Déjeuner sur l'herbe

We went to the Retiro for a picnic yesterday. We were Andrés, who has designed the website for Nevsky; Eva, who has designed the logo for Nevsky and who is Andrés's boss; Eva's two sisters Bea and Maria; Eva's boyfriend Joe; Marian and me. We watched the grass grow on the weir, and annihilated all that's made into a green thought in a green shade, and all the other stuff you're meant to do in gardens. Marian's left elbow has a fascination that few can resist.

Current Favourite Sentence

Let me tell you, Scholar, that Diogenes walked on a day with his friend to see a Country Fair; where he saw, Ribbins, and Looking-glasses, and Nut-crackers, and Fiddles, and Hobby horses, and many other gimcracks; and, having observed them, and, all the other finnimbruns that make a compleat Country fair: he said to his friend, Lord! How many things are there in this world of which Diogenes hath no need!

Current Favourite Sentence

It's bullfighting season again:

'Lleva una cornada con orificio de entrada y salida por encima de la rodilla derecha y un puntazo en la bolsa escrotal.'

Nevsky Prospects

You might want to go and have a look at this

Nomenclature

This, according to the caption here, is a black-browed barbet. It seems to me that its black brow isn't its most immediately striking feature.

Current Favourite Sentences

'The USSR was based on socialism, state ownership, collectivisation, the cult worship of Marxism-Leninism, the export of communism and the need for military and political influence in satellite countries and regions. The Russian Federation is based upon very different ideals: namely, capitalism, private ownership, total individualism, the cult of money, the rejection of traditional state paternalism and widespread corruption at all levels of power.'

I just love the fact that 'widespread corruption at all levels of power' is described as an 'ideal'.

Pride!

Yesterday, for the first time, I did a reading here in Spain. In Spanish. Marian translated the poems, and I was among friends, so it wasn't too stressful.

Our friend Sonia was also on the bill, and people seemed to like the poems: all three of us were very different; Rafa said it was like going to a concert of heavy metal, smooth jazz and prog rock, 'but in a good way'. If there is a good way.

Our friend Raúl was delegated to take the photos. Bless his little cotton socks, but he is much more gifted with words than with images.

However, this photo gives me at least some sense of why my students claimed to be scared of me.

Nationalism

If Greenland ever gets its independence, its flag will leap up there with my favourites.

Alastair Sim (1900-1976)

The Moon

There was an absolutely amazing red and off-white crescent moon that lit up the whole beach one night, but my camera was too small to provide elegant evidence of the fact. You'll just have to think of it as being as perfect as it was. To paraphrase Roy Scheider, 'We need a bigger lens'. Incidentally, they show Jaws every summer to try to stop beach congestion.