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 Amigos, Reflections on Spain on Aug 10th, 2009
I would like to tell you the story of some remarkable women my wife Ruth and I met last spring. Our hearts were warmed by being with people for whom adversity became an opportunity to do something better. Through their vision and hard work they found a way to assist working mothers, preserve a precious social tradition, and make available to all of us the artistry of their cooking, even though we may be a continent away …
Posted in Amigos, Corners of Spain, Reflections on Spain on Dec 15th, 2006
Once he told me how impressed he was that the American young people showed such seriousness during the retreat, wistfully observing that this was not always the case with modern Spanish youth. As we walked along the beach one day I asked Don Ignacio whether he had ever been married. He looked into my face with a twinkle in his eyes and answered, “Who would ever want to marry me? I give away all that I have.”
Posted in Corners of Spain, Reflections on Spain on Nov 15th, 2006
“These precious experiences I had as a child,” Angel said with typical Spanish fervor, “– I mean the aromas and flavors which enveloped our family gatherings – They are forever imprinted on my soul.” As he grew up during the next few years, Angel dreamed that somehow he would recapture these the happiest days of his life. He knew one thing, it would have to be linked to the hearth.
Posted in Corners of Spain, Reflections on Spain on Feb 12th, 2004
It was along these narrow streets in the early days of the 13th Century, that a knight named Diego de Marcilla neared the end of a five year odyssey. He was exhausted from making the tortuous trek across the craggy mountains, yet he was filled with joy: His journey had earned him the right to marry his beloved: Isabel de Segura, and soon he would be in her arms. In fact, he heard wedding bells ringing as he approached his home town, He could hardly wait.
