With Shannin as translator, and employing every conceivable means of transportation short of donkey cart, we experienced a sampling of a wide variety of the culture, history, architecture, and inhabitants, mostly of the older districts of this portion of Western Europe… a trip that won't be forgotten this side of Alzheimers.

The architectural influence of the Moors, originally from Northern Africa, who ruled the Iberian Peninsula until 1492, is yet present everywhere.

I'd always had a preconceived notion that all Western Europeans were laid-back. While some businesses and individuals still take a mid-afternoon siesta, at most other times of day those we experienced seemed quite impatient, though not maliciously so.

Clipping along in the fast lane of a freeway at 120 kph (approx. 72 mph) may find your rear view mirrors overwhelmed with the grill and flashing lights of a car or large truck as close as one car length from your tail.

Window-shopping tourists had better get out of the way of local pedestrians on a mid-day mission. Multi-lane "roundy-rounds" being everywhere present in larger European cities, the only drivers seemingly confused in negotiating them are tourists. In short, though locals characteristically drive like crazy, they apparently do so according to a set of rules they all understand and observe. During our 18 days, I saw only one auto accident, apparently caused by a tourist in a rental car. Though there seemed to be less aggression directed toward us as tourists than I'd expected, the good thing about traveling in a country whose language you can't comprehend is that if they are cussing you out, you don't know it!

A Madrid curbside gas station looks like a drive-up coffee shop.

Repuestos/Rafa is a Spanish auto parts store where they sell anything and everything imaginable that is auto-related.

Construction, reconstruction and re-reconstruction are as constant in Spain as life itself; the country appears to be torn between its need to maintain its ancient roots while being very tourist friendly. Many ancient buildings are being totally gutted, except for their ancient fascias, in an effort to incorporate old-world flavor with modern interiors and earthquake-proofing.

Wood having always been a scarce commodity here, long-lasting marble in many beautiful colors is the building material of choice for floors and walls. Roads, sidewalks and alleyways in the older districts are composed of cobblestones and/or bricks cemented together, some of them dating back centuries.

The Spanish and Portuguese have a strange approach to trash. While buying breakfast pastries at a popular old-style "pasteria,"we watched as the older gentleman wrapped our purchase in brightly colored paper tied together with string. However, we couldn't help noticing the litter of wrappings and cigarette butts covering the floor. Curious, we learned that in their culture it's a usual and customary practice to discard such trash pretty much wherever you want, a practice which keeps many street-sweepers and trash collectors constantly employed.

Generally speaking, the older cities are composed of a myriad of seemingly unorganized maze of cobble-stoned and/or bricked streets and walkways between small shops and residences. The result is that most Europeans have become incredibly skilled and inventive drivers. While seated outside a small café we watched, amazed, as the driver of a van drove up, backed 90 degrees onto the cobblestone sidewalk, pulled in his mirrors, and proceeded to effortlessly drive down an adjacent alleyway that was somewhat short of a foot wider than the van itself. Partly to provide shade, these older residences were built close together with no room for expansion, and modern drivers have to make do as best can, which they do well. I got the feeling that without reverse gear, whole cities would gridlock within seconds.