I went to Segovia on the weekend, a town that boasts two of the most impressive structures in Spain – the amazing Alcázar and the incredible Aqueduct. The former is a gigantic fortress that bristles with turrets (a direct inspiration for Disney’s ‘fairytale castle’) and the latter is a supreme example of Roman engineering (the huge stones held together without mortar). When we arrived in the Plaza Mayor we discovered that the annual Festival of Chestnuts was in progress. Lots of traditional music and dancing and free wine and hot chestnuts. Rosa manages the Spanish dances easily but I find the steps too fast. ¡Qué pena!Winter in Spain is not much more pleasant than winter in the UK. It’s almost as cold here, nearly as damp, and the short days and long windy nights instil the same mild sadness in my soul as they do back in Wales. This is why Africa is such a tempting proposition next month... and/or I might spend a few days walking in the Almerian desert. Deserts are spiffing! Time will tell. In the meanwhile I write and write – five new stories in one week, all short but (hopefully) pithy. I also read and read, finally tackling Fritz Leiber’s ‘Fafhrd and Gray Mouser’ stories, all of them, in order.
A nice review of Sereia appeared in the Portuguese newspaper, Diário de Notícias, recently, here. And a new review of the Spanish Infamia here. My Turkish friend Filiz is coming to visit me in a week or so, and an interesting Italian student I met in Lisbon is coming to Madrid at the same time. Seems a good idea to arrange a special gathering with as many people as possible. Three years ago I met one of Mike Moorcock’s friends in Madrid, a fellow by the monicker of ‘Lapiz’ and I’m wondering if he’s still here. There are plenty of other people to invite: Luis Prado, German Frank, Bohemian Bea, Isabel, Pulpo Steve, Carmen, etc. Anybody else free in Madrid, let me know!