May 2010 – Leeds's Singing Organ-Grinder

Classifying mussels / muscles

Barcelona trading practices, builder’s crack-fish and the great Pacific birdshit war.

The floor of the church, in the form of a Latin cross, is essentially Romanesque, with cruise or transept and walls closing in this style

There is a long history of the cross-fertilisation of marine and ecclesiastical architecture, from Jesus’ boat-church on the Sea of Galilee (Mark 4:1: “And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and…

No take out trollers

Someone told me about this sign on the perimeter fence of the cargo area at Gerona Airport, which is accessible via the small service road leading to the eminently avoidable restaurant El Mirador. So the plan was: exit terminal, get photo, stroll to Riudellots taking forest path to avoid road-side predators, beer & bite in…

Gil y pollas, pollos, racho, Gil, etc

The etymology of “gilipollas” as a mere excuse to quote a gross 16th century shepherd and link to some video fragments of Jesús Gil y Gil.

<a href='http://gilipollos.com/'>Gilipollos</a>, the famous chicken bar in Mexico City. Photo: Trevor.

Hospital food

A comparison of the offering at Vall d’Hebron (Barcelona), Manchester Royal Infirmary and Medisch Centrum Haaglanden (The Hague).

Solving the crisis in Spain’s public finances, part LXXII: It’s time to ban socks

The Spanish government is determined to retain the 500€ note as a crucial weapon in the fight to reduce tax evasion and money laundering. Getting rid of socks would achieve that same goal effectively without inconvenience to honest citizens and would also provide a stealth-protectionist boost to the economy.

Physically impossible entry

No 31 in this New York Times collection of strange street signs. My impression is that the Chinese are ahead, but it seems hard to criticise them for this: huge efforts have been made over the past decade to make a previously sternly monolingual country more accessible to foreigners; the effort is laudable and the…

With Ibex in free-fall, La Vanguardia announces European bail-out

But we were hoping that there would be rather more than 99 euromillions.

“High-speed lift” expected in Mojácar in 6-7 years

The Entertainer Online reports on the Association of Merchants and Entrepreneurs Mojácar’s interest in exploiting to the full the arrival of technology that sounds like it will have even the bullet-trained Japanese writhing with envy. In deference to their example, and bearing in mind local cultural interests I suppose you could rechristen the AVE “Bullevator”.

Brown hands Mandelson Keys of Heaven

But perhaps Mandy should read Matthew before taking it as a compliment.