A friend recently asked us how Europe differs from the USA? Well, this is what we have noticed so
far – about Spain, at least. We
are now in Leon in the northern section and tonight it is really chilly. It is also bright as day at 9 PM, which
seems strange this far south. The
countryside is flat farmland, a lot like the Midwest. Sometimes it looks like a scene from a fairytale with storks nesting on chimney tops. There doesn’t seem to be much in the way of zoning –
industrial sites sit right alongside residential areas. And there are many more apartment
buildings than private homes although we have heard that most people own their
apartments.
As for the people, my impression is that everyone smokes, especially
young women. I know it isn’t true
but it seems that way. And many
roll their own smokes. It seems
strange to see a woman acting like Jack Palance.
Except for the 20-something guys, genetically disposed to grunge,
most Spaniards dress stylishly. Old
women dress like old women everywhere.
Mature men wear suits with the jackets draped over their shoulders or wear
sweaters tied around their necks.
Women have a real thing about shoes, especially those with improbably
high heels. They must challenge
Imelda Marcos in the number they own because the shoes always seem to match the
color of the outfit. How they walk
on the cobbled streets in stilettos is anyone’s guess. Young women wear skin-tight pants, very
short skirts or shorts with high-heeled boots, wedgies, or stilettos. There is a fine line between stylishly
sexy and slutty – and I enjoy looking at both!
You can drink the water from the tap but they won’t serve it to you
in restaurants, only bottled water costs more than wine. We actually bought a 1.5-liter plastic
jug of white wine for $2.00 and it wasn’t bad. Everything is expensive. The prices on the menus would be OK in dollars but euros are
half again as expensive – and seem to be going up daily. We feel lucky to find a hotel for under
$85 a night and a rental car goes for about one hundred dollars a day plus gas
– which costs nearly eight bucks a gallon. And a note about hotels; pillows resemble sausages. On a double bed you are likely to get a single log-shaped pillow, and it's just as comfortable as a log. No matter how small the bathroom
they usually manage to squeeze in a bidet. That must say something about the culture, no?
I am a sucker for markets.
I love the smells, the colors and the variety of seafood, produce, cheeses,
meats and spices. The fruit is
fabulous; pears, oranges, plums, cherries, strawberries and more. We have been buying bread from the
bakery and ham and cheese from the butcher and making our own lunches. Dinners aren’t served until at least
eight PM, which is one of the hardest things to get used to. The coffee is strong enough to take the
enamel off your teeth but they do understand about “descafe,” de-café. Tea is twice as much as coffee and Diet
Coke costs between 55 cents and 1.5 euros a can. I haven’t seen an American-style breakfast offered anywhere
so we usually settle for a croissant – chocolate is a safe bet – and café
Americano con leche. I just
pointed at something that looked good this morning and ended up with some kind
of a meat pie. My bad!
My Spanish is a help sometimes but not always. In Barcelona and the environs, Catalan
is the main language. It’s sort of
a cross between French and Spanish but not enough like either to be helpful. Up north where we are now, signs are
also in Basque. It is one of the
oldest languages in Europe and I am not even going to try to figure it
out. English still works
sometimes.
Since we left Barcelona we have been traveling along the Camino de
Santiago, the pilgrims’ trail from the French Pyrenees and across Spain through
Pamplona, Burgos, and Leon to its end in Santiago de Compostela. We haven’t met many American pilgrims
but there are a number of Germans, a lot of French and a few Canadians. The idea is to walk the entire 500
miles in 4 to 6 weeks but a many walk the scenic sections and use a bus or the
train to skip the rest. One Brit
told me, “It’s a miracle! This
morning I was in Pamplona and tonight I am in Burgos!” God works in mysterious ways. Heathens that we are, we are taking the
train every couple of days and will soon arrive in Santiago de Compostela. Trains run on time, are comfortable and
efficient. They cost a bit more
than buses but they don’t stop for every Tomas, Ricardo or Geraldo and you
don’t have to listen to the bus driver’s favorite play list. Bad cell phone etiquette is an issue on
any form of transportation, in any country, only it is worse in a foreign
language.
Every major town has a cathedral, an obligatory stop on the Camino. Each is different and was built (and rebuilt)
at different times but somehow they all seem to blend together. And they are all dedicated to the
“Virgin of the Something-Or-Other” and vie to outdo all others in splendor. Spain, like most of Europe, was a
feudal state and there are castles and ruins of castles on every other
hilltop. Feudalism combined with
Catholicism is a recipe for backwardness that still hasn’t been totally
resolved it appears.
We left the US to escape the petty politics, meaningless “news,” and
general narrow-mindedness that gradually grew too much to bear. Europe has its own problems but we are
not invested in them. For nearly a
month demonstrators have been camping in the plazas of Madrid protesting
government corruption (seem familiar?) and high unemployment. We have seen sympathetic encampments in
Barcelona, Pamplona, Burgos and Leon.
With the exception of the occasional bullhorn, they are generally
quiet. The only violence we have
seen was in Barcelona when the police tried to clear the plaza. It is a small world, after all.
Yes, it’s different but “viva la difference!”
