Finally, a post!

Hello everyone! This is our first post on our 2010 trip to Spain. Sorry for not having something up sooner but you'll soon see why.

Long time friends Doug and Marilyn were leaving for Venice 10 minutes after us so we all drove to Toronto together. We stopped in Markham and picked up Cathy at work then drove to the airport. Cathy then took the car to her place and will pick us up on 12 June when we return.

The flight from Toronto to Brussels Friday/Saturday went smoothly, leaving on time at 6:10 pm, but we both had trouble sleeping despite a week of trying to grow accustomed to sleeping earlier by going to bed at 9 pm. There was also a very young child near us that cried for what seemed like the whole trip. We got to Brussels with about an hour till the next flight and breezed through immigration. After a long walk to the gate for the flight to Madrid there was a sign saying the gate had been changed. It seemed like that new departure gate was the other side of the airport, but we got there about 10 minutes before boarding.

In Madrid we waited for our luggage to show up on the carasol, - and waited, - and waited and finally an employee said "there aren't any more". Oops! Several others were in the same boat and we all went to file reports. (We got to file first.) She checked the computer and told us it would arrive at 4 pm and would be sent to our hotel, great. But the next morning it still wasn't there. To make a long story shorter, we finally asked them to sent it to Barcelona as we were afraid it wouldn't arrive in Valencia on time. Fortunately we had a change of clothes in our carry on knap sacks.

We arrived in Barcelona Monday, but our 2 suitcases didn't. The hotel staff called and made arrangements for it to be sent the next day When we got back to the hotel Tuesday afternoon, one case had arrived. Now we had more clothes to change into but we still had to track down the other suitcase. The girl on the front desk promised to call Wed. morning when they opened. When we arrived back at the hotel Wed. (today), she smiled and said she was just about to phone when in came our other suitcase.

The reason we haven't posted till now is that they use a different style of plug in Spain and our adaptor was in the last suitcase to arrive. We couldn't use the computer until it got here today.

Now on the the trip itself.

Our stop in Madrid was quite brief. We met the other members of the tour on Saturday evening, got some very important information from our tour director, (like where and when to meet the bus the next morning), and had dinner together. We have enjoyed meeting many new people, from all over the world: France, England, Scotland, United State, Canada, Philippeans, Australia and New Zealand. -- a very cosmopolitan mix! There is also a wide range in ages.

It's now 10 pm. We want to get this posted, and we need to be up by 6:30 tomorrow moning in order to get an early start on the road to Pamplona. Tomorrow night we get to enjoy a tapas dinner, and would hate to miss it because of a late arrival. We'll give you details and post some picture in another day or two.