Good bye to Spain - Oddball things and thoughts

We are heading to Madrid and east on our way out of Spain and into France tomorrow so some final thoughts in no particular order:
1. Bark from cork trees used for the production of wine corks, bulletin boards and dart boards is grown in only 3 places: Morocco, Portugal and the province of Cadiz in Spain. The bark is harvested every 5 or 6 years to the point where branching occurs. These are expensive and valued trees which we were told were relocated during a recent widening of the roadways.
2. Wind power is harvested using miles and miles of windmills.
3. People appear to be happier ~ more laid back than the Okanagan which takes some doing.
4. It stays light longer at night but not as early in the morning. While we are closer to the equator than we were in Peachland, I still find it quite cool in the evening and early morning.
5. Birds sound different and, as there are swallow nesting under the fascias in this and other buildings around us, noisier.
6. There is more evidence of history with walls, castles on hills, etc.,
7. Cost of living is somewhat less; particularly with the property values dropping.
8. Beer and wine are cheaper than soft drinks.
9. Flowers which I work hard to grow at home grow as weeds here... nasturtiums, verbena, hibiscus, oleander, bougainvilleas. Pictures to demonstrate.
10. Coffee cups are smaller and no refills.
11. Parking is much harder in most places.
12. Decorative wrought iron is everywhere on every door and window.
13. Moorish influences apparent in the architecture particularly rooflines and chimney stacks.
14. Spanish are less concerned with risk management ~ saw a man on a 4 story building fixing a roof with no safety equipment. Pavement is frequently broken and uneven.
15. Dog owners do not appear to be responsible as there is hardly a walkway without poop. Also, more litter on the streets and, unfortunately, even the beaches.
16. I think there is considerably more smoking happening and there is frequently no segregation for non-smokers.
17. Escalator at the train station slows down to save energy when no one is on it – Speeds up when it senses the weight of a person.
18. I love olive groves. Oranges, lemons, bananas and other exotic plants grown outside still impress me.
19. In spite of all the Brits, John likes Spain (a lot).