Greetings from Across the Globe

Hi...here is an email that Matt sent out today...some of you received it.

Hey all,I don't write too many emails (as Flowers puts it -- Iam unfamiliar with the email machine) but today waspretty sweet. I am currently hangin' in Sitges, alittle del oeste de Barthelona (yes, that's how theysay it) in Spain. Sweet town - except for the nakedmiddle aged dudes I saw playin' paddle ball at thebeach across from the hotel.

We are working at IDIADA, a test facility similar toGM's Desert Proving Grounds (except that it is in kickass Spain.) Up until today, it had been an 8 AM to 9pm calibration-fest. The cal work is pretty similarto my old job with similar issues. The first day waslost to preparation, the customer did not bring orreserve a tow dyno, there is only one Gamma II engine,and it is not in a pilot vehicle etc., etc.But - who cares?

Today was a day of rest.So, my Korean amigo, Young Soo, and I decided to drivelike mad Europeans to Andorra, a small tax free zoneof a country about the size of Kokomo (only with moremountains and less deodorant) that is smack dab inbetween Spain and France. Young Soo is from Ansahn inSouth Korea, and makes me look like I know Spanish. (But with Catalan, the official language of Andorra,we were both out of luck.) Anyway, Andorra is in the Pyrenees, about three hoursfrom Barthelona and is absolutely gorgeous. We firedup the rental bad boy - a little diesel VolkswagenGolf (that beat hell out of my back like a goodcompact car should) and made the customs checkpoint injust over three hours.We hit as many of the sites as we could in a day. Oldchurches, museums, etc. It is a good thing Young Soobrought his digital camera. There were potentialpicture everywhere. We really dug Ordino, a smallcity northwest of the capital. Andorra La Vella andEscaldes-Engordany are great, but after awhile wereally wanted to escape the "duty-free-ness." (youknow the duty free perfume and liquor stores at someinternational airports? These two towns are loadedwith these stores...block after block after frickin'block.)The town of Ordino is quaint and beautiful. The MuseuPostal is a nice little spot; it has a neat littlecourtyard. We went exploring behind an old church andbell tower (and scared the holy poo out of some oldAndorran woman who apparently lives there.) The edgeof the town has a great view of the mountains. Itlooks like a hot spot for hikers and mountain bikersand other dudes like Hoffman, too. Also, I believe itattracts ski buffs.Anyway, I gotta run -- its back to work tomorrow. Iattached a couple o' pics.

Later,

KearnperroDomingo, 5 de Agosto, 2007