The Visigoth church knocked down by the Moors was built on a Roman temple, and I’m told that both faith communities have now asked for time and space in the current building, should the request by Spanish Muslim converts prove successful. Jerry Falwell (“I think Muhammad was a terrorist. I read enough by both Muslims…
Nick Lloyd enters 2007 a feedless and no doubt unrepentant Luddite, but he’s got an excellent story over at Iberianature (13/12/2006) about José Sideburns and his lynx waistcoat, re which: Francesc Candel‘s Han matado un hombre, han roto el paisaje (Antonio Rabinad recently sold me a copy at Sant Antoni) derives its dramatic strength in…
Off-location, but too exquisitely grisly to omit: In September, when the 13th of 27 condemned men was hanged, the rope snapped and the prisoner landed on the floor and shouted: “God saved me!” He lay on the ground praying and shouting while prison guards and the hangman discussed whether there had been divine intervention and…
Re this: I met some Senegalese olive pickers in Jaén two winters ago living in disused pigsties next to a marvellous ranch. We didn’t discuss religion.
From William Pulleyn’s The Etymological Compendium, Or, Portfolio of Origins and Inventions (1830), via Google Book Search: It is generally believed, that Cards were invented for the amusement of one of the early kings of the line of Bourbon; but this belief is erroneous. Who the man was that invented these instruments of amusement and…
GA Sala of Brompton says in Notes and queries in 1874 that “the Spaniards … have not yet arrived at the stage of excusing [bullfighting] on the score that it makes the beef tender. This idea seems borrowed from the old story … about whipping pigs to death. ‘Carne de Toreo’–bull-fighting beef–is usually looked upon…
Zazie@Cocanha has scanned extracts from two versions of the highly amusing Cartas d’el Rei D. Fernando, O Catholico, a varios reis e principes do mundo, e suas respostas: colligidas e commentadas por Fr. Antonio Tarfan de los Godos, Commendador na Ordem de S. João de Jerusalem: the first bunch from a manuscript in the collection…
The excellent Catavino is upset that the authorities want to tarmac over 100 hectares of vineyards in the Duero. I’m a bit more blasé: the Spanish only buy their own product because the Chinese don’t make it cheaper, and I cherish little hope for green open spaces in a country where the most popular form…