Tomorrow would be the summer solstice and midnight, the hour when tomorrow becomes today, was a scant 30 minutes away. That was when all hell would break loose in Alicante. Denise did not want to see hell breaking loose, at least not all of it, and certainly not that late; but she is a trooper and so agreed to drive Clarity and me to the tram. We would take that conveyance to the heart of Alicante and glory in the spectacle of hell’s release.
Continue reading “Getting Hosed at Hogueras”Why Alicante?
Back in 1981 I had just graduated from law school. I planned to load my (at least) 15-year-old Pontiac Star Chief and drive to Southern California. I didn’t know a soul there and had no prospects. I was moving to Southern California for one reason only: Its Mediterranean climate.
Continue reading “Why Alicante?”Frugality® in Spain
Old people say youth is wasted on the young. On the other hand, you may recall that time when you were in your teens or twenties, you looked out the windshield of your POS Ford and saw some ancient fart driving a brand new Corvette convertible. You thought, money is wasted on the old. Perhaps you had a point. But am I giving any of mine to some Gen X’er or Millennial or Gen Z’er? Hell no. I’ll bet you are no different.
Continue reading “Frugality® in Spain”A Gonzo Journalist Investigates Spanish Health Care — OR –A Fat Old Man Rollerblades
Readers have been clamoring for more information about health care in Spain. A traditional journalist would respond to such requests by doing “research,” and then weaving “facts” and “figures” into an informative narrative. Ha! Stupid traditional journalists!
I want to write about Spanish health care using Hunter S. Thompson’s technique of “Gonzo Journalism.” If you are unfamiliar with Hunter S. Thompson and Gonzo Journalism it probably is because your youth was not misspent.
Continue reading “A Gonzo Journalist Investigates Spanish Health Care — OR –A Fat Old Man Rollerblades”BUYING DRUGS IN SPAIN
Possibly you thought this might be an exciting tale involving illicit drug purchases, like in the 1978 movie Midnight Express. It is indeed a narrative involving illicit drug purchases, sort of. Or at least, almost. But you won’t make sense of the story unless I tell you a little something about health care in Spain.
Continue reading “BUYING DRUGS IN SPAIN”Remodeling a House in Spain
Our house in Colorado had huge picture windows overlooking a wooded landscape. One of the big windows had a broken seal. As a result, moisture condensed between the panes. This partially obscured the bucolic view and made the window look dirty, no matter how thoroughly we cleaned. Replacing the glass would be a lot of trouble and it would be expensive, so we tolerated the imperfection.
Continue reading “Remodeling a House in Spain”Buying a House in Spain
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”