Spanish life is not always likeable but it is compellingly loveable.
- Christopher Howse: A Pilgrim in Spain.
If you've arrived here because of an interest in Galicia or Pontevedra, see my web page here. Garish but informative.
Odds and Sods
- Is there any restaurant in the world which doesn't have at least one Terrible review on Tripadvisor?
- And, apart from me, is there any male cyclist in Spain who doesn't feel the need to tog up as if he were about to joint the peletón of the Tour de France?
- Yesterday was my third visit to the marvellously unspoilt sight of the Battle of Salamanca, 8km south of the city near the village of Los Arapiles. I was hoping to re-visit the little museum there that I mentioned here a few years ago. It only opens on Thursdays and Saturdays, says the web page. But not Thursday this week. And the phone number there is wrong. And the email address doesn't work. Apart from all that, it's an impressive achievement . . . We compensated for the disappointment by climbing to the top of Arapil Grande, from which General Marmont saw his French troops being soundly defeated by the British allies under Wellington.
- The allies comprised British, Irish, Portuguese and Spanish troops. Ironically, although this was a key battle on Spanish soil, the local troops played little part in it. The French had 13,000 soldiers killed or wounded, the allies rather fewer but still a lot. The Spanish total was 6. This is largely because – thanks to 'a misunderstanding' – they abandoned a bridge which would have given – and did give - the French an avenue for retreat after their rout. In public, Wellington praised Spanish troops – or at least los guerillas – but in private he didn't. I guess one can understand why, at least in the case of this battle. In sharp contrast, the Portuguese were slaughtered in a 'suicidal' attempt to climb the north slope of the hill on which the French artillery was located. The said Arapile Grande. BTW . . . You can still stand on the very spot where Wellington was eating the chicken leg when the disastrous French mistake was made.
Matters Spanish
- The Chinese government is now including Spanish in its university entrance exam. This is a boon for language schools in at least Salamanca. I wonder if it will lead to more of the frauds that my daughter learnt about from her star Chinese pupil in Madrid.
- So, the run on Catalan banks last year was not spontaneous. Who'd have guessed it?
- Something you might not know - I didn't – about Picasso's Guernica. A picture I've never rated, to be totally honest.
- OMG . . . The Franco family want the body of the dictator to be buried in Madrid's cathedral. And only the Vatican can stop them. So, don't hold your breath.
- It's official – The best olive oil in the world comes from Spain.
- You see some very odd English on the T-shirts of Spanish women. Here's a slogan I think should be on the front of every T-shirt worn by a Spaniard – Proud to be Loud.
Matters UK
- An interesting article on Brexiteers.
Spanish
- Word of the Day: Soler
Galicia
- Reader Sierra has provided some bad news re the Cat Man . . .
Finally . . .
- Only in the USA??? A woman was stopped this week from flying with a squirrel in a cage. Many airlines have tightened their restrictions on animals after incidents of passengers trying to bring increasingly exotic creatures on board, plus an attack on a passenger by a large dog. Customers have attempted to fly with comfort turkeys, gliding possums known as sugar gliders, snakes, spiders and more. United Airlines reported a 75% increase in the number of passengers bringing 'emotional support animals' on its planes over the last year. In January, a woman who attempted to board a United flight with her emotional support peacock was denied a seat for the bird.
© [David] Colin Davies: 12.10.18
No comments:
Post a Comment