I arrived early at the bus terminal underneath Plaza de Colón. There was a woman already on a platform bench. At first I thought she was also headed for the airport; she was well dressed with a smart coat and mascara around her eyes. On a second look her legs were dirty and her shoes were dusty. She was mumbling to herself with a sad expression and was totally absorbed writing on a piece of paper which was completely covered with minuscule scribbles. I realised that she was mentally ill. I wondered how she came to be outdoors; maybe she had been sleepwalking; a mystery that I would never know the answer to.
At the airport there was a vast row of check-in counters. Mine was the first flight of the day and I was the first check-in. Some passengers looked like they had spent the night in the airport.
And so it was farewell to Spain for now. I would not be back until 2004 when I visited the Canary Islands, via Barcelona. Even with a month in hand, I had covered little ground. It's such a large, diverse country in landscape and cultures. Almost any statement about the Spanish that you could make, except that they live on the Iberian peninsula and Spanish is the most common language, will have many exceptions.
I was glad I took up Spanish; it opens doors not just in Spain but wherever their former empire extended to. A language that is second or third by number of speakers, depending on whether you count level 2 English speakers, is a valuable key. I am partial to the Spanish and their cultures. I admire their capacity for life. A history of an empire gained and lost has tempered idealism with pragmatism. I found them affable. One of the joys of travel is receiving kindness as a total stranger and having faith in the fundamental goodness of people affirmed. I like their sense of community; their we are in life together spirit.
As I write this in 2013, the economic crisis gripping Europe has sorely strained their communal spirit, I hope not past breaking point. Sad stories of deprivation have emerged, such as the child who turned up at school announcing: I have a magic bocadillo from my mother, it's bread and bread, and I get to imagine what's inside. But there is also uplifting news, such as the groups in Santander that meet to teach each other skills to improve employment prospects. I reflect that the children I saw 20 years ago would be now having their prospects cruelled by over 50% youth unemployment.
Spain emerged on the world stage around the time a certain Cristóbal Colón arrived seeking sponsorship for his idea from Ferdinand and Isabella, when those Catholic Monarchs had united Spain. Centuries of exploitation of the New World followed, a resource boom if you like. Spain became too reliant on gold and silver flows. The colonies broke away in independence and the former master fell behind in the industrial age. After the horrors of civil war and repressive government, a democratic European nation emerged. But in the rush to catch up with the rest of Europe speculation bubbles developed. I was reminded by my travel diary that I had been there during a time of high unemployment. The recent financial crisis, deeper than the one in 1993, was caused by a construction bubble and regional government spending on white elephants. The central government had been fiscally responsible, but had to bailout the banks and the regions, which have a high degree of autonomy to cater for the diverse communities that are collectively called Spain.
We arrived a half hour early in Amsterdam due to a tail wind. There were new F and G terminals with duty free shops. I nibbled on free samples that had been laid out: ginger cake, almond biscuits, chocolates, and smoked almonds. I bought 4 more CDs to use up Dutch money and put the remainder in a charity box.
The KLM plane was The City of Nairobi, a name redolent of an earlier age of sea journeys. I decided to fight off sleepiness for 5 more hours to help the timezone jump. Even the mealtimes had been adjusted to be closer to the times at the destination.
The return was uneventful. There was a stopover at Bangkok with a change of cabin crew though a few stayed on to spend time in Sydney or Melbourne. And there was no domestic disaster like a fire or flooding awaiting me at home, despite my anxiety. Life returned to normal and I began plotting the next trip.
At the airport there was a vast row of check-in counters. Mine was the first flight of the day and I was the first check-in. Some passengers looked like they had spent the night in the airport.
I was glad I took up Spanish; it opens doors not just in Spain but wherever their former empire extended to. A language that is second or third by number of speakers, depending on whether you count level 2 English speakers, is a valuable key. I am partial to the Spanish and their cultures. I admire their capacity for life. A history of an empire gained and lost has tempered idealism with pragmatism. I found them affable. One of the joys of travel is receiving kindness as a total stranger and having faith in the fundamental goodness of people affirmed. I like their sense of community; their we are in life together spirit.
As I write this in 2013, the economic crisis gripping Europe has sorely strained their communal spirit, I hope not past breaking point. Sad stories of deprivation have emerged, such as the child who turned up at school announcing: I have a magic bocadillo from my mother, it's bread and bread, and I get to imagine what's inside. But there is also uplifting news, such as the groups in Santander that meet to teach each other skills to improve employment prospects. I reflect that the children I saw 20 years ago would be now having their prospects cruelled by over 50% youth unemployment.
Spain emerged on the world stage around the time a certain Cristóbal Colón arrived seeking sponsorship for his idea from Ferdinand and Isabella, when those Catholic Monarchs had united Spain. Centuries of exploitation of the New World followed, a resource boom if you like. Spain became too reliant on gold and silver flows. The colonies broke away in independence and the former master fell behind in the industrial age. After the horrors of civil war and repressive government, a democratic European nation emerged. But in the rush to catch up with the rest of Europe speculation bubbles developed. I was reminded by my travel diary that I had been there during a time of high unemployment. The recent financial crisis, deeper than the one in 1993, was caused by a construction bubble and regional government spending on white elephants. The central government had been fiscally responsible, but had to bailout the banks and the regions, which have a high degree of autonomy to cater for the diverse communities that are collectively called Spain.
We arrived a half hour early in Amsterdam due to a tail wind. There were new F and G terminals with duty free shops. I nibbled on free samples that had been laid out: ginger cake, almond biscuits, chocolates, and smoked almonds. I bought 4 more CDs to use up Dutch money and put the remainder in a charity box.
The KLM plane was The City of Nairobi, a name redolent of an earlier age of sea journeys. I decided to fight off sleepiness for 5 more hours to help the timezone jump. Even the mealtimes had been adjusted to be closer to the times at the destination.
The return was uneventful. There was a stopover at Bangkok with a change of cabin crew though a few stayed on to spend time in Sydney or Melbourne. And there was no domestic disaster like a fire or flooding awaiting me at home, despite my anxiety. Life returned to normal and I began plotting the next trip.
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