We're just a little over half way through the physical diary at this point. I believe based on the note that precedes the entry for July 13th that he was mailing the diary home in sections. So when he picked up letters in Madrid on that day he would have mailed what I'm guessing is the 2nd installment of the diary to Aity.
The storm today is pushing lots of mist and fog off the lake despite the frequent wind gusts. I'm guessing this might be the last day for ice or maybe tomorrow it seems to be at the breaking point. Another dull day in isolation -- one of our days off from grandparenting -- makes a great opportunity to provide more of JC's diary.
--------------
(insert after page 71)
Tuesday, July 13/65
Today we left for Madrid. Rod isn't feeling well and has some stomach trouble. Got to Madrid and went to the Cdn. Embassy where I got four letters. I'm so happy that Lillian and Tom now have a boy and that everything is fine.
We found a pension for 75 cents a night just a block from the embassy and close to the downtown area. Were able to watch to bullfights on TV at the pension. El Cordoba fought and was booed out of the ring as he had to stab the bull about 10 times to kill it.
[ JC develops quite a taste for bull ring -- he mentions "El Cordoba" many times -- I left the mistake because of the repeats... He struggled with place names -- no mobile internet to steer buy and goodness knows what language the maps they would have had were in.
El Cordobes seems to have been Tiger Woods of bullfighting... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Cordob%C3%A9s ]
Robin and I ( Rod stayed in bed) went out to dinner and then to the Corral del Muneria to see some real flamenco dancing. The headwaiter was in tails, waiters in tuxedos, bus boys in jackets, guests in suits and we in shirt sleeves. Originally had not planned to go and got a few stares. Five men and five woman plus another starring female put on a most exciting 1 1/2 hour show.
After the embassy we went to the Prado which is supposed to have the finest collection of masterpieces in Europe. Some of the pictures were interesting but what caught my eye was the artists who were doing reproductions. Some of them were very good. In the early evening we went to the Fronton or hi-li [sic Jai-Alai was pretty exotic by Aurora standards] as it is called outside of Spain. There is a large three walled court about 75 metres long and 11 metres wide with two teams of two. A large wicker scoop is tied to the right hand and played somewhat like squash. The first match ended as a man was carried out from having caught the ball (hard rubber & goat skin) in the face. His face was covered in blood and he must have suffered a concussion as the ball travels at speeds above 40 mph. I'm sure the other two games were played with short wooden paddles. Betting during the games is continuous as the bookies stand in front of the spectators and shout odds, get a bet from someone, write it on paper and stuff it in a hollow ball and throw the ball to the bettor.
After a short rest and shower Robin and I ( Rod still didn't want to eat) went to the Casa de Botin for roast sucking pig which was as good as I had remembered it from last time. At 12:00 pm 5 Spanish troubadours came in and sang for about 1/2 hour; then to bed.
The storm today is pushing lots of mist and fog off the lake despite the frequent wind gusts. I'm guessing this might be the last day for ice or maybe tomorrow it seems to be at the breaking point. Another dull day in isolation -- one of our days off from grandparenting -- makes a great opportunity to provide more of JC's diary.
--------------
(insert after page 71)
Tuesday, July 13/65
Today we left for Madrid. Rod isn't feeling well and has some stomach trouble. Got to Madrid and went to the Cdn. Embassy where I got four letters. I'm so happy that Lillian and Tom now have a boy and that everything is fine.
We found a pension for 75 cents a night just a block from the embassy and close to the downtown area. Were able to watch to bullfights on TV at the pension. El Cordoba fought and was booed out of the ring as he had to stab the bull about 10 times to kill it.
[ JC develops quite a taste for bull ring -- he mentions "El Cordoba" many times -- I left the mistake because of the repeats... He struggled with place names -- no mobile internet to steer buy and goodness knows what language the maps they would have had were in.
El Cordobes seems to have been Tiger Woods of bullfighting... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Cordob%C3%A9s ]
 |
| André Cros / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) |
Robin and I ( Rod stayed in bed) went out to dinner and then to the Corral del Muneria to see some real flamenco dancing. The headwaiter was in tails, waiters in tuxedos, bus boys in jackets, guests in suits and we in shirt sleeves. Originally had not planned to go and got a few stares. Five men and five woman plus another starring female put on a most exciting 1 1/2 hour show.
Wednesday July 14/65
After breakfast I came to the embassy to read some Cdn. newspapers while the other two went shopping. They will meet me here later. Saw Bill Crysdale's name in the register (for 1962) at embassy.
After a short rest and shower Robin and I ( Rod still didn't want to eat) went to the Casa de Botin for roast sucking pig which was as good as I had remembered it from last time. At 12:00 pm 5 Spanish troubadours came in and sang for about 1/2 hour; then to bed.
Thursday, July 15/65
We checked out of our pension in the morning and did a few errands before checking at the embassy for mail for Rod. Then went to the Royal College of Tapestry where a man at the door gave us an unofficial tour. Only about 10 girls were working making a rug about 30 feet wide. The design was sketched on a bed of underlying strings and then wool was put in on one side of two strings and tied. A tapestry would take about 1-3 months for a square metre depending on the intricacy of the design. One of the rugs was for the President of Venezuela.
Left Madrid and headed for El Escorial where Rod and Robin went in but only for 5 minutes as it was closing. I had seen it last time and had had enough of art galleries and churches. Met two New York girls at the monastery and talked to them for a while. Drove them to the station where they got a train to Madrid. Then we had dinner about 9:30 and went looking for a campsite. We came upon a boy's camp and they were quite helpful. One of the counselors (I guess) who will be a priest in two months took us to a camping area. [Oh, how many jokes could one make of this story today... ] He says that the boys are from all over Europe and stay for 3 weeks.
Left Madrid and headed for El Escorial where Rod and Robin went in but only for 5 minutes as it was closing. I had seen it last time and had had enough of art galleries and churches. Met two New York girls at the monastery and talked to them for a while. Drove them to the station where they got a train to Madrid. Then we had dinner about 9:30 and went looking for a campsite. We came upon a boy's camp and they were quite helpful. One of the counselors (I guess) who will be a priest in two months took us to a camping area. [Oh, how many jokes could one make of this story today... ] He says that the boys are from all over Europe and stay for 3 weeks.
Friday, July 16/65
A marvelous sleep under the stars. Haven't slept out for a week now. After breakfast we went to the Valley of the Fallen with the large cross on the top of a rock. In the rock is a large basilica and behind it is a monastery. I was there 4 years ago.
On the way to Salamanca we saw the walled city of Avila and some olive trees ( we think). We stopped in Salamanca for a late lunch (4:30pm) and had trouble finding [a restaurant] open. Some people directed us to one which finally was open.
On the way out of Salamanca we stopped at a souvenir shop and got into a discussion with them. We asked where some bull farms were and were told by a big fat who I think is the husband of the woman who runs the establishment. He is a contractor in the Salamanca area. He mentioned there was a bull fighting school about fine minutes away and with two younger chaps took us to it. Here young boys learn how to become matadors.
Garcia bought us a round of beer and we watched a fight. Only about a dozen people were there. When the boy finally tired the bull and went in for the kill the sword only went in a few inches and of course the bull was terrified and attempted to jump the wall. It was battered back by men with long poles The next pass, the boy got the sword in all the way about 3 feet but it ran along the back and did not injure the vital organs. After retrieving it he finally made a proper kill. The bull attempt to jump the wall 3 times but failed. The bull was then hauled into the slaughter room where we watched the hide, insides, etc. taken off and two sides of beef hung up. A little bloody but most fascinating.
As if that wasn't enough, the fat man, Garcia, paid a few dollars to the instructor and he let out a small bull and we, the three of us, fought him. We had capes and on my first pass the bull hit me but we was probably hurt much more than I. The few spectators had a ball as three Canadians in Bermuda shorts fought the little bull. They gave us another when the first got tired. What an afternoon and we were just going to drive through Salamanca. We offered to buy a round after and they wouldn't let us pay. Then they drove in their car and led us out of town on the road to Portugal.
After driving for 1/2 hour we stopped for a supper and met an old fellow who said he would take us to some finias (bull farms) next day. That night we slept outside the small cafe in a yard with a chicken house.
A marvelous sleep under the stars. Haven't slept out for a week now. After breakfast we went to the Valley of the Fallen with the large cross on the top of a rock. In the rock is a large basilica and behind it is a monastery. I was there 4 years ago.
On the way to Salamanca we saw the walled city of Avila and some olive trees ( we think). We stopped in Salamanca for a late lunch (4:30pm) and had trouble finding [a restaurant] open. Some people directed us to one which finally was open.
On the way out of Salamanca we stopped at a souvenir shop and got into a discussion with them. We asked where some bull farms were and were told by a big fat who I think is the husband of the woman who runs the establishment. He is a contractor in the Salamanca area. He mentioned there was a bull fighting school about fine minutes away and with two younger chaps took us to it. Here young boys learn how to become matadors.
Garcia bought us a round of beer and we watched a fight. Only about a dozen people were there. When the boy finally tired the bull and went in for the kill the sword only went in a few inches and of course the bull was terrified and attempted to jump the wall. It was battered back by men with long poles The next pass, the boy got the sword in all the way about 3 feet but it ran along the back and did not injure the vital organs. After retrieving it he finally made a proper kill. The bull attempt to jump the wall 3 times but failed. The bull was then hauled into the slaughter room where we watched the hide, insides, etc. taken off and two sides of beef hung up. A little bloody but most fascinating.
As if that wasn't enough, the fat man, Garcia, paid a few dollars to the instructor and he let out a small bull and we, the three of us, fought him. We had capes and on my first pass the bull hit me but we was probably hurt much more than I. The few spectators had a ball as three Canadians in Bermuda shorts fought the little bull. They gave us another when the first got tired. What an afternoon and we were just going to drive through Salamanca. We offered to buy a round after and they wouldn't let us pay. Then they drove in their car and led us out of town on the road to Portugal.
After driving for 1/2 hour we stopped for a supper and met an old fellow who said he would take us to some finias (bull farms) next day. That night we slept outside the small cafe in a yard with a chicken house.
[Rodaviejas is my best bet as to where they spent the night west of Salamanca... ]
Comments
Post a Comment