One really fine day this summer, with almost no wind, we were invited by our friends, Pedro and Yolanda Rueda, to spend a day with them at sea and we decided to do the crossing to Cabrera, the national park island in the Baleric archipelago. It’s a really beautiful spot where, if you snorkel or dive, you can see all kinds of fish, turtles, and even dolphins. In fact, on the day we visited, on the way back, we were accompanied by a pod of dolphins, with their young, for a few minutes while sailing between Cabrera and Conejera island.
Read MoreLa Pata del Cid
The Spanish expression, “la pata del Cid”, which translates to “the leg of El Cid”, refers to a person who thinks that they are superior because of their origins or ancestors.
In my particular case I wouldn’t want anyone to think that I consider myself superior, but what I can say is that this expression applies to me in a literal sense: I am a descendant of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar. Read More
I’m in Mallorca and visiting Santueri Castle, in Felanitx.
This is where, allegedly, certain events took place that, according to the theory that Gabriel Verd Martorell puts forth in his book “CRISTÓBAL COLÓN y la revelación del enigma”, (“Christopher Columbus and the resolution of an enigma”), leads one to seriously consider that Christopher Columbus was born in Mallorca, and not Genoa, as most historians believe.
Making my way to Milan Malpensa airport, following the road past the vineyards of Monferrato and through the countryside around Asti in the heart of the Piamonte region, I couldn’t help remembering the Gonzagas, the Marquis of Mantua, and, for a time, the owners of a large swathe of these lands.
Until it became the property of the Mantua, the Monferrato belonged to the dynasty founded by Aleramo in the 10th century, which died out at the end of the 16th century, when the Gonzagas took possession of the Marquisate of Monferrato.
I began thinking back over this period in history while going to visit the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazia in Milan, during the couple of hours I had free before catching a plane back to Madrid.
In the middle of a few days hard work in Los Angeles, I managed to escape for 24 hours and visit two places I’ve wanted to see for a while: the Mission founded by Father Junipero Serra in San Juan Capistrano and San Diego Zoo, which I’ll talk about in another post.
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This curious castle, which appears to have been built by the Moors, isn’t located on the top of a hill or in a location that is easy to defend. Rather, it sits in a riverbed, a fact that makes it all the more interesting.
Taking advantage of a day that wasn’t rainy over Easter Week, we drove to visit a castle that has always generated great stories and legends. It rises up above an incredible cliff overlooking the Guadalete River in the town of Arcos de la Frontera. For hundreds of years, it was the scene of many frontier battles between the Christian and Moorish Kingdoms of Andalusia.
Read MoreThis time it’s some ruins that have captured our attention, and I have to say, the path to reach them is long and steep! The journey takes a little over two hours, up hill!
Read MoreTaking advantage of the good weather prior to Easter Week, we took the kids to visit the Manzanares el Real Castle. It is important to learn about our own history, and there’s nothing better than learning about it by visiting castles like this one, where important stories are stored.
The Spanish expression, “la pata del Cid”, which translates to “the leg of El Cid”, refers to a person who thinks that they are superior because of their origins or ancestors.
Read More