Shoes Make the Trip!

Shoes make a trip. If a person has the wrong shoes, the trip can be ruined . . . that is the voice of experience talking. So for our trip to Spain, I went to my favorite shoe store (and that is saying something because I hate shoe shopping) to find some comfortable shoes. I knew Ecco shoes were golden because I had two pairs in Germany, and they were perfect.

I found a very stylish pair of Ecco Mary Jane's that fit really well. Then I bought a nice soft sandal that I thought would do the trick. After everything was packed, I decided that maybe I should throw in my tennis shoes . . . just in case.

Don had packed his hikers and his slip-ons, but for the plane trip, he wore his light moccasin-style shoes. Unfortunately, his baggage didn't quite arrive on time, so he had to wear those moccasin-style shoes for several days.

The first day in Madrid, Don and I walked with Di to her school, walked through the Prado, and then walked home. Uh Oh. Although the blisters hadn't formed yet, I could tell I was in trouble. I didn't have any socks for my cute Mary Jane's, and on a hot day, with as much walking as we were going to do, I knew they wouldn't do. So, as much as I didn't want to, I wore my tennis shoes to Cordoba.

Don could tell he was going to be in trouble, too. Just with walking in Madrid, his feet hurt, since his shoes had no support. But surely, his luggage would come before we left for Cordoba the next day . . . surely.

But no. It wasn't to be. So he had to wear his moccasins again. We walked at least ten miles in Cordoba. The bumpy cobblestones would have created a very bad situation if I had been wearing the sandals or the Mary Jane's. But my feet didn't even hurt in my tennies. Don, on the other hand, suffered greatly whenever he had to walk on the cobblestones - which was almost all of the time. So through Sevilla, Granada, Toledo, and Segovia, my white "Look at me, I am a tourist" shoes kept my feet from aching; but Don got no such relief until we returned from Granada and retrieved his suitcase.

I did wear my Mary Jane's on the one day in Madrid where we only walked four or five miles. But they were all on paved streets, smooth and easy, and it was a cool day. I never even wore my sandals. And once he got them, we couldn't pry Don's hikers from his feet.

So from now on, no matter how ugly they are, I am taking tennis shoes or hikers with me. It just isn't worth it to worry about having sore feet, especially as much as we walk on our trips!