Speaking of Spain with the Gazpachomonk

If someone were to shout out that the mayor of your town was a corrupt so and so, and should be investigated for syphoning public funds into his Swiss bank account what would be your reaction? Would it be to call for a thorough investigation into the accusations or would it be to call up the accuser and ask why he had not had his shoes cleaned recently? Would it be to interview the mayor about the foreign bank account or would it be to question the accuser about his choice of haircut? Then, were his replies about hair styles not to your satisfaction, you would be forgiven for dismissing his claims against the mayor, because, after all, anyone who walked around with dusty shoes couldn't possibly speak with authority about serious issues.

Well this, to many, is how Spanish Politics are being conducted right now. As new political formations are being formed and new calls for regional identity the Gazachomonk goes in search of answers and comes up with not only an insight into why Spain is in so much in pain right now, but also a handy remedy for dusty shoes too.

Chapter One from the Slow Route Home: Narrated by Paul Read.

Miguel has sold his truck and bought a mule. Everyone in the village believes he is crazy, but Miguel follows a wisdom far greater than those that mock him. Miguel's neighbours, his dog and the strange neighbour with the burnt trees are about to learn the benefits of going slow.

This short story is based on Gandhi's desire to 'live the change you wish to see in the world' and takes place amongst the Olive Groves of Andalusia. Miguel's desire to live the way he thinks the world should be may confound his neighbours, but his simple philosophy and way of life symbolise another path open to us all.

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www.speakingofspain.com: What was the relationship between George Orwell's writings and Spain in 1936? How far was Animal Farm and 1984 his final attempt to tell the story of the lost revolution in Spain? And why are the seeds of that revolution sprouting once more in Spain today? Visit the website for posters, podcasts and more.

This is an update on the podcast for 2014 with an explanation of where it is going for the year ahead. Its also a reminder to come over to Youtube channel: Speaking of Spain with the Gazpachomonk to see the spain history series as well as future videos.

Part 2 of the Forgotten First Republic series. See last episode for Part 1.

150 years after the first Republic was declared in the heart of Andalusia, the Gazpachomonk replays the original resurrection canoeing across the lake of Iznajar, and hiking thought the desert landscape with a group of misguided historians in search of meaning in an otherwise meaningless era. Discover the ordeals and absurdities, discover the truth about the king's moustache and listen to the music, the poems that accompany this historic walk in search of Spain's republican past.

Many students of Spanish history will know of the 2nd Republic in Spain, some may have indeed heard of the 1st republic, but few will have heard of the Forgotten First Republic of Bread And Cheese.

Now, Cuba, China and Russia may spring to mind when the word 'revolution' is bandied about in street demonstrations, but rarely did the name of Loja ever come up in one of Fidel's, Hugo Chavez's or Putin´s marathon speeches. It appears the world has never heard of the 'Bread and Cheese Revolution' of 1861.

Has Spain lost its capacity to protest any more? Has it been reduced to passively taking whatever Brussels and Rajoy throw at it? Today on Speaking Of Spain, the Gazpachomonk digs dip and finds out where the Spine in Spain really is...

Yes, summer has arrived and with it, deancing sown the high street hand in hand comes the Spanish heat. When I say heat, I should clarify what I mean: I don't mean warmth, I mean HEAT.

Imagine, if you will the oven has been on all day and you didn't realise. "Is that oven still on?” You ask yourself as you cross the kitchen and spot a small red light that shouldn't be on. You open up the oven door to check that it's not just a faulty switch and...too late! A wave of scorching, eye-brow-removing-heat smacks you across the face

Or imagine, if you will, it's mid summer and you are lying drowsily in bed, the sound of crickets chirping in the distance and the gentle sway of a palm leaf sends cooling shadows across the wooden beams of the bedroom ceiling. Sunlight, tip-toes gently across the room, caressing your spring wardrobe, suggesting it may be time to pack away the socks till autumn. Then, in the very same instance, some trickster sneaks up to you and super-glues two steaming hot water bottles to your face. Well, that's what the arrival of a spanish summer is like.

In Today's Episode of Speaking of Spain…what to do when you live inside the oven..the Gazpachomonk presents his dastedly 9 point plan to surviving a summer in Spain...

Laurie Lee name is synonymous with Spain and travel writing. But how much of what he wrote bears any relationship to the events and moments described in his works?

Part 2 of Did Laurie Lie concludes this mini investigation by the Gazpachomonk.

In the last episode we traced the background to Lee’s work’s and looked at the 3 reasons why we should question some of the authenticity of his accounts of travelling in Spain.

1. First was the time factor. When I walked out one midsummer morning was written 35 years after his experiences. Time plays games with memories, and the benefits of hind-site can too easily add weight to an otherwise uncertain instinct or impression.

2. Secondly, Lee was a writer of fiction and poetry. He was not a writer of history.

And finally there is the ongoing controversy surrounding his role in the civil war, - to what extent he participated and whether his book about participation, is really just a collection of others experiences.

All these factors promoted me to look again at his writings on Almunecar. Find out the what the villagers had to say of the man who put their town on the map.

Laurie Lee is often cited - amongst English Speakers moving to Spain - as one of the few writers on the country that have managed to portray the real Spain - Lee’s travel stories having inspired and often ignited a passion for Iberia previously unknown amongst Anglosaxons. Yet any cursory inspection into Lee’s autobigraphical travels reveal inconsistencies, inaccuracies and outright inventions.

At some point, those of us still treasuring our battered copies of When I walked out one mid-summer morning - must ask ourselves - What if Laurie Lied?