Questions from Ponters 11.7.17

A special post today - Part One of a quiz designed to reveal how much you know about Spain. Answers at the end. Good luck.

1. When did Madrid become the capital of Spain?

a. 1156

b. 1492

c. 1561

d. 1975

2. When did Columbus bump into 'India'?

a. 1487

b. 1492

c. 1503

d. 1516

3. How did the body of St. James arrive in Galicia?

a. In a coracle

b. In a crew-less stone boat

c. In a racing yacht

d. In your dreams

4. What did Spain invest its New World wealth in?

a. Unproductive professions in the church

b. Unproductive professions in the military

c. Unproductive professions in the government

d. Industry and commerce

5. When did Spain expel the Jews?

a. 1492

b. 1546

c. 1777

d. 1942

6. When did Spain first expel the Jesuits?

a. 1578

b. 1666

c. 1767

d. 1923

7. When did Spain join the EU?

a. 1976

b. 1980

c. 1986

8. How many Spaniards died fighting in the 1936-9 Civil War

a. 200,000

b. 150,000

c. 300,000

d. 400,000

9. How many people were murdered by the Right during and after the war?

a. 1 million

b. 500,000

c. At least 50,000

d. At least 150,000

10. How many people were murdered by the Left during the war?

a. 1 million

b. 500,000

c. At least 50,000

d. At least 150,000

11. Until when did Franco use political prisoners as slave labour?

a. 1939

b. 1942

c. 1960

d. 1970

12. What was Franco's 1939-59 economic policy called?

a. Autarky (self-sufficiency)

b. Stupidity

c. Insanity

d. Oligarchy

13. When did Franco die?

a. 1973

b. 1975

c. 1978

d. Not before time

14. What did Franco have by his side when he died?

a. His wife

b. His mistress

c. A corgi dog

d. The withered arm of St. Teresa

15. What is the name of the secretive Catholic organisation prominent in Spain's belated economic development and still felt to have considerable influence on Spanish politics?

a. The Sisters of Mercy

b. Opus Dei

c. The Shoeless Carmelites

d. The Soldiers of Jesus

Answers

1. c

2. b

3. d

4. a, b and c

5. a

6. c

7. c

8. a

9. d.

10. d

11. d

12. a

13. b

14. d

15. b

In between bouts of (excellent) cooking, my sister and her daughter go shopping. It's Vigo today but, as it's a public holiday here in Pontevedra at least, this might not be the huge success they were expecting when I saw them onto the train.

Finally many congrats to our neighbours and Britain's oldest ally in winning the European Cup.

I watched the match in my house with my niece, the lovely Ester and my good friend Elena. The latter 2 talked non-stoop for 90 minutes, despite my frequent requests that they shut up. Until that is, Ester fell asleep on my shoulder with a glass of red wine in her hand.

I was delighted most of all by the fact that the Portuguese team did it without the egomaniacal Ronaldo. Though he did seem genuinely pleased at the end for his team and his country. Perhaps he's not that bad after all. And he is a phenomenal footballer, when all is said and done. Though I prefer the tax-dodging Messi.