I wrote this somewhere 40,000 SF above the Atlantic Ocean on my return journey from a holiday in Europe with my sister, Maria Dos. As Maria Dos would say, I went to collect her. On day four of our journey, sitting outside a little restaurant at the foot of the mountains in Sintra, Portugal, I asked Mary Dos, “Estas vale?” “Estas” is the Spanish for “are you?” “Vale” being a new Spanish word I learned from her in Madrid for “ok.” This question had the unintended consequence of immediately cheering her up as she burst into rather infectious laughter. Apparently, I should have ask, “Estas bien?” “Vale” is used as a response to a question. So if you are wondering how I am progressing in my study of Spanish, the answer is not so well in spite of my sweet sister’s patience with me in practicing in three different countries over the last nine days.
Here are a few of the trip highlights, pictures are on FB:
· Taking a “paseo,” or stroll, in Retiro Park in Madrid, Spain to recover from jetlag
· Happening upon two of my favorite paintings, Raphael’s Visitation and Fra Angelico’s Annunciation in the Prato Museum (even though I didn’t know they were there) – plus numerous delightful works of Spanish art
· Watching the mist move swiftly through the Moor’s Castle and surroundings tree’s above the quaint town of Sintra, Portugal
· Seeing a black swan in the lake below the Palacio Reale in the same woods
· Wandering through the caves under the Quinto Mansion in a successful attempt to try to find the entrance to inverted towers on the grounds - Crouching low and using a camera for a flashlight hoping to avoid spiderwebs - Maria Dos kindly let me go first J
· Surviving the hail storm atop a bald hill in Wicklow County, Ireland … Maria Dos and I crouched beneath a boulder to try to avoid some of the wicked little ice balls and laughing with Maria Dos.
· Walking off path to get closer to the waterfall and surprising a Momma goat with her kid.
· Live music over Guinness and Bailey’s in Dublin
On the last full day of our trip, Maria Dos and I took the bus from the Irish country side back to Dublin. Amid a smattering of Jimmy Buffet, Garth Brooks, The Fray and Frank Sinatra on my iPod, it finally hit me. I am not returning to a new equity placement and a take-over checklist on Monday. Tuesday morning I will not wake up at 6 am to talk my dogs past the home which has been occupied by two sets of friends. This week I will not enjoy the conversations with colleagues who are friends or return to my desk to find nerds in my In-box. I miss Dallas and my friends, but I will have a different week this week.
Littlest Mary and I will drive 1,100 miles from Florida to Houston after a say goodbye to the puppies. (They will be in the capable hands of my sister Marianne while I am gone.) Then I will head to Brooklyn for my orientation program with Heart’s Home. Along the way I will stop to see family friends and try to do some wash. It will be a good week.
“Estats valey,” you ask. Yes, estoy bien. And I miss you!
