I've been trying to finish a trip report my sister and I started about our October 2004 visit in Spain, but I'm finding it hard going. In thinking about why that's the case, I've come to the conclusion that my performance as a tourist was less than stellar on our trip to Spain.

My sister and I agreed that something was missing. We just weren't as thrilled as we'd been with previous trips. Having been raised Catholic, I examined my conscience in an attempt to decide how much the problem was me and how much was the problem Spain?

It's true, I think, that travel in Europe isn't as much fun with the dollar so low against the Euro. A mediocre meal can just generate a shrug when all things are equal, but when it's expensive AND mediocre, I lose my sense of humor. We had lots of expensive and mediocre meals in Spain. I don't want to go into that subject on this thread, as it was covered in my previous post, "Trauma in the Spanish Dining Room." I mention it only in the context of the declining dollar.

My problems with the trip to Spain began, I think, months before the trip. I didn't take off the 20 or 25 lbs I needed to ditch. I didn't start training for the walking we'd doing. I'm a couch potato. I have bad feet. My orthotics help, but I don't wear them regularly enough. In fact, before we left, I hadn't worn the orthotics for months.

Results: Walking a lot, especially walking fast, as my sister tends to do, made me CRANKY and unreceptive to the wonder around me. Getting lost, as we often did, made me surly, because it meant more walking than I wanted to do.

I'll continue in subsequent posts to this thread to track down the cause of my lack of enthusiam on this trip. In the meanwhile, have any of you found your behavior (or lack of it) responsible for a less than thrilling trip to Europe?

Some of my behaviors at home didn't translate well in Spain. For example, in the morning at home, I savor my morning coffee while I watch the news on television.

We brought along my sister's Melita coffee filter, coffee, and a couple of cups, so we could follow our morning routine. We generally didn't get to breakfast until close to the deadline for the hotel breakfast. As a result, we didn't hit the bricks for our sightseeing until around 11:00 - just an hour before the Spanish siesta would start.

My impression of cities in Spain, therefore, was colored by the fact that most of the shops were closed when we were afoot. That didn't seem like a problem when we planned the trip from home, because neither my sister nor I were born with the shopping gene.

However, in Spain, walking during siesta when the stores were closed meant the steel, corrugated screens fronting stores, covered with ugly grafitti, were pulled down, so we were often walking down ugly canyons of grafitti. Lovers of Spain, feel free to jump on and pommel me, but that was the impression I was left with in cities like Seville, Granada, and Madrid.

Because we had had such a late breakfast, we were not ready to eat again until fairly late in the afternoon, sometimes close to closing time for serving.

Moral of the story: If I had it to do over, I'd give up my leisurely morning coffee and late breakfast and hit the bricks early.

Continuing with my introspection about our Spain trip, my next big mistake/failing, was that I wasn't disciplined about keeping a journal to record the details of the trip - what we did, funny things that happened, people we met. As a result, Sevilla, for example, is just a blur in my memory.

Complicating the situation is the fact that my purse, containing my camera, was stolen while my sister and I were dining at La Garduna in Barcelona our third night in Spain. Interestingly enough, I don't fault myself for the fact that a thief got away with my purse. The guy was a magician, an extremely talented thief. We were alone on the patio, when this guy appeared representing himself as a waiter, he asked how our meal was and quickly disappeared. My purse, which had been in my lap, was gone.

S_ _ _ _ happens. I could recover from a $470 loss ($350 for really nice Olympus camera, $40 for accessories, $80 for new purse). But the images I had of Barcelona were gone with the camera and the thief.

Continuing onto Sevilla the next day, we spent much of our first day lost, as usual, in the quest for a replacement for my camera, a purse, and adapters to make the camera recharger work at home, back in the US.

While I thought I was being a good sport about the camera/purse theft, the fact that I remember so little about the city fondly tells me I let the theft affect me more than I intended.

My bad feet and lack of conditioning also doubtless contributed to my lack of enchantment.

My Dear Mary Fran,

You should get down on your knees immediately and say 5 Hail May's and repent your wasteful ways and deplorable attitude.

And this the week to be giving Thanks!

You let that devilish fiend "the lazy bug" prevent you from doing exactly what you know you should have been doing and, as Mother Imelda used to say (God bless her soul), "You set yourself up, Girl!"

Get out the sackclothe and the cat-and-nine-tails and continue with your searching until you have uncovered and deleted all your miserable ways.

For I am the "watchmaker"
definition: a person who takes themselves apart and puts themselves back together on a daily basis.

And there's only room for one of us on this forum!

MaryFran, I think not being in good physical shape plus foot problems caused 90% of the reason you did not enjoy your trip to Spain. One indeed, especially in Europe, needs to be able to walk well to enjoy their trip.

And yes, Europes opening and closing times are different than in the USA.

When I am in Italy, but also here at home, I wake up early. And I do have my coffee and watch the news, just like at home. But by 9:00am at least I am ready to go. And after lunch, which is actually much later in Europe than in the US if I am needing a "break" I do the hour siesta... than ready to go again when shops etc. open up.

It is good that you have thought about what made you unhappy. This will help you make better plans before your next trip whether it be to get more use to walking, taking care of your feet, adjusting to Europeans hours etc.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Mary Fran - I think it's very nobel of you to be so honest as to admit that part of your problems were your own doing. From what you've said I think you are probably right that, for example, had you gotten up and out earlier each day you would have had an overall better time. Not to mention the other things you identified, like being in shape, etc. I think this points out how important research ahead of time can be to the success of a trip. Alot of people make fun of those of us who spend "inordinate" amounts of time researching the places were are going - including things like times of day when they serve food, the price of things, etc. So that we won't have too many "surprises" - and also so that we can make adjustments to minimize the negatives (and maximize the positives).

So, number one - research and knowing what to expect can improve any experience, including (especially?) travel. Two, I think it is important to look back on the trips we take, to reflect not only on what we did and didn't like, but WHY. Not only can this help us on future trips, but might help others as well. Thank you for raising the topic. And by the way, I really enjoyed your trip report to Spain (I'm currently researching next summer's trip which will include Barcelona) - so thanks.

Please don't get me wrong. There is so much I enjoyed about our trip to Spain. It's a spectacularly beautiful country. It's just that I didn't enjoy it as much as I know I would have if a) I had been in better shape; and b) I had really understood what it meant to sightsee during siesta and had been disciplined enough to adjust my comfort level and morning leiusure to gain maximum enjoyment from the trip.

Most times, people write success stories on this site, or else they "write off" the country they visit as being somehow "wanting," not "worth it." I want to do a lot more traveling, so if I don't enjoy a country as much as I expected, I want to know the reason and, if necessary, adjust accordingly.

I did do some things "right" on this trip, things that I know contributed to both my enjoyment and the learning experience of the trip.

In the evenings, in our hotel room, I often read aloud from "The Story of Spain," by Mark Williams, a wonderfully readable history of Spain. Peg and I both looked forward to these sessions, when I would read, and she would work on her counted cross stitch, all cozy and comfortable in our room. I recommend the book highly. It offered what I think is a balanced view of both the Catholic and Moorish influences in Spain, offering enough details that I could identify the portraits in the Prado, but not so much that we'd want to skip pages.

Sorry Mary Fran,

I didn't mean to be obnoxious or hurt your feelings.

It's just my off humor. i did enjoy your post (only read the first when I reponded) and found it amazingly refreshing. It's so good to here about less then perfect travellers and all in all you seem like a trooper!

Thanks, watchmaker. I've been around this forum long enough that I don't take offense. I detected the sarcasm in your post, and maybe it's self indulgent for me to examine my behavior publicly and attempt to determine what I need to learn in preparation for my next trip, as well as perhaps contribute in some way to someone else's preparation for their upcoming trip.

Mary Fran, I find your introspection to be interesting. We all seem to sing the praises of our various trips, but I think it is very theraputic to admit to our shortcomings and disappointments in our travels. I find that my own trips seem a bit less exciting, probaly due to my advancing years and fatigue level. Good for you being so candid.

I'm just realizing after 9 visits to Paris that I still don't know what the best routine for morning sightseeing should be. We like to go on 'walkabouts' but in the morning they seem to be too rushed and the viewpoints are invariably closed or not as interesting as I expected. However, in the afternoons and evenings we enjoy it very much, and seem to have a more relaxed outlook.

Next time, for mornings, I am going to try hitting only specific 'targets', ie. one or two museums with a coffee break in between. No meandering or aimless wandering. Maybe we haven't been awake long enough in the mornings to 'savour' our surroundings...

I know what you mean about preparing for the physical exertion; I try hard to ramp up my walking at home, and do the stairwells at work, to be more fit for all those cobblestones, towers, and parks.

Mary Fran, I'd give you an A+, for your honesty and for taking some of the blame and not putting it all on the place you visited. In addition, it sounds like you are the very best sort of traveler, one who learns from previous mistakes.

It is one thing to say, "I didn't like Paris," and another entirely to say "Paris is a terrible place -- how could anyone like it?"

Wow! BobtheNavigator replied in a complimentary way to one of my posts! You're a hero on this forum, so I really appreciate your thoughtfulness in responding.

Travel gives, but it also takes. It requires that we give as much as we get. I've been trying to figure out a way I could economically arrange travel by divan, with me in one of those east Indian things on elephants, stopping occasionally to gracefully unload me at selected sites at my command. It seems not to work that way, sadly. I have to participate and contribute to my enjoyment of the trip, partly by preparing for the trip physically.

Oh Mary-Fran, divan, elephant, houseboys, snap finger and everyone stops, be lifted down, carried to the sight, return to elephant, order the menu, have ten chefs prepare same. Traveling companions, the moment one of them irritates just have them removed!!

Oh my dear - a trip of dreams

Oh well, than there is real life is there not?

Travel is not easy. And the airports and airlines certainly do not add to the joy. And the lowered dollar. And trying to attempt another language. And jetlag, fatigue, climate changes, unfamaliar food (to say nothing of trying to decipher the menu), dissapointing hotels sometimes, miserable beds and tiny bathrooms with a small tub with a hand held shower nozzle.

It is amazing that we don't all get crabby every moment of every day of our travels.

But somehow we survive and come home with many beautiful memories. And sometimes not.

But you are re-evaluating your last trip and how you can improve the next trip. And in the meantime giving all of us some food for thought regarding our future travels.

Good for your Mary-Fran. And wishes for future happy travels. And Happy Thanksgiving.

And Marilyn, too. Not that that should be surprising. Marilyn is always unfailingly good natured and kind in her posts. But she is, to me, someone who would be neat to have for a friend.

testing

I was able to post "testing," but couldn't post my long message. (It wasn't that long!)

It's funny how the hour when you take breakfast can set off such a chain of bad timing, but I think you're right about that. Missing the morning, and taking your walks during the time when things were closed down and not very attractive probably had a lot to do with your negative perceptions. I also know how important it is to be in decent condition for walking on a trip, so if you feel that you weren't, that would've affected your energy and your enjoyment of the exertions necessary to see all these new places. I agree with those who note that you are learning from this trip and will probably have a better time on other trips because you'll avoid some of the same mistakes.

Message to be continued on next post.

Continued from above:



BUT, something about the notion of "rating" your "performance" on a vacation trip just doesn't feel right. Vacations shouldn't have to be another area where we have to achieve and measure up or satisfy some perfectionist standards. Maybe my objection is just to the words, since I actually do think it's an excellent idea to reflect on how you did things and on what you might do next time to get more out of your trips. But it just seems that the pleasure might be dampened if you look back on your trip in an overly judgmental way.

I also don't think you necessarily have to take notes or keep a journal. I don't, and I know that I forget a lot and my post-trip stories may not be precise enough becaue of my failure to take notes. But I spend most of my working life writing, and, while I don't dislike writing, and in fact like it, I feel the need to give the "writing" part of my brain a rest when I'm on vacation. If you need to as well, relax and don't have regrets about your failure to take notes. You won't forget everything, but you'll just remember things in a different, less methodical way, if you don't rely on paper (or compute) to record what you've observed and experienced and learned from day to day.