The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain
For the first 70 years of my life, I must confess that I did not know very much about Spain. I was not a fan of Spanish food, not that I knew much about it. I was aware of General Francisco Franco and the Civil War in Spain because he was still the right-wing leader of the country until his death during my Senior year in college.
I studied European history, but Spain’s past was a bit of an outlier for me when it came to Western Civilization. I knew Spaniards liked bullfights, were rabid soccer fans, though until my grandchildren started playing I confess I knew almost nothing about European Football.
Years ago, I spent one night in Barcelona after taking an overnight train from Paris. My brother’s family, Mary Lou and I were scheduled to take a Mediterranean Cruise from Barcelona. As we arrived at the ship’s terminal, I realized I had left my briefcase in the trunk of the cab. It contained all our travel documents and passports. I had no idea who the cab driver was or who he worked for. I did know that he spoke no English.
Proving that God works miracles in Spanish, somehow the people at the terminal found a taxi-driver that did not speak English who called about a briefcase left in his trunk earlier that day. He drove it back to the terminal and refused to take any money from me as a reward. I stuffed a hundred-dollar bill in his front pocket and through sign language thanked him profusely. I have had a high opinion of the Spanish ever since.
This week, Mary Lou and I arrived in Spain for the second time in the last three months. We previously spent a delightful few days in Madrid on our way to Egypt in April, and now find ourselves on a cruise from Barcelona, along the southern coast of Spain, then to Morrocco, and finally on to Portugal, before heading north to another cruise on the Rhine River with some of our children and grandchildren.
The first day of our cruise took us to the island of Mallorca in the Western Mediterranean. The city of Palma is the dominant city on the island, with a population of approximately 400 thousand. The entire island only has 600 thousand inhabitants. It is an international vacation destination, particularly if you own a yacht longer than a football field.
The harbor had so many masts that it looked like a pine forest in Southwest Georgia. While these sailing vessels were magnificent, it was the serious yachts that stole the show. They came slowly drifting into the harbor, each seemingly bigger than the other. It was keeping up with the Jones on steroids.
One yacht anchored in the harbor appeared a bit too big for even the largest berth in the harbor. It reportedly belonged to Stephen Spielberg. It was a great example of what a boat looks like when you have $250 Million to spend.
We toured the ancient city that was under Arab rule for more than 600 years. Their cathedral was built on the foundation of a Muslim Mosque around the year 1400 A.D. It houses the largest Stained-Glass Rose Window in the world, spanning 60 feet and containing over 1,500 individual pieces of glass.
Olive oil has been a big part of Palma’s economy as evidenced by an ancient olive oil tree in one of their shaded squares. It is estimated to be at least 1,000 years old. Long a place of monied business interests, Palma is the home of the oldest stock exchange in the world, handling the transactions of merchants of Mallorca in its heyday just before the discovery of Americas.
After an overnight transit, we found ourselves in Valencia, Spain. Known for its oranges, it has a storied history itself. Originally a Roman city, it became a rather pedestrian place, with the growth of Madrid and Barcelona leaving it a very distant poor relation.
In the 1950s, following a series of catastrophic floods from the Turia River which flowed through the center of the city, the local government decided to divert the entire river just before the water reached the city. This resulted in a five-mile long, 600 feet wide dry riverbed that became a beautiful park winding through the entire city.
For the past 40 years, the city has gone from being an aging, crumbling old seaport to an amazing city of arts and culture. Valencia’s Opera House and Museum Complex in the middle of the old riverbed is a futuristic design that stills seems fresh and exciting 20 years after its construction.
Valencia, now the third largest city in Spain and its largest seaport, has made an astonishing turnaround that makes it a destination to live and work, as well as visit and play.
One final comment on this report of our first couple of days in the Mediterranean. We are sailing on the Silver Ray, the newest ship of the Silversea Cruise Lines, one of our favorites. It is filled with technology and comfort that we could never have imagined when Mary Lou and I took our first cruise together 47 years ago. More to come about our latest journey.
In the meantime, it has been very hot and dry since our arrival. Remembering the classic words sung by Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, I would welcome a little rain in Spain, even if only on the plains.
o0o
Dan Ponder can be reached at [email protected]