Self-deprecation is worth its weight in smoldering phoenix-ashes and baby unicorn tears.
Published on April 23, 2008 By SanChonino In Blogging

11 Apr 2008.  9:19pm.

For lunch, Gloria, Jani, Asunta, Merced and I go to El Museo del Jamón, which, for its goofy name, is actually quite good.  The paella is especially tasty, chock-full of little seafood.

Following lunch, we meet the teacher and the others in front of the entrance to the Palacio Real.  We get in and as our guide takes us from room to room, I'm almost sickened by how gaudy and ostentatious it all is.  While it's pretty, it's mostly pointless.  I guess I understand it on an intellectual level, but as the guide tells me of the 1.000+ rooms in the palace, making it the largest in all of Western Europe, I think to myself, What the crap for?!?  I express my thoughts to Jani, who says, "No kidding!  I've seen pictures of your White House, and it's nothing like this.  It's pretty, but this place . . . it's too much."

I nod, concurring in silence.

Following the palace tour, we retire to the Cathedral of the Almudena.  It's huge - no quite Sagrada Familia sized, but it's massive inside.  I walk from small side chapel to the next, almost reverently, snapping photos carefully.  Gloria follows, amazed.  I explain my affectation for churches, and she gives me a funny look and says, "I thought you were Mormon."

I laugh, responding, "I am.  But I still think churches are really cool, especially Catholic churches.  I don't really know why."

She smiles and replies, "It's probably just because you're a really religious person.  I mean, no drinking, no smoking, no tea or coffee - you're kind of a weird.  But you're funny, so we'll keep you."

I give a Cheshire's grin and thank her.

We leave, intent on going to Café Gijón, if only to say we've been in the very café of the famous tertulias, where Pérez Galdós and Ramón y Cajal met to discuss art, literature, politics and the like.

We arrive and are seated.  I order a coke and the rest order coffees.  It's frankly not as exciting as we hoped, and at 3,50 Euros a coke/coffee (that's almost $5) we're a little nonplussed.

After two full days of visiting, we're all bushwhacked and head back to our respective hostels.  We plan to hang out when we get back to Tarragona (they're all heading back tomorrow) and exchange mobile numbers.

It's been really good to make some friends.

Now I just hope we actually hang out.


Comments
on Apr 23, 2008


L’ Via
Hija de Miranda
Tu Apellido se cambió
L’ Via
Sin Ojos me quieres dar
Una historia sin mi madre
Solo tengo que decirte
El dolor de noche dice
Solo se quedo el vestido
Le lave la sangre

L’ Via
No dejes de descansar
En la calle caminas
Quien te va a perseguir
L’ Via
Te quieren matar
Dientes de Machete
Cabezas de gallo

L’ Via
Durmiendo en paz
Abre los ojos
Todo cambiará
L’ Via
Soñado de venganza
Y yo te lo juro
Lo van a pagar
Blackmailed, she fell off every mountain
The ones they tightly wrapped in tape
In her eraser sang the guilty
As it made the best mistakes
And with every body that I find
And with every claymore that they mine
I won’t forget who I’m looking for
Oh mother help me I’m looking for

L ‘ Via
Hija de Miranda
Tu apellido se cambió
L’ Via
Sin ojos me quieres dar
Una historia sin mi madre
Solo tengo que decirte
El dolor de noche dice
Solo se quedo el vestido
Le lave la sangre

Blackmailed, she fell off every mountain
The ones they tightly wrapped in tape
In her eraser sang the guilty
As it made the best mistakes
And with every body that I find
And with every claymore that they mine
I won’t forget who I’m looking for
Oh mother help me I’m looking for
Solo tengo
Una hora
Y me duermo
Terminado
Por veinte y cinco
Años pasaron
Siguen los cuerpos
Aqui temblando
Tome la sangre
Comi el cuerpo
Mis lagrimas
Quiebra el espejo

When all the worms come
Crawlin out of your head
Telling you
Don’t you be afraid
When all the worms come
Crawlin out of your head
Telling you
Don’t you be afraid

Blackmailed she fell off every mountain
The ones they tightly wrapped in tape
In her eraser sang the guilty
As it made the best mistakes
Shark kites got tangled in the moleskin
Urgent plea of escape
A mouth to mouth on the chalkboard
Written in fingernail distaste
And with every body that I find
And with every claymore that they mine
I won’t forget who I’m looking for
Oh mother help me I’m looking for

Blackmailed she fell off every mountain
The ones they tightly wrapped in tape
In her eraser sang the guilty
As it made the best mistakes
And with every body that I find
And with every claymore that they mine
I won’t forget who I’m looking for
Oh mother help me I’m looking for


The Mars Volta, "L'Via L'Viasquez"
on Apr 23, 2008

The Museum of Ham?  Now we need more wacky names like this in the states.

But you're funny, so we'll keep you."

When in doubt, crack a joke.   Well, a good one anyway.

~Zoo

on Apr 23, 2008

I've been keeping up with the series. Very interesting stuff Continue, please!

on Apr 23, 2008
Thanks, gents.
on Apr 23, 2008
You and girls, man. I just don't get it. How can you charm everyone you meet off their feet? I wish I had that power.


on Apr 23, 2008
How can you charm everyone you meet off their feet? I wish I had that power.


SanCho wears Shoes of Charm which grant +50 charisma.

~Zoo
on Apr 23, 2008
SanCho wears Shoes of Charm which grant +50 charisma.


I needs to get me some of them...
on Apr 23, 2008
You and girls, man. I just don't get it. How can you charm everyone you meet off their feet? I wish I had that power.


I'm not nearly this good back home.

Ah, the magic of being a foreigner.
on Apr 24, 2008
SanCho wears Shoes of Charm which grant +50 charisma.


Saying that gave you -20 charisma, though.

I'm not nearly this good back home.


Speak with a Spanish accent when you get back.
on Apr 24, 2008

I'm not nearly this good back home. Speak with a Spanish accent when you get back.

 

Yeah, that will get them everytime!lol!

on Apr 24, 2008

The one thing about this series of yours I haven't said, mate, is that you now have me hankering to see Spain.

I'm not nearly this good back home. Ah, the magic of being a foreigner.

One of my brothers said exactly the same thing...  So many girls, so far from home...