PAGE 18 4 TERRACE HERALD, TERRACE, 3,C.. a. Toledo, giant fortress built on a rock with the Tagus flowing at its feet, RUPERT EDITOR REPORTS ON SPAIN See, By LESLIE DREW Leslie Drew's major claim to fame is, that she edited the Terrace Herald for two spectacular weeks last August. In her spare time she edits the Prince Rupert Daily News. She’s just back from a CP Air Sponsored tour of Spein for travel agents and the work- ing press, This is the first of a two-part series, MADRID — Spaniards have a saying, “the less you sleep, the more you Jive," With so much to see, do, drink and eat in Spain, we found that the visitor can't help but do less sleeping and more living, We were on the go from early morning till earlier the next morning ... from the moment we stepped into sun- ny, crowded streets under the gaze of statues and or- nate buildings until we flo’ ped into soft beds 19 to 20 hours later with the clap- ping of Mamenco dancers still ringing in our ears, There are several reas- ons why time runs late in Spain. One is the afternoon shops closing for the ‘‘sies- ta": another is the late din- ner which may begin any- where from 8:30 to 10:30 aml must be savored, never gobbled, The part of Spain we saw, from Madrid south to the Costa del Sol on the blue Mediterranean, is so differ- ent from B.C. that you quit looking for comparisons. Im- pressions tumble one after another, like the scarlet flowers cascading down whitewashed walls. CLEAN STREETS We were struck by the cleanliness of the Spanish cities. ‘We thought twice about tossing any bits of paper into gutters — too tidy for any gaffes like that, The countryside, also, was unlittered. I saw only two abandoned wrecks of autos in hundreds of miles of road- side, In the big cities, the people looked prosperous, even af- ° ‘fluent... Miniskirts (mini- taldas), smart leather coats, furs, the occasional manina redlined biack cape, well- behaved children, neatly dressed. ; Shops selling everything imaginable at prices that were almost irrestibte, For instance, a pair of fine Spanish shoes, square-toed, runs between 300 pesetas (34,29) and 600 ts. BURSTS OF COLOR . » « The charm of the plazas, often lined with pots of tall chrysanthemums, with baskets of flowers hanging. - from balconies overhead, and extra bursts of color blazing from mosate decora- tions, These ornaments are all within reach of vandals’ hands, yet none are touched, They "pay you can leave a purse on a railing and go) am back four hours Tater and ‘ it will still be there. Honest people, the Spanish, reserv- ed, polite and eager to help the, visiting forelgner.:. © The food we tucked Into “was superb, fit for Moorish prince or Catholic kingalike, -‘Qne ‘course -after another would appear, and wines for ‘every one. In the bars and ‘ wocktall ‘lounges, the wait- ers carry trays of bottles, : Aco, ‘sods, etc.,. and .they. ur the heftiest of drinks, / ‘Hggers or nonsense like... “hat And: with the drinks | zgome* plates” of ‘olives, an- sehowles and other snacks. do, drink, eat but don’t sleep SWEET LIFE To be tourists as we were, wandering through the south, stimulates the appetite for longer visits, perhaps even permanent residence, Lux- ury comes inexpensively by Canadian standards and by most European standards as well, This helps explain why the tourist industry is Spain’s biggest dollar carn- er, The Costa del Sol (Sune shine Coast) which sweeps up Spain’s Mediterranean shores from Gibraltar of Ma- laga, is one of the latest tourist discoveries, Lush golf courses, hotels and housing developments have mushroomed here in only a few short years, The for- eigners, including Nordam- erleanos, have moved in in droves for the sweet life. ing to a B.Caieguple? Don McQueen, a ired: Vane. couver city a8fessor andhis ° wife Lila, who are spending eight months in a seaside village not far from Tor- remolinos. Their modern, third floor apartment, with two bed- rooms, living-dining room, fully-tited kitchen and bath- room, rents for the equiva- lent of $80 a month includ- ing laundry, A cleaning wo- man comes for 40 cents an hour, ‘We usually cook our own breakfasts and lunches, shopping at the supermer- cados “oupermarkets), and go out for dinners,’’ Mrs, McQueen said, ‘Yes,’ added her husband, “and we always have plenty "of wine — vino de mesa at 16 cents a bottle or for wild sperding, cham- pagne at 40 cents a bottle,” Their ‘favorite local res- taurant, which goes by the unSpanish name of 77 Sun set Strip, is run by a Span- ish-English couple and there the McQueens arebooked for Christmas dinner. She read off the menu: Grapefruit cocktail Smoked swordfish Prawn cocktail Turtle soup with sherry Cream of mushroom soup Roast turkey with chestnut stuffing with cranberry sauce Brussels sprouts Braised celery and pot- atoes Christmas pudding with rum sauce . Sherry trifle: Cheese we Mincepie Typical Spanish sweets All for 400 pts. or $6.40, The McQueens spoke warmly about the Spanish people, describing them as “wonderful, extremely help- ful.” The couple sightsee by day, travellingina purchase- rental Volkswagen which will have cost them only $200 apart from gasoline when they turn it in. At night they visit other migrants to the Costa del Sol, Language problems seem- ed slight. One can bumble along with a Spanish-English phrase book, Moreoftenthan not, just as soon as you've spoken a few halting words, a Spaniard answers in good English — better English than your Spanish, Most stor- es in the big cities, regard- less of size or type of goods they sell, have one or more staff members who speak English fluently. COURTESY ON ROADS In the same way that the crowds somehow get where they're going without jost- ling, so traffic moves with- out fist-shaking and verbal exchanges, despite the var- iety of conveyances ~ small cars, trucks, motorbikes and the odd horse-drawn car- riage or mule train, each animal with loaded paniers. The rule of the read seems to be, “‘after you, Alfonso,'* We noticed that our tour bus Griver would flash a-right-” signal to véhisles behind if dicating when} was safe to pass; left if danger lay ahead. Big hotels, they say, are the same the world over. Here they were like their | counterparts on this con- tinent, but in some respects service is superior. Nomen- tion of accommodation in Spain, however, is complete without a word for the para dores, which the ministry of tourism opérates throughoit Spain with other types of hostelries, Old castles,’ pal- aces, mansions and monas- teries have been restored to form some of these para- The gift EVERYONE wants! A BCAA MEMBERSHIP IDEAL FOR FRIENDS - RELATIVES —- EMPLOYEES — BUSINESS ASSOCIATES BRITISH COLUMBIA AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION. SPRUCELAND SHOPPING CENTRE PRINCE GEORGE, B.C., Name . Street Plenso arrange BCAA Amas Glit Membership for, the allowing: ao ot And retum to me () Send to the above OJ Your Name... .. Straet (ol | Momberehip Number...... $12.00 cheth encloeed Ratios Discuss all your printing orders with Jce’s Printers, Compare service, prices and qual Also... subber stamps made to order In one day or tess, ; JOE'S. PRINTERS Phone 635-6357 and ask for the Printer, Downstairs in the Lazelte Shopping Centre at 4611-2 Laxtlle Ave., Terrace, 8.C, ‘61a dors; result — interest, beauty, excellent service, comfort, good food, and rid- iculously low prices, Everywhere we logked,we . got the impression that Spain is taking a giant stride into the late 20th Century, New buildings, whetler apart ment blocks for workers or brand new factories, are going up with a pleasing mixture of the past and the present — Islamic accents of arches, portlcoes and mosaic decorations, yet all © the modernamenities that we‘ associate with American construction, And in eateringto the tour ist, Spain has much to show the rest of the world includ- ing B,C, NEXT: Notes from aSpan- ish travel diary, | Wednesday, December ‘i, Aes For Service! Prices] Quality! We wish LIQUOR CONTROL -poaRD SHOPPING HOURS to advise our patrons that for their shopping « convenience during the Christmas season, the slack periods in the Liquor Stores are usually between and 4:00 p.m. — 10:00 a.m. INTERIOR STATIONERY _ Phone 635-5004 «Fine Wallets - __ @ Leather ahoe-shine kits _ @ Key cases © 7 « Ahoottor: ‘pen sets » Buxton jewelry cases ’ « Czechoslovakian Crystal 6 Boxed Setionery FIRST Make a list now of those persons in distant places to whom you plan to place Christmas greet- ings calls this year. Jot down the without charge — through your - tions in your telephone directory formation’ directly: fight heavy holiday traffic just, to _ get your numbers. By being pre-. “pared, you'll save time with your tor by giving her the number you want to reach, area code and telephone number | - for each one. You can get these — operator, or by following instruc. . for reaching. out-of- “province ‘in- | Do this now s0 you won't-have to-- Christmas calls, whether you dial ‘PREPARE them directly or assist the opera- . SECOND Don' t: wait until - Christmas Day itself, when. oir- cuits across Canada will be over- loaded, to place all your ‘calla. - Spread them over. the ‘holiday .. :season. Your family and’ friends _. will enjoy your calls just as much, ~ and you'll be more certain of getting through without delay. .REMEMBER. YOUR CALLS, And have a ‘Happy Christmas. a BRITISH EOLUNNBIA TELEPHONE COMIN Low’ night rates - oo “apply after: @ p-m.: daily and all day Sunday on telephone. calls to .. anywhere in North America. YouR..cHRIstmas _ PHONE LIST NOW: SPREAD HECK THESE TIME SAVING TELEPHONE TIPS and make your Christmas happier There is great joy in exchanging ‘Christmas. Greetings by telephone. So much so, in fact, that thousands and thousands of Canadians do so. each year. Asa result, telephone facilities become crowded with traffic and you_may encounter delays in completing your’ calls, especially on a Christmas Day. - You can avoid these delays. ¢ Just follow. the telephone tips below: