"The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain."

We had no idea that this trite phrase was actually true but, by golly, we found it was so. On our 1,200 mile weeklong zoom around Spain during the kids' spring break, we learned the darndest things about the country and each other.

This bull billboard (the ONLY billboard in Spain) appeared at the most unlikely places in the countryside. Turns out that in 1956, it was created as part of an ad for Osborne sherry and brandy. When Spain later did away with billboards (a wise move), the public insisted that this one remain. It no longer has any advertising on it but everyone sees it as both a symbol of Spain and an ad for sherry. David commented that an icon with such obvious and large genitallia would never be accepted as a symbol in our country.

We felt positively bovine in this bullish country. People DRESS here. They wear tailored clothing, fine fabrics and leather shoes. What were we thinking with our baggy jeans and ball caps? They did not find us acceptable.

The range of what was acceptable in Spain seemed narrow. No religion other than Catholicism was anywhere in evidence. And where were the joggers, the pregnant women, blacks, asians...the poor, for heaven sake? Call us chauvinists, but we were beginning to feel very restricted. We weren't in Kansas anymore.

We had to acknowledge that this same society produced many great artists...Miro, Picasso, Dali, Goya, Brueghel, Bosch, Velasquez, Gaudi and the like. We OD'd on art at the Prado and the Bilbao Guggenheim and at many lesser stops in between. Luckily Hillary had recently completed her first art history class at OSU and provided running commentary.

Part of the reason for our trip to a Spanish-speaking country was to take advantage of Hillary's language skills. She quickly tired of being pushed forward in every situation, however. And we caught on to the huevos and jambon on the menus. We found that every clerk understands what an item in one hand and a visa card in the other means.

David and BJ used effective sign language when they went out for a haircut in San Sebastian one afternoon. BJ's transformation was perhaps the highlight of the trip. Late night chats with one's children in Spanish cafes are the real stuff of great vacations. The things you learn on exotic vacations!

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