New York has yellow cabs. Bangkok has tuk-tuks. And Mijas, Spain has extravagantly-decorated burros.
Is it just a way to entice money from tourists? Maybe. But it’s still totally cool.
One for the Road (04/26/07)
British author Giles Tremlett is the Madrid correspondent for The Guardian. His book, Ghosts of Spain: Travels Through Spain and its Secret Past is a historical journey that draws on his experience as a reporter and resident of Spain for over twenty years. Tremlett peels back a past that Spaniards have traditionally chosen to remain silent about until recently, prompted by the recent appearance of mass graves located 60 years after the end of the Spanish Civil War.
The result is a comprehensive and compelling look at post-Franco Spain, beginning with a focus on the war and its aftermath. Tremlett goes further, delving into the question of why Spaniards disagree so much about so many things. His examination of political corruption, Catalan tensions and the 2004 Madrid bombings leads him deeper into the painful history of this nation. But ultimately, his historical travelogue guides readers beyond the somber past, embarking on a tour of modern Spanish culture. Flamenco, architecture and sport are just some of the areas explored further in this well received social and political history.
One For the Road (04/16/07)
In the early 1990’s, English professor Michele Morano spent a year working as a university English teacher in Oviedo, Spain. She then returned to the country on several occasions as a traveler, continuing to unfold links between her love of the Spanish language and the role grammar played in shaping her life. In her new book, Grammar Lessons, Translating a Life in Spain, Morano has gathered thirteen personal essays that draw from both these experiences of living and traveling in Spain.
Throughout her collection of stories, Morano connects universal truths about vocabulary and verb tense that have impacted her sense of place in the world. With humor and humility, she explores the ways in which travel, translation and cultural interactions have led to the discovery of her own voice as well as a deeper understanding of the power of language.
After only a month traveling through Spain last year, I fell madly in love with all things Spanish, including the melodic language that I had disregarded so easily in high school classes. So I can understand how Morano (and others) have developed long-term love affairs with such a beautiful language. This is a book I’ll be sure to read. (I wonder if there’s a Spanish translation version as well?)
Named by Time Out Chicago as one of their “People to Watch” in 2007, Michele Morano is an award winning writer who currently teaches English at DePaul University. She has a few author appearances scheduled in the New York area this week, including stops in Brooklyn, Rhinebeck and New Paltz.
Oscar Settings: Best Films for Scenery
Motion pictures often take us to places we cannot go ourselves. Unfortunately, the Academy Awards does not have a category honoring “Best Location.” We can, however, speculate as to which films might win such an award if one were to exist.
Gretchen Kelly, writing for the New York Post, has put together her own list of nominations with a bit of background where each was filmed and also information on how to visit.
The Queen: Filmed mostly in Scotland and also Brocket Hall just outside of London. Guests cannot stay in Brocket Hall but can eat at its classy restaurant.
Pan’s Labyrinth: Filmed at Aguas Vertientes in Spain’s La Garganta region near the city of Segovia. Some pretty wild scenery here!
Little Miss Sunshine: I liked this movie but I felt there was nothing too spectacular about the road trip scenery through the Southwest.
Marie Antoinette: Filmed in Versailles. Enough said.
Babel: My personal favorite for scenery but not for Best Picture. One of four interweaving stories takes place in Morocco’s rugged Draa Valley located in the Taguenzalt region.
How To Stop A Hijacker
Shortly after an Air Mauritania flight took off on Thursday evening, it was hijacked by a gunman. But thanks to a rough landing, forewarned passengers were able douse the hijacker in boiling water, tackle, and restrain him.
The turning point came when the pilot realized the gunman, Mohamed Abderraman, didn’t speak French. Using the plane’s public address system, the pilot then alerted the passengers — in French — to his plan to take the plane down hard. After warning women and children to move to the back of the plane, the pilot broke abruptly upon landing, then quickly sped up — throwing Abderraman off-balance, and giving the passengers the chance they’d been waiting for.
Abderraman wasn’t a terrorist, but instead wanted the plane to fly to France so he could request political asylum. Upon arriving at Gando airport outside Las Palmas — the plane’s original destination — he was arrested by Spanish police.
That’s one quick-thinking pilot, and a plane full of heroic passengers.