Mañana

Some thoughts on Spain. Right now we are traveling to Madrid by train. Jeff splurged on first class seats and we are going in style. We returned our rental car at the train station in Malaga which involved parking in the regular lot and turning in the parking ticket and the keys. We sat in the first class lounge while waiting for the train. They had food, drinks and comfy couches. Now we are in reclining leather seats with tray tables. Our waiter served us drinks and papas frites and will soon serve lunch. They have music and a movie and gave us free headsets. I am listening to the Three Tenors on my iPad and really enjoying the ride.

Driving has been easy with lots of highway signage. Roads and local streets are good with lots of roundabouts to make u turns easy and also a chance to decide which way to go. We call it National Lampoon Vacation when Chevy Chase drove past Big Ben 20 or so times. The country has lots of mountains and there are many tunnels on the roadways.

Food is good and portions are large in restaurants. Tapas is fun and fast. Lots of choices and some places have two or thee sizes to choose from if you want to share. Bread is good, you have to order it in most places and they always charge for it.

Every area is dotted with outdoor cafes where you can eat and people watch. It is perfectly acceptable to just get a water or drink or gelato and then sit as long as you like. Most places charge more for food if sitting outside rather than their inside area.

Water is usually sold in glass or plastic bottles. In a restaurant we ask for it without gas and we request ice. They may have liters or half liters and always give you glasses. Diet Coke or Pepsi is readily available and just today I found artificial sweetener for my tea. A nice touch is that food and even snacks are served on china and coffee/tea in a real cup. I've seen very little paper goods. Recycling is very big here with most trash cans having separate sections for waste, paper and plastic. Every town has large recycling containers placed along the streets and walkways.

Olive trees are everywhere. We were told there are 300 million in Spain and olive oil is used for salads, dipping bread and cooking. So good! Also lots of Orange trees and beautiful Eucalyptus with their colorful, smooth bark.

The countryside is beautiful, although little water. We have seen few rivers or lakes. Lots of fountains bring water to cities and towns. Every small village has a display or statue as you enter and rolling hills make it pleasant to view.