Friday. Let’s try the trains

Friday. Travel day to Valencia.

Time to check out the Spanish rail system.  Has a great reputation.  How is it that America let its passenger rail become less great than the rest of the world.   I took the train from Portland to New York three years ago to visit Ricky when he was working for Habitat for Humanity.  
Paid for a sleeper unit. But it was rough.

Looking at the infrastructure here in Spain I see continual investment.
In the US under the republican Eisenhower administration the US built the interstate highway system by taxing the “greatest generation” with a tax rate that topped out at 80% for high salaries.

It’s sad to me that our infrastructure debate is about cost instead of need and aspiration
It also is ironic that working poor republican voters defend tax breaks for the rich.  How did that happen.     And of course the irony is that the reddest states are the ones who receive the most in terms of federal assistance programs.    

We used to build great things.  And we weren’t as afraid.
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Yesterday I had the chance to meet Daniel.  He is the toddler who Catie has been an au pair for the last three months.  I think he is three and speaks four languages.  He is lovable and because of his big blonde head, reminds me of Ricky at his age.  

Later we took a taxi to an over priced touristy vegetarian restaurant for a pretty good dinner.   Then took my first ride on the subway system.    Impressive.  

Here is something funny.  Spanish evenings usually don’t start until 8 or 10 pm.  
For 20 somethings the clubs open at 11 or even 1 am.   They close at 6 am just in time for the subway system to reopen.

I am seeing this sense of love of life here.  Coffee cups are another example.   To go cups are extremely rare.  To the Spanish, coffee is something not to drink on the run.  But in a ceramic cup sitting down.