Obama Will Be The Nominee Wednesday Morning

...so declares NBC pundit-in-chief Tim Russert on the "Today" show this morning. He expects a significant number of Democratic "Superdelegates" to declare for Obama after the results of the South Dakota and Montana primary elections are in. This will be enough to put Obama over the top and give him enough pledged delegates to secure the nomination. Hopefully, this will end the Clinton's campaign, and end their strangle hold on the Democratic Party. We'll see.

As for Obama, he did the politically necessary thing by resigning from his church, even though much truth is spoken in that church, truth that is especially relevant to African Americans. The church will go on, and Obama will go on - down their separate paths, as Rev. Wright said.

It's too bad that you have to sell your soul to be elected to office in this country. Idealism is too soon shattered by political realities. If Obama is elected, I hope he can maintain some of his idealism through the political battering that he will endure as soon as he steps into the oval office. Call me cynical, but I don't have high hopes. By the way, read Gary Hart's spot on article on idealism vs. pragmatism over at Huffington.

Jim

PHOTO: The stained glass in the Gothic Cathedral at Leon, Spain is some of the finest I've seen anywhere and rivals even Chartres, after which this magnificent cathedral was initially patterned.

California Should Ignore Republican Bigots

The Attorney Generals of ten states have asked the California Supreme Court to stay its decision on gay marriages until after the voters have had a chance to ban gay marriages by constitutional amendment in November. The ten AGs are all Republicans. That's no surprise. The attorney general of the state of California, Jerry Brown, has told the court not to issue a stay. Lets hope California listens to Brown and not to the Republican bigots.

Small "d" democracy is not always a good thing. It's not a good thing to submit the rights of a minority to a popular vote. If you have a constitution that guarantees equal rights to all, then the very notion of a constitutional amendment that takes away rights of some should be out of order on its face. You can't have an amendment that goes against the rest of the document, it seems to me.

PHOTO: The spectacular Gothic cathedral in Leon, Spain. Wait until you see some of the beautiful stianed glass!

Jim

Americans React to $4 A Gallon Gasoline

In Today's New York Times:

Americans have started trading their gas guzzlers for smaller cars, making fewer
trips to the mall and, wherever possible, riding public transportation to
work.

Duh. You don't say?

Jim

PHOTO: The interior of the Parador at Santiago de Compostela - quite fancy!

The Impending Energy Crisis

Oil at $150.00 a barrel, gasoline at $6.00 a gallon or more...this will be a "full blown energy crisis," according to one NBC News analyst. As I wrote to Dan this morning the way it looks we may have taken our last airline flight for a long time. American Airlines in now going to charge for checked bags and oil keeps going up and up. The airlines will have to raise fares drastically to keep up with rising fuel costs. Last night on the NBC evening news analysts predicted gasoline will be $6.00 a gallon by the end of the summer and may even go to $12.00 a gallon in the near future! Small cars are now (finally) becoming in demand. Some analysts think that the rising cost of oil will filter down into everything we buy and cause an economic crisis. WOW...where does it all end?

Jim

PHOTO: Dan booked us into two beautiful Paradors during our recent trip to Spain. Paradors are Spain's official chain of luxury hotels usually situated in historic structures. This one in Santiago de Compostela is a large former dormatory for pilgrims that has four beautiful interior courtyards.

Oviedo Festival Video

We arrived in Oviedo, Spain to find a local day-long festival taking place. It was fun to see the parade through town, that included several different bands and many marchers in folk costumes.

Jim

Hillary Should Gag Geraldine Ferraro

Hillary Clinton supporter Geraldine Ferraro was on the "Today" show this morning being interviewed along with another younger woman correspondent. The question was about whether Hillary's gender worked against her and if that is why she is losing to Obama. Ferraro would not shut up. The other young woman barely got a word in edgewise. Ferraro was shrill, obnoxious, and repulsive, plain and simple. If Ferraro continues to get air time it can only cost Mrs. Clinton more votes. Perhaps Hillary can arrange for Geraldine and Bill to go on an extended vacation before either of them does more damage to her campaign.

Jim

PHOTOS: The small but charming gothic cathedral in Oviedo, Spain (sandstone construction,) and a popular street in Oviedo lined with "sideria" restaurants that specialize in serving the local cider and local foods.

Decompressing After The Trip

I'm still feeling a bit of jet lag after our return from Spain a couple of days ago. However, the weather here on Fire Island yesterday was so beautiful that you could not help but feel better no matter what. I took a couple of long walks with the dog on the beach and spent some time sunning in the afternoon. Today looks like another winner weather-wise.

PHOTO: Asturian shoes worn as part of a folk costume in Oviedo, Spain.

Zarzuela Last Evening - Road Trip Today

We enjoyed a fine Zarzuela performance, of Torroba's "Luisa Fernanda," at the Teatro Campoamor Tuesday evening. Today we drive south from Ovideo to Leon for our flight back to Madrid. The trip is winding down now but we'll be returning with many nice memories of our experiences here in Spain this time around.

Jim

A Festival In Asturias

Sometimes travelers seem to have little luck and dark days; on this trip we've had lost baggage, closed attractions and a couple of colds, no doubt caught on airplanes.

However, today in Oviedo was another banner day when we 'lucked out' and stumbled upon a festival, held every year in this sleepy capital of Asturias. While crossing the park to visit the Gothic cathedral again we encountered a parade of musicians and follk dancers, all dressed in the colorful costumes of the region. Some of the bands played jazz favorites by W. C. Handy, but others wowed the crowds with Spanish melodies and bagpipe songs. (Follow Jim's videos of the live music tommorow.)

After enjoying the myriad sights and sounds we decided to have lunch in the area where the Siderias abound. They are restaurants and bars where new, potent cider is poured by expert waiters who hold the bottles high above their heads, and without looking at the tilted glasses held in their other hand, pour the cider into the glass. Despite their expert aim, much of the foamy cider lands on the floor. We have found out that there are even cider-pouring contests at certain times of the year. The food is also excellent, based on rich red wines (tintos), a huge variety of cheeses, seafoods and meats.

Dan

The Seafood Delicacies Of NW Spain

The Northwest of Spain has to be one of the best places in the world for seafood lovers. The restaurant windows in Santiago are filled with fresh catches from the sea including lobsters, crabs, and fish. However, some unusual and expensive delicacies are also served, including razor clams, and the most unusual and tasty Percebes, or goose barnacles.

Here is part of what writer Bill Cassleman has to say about Percebes:

The percebe is a delicious, edible gooseneck barnacle. Seafood lovers
proclaim the succulent lusciousness of its slippery, slurpable innards make
percebes earth’s best-tasting seafood. This opinion holds sway throughout Spain,
said to consume more seafood per person than any country in the world.

I had the opportunity to sample this dish at the Parador in Santiago while we were staying there. An appetizer plate for one costs $75.00 but they were worth it. To me they have a wonderful subtle flavor all their own, as does escargot!

Jim

PHOTO: The Percebes by Hans Hillewaert (Wiki Commons)

Oviedo: Low Key But Nice

Oviedo doesn't get much of a recommendation in our guide book, but a stroll through the town is revealing. First of all, it's a university city, so there is a lot of youthful excitement to be found particularly in the old quarter, where many of the campus facilities are housed in stone buildings that were constructed centuries ago. We happened upon a festival this week which includes free outdoor concerts in addition to the Zarzuela performance that we will see tonight. Oviedo is nestled in a valley surrounded by tall hills. It features a charming Gothic cathedral that has wonderful stained glass windows. The food here is also very good. Last night we had a seafood dinner that featured delicacies such as razor clams and octopus. The restaurant district near the old town is bustling. Our guide book does not do the town justice. It's a charming city in NW Spain that is well worth at least a short visit!

Jim

PHOTOS: Teatro Campoamor, Cathedral, restaurants on the Calle Gascogna

On The Road To Oviedo

We have arrived in Oviedo. The four hour drive from Santiago de Compostela was pleasant with much interesting scenery especially along the Atlantic coast of Spain. We will be attending a performance of Zarzuela tomorrow evening. Today we picked up the tickets after we checked into the hotel. It's warmer and sunny here. I'll post some pictures soon.

Jim

Beautiful Tourist Friendly Santiago de Compostela!

What a difference a day of travel makes! We're now in NW Spain in Santiago de Compostela. This remarkably beautiful town is as welcoming to tourists as Granada was difficult and frustrating. The town is alive with beautiful architecture, strolling musicians, marriages and other celebrations, and wonderful shops and restaurants. It's also cooler here in the North, so we're wearing our sweaters. We'll have a full day of visiting the many attractions here before we depart for Oviedo tomorrow morning.

Here are photos of the wonderous high Baroque facade of the cathedral and a typical view of the town.

Jim

Granada For A Day - Probably Enough

We're in Granada today. We left Seville very early this morning and after a three hour train ride, through much rain, we arrived. We had rain here in Granada too at times. We took the city tour but we couldn't visit the only major attraction here (the Moorish palace known as the Alhambra) because it is inundated with tour groups. It seems you have to be a part of a group any more to get into such a popular attraction. It's a good thing we visited and enjoyed the Alcazar in Seville. In fact, Seville is a much nicer town in Southern Spain to visit. So tomorrow we fly to the North where we have tickets for a Zarzuela performance.

The photo of Granada was taken from a vantage point on one of the hills surrounding the city. The other two photos are views of the cathedral in Granada.

On The Move In Southern Spain

This morning we are taking a train from Seville to Granada. The trip takes three hours so we hope it will be a scenic ride through Southern Spain.

Jim

Postcards From Spain VII

Here are some of the sights from our city tour of Seville: The Plaza de Espana, the only remaining section of the old medieval city wall, and the Torre del Oro, which once held treasures from America.

Postcards From Spain V

We left Madrid for the South of Spain and arrived in warm and sunny Seville around mid-day. Seville is the site of the largest Gothic Cathedral anywhere, and our hotel is located nearby, so we did the tour of the cathedral this afternoon.

Postcards From Spain IV

Additional views of Toledo. The Moorish influenced architecture of the train station in Toledo.

Postcards From Spain III

The architecture of the cathedral in Toledo.

Postcards From Spain II

This is the Plaza Mayor in Madrid, one of the largest and most famous public squares in the city.