Idly reading
menus and other things over the last day or two, I've quickly come up
with the following list of Spanish and Galician words which differ by
only one letter or an accent. I'm sure there are many more:
Persoa
Persona Person
Traballo Trabajo Work
Das Dos Two
Pé Pied Foot
Galego Gallego Galician
Cana Caña Rod
Pixama Pijama Pyjama
Polo Pollo Chicken
Ternreira Ternera Veal
Cordeiro Cordero Lamb
Prancha Plancha Iron
Praza Plaza Square
Flicking
through the list, one's forced to ask Why bother? but this is unfair
to Gallego as it's not just a dialect but a recognised language.
Albeit without an army or navy. So unlikely to spread. Cue nasty
messages from Galician nationalists without a sense of humour.
Talking of
menus . . . We enjoyed one last night which translated Melón
as 'Tripe', Cañas
fritas as 'Fried
Rods' and Filloas
(pancakes) as 'Thin flour pies'.
Worse/better,
here's a section of a hotel web page, brought to my attention by my
friends Anthea and Phil, who - through chess connections - have got
themselves a 3 day junket in a 5 star place along the coast:-
The
enthusiasm that transmit the rooms has a lot to do with the
naturalness of the decor of fine materials used freely but without
fanfare. On the other side of the curtain, quietly linger the long
ocean sunsets. The sun's rays illuminate with gentle tones the
landscapes of Oia coast and the spirit of sensitive viewers that live
the experience from a hotel specifically designed
for them.
Superior
Double Room: The largest rooms of the hotel combines the luxury
of space with sea views from one of the most spectacular views of the
environment.
Lounge
Room: A stay accommodation ideal for families or for various
business activities.
Standard
Room Sea View: Stay comfortable and dynamic, which prevails in
the decor and atmosphere the passion for the Atlantic Ocean.
Standard
room with Mountain View: Cozy rooms contemplating the flora and
fauna of the mountains of the region.
This
hotel, by the way, was built illegally and is alleged to be owned by a
drug baron. I can't comment on this but I can say that, from
recollection, the 'Mountain View' starts with a rock face about one
metre from your window.
Finally . . .
Yesterday was a very good day for me. Firstly, in the weekly flea
market in Veggie Square, I happened upon a framed print of the
picture at the top right of this blog. And bought it
for what I was prepared to pay for it. Secondly, for the first time
in over ten years, I was approached by readers of my blog. So, let's
hear it for the charming Pat and Jane Henry. Who made my day.
By the way,
I've failed to find out who painted the picture so would welcome any
info on it.
No comments:
Post a Comment