Pěčín Heaven

We drove to Romana's village, which is a little bit more than an intersection. Pěčín is so small that it isn't on some maps.

Romana met us in a village that was on our map and we followed her Pěčín ... turn left just before the small bridge that is after the curve by the barn, follow the road for 3-4 kilometers. If another car comes, squish way way over into the ditch so the other car can sqeeze by. Do not miss the intersection with the Urbanů pub ... that is Pěčín. (Needless to say, Romana had to lead us back onto the map at the end of our stay.)

We are so glad we didn't miss the intersection. Our week with Romana and her family in Pěčín was heaven. There is so much to say that we are having a difficult time deciding what to include here. Look at all our photographs from Pěčín and the Czech Republic countryside at http://www.flickr.com/photos/abrownell/sets/72157601660217235/

Imagine Thomas Kinkade paintings of unending countryside with rolling hills and flowers and cottages that are so overdone that they could not possibly be real. It is really real in Pěčín.

The cottage rental near Romana's house was not available until later in August (when Romana would be on vacation). So, Romana let us stay in her home ... next to her parent's pub, above her aunt's family, and next to her sister's home. They set up 6+ beds and found 6 pair of house slippers for us. (Their secret to clean floors >> only slippers in the house, no shoes.)

Romana introduced us to her family members ... and then she would turn around and call them something else. Matthew is usually really good at remembering names (and whispers them to me when I repeatedly forget). But, we were so confused that we had to write them down. In the process of writing them down, we learned that everyone has a given name, a calling name, one or two or three diminutive names, and sometimes nicknames.


The given name seems to be used only when talking in the 3rd person ... not in real life. The calling name is used when addressing someone directly and is vaguely similar to the given name (if you are familiar with Czech) but with an accented ó or á or with the ending vowel chopped off. The diminutive names (most people have more than one) are the first part of the given name with -ka or -cha or -ishka or -ushka added.




We're glad we wrote all the names down, loosened our tongue, and practiced them because they are our family now.

Renting a car in Prague

SETTING: Prague, Czech Republic
(We wish this wasn't a true story.)

SCENE 1
Telephone conversation between Ann and Dvorak Car Rental.

Ann speaking slowly and very clearly: Hello. My name is Ann Brownell. I reserved a 7-person van. I am calling to find out when we can come and pick it up.
Mr. Dvorak: We no have van.
Ann: I reserved a van and I have my confirmation number.
Mr. Dvorak: We no have van.

Ann holds the phone to the side and whispers to Matthew.
Ann: Matthew, hand me the paper with our travel information.
Matthew: Where is it?
Ann: In my backpack!
Matthew: Where?
Ann: Right THERE under the table.
Matthew: No. I mean which pocket?
Ann: In the pocket where I keep all the papers.

Mr. Dvorak: We no have van.
Ann: One moment. I have my confirmation number.

Matthew finds the paper and hands it to Ann.

Ann: Our confirmation number is C like communist or Czech, M like Marx, 2 4 7 , S like spy, N like nuclear er uh nice, 4 4 9 1 5, and Z like xenophobic, no that's an x, um, Zachariah or Ezekiel.
Mr. Dvorak: We no have van.
Ann: But I reserved a van with your company on the internet, the computer, and I received a confirmation which means that my reservation was accepted and it is good.
Mr. Dvorak: We no have van.
Ann: YOU HAVE NO VAN!?
Mr. Dvorak: Jes.
Ann: What? YES, you DO have a van or NO, you DO NOT have a van?
Mr. Dvorak: We no have van.
Ann: I don't understand. We made reservations and we have a confirmation and you are telling me that you do not have a van.
Mr. Dvorak: Jes. We no have van.
Ann: What am I supposed to do? We need a van. We have four kids. We need a van.
Mr. Dvorak: I don't know.
Ann: We need a van. We had reservations. Can I speak to a manager?
Mr. Dvorak: I am manager.

SCENE 2
24 hours later at the hostel.

Ann: Hey kids! It is too bad that it rained yesterday. It looks beautiful today. What would you like to do today?
Elena: How about if we sit in here (the hostel room), play games, and then go out for pizza.
Maria: I don't want to go out. Let's just stay here. We can bring pizza back here.
Ann: We are on vacation in Prague. We can sit inside and play games at home - not here!
Yana: Well, how about if we do some things here, then go to the castle for a couple hours and then go out to eat.
Bronson: YEAH! Let's go out to eat.
Matthew: We have to find a car today because tomorrow we go to Romana's.
Ann: Okay, kids. Mommy and Daddy will call around and then go get a car. You guys can stay here (you cannot go out of the room) and when we get back, we'll all go to the castle.
Kids: Okay.

With the help of the owners of the hostel (who do not speak English), Matthew called several car rental places in Prague. There are no vans available. Ann and Matthew have decided to look at the car rentals at the airport and either squish into a 5 person car or rent two cars. Matthew calls Mr. Dvorak to see if they can loan us two cars in exchange for our van reservation.

Matthew: Hello. We talked with you yesterday about our reserva ...
Mr. Dvorak: Jes. We have van.
Matthew: Excuse me? What did you say?
Mr. Dvorak: We have van.
Matthew: You did not have a van yesterday. You NOW have a van?
Mr. Dvorak: Jes. We have van.
Matthew: Okay. We will come to pick up the van.
Mr. Dvorak: Jes.

Ann and Matthew tell the kids that Yana is in charge and they have to stay IN the room until we get back. They take a tram and bus to the airport - 30 minutes away.

SCENE 3
Less than an hour later at Dvorak Car Rental place at the airport.

Matthew: Hello. We are here to pick up a van.
Mr. Dvorak: Jes. One moment.

Several minutes later.

Mr. Dvorak: Credit card?

Matthew hands him a credit card and waits another several minutes.

Mr. Dvorak: Your card work first. Now no work.
Matthew: Why did you run the card twice?
Mr. Dvorak: First for car and insurance (shows Matthew slip for 20,000 korunas). Then deposit (shows Matthew another slip for 50,000 korunas).

(That translates to $500 for the car, $500 for the insurance, and $2500 for a deposit. We have a limit of $3000 on that credit card. That is why it did not work.)

Matthew: The insurance costs as much as the car?!
Mr. Dvorak: Jes.
Ann to Matthew: We don't have a choice. We don't have our car insurance anymore.
Ann to Mr. Dvorak: When I made the reservation, it said that we do not have to pay a deposit if we buy insurance.
Mr. Dvorak: Jes, everyone pay deposit.
Ann to Matthew: Just use the other credit card.

A few minutes later.

Mr. Dvorak: Please sign.
Matthew: What are these for?
Mr. Dvorak: This for car rent. This for insurance. This for deposit.

SCENE 4
In the parking garage.

We had signed the papers and Mr. Dvorak walked us out to the van and handed Matthew the keys. He pointed out an existing ding on the door. We couldn't even see the ding unless we were looking at it from the correct angle. He gave us no instruction at all.

It is the smallest van we have ever seen. It is the size of our Saturn with two pull up seats in the very back.

Ann: Wow. I wasn't expecting the insurance to be that high and we won't have any credit until we return the van.
Matthew: Can you believe that they have that ding included on the condition report? We better not park anywhere near other cars.
Ann: Yeah and we'll have to tell the kids not to lean against the van.
Matthew: Okay. Let's get back!

Matthew turns the ignition. The van jumps forward. Matthew steps on the brake.

Ann: WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
Matthew: THE BRAKE!! THE BRAKE DOESN'T WORK. WHAT THE *&%# IS GOING ON!!
Ann: THAT IS THE CLUTCH. IT'S MANUAL. MATTHEW! WATCH OUT!

Ann covers her face. The van rolls into the car in front of us. Although the van was rolling slowly, there is a loud crackling CRASH!

Ann (with her hands over her face): I can't believe it. I can't believe this is happening.

Matthew gets out of the van. Mr. Dvorak heard the CRASH and walked back to the van. There is another man who comes over. He and Mr. Dvorak speak briefly in Czech and the other man leaves. Matthew and Mr. Dvorak are looking at the van and the car. The little car is an older model with obvious wear and tear. Matthew says that he can't see any damage on the van or the car. Mr. Dvorak appears to agree though probably didn't understand what Matthew said.

The other man returns with a third man in a uniform. They move the little car away from the wall. The three Czech men are speaking in Czech. Ann is now peeking through her hands. She sees the uniformed man take out a set of keys from his pocket. The keys have a fuzzy type key-chain ... not the type they use for the rentals. The three Czech men are looking at the car.

Matthew: There's no damage. Right? Do you see damage? Nothing. The brakes didn't work. It just rolled. What do you think?

The Czech men are speaking in Czech again.

Mr. Dvorak: You pay him 200 euros?
Matthew: WHAT? 200 EUROS!? THAT IS A PIECE OF JUNK! There's no damage. You're telling me 200 euros for hardly bumping into a piece of junk!? ANN! Take your hands off your face and come out here!
Mr. Dvorak: We call police?
Ann: Well, uh, we did buy insurance.
Matthew: That is a piece of junk!! What is it doing here!? I'm not paying 200 euros for bumping into a PIECE OF JUNK!!
Ann: Matthew, that is not a rental car. That is this man's car. (Ann points to the uniformed man.)
Matthew (pointing to the uniformed man): That is your car?
Mr. Uniform: (Nods)

Matthew (in a calm voice): I'm sorry. I'm sorry I hit your car. You want 200 euros? Can you show me the damage?

Mr. Uniform looks at Matthew. He did not seem to understand what Matthew said. Matthew pulls Ann aside.

Matthew to Ann: I didn't know it was his car. The last thing we need is for the Czech police to get involved. I have 100 euros in my pocket. Should I offer him 100 euros?
Ann: Yeah.
Matthew to Mr. Uniform: I have 100 euros. Is that okay?

The Czech men speak in Czech.

Mr. Uniform nodding: Jes.

SCENE 5
Driving back to the hostel.
Matthew hadn't driven a stick shift for years, he had never seen a van with a stick shift, and he hasn’t even driven a car since leaving the US. Ann didn't bring her backpack with everything in it - including the nice detailed maps that Romana gave us. Ann is using the map provided at Dvorak's car rental.

Matthew: How do we get back to the hostel?
Ann: I don't know. Look for E-v-r-o-p-s-k-a and take it toward the city.
Matthew: What does this sign say?
Ann: I don't know but it didn't start with an E-v-r, did it? Keep going.
Matthew: Is this it?
Ann: I don't know. I don't think that started with an E either.

Several minutes later.

Ann: The E-v-r street was pretty close to the airport. We must have missed it.
Matthew: Weren't you reading the signs?
Ann: I can't read the signs. I didn't see it. Maybe I missed it.

We take an exit. It isn't an exit. It is another highway.

Ann: We have to turn around. We're going the wrong way. Why did you go this way?
Matthew: I thought it was an exit. I was trying to turn around.
Ann: No! It is going somewhere that starts with a V-r.
Matthew: Where can I turn around?
Ann: I don't know.

We pull off on a road to the side and drive for a while. We take another road back in the general direction of the city. We find an entrance back to the highway and then take the exit back to the original highway.

Several minutes later.

Ann: I still don't see the E-v-r exit. Let's just take the next exist that says Prague.
Matthew: Tell me when.

Ann: Now. Take this exit.
Matthew: Okay. Now where are we?
Ann: I don't know. Just keep going in this direction.

Fifteen minutes later.

Matthew: Where are we?
Ann: I don't know. I can't find any of these streets on the map.
Matthew: Here is a busy street. It should be on the map. What is it?
Ann: I don't know. It starts with a V-s-a ...
Matthew: Where is it?
Ann: I don't know.
Matthew: I'm going to ask this guy in the Budweiser truck.

Matthew pulls up behind the Budweiser truck, asks the delivery guy where we are on the map and then returns.

Matthew: He says that we're not on the map. We have to turn around and drive 5 or so kilometers.

Several minutes later, we see a sign that we think means a hospital. We find the same thing on the map.

Ann: Okay. I think we are on the map.
Matthew: Where are we?
Ann pointing to the map: Around here. Turn right as soon as you can. The hostel is south of here.
Matthew: Is this okay?
Ann: I don't know. Let's try it.

We seem to have entered a very busy area. There are a lot of people walking around.

Matthew: Where are we?
Ann: I don't know. This street starts with a N-a and it is two words.
Matthew points to a round blue sign with a red X: What does that sign say?
Ann: I don't know. Maybe we aren't supposed to drive here. I don't see any other cars.

There are hoards of people walking around. We can hardly move.

Ann: We better get out of here.
Matthew: I can't. There are too many people. Where should we go?
Ann: I don't know. Turn!

Matthew turns. We hear a little bell ring.

Ann: MATTHEW! THAT IS A TRAM! WE ARE ON THE TRAM TRACKS!!
Matthew: I CAN'T GO! THAT IS A ONE WAY! I CAN'T BACK UP!

The little bell rings again.

Ann: DO SOMETHING! THE TRAM IS COMING!

Matthew drives further on the tram tracks and then turns into a little side street.

Matthew: Where are we?
Ann: I don't know.
Matthew: What does the sign say?
Ann: I don't know. It starts with U-l-u-z.
Matthew: Where is that?
Ann: I don't know. I can't find it on the map.
Matthew: Weren't we here before?
Ann: I don't know. I don't know where we are. I don't know what the signs say. I don't know how to get back. Let's just hire a taxi and follow it back to the hostel.

We drive for a few minutes looking for a taxi.

Ann: MATTHEW!! THAT BUS! That is 179! That is the bus we rode on the first day we got here. Follow that bus!

For about 30 minutes, we follow the bus ... stopping behind it at all the stops and praying that we won't be arrested for stalking a bus. Ann sees an overpass.

Ann: Wait! LOOK! TURN! Don't you recognize that?! We passed that the other day. We got off the bus here and crossed the street. There is a tram up there a little ways. Remember?
Matthew: I don't remember.
Ann: TURN!

We turn, drive for a couple of blocks, and see the tram. We stop and find where we are on the map and then navigate the last few kilometers. We arrived back at the hostel 4 hours after we had left.

Ann: KIDS!! WE'RE BACK! We're so sorry.
Elena: Hi!
Maria: Did you get a car?
Yana: Where is the car? Can we see it?
Bronson: Let's go see the car!
Ann: Is everything okay? We've been gone for much longer that we thought ... so sorry. Yana, are you okay?
Yana: Yeah. We're fine. We just played a few games. Where is the car?
Ann: That's it? Weren't you worried? You have no idea what we have been through!
Yana: Gimme the keys, Mom. We're going to see the car.

Prague ... Praha ... Pražská

We spent a few days in Prague, which was not enough time. Romana brought us maps, tourist books, and print-outs. She spent a day with us in Prague and showed us some of the main attractions and a few hidden attractions.

Matthew had "real" Budweiser - the original still made in Czech Republic. I had "real" Czech coffee. My spoon stood straight up (even before I added the sugar).

We saw the Charles Bridge (Karluv most) from above and from below when it was raining.

The Prague Castle Area
When "Prague Castle" is preceded by the article the, it should be followed by area or buildings or some other word so that nobody thinks that it is a single building. Prague Castle is really a whole bunch of buildings. Some of the buildings are modern and don't look anything like the Disney castle that we were expecting. (You know, the great big structure with lots of towers, tall walls, drawbridge, and surrounded by a shark-infested moat.)

We were standing inside the castle area and looking for the castle. We got blank stares and weird looks when we asked "Where is the castle?" When we tried to buy a ticket to see the castle, we learned that it isn't a the, it is a they ... and the tickets are sold separately.

Is this the castle? Not exactly. Every structure you see in the picture (plus more) is Prague Castle. The Gothic structure behind the kids is St. Vitus Cathedral, which is one of the Prague Castle buildings.

The Park (not labeled on some maps though huge)
Our FAVORITE part of Prague is Kinského Zahrada Park. There is very little mentioned in the tourist books. We found it because we decided to walk from our hostel to the castle area. We didn't want to walk along busy streets. We saw a green blotch on the map and a narrow walkway tunnel that seemed to go in the general direction of the green blotch. *Poof* we found ourselves in an endless oasis ... with well-maintained cobblestone paths, streams, waterfalls, ponds, castle ruins, a cemetary, a cable car, a museum, orchards, and probably lots more that we missed. It took us 3 hours to walk through part of the park.

The next time we go to Prague, we're going to spend a whole day in Kinského Zahrada Park. But, better not go late in the day and bring a good map. We ran into a couple of girls who said they had been walking around for hours and were trying to find their way out.

I was reading Dostoevsky during our trip for a mental boost of the eastern European culture. Stupid idea. I still love his writing (lots of sarcasm and double-meanings). But, it was written 150 years ago and the result was more paranoia than enlightenment. The frequent rain didn't help either. We spent just as much time crouching under the Charles Bridge with some of the unsavory city residents as we spent walking on top of the bridge.

An experience of Yana's helped to beat the funk. On our last day, we were walking in the pouring rain. We were "prepared" for the rain in Ann Brownell style. That means that each of us had a plastic grocery bag to squeeze over our shoulders or wear on our head. Needless to say, we were quite a sorry sight. Yana tried to use her plastic bag in as fashionable a way as she could but, honestly, plastic bags are simply not fashionable. So, Yana started to silently pray a Hail Mary. Before Yana even finished her prayer, a woman walked up to her and handed her an umbrella!

The Checker Republic

After Córdoba, we went to the Czech Republic - or "Checker Republic" as Elena called it.

History and Political Science were not my strong subjects in school. I memorized what I had to and promptly forgot most of it shortly after my exams. When coloring maps, I made sure that two countries that touched each other were different colors. The few mnemonic tricks I used to memorize the names of the countries and their capitals are now moot. The names of many countries, some of the boundaries, and some of the capitals changed since I was in school!

When I traveled to Europe in the 1980s, the Iron Curtain was still up. There was so much to see and learn over on the "good" side that I didn't pay very much attention to the "bad" side. Everything I knew about communist Eastern Europe, I learned from my dear old dad. For those who don't know, my dad was born in 1908 ... and was a man of the times.

The communists controlled our weather. The communists sent spies to the United States dressed as hippies and rock stars and even priests and nuns. The communists infiltrated the churches. Actually, I think my dad considered everyone who did not belong to the Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club, or Lion's Club, a communist. The communists propagated the idea that it was okay to wear t-shirts out of the house. (My dad insisted that t-shirts were underwear and not to be worn out of the house.)

Today there are still many people who hold those beliefs (such as my in-laws) and I'm not knowledgeable enough (or brave enough) to support or challenge the various theories.

Romana, our first au pair, lives in Czech Republic. She wasn't a spy or a communist or a member of the Rotary Club. She lived with (and joined) the Engel circus for a year. Romana was always smiling and always washing the floors. She smiled while she washed the floors. We have always wanted to visit Romana in the Czech Republic and to see what she was always smiling about.

We knew we would love the Czech Republic (even though during my map-coloring days it was part of Czechoslovakia and ruled by communists). We spent 3 days in Prague and 5 days in the country.

As we expected, the public transportation system including buses and trams and subway trains were in excellent condition. They had the longest escalators we have ever seen. The 1950s buses looked new. There were many more churches and crosses and statues of saints and martyrs than we had expected (though we didn't look closely to see if they had microchips and mini-cameras implanted in them). Except for the obvious organ grinder street musician with monkey, we didn't notice any spies.

The streets and highways were not made for common people (or foreigners). There were few signs and the signs they did have were written in what appeared to be a secret code (Czech). Have you read Czech lately? There is a severe shortage of vowels and there are hats, flicks, and other thingys (diacritics) above most of the letters. I could stare at a word for 10 seconds and it would not register in my simple mind. Following a map was practically impossible. Material printed in English substituted the phonetic sounds (szh) for the decorated letters (ž). The material printed in Czech often used abbreviations for common combinations (čtvrť).

We stayed at a hostel in Prague that was a converted apartment building. It was clean - very clean. We could eat on the floor. There were showers, not baths. You had to hold a button on the showerhead to get the luke warm (not hot) water to flow. I guess sitting in a hot bath or standing under streaming water may have been considered too much of a luxury. And ... the next time we go to Prague, we will bring our own toilet tissue.


Czech money (Czech korunas) is old and has had many years to inflate. One hundred Czech korunas is about 5 US dollars. Pretty soon, they are even going to stop making the 5 koruna coins. It was cool to carry 200, 500, and 1000 koruna bills. It was not cool to pay 50 korunas for one soda.

Gracia ... s

In Córdoba, they often do not pronounce the end of a word, exaggerate the last vowel, and sometimes squish sounds together.

gracias >> graciaah
buenas dias >> bendiaah
adios >> adyooh

We caught on by the end of the week. We had a lot of practice with gracias because Margarita and her family were so very gracious to us.

• Gabriel, Nico, Christina, and Alejandro often joined us on our educational expeditions as well as our extracurricular excursions. They posed for scads of photos - some of which were in places and poses that would certainly have generated jeers from their friends.

• Margarita gave us a personal tour of Córdoba with audio interaction (in English). She was also keen to supplement the stories with gore and sensation (most of it true) in order to keep the kid's attention. Photo below: Margarita and Matthew at the most popular pub in town (1 euro beers).
  

• Margarita's mom chased snails around her kitchen and then prepared them in a delicious garlic sauce. "Abuela" also made sure all the children were very, very, very well-fed, comfortable, and happy.
  





• Marijose (Chica) and Manolo, Margarita's sister and brother-in-law, hosted us for meals; they took walks with us into the wee hours of the morning (with all the other Córdobans); they brought us to mass inside the Mesquita (church/mosque). Chica gave me her abanico, her hand-held fan; which, in Córdoba, is akin to donating a kidney. Manolo drove us into the mountains to see the Ermitas (monastery), the ruins of Medina Azahara, an enchanted lake in mountains, and views of Córdoba from above.





• Chica and Manolo also brought us to a flamenco show where I fell in love with Fran! That would be Francisco ... a male, flamenco dancer. Fran appears to be a little pudgy and even has a few neck rolls. Based on his dancing, however, I think the pudge is probably solid muscle. His facial expressions are as much a part of his dancing as are his arms, legs, hands, and feet.
  
  Here are some pictures of Fran that are much better than my own and show his personality:
  http://sitemusiquealhambra.free.fr/Interview%20fran%20Espinosa.htm
  

Gracia ... s

Our Visit to Córdoba

The accent mark (flick) above the first 'o' means that you say "COR do ba" and not "cor DO bah" or "cor do BAH" or "COor DOah BAH" (as some US Midwestern folks might try).

In the US, buildings receive landmark status if they are still standing after 50 years. In Córdoba, we looked at, walked by, stepped in, climbed up, wandered through, sat on, drank from, touched and, in one case, almost tipped over hundreds of years of history. It was so cool. Oops. Poor use of words. Córdoba was not cool at all. It was HOT. And, it was awesome - not in the sense of the over-used cliché but in the sense
that we were awed.

One reason we went to Córdoba (in August) was that Margarita, Gabriel, and Nico (my sister-in-law and nephews) were there visiting. Margarita gave us the INSIDE story of Córdoba. Margarita is very knowledgeable about Córdoba (and about Spain and history and the Spanish language, etc.). On the fourth day, we were looking through a book with 200+ photos of Córdoba. For 9 out of 10 of the photos, Bronson said "We were there." or "We saw that." I told Margarita that story. The next day, she tried to cover the remaining sights.




Matthew and I were impressed simply by breathing the ancient air. The kids were not so easily impressed. Once in a while, we had to embellish the historical accounts to keep the kids' attention. Some of the stories were kind of close to the truth. If we mentioned a bloody sword duel between two knights in armor or a beautiful, young girl locked up in a dungeon to pay for the crimes of her father or a traitor dropped into a vat of hot, boiling oil … the kids paid closer attention and were less likely to pine for a swimming pool.

We saw the churches, statues, roman ruins, the Mesquita (mosque/church), 1000 year old streets and houses and flower gardens and fountains and castles. Then, we would go to Chica and Manolo's (Margarita's sister and brother-in-law) house and they treated us like kings and queens. We (myself included) ate snails, muscles, shark … and lived to tell about it!


Most nights while in Córdoba, we did as the locals did … we walked (and walked and walked). They are smart; they don't walk around in the heat of the day. They wait until after 11 pm when the temperatures drop below 30 degrees Celsius (about 92 Fahrenheit). One night near the end of a long walk, Bronson asked, "When are we going to a pub?" He's already starting to think as a Spaniard.

Bus Trip to Córdoba

Everyone in Europe travels in August. Everyone! We didn't reserve space on the train in time, so we had to take a bus from Valencia to Córdoba. We told the kids that it would be an adventure. It was.

We left at 10 in the morning and arrived at 8 pm. We traveled up, down, around, and over the roller-coaster hills of Spain. Often, for as far as you could see, were olive trees.


We stopped at exotic places along the way. We HAD to stop along the way since there was no toilet on the bus. Most of the (exotic) bus stations had toilet paper. At first, we didn't think the bus was air conditioned; we were sweltering. Then we made one of our exotic stops. When we stepped off the bus, it felt like we stepped into an oven. Whoosh.

Our bus was filled with grandparents. Our lack of Spanish didn't inhibit conversation at all. For the first hour, the grandmother sitting across from us told us her life story. We didn't even understand her name. She didn't mind and kept talking a mile a minute. She simply enjoyed telling us her story and, by the end, treated us as her own. When Bronson got sick, she summoned bags, napkins, a lemon (to neutralize), a knife (to cut the lemon), medicine, a motion sickness bracelet, a yogurt drink and lots and lots of advice (in Spanish).

If someone had passed us a cutting board to cut the lemon, I would have strongly suspected that Dena Engel or Geneva Fox were somewhere on the bus. They are both ever-ready mothers who pack everything you didn't imagine you would need. On the other hand, I usually forgot to pack diapers.