Roads Less Traveled

I am standing in front of the Palacio Real, one of Spain’s greatest national treasures, and I am being interrogated by an incredulous security guard, who thinks I must be either an imbecile, or a terrorist, or both. Continue reading →

I am walking down the Gran Via in Madrid. It is Saturday night, and I’m surrounded by men in various states of undress. Many of them appear to be trained dogs based on the leashes they’re wearing. Many more are sporting no underwear. I know this because they also have no pants, or at least pants with seats. Continue reading →

Holy Toledo! I am writing this from a rooftop terrace with a panoramic view of Toledo’s great cathedral, town hall, and Alcazar, all lit up tonight like the candles on a wedding cake perched on a tall hill, and it’s easy to see why this spiritual city has been the inspiration for such luminaries as El Greco and Cervantes…I enjoyed a nice dinner of artisan cheeses, olives, bread, and strawberries washed down with copious quantities of a good quality Rioja, followed up with the town’s trademark dessert, marzipan, and now I’m reflecting on the day’s events. There’s a cool breeze wafting through the Byzantine twists and turns of these ancient streets, and it carries the day’s radiant heat away like a gift from a latter-day magi.  Continue reading →