ok, so i will be in spain 14 days from today. i can already envision our first lunch- in a little place near casa mila on our way to sagrida familia. i am already thinking about buying a sandwich/salad at the cortes ingles department store (around the corner from the hotel) for supper so we can go to bed early and get over our jet lag- this business of the spaniards eating late is fine- but not on the first day when i will be so exhausted. at least i will not be freezing cold- like brussels. i keep saying i, but i mean we- as 2 of my very favorite people will be accompanying me on this iberian adventure.......again, there are those in danville who think it strange that i would again take a trip without my spouse- like he is tied to me like a millstone and my direction must therefore be his......he has expressed interest in a trip to ireland (his mother's mother was irish) and we would also like to go to new zealand on a trekking vacation to see the lotr scenery. however, he had no interest in going to spain. so he is not going to spain. he understands my determination to travel as widely as possible while i am still able to do so. if i become prematurely senile- then i was justified in my yearly jaunts- if not, then my life was the richer for it.....i am trying to decide about the camera to take along- my dad's old minolta is bulky- but takes marvelous photographs. the smaller camera is marginal on quality......i would feel better with dad's camera-for obvious reasons- he was devoted to photography for as long as his senses allowed- i have 'borrowed' his photographs of the opera house in sydney and ayres rock- they now hang in andrew's new room- they are perfect renditions- and make me remember my dad...i would love to take such brilliant photographs in this trip.....