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Friday Morning, 7:30am
I got up early to retrieve the car from our hidden tunnel. There were lots of cars parked on the right-hand side of the tunnel, but my side was now blocked off with a yellow tape that read ""Do Not Pass."" I just lifted the tape up and drove away. I don't know why there was a tunnel that led nowhere anyway. Even the local people were using it for a parking lot...
Back to Madrid
Our timing was a little better this time. Plus, we actually knew our way around Madrid. Arrived at the Japanese embassy just as it opened at 10am. This time they did have Yai's papers. Next we made it to the airport before 10:30. After a little explanation, Yai got her ticket and checked in. Midori and I bid farewell and headed for Valencia. While Yai is studying at Berkeley, Midori and I will be traveling around Europe for a couple more months.
Cruising
I am not sure exactly what I expected the interior of Spain to look like, but it is practically a dessert. Midori and Yai were surprised at how flat and boring some places are. There are not so many open spaces in Japan. Anyway, it makes for good cruising on the high-speed roads. The police in Spain and France don't seem to care how fast people drive. Perhaps they are busy with real police work (the cops in the States seem to think that giving out traffic violations is their main reason for being). Anyway, like the infamous autobahn, the limited access roads in Spain are made to let the fast cars go fast. Our little job cruises pretty comfortably at 150kmh and even then many other cars pass us. We made it to Valencia in no time.
Details
Mostly by accident we ran into the cheapest hostel in town. For 2800PTA we got a decent double room not far from the action. We started unpacking the car, which had become quite a sight. It was already time to take the SEAT Cordoba back. Two weeks. Had more trouble trying to find a gas station, so I made it back to Europcar just before they closed at 8pm. All of these little arrangements can be quite a pain sometimes, so I was almost relieved to be rid of the car. It served us well, but for the next three weeks I will travel by bicycle. Perhaps that will give me a different kind of freedom.
Valencia
Yes, this is the city of oranges. The Nebraska Bar and Grill folks were disappointed when Midori ordered a glass of Cola after her first glass of juice. I think we may have insulted them. I was drinking horchata, a local favorite. I finally found out that it is made out of some kind of crushed almonds and sugar. Very refreshing. Valencia is also famous for its paella dish of simmered rice, veggies, and seafood. Midori has taken quite a liking to this stuff.
Transition
From here we will split up. After a day of rest tomorrow, I will take off on my bike for Hamburg. I wanted to bike in Spain at least a week, but it looks like it may be hot and boring. The majority of the three weeks may be spent in France and then Germany. At any rate, I sent off some postcards and Midori sent some more stuff home. She will have to carry everything from here on out. I have no doubt that she will manage to find lots of nice guys to help her out though. We are supposed to meet up again in Salzburg in about a month. It will be interesting to see how Midori fairs. Laundry tomorrow?
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