Beyond The Pale

• Dressing Up for Christmas 1 month ago We in Figueres, on top of the pandemic that affects everyone, have had a new plague upon us. The garbage collectors have been on strike for three days and we are wallowing in rubbish.  I've heard that the strike has now been called off, so it seems there is hope that maybe by tomorrow the...
• Coffee, Confinement, and Foam 2 months ago On Saturday 14 March 2020 all bars and restaurants in Catalonia closed. This was the first official act in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. I had spoken to my friend Josep early that morning by phone and we had agreed to meet at my usual cafe – the one I went to every day. But when I...
• Coffee for Two 2 months ago Here in Spain, when you go out for a coffee you have it sitting down or elsestanding at the bar. No one walks down the street with a coffee in their hand and you don’t see stacks of styrafoam or cardboard cups by the espresso machine. You drink your coffee from a ceramic cup while you relax,...
• Stolpersteine 2 months ago  Stolperstein in VenicePhoto Credit: Christian MichelidesA Person is Only Forgotten When His or Her Name is Forgotten (from the Talmud)Have you heard of Stolpersteine? They are small plaques, 10 centimers (3.9 inches) square, made of brass and set into the pavement of a sidewalk. Inscribed with...
• The Camino with Dog 3 months ago  In the middle ages, the Camino de Santiago was the most important of the three main pilgrimages of the Christian world. People made the pilgrimage from France, England, Holland, Germany, Poland, and other countries. Making a pilgrimage was one of the most important things you could do to save...

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