Land of Lincoln

Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois have all claimed to be the home of Abraham Lincoln.  He was born in Kentucky, spent years seven through 21 in Indiana and moved to Illinois after that.  Seems all three states want to claim him as a native son.  Cas’ friend Jim told us tonight that Granada has a similar circumstance with Seville.  They both claim to be the birthplace of excellent Spanish things that are as important to Spain as Lincoln is to America.  Ask someone from each town where Flamenco dancing was invented; you’ll get two different answers.  

Cas and his friend Jim had worked together, and as further coincidence has it, they both attended the same high school themselves, though not at the same time.  Jim’s kids went to the high school I attended so many years ago, and at least one of his sons went to my college.  Pretty small world.  

Jim seems pretty happy about being an expatriate living in Spain.  Apparently, he and his wife have a nice place, and all of their needs are met for a fraction of what it costs to live in Dallas.  Sounds pretty sweet, though Cas and I agree that we have to be near our people.  I would have to pack up myself, Cas, my immediate family, his immediate family and a crate of Tex Mex ingredients and barbecue sauce.  Seems like a lot of effort- not to mention that neither of us has ever expressed a desire to move ever again.  Moving into our home was more work than either of us probably ever cares to repeat.  Maybe we’ll just visit here a lot.  

We rejoin our group tomorrow morning.  I believe we missed a group meal this evening, and I am sure there was something wonderful or culturally enriching about the experience, but talking to a guy from Dallas who lives here now is a whole other kind of perspective that you won’t get on a tour.  

Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/pfA2563myHYwVp6U7