In his non-fiction book Death in the Afternoon, Hemingway declared himself an aficionado to label his passion for bullfighting. Death in the Afternoon still is an excellent introduction to this much-criticized venatio (Latin for hunting; a type of entertainment – the killing of animals – exercised in Roman amphitheaters). The poster shown above is a … Read more
For the first time, in august 1991, we went to the USA for a 3-week holiday to California. We traveled in a camper. What impressed us most were the National Parks: Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Yosemite, Lassen Volcanic Park. Coming back from Lassen we followed Route 1 along the Pacific coast and ended up on a … Read more
It’s surprising how colorful January is in such a mild climate as the south of Spain. In cities, public parks are filled with flowers. Which takes quite some maintenance. Many cities have botanic gardens. The one in Valencia is the most beautiful we have visited so far in Spain. But even Almuñécar has a botanic … Read more
The village in the Netherlands where we used to live, really is a village. When you walk around everybody says ‘hello’ or ‘good morning’. That’s the upside. The downside is that people keep a close watch on each other. On the seaside here in Spain, where we now live, nobody says anything if you’re not … Read more
The economy in Spain is recovering. Not as fast as the politicians would like, but the signs are there. For instance, every city or village we visited is alive with building activities. Already years ago we discovered that in Spain there is a specific construction culture. All day, construction workers carry around a drill as … Read more
Yesterday the picture showed a fine example of the lengthy walking boulevards there are to be found in many Spanish coastal cities and villages. Friends of us told us that the specific boulevard on yesterday’s picture takes a 4-hour hike, one way! Walking boulevards do not discriminate. Spanish people and those from other countries, handicapped … Read more
On the look of Hannie’s face, you can tell she just climbed a steep hill for half an hour during our daily walk. Fortunately, we carried water of our own because this ‘Fontanilla’ didn’t produce any. But like yesterday, the secret of the picture is what you can not see. Hannie sits on top of … Read more
Much of the former rather rough and green Spanish coast has by now turned into tourist accommodations. Of the old inner-cities, some have been preserved. This is a picture taken in Almuñecar. A city on the Costa Tropical. As in most pictures, the secret is what is not to be seen here. We had to … Read more
A sunny meal on a sunny terrace. What more is there to be wished? Well, for instance, the recipe. Timing is the essence. Start with frying rather large pieces of carrot in a very little bit of Spanish olive oil. Subsequently add celery, red paprika, pre-cooked turkey, ginger, curry, basil, garlic (at least three rather … Read more
If there’s no sun at the seaside where we now live, we can at least enjoy a vast variety of shades of greys. Never imagined there to be so much beauty in a gloomy world. ^tvo