Alright. I have posted photo albums from my travels in Spain and Germany (also available by clicking the album links to the left). There are a lot of photos -- but believe me, I have even more. Look at some, look at all, as you wish.
My most recent Dreamseeker column is also available for reading on-line.
I am back States-side. The return has been mostly good and remarkably busy, but also with reminders of some of the not-so-wonderful things about this country--my country. As I approached the African American passport inspector at Newark International Airport yesterday, I saw him looking at his computer screen sourly. "Bad news," he commented.
"Bad news like . . ." I tilted my head inquisitively. He glanced at my passport and customs forms.
"You're from Philly," he noted. "You'll understand. 'Black AIDS rates rival those in Africa,'" he read off his screen.
"Mmm." I said, with an emphatic sadness.
"You know where I think it comes from?" He paused. "Prisons," he said. "And they refuse to give guys condoms in there. I just don't understand it." Before I rolled on with luggage in tow, he was puzzling aloud over whether he could do anything to help fight the problem, help change the world. "Don't worry," he said. "I'll get on that right away." He smiled. I sort of half raised my fist with a "That's right" and then headed on my way, my re-entry into the United States.
Back in muggy Philadelphia, I have staved off jet-lag with friends, soccer, a little work, a little laundry . . . And right now, before I finally do crash into bed for my second night in my own room, I leave you with a small sampling of photos from Euro Trip 2008, beginning more or less where I left off. Someday before long, I'll post an entire album for those hard-core enough to wade through it.
cadiz, spain (final days)
asilah, morocco
ronda, spain
granada, spain
madrid, spain
meckesheim, germany near heidelberg, germany
bammental, germany
leipzig, germany
berlin, germany
Complete photo album is still to come . . .
Greetings from Leipzig, Germany, "a little Paris," according to Goethe who spent a lot of time here . . . although the whole downtown is currently under serious construction--I think they're putting in a subway--so I can't say that the city has quite lived up to it's name in the few hours I have been here so far. Still, it is lovely and rich with history (most of which I can't understand because all the plaques and captions are written in German!) and full of very old buildings turned into shopping malls . . . I can't say that shopping is how I really planned to spend my day, but I do admit that wandering into an H&M helped me feel a little more at home. I am here on my own for a day and a half, before heading up to Berlin, my last stop on this long, wonderful trip.
I have had limited internet access for the past few weeks, hence the aborted photo updates. I'll be posting more soon. Until then, chüs! (That's one of a very small handful of German words I do know.)
I have not been full of writing words recently (perhaps lying on the beach too much is not good for the inner muse) . . . but I'll see if I can say a few things to give a little context to the photos below. Mom and I have now been in Spain long enough that Jason and Bryn's apartment is feeling like a home away from home. The streets of Old City Cadiz begin in a maze as soon as we leave the front door of their building. I think I could now find my way to the beach, the Cathedral, and the market without help, but beyond that I am mostly a small dog following after its owner wherever we go. Jason has been an excellent host and occasional tour guide. Bryn was actually in the United States with family until just this evening; we walked an hour along the beach to meet her at the bus station.
My Spanish has been serving me well, although the Gaditanos (as those who live here are called) like to speak crazy-fast and slur their words together so much that I sometimes feel like they're speaking another language altogether. In the past few days, we have tried new foods (tapas, montaditos, tortillas de camarrones, churros, etc), spent hours on the beach, walked through the Cathedral and around much of the peninsula, and ferried over to nearby Puerto de Santa Maria, where we wandered our way into a bodega (winery) tour and stopped by the Plaza de Toros, although we were left to imagine the bullfights that sometimes happen inside.
Enough words. Now a few photos.
crossing the bay of cadiz (mom, the opera singer)
at the bodega
plaza de toros
a little shopping
walking to meet bryn
day is done
caminamos, hablamos (we walk, we talk) 
tan fuertes somos (so strong are we)
balcones
apartamento
arrived
el mercado
la playa
la comida
¡ESPAÑA!!! Olé....Olé Olé Olé.......Olé....Olé
Actually, while soccer is the greatest game ever, and while the fact that I will be in Spain in (what?!) 4 days makes the victory all the sweeter, I was not actually referring to Spain with the "and the winner is . . ." headline.
What I meant to say is . . . I tallied all of your votes for a book title and have a winner. Maybe 70 of you placed votes via email, facebook, blog comment, or in person (if you missed the boat, see this post). Once all the votes were in, OPTION 5 had received more than any other, although 1, 3, and 4 were not far behind. I appreciated all the comments and suggestions (including the suggestion that I see what comes up when I google "Staying Power"!)
And on a very late night, after more hemming and hawing, more thought and maybe a drink (I don't remember), I decided I liked it--I would go along with popular opinion on title. But I came up with an entirely new option for subtitle. I sent them to Michael King (editor) for feedback, and it sounds like he's on board. So, even if we are not all in agreement, this might be it, folks . . .
Long After I'm Gone
A Father-Daughter Memoir
Many thanks for your participation. I would give out gift cards if I had them.
And now ... I write and turn in one last paper, pack my bags, and board a plane for Spain. Then Germany. All in all, 4 weeks of travel and Euro-spending. I'll take pictures. Bye for now . . .
P.S. Yes, the above photo was stolen. Sorry Univision.com.
Today the Supreme Court just barely (5 justices to 4) overturned DC's 30-year- old handgun ban on constitutional grounds. I am not a big fan of the 2nd amendment.
Being DC-born-and-raised, and currently living in one of our country's homicide capitals, I am not at all happy with the ruling.
In fact, I'm rather pissed off.
There are more positive ways to understand where we now stand post Supreme Court decision. Click here for the Brady Campaign's Paul Helmke.
P.S. Regarding book title, BTW, I do have a "winner" . . . and will post the decision soon. But tonight, you get a little politics instead.
