Travel & Visitors Guide - March 8, 2008
Auf wiedersehen, au revoir and adios to Europe
After our siesta, we headed back to Plaza Mayor and had dinner and drinks at one of the “mesones,” a 400-year-old cave-like restaurant that’s a local favorite for cheap dates. We wandered around the area a bit after dinner, watching the city come alive as it approached 11 p.m.
Tags: madrid, spain, bmw, europe, european delivery program, retiro park, gran via

Travel & Visitors Guide - March 7, 2008
Madrid loves its siestas, late starts -- and so do I
Like the guidebooks suggest, Madrid doesn’t get going until late. And it keeps going, on weekdays, too, well after most Americans would be fast asleep.
Tags: Madrid, spain, bmw, European delivery program, reinda sofia, Puerto del sol, plaza mayor

Travel & Visitors Guide - March 6, 2008
Bustling Madrid is as friendly as it is cosmopolitan
Spain put me in a better mood the moment we landed. Their metro is spotless, efficient, modern and easy to understand. It puts Paris to shame. Polite and helpful people surrounded us, including a woman who not only helped us lug our big, 50-pound suitcase up an endless flight of stairs, but who also directed us to our hotel.
Tags: Spain, Madrid, bmw, European delivery program, Europe, Prado, EasyJet

Travel & Visitors Guide - March 5, 2008
Gradually making our way to Madrid
Blogging from a slowly boarding plane, which is at least 45 minutes late. Today has been frustrating.
Tags: Paris, Spain, France, CDG, DeGaulle, BMW, Madrid, Easyjet

Movies - Sept. 18, 2007
"Gypsy Caravan" rides in on great music; powerful story
"The Buena Vista Social Club for Gypsy music.” That’s what Cinematic Intelligence Agency called “Gypsy Caravan,” a nearly two-hour documentary that follows a busload of Roma musicians across America on a triumphant tour.
Tags: Gypsy Caravan, MIFF, Romania, India, Spain, flamenco, Maysles, Jasmine Dellal, Roma, Ciocarlia, Taraf De Haidouks, Antonio De Pipa, Esma Redzepova

Travel & Visitors Guide - May 8, 2008
Viva Espana!
The moment I stepped on the plane to leave Spain was the moment I began planning my return. I spent a long semester in Seville during my junior year of college and still regard it as a vital, life-changing experience. It literally gave me new eyes not only about the world around me, but also ab...
Tags: spain, travel, college, madrid, seville, valencia