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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nOutside at 7:30 in the morning, it is dark like 8 o\u2019clock at night in Sydney. Everyone sleeping late in this part of the world suddenly makes more sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is too early, at 7.45, even for the coffee shops to be open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We walked past the Italian embassy. It is covered in red and green frogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We walk past the cathedral of Santa Maria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We climb onto a tour bus and I hitch my narrative wagon to that of the tour guide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In celebration of European standards, (and the disgust of Californian tech companies) the bus has usb ports to charge your phone with a dangling cable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The tour guide pointed out the Egyptian monument was aligned to the compass the same way as it was in Egypt without the snakes and crocodile. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The tool guide points at different streets where the left and right wing parties for the election have their bases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We go past an arch from the dictator Francisco Franco and a sky view tower.\u00a0(Built in 1956, it commemorates the Victory of Nationalist forces during the Spanish civil war)<\/p>\n\n\n\n We go past the president\u2019s house (their White House). <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are 17 states in Spain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We drive for an hour through traffic, commercial areas, and misty hills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I ponder for a moment being in this place 500 years ago, riding a galloping Spanish horse across this plain. One of my favourite movies, the original Gladiator with Russell Crowe, features a house on the Spanish plains. I feel like I can see it out the window. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Carthaginians when crossing Spain found lots of rabbits – calling it I-shphanyia (land of rabbits). The Romans adapted this to \u201cEspanola\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" My toast obediently jumps out of the toaster and lies politely horizontal on top of the toaster. A new designer kitchen full of European appliances is an impressive experience. Supermarkets in general match Australian ones with roughly 2\/3rds different brands. … Continue reading <\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n