Transport in Yazd, Iran

Sandwiched between two immense deserts, Yadz has been a welcoming oasis for a long time, no really, a LONG time. Whether UNESCO is right in claiming it is one of the oldest continually inhabited places on the planet or not, the cool shade thrown by the shapely adobe walls and the refreshing breezes trapped by…

La Pequeña Georgia

Writing in the local paper. Local issues with a global take. I never translate literally and the editor trims at will to make it fit. Here’s my version, then theirs. Four years ago yesterday, while the rest of Caceres was celebrating San Jorge (Saint George), I sat in the maternity ward of the local hospital awaiting the arrival…

Built to Last

You cringe, close your eyes, gasp, and think of the worst. That truck can’t cross that bridge, it’s 2000 years old! But wait, it’s not turning back and is indeed crossing. Two millennia later, goods are still crossing the 71-meter (231-foot) high  bridge that spans the Tagus river, just shy of what is now the…

Don’t Eat the Brown Acid

Don’t eat the brown acid… ‘Who are you?’ said the Caterpillar. This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, ‘I — I hardly know, sir, just at present — at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed…

A Bit of a Warning?

Writing in the local paper. Local issues with a global take. I never translate literally and the editor trims at will to make it fit. Here’s my version, then theirs. The Queen paid a visit to Caceres the other day. Sorry, I should probably be more precise, I don’t mean the ex-journalist who is the darling of all…

The Token Guiri

Writing in the local paper. Local issues with a global take. I never translate literally and the editor trims at will to make it fit. Here’s my version, then theirs. As the token guiri (nordic foreigner), I’m often asked what I think about certain Spanish traditions. From Semana Santa to bullfighting to the seemingly foreign meaning of the…

Mending Wall

Writing in the local paper. Local issues with a global take. I never translate literally and the editor trims at will to make it fit. Here’s my version, then theirs. They surround us for the better part of our days, whether we are aware of them or not. We shelter behind them during the brief winter and then…