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April 22, 2004
Europe 1 - Spain
 We’re
off to Tunisia for a week beginning Friday, April 23. Our two
weeks in Spain have been good, not always easy, but good.
Before we leave again on May 12th, I feel like we will have
seen most of the country, including the Bilboa and Barcelona.
There’s so much history to renew and absorb. The influence
that Spain had on the Americas isn’t always remembered.
I wonder what happened to this powerhouse?
Bad leaders, complacency, the climate? The European Union has
bought the Spanish people a second chance. The amount of money
spent to lift this country up and on par with France and
Germany in infrastructure is staggering. I wonder what the
average northern European thinks about the money drain to the
poorer countries. Now we hear the Spanish people complain
about the immigrants from Morocco stealing their jobs. Used to
be the Spanish going to other countries.
After our week in Tunisia, we are spending another 12 days in
Spain to be here for the opening of a world exhibition in
Barcelona. DW really wants to see the terracotta soldiers in
the China exhibit. From Barcelona we fly to Berlin, which has
turned out to have cheaper lodging than Spain. How’s that
possible? From Berlin we will travel to Krakow where the
dollar still buys something! Yippee!
Our journey into Spain hasn’t been much like we hoped. We had
expected to start by visiting with an old friend, Marga Crepso
Garcia in Madrid. Marga seems to have disappeared. We wrote
multiple emails trying to get together but have never heard
back. So whether Marga is gone on business, in love or not
interested, we may never know. Traveling in Spain over Easter
without reservations isn’t recommended. Spain has a lengthy
national holiday and the hotels are full. We had hoped to
spend a night in Toledo but couldn’t. The other colonial
cities in Andalucia were just as busy. We eventually made our
way to “tourist central” in Spain, the Costa del Sol. A
beachfront apartment hotel became our home for a week.
Europe 1 - Paris
 Paris
in the springtime. What could be nicer? With the season came
something we weren’t used to in Paris. Crowds! Our other three
visits to Paris have been in the winter. We were spoiled by
instant access to museums and monuments. I don’t know if it is
because of Easter or just spring, but Paris is hopping and
full of Americans. People must have forgotten about 9/11 and
the War in Iraq. Our days with the Kettingers, friends from
home, have been wonderful. We have been able to play tour
guides for them. I can remember how intimidating the Metro or
the London Tube used to be. We also feel that we have finally
gotten the layout of the streets on the right bank.
Good Friday is our last day in Paris. We are having lunch in
Montmarte with Estelle, a Parisian we met in Chile. That is a
section of the city I’m not familiar with, so it’ll be great
to have a local guide. Our flight to Madrid is in the late
afternoon. I’ve not been able to find a satisfactory hotel in
Madrid, at a price I want to pay. We’ve decided to stay at an
airport hotel and leave in a rental car for Toledo and
Andulusia on Saturday. Hopefully that will give us more chance
to find a hotel. If Madrid is like Paris there are thousands
of hotels, but how do you find them?
Europe 1 Journal
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