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American Boomers, Book That Trip
They don’t hate us Over There
Along with everything else we Yanks have yanking our chains right now, I’m hearing anxiety from my peers about foreign travel — especially to Europe, and particularly to Spain.
And this is from friends who, until recently, have been no strangers to crossing the pond. Folks with the means, the empty nests, and the post-daily-grind freedom to take one, two, or several big trips a year. People who’ve hiked the Dolomites, seen the Northern Lights from Reykjavik, checked out Dubrovnik and then Split (groaner joke, sorry).
In 2025, these seasoned sojourners of my acquaintance are getting the yips, travel-wise.
Not due to economic whiplash, or at least not primarily. Nor due to the limitations of aging, since these are hearty, active types, nor because they’ve seen all they want to see of the world. Far from it.
They’re worried about the reception they’ll get, especially in Spain.
“Barcelona?” asked one of my friends when I told her about our travel plans to that city and Seville earlier this spring. “But they shoot water pistols at tourists!”
Well, yes, that was a thing last summer. Given the impact of crowds, skyrocketing rents thanks to short-term lets to travelers, and some obnoxious…
