Travel
We Are Not the Jetsons Yet
It is an inevitability that there will come a day when all cars or at least a majority will be autonomously driven. That day is NOT today and to be honest, I hope it’s not in my lifetime. As amazing as the technology is, please do not reply upon it, keep alert and undistracted when behind the wheel. This post is not a political post per se, even though I believe Elon Musk is a con man and has gained his notority on the backs of many talented people. This video is a Wall Street Report on why Tesla’s Autonomous system in particular is not to be trusted and that Tesla as a company is also not to be trusted.
The biggest problem with these systems is they give a false since of security and lull you into thinking that you (and those around you) are being transported safely.
Tuve unas vacaciones increíbles visitando España.
Translation… I had an amazing vacation visiting Spain. With what I hope will be a regular occurrence, I recently traveled with my Wife, her Sister and her Husband. A few years ago we took a trip to Indonesia with Viking Cruise lines. That trip was incredible and if you have the opportunity to travel with Viking, I highly reccommend them.
This time, instead of the other side of the globe, we only went half way around and had my first visit to Europe. I sometimes will do a lot of research leading up to a vacation and try and learn about all the things to do or not do. This time, I consciously chose to only do a minimum of reading or viewing with the intent of being surprised a little as I experienced things. I thought it worked quite well, there were genuine moments and locations that I knew nothing about ahead of time and the impact I think was greater to me.
I began a draft of this post, and it was turning into a travel blog chronicling all of my itinerary. I decided to scrap that and instead just write a bit about my overall impressions. Spain, like most countries, can feel very different depending on where you are, that was the case for me anyway. We started in Madrid, had a day trip Toledo, took a high speed train to Barcelona and then a day trip to Montserrat. Each one of those places had some similarities, but the feeling and vibe were very different to me. Madrid had a very bustling large city feel, we were only really exposed to a very touristy part of the city but I got the same feeling I get when in Atlanta or New York. Toledo, however was like stepping back in time to the Middle Ages, some of the buildings literally. It is a UNESCO World Heritage location and I really loved how well they took care to preserve this very Old World city. Barcelona, the heart of Catalonia, was almost the opposite of Madrid, while just as big and with maybe twice the tourists, things felt so much more relaxed and laid back and I could see returning to visit here again and exploring more. While Barcelona is a very coastal city, it is not far from a very significant mountain. Montserrat was a place on this trip that had the naturalist in me full and happy. It’s an amazing place that is famous for the monks that built the Benedictine Chapel and Monastery there but it also is a haven for hikers and climbers who enjoy the outdoors and the spectacular views.
Spain was everything I hoped it would be, and like most vacations, my time there was too short. I look forward to another adventure with my travel buddies.
Qui no s’arrisca, no pisca! (Nothing ventured, nothing gained!)