Happily, we have many experienced cycling friends who have traveled Europe and were patient and generous with our MANY questions. I am going to try and compile some of those here, to help other newbies.

There's no particular order and I will add as I go. Things might seem obvious to other people, but items that were notable and helpful to me will go randomly here.

MONEY - There is a variety of ways to get Euros. We were advised to use a debit card to get cash at an ATM. The Madrid airport ATM charged 15%. Plus, there's a potential charge from your originating bank. Alison said she usually pays 3%. There was also a currency exchange at the airport. Those are usually even more expensive.  We ended up getting cash from Xoom, it is a wireless method of sending money internationally from an app on your phone.  The money comes from your bank account. The money is advertised to be available in five minutes. Jacinto stood outside of the RIA store and made his transfer. The money was available when he reached the front of the line. The fee varies from country to country. Jacinto paid $5.49 to receive $300. 

TIPPING - No tipping at all. Being an American, this is a guilty pleasure. It's a real money saver! At least I didn't have to feel bad for not wanting to tip the surly shuttle driver.

INTERNATIONAL DRIVERS LICENSE - Jacinto called two rental car companies at the airport. Both required an international license. We paid for expedited fees, totaling $149. If you aren't under pressure, and are a AAA member, it is $20. That one is definitely an approved license. There were warnings on the internet of fake companies.  I now question if the permit we purchased is legitimate. I hope Jaicnto's knee stays good and we don't have to find out. 

CLOTHING - I was advised to wear a skirt and that Jacinto should wear pants with shoes (not shorts with flip flops) when going to dinner. At this point we have been in Barajas (near the Madrid airport) for one night. Casual observation in this area showed no flip flops, but very casual dress. Athletic pants for men, with similar capris or pants on women. I did not see any women in leggings. I saw only a couple of smartly dressed women. I will come back here and make notes if things change. Perhaps if you go out to a nice restaurant, the dress requirement goes up, just like in the states?

MOBILE PHONES - We paid T-Mobile $50. each for 15 gigs of data. Stopping in at a random electronics store near our hostel, they sold sim cards with 100 gigs for 20E. Jacinto thinks we should do that also, as he thinks we will run out. I've found several people mention the Orange Store as a good source for cheap phone chips. 

FOOD - This might be a long entry as we have opinions about food! We have been told the later the night, the livelier the town in Spain. Dinner doesn't usually start until 8-9 PM, and is a long affair. Tapas are readily available at bars. These are small, inexpensive, one serving dishes. It appears they are usually bread with a topping. We also ate pinchos, which to me appeared the same as tapas, in that they were small serving dishes. Jacinto bought two chicken wings with fries. I had a fried egg over french fries. Google tells me that pinchos are served with a cocktail stick. That was not our experience last night.

COFFEE - Jacinto is very particular about his coffee. This will be a biased report. First of all, the cups are too small, and refills are not free. Coffee is inexpensive compared to home. If you want coffee in a cup with a handle, you have to specify a tasa of coffee. Otherwise you are served in a clear drinking glass, which can be hot. 

PAELLA - Nathan, from the near defunct phred group, is from Alicante. He says that proper paella is made in the Valencia region, and  'vigilante groups travel to Madrid to expose illegal ingredients used there'. We shall have to give paella another try.

Beds-bedding - Uniformly, the pillows have been the same size as the beds. That makes for some long pillows! Both beds and pillows have been quite hard by our standards.