains its distinctive charm but also If you get a-traffic ticket — y co P S retains the Italian character. oo -

(likely for parking in the - oe ee os ce ‘wrong place) you'll. be |. Te oo _ re

e : a : e

no English at all. Hopeless to argue. a

‘Second - the: language. If.

guage was a. prerequisite for travel, I'd never have left . North Vancouver! -Phrase’ books are next to useless -

you may get the phrase down pat - but you'll never understand the answer. I rely on a two-language dictionary

person you are attempting to — communicate with.

“Don’t rattle off: ‘your: ‘words .

when you find someone who |. does ‘speak a little English.

- i 7 dene Pn dd POTIALIDODEOOOCCCLSUEEIESSTALOEES

Try to learn some courtesy. phrases - “please”, “thank

ye Hiss ih as

The Spanish are very con- | scious .of courtesy and consider us abrupt and rude | when we omit the magic words.

tps

PS

QUESTION: Do you think it’s . a good idea for Canadians .

pins or small Canadian n fiegs? .

ANSWER:

Years ago when anti- American feelings were not — unknown from being mis-—

can’’. Today, Americans are quite popular around the

Canadians, unfortunately, have an international repu-

* also a selection of Longines ( ine : tation for stinginess. So, if : . g nes Gold Watches at AO /o off

you want to take a chance.on § 7 —

lax service, just make oure We have on consignment $40,000” creer a gin iS te help onto

in gold merchandise that must be sold by July 15,1978. All unsold stock will be retumed to the manufacturer on that date.

recognized by fellow Cana- - dians and sometimesleadsto & some interesting conversa- — tions. You can be pretty sure when you see someone wearing a pin that they will

enjoy a chat with another Canadian, |

In a railway station in Rome I met a group of || back-packers, from Canada sporting large flags on their. packs. They told me that as

Classified |

‘ Mon.-Fri. a.m. “ 9 Pp. mM.

THE STORE THAT KEEPS NORTH VANCOUVER TICKING AND TALKING,

mercer gM tea ce ot ot RE AM MERE GHEE IRF ty teat eye vne rr rtetteor sO coe oa en et