The Three Rs: Romeria, Readin' and a-Runnin'

Romeria
The months of April and May often see a number of celebrations in Spanish pueblos dedicated to patron Saints.  Local food, wine, and dancing along with an overall carnival atmosphere is quite a sight to see.
I was lucky enough to have my camera with me for the celebration at "La Ermita", the little chapel dedicated to Nuestra Señora de los Remedios just outside of town.  
A local dance of by "Los Jateros" was performed.  This very old, very traditional dance is entirely unique to my little town.  It looks like an interesting combination of European cultures, and--although I'm no anthropologist--I'm going to guess it's probably some kind of gift from the Iberio-Celts.  
Thank you ancient peoples of Europe for providing me with colorful fodder for my blog.

Running
Running seems to be going pretty well, when I manage to keep from wiping out.  For the second time in the last couple of months, I found myself in slow motion, eating dirt.  But all's cleaned up and healing, and I've made the resolve to always wear my contacts when I'm taking the really uneven/overgrown paths around here.  
I'm putting in five days each week, with speed days on Wednesday, long days on Saturday, and rest on the T-days.  
During the week of rain we had (which seems as though that may've been the only wet period during my entire stay here), I spent my time doing speed intervals jumping rope.  I was pleased to find it pretty enjoyable, and surprised at feeling worn out afterward.  Kids are tough.
Now that the glorious sun is back, the only unfortunate aspect of my training is that I've been confined to nasty early mornings, or questionably lit dusk.

Reading
Although I am (once again) millennia behind many other readers' material examinations, I'm still enjoying some more classical reads which I think are worth sharing and reflecting upon.

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote                                                                     9337495 Jack Whites
So creepy and great.  The story unfolds brilliantly.  It begins in media res, and offers a number of flashbacks from a swath of historical periods in the lives of many of the characters.  It's also told from the point of view of various people in this motley, so you as a reader can begin to discover for yourself, "the ties that bind."  Quick, satisfying read.

Ulysses by James Joyce                                                                        43080394 Pints of Guinness
Steven returns!
This has been described as one of the best novels of the twentieth century for one reason only: it is.  Joyce's almost shocking gift of mimicking the incredible evolution of written English provides great insight into his talent as a writer, but also raises some questions as to who the "real" Joyce is.  Fascinating.  His way of streaming, blending, and complimenting the flows of thoughts, sights, sounds, and surroundings of his characters while pulling meaningful symbolism throughout the novel is incredible.  The motifs and commentary related to modern colonialism is quite complex and still relevant today.

Sherlock...The entire series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle                     204072 Robert Downey Jr.s
I've been on some kind of express kick careening through the annals of Baker Street.  I'm not really sure why, but I took it upon myself to read the complete tales of my favorite London detective.  I haven't been disappointed.  The subtle dry humor, and the fun of piecing together the clues has been a pleasant source of entertainment.  The best part is that you can pick up and leave off almost anywhere in the series of short stories, or mix in one of the four novels without confusion.  The little self-contained accounts make it a nice travel companion.

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison                                                                     9 3-penny Mary Janes
What a powerful social commentary.  It's Morrison's first book, and you can see her typical fascination with the story of a family through the eyes of its members.  Again, as with much of her writing, it can be humorous, difficult to read, and inspiring all at once.  It's a short, and very fast read, but it provides the audience with yet another glimpse of why Ms. Morrison is such an important contemporary American author, entirely deserving of her Nobel status.  Although Morrison has said she regrets that the book failed in that it touched, rather than moved many of its readers, I can say that I was very compelled by the narrative. 

Madrid and Andrew Bird

I spent a wonderful weekend in a city blooming with spring.

In the middle of one of the busiest capitol cities in the West is a beautiful park bustling with people enjoying the space and sun.  Rollerblading is still alive and well in Spain...  

Behold: (thanks to my photographer) El Parque del Retiro.  

Yes, that's a duck.

I also had one of the best meals I've ever had in Europe at Restaurante Alboroque.  The dishes were cooked to perfection, using simple, high quality ingredients. The staff was very professional and accommodating.  The prices were also quite reasonable for the quality.  3 courses and a bottle of wine for two at 100 Euros.  

Finding this little gem wasn't easy, though.  It is off of one of the busiest streets in Madrid, Calle Atocha, tucked away in a building that is far too easy to pass by without noticing.  Although it's possible to make reservations, they're not required, and I walked in wearing regular clothes from my day as a tourist.  

Though it would've been awkward in such a nice place, I wish I'd taken pictures of the meal. The website only has pictures of the restaurant’s interior, but the food really deserves its due.

My meal: duck liver over a polenta cream with a red berry reduction (Higado de pato sobre crema de maiz y frutos rojos con mandarina); a risotto with hare, artichokes, and mushrooms, (arroz meloso con liebre, alcachofa y setas); and a molten chocolate cake with an orange scented shell (pastel caliente de chocolate con cascara de naranja); paired with a very good Spanish red wine, Dominio de Tares Cepas Viejas 2007. My companion had an exquisite warm vegetable salad followed by seared Iberian pork over a spinach and mango salad, followed by a trio of homemade ice-creams. 

If you've not checked out the new album from Andrew Bird, do yourself the favor and give it a listen!  What an inventive way of making a truly unique contribution to music.  Though the audio isn't directly available through this link to NPR any longer, there is a nice review.
UPDATE!  Andrew Bird performed on NPR's World Cafe.   Click.  it.

Soko, Springtime, and "The Seven Who Were Hanged"

Soko just released her first official album and it is great!  Spring has come to my region of Spain and I was able to get a few pictures to share.  And finally, I have a little book review.

Music
I Thought I Was An Alien by Soko                                           3 Gallons of Chick-fil-A lemonade
This is a very good album.  I was pleased she developed the potential that I saw in her earlier work from her EP Not Sokute, which I mentioned in an old post.  This album is much darker and more personal though.  There is a lot of heartbreak in her lyrics, but I think the most interesting aspect is that hearing about her feelings and situations doesn't actually make the listener sad.  If anything, it gave me a better understanding of the artist herself, and put me in a very reflective mood.  Nostalgia is sometimes necessary.
You can get all the typical information such as lyrics, tour dates, and video clips at her website: http://www.s-o-k-o.com/

Pictures
Hooray for happier weather for sunnier times!
The days are getting longer, trees are blooming, and the damp draft that was ever-present is lifting.  This inspired my tourist's walk through the pueblo.

I count myself lucky to be here to see these incredibly blue skies on my warm wanderings.

Reading
The Seven Who Were Hanged by Leonid Nikolayevich Andreyev.        100 oatmeal cream pies
A fascinating series of psychological portraits. 
Background: A group of revolutionaries in monarchial Russia plan an attack on a prominent bureaucrat.  The attempt is foiled, and the plotters are sentenced to death.  Two other criminals are also to die at the same time for unrelated charges.  
As the story unfolds, the reader is taken from cell to cell, brain to brain, to watch how the different personalities of the characters contend with the knowledge that they are to die soon.  One envisions martyrdom, one is terrified into stupor, one considers what it will be like to become nothingness.
I keep reflecting upon what a great movie it could make if a director were to ever take on the project.  It's incredibly Russian in its dark sentiments and motifs, and it maintains that same characteristically Russian novel appeal.  The reader becomes subsumed into details and very moving images and concepts, while the writer pours what he knows of himself and his society into the piece.  And as an added bonus, it's not the length of the typical Russian story.  I was through the bite-sized work in less than an afternoon.  You can read or download it here at Project Gutenberg.  

Indulge, my dandy decadents. Lent is long.

I've been keeping busy with work and new conversation classes, which has left me with much too little time to devote to my blog.

Life updates: 
Still training for the 1/2 Marathon.  My training plan progress meter is at 55%.
I've been preparing plans as to what to do with myself next year...  It's looking promising!
Pinterest is neato.  Get an invite and do it.  
TV interview (in Spanish) for my pueblo's television station was a flop.  An embarrassing flop.  I've not seen it, but I just know.
Bonsai dead.
Carnaval (Spanish spelling) here is definitely different.  At least in little towns.  King Cake season is long over, so basically any kind of cake is a go.  The kids and teachers from the primary schools dressed up in crazy costumes and marched with confetti and hand-held instruments to the main plaza.  Conga lines.  Group dances.  Fun!  My favorite chant: "Eso es Car-na-val!" lulz.  We got two days off from school--just the two party days, and we go back on Ash Wednesday.  Sort of strange, but I'll take it.  You can see some more pictures of my school's parade here.  As some background: the school is working on an international cooperation project, so lots of different languages were used on the banners and costumes the kids had.

A side note: I think the best King Cake I had in New Orleans was actually from Whole Foods.  Chantilly and Berry filling.  Here's their recipe. 

A great link with pictures of celebrations around the world from Boston's Big Picture.

Music news:
Not impressed with NPR's First Listen as of late, but some Little Rock Doom Metal made the site.  Go Arkansas!
In keeping with the Carnivale (NOLA spelling) theme, iTunes has a free download "Carnivale Time".  Trumpets, drums, classic.

Cheers to chaos, and here's to hot mess!

Natural Spain and some new music

Extremadura's gentle winters and large tracts of land have always drawn migrating storks to stop in the region, but global warming has, in more recent years, lured them to take up residence for a vast majority of the year.
The five churches in Fregenal de la Sierra with towers high enough for the storks to build on have ensured my town as a sort of haven for the birds. Though, I have also seen nests built on power lines, telephone poles, and other precarious places. There's something very majestic about the sheer size and steadfast silence of the storks. They seldom make noise and almost never move.

To give some scale to the nest: that bell is actually very large.

Perched as high and as still as the ornaments surrounding it.

They seem to defy wind and gravity.

Again for scale, look at the cars below.

There are also a number of fields around and within the town that host sheep, horses, chickens, and a variety of wildflowers.  Yes, I often wake up to a rooster's crowing, but I always have something wild to look at while I'm running.  It's peaceful.
The supermarket happens to be right next to a nice little field where I was able to peek through the rock wall and get these pictures.

For Christmas, I was given a little Bonsai plant to bring a bit of nature into my apartment.  I have no idea how it will do, but I've begun the planting process.

And an interesting Swedish band I've recently discovered: First Aid Kit.  An unusual sound (sort of like Julia Stone) with sweet lyrics.  Their single "Emmylou" is up for free download on iTunes this week. The Lion's Roar, their newly-released album, can be streamed in full for free from NPR's First Listen.  Stephen Thompson wrote a good article to accompany it.  Do it!

January Holidays

New Year's Eve was quite a night.
I traveled to a little village near Roquefort (like the cheese) and spent time with a large group of friends. Dinner lasted hours because there were quick breaks for dancing after each course.
The meal began around 9:30 with a pastis toast. Pastis is an anise-flavored liquor that usually kicks off big meals. There were five courses to follow our apéritif: Small savory pastries and other hors d'oeuvres opened; homemade foie gras, shrimp, and salmon came next. Duck breasts and baked apples were the main course, then a nice variety of cheeses was passed around. For dessert: champagne and galette des rois à la frangipane. I was a maniac.
I went to bed at 5:30 the next morning, and I was the first to leave.

Aix-en-Provence a few days before the New Year.

Kings' Day was the next big celebration of January. Here in Spain, it's the day that families open their presents together, not Christmas.
Of the several King Cakes I've tried over the years, everyone seems to do something a bit different. I've seen/consumed three different kinds in France, a few more here in Spain, and countless others in New Orleans. I've also noticed King Cake season seems to be just a few days here in Spain, about 2 weeks in France, and the whole season from Kings' Day until Ash Wednesday in Louisiana.
However, the same basic rules apply to each. If you find the hidden goodies, you get the crown and some luck, but you have to buy the next cake.

Two styles of King Cake and some other French favorites including Bûche de Noël below.

Just in case you feel the need to bake a little something sweet, I'm including some festive links!
For a galette des rois à la frangipane recipe, you can check out Piratage Culinaire in French, or Lost in Austen for an English translation.
For one version of roscón de reyes you can look at the I love tortilla de Patatas! blog.

Music...
I also want to recommend Bill Ryder-Jones's interesting new album If... NPR's First Listen has a nicely written article by Bob Boilen, and you can stream the entire album for free. First Listen: Bill Ryder-Jones, 'If...' .

The Spanish Christmas Experience

This holiday season abroad has been interesting.  I've seen the way a country with a majority of atheists and lapsed Catholics celebrates a holiday resplendent with religious imagery by happily embracing it.

I've also been able to apply an outsider's view to the fanaticism that surrounds holiday celebrations here and at home.  Americans spend way, way more money than they should while listening to revolting music; in Spain people stuff themselves silly with cakes and burly, grown barmen play with figurines...

Enter: El Belén de Bodonal de la Sierra.  

This is not the cute crèche that I've previously written about, cobbled together by children's expeditions into the woods.  It is a construction which occupies the interior of the tiny town's theater, painstakingly assembled by the owner and employees of a local bar.  It's a display of all of the events leading up to and immediately following the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. This exposition of ALL-THAT-IS-CHRISTMAS is a miniature circus (complete with moving parts!) on display for anyone who wishes to drive out to the middle of nowhere.  

Yes, night and day, thunderstorms, and wind are all depicted. 

Yes, there is a miniature cave with hand-made stalactites and stalagmites.

Yes, there is a river with two waterfalls, a full-sized footbridge, and live fish.

Ridiculous, but in a spirit-of-the-season kind of way.

The Holy Family

A working fountain.

A typical night in Bethlehem...

The shoulder (right) cropped in for scale. Taken from the footbridge.

In addition to this display of largesse, one still has presents to worry about.  That's all up to these guys...

I'm almost tempted to just let the image speak for itself...

Traditionally: no Santa, but you've got three pretty sweet kings to hit up for presents.  And yes, there's always a "token black guy".  (Apparently Spain is still cool with the whole "Sambo" thing. :/ )

Side note: Hollywood has pretty much cornered the Christmas movie market.  Everything on TV is American, and is dubbed.  This is the reason some of the kiddies here have started getting a little visit from St. Nick in addition to the Magi above.  Jerks.

Now I'm just keeping it classy as I count down the days to X-mas.  I'm going to go enjoy some turrón and piononos and buy some tickets for El Gordo!

Another review and a note on Spanish culture

I'm not sure it's a good idea to continue on this path of musical review indefinitely, but it's something I'm enjoying for the time being, and I think other people could get something out of these bands!

Father, Son, Holy Ghost by Girls   99 Nilla wafers

This is a really nice album in many ways.  I'm not sure I'm comfortable with linking this album to MGMT as some websites do, because I feel the purpose and intent is entirely different.  There's an ambiance that is currently eluding my description, but it's one worth checking out.  The sounds and intentions seem pure and undiluted. Cool guitar rifts.  Strange, lost vocals.  Think moody Beatles meets Race Horses.  (Maybe a little Pink Floyd minus the pretensions...?)  It has a lot of the qualities you'd look for in a soundtrack for "finding yourself".  Pack this one for a road trip.

Velociraptor by Casabian    18 lolcats

This album leaves me at a bit of a loss.  Some songs seem to leave the listener behind.  I realize it seems harsh, but I don't listen to music I don't like, don't worry.  It just seems half-conjealed somehow.  I feel there was some idea floating around the band, "Man, we're so good, let's do some really weird crap.  Weird, weird crap.  And when people say they don't get it, we'll say, 'Of course you don't.  Not now anyway.  We've transcended you.'"  My opinion is that some of it worked, some of it didn't.  It's a collision of the Gorillaz, Arctic Monkeys, the Butthole Surfers, and egoism.  Take a handful of songs, flush the rest.  Repeat if residue remains.

Cultural Note:  I went to a great little town not far from here called Jerez de los Caballeros.  It's supposed to be the Seville of Extremadura.  I think that's a bit of an exaggeration in some ways, but not all.  It's built in an incredibly hilly area, lending itself to lots of cool little curving narrow streets with charming shops and bars.  There are four main church towers, easily visible from various parts of the town and the freeway outside of the city limits, again because of the hills.  There's a tiny Roman theater.  There will be a meat festival in April which I fully intend to see.

http://www.jerezcaballeros.es/