Last day today, so we bid a fond "adios" to our driver Chimo and our tour guide Sergio, and hopped on the plane from Madrid.

I'd be remiss, I think, if I didn't mention how impressed we all were by both these guys. Driving a tour bus in Europe, where you perpetually have about 6 inches of clearance on either side, can't be easy. Chimo was terrific and even took the time to whip around a roundabout a few times before he dropped us off. If he had done nothing else all trip, the students would have loved him for that. Sergio was a fountain of knowledge of all things European. He literally could speak knowledgeably on a thousand subjects, and essentially filled up the drives by quenching us history nerds' thirst for knowledge. These guys were great, and earned every penny and more.

Our first flight today left Madrid at 7, boarded at 6:45, so our wakeup call was at 3:30. Won't say any more about that except that 3:30 is an ungodly hour that is too late and too early for anything. I actually fell asleep on the plane between the safety demonstration and takeoff.

Quick note: saw Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in the airport this morning. He cut to the front of the line at customs. I walked up to him and said "hey! Nobody cuts in front of my class! If you got a problem with that you can settle it with me right now!" and he quietly retired.

Just kidding, the man was immense. Like an ogre walking through the terminal.

We have a long flight ahead of us that arrives about the time we left. Time zones continue to give me trouble.

This has been an amazing trip. I've enjoyed the places we've been and the things we've seen. Most of all, I've enjoyed the company of the people I've been with. Mr. Nicholson, Ms. Matthews, Mr. Lovatt, and Ms. d*** on-Rothwell have made this a smooth and comfortable experience, and I'm thankful to have shared this with them. I also feel thankful to have enjoyed the company of the students on this trip. I don't think you could have asked for a better group of students to take away. They were enthusiastic and respectful, and a lot of fun to be around. In other words, they represented themselves and their school very well, and I was proud to have gone along with them.

So let me sign off here;

Esta es mi primera vez en Espana, y es preciosa. Esta una buen viaje. Hasta luego, amigos.