Treegod

A while ago I picked up a book, Ghosts of Spain by Giles Tremlett, which was a real eye opener onto Spain. Not only of Spain but also an Englishman's experience of Spain.

Anyway here's a couple of extracts that I thought would be particularily relevent, especially for veteran expats:

(Scene set in early morning Madrid) "I go out onto the balcony to wave a fist at the sleak white helicopter - wondering why on earth it is hovering there, so low, so loud and so early. I expect all the other balconies tobe filled up with angry people roused fro their beds. I am, however, alone. I stand, solitary, deranged and dishevelled, amongst the wilting geraniums. Even at this stage of the year, they are gasping for water. It is one of those moments when I am reminded that, although I now consider this to be my city, I am really an extranjero, a foreigner. Noise in Madrid, in Spain as a whole, is just background. It is part of the atmosphere, like air or daylight. I realise that I have been caught with my guard down. During the day, after I have showered and slipped my daily coat of Madridness on, I would not care about the mere roar of a helicopter. Noise and bustle are normally part of what I like about this city. At night, when I sleep, I am returned to my natural condition as what Spaniards like to call an anglosajón, an Anglo-Saxon."

There was another one that I can't find but I write from memmory. Giles Tremlett was walking through an town well-known for having foreign immigrants (can't remember which), especially English. He found one working in his front garder and asked "Are there many foreigners around here?" The reply was "Well, there's one Dutchman down the road but the rest of us are English."

Sound familiar?

bil

A friend of mine is US by birth, but has lived in Holland for decades, has a dutch wife, children etc.

He speaks Dutch superbly, without any trace of a US accent, and passes for Dutch.

He was working in a Dutch house, and the owner was raging on about immigrants, saying how much he hated them, and my friend just packed up his gear and walked out, saying " I'm an immigrant, and I'm outta here." and leaving the guy in shock.

My mother was just the same. She hated immigrants, but one of her friends was just that, but of course he had a white skin, and to her you couldn't be white and be an immigrant.

Treegod

Apparently to look at me I could pass for Spanish. By the way I dress and move I don't look too foreign (colour of my hair, eyes and skin might say different though).

It's just when I open my mouth, my tongue betrays me... "Erm, ¿pue-do ten-er es-te, erm... thingy?" (I am a bit more fluent than that... a veces)

Loved the book above. Recommend it to anyone. Anyone else here read it?

rugbymatt

Wow... an author gives an opinion... unusual.

HBG

I haven’t read any of his books, yet, but Tremlett is a brilliant journalist on Spanish affairs, his recent exposee on child stealing in Spain was discussed on this forum at the time, only a few weeks ago.

angiescarr

Yep. I was transfixed until it came to sport!;-)

Treegod

It being his personal work, and not just journalism, I suppose he could allow himself a bit

I read some of those articles on the Net earlier today. Never having read his articles before. Where are the threads about that?

There was sport? Must have skipped it
It was transfixing.

HBG

I think JLFS posted the topic, something like disappearing Spanish children, about three weeks ago.

Dick Dasterdly

It's a good introduction for those interested in Spain, it's ppl, it's culture and fairly recent history.
It gave me an appetite to follow up and read so much more.
There are quite a few other authors with a vast experience of Spain, who have published fascinating books dealing with similar subject matter, some in quite a bit more detail, and most well worth a read.
I am still wading my way through them at present and hope to go through them a second time, should I ever find time to do so.

Treegod

Thanks, I'll go look for it.

I've read another, The New Spaniards (can't rember the author), which was quite interesting. Less personal but full of interesting facts.

One thing that was in both books was that at the rate that Spain changes what is written in the books may be outdated when it is published! lol

cricketman

"The New Spaniards" is a really good book that doesnt fall into cliche and explains modern Spanish culture.

Also a good book is "Watching the English", similar, but about English people

agoreira

John Hooper. I have his earlier book, simply "The Spaniards" in front of me, but it's a long, long time ago that I read it. Just looked, first published 1986.
Couple more in a similar vein, but a bit lighter.
In Spain - Ted Walker
Spain-Robert Elms

Slightly different, not so much about Spain in general, more Ronda area, Andalucia, a book I enjoyed long ago was Sierras of the South by Alistair Boyd.
He was actually 7th Baron Kilmarnock and died 2 years ago, but a really interesting guy.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sierras-Sout.../dp/8489954356