Spain is not a country that is particularly doggie friendly. In fact, the only hotel we could find to stay a night in and around Madrid was the filthy Novatel at the Airport! But on the Mediterranean coast we did find a lovely, shabby around the edges country hotel that made our little pal very welcome. Fortunately, the Relais et Chateaux chain of very comfortable hotels usually has members whose hotels do welcome your furry pal. But there may be limits to where the dog can go; probably not the dining room.

All of this is a shame, because Spain is quite a remarkable country and its entry into the European Union has brought many improvements to the infrastructure. Its cuisine is delicious and varied, its countryside is too. Its coast line can be dramatic and rugged or flat with long stretches of golden sand.

The Pyrénées are magnificent and you can be up in the passes within a couple of hours from leaving the coast. The country

is so full of history it would take a lifetime to visit all the places of interest. But if you are traveling with Toweser, this will be much more difficult than doing the same thing in France.

Our coverages center on Catalonia the region closest to us in France. In fact, it is quite possible to drop down to the Costa Brave for lunch and be home by dinner. The cuisine of this region is most characterized by marrying the wonderful fresh products of the sea with those of the land, such as chicken with fish or "suquet" which is rice marinated with the ink of squid making a "black" rice.

The architecture for the common dwellings is not much different than that just across the border in France, but the coastal fishing villages tend to be white washed and blaze in the sun, while there is an enormous amount of Romanesque architecture throughout the areas of Girona.