Reflecting back on Canary Islands, Spain, France, England

 Overall, a satisfying trip.  We went to the Azores and Madeira on earlier trips because we suspected that they had more to offer.  We were correct; the Canary Islands, while interesting, were not as attractive to us. More of a bleak volcanic landscape with little rain to promote vegetation.  Our cruise ship was satisfactory and allowed us a quick overview of all the islands.

Spain has much to offer.  A first world country with great cities and an excellent train system.  You do not want to drive in the larger cities. Our problem was with the success of Spanish tourism, crowds of tourists at every location. We did not come to stand in line and see scenes dominated by other tourists. Perhaps October to March would be a better time to visit.

Morocco was only a brief visit; enough for an impression influenced by our guide’s knowledge (a 4-year course in tourism, including languages, history, economics, culture, and mythology of Morocco). We were impressed by the inequality. Palace of the king; estates of Saudi princes, then the lower status of women and the lower education standard for the rural poor versus free university education for the wealthy.

France was the high point for us. Great landscapes and scenic villages. Most other tourists were Europeans, many French. Certainly, we were not alone at these tourist sights, but fellow tourists were in reasonable numbers. The weather was mild, and the driving was easy.

Northern England towns and villages were not as attractive.  The beauty is in the landscape of mountains, lakes, and forests. The people were friendly and helpful, but there was a sense of hard economic times with some wear and ‘making do’.  The driving was difficult, not just due to narrow roads, but the expensive and congested parking. We had our most comfortable accommodation in Cockermouth, not just a room but an apartment you could spread out and relax in.

We learned a lot about how people live in various new (for us) locations. I tried to make it a relaxing trip, but I think we defeated ourselves, each day trying to fill our schedule with new excursions. Now, we go home, and I need to finish the details for our next trip.