Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ic lives relied too much on shouting sisters to convince me that they were intimidated. I
thought, “Couldn't their repression be calm and subtle?”
The housekeeper provided comedy relief. Her best line was, "Two weeks after the wed-
ding, the husband abandons the bed for the dining table."
The commentary about the play said it was an antigovernment metaphor for physical, men-
tal and spiritual repression. But the sisters' romantic frustration seemed less political than
a statement of Lorca's personal conflicts, repression and desire. Since the drama was writ-
ten in early1936, before Franco ruled Spain, I wondered whether Lorca's metaphor and
target was more aptly the Catholic Mother Church.
I took an evening walk. The city glowed, illuminated. There were dancing water fountains
in a rainbow of colors. The central plaza
was an open stage, crowded with spectators watching a folk ballet. Crafts and art were on
display. There was a humorous art show, both educational and cartoonish.
The best exhibit was a collection of satiric caricatures of pirates, not Blackbeard or Captain
Blood of the past, but commercial CD music and intellectual property pirates. I wanted to
take photos of the best jabs at the pirate vendors, but then I would be a pirate. They were
good, so clever, ethically instructive, and satirically funny without falling into nasty finger
pointing.
Concerts were free. Raúl Simón, the Argentine romantic ballad singer, performed in one of
the rooms at the Casa Cultural where a book fair was also in progress. I had never heard
of Raúl Simón, but when he sang he encouraged his audience to sing along, and to my
surprise, he had a very supporting chorus. His songs were popular.
I visited the Immaculate Conception cathedral. Its treasure is a silver ark showing in detail,
step-by-step, the crucifixion of Christ. I walked around the ark as if it were the Stations of
the Cross. Here was the story of Christ's last suffering from the 30 pieces of silver to the
cock that crowed three times.
Expenses: Walking free, meals $17, Hotel Lopez $38. Total: $55.
