Dear Cha-Wel-Dor-Sue,

Pat and I had a delightful trip to Espana despite the fact that a bit of misfortune dogged our steps en route to the airport. We were, so we thought, comfortably seated in our limousine on our way to Kennedy Airport, when I casually mentioned to Pat, "of course you have our tickets and passports". At this point, she blanched, fainted, and recovered long enough to say "Oh my God!" She had everything with her except the passports! We got off the limousine in New Haven, spent 45 minutes getting an Avis car, drove back to Manchester, and then broke all road regulations and speed limits driving through the night rain to the airport on Long Island, only to reach Iberia 15 minutes after the gates had closed. Fortunately, they honored our tickets for the next evening, and the following night, we were finally off for Madrid, having missed the Mayor's reception in Retiro Park. The night was not a total disaster, as we drove across the river to New Jersey and spent the evening and the following day with my brother and his family. While there, we drove to my home town of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, to my mother and father's grave, and to other points of interest to both Bill and myself.

The first five days in Spain were spent in and around Madrid, and it is by all standards a beautiful city. Taxis are cheap, and mass transportation, buses, mini-buses and the subway can take you anywhere, quickly and cheaply. Naturally we visited the Prado, the Royal Palace, the various plazas (Puerto del Sol, the Plaza Mayor), and their famous department stores. On one of the days, we motored to Toledo, and it is truly a historic site, both of old, and more recent history during the Civil War. It is an absolute must when anyone is in the Capital City, as it is only an hour's drive south. On another day, we visited the Escorial (Royal Palace), the Valley of the Fallen, which today serves as the Mausoleum of Franco, and the fascinating Walled City of Avila, and the old Roman city of Segovia. Its aqueduct is still standing and being used 2,000 years later! The Romans were probably the best builders of all time.

After the Urological Meeting was over, a group of 40 of us, some 20 urologists and our wives, took another week or so to visit Southern Spain, and this was the highlight of our trip to Espana.

Our first stop was Cordoba, an old city and the home of Seneca, Maimonides, and two other Roman emperors. Its mosque, within which a cathedral has been constructed by the victorious Christians after the reconquest, is a sight to see! As one sees more and more of the Moor's architectural accomplishments, one appreciates the intelligence and the state of learning of the Arabs at that time. They were truly the enlightened people of their age. They really had no period of the "Dark Ages" such as the Christians experienced when the Papacy shut down all schools of learning and taught only provincial Theology. I suppose the Spanish Inquisition of those times might be considered somewhat comparable to Khomeini's revival of Islam in today's world.

After leaving Cordoba, we motored to Seville, and if there is only one city in Spain that you have time to see, this must be it. Its cathedral is beautiful and houses the remains of Christopher Columbus. The Archives of the History of the Indios (America) is also housed next to the cathedral. Seville's Walled City, or Old City, with its small and narrow streets and Jewish Ghetto is a charming place and almost irresistible. To be in Seville during its Fiesta or Fair must be an unforgettable experience and probably a lot like being in Rio during Carnival.

After leaving Seville, we drove to Granada, the home of the Alhambra, with its beautiful Generalife Gardens. It was all I expected and more.

Malaga, Torremolinos, Marbella, and the beautiful Costa del Sol concluded our trip and the Costa del Sol is truly the Spanish Riviera. In fact, I was more impressed with it than I was with San Remo, the Italian Riviera, and both Cannes and Nice on the French Riviera. They say that Torremolinos and the Costa del Sol is almost totally owned by the Arabs, and the innumerable yachts that are berthed there are largely used to run hashish from Morocco. Unfortunately, the American dollar is no longer as meaningful or valuable as it was in the years gone by and everything seems inordinately expensive.

All along our trip, we stayed at fine hotels, and the Alphonse XIII was the tops (Five Star). It was there that Pat got stuck in an elevator for one-half hour and held up our trip to the Flamenco dance and dinner.

Two of the most beautiful buildings in Seville are the Plaza de Espana, built in 1929 to house the World's Fair, and the University, which was formerly a cigar factory. In fact, it is the most beautiful factory I have ever seen and I have pictures to prove it!

Next year, the New York Section Meeting is to be held in Rome, and Pat and I are already planning on making the trip, God willing. Italy is still largely an unknown entity for me and I shall use this opportunity to get to know the Eternal City (Rome), Florence, Pisa, Bologna, Pompeii, and the other cities that might be included on the post-convention tour. Pat and I have already seen Venice and Northern Italy and Genoa but I am sure there will be a great deal for us to see next year. We also plan to sample its various wines and certainly the typical Italian foods.

When we arrived home, our lawn was no longer recognizable, as it was covered with leaves, and my office was a mess, as I had discharged my secretary on the day after I left for Spain, for gross incompetence. It is only now that we are beginning to get our heads above the water and feel reasonably caught up with our chores.

The winter season is upon us with its innumerable social events, concerts, lectures and the like. I hope Pat and I are equal to the task of taking them all in and enjoying them. Unfortunately, for the moment, Pat is spending most of her time at the hospital, caring for her 92 year old mother, who has had a stroke and whose immediate future is uncertain.

My next DAD-O-GRAM should be from South Africa, dated March 1981.

With Love,

DAD