Discount Travelling...

oh boy, oh boy!!! New stuff in the mail: the opening salvo for the Venice component (thank you Rick Steves, et al) AND The Official Youth Hostels Guide to Europe 2005. The OYHGTE2005 is clearly for youth: I need both pairs of glasses to read the fine print. Some extra memory cells would help too so I don't have to keep flipping from "Explanation of Signs" to the country in question.

.....pause...... ya know, maybe if I simply used the brain cells I DO have: seems that the "Eof S" page is designed to be flipped over so I can see the symbols while (trying) to read the descriptions. I may have to add "magnifying glass" to the Useful Bag.

The other indicator of "youth" being operative is the stuff that has discounts and/or concessions e.g.: in Australia (not going there this year but know someone whose HI card has been mailed to Melbourne!!) Aussie Disposals (the mind boggles) offers 10% off everything instore and Grt Southern Railway has up to 50% off daynighter seats (does that mean one only gets half a seat???) In France and Italy (where I am going) it's 10-30% off adventure tours and special rates for dental care! Where are the 10% off restaurant offers? The 20% off Ferragamo???

hmmmmmm: Maybe I can use the accommodation savings to create my own "discounts": as in 10% more perfume in Grasse and 20% more Barolo in Italy? Is this "chick (in my dreams) logic"? More importantly, Will it work?