You have bought and sold many homes in the United States. You therefore can enjoy some level of competence when shopping for a house in Spain, right? Ha Ha! I am holding my sides from laughing so hard. That is the dumbest thing anyone has ever said!
Continue reading “Buying a House in Spain”A Lot of Istanbul
♪♪Istanbul was Constantinople. Now it’s Istanbul, not Constantinople.♪♪ That much history you may have learned from a very catchy tune, “Istanbul (not Constantinople).” The song has been covered by (among others) The Four Lads, Perry Como and Brenda Lee, Ella Fitzgerald and Bing Crosby, Bette Midler and, perhaps most recently, They Might be Giants.
Just to fill in the blanks left by pop music, Roman emperor Diocletian ascended to the throne in 284 A.D. He considered Christianity a destabilizing influence. He therefore enacted laws requiring all citizens to offer sacrifices to the Roman gods. Failure to do so resulted in imprisonment or execution. Diocletian’s reign was an excellent time to be an aspiring Christian martyr.
Continue reading “A Lot of Istanbul”All Along The Refuge Tower
I have not written for months, largely because this is a travel blog and most of my travels have been between the bedroom and the kitchen. Recently, however, Denise and I began looking at homes, hoping to buy something that was luxurious and inexpensive, secluded and close to both grocery stores and tram stops. You know, like so many homes (NOT!).
Our hunt led us to a region called La Huerta de Alicante (Catalan for “The Orchard of Alicante”). This in turn led me to a story about pirates and a magical and sacred relic, and the king for whom The Philippines is named.
Continue reading “All Along The Refuge Tower”Nothing Much Going On Today
Many of my devoted fans have sent emails, asking why I have not written for so long. The answer, dear friends, is Covid-19.
No, I am not ill. But this was supposed to be about travels through Spain and the rest of Europe. The global pandemic has stifled my wanderlust. For now.
But that is not the only reason for my silence. I have been preoccupied by something going on in my home country, the United States of America. Perhaps you have heard of it. It is an election for president.
Continue reading “Nothing Much Going On Today”Toolin’ Around Tabarca
Denise and I recently hosted guests from Ireland. It is important to have out-of-town visitors. They will have researched your city and can let you know what there is to do there. Clarity brought with her news of Tabarca, an island about twenty kilometers from downtown Alicante.
Continue reading “Toolin’ Around Tabarca”Taking the Temperature in Spain
It is 38 degrees in Madrid today. That may not seem like a lot, but in Europe they measure temperature in Celsius. This scale was named after the Roman emperor Julius Celsius, who was brutally murdered after trying to introduce America to the metric system.
Continue reading “Taking the Temperature in Spain”Writing a Book in Spain
Spain was hit hard by the novel coronavirus. Week after week the news was filled with images of crowded hospitals and makeshift morgues. Quickly enacted laws required people to stay home except to buy food, see a doctor or pharmacist, go to the bank, or get liquor. Police wrote over a million tickets for noncompliance with the stay-at-home order. A single violation could result in the accused losing thousands of “euros,” which are a lot like money.
Continue reading “Writing a Book in Spain”This IS About Coronavirus and Donald Trump
You may have heard of the coronavirus. It’s been in all the papers.
Continue reading “This IS About Coronavirus and Donald Trump”This is Not About Coronavirus or Donald Trump
Do you want to read another article about Donald Trump or the worldwide pandemic? You know, the subject of every news program and talk show and newspaper article? I thought not. So today I will discuss buying real estate in Spain. Entire books have been written about Spanish real estate without even once mentioning Donald Trump or Covid-19. Books about quantum physics also do not mention Trump or Covid-19, but I am not good at math, so the subject will be Spanish real estate.
Continue reading “This is Not About Coronavirus or Donald Trump”Going Viral at the Vatican
In five years the planet will have been decimated by the Coronavirus. The few remaining people will be savages, dirty and dressed in rags, killing each other for food and scraps of Bitcoin. There will, however, be plenty of free parking.
I did not foresee this future when Denise said we must go to Rome. I looked up from my newspaper and ventured, “Why?”
“Because I just booked two non-refundable tickets.” She explained that the airfare was less than €150. Plus, she found an Airbnb within a half mile of the Vatican. Five days for only €250.
A few days later we learned of some new disease, a Coronavirus, creating a stir in China. Weeks later, as we boarded the plane, we heard that Milan, just 350 miles north of Rome, had pretty much quarantined itself. The disease was spreading.
Continue reading “Going Viral at the Vatican”