Espana!

One of the things that comforted us before we made the decision for me to come to Arabia is the fact that the job would pay enough to allow Shannon and I to meet somewhere in between Dhahran and Salt Lake City. We just returned from our first such outing - to Spain!




While there we visited Madrid, Toledo, Sevilla, Valladalid, and Granada. We utilized trains to roam the countryside and had a wonderful time!




We roamed the streets of a medieval city. We stood close enough to breathe on sculptures carved nearly a millennium ago. We stood at the graves of King Ferdinand, Queen Isabella, and Christopher Columbus. We witnessed the majesty of some of the most spectacular cathedrals in all of Europe. 




We wandered the streets with gypsies. We stood, aghast, at the retelling of remarkably cruel historic events. We strolled through palaces and royal gardens. We marveled at the glorious architecture. We were astounded at the history that engulfed us. And we inhaled it all deeply.




We were conned out of a few euros, and thieved of 330 Saudi riyals. It was too cold most nights. Our feet seriously hurt every night. Jet lag was a problem. Our plans were compromised by public protests and missed train stops. But in EVERY case our improvised activities, when the plans fell through, turned our disappointments into gold.



It was a beautiful nine days, in a beautiful land, surrounded by a beautiful people, and side by side with my beautiful sweetheart.

It was a dream fulfilled – roaming the streets, hand in hand.

Soaking up each other’s presence.

Laughing, exploring, being.

Thank you, my darling, for accompanying me.