Change In Plans

This short post is about leaving Positano, and starting the long trip back to our cabin in the Catskills. We will be in the U.S. for the next three weeks (with a short side trip to Canada to see polar bears), before leaving for the second leg of our trip.

We left Hotel Le Agavi in Positano at about 9:30am. The staff there was very helpful (particularly Signor Raffaelle at the front desk) and very friendly, but I think they were not entirely sorry to see us go. Most of the guests were American couples in their 60s and 70s, and the running and shouting of our “mostri bambini (monster children)” disrupted the ambience a little.

We drove up to Naples in about 90 minutes: an hour on twisty, narrow roads perched high above the sea, and 30 minutes on the highway.

Naples airport was in a state of complete chaos. It took a long time to get through each step of returning the rental car, getting the shuttle bus to the terminal,ticketing, checking the baby backpack in the mysterious “special baggage area,” and getting through security. We saw our young friends from the Capri trip in the security line, as they went off to Barcelona.

The kids and I had time for one last espresso (for me) and cold water (for them), and we ran for the plane.

The flight to Madrid was very bumpy. For the first time in our traveling lives, India (a nervous flier) asked me whether she should take Xanax or Valium or something on flights. We will look into supplementing our medical kit, but I can’t imagine her taking pills. Lu slept the entire way, and aside from spilling a glass of water on himself, Zola drew battle scenes and did schoolwork.

We have boarded the flight from Madrid to New York, and should take off soon. This is a long day of travel. Zola and I have been working on a summary of the first leg of the trip.

We are looking forward to being at our cabin
Late tonight, and to spending Columbus Day in the Beaverkill.

This long post is about “the paradox of Spain.”

For a brief, golden period in the first half of the 16th century, Spain was the richest and most powerful nation in the world. Completing the “reconquista,” Spanish Catholics pushed the Moors fully out of Spain. Empire building through marriage gave control over large parts of Europe, and the colonization of the Americas (a much bigger and more impressive event) created a source of fantastic new wealth.

Almost immediately, however, Spain began a 400-year period of slumbering decline relative to the rest of Europe, seeming only to awaken after Franco’s death in 1976.

Spain’s progress in the last 30 years has been impressive, and the country now seems firmly on the right track.

At the great risk of sounding like a “2 x 4 expert” (two weeks and four books), Spain’s history seems to illustrate some universal and intertwined impediments to success:

Impediment #1 – strong role for the monarchy, but weak monarchs. Although the crown had almost complete authority, the history books describe reign after reign of weak, highly conservative, physically frail, and frequently unstable Spanish monarchs. (Thanks, inbreeding!) One of my favorite descriptions was of a 17th century crown prince who died of “excessive debauchery” at the age of 17. Given the perpetual power vacuum on the throne, even when new royal families took over, many chronic problems (eg, bloated and tax-advantaged aristocracy, desertification) and structural tensions (eg, wildly different economic growth rates by region) went unresolved for centuries. In some cases, the monarch made incredibly bad decisions (eg, invade England in 1588), but most of the sins were of omission. Without leadership, Spain was unable to adapt to the changing world. This is conservatism at its worst.

Impediment #2 – unchecked conservative influences, in this case the Catholic Church and the aristocracy. The Church seemed to resist all forms of constructive change to Spanish society, and also discouraged broadbased non-religious learning. With weak monarchs, frequently the king’s or queen’s confessor emerged as the most powerful person in the country.

Impediment #3 – limited cohesion as a nation-state. The country grew up as a set of autonomous kingdoms, each with different economies and societal structures. Although the crown was generally unified since 1489, Spain still feels like a confederacy of small, semi-autonomous nations, governed by the Castilians from Madrid. The Basques and the Catalonians get the most attention for their separate languages and desires for autonomy, but Mallorcans still write their street signs in Mallorquin, and the Andalusians are heavily influenced by their Moorish heritage. Sports now unify the nation to a certain extent, (particularly football and Rafael Nadal), but national identity still seems loose. Most successful nation states act aggressively to unify the people through language, culture, national mythology, and shared experience.

Impediment #4 – social rigidity and lack of opportunity. Spain’s aristocrats were never put under pressure to give up their (highly tax-advantaged) economic and social privileges. Generation after generation had wonderful lives without having to do much. At the other end of the spectrum, there were very few avenues for talented, ambitious, entrepreneurial Spaniards to improve their lots in life. The major exception (ie, the biggest opportunity) was to go to the American colonies, which many of the best did, creating Spain’s greatest successes.

Impediment #5 – the “dog that didn’t bark”. It isn’t clear why Spain never had a reformation or a full-on revolution during the 400-year slumber. Maybe the pressures for change never became acute because the decline was so slow, the Church and the monarchy/aristocracy acted as stabilizing forces, and there was not a significant class of intellectuals to get the masses stirred up with Locke and Rousseau (or Marx and Engels). When the rush for change came, in the late 1920s and early 1930s, it was too much and too fast, and provoked the Franco backlash. Another 40 years of stagnation followed.

Since Franco’s death, Spain seems to have addressed a lot of the long-standing problems and weaknesses in the Spanish economy/culture with remarkable speed. Joining the EU, reforming the constitution, deregulating and liberating economic assets, introducing flexibility into labor markets have all combined to accelerate growth while accentuating Spain’s positive characteristics.

After such a long delay, Spain seems to be poised for decades of growth, prosperity, and freedom, slowly regaining its position near the pinnacle of the world.

This is an exciting time in Spanish history.

This long post is a summary of what we learned about daily life, as a family, during our nearly three weeks in Spain.

Overall, Spain is a beautiful, interesting, safe, and enjoyable place for a family to visit. As a country, Spain seems confident and energized. We are trying to figure out where to spend 2-3 months living at the end of our travels, and are considering Barcelona and Madrid seriously. Spain seems quite different from the rest of Europe, for a variety of deep and long-standing reasons.

Here are some observations:

1. The rhythms of Spanish life are definitely different from those in the rest of Europe.
   · Business day starts 9-10am (closer to 10)
   · Lunch starting 1-2 pm
   · Still a long afternoon siesta in many places (definitely outside of the big cities)
   · Business comes back to life at 4-5pm, and continues through to about 8pm.
   · Dinner starting 9-10pm,
   · Bed at 12-1

   Some of this rhythm is geography: Spain is far west in the Central European time zone, and the sun comes up late and goes down late.

   Some is also weather-related: it makes sense to sleep in the heat of the day. The rhythm of daily life seems unlikely to change quickly, even if it is has become impractical (ie, homes and jobs are far apart) and inconvenient.

2. Observation #1 notwithstanding, things in Spain run on time. Every train, ferry, bus, dinner, car, appointment started and finished exactly when it was scheduled. My uninformed prejudice was that Spain had a “mañana, mañana” culture, and that everything would be delayed. Not true in our observation.
3. The Spanish way of eating (late meals, tapas, café society) seem well suited to the daily rhythm of life. The food and wine are generally great. Eating and drinking as a social event seem deeply rooted in the culture.
4. Spanish adults seemed generally less warm and friendly, even toward children, than I would have expected in a Mediterranean culture. In this regard, the culture seems more like Northern Europeans (ie, a little haughty and distant) and less like other Mediterraneans (ie, warm and effusive). On the other hand, maybe people just didn’t like our kids.
5. Spanish art and architecture are distinctive and outstanding. In addition to the globally known giants (Gaudi, Picasso, Miro, Dali, etc.), it seemed that everywhere we looked we saw beautiful workmanship, style, innovation. Some of this may be attributable to Moorish influence. We heard also beautiful live music, saw great street performances, and had the sense of being in a highly cultured environment. Appreciation for refined art and beauty seems to be deeply rooted in the culture.

   Overall, the quality of life in Spain is excellent, almost independent of location and income level. This may or may not lead to complacency, but it is not surprising that Spain ranks highly on “happiness” and “well being” indicators, as well as the composite Human Development Index. Daily life in Spain is good.

Top 5 Most Spectacular Things We Saw in Spain

#1 - Temple of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona - hands down winner
#2 - The drive from Port de Soller toward Pollenca/Lluc in Mallorca (specifically the road to sa Calobra and the Torrent de Pareis becah) - we counted at least 29 switchbacks on the 12 km from the main road down to sa Colobra. They were filming a motorcycle commercial on the road as we drove down
#3 (tie) - Madrid’s parks, squares, fountains and boulevards. There was no single place in Madrid that was truly spectacular, but taken together, the grandness of the city is remarkable
#3 (tie) - Barcelona’s magic fountain. Particularly the way we saw it, stumbling on the view from above after wandering in Montjuic Park, and descending to sit right next to the dancing colored waters, was amazing.
# 5 - view from the castle at the top of Montjuic Park in Barcelona. 360-degree view of the Mediterranean, the city, and the mountains surrounding.

Top 5 Most Thought-Provoking Places and Experiences in Spain
#1 - Festival of Fire for St. Bartholomew’s Day in Soller, Mallorca. Once we realized that our children would not be critically injured, we appreciated that we had stumbled upon an ancient, pagan, truly strange tradition.
#2 - Temple of the Sagrada Familia - Gaudi’s workshop, and the well curated exhibits explaining how he drew inspiration from nature, and the models and drawings in the crypt, and the sculptures on the various facades were all very provocative
#3 - Joan Miro Museum in Montjuic park in Barcelona. The audio commentary was very weird (in English, at least), but seeing Miro’s work over several decades, and understanding the symbolism a little was great. The Lego room was best of all.
#4 - Ferdinand & Isabella’s Palace in Madrid - seeing the royal residence and the arms and armor museum
# 5 - Las Ramblas in Barcelona - this is the one-kilometer pedestrian zone which runs from the Plaza de Catalunya down to the Columbus statue. It is packed with open-air pet shops, street performers, cafes, news stands, and thousands of locals and tourists alike. Very intense evening walk.

Top 5 Most Fun Experiences in Spain
#1 - Aqualand in Palma de Mallorca. We only spent about two hours at this waterpark, but Zola and I would have used all of our votes on this. He and had a truly amazing time there.
#2 (tie) - Tibidabo Amusement Park in Barcelona. Most of the rides are vintage 1980s, but we had hours of fun, and the setting (on a mountain high above Barcelona) is spectacular. Someone called it “Coney Island with views,” which is pretty accurate.
#2 (tie) - Montjuic Park slide and playgrounds - Tallulah used her votes for this. The 30-foot slide was pretty remarkable.
#2 (tie) - Paddleboating in Port de Soller, Mallorca. We paddled way out along the rocky coast to the edge of the harbor, and snorkeled and swam in the light surf. A very enjoyable morning.
#5 - Cable car and funicular rides in Barcelona - there seem to be a lot of them, and we tried to ride them all.

We tried to identify a list of “things we would skip” if we were going to Spain again. Zola summed it up by saying, “I would do everything again. I wouldn’t skip a thing.”

This short post describes some of the phrases and words that we have found ourselves using frequently in our first five weeks of travel. Like any closed system of people, our family is definitely developing our own vocabulary, to match the rhythms and practical needs of travelling together. Here are some of the favorites:

“Cowboy up, cupcake!” - this comes from Alexandra Fuller’s new book, ‘The Legend of Colton H. Bryant.’ Basically, it means “stop whining and get on with it,” which has become a core part of our parenting repertoire. India and I, and then Zola (surprisingly, because he is only 8), all read this book while we were in Mallorca. Another phrase from the book which we use frequently (and was Colton Bryant’s simple philosophy on life) is “Mind over matter. I don’t mind, so it don’t matter.”


“We did a Dingle.” - this refers to any activity which didn’t go well, due to poor preparation and/or communication by Mom and Dad. It refers to our comically mishapful day trip from Ennis to the Dingle Peninsula in Ireland in June. Since then, the main Dingle has been our trip to Toledo, Spain (see the post from roughly August 22)

“Cough it up, boy” - this has become Zola’s, Lu’s and my way of asking for pretty much anything. I think India is a little tired of hearing it. It refers to a conversation at Zola’s camp this summer, between a counselor and a camper who was trying to sneak a video game into his pack on an overnight trip. This phrase was used dozens of times last night when Zola crushed me in French-language Monopoly.

“Can I play DS?” - Zola uses this phrase within 2 seconds of becoming bored. It means that he wants to play Pokemon on his Nintendo hand-held game. We have not been letting him play much, but he is relentless in asking, and generally good-natured about the denial of his requests.

“James Carlock” - Tallulah has been using this as the catch-all name for many unnamed boy animals we have come across. It refers to a very cute little boy who was her friend at camp this summer. The camel that she and I rode in the Sahara was James Carlock, and she was very concerned about where James Carlock’s Mommy was, whether James Carlock was too hot or too cold, how James Carlock’s tummy was feeling, and whether we could take James Carlock home with us. Yesterday we went for a donkey ride in Skoura, and her donkey was James Carlock, as was a tiny kitten we were introduced to when we were invited into someon’s house. This morning, as Lu and I played with a chess set, she named her king James Carlock.

“How’s your tummy?” - this is self-explanatory, but refers to the greater (Lu and me) or lesser (India and Zola) extent to which our bodies have struggled to adapt to Moroccan food and water. Someone tild me that in french this is referred to as Achmed’s revenge.

“Deux lait chaude avec chocolat, s’il vous plait” - French speakers shudder, but this has been the invariable drinks order from both kids (through me) since we got to Morocco. The chocolate-milk powder is really good.

“Zola, write your ‘My name is…’ ” - for our roadschool, this is like the home room bell. India has Zola writing a short paragraph every morning, to practice handwriting, and to signal the start of school.

“Non, merci. Non, merci” - in the touristy parts of Marrakech’s medina (the souqs and the Jemaa el-Fna), we have said this hundreds of times, in response to offers to visit a shop, have a picture with a snake, get a henna tattoo, etc. The hustling is not overly aggressive, but there is a lot of it.

As we travel, I’m sure there will be many more like this. It isn’t quite the same as learning French (or Arabic), but maybe we are learning something.

This very short post is about leaving Spain for Morocco.

This morning we packed, had breakfast, and checked out of the hotel. Overall, we really liked Tarifa and we liked the Posada La Sacristia, where we stayed the last two nights.

Our heavily laden little caravan rushed through the narrow streets of the old city, making for the ferry terminal. We desperately need to shed more stuff, like 40% of what we have.

Like every other ticketing/boarding experience we had in Spain, that process was quick and efficient. We waited in long lines at security and passport control, walked across the dock, boarded the fast ferry.

80% of the passengers on the ferry appear to be Europeans on package day trips. Tangier appears to be the Tijuana of Africa. We stood out with our heavy baggage and with our kids. Once on board, everyone got into another long line for Moroccan immigration.

The ferry left about 10 minutes late, which was literally the only thing we found in Spain that did not leave exactly on time.

The ferry flies a Moroccan flag, and on board there is a mosque. The direction to Mecca must be fixed with a compass, but I couldn’t see it. The Diet Coke label is in Arabic, and the can has a pull tab (how retro). Not in Kansas anymore.

That said, the kids are eating Pringles, and staring at a Tom & Jerry cartoon on the lounge TV. They are happy and comfortable.

We will be in Morocco in another 20 minutes, then we have a long drive down to Fes. The real adventure starts.

From the cafe, we walked through the park for about 20 minutes (past the Olympic swimming pool, high above the city), and found the Joan Miro museum. I am finding that it is impossible to predict what will get the kids excited. Zola loved the Miro museum (particularly with the audio headset), and ran from picture to picture to hear the stories. On the roof deck, with no audio, he was even interested in the sculptures.

Of the two hours we spent at the museum, however, at least 40 minutes was in the room of white Legos. This was basically a long table with thousands of white Lego pieces scattered on it, and some structures already well advanced. Super cool for all ages.

After the museum, we walked to a different cable car, which took us up to the castle at the very top. We climbed the ramparts, looked at the military museum, and read about the battles and sieges (and the torture and execution of the President of Catalonia after the Civil War). From the walls we could see down into the working harbor, and lucky Zola got an in-depth lecture from me about the wonders of inter-modal transportation.

When they closed the castle, we walked down the mountain a ways, and found the best, most hazardous playground slides I have ever seen. Top to bottom was at least 35 vertical feet, and
Zola and Lu (in particular) were giddy with reckless exhiliration. India and I had to position ourselves at the bottom of the slide to catch Lu, so she didn’t fly off the end and really bust. Further evidence that Spain is not ruled by personal-injury lawyers.

We took the cable car back to the lower station, then walked along the (largely deserted) main park road in the twilight, looking for the Poble Espanyol, which was built for an exposition in 1929. We walked past the (feral-cat-infested) Olympic stadium, and found a palatial structure above us.

This 1929 palace is now the modern-art museum, but there was a huge crowd of people staring down the waterfall fountains of the grand entrance, at an even larger crowd around a circular fountain down below.

A few minutes after we arrived, the big circular fountain came alive with colored lights and showers, pulses and sprays. This is the famous Barcelona magic fountain, which we had stumbled upon. We walked a quarter mile down the grand entranceway, and sat on the lawn next to the big fountain for a long time. This is a classic Barcelona tourist moment, but we hadn’t really thought about it until we were there. It was truly spectacular and ridiculous.

So, we spent about six hours in the Montjuic Park, and saw two great museums, a castle, some great views, Olympic venues, and a big fountain and light show. We took two cablecars, rode a huge slide, and walked about five miles (with Lu mostly on my shoulders). This was a good day on the Baird family trip.

This very short post is about Tarifa, where we are spending our last two days in Europe. Tarifa is the southernmost town in Spain. On Wednesday we will take a ferry across the Straits of Gibraltar to Morocco.

Although Tarifa is part of the EU, it is hard to think of it as being in the same ‘country’ as Stockholm and Frankfurt, and the well-scrubbed towns of France and the Netherlands.

The sunlight, the architecture, the smells, and the generally relaxed and run-down atmosphere all seem like Morocco. We are staying in a small hotel within the crubling old city walls, on a street which is eight feet wide. The nearest cross street is “Almedina.” All of the buildings are stucco and tile, with open courtyards, and Moorish decor.

Morocco is visible across the water. The big differences appear to be religion (a few Catholic churches, no mosques, no call to prayer, and no green doors in Tarifa), a lot of liquor being served, and Spanish being spoken instead of Arabic or French.

There is a statue down by the water to King Sancho IV (The Brave), who, it appears, chased out the Moors in 1292. It seems that their influence lasted. This is a good transition place before we leave Spain.

This very short post is about visiting the Temple of the Sagrada Familia, the most recognizable building in Barcelona.

In one, not-very-poetic word: WOW!

Prior to Barcelona, I think I had gotten a little inured to the beauty and accomplishment (not to mention the spirituality) of big European cathedrals. Notre Dame, the Duomo in Orvieto, and even the Vatican are all spectacular and important, but also somehow similar and a little sterile.Terrible to say, but maybe not an uncommon sentiment.

Sagrada Familia is completely different. Three differentiators spring to mind:

First, because it is unfinished -a work in progress- it feels very much alive. The interior is filled with scaffolding, and arc welders, and power tools. Man’s daily work in praising God.

Second, the design is like nothing else I have ever seen: so many shapes inspired by nature (honeycombs, leaves, fruit), words on the walls and towers (”Sanctus”), accessible sculpture, whimsy. No other cathedral seems so natural and so approachable. The “Gaudi workshop” and the museum in the crypt do a great job of explaining it all.

Third, the stamp of an individual, Gaudi, is everywhere. He was a special architect, and some courageous group entrusted this project to his vision.

Overall, a truly amazing place: very inspiring, even to the kids. Maybe this experience is better off without the intellectualizing. Maybe it is the hand of God.

Barcelona has been wonderful. More words and pictures later.

This very short post is about visiting the Temple of the Sagrada Familia, the most recognizable building in Barcelona.

In one, not-very-poetic word: WOW!

Prior to Barcelona, I think I had gotten a little inured to the beauty and accomplishment (not to mention the spirituality) of big European cathedrals. Notre Dame, the Duomo in Orvieto, and even the Vatican are all spectacular and important, but also somehow similar and a little sterile.Terrible to say, but maybe not an uncommon sentiment.

Sagrada Familia is completely different. Three differentiators spring to mind:

First, because it is unfinished -a work in progress- it feels very much alive. The interior is filled with scaffolding, and arc welders, and power tools. Man’s daily work in praising God.

Second, the design is like nothing else I have ever seen: so many shapes inspired by nature (honeycombs, leaves, fruit), words on the walls and towers (”Sanctus”), accessible sculpture, whimsy. No other cathedral seems so natural and so approachable. The “Gaudi workshop” and the museum in the crypt do a great job of explaining it all.

Third, the stamp of an individual, Gaudi, is everywhere. He was a special architect, and some courageous group entrusted this project to his vision.

Overall, a truly amazing place: very inspiring, even to the kids. Maybe this experience is better off without the intellectualizing. Maybe it is the hand of God.

Barcelona has been wonderful. More words and pictures later.