A lifetime of encounters with Spain.
Posted in Amigos, Corners of Spain, Reflections on Spain on Feb 16th, 2010
In the early years of La Tienda, a young man named Tomás Lozano contacted me. At the time we were experimenting with many new products from Spain to discover what our customers would like. We featured ceramics, foods and a handful of hand-carved reproductions of medieval art, including wooden panels and crosses. He wanted to [...]
Posted in Corners of Spain, Fairs, Feasts and Fiestas, Reflections on Spain on Apr 14th, 2007
Only those who have actually seen it can believe it. Some 700 fallas, large papier mache monuments mounted over wooden frames, are burnt to cinders on the 19th of March – the festival of San José , the patron saint of carpenters.
In the Middle Ages, as the days became shorter, artisans and carpenters of Valencia had to spend the last few hours of their workday laboring by the light of oil lamps hanging from crafted wooden stands called parots. When spring arrived and the days became longer, the lamps and wooden stands were no longer necessary. As part of spring-cleaning, the carpenters would routinely burn the parots, standing them up in the midst of wooden shavings and scraps of lumber.
Posted in Reflections on Spain on Mar 12th, 2004
The Fair in Barcelona can trace its lineage back to medieval times — for markets have always been the center of activity in rural societies. A few years ago the market in the town of Alicante celebrated its 700th anniversary. In the earliest times farmers would sell at the farm gate. Then, as the population began to expand, they would bring their produce and livestock to market at a nearby village — not further away than a day’s travel. (Six to seven miles was regarded by thirteenth-century lawyers as a normal day’s journey to market.*)
