Awake, for morning in the bowl of night has flung the stone that puts the stars to flight.

And, lo, has caught the sultan’s turret in a noose of light!

Spanish life is not always likeable but it is compellingly loveable

Christopher Howse: ‘A Pilgrim in Spain’

Cosas de España

This section today centres on the (ex)’working class’ barrio of Carabanchel, which divides into the old village of Carabanchel Bajo and, further south, the newer – residential – Carabanchel Alto. It doesn’t boast much splendour but it does have something special in La Colonia de la Prensa, the first city of journalists in Spain. Per Wiki, and (largely machine)translated: The origin of this colony was the need to develop the land between Carabanchel Bajo and Carabanchel Alto, when both were independent municipalities in the Madrid region. Thus, in October 1910, a group of press professionals, “Los Cincuenta”, later called “Asociación Benéfica-Cooperativa de Construcción de Viviendas Baratas Colonia de la Prensa” and then “Ciudad-Jardín de Prensa y Bellas Artes” commissioned Felipe Mario López Blanco to come up with plans for the plot and the project, an example of perfect urbanization and landscaped rationalist housing.

He did this between 1913 and 1916. For its construction 2 basic housing models were proposed with an original orthogonal scheme around a central circular plaza, although personalized under the residential ideal of a quiet house outside Madrid city, the variety of which yielded a very rich building repertoire, without diminishing the unity of the whole.

The Colonia de la Prensa is one of the few examples of art deco* and modernist architecture in Madrid. The entrance – with 2 splendid “garitas” (modernist turnstiles) – would be enough to ensure posterity for this colony, made for writers and journalists and in which some original “chalets” still survive out of the more than 40 built, constituting one of the icons of Carabanchel** and one of the most important chapters of its history.

* Interestingly, Wiki in English cites the colony as an example of art nouveau. Which was my impression. Make up up your own mind from the fotos below.

* *Not sure what the others are. But there used to be an infamous prison, which housed political prisoners as well as true criminals, now demolished. As was the neomudéjar bullring in Vista Alegre, to be replaced in 2001 by a modern arena in the grounds of the Palacio de Vista Alegre. Which was built in 2001 as a multipurpose space, holding bullfights, concerts, galas and sporting events. Surrounded by shopping outlets.

The UK

As befits someone who’s just published ‘ A Heretic’s Manifesto: Essays on the Unsayable’, this columnist thinks that it was wrong to do to Boris Johnson what was done to him last week. Essentially because it wasn’t remotely democratic and because it smacks of a bureaucratic coup against a fairly and freely elected leader. Not that he admires BJ, of course. Just feels there are bigger issues: He was made PM by democratic means and undone by Machiavellian means. Chosen by the people to make politics more populist and was then ousted by [europhile] technocrats who believe that they, the adults, should be in charge, not us, the children.

On the other hand, this columnist says, rightly, that thanks to Johnson the nation is trapped in an anxiety dream. And that:  Johnson’s shadow will linger over the nation he claims to love, which he has liberally – and with the support of millions of voters – trashed.

That he had to go – one way or another – can’t be in doubt.

Europe

So . . .What do you tip? And, if you do, on what does the amount depend? In Spain, I basically (over?)tip 10% but reduce this to 5% if the bill is large. Always appreciated. For what others do in Europe – including the crazy Americans – see here. I should add that I don’t really know what ‘In Spain, service is often included in the bill’ means, unless it is that prices include that element. So you don’t have to give anything at all. Or maybe just your loose change. Unlike Lenox Napier, I’ve never seen a percentage included at the bottom of the bill in Spain. Outside Europe and the (incredible) USA, I’ve had tips refused in Australia and New Zealand, where they’re considered an insult, as the staff are paid properly.

The Way of the World

A football player called N’Golo Kanté has been offered a salary of up to €100m to join a club in Saudi Arabia. Am not sure if that’s a year, a month, a week or just a day.

Finally . . .

Still on football . . . The Champions League final last night was not a great game and Inter Milán deserve all the praise they get this morning from the (magnanimous in victory?) British media. But 2 things:-

• Why aren’t ‘tactical’ fouls punished more harshly? They destroy the flow of the game, especially when a defender had been beaten and an attacker is on his way to the goal. Albeit not a red card offence for a ‘professional [ i.e. dirty] foul’ when the route is totally clear.
• I watched the match – free! – on the BBC Sports youtube site. And endorse the comment that British commentators give you every – and I mean every – boring statistic instead of shutting up. Mind you, there’s a balance between that and the Spanish commentators who specialise in “A has passed to B and C is trying to stop this.” Radio with pictures, as some wit described it years ago.

For new readers:- If you’ve landed here looking for info on Galicia or Pontevedra, try here. If you’re passing through Pontevedra on the Camino, you’ll find a guide to the city there.

LA COLONÍA DE LA PRENSA

The entrance:

The church of Nuestra Señora del Sagrario (Our Lady of the Tabernacle):

And, right next door . . . La Eglesia de Jesu Cristo y Los Santos de los Últimos Días. Or Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints:

Or, I later realised, The Mormons. I had thought the iconography looked (Watchtower) similar . .

There was a service taking place in the Sacred Room but I decided not to go in. Likewise, overcome by religious sentiments, I thought better of taking one of the bags of goodies on the table by the door, clearly intended for the kids I could hear in the creche along the corridor.