Espana

Most of the preparations for France are complete and now I'm off to Spain. If we're lucky a friend of our cousin can get us a deal on a hotel there. My cousin and her husband live in the cultural center of town near the Prado and the major town centers. We hope to see if there are any Easter parades in Madrid even though the bigger celebrations are in Seville. And perhaps see the near by town of Toledo, which I must remember to pronounce in the Spanish way and not the Ohio way.

I'm looking forward to tapas. Bullfighting will not be in town when we're there. But I hope there will be a flamenco show somewhere, or maybe a flamenco lesson.

Planning for a trip is almost as enjoyable as going on a trip.

Our hardcase luggages have recently made their way back from Nueva Ecija, Philippines where our friends took a family vacation. They returned with two homemade carabao head stickers as my friend couldn't find any place with stickers, even the places where they decorate jeepneys. One of the cases came back with a small Christmas parol, a wooden knife letter opener, and a bag of chocolate pieces from Mambajao, Camiguin, where they spent 4 days seeing the large clams, sat in hot springs, and saw one of the waterfalls, as well as sleep in the Eagle's Nest of the tree house resort there. Camiguin, still one of my most favorite places on earth.

8 weeks away...