Que bueno! We had a long chat with Rachel, this morning! She and her friend, Buffy, rented a car in Barcelona, and have been exploring mostly the northern areas of Spain for the last week! So far, she reports it to be her favorite destination, especially the coastal town of San Sebastian, next to the border with France. When we spoke, they were hanging out in Santander, to the west along the shore. She went on and on about how green and beautiful the Basque region is, with a gorgeous coastline, dotted with, yet, even more charming cities and villages (seems everywhere you look in Europe, there they are!). Loves the culture. Loves the food--mostly fresh fish and veggies. Building on her Spanish skills. They visited the Guggenheim in Bilbao, which is one of the amazing signature buildings by Frank Gehry, who designed Disney Hall in LA. Here's a link to some pictures: http://www.guggenheim-bilbao.es/ingles/edificio/el_edificio.htm She's connected with some folks from a couple of business schools in Barcelona (went to a Halloween party with them, of all things!), and is seriously considering those schools in the lineup of possibilities. Tomorrow, they'll move south, again, working their way over to Madrid and then, back toward Barcelona. She and Buffy will travel together for another week. After Buffy heads back to Boston, Rachel will go to visit a high school volleyball teammate who has been living near Gibralter for the last four years.
While we were talking, I was busy finding her locations on Google Earth, where it's possible to "fly" in close and look at the satellite photos, as well as pictures uploaded by other travelers. So cool! Of course, having Google Earth on my desktop screen, is constant temptation to spend untold hours zooming all over the world. I have to limit myself to pertinent searches! Mostly, I can control my curiosity, but sometimes, well, Mt. Fuji or Machu Picchu beckons...
