Tag: Spain

How Warlord Churchill bribed Franco to Stay Neutral

Winston Churchill approved millions of taxpayers’ pounds in bribes to prevent Spain’s General Franco from supporting Germany in Second World War, according to a new book. Churchill apparently convinced Spanish banker Juan March to act as a secret agent, organising payments of millions of dollars to Franco’s generals in return for Franco agreeing not to side with Hitler.

ORIGINS OF THE NATIONAL SOCIALIST GREETING

‘I made it the salute of the Party after the Duce (Benito Mussolini) had adopted it. I had read the description of the sitting of the Diet of (the city of) Worms, in the course of which Luther was greeted with the German salute. It was to show him that he was not being confronted by arms, but with peaceful intentions.

Dia de Los Reyes Magos (Three Kings’ Day) – January 6

January 6th is a very important holiday in Spain as the entire country celebrates the Epiphany, or Dia de Los Reyes Magos. On the eve of Epiphany (January 5th), every city, town, and village prepares for the arrival of the Three Kings of the Orient by organizing various processions and fiestas, including the famous La Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos, an exciting parade and a cultural experience in its own right.

Never Judge on Appearance

It was Oscar Wilde who said that anyone who doesn’t judge by appearance is a fool. Well, Oscar, I hate to disagree with a fellow Irishman but the latter comment doesn’t necessarily hold water. We do judge on appearance, which is not to our credit. Furthermore, such an attitude doesn’t add credit to one’s bank account.

The Cathedral of Salamanca’s Astronaut

The ancient Spanish city of Salamanca, situated on the banks of the River Tormes, is one of the oldest university towns in Europe with a rich and elegant collection of Renaissance, Roman, Gothic and Baroque monuments. Among them are two majestic cathedrals built between the 12th and 18th centuries. The New Cathedral, constructed between the 16th and 18th centuries, features late Gothic style with a Baroque styled cupola. The cathedral’s vaulted stone ceilings contain graceful paintings and its sandstone walls are intricately carved. But one element is peculiarly out of place and out of time.

Hostile Façades

The old city of Segovia, about 90 km north of Madrid, is best known for its aqueduct, but this historic city is full of architectural curiosities, such as the ornamental façades and geometric textures on the walls of many of the houses, the strangest of which is Casa de los Picos, or the “House of Peaks”. The façade of this house is covered entirely by granite blocks carved into pyramid-shaped reliefs. There are more than six hundred pyramids jutting out of the walls giving the impression of a giant cheese grater.