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Barcelona, Spain
May 24, 2001
Scoreboard: 11,135 miles; 5 Countries, 20 states

The Joker From Berlin

Claytononboard
2005-11-18 12:59:17

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I admit that from the looks of the scoreboard, and the Trapp-tracker (map) it doesn't look like we've done much this week...don't be misled by unduly temperate readings.

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We got a VW Joker (van)! It's a wonderful pea green color, has a bit of rust, several significant dents, quite nearly ubiquitous scratches...she's about perfect. A wonderful couple from Greece and Australia were very patient as we put together financing (the reason that writers are always looking for advances is because no one ever pays them on time), tried to figure out the bureaucratic gymnastics required, etc.

The Joker's papers are from Berlin, and it has several stickers pertaining to Germany's capital as well. Of course none of us has ever been to Berlin. Even when I lived in Germany for 13 years as a kid I didn't go there because you had to go through East Germany. Now we have a Joker from Berlin. Makes as much sense as anything.

Now onto the big road around Europe.

Before we go there, however, I should share some of my impressions of the small roads around Barcelona.

Myles is one of the better drivers in Barcelona

"If I was a...now this one is going to take a bit of imagination...if I was the police chief of Detroit," I told Theresa last night over a very good $1.25/bottle of Spanish wine, "and I had an overly zealous rookie cop enforcing the traffic code...I would send him to Barcelona in a cop-exchange program."

It's impossible to count the myriad violations in any snap-shot of Barcelona traffic. It's not just that traffic lights are considered hints, or that the roundabouts don't have lanes most of the time (which is fine because everyone ignores them when they're there anyway), or that insane Vespa drivers dart in front of you at 12-second intervals...the ...