Worlds I Could Love

in Spain



One of those flash epiphanies of travel, the realization that worlds you’d love vibrantly exist outside your ignorance of them. The vitality of many lives you know nothing about. The breeze lifting a blue curtain in a doorway billows just the same whether you are lucky enough to observe it or not. Travel gives such jolts. I could live in this town, so how is it that I’ve never been here before today?

- Francis Mayes ,“A Year in the World – Journeys of a Passionate Traveller” ( every traveler’s indulgent daydreamer writing companion)

Friendship

Reason #85 Why Megan is a Great Friend: She Lets Me Wear These Huge Sunglasses That I Love without Laughing at Me (actually she encourages me and tells me that I look good)




Reason #103 Why Megan is a Great Friend: Because She Complies With My Request to Make a Serious Face in Reverence for Standing in the Room Where Christopher Columbus got the permission and funds to sail to the Americas.



Reason #256 Why Megan is a Great Friend: She Smiles for a Photo in Front of the Building I made Her Walk an Hour to Get to in Valencia Because I Wanted to See a Star Show Only To Find out that It’s Not Actually a Planetarium (Amazing Race material factor: negative 10 points.)





(In my defense, play this game with me: what English word would you equate the following words with:

Museo: museum, right?
Resturante: let’s go for the equivalent of restaurant, hey?
Ok, now: Planeterio: if you guessed that means Planetarium, with a contained star display, as I did, you would be WRONG. If you guessed that Planetario translates into IMAX theater with children’s movies, you would be RIGHT. We walked across the city to discover this, took this picture, and then walked back.


Reason #349 Why Megan is a Great Friend: Because She Makes Faces Like This That Make Me Laugh Hysterically When So Called “Mistros” are So Called “Serenading” OFF KEY Behind Her While We’re In Deep Discussion Over Wine and Tapas on Our European Adventure. Priceless.




Reason #392 Why Megan is a Great Friend: She loves to travel, to laugh, she encourages me to live life passionately for Jesus, and reminds me the things that matter most in life.




Love from the adventure path, Grace

Out of Africa

Dear Adaptable Reader,

Traveling always brings with it delightful discoveries, fresh perspective, and an awareness of the little things that are so routine in your life you don’t even know they are apart of your daily existence anymore. I’m so used to reaching for bottled or filtered water in Dar that when Megan suggested we could drink water from the tap in Barcelona I was unsure…water from a pipe not making you deathly ill? I don’t remember this reality! She texted her friend Rachel in the States to check into it for us on the internet (oh the wonders of instantaneous connection to people and information via technology!). Rachel texted back moments later that a US government website advises that the water in Spain is “safe for Americans to drink, but not recommended.” What the heck is that suppose to mean?!



Our faucet at the hotel in Barcelona. 3 Days of Drinking from it, not sick yet…revolutionary when you’re used to getting water from a bottle to brush you’re teeth with at night.

After driving, walking, and soaking in Spain for a week, I would say some of the things Spainards care about are:

Yummy Food & Wine



fresh olives for sale

Good Coffee



Cool Sneakers




Not pictures here, but Keds are cool again?! Just figured this out by walking about in Spain. I go to Africa for a year, and reemerge to find the 80s continues to make it’s own re-emergence in 2008. You miss these things in Dar.

Family (out together, everywhere, at all hours of the night)




Pets (out together, everywhere)



Music



You're just walking past some cool old buildings, and boom! there's a 20 piece orchestra playing awesome music for the little people. I love Europe.

Love from the roads of the motherland, Grace