Monthly Archives: November 2008

Breaking the Ice in Catalunya

Posted on Saturday, 22 November, 2008 by John

Yo: Por favor, ¿Habla español?
Vieja Mujer: No.
Yo: erm… erm… ¿Habla castellano?
VM: Si.
Yo: Puede decirme por favor, ¿La Iglesia, está abierto?
VM: No, no está.
Yo: Dígame, por favor, ¿A qué hora es abierto?
VM: Venga a la próxima misa. Las horas están en la puerta.
Or words to that effect; but one of us needed [...]

Posted in Español, Spain - España | Tagged Calonge, Catalonia, Catalunya, Español, Sebastien Metairie | Leave a comment

Barack Obama, Kennedy and the Dowager Duchess

Posted on Thursday, 13 November, 2008 by John

The World Wide Web is a wonderful invention. Recently an old school friend of mine, who I haven’t seen since we were both sixteen, got in touch with me to say that my website seemed to be down; I was in the process of redesigning it. We had both been incarcerated in a small boarding [...]

Posted in Literature, Politics | Tagged Barack Obama, Chatsworth, Deborah Duchess of Devonshire, John F Kennedy, Literature, Mitford Sisters, Patrick Leigh Fermor, Politics | 6 Comments

The Mystery of Colour and Saturation

Posted on Monday, 3 November, 2008 by John

Having complained bitterly about the effect my camera has on the weather, I decide today, a cold overcast November day, to experiment with the macro button outdoors. Surprise, surprise, the tripod steadied the shot despite the slight breeze and the soft light brought out the colours of the fuchsia and the leaves beautifully. Still more [...]