Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret

    . . . . I haven't read the book -- it wasn't around out there where I grew up.  Whether that changed later, I have no idea.  However, considering what Out There is doing these days around women's bodies and reproduction, if it ever did show up on the library shelves after I left home, it's surely been removed by now.

I'm very curious, considering what Florida is doing around these same matters (as well as many others), including prohibiting school kids to even speak the word "menstruation" and have conversations in classrooms with each other about menstruation, will the film that comes out this coming Friday, adapted from Judy Blume's 1970 novel, be allowed to play in Florida?  Will media be allowed to write reviews of it, or even mention it?

P.S. Used copies of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret are selling for over a $1000!  This, as well as being perennially on the lists of books banned.

Chevalier - Not Recommended

     . . . Chevalier was a great disappointment for many reasons.  Its fast and loose playing with the known facts of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges's biography, and of history even -- Marie Antoinette did not give him his title, that was Louis XV -- are only the beginning.

It's such a shame that this man, who I first learned of via reading letters of (later to be President) John Adams, who was so accomplished, who did so very many important things, just starting with music composition and musicianship, was reduced to an affair with an aristo.

 He is the most accomplished Man in Europe in Riding, Shooting, Fencing, Dancing, Music. He will hit a button on the Coat or Waistcoat of the Masters. He will hit a Crown Piece in the Air with a Pistol Ball.

 Recall, that among his many achievements, he successfully led an all-black regiment in the French army -- until, Napoleon erased all Black people of achievement from their positions and out of history, particularly those of military achievement, not least, Alexandre Dumas's father. 

La légion de Saint-George

This film is the equivalent of making a film of the life of Frederick Douglass, and reducing everything he did and created to the single matter that he married a white woman.

Additionally, thereby, the filmmakers chose to navigate precariously closely those waters on which sail a mainstay of porn, the enslaved black stud and the white lady.

I am not the only person to feel this way.  For a single example our (Black, Haitian) friend who is a symphony orchestra director, composer and conductor, who has been conducting performances of the Chevalier's music in many cities, just HATES this film.  He, like el V, is particularly outraged by the cutting game between the Chevalier and Mozart that opens the film -- this is something Blues musicians only began, here, in the USA.  As per usual, movies, particularly made by Americans, cannot imagine a Black experience that isn't African American.  Moreover, it seems that the two composer/musicians were friends, not rivals, with Mozart even living in the Chevalier's house for a short time. But then, movies/tv very, very, VERY seldom know who and what musicians -- or artists generally -- are -- musicians particularly.  Really, as Joseph and Amadeus were about the same age, it is far more likely they joyed to make music together than tried to cut each other down.  Musicians really like to do that, you know?

The positive for the film is several really fine female actors with juicy roles, even though the characters' depictions are either utterly fantasy or historically wrong for the time -- or non-existent. The exception to this might be the Chevalier's mother. 

However, if only inadvertently, the above does point to the essential truth of  success in which Napoleon was tutored by those who survived both the Revolution and the Terror, into the Directorate, that in France, "Women are politics."  Alas one of the ways this point is made is the filmmakers claim that Marie Antoinette was the reason there was a French Revolution.

Chevalier!

    . . . .  In advance of Chevalier's opening on the 21st, we've been given the passwords to private streaming next Tuesday. We had the choice of watching in a screening theater, or streaming.  Another wish come true. Ha!

Cádiz Is Ancient

 

The plaza through which we walked from our Convento Hotel, to enter the truly old Cádiz.

Thus we entered streets such as this on our way to the excavations and the Atlantic.

How old is this wall, its name? There were Africans in Cádiz more than likely before the Phoenicians' first arrivals, which were at least by 800 B.C,  People were certainly living there before then, who had worthwhile products to trade, such as gold, silver, iron, tin (which the Iberian Celts perhaps were trading for with Corish Celts), wheat, horses, probably wine, as wine cultivation is so ancient throughout the Mediterranean regions.

The remains (only partially excavated) were discovered in 1980. The theatre, which was likely built during the 1st century BC and was one of the largest ever built in the Roman empire, was abandoned in the 4th century and, in the 13th century, a fortress was built on its ruins by order of King Alfonso X of Castile.

Gadir - Gades - Cádiz - Phoenician Gateway To Europe

 

The Oldest City, Thought By Archaeologists To Have Been Established By the Phoenicians About 800 BC.

Courtyard of the Cádiz Convent Turned Boutique Hotel.  This Is Where We Stayed. Once Admitted Inside the Very Thick, Wide Walls, It Was Soundless, and Nearly Lightless Unless Using Electric Light.  The Massive Gates and Doors Are the Only Means for Entry and Departure, and are Equally Thick.

Jerez - Horses on the Move II

      . . . . I could not wrap my mind around the fact that we walked to this place from our hotel in Jerez, that this was in the middle of the 'new' city of Jerez.

El V took some fotos that day of me taking fotos and sent them off in the real time experience smart fones allows us to do, "Because you looked so happy," and those he sent them to said the same. I was really enjoying myself. As well as being breathless seeing in real time the horses and riders executing their moves with such incredible rhythm and precision -- that nano second pause between one hoof hitting the ground as another was lifted -- I swooned.  By the way, the relationship in this part of the world between these horses, what they are bred and trained to do, is so close with the omnipresence of Flamenco.

Our friend in Jerez, who has a foundation that promotes Flamenco between Jerez and New Orleans, dances Flamenco and runs festivals -- told me there are times when some of her people are around these horses, they have fallen into the Flamenco clapping, as people do in Spain all the time, particularly the closer one gets to Sevilla and Granada. The horses, hearing the clapping, riderless as they are, begin moving with the rhythms. Flamenco, dressage, bullfighting -- they are related, as are the fans and the tipica Flamenco fringed shawl. See how the movements of the dancers, with and without shawls and fans, as well as their postures are mirrored by matadors and their capes.

I Was Particularly Struck By This Team.  Stables at the top of the Exercise - Warm Up - Practice Ring.

Stables.  One of the horses in a loose box kicked up one heck of a fuss for quite some time, kicking and kicking.  S/he would push head out the door, and then go back inside and kick some more.

Expecting To Make Points!

For No Reason This Rider, With Whom I Was Already Falling Love, Stopped to Chat With Me. So We Did, In Spanish and In English.  It's Embarrassing How Many Spanish Speak English, While We Don't Speak Spanish -- Particularly as This Is A Nation Also of Spanish Heritage.

This Rider Had Sparklies On the Front of Her Helmet; Her Horse Had Matching Sparklies On Bridle's Head And Nose Bands.

Next up will be Cádiz, the oldest continually inhabited city in Europe.

Jerez - Horses On the Move

      . . . . Here are horses, horses whose coats literally glowed and gleamed.  Depending on the color and tone of the coat, I could see my face reflected from their smooth flanks reflecting the sun.  There was a chilly wind, but otherwise the weather was likely optimal for the events.  So it became even more pronounced, how very hard the horses worked, for at the end of each performance, when they were allowed to drop their heads and necks out of the constant curve, their necks were so wet -- and with the drop out of position, their necks suddenly looked lighter and smaller.  I was so close I could see all the veining under their thin, sensitive skins.

Jerez  Royal Andalusian School of Equine Arts: Warm Up, Practice and Exercise Ring; The Yellow Building Behind is the Palatial Indoor Ring, Bar, Restaurant, Cafeteria, Bathrooms, Store. Though So Early, the Bar Was Doing Good Business.

There's another bar, restaurant, cafe outdoors by the Competition Performance Ring.  It too did fine business.

Competition Performance Judging Ring

Performance Judging Ring

Warm Up Ring, Starting To Fall In Love

Warm Up Ring -- Canine Presence Was Omnipresent

Another screen of horse fotos after this one.

Back To Madrid - Horses Are Resting

      . . . . As my personal record of this Viaje it is necessary to include more foto notas from Madrid, as Madrid was our first city on the itinerary.  It was an excellent preparation for all that came next, including getting over the worst of jetlag in the comfort of the 5 star Hotel Prado.  Additionally to the comfort, it was location.  The famous Neptune Fountain is in the circle plaza outside, and a few steps away, cross the street, walk through the tipica big Hispanic city leafy, flowered, grass covered with public toilets, cross the street on the other side, and there you are: at the Prado Museum.

At this time at least, Spain is inexpensive,  which is why we could do this trip as 4 and 5 stars -- the dollar is so strong against the Euro.  However, this isn't the case for changing money. Big fees are charged, so we used cards almost exclusively.

Spain was vastly less expensive than anywhere in the US, particularly NYC.  Last night at our local, we had only wine and an appetizer last night at our local. It cost significantly more than any full meal with wine we had in Spain, including the most 'splurge' meal we had in Cádiz, in one of the very best restaurants in Spain, with an international clientele. 

And, ya, the wine last night was not near the quality of the Spanish terroirs; Europe doesn't tax wine and beer to death as the US does, nor must they it travel across the ocean, or even land -- so much of it is made near the restaurants. Many of restaurants have on their wine list wines available only in that particular restaurant-bar-taberna, meaning a special relationship with the vintners.

First Cena (Dinner) in Madrid, a restaurant that specialized in regional wild mushrooms.  Along with the wine, of the Castile Terroir, this may have also been the very best, most delicious meal we had on this journey. The plates and other dishes all had individual regional mushrooms and surrounding plants as their design.

As she cannot go on such a viaji, the bird pin placed on the design was gifted to me by as friend in her place right before we left. She has for a year been fighting cancer, with extraordinarily difficult treatments, who is scheduled for surgery very soon. 

 The pin was always in my cross body bag. Throughout the journey, at different meals, I clicked this Bird of Passage and texted the fotos to her in real time.  She said they picked up her spirits after yet another round of chemo.

Alvaro de Bazan y Guzman (1526-1588), a hero of Lepanto, 33 years as General Admiral of the Spanish Navy, never was defeated.  I was so excited to encounter this monument to him in an enclosed courtyard on our way to visit the 9th C Muslim Wall remains.  The Battle of Lepanto truly was a one of those most significant events in history.  Though almost a draw in terms of lives and ship lost, it did prevent the Turks from moving into the western Mediterranean.  It also increased, not only Spain's, but Europe's anger and disgust with France. She was not at Lepanto. Thanks to Francis I, France was allied, as she'd been for long, with the Turks.  Something we don't hear much of over here in terms of European history. Spain was one of the few European nations to send help to the Siege of Malta against the Turks.  France was begged to, but did not.

Most of all, I think, I was excited because I knew who Alvaro de Bazan y Guzman was! I didn't need to read the plaque to find out, I just needed his name. I knew about Lepanto and the Great Siege of Malta!  I felt the same way so often in the Prado, looking at portraits of different Spanish court grandees painted by Goya -- I knew who people such as Godoy and Floridablanca were.

This was the first time I noticed that Spain's historic sites have information plaques in Braille as well as print. It was the same at the 9th C Muslim wall remains.

This is one of Goya's historical interpretation of the battles with the French invasion forces. This one features Egyptian Mameluke Imperial Guard cavalry regiments. Yet another stupidity of Napoleon.  By the supreme Católica God who gave Spain back to the Christians after more than 7 centuries, how could he think the Spanish would passively accept a takeover that centered Muslim fighters?
[This is not my photo, as no photography or recording of any kind is allowed in the Prado.]

This Is Not the White House. The royal palace in Madrid, not far from the 9th C Muslim Wall remains.  This was the weekend, and tourists from near (Spain) and far were present even as closing time was imminent.  No, one cannot go in.  Not sure though, whether the flag meant the king was in residence.  This palace is surrounded by vast gardens that are essentially woods. The Spanish kings were even more insane about hunting than the English and French ones. This tradition has continued into the present: recall the Spanish royal scandal not that long ago regarding members killing elephants.

Madrid, our first Flamenco performance in Spain.  We were seated next to a lovely Japanese American couple from Seattle.  This was their final night before flying home from their vacation, which began in Fez, Morocco.  They liked Marrakesh much more than Fez, and Spain more than that. The wife is a Flamenco aficionado, who takes classes back in Seattle.  El V and I were the only audience members who masked.

Red is Passion.  See those hands clapping that distinctive Flamenco cracking rhythm? Despite the late 19th C Spanish officials and intellectuals, and later, Franco's repressive attempts to stop the prevalent popularity of Flamenco music and dance with foreigners and tourists, it was a failure.  At this time there is no national Spanish music at all, except Flamenco.  It is everywhere.  Students come in droves from everywhere to study in every city in Spain, though particularly in Sevilla and Granada, of course.  No matter where you are, you will hear casual Flamenco clapping as men and even little kids practice, even in train stations.

From my seat I had a splendid view of the dancers' feet.  The dancers are percussionists.  They and the musicians and singers are on a particularly constructed platform called a tablao (pronounced tabl-ow! ow like meow). This platform is actually a drum head, with air space between it and the 'ground' that makes for a resonator, as the belly of a non-electric guitar is a resonator.  'Tablao' is used interchangeably to refer to the stage-platform and to Flamenco itself.

Jerez: The Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Arts

     . . . . At Jerez de la Frontera we entered the Southern Land of Oranges, Horses, Fans and Flamenco. 

As per usual, I remain fascinated with the financial, administrative matters concerning  housing, feeding and stabling and other organizational structures that make such a vast enterprise as this work -- and it is far from the only one of vast Equestrian centers to be found in Spain.

These Competitions Are Part of the 50th Anniversary of Jerez's Royal Equestrian Arts Institute, Founded, A Plaque Informed Me, by "los amigos de caballos".

Jerez, School's Extensive Grounds Inside the City Divided From Pedestrians and Street Traffic

Entrance/Exit to Stables and Competition Grounds

Jerez School Administration Offices - Some Of Them

Window On School Indoor Riding Ring and Theater

Royal Box Indoor Theater and Competition Ring

Opposite End From Royal Box, Entrance/Exit Performers and Competitors.  I don't know the function of the mirrors there, which at this size aren't clear are mirrors.

Jerez Royal School Grounds. The Lower Roofed Building is the Indoor Ring, the White Building Is Offices.

Some of the horses next post.  The videos truly show the horses floating above ground. But I cannot (at least so far) figure out how to get a video shot on fone (a very low grade fone at that) to either my desktop video files to blog here or the Other Place.

Gatos: Madrid and Cadiz

 

View From Our Room in the Hotel Prado's Out of Open Window; Madrid's International Women's Day Protest Started Here. Their Chant, in English, Was, "Madrid Will Be the Tomb of Machismo!"  It sounds much better in Spanish, particularly accompanied by a batteria of Cuban Drums and Polyrhythms, Played by Brasileras, Which It Was.
Next to this plaza circle is a typical Spanish city, "Prado", a boulevard dividing the highway, with grass and trees, as one sees in Mexico City or Bogota -- or Havana's Old Town.  Crossing over that, one arrives at the brilliant Prado art museum.  Which is why our hotel was there and we were in that hotel.
Also, the windows of all the hotels in which we stayed, with a single exception, the last one in Córdoba, opened to the outdoors, and did not have screens, excellent for fotografy.

Remains of 9th C Arab Wall Fortress located at present Cuesta de la Vega, near the crypt of the La Almudena Cathedral; Long Before Madrid, And After Both Charles Martell and Charlemagne.

 Above the Courtyard Which Is Below the 9th C Muslim Wall Remains.

A Member of the Cat Families That Live In and Around the 9th C Muslim Wall Remains.

Madrileños Declare Themselves Cats!

Inside this Bar-Restaurant of the Most Hip Cats.

Theatrical Cat Hangin' Out In Madrid.

Evening On Cádiz Popular Atlantic Ocean Beach

One of the Cat Houses And Villages Built for the Ferals Who Live In and Along the Cádiz Sea Wall, On the Atlantic Side!

Archivos de Indias

      . . . . We were conducted around The Archivos de Indias this AM by colleagues.

 Carlos III in the 18th C ordered all the documents that dealt with Spain's empire east and west to be housed in one building. This edifice is modeled much like his palace-hunting grounds Escorial -- the advisor who gave him the ideas is buried ... in New Orleans, which this is mentioned on his tomb.  One of the Archives's colleagues has spent time in the Historic Museum of New Orleans deciphering the handwriting of the Spanish documents there -- her specialty. The other has done work with Lubbock TX, which university there has a program that sends students to Sevilla for 6 months.  It's amazing this internationalism, which, of course, TX is so antipathic about -- just saw the news today o boy, what Abbott's done to the school system in Houston -- because Houston is a Dem stronghold.  Terrifying what's going on and what is going to happen.

[Originally posted on DW on 03/15/23]

Go Any Further and We Shall Fall Off

      . . . .  We are at the end of the world, or at least the end of Europe, in the oldest, continuously inhabited city in Europe, Gadir, established by the Phoenicians, now, finally, Cádiz.  Now we know that we can go further, and we won't fall off.  Cuba, Havana, is just over there.  (Though it is Jerez, la frontera de Jerez, that actually looks a lot like Havana (without the dilapidation -- and when we get to Sevilla, now that recalls Havana in every way, which as the treasure flotas arrived from Havana to Sevilla, la reina católica's city, and which she made the capital of her kingdom, would be expected, right?). The tap water in Jerez was safe to drink, but it tasted funky in the way New Orleans tap water does.  Here in Cadiz, it's still safe to drink, which as it turns out is true throughout Spain. We are so used to being Cuba, where one cannot drink the tap water. Potable water was and always is a problem there, just as it is in St. Augustine, FL.

We are in a 4-star hotel that was a convent.  The church is still consecrated and operating as a church, but the sisters have gone ... where? elsewhere? It is extremely quiet, which is good for sleeping. One feels to be in a fortress (of God?) or a prison (of God?).  But it is still cold, dark and convent-y, though with mod cons.

It's a good thing to be reminded, as one falls in love with Spain, that even when/where it was Muslim, it has always been a prodigiously Catholic country, about which history there is a lot to be said, and not much of it good.  At least as far as the history I know goes, and speaking relatively to most people, at least in the USA, I know whole lot.  It cannot be divorced from the Church's history, and the history of Spain (and Portugal) anywhere.

So much experienced -- cannot do anything except jot notes in Moleskine and take fotos with foney-fone.  In mine mind's eyes, I see endless processions of beautiful horses, Flamenco dancers and, yes, matadors and bulls. Watch certain Flamenco expressions and there is so much there from the arena, or did it flow from the dancers to the arena -- even from dancers much, much before Jesus, perhaps, even likely, from before the Romans? The bulls were in Iberia before the Romans and the arenas.  Africa is just a quick passage across the Mediterranean . . .  there are bull rings and arenas there too, on the southern side. 

[Originally posted on DW on 03/012/23]

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Cádiz Cat Houses and the Atlantic

     . . . . Today was Phoenicians and Romans, mostly. 

After which I took fotos and video of cats, cat houses, and cat towns under the seawall that protects Cádiz from the tormentas of el atlántico as we sunset walked around the island where is situated the oldest, longest continually inhabited city in Europe. We did both Romans and Phoenicians today.... and cats.

Speaking of cats instead of horses, I have a nice foto of one of the cats that live in and around the remnant of the Umayyads' fortress wall on the site that became Madrid -- going back so far, but not yet as far as Charles Martel or Charlemagne -- time, time, time. It is impossible not to time travel in Cádiz.

    . . . Took fotos and video of cats. Cat houses, and cat towns under the seawall that protects Cádiz from the terrors of the Atlantic as we sunset walked around the island where is situated the oldest, longest continually inhabited city in Europe. So of course included are cat houses and communities.

The people of Cádiz care for the feral cats in the same way do those of Istanbul.  Places for them to shelter from the salty humdity and sea spray, to relax and hang out, and to eat.  These are cleverly constructed so the cats can get to the food but the always ravenous gulls and other birds cannot.  Wonder if rats can?  But I've yet to see a rat anywhere, but this is a city, moreover one so ancient as this, with constant grain shipments, surely there are rats.

We did both Romans and Phoenicians today.... and cats. Will have dinner at a Moroccan restaurant with a lovely woman from Finland we met on the train yesterday. Dancing Flamenco is her hobby and passion.  Otherwise she's festival organizer. One of her festivals is a Steampunk festival. 

Perhaps there is a way to transfer the short video I shot of one of the competitors and her horse in Jerez yesterday morning to here. I could do it via a long process of getting it to this wonky laptop's hard drive in Word video files.  But I don't have time for that before I get back to NYC, where I would do the work on my desktop, which is much more powerful and faster.  Trust me: this is equine poetry in motion.  Ever since I've gotten here, i.e. to Spain, my mind's eyes, are filled with horses and dancers as I try to sleep. I've never been in a country, not even England, not even Virginia or Kentucky, where horses are such an integral part of a national identity and history.  No wonder 4th grade Horse Girl me dreamed of coming here.

So little time to write, to transfer, etc.  It's all my notebook, and occasionally trying to put some of it up here via my fone.  Weird experience that.

But I am so afraid of missing, losing something, of these incredible experiences that just never stop, not for a second.

[Originally posted on DW on 03/13/23]

Jerez: Hola Caballos!

As this is the longest stretch of travel in Spain for our itinerary, we flew from Madrid to Jerez.

Holy cow is this ever horse country! Descending to the airport, taxi-ing into the (very small) city, to our hotel, everywhere there are exquisite horses, of elegant conformation and silhouette.  Quite the highest end designer equine runway models.

Plus, there is Flamenco and sherry.  And the classic Islamic White Cities of the Atlsntic and Mediterrean coasts. After deplaning, in the terminal, you are greeted by a welcome to Jerez mural that is first, a gorgeous horse, and a beautiful dancer in classic Flamenco form. 

Last night in Madrid, we saw a Flamenco show in a very up close and personal space, deliberately created to be as close to the underground and caves-cellars (generally those belonging to a taberna, thus wine storage, all over Spain, and particularly in the south, dating from at least the Roman eras, but I'd guess from the Carthaginian ones too) from which the tradition emerged. (We were the only mask wearers, but so what?) It was the first time I have been that close to the performers. So I could parse how much of their classic poses are the same as those of bullfighters, fo one thing. Though none of the dancers used cotenants, one of them wore a shell medallion, which I like to think was a homage to the ancient predecessors of cotenants, already in the days the Roman's, who used clam shells.

Tomorrow we're taking a tour of the largest Roman amphitheater in Spain. But first, dressage! 

I can't believe I'm finally here, where I've wanted to go since 4th grade.  Better late than never is true . . . .

[Originally posted on DW 03/11/23]

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Royal Amigos del Caballos

      . . . .  More foney-fone fotos of horses in braids, and even, yes, in sparklies, than any sane person can take!  Sparklies, though subdued and tastefully minimal, on the riding helmets too.  What? They think they're royalty, nobility, or something?

Indoor ring though, no sparkles.  But mirrors at one end, the Royal box at the other, with a gigantic portrait of the king on the back wall of the box.  I guess that's sort of a mirror for somebody? No fotos allowed, not even with foney-fones.

Orange trees in the grounds.  Fotoed those.

Must move on to next thing now, and train, to Cadiz.

[Originally posted on DW 03/12/23]

You Can Drink the Tap Water in Spain

      . . . .  Madrid's tap water made all the difference for recovering from dehydration caused by jetlag, adjusting to the altitude, and thorough upset of usual metabolic routines.  I drank gallons and gallons.  Recall, high altitude also promotes dehydration, which dehydration in these circumstances makes jetlag, lack of sleep and metabolic interruptions so much worse.

Madrid's on a plateau surrounded by impressively jagged mountain chains.  It was spectacular as they appeared out of the clouds, snow-covered points and sides, as we were in that long descent to the airport. I recalled how moved and impressed I was waking to the view below of southwestern France, the vast forests, mountains, ravines and farmlands.  It was the same this time, except it wasn't Gaul, but Iberia, and it looked in terms color and soft shapes like all those paintings we know -- except this was real.  Then, suddenly these ominous mountains  . . . with steep ravines and foothills seemingly impassable except to those who know.  This is a Transhumance world.  There is even an upcoming festival in Madrid to celebrate the ancient Iberian Transhumance way of life.  El V recorded me, it turned out, face pushed against the window, eyes wide, repeating, "Wow," over and over.

It moved me, like that flight over southwestern France, this in my own eyes revaltion of what Spain is, it's history going back at least to the Phoenicians, the Romans and the Visigoths, particularly about Madrid, why it is here.  Recall, there is so little Islamic presence in the region as to only a single archeological artifact's survival of their barely there footprint, the antipodes of Southern Spain. Knocked me out, it did.

The observance of Women's International Day -- there is a lot to say about that, because we were right in it.

Can't believe we've been here just about 48 hours, as months of activity feel have happened.  However, jetlagged, needing to adjust to altitude, and the disruption of usual metabolic routine, while NO usual exercise, though a lot of walking is going on, up and down -- remember those mountains, hmmmm?  Plus eating so well, and o lordessa, in heaven, drinking wines made right here.

In the meantime too, when it comes to hotels, restaurants, art and entertainment, Madrid is so inexpensive, particularly compared to NYC.  Don't forget, that like the other European nations, i.e. the EU, Spain supports art and literature and entertainments.  We have nothing like this in the US.  In fact, in every way it feels like re-entering civilization from a long sojourn in a failed and toxic state, where we may all die any day from starvation, homelessness, disease, violence public and personal, climate catastrophe, and most of all plain all out stupidity.  In comparison to Madrid, even the avenues around the Met look grubby and shabby.

So much has happened already, including a whole day at the Prado, meetings with various people, drinking the best wine, and falling down unconscious -- not from the wine but from jetlag and altitude adjustment as well as arriving w/o sleep reasons.  Tomorrow is day trip to Toledo, which Spain took back from Islam in 1085, and which was the capital, as far as that would go, of Christian Spain, until Philip II decided to make this nothing place on this plateau his capital of his kingdom.

Gads, I love this!

I have some fotos, but am too tired to do the work to present them here now.

O lordessa it is wonderful to be here!

I could live here.  Easily. 

International Women's Day Is Tomorrow

       . . . . We arrive in Madrid tomorrow morning. This morning we received this email --

We kindly inform you that on Wednesday the 8th of March, due to the International Women’s Day, will take place a demonstration from 7pm which will cause major traffic disruptions in Paseo del Prado, Plaza de Cibeles and the Gran Vía up to Plaza de España. Therefore, from 4pm onwards these traffic diversions will apply for accessing the hotel area. We will be pleased to help you organizing your transportations if needed.

We in the USA do forget that International Women's Day is a very large observance in many countries, even though we don't bother much with it here

Europe: Demonstrations and rallies marking International Women's Day planned in European cities March 8

Events

Women's rights activists in parts of Europe will hold rallies and demonstrations to mark International Women's Day on March 8. Organizers have confirmed demonstrations in the following cities:

Austria, Vienna: Yppenplatz from 17:00

Belgium, Brussels: Place de l'Albertine from 14:00

France, Paris: Palais de Justice from 13:00

Germany, Berlin: Invalidenpark, 13:00

Greece, Athens: Klafthmonos Square to Syntagma Square from 13:00

Italy, Bologna: Piazza XX Settembre, 17:00

Italy, Milan: Piazza Duca d'Aosta from 18:00Italy, Naples: Piazza del Gesu Nuovo from 16:00

Italy, Rome: Piazzale Ostiense to Largo Bernardino da Feltre from 17:00

Italy, Turin: Piazza XVIII Dicembre from 15:30

Portugal, Lisbon: Alameda Dom Afonso Henriques from 18:30

Spain, Barcelona: Placa Universitat 18:3

Spain, Madrid: Atocha to Plaza de Espana from 19:00

Turkey, Istanbul: Taksim Square from 19:30

Turkey, Izmir: Cultural Center from 18:30

Further protests will almost certainly occur in additional towns and cities throughout Europe on March 8; demonstrations could take the form of marches through city centers in many locations. Attendance will vary by location but will reach into the thousands at larger actions. In some locations, women's rights activists may also take part in short-term strike actions, possibly causing business and transport disruptions.

Additional police will likely deploy to all demonstrations. Large crowds and associated security measures could prompt localized disruptions, including possible road closures and movement restrictions. Most demonstrations are likely to pass off peacefully, though isolated clashes between police and protesters cannot be ruled out.

Hmm.  They didn't say from which direction the possible violence might start.  One thinks of the cops and the suffragette demos back in the last century ....  Some serious beatings and torture from the cops dealt out to the women, including prison.

A friend in Madrid tells us that particularly around our hotel things are going to be very fraught tomorrow due to these reasons as described in the Washington Post:

Spain gov’t parties vie for feminist flag before Women’s Day

BARCELONA, Spain — Spain’s government presented Tuesday a plan to mandate gender quotas in elected government bodies and companies’ executive boards, on the eve of International Women’s Day when thousands will take to the streets of Madrid and other cities for women’s rights.

But the buildup to the annual women’s march comes amid a political spat inside Spain’s ruling coalition over which of the two left-wing parties best represents the feminist cause in an election year where Spain’s Right will try to reclaim power.

The Socialist Party of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and the anti-austerity United We Can are sparring over one of their government’s banner causes: a sexual violence law proposed by the latter party that, while increasing support and resources for victims, has inadvertently led to the reduction of sentences of over 700 offenders since taking effect in October. ....

In London --

Celebrate International Women’s Day 2023 with the best things to do, events and activities happening across London

In the US capital International Women's Day will be virtual:

Various activities scheduled for International Women's Day in New York:

Brain Fog Calls For A Road House In Another Time, Another Place

      . . . . Road House (1989)

What a secure time it was that something like this could be a movie.  OTOH, I swear to gd, this is kinda what the Jack Reacher novels went for. (First Jack Reacher novel was 1997.)  Here we have James Dalton, a bouncer -- excuse me, Cooler! -- who is not only a legend for cleaning up night clubs, but the whole towns and counties that are run by thugs and other nogoodniks in flyover country nowherelandia. Then he moves on. 

In this film, the nowherelandia is in Kansas – or is it Missouri? Not only are the reviewers kinda confused about this but it seems the film’s characters are as well, but everybody knows Something Happened With Our Hero in Memphis which is why he's no longer there. Our Hero Dalton has a network of bouncers, -- excuse me -- coolers! instead of marines and Big Gummit D.C. Intelligence allies that Reacher’s got, but still a network. Or at least Sam Elliott as Wade Garrett, who is an even more super Cooler than Dalton.

So it’s the lone gunman who cleans up the western town under a siege of terror by local thugs, except Dalton does it with what he’s learned in New York University’s philosophy department, and his Asian martial arts skillz, instead of two blazing six guns  (though there comes the point when gunz must uzed; this is America!).  Not to mention the best hair and exquisite wearing of pants (not jeans! those tight, sexy black levis are for Sam Elliott) that nobody else can get away wearing because they'd look so stupid in those high waisted, soft, flowing trousers – but Swayze’s ass and legs are magnificent in them.

Road House was edited by the same guys who edited Die Hard, RoboCop, Predator, Commando, Total Recall, Basic Instinct, Tombstone, therefore we are not mistaken that Dalton's character is one of those larger than life sorts, like a superman, while flattering us that he’s just like us really, the way Spider Man is (while Batman isn't just like us, being a zillionaire and all) -- while making fun of both this superhero genre and affectionately ribbing this film in which the superhero is a – bouncer. The affection the editors have for the film shows in many ways, not least in how palpably we feel the sheer sexiness of the feelings at least three of the characters have for each other.  It is really one of the few really sexy films I’ve watched, I think, i.e. the characters even gave this watcher hot feels.

Other entertainments that RH appears to make part of a pattern are the Travolta Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Urban Cowboy (1980), which may have set off this examination of fairly specific, but disparate US cultures in connection with matters outside the law or accepted mores. Flash Dance (1983), Dirty Dancing (1987) of course, not only because of the amount of dancing in RH (though it is fairly muted -- just like the female characters are in RH, even Kelly Lynch's character, though Kathleen Wilhoite's Carrie has good moments, particularly when she melts into sexy feels inadvertently viewing Dalton naked (but then, everybody does, even when he's not naked, but her moments just felt so authentic and you like her for them too) -- unlike in SNF, FD, UC, or DD), through pop music combined with pro and non-pro dancing. Here are supposedly normal people like us, who love combining dancing for fun as well as going for our personal best. But only DD and RH star Patrick Swayze at his peak of gorgeousness. Not to mention equal peak Sam Elliott gorgeousness in a different manner, showing up in RH, as Swayze’s sidekick.

Closing day for the original Gilley's, Pasadena, TX.

In spite of this superheroing, I too have a lot of affection for Road House because 1) the sex parts really feel sexy;  2) I spent a lot of time in my earlier in the famous Texas outside of Houston's gigamous roadhouse, Gilley's (where Urban Cowboy did scenes); the Double Deuce, judging by the size of its parking lot, was the Gilley’s of its locale.

That world is gone, as much as NYC’s world of Studio 54, Danceteria and the Paradise Garage. They were of their time.

I suppose we must also think of Cocktail (1988) with hyper annoying Tom Cruise? Which I’ve never seen it, though I think I tried to watch it, once.  Now that is a truly stupid movie – just read the story line!  But then, for me, anything that features Tom Cruise (except when he was paired with Paul Newman) is unwatchable.

There was a Road House 2 (2006). It went straight to video. They Say it was a sequel in name only. 

O. Dear. They Say there’s a Road House remake in production. 

Fight at the Double Deuce!  SuperHero Bouncer Dalton is the only one who can stop this going on!

It’s interesting that from this perspective, there are so approaches to liking Road House. Though the reviewers in 1989 cocked snooks and sneered about it, it's a good action film with lots of other stuff going on, the kind thing that attracted so many of us to the Reacher novels. The action sequences are what we see praised these days as making a movie "that's fun to watch." for those who prefer action to feels.  Alas though, the ridiculous part is the entire premise of a bouncer and national fame for being part of a community improvement - gentrification action.  Nevertheless, I doff my sombrero to whomever had the brain storm to translate all those concerns of crime vs gentrification and the hierarchies of clublandia, all constant subjects then in the era, into this concept. That is, these were constant subjects if you lived where these matters were going on and of concern, all at once, anyway, as we did.

The film concludes with the Jeff Healey Band, which is featured mostly throughout the film, playing a cover of Bob Dylan’s "When the Night Comes Falling." This film, in a lot of ways is comment on US films and culture of the time, and if looked at with care, done as a goof on it, in the same way that Dylan’s own sense of humor has done in his own films like Masked and Anonymous (2003) funning on his long decades of dealing with celebrity and the intersections thereof, while determined to remain a working musician who riffs endlessly on US culture and musical traditions.  I mean, the penultimate great violent sequence in Road House is a monster truck driving into a car dealership and crushing all the brand new cars. This could only be imagined in America!

This has been one of the most interesting movies I’ve watched in years.  I wonder … if I’d seen it when it came out, would I have gotten all this?  I … rather doubt it.  Sure I believed I was truly tuned in back in 1989, but from the perspective of this year I see how freakin’ callow I was, and how little I really knew.

Just who were those people who got away with making this?  They must have had a lot of fun -- most of all, this flick is relaxed, like they had been doing yoga and tai chai daily, for years.

Have a Monster Truck!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Essentially packed.  Have some hours tomorrow to copy edit, change mind, remember what is forgotten, etc.