Franco and inflation

‘It is said that on inaugurating the great ENSIDESA steel concern, Franco exclaimed, “And to think that this cost nothing more than two kilos of paper…”‘ (Manuel Ortínez, Una vida entre burgesos. Memòries (1993)) How can people still get so worked up about a vulgar thief?

Novel explanation for presence of volcanoes and river gold in the Pyrenees

James Howell, Epistolae Ho-Elianae: Familiar Letters, Domestic and Forren (1688, on GBS): There is a Tradition, that there were divers Mines of Gold in Ages pass’d amongst those Mountains; and the Shepherds kept Goats then, having made a small Fire of Rosemary-Shrubs with other combustible stuff, to warm themselves, this Fire grew along, and grew…

Electrician

— I haven’t brought the component I need. I’ll come back tomorrow, but I’ll bill you now for today. — But you haven’t done anything. — Sorry, company policy. — OK, give me the bad news. — Right, that’s 20€ travel and one hour’s labour @ 35€, 55€ plus VAT. — But you’ve only been…

Dognuts

The normal spelling in Spanish bars is donuts or doughnuts, but there’s bound to be some kind of market for cojones de perro in a place with as liberal tastes as Barcelona.

African real estate conman

Just out of interest, I emailed an advertiser on Loquo.com similar to this one. He has replied: Thanks for your email and it is my gladness to hearing from you.I am Gandy […],the owner of the house you are making enquiry of.Actually I resided in the house with my family,such as my wife and my…

Cádiz y sus cantes

It’s been done before, but here’s soundman, producer, director Luis Jimenez (if he really was any of these, and not a mere video-ripper) in footage of Maria La Sabina:

Did Columbus actually ever come to Barcelona?

Letters of Alexander Von Humboldt to Varnhagen Von Ense (GBS): On the 9th of June, 1839, Varnhagen writes in his diary: “Humboldt agrees with me in the assertion made by me at different times, that too much cannot be inferred from the silence of the historians. He refers to three highly important and undeniable facts,…

“Sedation shows up in DNA testing”

That’s the view of La Vanguardia, Barcelona’s quality paper. Barcelona is trying to promote its new biomedical research centre, but the University of Barcelona, the city’s best, is way down at number 94 in the European rankings. Maybe some decent public education would be in order.

RalphAnderson1987

Identical flats are apparently available for rent in various world cities.