WHY SHOULD I GO TO SPAIN?

I've mentioned before that I've never been to Spain and that it's been a dream of mine to go one of these days. Now, my wife and I have been married for 21 years and prior to that my wife never gave Spain a thought. The only thing she new about it was that it was somewhere in Europe. I've pretty much educated her on this fabled land and why I love the culture. She has suggested that I should make a trek to Spain on my own.

My wife and I love California very much, she's a native, I've lived here most of my life. We've visited most of the missions and have visited Santa Barbara, Monterey and Carmel, San Diego and other areas of California that have deep Spanish roots. I've made many comments on how similar California and Spain are and many things they have in common. So much so that now after 21yrs my wife asked me a question which now I'm asking myself. Why should I go to Spain?

Here is her arguement: Why are you willing to spend thousands of dollars going to a place that looks exactly like where you live? Everything that I've (that is she) have seen of Spain...pictures, travel shows, videos, looks exactly like California! The architecture, geography, cities, language, people. It looks like California!

My response: It's my chance to visit Europe, the people and the culture. To see history.

She counters: Well, if you want history, you got it right here regarding Spanish history...Father Serra and the establishment of the missions, the explorers and colonists that built the cities here.

She now asks me to list off things about Spain and she would counter with a counterpart. Ok, I thought I would win this one. No, just about everything I threw at her she had a equivalent. Here's some of our banter:

SPAIN/ CALIFORNIA

1.Madrid/ Los Angeles

2.Barcelona/ San Francisco

3.Sevilla/ Santa Barbara

4.Marbella/ Newport Beach

5.Mallorca/ Catalina

6.Galicia/ Calif. Pacific Northwest

7.La Costa del Sol/ So. Calif. coast line

8.Las Costa Brava/ Central Calif. coast line--Big Sur

9.wine regions(Rioja, Jerez)/ Napa, Sonoma, Monterey, Snta Barbara, Temecula

10. La Sierra Nevada/ California's Sierra Nevada

11. The Alhambra/Hearst Castle

12. Churches and cathedrals/ California missions

13. Spanish cuisine/ Various Spanish-Basque restaurants

14. La Tuna/ No counterpart

15. Zarzuela/ No counterpart



So, then she asks, why should I go somewhere that looks like home? I can understand if you lived somewhere else, say, Ohio...( I started to laugh my head off at that remark). What's so funny?, she asks. I told her that the Moderator for the Madridman website is from Ohio. Needless to say she cracked up! You see, she told me, I was right!!!

So now, I'm at a quandary. Should I stay and save myself all that money or should I go?

When you go to Spain, your wife will laugh her head off at herself for the comparisons to California, where I have lived most of my life (both north and south). Hearst Castle like the Alhambra?! That's hilarious. For a real change of pace: try Cuenca, any of the Pueblos Blancos, the mountain villages of Cantabria, Santiago de Compostela, Burgos, San Sebastian, Santillana del Mar, .......Sevilla like Santa Barbara!!??! That's really funny. Los Angeles like Madrid? She's got a great sense of humor. And, comparing the California missions with the cathedrals? I don't know, can you tell the difference between a two man pup tent and a 200,000 dollar motor home?

You should go....California IS NOT Spain. You have things there that you have listed out, but they are not Spain. They are a Spanish influence (some of them) in California....an incredibly AMERICAN state. Nothing wrong with that...it's not Spain.

What does it sound like to walk down a side street in Madrid, or Seville, Barcelona, Granada... what do you see? What do you smell, what do you hear? When is breakfast, and what is for breakfast? When is lunch...what is it? You cannot even begin to approach the atmosphere, the tangible feeling of life in Spain in a bar at any time of day. You may have tapas restaurants...it comes no where close to the real experience of a tapas bar in Spain.

I am astounded everytime I am heading back to my hotel room after a traditional dinner with friends at 11pm, followed by coffee and conversation and a drink, that at what I think it an extremely late hour of 300 or 400 in the morning that there is a whole other life going on that is not about to end! People everywhere!!

You cannot super-size ANYTHING in Spain. You can't drive through it, you don't drive by it. You stroll and you sit and you chat and have a coffee..........It's not a Grande Starbucks Latte...to go. Spaniards do not understand "to go" or eating and drinking on the run. So much more civilized to sit and eat and enjoy your meal and your companions. Although much of the western hurry and go is creeping in to daily life.

I say GO...it's NOT California

Spain is not a place -- it's a state of mind!

ARgh! Where do I begin?! Spain is NOT California by any means. As I have lived both in California and Spain, there is no real comparison. You have forgotten Montserrat near Barcelona, the flamenco shows, the bullfights, the festivals, Semana Santa, La Tomatina, Las Fallas, the REAL chorizo and jamon serrano pata negra, the way of life, the art, the people, el paseo, the nightlife, the coffee, the cigars, the chess playing games in Plaza de Catalunya, Guadi, Picasso, Dali, Miro, the fashion, etc.... Can I talk to your wife? Really! There is so much subject to cover! Can I be your tour guide? Although in California you see the influences of Spain, you do not experience Spain. You see a lot of Mexican and South American influences. A Mexican jalepeno does not belong in a Spanish Tapa! Spanish food is not spicey, but delicate. The Spaniards have a very different way of expressing themselves. As I have travelled in Mexico and love the people and culture in Mexico, it is very, very different from Spain. You wanna go to Spain to see beyond the evils of colonization and religious prosteltizing (sp?). Go and be happy that you went and spent the money. It's an experience you won't forget. It's an adventure of a lifetime. (do I sound like a travel agency?)

My wife was reluctant to go to Spain herself. When she realized I was serious she came around.Some of the comparisons are way off in left field. Madrid and Los Angeles, get serious, San Francisco and Barcelona, possibly. Marbella and New Port Beach she might have something there.Santa Barbara and Seville, no way.

Personally I would not force the issue, if she has given you the permission to go without her, I would take her up on it. We went with friends, and the woman did not want to go, you talk about a damp rain coat. She gripped and complained about everything.

When I was stationed in Spain in the AF in the early 70s so many of those crybabies would sit in the barracks and complain, and wait for their time to rotate back to the States. With all the things there were to see and do, and they would just sit there and B**ch.

I would not force the issue, because I know from experiance what it is like to be around a malcontent. At the same time I would not let life pass me by. "Well baby here are my tickets to Spain, and here are you tickets to Knotts Berry Farm." "Have fun, I know I will."

Have fun Oso.

Dear Oso,

As a friend, which I hope you consider me to be, I wholly advise you to visit Spain. Not to live, because it is obviously that you love California. But, if you do you you will find that you love California even more, because it will remind you of Spain.

Oso, you will know I am right when you visit Santiago de Compostela, and walk through the medieval streets to reach the Catedral. When you enter the Cathedral, you will look at the immensity of the place and are humbled to see people sitting in the floor with their backs to the columns, the same as their ancestors did 900 years ago. California does not have this. This will make an impression on you that will gladden your soul for many years to come.

Yes, there are wonderful museums here, but when you visit the Prado in Madrid and you look into the face of the little princesses in the Velazquez painting that takes up a whole wall, you will agree that I was right.

When you visit Segovia and you look up to see the Roman aqueduct, you will be awed by the timelessness of Spain. Almost two thousand years old! Served the town right up to the mid twentieth century. while California has equally impressive structures, nothing like this aqueduct.

I have been to Spain twice, and hope to do so again. Yes it is expensive, but if you are able, it is well worth the expense, and for many years to come you will be remembering the storks at the top of the Cathedral of Compostela; or, the way the sun set in Segovia as it reflected through the Aqueduct!

Go, Oso, Go. You will regret it if you do not go.

Cariños,
Carmen

I am somewhat perplexed at your wife's attitude. It's really difficult to respond to her. I sense that she may be a person who just isn't inspired or motivated to travel in order to experience new places and new people. She's very comfortable at home. I hope one way or another you will manage to visit Spain. I've been there three times already and can't wait to return again. Madrid is my favorite city in Europe.

It's difficult--almost impossible--to explain fascinating Spain adequately to someone who has never been there. Having visited Spain regularly since 1956, as both tourist and resident, I can compare it only to onion--when you peel away one layer there is always another. Go and discover your own.

Hey everyone, Im back! I've had some technical difficulties with our computers and just worked out the bugs out of them. My dear child in his limited wisdom opened up ports on our wireless router and threw everything out of whack! My wife's laptop and my computer were no longer able to get signals and couldn't get on-line. Not being computer tech savy I didn't know what to do. Trying to contact the makers of the routers didn't help, neither were any of the techs at Fry's or Best Buy. Needless to say I was not happy with my child and I was not about to shell out more money for new routers! I placed my dear boy on my craplist and deleted some of his privileges until he found a way to fix the problem. Well, he happened to have a friend that was computer savy and was able to get the routers
back in order. So now, we're back on-line.

Im am greatful for the responses I got from ya'll regarding my dilema regarding a trip to Spain. This is definately what I needed to hear as it inspired me more and made me more determined to go even if my wife doesn't want to go with me. It's not that she doesn't want to visit Spain, it's just not on her priority list of places to visit. She really wants to visit Japan. That is her ultimate destination trip and I must admit it is one of mine, and I really don't know what I would do if I were put in a situation to choose between Spain and Japan as I adore Japanese culture and anything Japanese! But I must remain true to my roots and for me Spain it is.

My dear Doña Libros, yes I do consider you my friend and I appreciate your thoughts and imput here on the Board. Your discription of Santiago de Compostela was truely inspiring and the rest of the post just took me to Spain. Muchisimas gracias por animarme a viajar al piaz de miz abuelos!

My wife couldn't get over how defensive people were regarding her comments. But I did warn her that we're pretty much all fanatical regarding Spain. You'll be glad to know she didn't take offense at any of your comments, but found it amusing. She mentioned she hopes she didn't get too many people upset at her not so enthusiastic view of Spain.