Fallas is a festival celebrated in Valencia, Spain, originally intended to honor St. Joseph – technically it lasts five days, leading to the night of March 19th. I know this because I looked it up on Wickepedia. If you ask anybody here, they’ll tell you the simple truth – it’s a holiday which celebrates the eternal need to blow stuff up. Here’s a hint: last year they passed a law making it illegal for anyone under the age of eight to light off firecrackers. It’s not enforced.

Last week I went to Berlin to visit a couple of old friends, Marty and Kate. Many years ago I married them – no, really. Massachusetts has a lovely law which enables a private citizen to become a ‘Special Designee to Solemnize a Marriage’. You apply to the Secretary of State, and after a fair amount of paperwork ( remember, this is Massachusetts ), you get to be Vicar For a Day. It was one of my best days, I don’t mind telling you. This winter they are on sabbatical from Harv

Barcelona is basically the Nerve Center of Spain – only Madrid is larger in size, but Madrid is the capitol, stuck in the mountains, cold, and, well, it’s just not Barcelona. Simply put, Barcelona rocks. I spent one night there a couple of weeks ago, and I felt like I needed to take a long rest break after I left. This is a city that runs on the energy of its citizens. Barcelona ( pronounced with a lisp: ‘Bartheloma ‘) is on the right coast, a few hours above Valencia. The th