I grew up in a small town in Ohio. In my junior year of college, I came to Spain to study Spanish and discovered what seemed to me a lost world—a lost paradise. After more studies, mostly language and literature, in the U.S. and Switzerland, I came back here for good. That was many years ago now.
I want to tell you in these posts some of the many fascinating things about Spain. I can’t see how any country can compare with her. I don’t know why more novelists haven’t gotten hold of her great stories. She is an archaeologist’s heaven and a historian’s laboratory. Ruins from all the great European and Arabic cultures are here and help you believe in and imagine the old times. A short trip takes you by famous old cities, castles, buried Roman towns, Carthaginian campsites, Arab towers. From my house I used to watch the sun set on a thirteenth-century castle. I stored my wine in a cave dug by the Moors a thousand years ago and I hung my lantern on a French bayonet from the wars with Napoleon. Some goatherd had found and driven it into the wall, where, like the Excalibur, it could no longer be pulled out. On walks in the country I chat with shepherds while their sheep graze around trenches and concrete bunkers from Spain’s last Civil War. And I pick up stone knives and other neolithic and old Iberian artifacts that I keep on my computer tabletop here as I write.
Francisco Barrios: Muchísimas gracias, amigo. Espero que no te defraude con la siguiente.
Un saludo.
Oh, here’s your “About”. I just asked about you on your Art Blog. What an exciting life you’ve had! I’ll pass on links to your history and art blogs to my fellow homeschoolers on our e-loop here in the Midwest. Both will make a stimulating addition to their curriculums, I’m sure. You deserve to be in the top ten on WordPress! Gloris
http://www.gloriadelia.wordpress.com
Hola. Te escribo desde Colombia, Suramérica. ¡Excelente blog! Lo encontré por azar. Espero la próxima entrada.
Un saludo,
Francisco Barrios
Silverseason: Thank you. So much of Spain’s history is still lying about on the surface, so to speak, so you will turn into a mad historian when you come here and go running to castles, palaces, and ruins of all kinds to find out about them and summon up their ghosts. The landscapes (all kinds) will intoxicate you here too. You won’t regret a long stay, be sure of that, no matter which part of the country you land in.
I enjoyed your post on Greece.
I have just found your blog and it interests me a great deal. I have been to Spain but not (yet) traveled very widely there. I was also intoxicated by the landscape and related history in the south of France and in Greece. http://silverseason.wordpress.com/courses-and-presentations/glimpses-of-greece/
It has to do with seeing the world as it is now and feeling the connections back through the ages.
Thanks, Andrew. I was over at your blog and read about the storks. I didn’t know they didn’t make it as far north as England. They are indeed nice to have as neighbors here. You’ve probably heard the saying “por San Blas la cigüeña verás”. St. Baise’s feast day is in February. But as you say, many couples stay here all winter now. It will be interesting to read what you thought of each of those unique cities you visited. Alcalá de Henares, Cervantes’s birthplace, is full of storks.
Great website, very enjoyable. I am learning to love Spain and have written about my travels in my blog. I have just returned from a trip to Castile and visited Cuenca, Segobriga, Belmonte, Toledo, Avila and Segovia. I will be publishing that soon. It was wonderful.
I’m enjoying sampling your posts here — full of all sorts of things I never knew and thoughts I never had, even though I love history. I’ll add your blog to my blogroll, if you don’t mind (not that that will generate a flood of visitors!).
Gracias, guapísima.
Claro, señor Marques: ¡Viva España!
Thanks very much, Man of Roma. I hope I can continue to write posts that interest you. Spaniards always feel at home in Italy. It’s just as you say–some Mediterranean brotherhood. A Yankee like me feels awe and sometimes a little envy for both countries.
Italy is a beautiful country, but what about Spain? It is so fascinating and full of vigour! Now that I know your blog better, I added it to my blogroll. You write extremely well and the information you provide is very good. Please continue.
Regards
Man of Roma
Thanks, Man of Roma. I’m looking forward to reading your posts. I have the same regrets about time in Italy, though it seems I have never stopped reading about her. I even did an Assimil course in Italian once in preparation for a good stay there. In my mind I’ve turned her into a fairy-tale country.
Hi, very interesting blog. I found it by hazard. I am a Roman since many generations and I am a history-addicted person. I love many countries, and now that I am almost 60 I am getting closer to my roots, id est to Latin civilization. My blog is about our ancient Western roots. I regret I could not dedicate more time to wonderful Spain.
All the best
Man of Roma
Thanks, Miki. Shall we toast to Her? ¡Viva España!
Such a wonderful homage to Spain! And you are so right!
Well, this is interesting. Not many people in my Middle Eastern country read, either. Why don’t you think they are reading much in Spain? I am surprised.
Eileen
Thanks, Eileen. All that enthusiasm scares me a little–I wouldn’t want to let you down. I like the idea of writing about this country. I thought about doing this blog in Spanish but the fact is, not many Spaniards read. And then, writing in Spanish would take me longer each day. And I had resolved to cut down. You see what became of that resolution. By the way, I always read and enjoy your posts too.
I’m so excited that you’ve started this new blog! I like your other blog, but am very interested in the things you are talking about here. It’s nice to hear a little bit about yourself here, and how you came to love Spain. I’m looking forward to being a regular reader.
Eileen
Dedicated Elementary Teacher Overseas (in the Middle East)
elementaryteacher.wordpress.com