Goals set before the trip started

I had a few goals for this trip. Here is how they worked out:
1. Have an enjoyable 30th anniversary trip with Leslie, on a par with our 25th * After a horrific start (leaving her waiting at the airport for 8 hours), we recovered quickly and had some wonderful experiences … this was a 6 on a 1-10 scale.
2. Understand some of Hannah’s current life * Wow! We had adventures together and expressed our love for each other … 10
3. Have a solo trip experience * I saw and did things that I could have never have done with a travel companion. Going into this, I was anxious about my ability to pull it off. As Hannah said about her own skydiving experience, ‘If I can jump out of a helo at 10,000 feet, I can do anything!’ If I can spend 9 days backpacking in Europe like a 20 year old (at age 61), I can do anything … another 10
4. Learn about olives * I wanted to learn about olive agriculture. Well, I saw olive trees and hiked through a terraced (defunct) mountainside orchard. I ate a variety of olives and olive oils in 3 countries on 2 continents. My appreciation for olives is greatly enhanced … maybe … 3
5. Get Portuguese corks for Nate and Ingrid’s wedding wine * A total bust, although I did learn a little about cork agriculture. … 1
6. Go to Segovia’s birthplace * A bust of sorts. Every time I asked people about this, they tried to send me to the town of Segovia in northern Spain. Perhaps I was asking wrong or perhaps Segovia was just his stage name. Or, perhaps it was like my attempts to drink Fosters beer in Australia … Never heard of it, mate. The closest I got was when Leslie pointed out a music store in Granada. The proprietor said that Segovia’s recordings were not good (too low tech), I ended up buying a two CD set by Narciso Yepes, ‘La Guitaria Clasica Espanola’, which I really enjoy. In addition, I have a new-found interest in Flamenco guitar. Hard to rate … 4
7. Camp on a remote stretch of Portuguese beach * A total bust, camp grounds were closed … 0
8. Use and improve my Spanish language skills * This and much more. I first ‘looked over the edge’ of Spanish as a college sophomore, based on the statement of my roommate Gary Napier, who said it was easy (he was studying both Spanish and Arabic, now I understand why). I dropped out during the 1st semester. For the last 2 years, I have been listening to Pimsleur Spanish Language CD’s. Apparently, I have no talent for learning another language, but with Hannah’s encouragement (and the chiding of some people I met on the trip), I am motivated now. I am going to be generous and give myself … 7
9. Learn about Berber culture * Another bust, but now I am motivated. Interestingly, none of the Arabs I spoke with had any information about Berbers. I suppose it is similar to asking me what I know about the Miami tribe of Native Americans who inhabited Indiana 300 years ago. By the way, Berber was not a name used by native African people then or now. It is a variant of a Roman term used to reference barbarians … 0
10. Read “Travels with Charley” by John Steinbeck * Now on page 251/275, mostly read during travel time and since getting back to USA. I felt that there were too many adventures calling my name to take time out for a book that I could read anytime (a little like my attitude toward sleep on the trip). However, the book is well worth reading. Here are a few well-turned phrases/ideas that I underlined in my used book:
a. Introduced me to the Spanish verb ‘vasilar’, meaning to go somewhere without greatly caring how or if I get there, although having direction.
b. ‘Localness’ is going, but not totally gone in USA. I thought about how that camel also has its nose in the tent in Europe (in the form of the EU and the Euro). How long before there is a standardized language?
c. In a Greco painting in Madrid (San Pablo con un Libro), Saint Paul has just closed a book and is using his finger to mark the last page read. On his face is the look of wonder and trying to understand; maybe understanding is possible only “after” the book is closed.
d. On his occasional ‘just checking in’ calls home, he experienced, for 3-4 minutes having a name and the joys and duties a man carries with him like a comet tail.

e. The conclusion of the book was weak, in my opinion, but Steinbeck did have this interesting observation – Some trips end before the last mile, some trips continue long after the last mile.  In my case, even though I am back in Indiana, it seems that my trip is continuing.  I am still learning from the trip, and expect to for a long time, as I research things I was exposed to, many for the first time. 
11. Come back with a heartbeat * There were a few situations when I thought this might have been at a slight risk; e.g., the taxi ride from Cueta to Tangier with Mohammed, climbing the rock outcropping in Sines and almost every time we walked along the narrow street near our hotel. Clearly … 10