
<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15271183169_83700086f5_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="'Twas a foggy Saturday morning at the Munich Airport">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15271183169_1f4165155e_t.jpg" alt="'Twas a foggy Saturday morning at the Munich Airport"/>
</a>

We spent the first two weeks of October in the US visiting with my family. Several uncles and aunts and cousins, that I only see every five years or so, were also there to celebrate my grandmother's 90th birthday. After the kids spent nearly the entire summer in southern Spain with their grandparents, I was beginning to worry about how little English was spoken. Pretty much all of Ian's words were in Spanish, and Nora had to be reminded at the dinner table to speak English. Like most of my parental worries, this one was also unfounded. After an American fortnight, Nora is now principally playing with Ian in English, and Ian knows several English words, like "cookie" and "down", and follows English instructions where before he only followed Spanish ones. He just turned 18-months old. 

### Air Travel

Last month, I wrote [this tongue-in-cheek fear-mongering piece](/2014/09/28/the-fourth-mask-parenting-airline-travel-tip/) about worrying about an oxygen mask for my child traveling on my lap. So imagine my surprise when Lufthansa, on all four of our flights, introduced another element of safety that I had totally forgotten about. They issued us a _baby life vest_! Who knew my baby needed a _Schwimmweste_!? Has there ever been a plane crash where the life vests were actually used to save lives? I've never heard of such an event. I'm pretty sure the average survival time for a human, even with a life vest, floating out in the northern Atlantic is measured in minutes. So that's "comforting".

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15271183169_83700086f5_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="'Twas a foggy Saturday morning at the Munich Airport">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15271183169_1f4165155e.jpg" alt="'Twas a foggy Saturday morning at the Munich Airport"/>
</a>

Traveling companions.

We [learned the hard way](/2010/11/22/airline-security-and-underpants-bombs/) how important it is to have a bassinet when traveling long distances. As have done in the past, I called up Lufthansa the week before we were to fly and I requested the bassinet. The operator informed me that they no longer did reservations like that, and that if we wanted those seats, we'd have to pay 40€ _per seat_ to get the three on that row. Or, she said, we could request them upon arrival at the airport and hope no one else had paid for them. Being the cheapskates that we are, we decided to press our luck. Upon arrival at the Bilbao airport, we hurried over to the Lufthansa desk, and the woman there said that, yes, we could have those seats. Woohoo!

After we had found our gate at the Munich airport, we were killing time taking turns watching Ian walk around in cordoned off areas where passengers weren't supposed to go. Then they called us to the gate. That's never good. They informed us that another family traveling with an infant had paid for the seats, so they were going to bump us! <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15650019046_abeae730ae_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Ian in Lufthansa Bassinet">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15650019046_11d29d46c6_n.jpg" alt="Ian in Lufthansa Bassinet"/>
</a>

 No! They did let us keep two of the four middle seats on the bassinet row, but put one of us behind the other two. Having the longer legs, I was chosen as the parent to sit with both Nora and Ian and the other couple with their baby.

Ian mercifully slept for the first three hours of our ten hour flight from Germany to North Carolina, which allowed me to eat my meal and even get a little work done on my laptop. But then he woke up and the trouble began. All in all, I have to say that he behaved extremely well, but he _is_ a one year old boy. Right above the bassinet, Lufthansa had some little trays holding postcards with Lufthansa planes on them, complimentary propaganda. Ian immediately began throwing them at other passengers. I was left with the problem that if I took them away from him, he'd cry, but if I let him have them, he'd throw them. So I ended up holding my arms up like a soccer goalkeeper and playing missile defense, doing my best to block each projectile launched. It was pretty exhausting.

Nora stayed awake for the entire flight. The inflight entertainment was pretty bad, but she watched the same hour of Disney Jr. cartoons about three times before getting tired of it. I think Candy Crush™ took another hour or two of her attention, and the rest is a blur to me. She kept asking how much longer until we landed. "Just seven hours, sweetie." Ugh. She asked, "Have we landed yet?" when we were descending at 1,000 feet, 800 feet, 600 feet, 400 feet, 200 feet, and then fell asleep and missed the landing altogether.

### Family

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15488288757_dec3207934_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nora and Grandpa">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15488288757_327a78794a_m.jpg" alt="Nora and Grandpa"/>
</a>

On the same day we arrived, my Uncle Steve and Aunt Linda had arrived with my cousin, Daniel, who is nine years old. Although Daniel has older siblings, they are quite a bit older, so he exhibits a lot of Nora's traits of being accustomed to having his parents all to himself. My father, gracious host that he is, had arranged some treasure hunts for Daniel and Nora to go on: a series of strips of paper (clues) hidden around the house, each suggesting where the next clue was, culminating in a hidden toy of some kind. This turned out to be the _perfect_ bonding experience for Daniel and Nora, since they made the perfect team: Nora knew where all the locations were, and Daniel knew how to read the clues. They very quickly became inseparable.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15675134532_9fe05e1366_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nora and Daniel">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15675134532_d87c40b627.jpg" alt="Nora and Daniel"/>
</a>

Nora and Daniel, first cousins, once removed.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15671624651_074d0e4324_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Ian and Emily">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15671624651_a36d4dbc06.jpg" alt="Ian and Emily"/>
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Ian's favorite cousin was his second cousin, Emily.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15310662329_9f5687ec7d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Rasmussen-Wirkus Reunion - October 2014">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15310662329_dcfbc49648.jpg" alt="Rasmussen-Wirkus Reunion - October 2014"/>
</a>

My grandmother with three grandsons and five great-grandchildren.

<iframe width="505" height="284" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/J7oAg_sSqWg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Ian learned how to say "Grandma".

<iframe width="505" height="284" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/K_xptIkMzg4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Ian got to play on a driveway for the first time, an essential part of any suburban American childhood. The tricycle was unfortunately too big for Ian and too small for Nora.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15494781038_ab09b75a2d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Walking with Grandma in Downtown Morganton">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15494781038_cffb1d0a4c.jpg" alt="Walking with Grandma in Downtown Morganton"/>
</a>

Walking with Grandma in Downtown Morganton.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15678244211_e5f272c8ca_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Pinball Wizards">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15678244211_9020bd036f_z.jpg" alt="Pinball Wizards"/>
</a>

That deaf dumb and blind kid ain't got nothing on these pinball wizards!

The flight back was shorter, only seven hours. Again, we were nervous when we got to the airport. I asked the person at the check desk to give us the bassinet row, and he said, "Sorry, we can't do that. The flight is fully booked and all the seats are assigned." I demanded to speak to his manager. Putting a baby on any other row makes the flight worse for everyone. While we were waiting for the manager to come, the agent I was furious with discovered that we were already assigned to the bassinet row! Hooray! The original agent in Bilbao had assigned us to that row for both transatlantic flights! Thank god. Since the flight back was a night flight, Ian slept almost the entire time, which was positively delightful. The entertainment selection was much better on the return flight, so Nora stayed entertained watching cartoons for the entire seven hours. I, too, watched some movies. I was afraid to go to sleep because Ian was entirely capable of falling out of the bassinet if he tried. Unfortunately, we had a _five hour_ layover in Germany. That may have been the worst part of the whole trip.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15375811057_fd8528abb4_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Somebody watched eight hours of  cartoons over the Atlantic Ocean.">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15375811057_6cc245f6ce.jpg" alt="Somebody watched eight hours of  cartoons over the Atlantic Ocean."/>
</a>

The result of binge watching cartoons for seven hours.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15054741843_a9dde210cd_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="I miss my grandparents">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15054741843_c7a5c9cd35.jpg" alt="I miss my grandparents"/>
</a>

Upon returning to school, Nora made this entry – the writing is the teacher's – in her weekly journal. It reads, "I'm sad because I miss my grandparents." The big eared creature with long golden locks and blue tears must be Nora herself. Awww!

### Dance Class

Over the past few weeks, we've been having a pretty big row with Nora over dance classes. Last year, she flat out refused to enter. Nora suffers both from general shyness and timidity around strangers as well as what can best be described as separation anxiety from her mother. For her to enter the dance class is a bit like going outside on a cold day, but for her to _leave her mother's side_ and enter dance class is like going all the way from a toasty warm bed to being outside in the <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15488457689_5e981e7684_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Party Girl">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15488457689_c17ce8d5dd_n.jpg" alt="Party Girl"/>
</a>

cold. _Much_ harder. Every time she fails to go in, she promises she'll go in next time, but then next time also fails. It's the age old battle between the present and future selves.

Two of her best friends from school go to the class, so it's not like she doesn't know anybody. She did actually go one time, when her friend's mother took both girls to the class, and Nora _loved it_. Not only that, but she's got some natural talent for it, following the instructions better than many of the other kids. That's what makes it so excruciating for us as parents when she can't get through the door. We can so clearly see the dark future where her best, and really only, friend makes other friends in all her extracurricular activities and leaves Nora behind, where Nora doesn't develop any skills, like dance or foreign languages or music, that her peers are learning, etc. etc.

It's difficult to draw the line between "It's okay, sweetie, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do" and shoving our little bird off the branch for some terrifying free fall that may lead to a necessary survival skill. Everyone can probably remember something that they were forced to do against their will as children that they were later glad they had been forced to do. I think we've decided to make future dance classes mandatory, no backing out. We'll see how that goes.

### With a wave of the language wand

So this happened this month...

> \[we join the scene with a discussion of princess outfits already in progress\] .... Marga: "I'm sorry, what did you say? I didn't hear you." Nora: "No, you heard me, you just didn't understand." Marga \[indignant\]: "I beg your pardon young lady, but I'm pretty sure I know more English than you!" Nora: "I said 'wand'." Mommy: "Wand? Erik, what is 'wand'?" Erik: "That stick Harry Potter waves around." Marga: "How is it spelled? W-A-N-D?" Erik nods. Marga: "I apologize, Nora, I really didn't know that word." Nora smiles smugly.

Nora schools me in Spanish nearly every day, so it was amusing to see it go the other way. Kids...

### One and a Half

Ian turned 18 months old this month. The first few times going to daycare after his summer vacation, Ian was _very_ displeased to be abandoned there. Now, however, he's actually happy when we get <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15488733189_ffa2f50051_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Dad's American Boy">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15488733189_12a37a1691_n.jpg" alt="Dad's American Boy"/>
</a>

to the entrance. I let him down from his stroller, and he walks right into the classroom and picks up a toy and starts to play. If I don't go up to him to kiss him goodbye, he won't give me any sort of salutation. He is completely free of the social anxiety his sister suffers from.

As far as we know, Nora has never been "in trouble", e.g. punished with a timeout, in her years of daycare and preschool. Ian, however, has already had to be punished at daycare. Apparently he had an altercation with another child over a toy and mutual biting took place. [Who bit first](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_shot_first) is unknown.

Ian does show some violent tendencies that his sister never did. If he's doing something he shouldn't, like twiddling the knobs of the oven, and I tell him not to do that twice and he ignores me, I will pick him up and put him outside of the kitchen. When I do this, he gets really pissed off and will attempt to punch me in the face. And sometimes he will try to bite me, but he does the same thing when he wants to kiss me, so I can never tell when he grabs my arm and opens his mouth if he's coming to love or hurt me.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15488225649_f4caf0c3cc_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Ian reaches the light switch">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15488225649_098774e868_z.jpg" alt="Ian reaches the light switch"/>
</a>

Lord help us! Ian can reach the light switches now!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15054254494_2e8dae4d0e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Basketcase">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15054254494_e7204cbdb5_z.jpg" alt="Basketcase"/>
</a>

This reminds me of one of my favorite videos from The Onion: [New Wearable Feedbags Let Americans Eat More, Move Less](http://www.theonion.com/video/new-wearable-feedbags-let-americans-eat-more-move,14238/).

Ian's language development is coming along at a good pace. Very often he will say a word perfectly in context, often one that is repeated from what another person just said, but it always makes us do a double take. Like saying, "Good night" or "Bye-bye".

### Toddler Chores

An important part of raising children is teaching them responsibility, and that means assigning them chores to do. For example, we make Ian load the dishwasher.

<iframe width="505" height="284" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/NIgq2TKdHyk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

### Toddler Fitness

It's also very important to teach your children, from a very young age, a healthy exercise regimen.

<iframe width="505" height="284" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/pRGZqHEB89M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

### Child Prodigies

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15672661461_f50f406836_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Child Pianists">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15672661461_8f56819672.jpg" alt="Child Pianists"/>
</a>

At one point during our visit to the States, the children gained access to a piano. They immediately sat down together and created this original composition. It's a little _avant garde_ for my tastes.

<iframe width="505" height="284" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Gv9miW6PskQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The state of the offspring is strong!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15054631534_88bc53a129_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Sibling Musicians">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-october-2014/15054631534_d6c02865bb.jpg" alt="Sibling Musicians"/>
</a>


State of the Offspring Address - October 2014


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-27-cueva-del-valle-rasines-cantabria/15455260050_a7e3f5a82b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Dad! Can I keep it?">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-27-cueva-del-valle-rasines-cantabria/15455260050_62ce55253e_t.jpg" alt="Dad! Can I keep it?"/>
</a>

After an exhausting Saturday caring for the kids and doing housework, we decided we really needed to get out of the house on the unusually warm, sunny late October Sunday. Searching through some Cantabrian tourism websites, my wife found [Cueva del Valle](http://www.turismorasines.com/rutas-costa-cantabria-cueva-del-valle/), in nearby Rasines (which I've decided to pronounce "raisins" because it's funny). The place is called a Paleolithic Park, because evidence of human cave occupants has been dated to over 9,000 years ago. To help you grok that number, that's temporally as far away from Ancient Egypt as Ancient Egypt is from us. Grok, incidentally, was one of the cave's more notorious occupants back then.  As we began following the signs from Rasines, we found ourselves going down single-lane gravel roads, passing dozens of cows and sheep, and wondering if this place was really a park or not. Soon, however, we arrived to a little grassy parking lot with ten vehicles, with most of their passengers occupying the picnic tables finishing up their leisurely lunch. Because we didn't have any idea what to expect, we'd brought Nora's scooter, and had to inform her that she couldn't ride it on gravel.

The "you are here" map on the sign post wasn't very well designed, so we randomly picked one of the two ways we could walk. We found some really ancient rundown buildings that the forest had overtaken. At one spot on the path, with a grassy field on one side of the path and a forested mountain on the other, it got _really_ cold. We were outside the mouth of a little cave entrance. The information sign at its entry told us that there is evidence that Romans, during their golden imperial age, mined silver and other precious metals here. Inside the cave, the temperature dropped 15 degrees. It was _very_ cool.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-27-cueva-del-valle-rasines-cantabria/15640842015_33cabf14a4_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Cave Family">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-27-cueva-del-valle-rasines-cantabria/15640842015_e9187bd44f_z.jpg" alt="Cave Family"/>
</a>

This particular cave continued on at about the same width and height, which makes it seem most likely to be a mine, far into the mountain.

We, however, continued along the path, back out in the warm ambient temperature.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-27-cueva-del-valle-rasines-cantabria/15455260050_a7e3f5a82b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Dad! Can I keep it?">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-27-cueva-del-valle-rasines-cantabria/15455260050_62ce55253e_z.jpg" alt="Dad! Can I keep it?"/>
</a>

We came across this huge wooly mammoth, and a plaque educating us about it. The most striking thing to me about it was how little the ears were compared to modern day pachyderms. When Nora asked why they all died out, I gave the simple "We killed them all." answer.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-27-cueva-del-valle-rasines-cantabria/15638154291_11e174edfd_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Mossy Branch">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-27-cueva-del-valle-rasines-cantabria/15638154291_8cb0e10ae3.jpg" alt="Mossy Branch"/>
</a>

I saw some of the longest moss I've ever seen. This was "inside" a dank structure that looked pretty Roman to me.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-27-cueva-del-valle-rasines-cantabria/15454709468_e6edf48793_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Cave Dwellers">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-27-cueva-del-valle-rasines-cantabria/15454709468_3248ac29ec.jpg" alt="Cave Dwellers"/>
</a>

We're not positive, but I think this is The Cave. Another group of tourists walked deeper into the cave until I could no longer see the light from their smartphones they were navigating with.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-27-cueva-del-valle-rasines-cantabria/15455268990_cb7e1fa282_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Mountain Stream">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-27-cueva-del-valle-rasines-cantabria/15455268990_a2bfc3ae4b_z.jpg" alt="Mountain Stream"/>
</a>

That's Nora over there on that bridge.

I heard this theory one time that I really like and will espouse for you now from my proverbial armchair. Apparently some researchers analyzed art from all over the world, and one very common theme they discovered is that humans, across all cultures, tend to draw, and enjoy, landscapes that have very common elements: mountains, trees, a grassy plain, and some running body of water. The theory goes that these scenes are very pleasing to us because they were exactly the kind of habitat that our ancestors were looking for, both in the African savannas and in the land they migrated to upon leaving the home continent. I'm a sucker for vaguely plausible unprovable theories that link us all together as a species through our evolutionary history. The place where we spent our Sunday afternoon had all those criteria in spades; my caveman neurons were all titillated.

Ian's most favorite pastime in the world is picking up, examining, and throwing rocks. He felt right at home outside the little mine where we stopped for over an hour on the way back to the car to let the kids collect and throw rocks into this poor farmer's field. Nora, as always, took the white collar managerial role, and Ian that of the blue collar grunt, doing the lion's share of the rock throwing labor. They were so cute together.

<iframe width="505" height="284" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/3m7tAXg4fy0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


Cueva del Valle - Rasines, Cantabria


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/15414037919_ce49b4090f_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Marga - Colt .22 Huntsman">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/15414037919_cd9b042aa0_t.jpg" alt="Marga - Colt .22 Huntsman"/>
</a>

Despite growing up in the American South, I've never liked guns. Loud noises annoy me, I grew up in a Liberal household where guns were shunned, though rarely spoken about, and, as an intellectual matter, they – pistols, at least – are clearly designed to kill humans, which is something I feel pretty strongly against. Add to that the fact that America has a "gun problem", where every day of the year you can read about people killing each other, often by accident, with unattended guns. Plus, I've generally been averse to hobbies, like scuba diving, skydiving, motorcycling, bungie jumping, etc., where the first objective of the activity is "try not to die". Firearms have just never had any appeal to me.  One of the upsides of having a spouse from another culture is that you can see your own culture through their eyes. My wife, for instance, was disappointed when, on our recent visit, the local Homecoming parade was rescheduled due to rain. She loves experiencing, at least once, anything that can be described as "americana" (the English word, not Spanish). If you know where we can find a drive-in movie, let us know.

Before our recent trip to the States, my wife mentioned to my mother that she's always wanted go to a shooting range. Such an activity had never occurred to me as something to do for fun. Over the past three decades of fixing computers for almost everyone in town, my mother has built up quite the social favor network, so it took her no time at all to contact a local gun instructor and hobbyist, named Clyde, who has a gun range, i.e. a meadow behind his house, where he gives gun lessons. As the time to go grew near, I admit that my curiosity and excitement piqued.

On the appointed afternoon, we drove nine miles outside of town to Clyde's house. Judging from the fact that Clyde's surname is the same as the name of the gravel road his house is on, I'm guessing that Clyde has lived on that land all his life – and perhaps his father and grandfather, too. My wife, Marga, might be the first European citizen to set foot on that property in that time, as well. When we drove up, Clyde was meandering around his front yard with a very happy dog. He unlocked a padlocked steel cable that was blocking a road into the woods and told us to drive on down to the meadow, and he'd be down in a second in his truck after getting the guns from the house. As we drove down the dark canopied lane, I asked my mother if she'd ever seen _True Detective_.

At the bottom of the hill, the road spilled out into a sunny meadow, about the size of a children's soccer field. It had just rained and there were gnats everywhere. At one end of the field were some targets set up in front of a big mound of dirt. Our totally naive minds began imagining us being at one end of the field, firing a handgun (pew! pew!) 70 or 80 yards towards the targets at the other end.

If that last sentence didn't make it clear enough, I'm about as far from a gun expert as can be, so I will probably make some mistakes in this post. I welcome constructive corrections.

When Clyde arrived, he brought out his duffel bag of arms and set them on a wooden table. I told him that we were total newbies and he should assume we know nothing. Clyde was very good about making safety the (obvious) top priority, laying out the ground rules, such as always keeping the gun pointed downrange, even when it's not loaded, and not loading the gun, either by introducing the magazine or closing the cylinder of the revolver, until you are in shooting position and absolutely ready to fire. The "Never point it at something you aren't willing to shoot" rule was a good one.

He introduced the guns more or less in order from weakest to strongest, in terms of recoil force, and when he asked us which we wanted to shoot first, we decided to stick to that order.

### Colt .22 Huntsman

The first one was a beautiful Colt .22 caliber Huntsman. Marga recognized the Colt brand from the hundreds of hours of westerns she watched with her father as a kid.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/14980508383_a5514f4c69_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Colt .22 Huntsman">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/14980508383_23257f8eb4.jpg" alt="Colt .22 Huntsman"/>
</a>

This gun felt _great_ in my hand, with the angle of the grip and the nice curve that fit between my thumb and forefinger.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/15414037199_b4f7cd4d46_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Marga - Colt .22 Huntsman">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/15414037199_9ddce3dfef.jpg" alt="Marga - Colt .22 Huntsman"/>
</a>

Marga went first. We were firing from a distance of ten yards, which proved plenty difficult. Clyde explained that at shooting competitions, the targets are circles eight inches in diameter, and he had discovered that paper picnic plates were also eight inches in diameter, so that's what he uses for targets.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/15576993896_a861d392f6_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Erik - Colt .22 Huntsman">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/15576993896_2dca1c92ab.jpg" alt="Erik - Colt .22 Huntsman"/>
</a>

You'd think that if I was cool enough to pose with the unloaded gun without ear muffs, I'd make a less stupid face...but you'd be wrong.

As an alumnus of Hollywood Gun University, I knew that some semi-automatic handguns have the slide that can fire back and cut your hand if you are a total newbie and are holding it wrong, but that didn't stop me from holding it wrong, with my left hand a little higher than my right, and on my first shot, the slide very lightly nicked my left hand, not breaking the skin but enough to warn me to be less of any idiot.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/15414037919_ce49b4090f_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Marga - Colt .22 Huntsman">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/15414037919_cd9b042aa0.jpg" alt="Marga - Colt .22 Huntsman"/>
</a>

Yikes! Marga makes that gun look _good_!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/15415064310_669546476b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Erik's shooting accuracy">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/15415064310_ce1fd907b1.jpg" alt="Erik's shooting accuracy"/>
</a>

All of my shots hit the plate I was aiming for. I was very pleased with how well I did. It's really not that hard to line up the sights with the target; the hardest part is keeping your hands steady as you pull the trigger.

### Smith & Wesson .38 Special

Although I would probably not have been able to name it if quizzed beforehand, the name ".38 special", and the gun itself, is very familiar to me from movies.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/15598008401_c403cc6a63_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Smith & Wesson - .38 Special">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/15598008401_d7122838c6.jpg" alt="Smith & Wesson - .38 Special"/>
</a>

This snub-nosed model was downright cute. It, too, felt good in the hand, but not as good as the Colt. I was very impressed with this gun as a machine, a feat of design and engineering.

It was interesting just how little of a squeeze was needed to fire once cocked, and how _much_ of a squeeze was needed if it wasn't. That spring has got to be pretty strong if you're going to spin it on your finger on the way to your holster (do NOT do that with it loaded!).

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/15598006821_a21fd892c4_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Erik - Smith & Wesson - .38 Special">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/15598006821_38abc811d4.jpg" alt="Erik - Smith & Wesson - .38 Special"/>
</a>

There was definitely more recoil from the .38 Special. I was standing beside Marga when she fired it once and I could feel the shockwave hit my chest.

That's Clyde back there, if you hadn't guessed.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/15414049799_5aeaaa9618_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Marga - Smith & Wesson - .38 Special">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/15414049799_c634b04673.jpg" alt="Marga - Smith & Wesson - .38 Special"/>
</a>

Bang!

### Glock

One of the other handguns I could name, common in police dramas. Jack Bauer reloads a glock several times per hour of _24_. I was aware that it was known as the "plastic gun", but it was surprising just how much lighter it was. Due to totally forgivable absentmindedness, Clyde accidentally left the Glock ammo back at the house, so we weren't actually able to fire this one...but that didn't stop us from posing for photos!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/14981270213_ec200aa582_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Erik - Glock - Crop">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/14981270213_8e5d728eed.jpg" alt="Erik - Glock - Crop"/>
</a>

That's a better pistol face, especially with the badass shades.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/15600679095_a22c50d950_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Marga - Glock">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/15600679095_1335c80bda.jpg" alt="Marga - Glock"/>
</a>

Marga, [Charlie](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie's_Angels)'s on the phone for you.

Okay, it's time to take it up a notch!

### AR-15

I'm mostly familiar with this weapon from Ye Olde Gun Debate, which has, at the time of this writing, waned because it's been a while since a bunch of schoolchildren were gunned down.

Although the first adjective in the wikipedia article about the AR-15 is "lightweight", I was amazed by how heavy this gun was. All of them, really, were heavier than I had imagined, but I would need to visit the gym a bit more often to shoot an assault rifle more than a few times. No wonder soldiers spend so much time on "PT". While a more accurate weapon, its heft made made it harder to aim because of having to hold a weight in your outstretched arm.

We were firing .22 caliber rounds.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/15577006696_b5b9973c83_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Erik - AR-15">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/15577006696_3b6e6895df_z.jpg" alt="Erik - AR-15"/>
</a>

The other thing I noticed most with the rifle, due to its sight being so much closer to my eye, when you aim with sights, the target gets very blurry. That's just the nature of lenses and focal lengths. Obviously this is solved with a proper scope. Every time I fired, I only knew that I hit the target because the people around me said, "Good one!"

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/15414053309_22e2f9098e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Marga - AR-15">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/15414053309_42411c0c05.jpg" alt="Marga - AR-15"/>
</a>

Less elegant than the handguns, I think.

Here's some slow motion footage I shot with my iPhone.

<iframe width="505" height="284" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/M2LMZiW3OPY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

### Conclusion

I must admit that shooting guns was a lot of fun. I can totally comprehend how someone could be interested in shooting guns just for the sake of shooting guns. Like golf, or darts, or any target-oriented activity, it's a matter of competition against your past self. I think it would be really fun to get good at shooting guns. Trying from further distances, or with moving targets would be cool.

There were several things that surprised me, or at least were unexpected about the experience, like the focal distance while aiming and the weight of the guns, but also just how _sexy_ guns are. When I mentioned on social media that I'd fired a gun, a friend joshed, "So did you shit yourself or get a giant boner?" It was definitely the latter. Having and controlling this killing machine gave me a strong sense of virility. I didn't expect to feel so manly.

As much as I enjoyed it, my wife enjoyed it several orders of magnitude more. She was positively giddy on the drive home. I suspect this may become a regular activity on our visits to the US. I don't think we could've asked for a better selection for our firearm baptism, but there are other things I'd like to try, like a shotgun or a rifle from a good distance with a scope.

I remain very content to live and raise my family in a country where I can walk into a mall and be confident that the number of civilians carrying loaded weapons is zero, and I certainly don't want to own a gun or have one anywhere near my home. But I'm definitely placing firearms into the category of hobbies to do every once in a while using someone else's equipment, like boating.

A huge thank you to Clyde for being such an awesome instructor and gracious host.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/15601510152_2939523d72_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Marga - Smith & Wesson - .38 Special">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-22-my-rite-to-bear-arms-in-america/15601510152_79af8d6a17.jpg" alt="Marga - Smith & Wesson - .38 Special"/>
</a>


My Rite to Bear Arms in America


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-21-catawba-meadows-the-beanstalk-journey/15403297168_05c34c4f1f_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Catawba Meadows - The Beanstalk Journey - Crazy GoPro">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-21-catawba-meadows-the-beanstalk-journey/15403297168_b11a65e7cb_t.jpg" alt="Catawba Meadows - The Beanstalk Journey - Crazy GoPro"/>
</a>

There are many moments during the week I spent camping with [Outward Bound](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outward_Bound) in November of 1992, when I was 14, that I will never forget but one of them is surely the swing to get down from the ropes course. I don't remember much about the ropes course specifically, but the ten feet of free fall from a platform sixty feet in the air before the rope pulled me into a pendulum arc, the nervousness that preceded it, and the rush of adrenaline that followed shortly after will never be forgotten. It was a defining moment for me, in that it defined me as a person who understands why people seek those thrills, but who prefers to minimize even simulated near death experiences. I never again wore a harness attached to a carabiner.

Until my 36th birthday. In recent years, the park, in what is now impressively called "The River District" of Morganton, has seen a lot of improvements. There's an 18-hole disc golf course, as well as a zip line adventure center called [The Beanstalk Journey](http://thebeanstalkjourney.com). It was a great activity to do during our family reunion with my cousin Scott and his wife and three kids. It was also a great activity to try out my birthday present.

It's [really hard](/2006/12/28/the-best-christmas-gift/) to buy presents for someone with disposable income. The best presents are those things that you really want, but for whatever reason can't bring yourself to buy. My threshold for purchasing objects I desire is pretty low, so I'm a particularly hard person to buy a gift for, but this year the stars aligned and I received a very accurate present. If you had asked me to name something I wanted before it was given to me, I wouldn't have come up with it, but as soon as I was handed the separately wrapped memory card, I knew what present I was receiving...

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-21-catawba-meadows-the-beanstalk-journey/15403297168_05c34c4f1f_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Catawba Meadows - The Beanstalk Journey - Crazy GoPro">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-21-catawba-meadows-the-beanstalk-journey/15403297168_b11a65e7cb_z.jpg" alt="Catawba Meadows - The Beanstalk Journey - Crazy GoPro"/>
</a>

A GoPro Hero3 camera! You can rent them at The Beanstalk Journey, and they were nice enough to let me use their helmet mount with my own camera for no charge.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-21-catawba-meadows-the-beanstalk-journey/15402958549_b8b7dd547c_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Catawba Meadows - The Beanstalk Journey - Cropped">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-21-catawba-meadows-the-beanstalk-journey/15402958549_2d44c3fbb9.jpg" alt="Catawba Meadows - The Beanstalk Journey - Cropped"/>
</a>

My wife and cousins and I ready to ascend into the trees.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-21-catawba-meadows-the-beanstalk-journey/15403402837_56a0e9d4bf_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Catawba Meadows - The Beanstalk Journey - Marga">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-21-catawba-meadows-the-beanstalk-journey/15403402837_782961ccde.jpg" alt="Catawba Meadows - The Beanstalk Journey - Marga"/>
</a>

Walking up the first rope tube was pretty cool. Great for photos.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-21-catawba-meadows-the-beanstalk-journey/15589400865_775f385f73_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Catawba Meadows - The Beanstalk Journey">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-21-catawba-meadows-the-beanstalk-journey/15589400865_af05df51f4.jpg" alt="Catawba Meadows - The Beanstalk Journey"/>
</a>

My mother stayed below to watch us with my kids.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-21-catawba-meadows-the-beanstalk-journey/15590249742_ee6194911e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Catawba Meadows - The Beanstalk Journey - Zip Line Spectators">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-21-catawba-meadows-the-beanstalk-journey/15590249742_aabd7b3126_z.jpg" alt="Catawba Meadows - The Beanstalk Journey - Zip Line Spectators"/>
</a>

"Daddy, come back down!"

At first I thought I'd just let the GoPro record the whole 90 minute journey, but it soon became clear that there was a lot of standing around waiting in the "tree houses" while each other person from the group zipped over and was harnessed to the tree house, so I took our guides up on their offer to start and stop the GoPro to only record my zips. Even so, there was a lot of boring footage to edit out.

I was impressed by how relatively steady the footage was. I was expecting it to be a lot more jittery, like handheld footage would be, but I guess, while not quite [as good as a chicken](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dPlkFPowCc), we humans do a pretty good job of keeping our head steady. Another problem I ran into, literally, was having the camera bump into things. For most of the ropes course we had a steel cable above us right at the height of the camera, so on the bridge, the camera was rubbing up against the cable the whole way. Oh well.

So, without further ado, here's the movie I recorded with my helmet cam, mixed with some footage from my iPhone 6's 240fps slow motion camera. I do, of course, recommend cranking it up to 1080p in full screen mode. If you're impatient or getting dizzy, the zip lining starts at 4:20.

<iframe width="505" height="284" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/EPqKYYLu5G8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

On the third or fourth zip (6:40), we were supposed to throw a beanbag into a hole down below. No one saw where mine went, so I'm going to ignore Occam's Razor and assume it went in the hole.

Zip lining wasn't nearly as terrifying thrilling as the swing I did at Outward Bound, but, especially on the first one, the "I'm really about to step off this platform?" nervousness was very similar. As before, I appreciated the experience, but, unlike the target demographic for GoPro's ads, I don't feel any lust for more simulated danger. I'll have to think of other creative uses for my new little camera.


Catawba Meadows - The Beanstalk Journey


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-20-birthday-brunch-at-kings-street-cafe/15393881019_0fee21a941_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="King Street Café">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-20-birthday-brunch-at-kings-street-cafe/15393881019_592dc38651_t.jpg" alt="King Street Café"/>
</a>

On my 36th birthday, I had my first brunch. Brunch, you see, is a logical impossibility in Spain, due to the extreme sacred importance of the "midday" (2pm - 3pm) meal. Combining it with another meal has never once occurred to a Spaniard. While Spaniards do have a meal similar to a brunch, called [_almuerzo_](/2012/02/16/a-guide-to-spanish-meal-names/), lunch is still eaten afterwards.

I've heard talk of this restaurant in my hometown, called the [King Street Café](http://www.kingstreetcafe.net), and I was delighted to hear that my parents had scheduled it into our visit with my cousins and grandmother. Coming from Spain, I felt right at home with the brunch menu, which was basically an all-you-can-eat series of tapas. The menu reads,

> Order any item as many times as you want and let the server serve you for the price of one $12.95. Order as many items as you want at the same time and let the server know which one you want first. Kids under 5 years eat free and under 10 for half price.

Each of us was instructed to pick three items and the order we wanted to eat them in, and then later we could order more if we so desired. The list was:

1. Corn Chowder Soup
2. Egg Benedict with Ham
3. Pipe Rigate Pasta salad with smoked Salmon
4. Chicken and Belgian Waffles
5. Chef's Salad (spring mixed, black olive, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, Swiss cheese and tossed in onion vinaigrette)
6. Shrimp Cake
7. Ravioli with basil pesto sauce
8. Sautee Tilapia served with apricot sauce
9. Strawberry cream Short Cake

Hungry yet? Most of our party started out with the Egg Benedict, which may have been the best dish, or perhaps just eaten when most hungry. It was really, really good.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-20-birthday-brunch-at-kings-street-cafe/14960348493_87aa8d19f8_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="King Street Café - Egg Benedict">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-20-birthday-brunch-at-kings-street-cafe/14960348493_86af11c438.jpg" alt="King Street Café - Egg Benedict"/>
</a>

I'm not sure if I'd ever had Eggs Benedict. I was aware that it involved some sauce atop a fried egg, and even knew that it was invented in the Waldorf Hotel.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-20-birthday-brunch-at-kings-street-cafe/14959776414_515d067152_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="King Street Café - Ravioli with basil pesto sauce">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-20-birthday-brunch-at-kings-street-cafe/14959776414_9a463b1eea.jpg" alt="King Street Café - Ravioli with basil pesto sauce"/>
</a>

The ravioli left me wanting another plateful. I rarely get to eat pesto, and I love it.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-20-birthday-brunch-at-kings-street-cafe/15394494587_02bbca529c_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="King Street Café - Brunch">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-20-birthday-brunch-at-kings-street-cafe/15394494587_09b0e39857.jpg" alt="King Street Café - Brunch"/>
</a>

Ian enjoyed the brunch, too, but he spent most of his time outside exploring the yard, which meant that grown ups had to take turns being outside with him. Fine dining and toddlers don't mix.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-20-birthday-brunch-at-kings-street-cafe/15394891150_ee3ebdbf66_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Ian at King Street Café">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-20-birthday-brunch-at-kings-street-cafe/15394891150_ff5d8e9a1e.jpg" alt="Ian at King Street Café"/>
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He's a big fan of places with rocks to throw and logs to climb over.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-20-birthday-brunch-at-kings-street-cafe/15580493455_1bb3b1394b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="King Street Café - Shrimp Cake">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-20-birthday-brunch-at-kings-street-cafe/15580493455_96626f2a90.jpg" alt="King Street Café - Shrimp Cake"/>
</a>

Shrimp Cake. I didn't order this, but stole a photo from my cousin, Matthew's, plate.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-20-birthday-brunch-at-kings-street-cafe/15556818216_a244e09fa2_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="King Street Café - Chicken and Belgian Waffles">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-20-birthday-brunch-at-kings-street-cafe/15556818216_90c5d5c4f5.jpg" alt="King Street Café - Chicken and Belgian Waffles"/>
</a>

My third choice, and one that I think most people chose: Chicken and Belgian waffles. It was literally a piece of breaded, fried chicken atop a syrupy waffle. An odd combination, but a delicious mixture of savory and sweet.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-20-birthday-brunch-at-kings-street-cafe/14960354253_cc366f9c13_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="King Street Café - Chef's Salad">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-20-birthday-brunch-at-kings-street-cafe/14960354253_587d2afa1d.jpg" alt="King Street Café - Chef's Salad"/>
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The Chef's Salad didn't seem that appetizing, but my wife ate all but the legumes.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-20-birthday-brunch-at-kings-street-cafe/15394501097_5e0053c29f_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="King Street Café - Tilapia with Apricot Sauce">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-20-birthday-brunch-at-kings-street-cafe/15394501097_0d7972e8f3.jpg" alt="King Street Café - Tilapia with Apricot Sauce"/>
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My fourth order: Tilapia in apricot sauce. We eat a _lot_ of fish in Spain, but I don't recall ever eating tilapia. It was good, but I'm not a huge fan of sweet sauces.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-20-birthday-brunch-at-kings-street-cafe/15393881019_0fee21a941_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="King Street Café">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-20-birthday-brunch-at-kings-street-cafe/15393881019_592dc38651.jpg" alt="King Street Café"/>
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I was very pleased with the [King Street Café](http://www.kingstreetcafe.net) (their sign maker didn't have the "é" character, apparently), and I think that if I lived in Morganton, North Carolina, it might be one of my favorite restaurants. I highly recommend it. Great birthday brunch!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-20-birthday-brunch-at-kings-street-cafe/14960355863_a8bbc70577_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="King Street Café - Ian Playing">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-20-birthday-brunch-at-kings-street-cafe/14960355863_bb105d397a_z.jpg" alt="King Street Café - Ian Playing"/>
</a>


Birthday Brunch at King Street Café


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-07-toledo-at-night/15281657047_56edb50bcf_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Toledo At Night">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-07-toledo-at-night/15281657047_201fe99c70_t.jpg" alt="Toledo At Night"/>
</a>

There is something really romantically charming, _especially_ for Americans, about ancient medieval (or older) cobblestone streets in European city centers. The American cultural psyche is nurtured from childhood with tales loosely based on European history. After living in Europe for over a decade now, I've built up a tolerance to cobblestones and cathedrals, but every now and then a place is so thick with history that I can lose myself in it. Toledo was one of those places, with an endless labyrinth of stone passageways inside the city walls. The streets of Toledo were extremely photogenic during the daytime, but at night, the way the lights and shadows played off the stones was just spectacular. With a proper tripod and free time, I could fill a thousand blog posts with images, but I'm afraid I was only able to capture these somewhat blurry images. You'll have to focus them with your imagination.  At less than an hour from the Madrid airport, Toledo could definitely be a destination for some cheap holidays for anyone with [an itch for history and/or swords](http://www.falconholidays.ie/f/deals).

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-07-toledo-at-night/15281638987_c2769bab84_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Toledo At Night">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-07-toledo-at-night/15281638987_771b924e89.jpg" alt="Toledo At Night"/>
</a>

As I [previously mentioned](/2014/04/08/visiting-el-greco-toledo-2014/), Toledo is broken into several quarters, with some borders more subtle than others. During the day, you might not notice when you entered the Jewish quarter, but at night, you couldn't miss it. The entries into the Jewish quarter had these menorahs projected onto the ground informing you of your border crossing.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-07-toledo-at-night/15281505220_24de4afcb6_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Toledo At Night">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-07-toledo-at-night/15281505220_c39f0ce0eb_z.jpg" alt="Toledo At Night"/>
</a>

How could you _not_ choose to walk down that street to investigate where it goes?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-07-toledo-at-night/15281649687_6e0256b086_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Toledo At Night">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-07-toledo-at-night/15281649687_5523ca7e28.jpg" alt="Toledo At Night"/>
</a>

These bricked up arches always intrigue me. Did it used to be open, or is it just design flare?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-07-toledo-at-night/15465072361_b02fcc666b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Toledo At Night">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-07-toledo-at-night/15465072361_e10b83f82e_z.jpg" alt="Toledo At Night"/>
</a>

The cathedral door. I had to kneel down to use a bollard as a united to stabilize the camera.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-07-toledo-at-night/15281585868_b27cca7865_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Toledo At Night">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-07-toledo-at-night/15281585868_754241d7dd_z.jpg" alt="Toledo At Night"/>
</a>

A lamp under an arch.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-07-toledo-at-night/15281657047_56edb50bcf_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Toledo At Night">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-07-toledo-at-night/15281657047_201fe99c70.jpg" alt="Toledo At Night"/>
</a>

Same lamp from the side.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-07-toledo-at-night/15445126196_433d94d648_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Toledo At Night">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-07-toledo-at-night/15445126196_c44e58ee44.jpg" alt="Toledo At Night"/>
</a>

Wrought iron radii.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-07-toledo-at-night/15465085761_ddc12a8481_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Toledo At Night">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-07-toledo-at-night/15465085761_66e4ce930f_z.jpg" alt="Toledo At Night"/>
</a>

An ornate door.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-07-toledo-at-night/15281526550_fa95139769_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Toledo At Night">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-07-toledo-at-night/15281526550_6151c1990c_z.jpg" alt="Toledo At Night"/>
</a>

I wonder what's up there?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-07-toledo-at-night/15465089911_43f9090bb7_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Toledo At Night">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-07-toledo-at-night/15465089911_d5d4e2160c_z.jpg" alt="Toledo At Night"/>
</a>

Or down that staircase?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-07-toledo-at-night/15467861532_2556519a1d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="El Greco Cookies">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-10-07-toledo-at-night/15467861532_3f8b61cf74_z.jpg" alt="El Greco Cookies"/>
</a>

All this exploration makes me want a cookie!

Some places I visit leave me satisfied that I've experienced that place, but some places leave me thirsty to spend more time exploring and learning the history of the place. Toledo was definitely in the latter category. I look forward to returning some day.


6 posts from October, 2014