Kinda didn't take any photos yesterday. Woke early, took a taxi to the airport, flew home, dealt with the "rather harrowing experience" (Syed Shahid Ali, I.O.C. member from Pakistan, as quoted by the NY Times Oct. 2nd 2009) that is this country's Passport and Baggage Control policy execution, picked up from the airport by sis, went to Fuego Spanish Grill for an early supper of tapas and paella including sis & her fiance, picked up Hanji from dear Tom & Tracy, then got home.

It's good to be home. Great trip and good to be back.

Off to Chicago tomorrow. Yea pizza!!!

[For the record, Spanish passport control was the *easiest* I have ever been through on four continents. U.S. elected officials should take some 'fact-finding' trips there to see what we ought to achieve. There: through in less than a minute including line, passport verification, and entry stamp. Simple baggage claim and well marked signage to Customs, with another less than 1 minute transition. Here? Full ten fingerprinting?! Seperate lines for flight crews and diplomats?! Almost lost in the maze between 'Passport Control', getting bags, finding 'Baggage Control', dropping bags off, then going through airport security to get through Hartsfield to pick up bags again to leave?! Bah! I think we'll try to get some tickets to the Olympics in Rio.]

Stylish fashion for the Frances at Zara on the Grand Via.

From 'Nebraska'. Quite tasty.

My second visit, seperated by about nine years.

Odd happenstance, ran into a couple from New York again, our third random encounter with them (Cafe de Oriente, Museo Prado).

Standing at a bus stop, waiting for the Madrid tourist bus, wearing a brand new Madrid baseball cap, slurping down a Starbuck's Venti Americano, taking a siily picture of me and the plaza fountain behind me.

Viva la touristic!!!

While most of the Prado Museum resides in an older, more historic brick, mortal, and plaster building, the Café, the shop, and an education wing are here in a modern glass and steel section. Following a near whirlwind one hour guided tour through the highlights, we are resting for a few moments with a second cafe con leche of the day. We'll review the map at leisure and decide what else to take in. There is much beauty here to be seen. Muy fantastico!

Battery died yesterday...

Below is a large shopping complex. Frances & dad have apparently made friends with a nice gentleman who serves breakfast at a shop inside (across from Game, down from the Starbucks). I enjoyed a pretty tasty spinach torte there as my first meal in country, although said gentleman had left already by then.

Quite a sprawling city, I'm curious to see how much taller it isin say another 30-50 years or so.

This is about half of the view from our hotel room, the other half looks back into the city. Some weather's rolled in overnight, looks like a little rain out on the horizon, with fog rolling down the distant hills strrtching out to a light pink sunrise beyond the edge of the rain. Not a bad start for our last ay in Barcelona (my second, Frances & dad's fourth).

Shame the carnival's closed. I'd love a ride on that ferris wheel.

The Nativity facade (1 of 3 facades)

Sometimes you can look out the window and tell you're in a different country. This morning I look out the window of this 767-400, I'm not in another country, I'm in a whole new world. I doubt the picture does what I saw justice. Gossamer clouds, tinged with soft orange, rivers running through the countryside laid out just beyond the gauze...mystifying...beautiful...

...and in a few more hours I see my angel and my papa again...magical.

Starting a travel photoblog now to upload upon returning to the States. I'm on the same flight today that I sent Frances and my dad on two days ago. I should have been on that flight too, we were booked together for a couple weeks in Spain for vacation. Turns out, after arranging so many details including a Spainish visa for a foreign national, the detail I forgot to check was my passport expiration date. Until almost midnight the night before our flight. Significant oops, and one of the very few that could abort the trip.

Long story short, I rebooked my ticket, took some new passport photos, dropped my expired passport at an expediter's office, and took Frances and Dad to catch their flight. They had a good first day, I'm hopeful today was better, and tomorrow I join back up with them. Right now, tomorrow can't come fast enough. I miss them. Almost there, and a 2-day delay is a small price to pay.

We're moving.

A week ago Monday, on the fourth and heaviest day of rain, we heard a large explosion. We'll probably never know whether what we heard was the tree falling or the transformer blowing. What we could confirm was a 150' healthy oak tree fell, blocking our driveway, the street, and taking the utility pole, the power lines, and 4 smaller trees with it. And my brother in law and his Captain were scheduled to fly into Atlanta later that evening! No power, no ability to get a car out, and the knowledge that restoration was going to take more than just a few hours.
Well, thanks to incredible friends, we were soon extricated from our home, Hanji had a place to stay, and we had a vehicle to get to the airport and beyond (thanks T&T!). A few more calls arranged for a hotel at the airport, started Georgia Power on their way, and notified the City Public Works department of the road closure. Within a few days, the miracle workers had most of the tree cut down and hauled away, power restored, and my brother-in-law & his boss safely on the next leg of their trip with a few pleasant memories of Atlanta.
Once again, Georgia Power reminded us of how a well run, well regulated public utility operates. Makes you wonder why we ever deregulated the phone company nationwide and natural gas in Georgia. Kudos to all the linemen, supervisors, and support staff that worked so diligently, with such great attitudes, throughout the days following the Southeastern floods!
All that's left now of the event is some memories, some photos, and the root ball attached to maybe 30' of trunk. If time allows, I plan to count the rings and learn how old that tree was, before it's cut up and the ivy closes over what was recently a proud, majestic tree..

Despite the rain we came down to Harvard Square for a little lunch and sightseeing before flying home shortly. Walking around we went through the Coop, venturing out to find this Brazilian dance & drum group pleasing a crowd in the square. Quite neat to see as we wandered about. I'm wondering if this was part of a Make music event, ought to look that up. There were a number of folks wearing black t-shirts with "make|music" emboldened on the chest and we came across several more musical performances about the square on this rainy Father's Day.

While we made the trip for less pleasant reasons than an audible tour of Harvard Square, it's been a wonderful trip. My grandmother lies at rest and the family commemorated her passing. She was my last grandparent alive, living a very rich life well into her nineties. I wish I'd known her better yet I know she touched my life in many ways.

Back to the grind tomorrow, out to Texas for a couple days.

Just picked Hanji up from the groomers. Wow, he is a large part poodle! Still cute, but really, is this our dog?

He's a happy pup, playing with the towel we put down in the back seat. Seems a few days at the kennel left no particular scars. He's just a happy pup and we're glad to have him back.

Oh, and he seems bigger again. Not a small puppy anymore!

We've had Han-ji for a few days now and he just keeps getting cuter. He loves the little milk-bone original treats for training - jumps all over when he knows he's getting one. I introduced him to a golf ball rolling on the floor, simply adorable to watch his reaction. If the ball rolled towards him he retreated, if it rolled away he pounced towards it, when the ball sat still he kept his distance and barked. Now Han-ji's making himself at home on our shoes. Just too cute.

The housebreaking and crate training continue. We're prisoners of our own making for a while.

... we got a puppy! An absolutely adorable golden doodle puppy! Please welcome Victor Han-ji Thompson (we call him 'Han-ji', like Benji only different). We were looking into an addition to the family when we came across this cute little pup. He's 10 weeks old and on his second day with us now. We're learning all about dog ownership, training, and puppies. Han-ji's really tolerant of us and probably smarter too. It's changed us - we're dog owners now!