One Month to Departure

La Senyera - the official flag of catalonia.

One month from today we will be en-route to Barcelona! The trip is becoming more "real" as more of our plans fall into place. We still need to secure one lodging location and a few train tickets, and finalize some of our sight-seeing plans around Barcelona and Madrid.

At the same time we face some uncertainty and concern as Barcelona has encountered some difficult times and tragedy in recent week. Workers at Barcelona's el Prat airport dissatisfied with wages and working conditions have staged strikes which have resulted in severe delays and chaos. A growing anti-tourism movement across Europe has led to marches, protests, and even an attack on a tourist bus in Barcelona.

And then there was last Thursday. A terrorist drove a van down Las Ramblas, the main pedestrian thoroughfare in the heart of Barcelona's old city killing 13 people and injuring at least 130 more. He killed a 14th person during his escape. Nine hours later, a similar attack occurred in nearby Cambrils, killing one woman and injuring six other people. All of this was part of a larger plot in which plans were apparently underway to deploy bombs in the area, which was disrupted by a premature explosion in the building where the bombs were being manufactured. Eight members of the terrorist cell have been killed as a result of the explosion and police action.

All of this is enough to give one pause, and to cause concern among friends and family members. It will certainly lead us to pay close attention to State Department travel guidelines, to be more aware of our surroundings, and to approach our trip in a more somber, less celebratory, and perhaps less relaxed mood. What it will not do is prevent us from living our lives; experiencing new cultures; exploring food, wine, and architecture; visiting friends; celebrating festivals; cheering on football; enjoying the beach; and fulfilling a years-long dream of traveling to Spain. Calling off such a trip would giving in to terror.

Last week's attack brought back a specific memory for me. I really hadn't thought about it at all in the context of our upcoming trip, but I was supposed to have traveled to Spain in high school. A group trip was being planned, I suppose through our Spanish classes, but it was actually called off out of concern about terrorism. I don't remember the specific incident that resulted in the trip's cancellation, but I imagine it was either the terrorist attack in Madrid in 1985 or 1986. I was extremely disappointed at the time, and I remember thinking it was the wrong decision even though now I can't say I blame the adults for making it. Now, as an adult, I am free to make my own choices about travel, and we will go. We are sober and cautious, but we are not afraid.

Impromptu Las Ramlas Memorial (REUTERS/Susana Vera)