noise, weather

1. I will never forget as long as I live, the admonition of an SPSU prof as we were leaving for Spain last year, "Don´t be loud Americans," said he, a lover of all things German and northern European. Well, the truth of the matter is, in Spain, all things that make noise are good. If they make MORE noise (or can be made to do so), they are better. People talk louder, scooters never seem to have mufflers, and car horns are part of a light´s turning green, aren´t they? See this blog post: http://www.notesfromspain.com/806/#more-806

2. Weather in Madrid for July: http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/monthly/SPXX0050?month=1
the average high is 90ºF, the average low is 61ºF

3. Weather in Paris for July:
http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/monthly/FRXX0076?month=1
the average high is 75ºF, the low 58ºF