Good point you're making, _N_. One way to find out is by checking the historical charts of gold Vs euro (first chart) compared to gold Vs dollar (4th chart) for the last 5 years.
http://www.usagold.com/gold-price-forex.html
I think it's clear that gold is gaining in value compared to all major paper-money-scam currencies.
As far as finding gold and silver at spot price in Europe, I wish I had your luck. I have to look overseas to grab whatever I can get my hands on at a reasonable price.