Las Puertas del Oeste

Las Puertas del Oeste en el Hoy Un viaje por el Campo Arañuelo y el Geoparque de las Villuercas mientras las aguas del Tajo están tan bajas (ehem, gracias Iberdrola). Mi primera doble página en un periódico español. El primero de una serie de seis artículos sobre viajes por la provincia de Cáceres. A journey…

The Rain…

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 rain here in Caceres always reminds me of the words of fellow Mercedes Calles Premio de Periodismo winner, Juan Manuel de Prada, when he…

Ibn Battuta meets Ronda

Way back in 1350, Ibn Battutah noted that Ronda was one of “the strongest and best sited fortresses” in all Andalusia and even today attacking it would be a bad idea. Neatly tucked behind the Sierra de las Nieves, this rocky outcrop has been a favored place to hang your hat since long before the…

Chasing Battuta to Gibraltar

Monkeys, Englishmen with Andalusian accents, duty-free shops, tea sets, English breakfasts, pints instead of cañas, sunburns in December, the curry you’ve been craving, and English bookshops… the Rock is something different for everyone. This Mediterranean protuberance has been a thorn in the Spanish conscience ever since the Berber commander Tariq Ibn Ziyad stepped ashore and…

Up in Trevejo, Spain

Walking through the small, lonely mountaintop village of Trevejo, you’ll often find yourself alone with the sheep and goats that roam among the ancient stone houses. Perched atop the mountain, the Templar castle of Trevejo surveys the Sierra de Gata along the Portuguese border. Built on the ruins of an Arabic fortress, this 15th-century castle…