Manana

Sorry I can't do the squiggly, but manana, manana, manana is the theme for today, especially as I'm in Spain! Yes, even Devon gets grey in January so we've escaped to Nerja on the southern coast of Spain.

So here I am, typing on the laptop near patio doors open to the sunny balcony (no, not the one pictured below), already beginning to worry that it'll be a bit too hot this afternoon. After all, I did get a touch of sunburn yesterday.

Not that I'm complaining. Not at all!

The pic on the left is from the Balcon de Europa, the sea front that is the heart of Nerja, a mere 10 minutes stroll from our apartment.

Perhaps it was the sun, or I just needed a good rest, but I zonked out last night. No problem. I often write my blog in the morning, as I'm 5, now 6, hours ahead of most of the Wench readers. Manana, you see? But then I slept in. I rarely sleep in. I'm a dawn chorus sort of person.

When I crawled out of bed this morning, it was 11 am! Manana's half over!

(I'm reminded of when we visited England a few years ago, exploring for our return, and rented a place. I switched on the TV, trying to figure out the Freebox stations, which wasn't easy as it wasn't working very well. Then I hit a screen that said, "Yesterday will return tomorrow at 8am."

I sat contemplating that with delight. It was like something out of Doctor Who. The Daleks have taken over and condemned the British people into a kind of Groundhog Day. But one in which today is strangely missing....)

I digress, as I love to do.

Random thoughts on Spain and history.

Spain doesn't often feature in historical romance, but then, nor do other continental countries.

If I remember correctly, Spain was the setting for many Mills & Boon romances of my youth, along with Italy and especially Greece. Is Spain still a favoured setting in M&B or Harlequin Presents?

Medieval Spain is notable -- El Cid (I must have seen the Charlton Heston film a dozen times -- anyone else), Ferdinand and Isabella and such -- but then not so. Perhaps it's the ascent of those gloomy Hapsburgs. Or am I wrong on that?

Spain and Italy are similar in some ways but very different in others. Off the top of my head, the fact that italy is known for Dante's inferno, and Spain for Cervantes' Don Quixote has to mean something. Any idea what?

My butterfly mind is led to empires.

Italy was the base for the Roman Empire, a mostly land-based domination bulwarked with strong roads and efficient administration, which brought in taxes from distant points. The cause of its fall is heavily debated, but probably it simply over-extended, as all empires seem doomed to do. Interestingly, though Latin was once widespread, not much of the world now speaks Italian as the native language.

Spain had an empire, too, though not as formidable. It was based on ships and the sea, and on the gold brought back from the "new world." The empire involved land, from California and Florida down through South America. Spain controls none of that now, but Spanish is the language of many cultures.

Can you find anything to comment on in the above chatter? Please try, because I'll award a copy of the new edition of Forbidden Magic to my random pick of the best.

Jo

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Comments

[Laura Vivanco]

On the topic of "those gloomy Hapsburgs" and their Empire, Charles V is reported to have said that "if he were to speak to ladies, he would speak Italian; that if he were to speak to men, he would speak French; that if he were to speak to his horse, he would speak High Dutch, but that if he were to speak to God, he would speak in Spanish." (76-77)

At that point the Netherlands, Franche-Comté and large parts of what's now Italy were all part of the Spanish Empire.

--
Quote from An Historical and Critical Dictionary Selected and Abridged from the Great Work of Peter Bayle With a Life of Bayle in Four Vols. - Vol IV (London: Hunt and Clarke, 1826)
http://books.google.com/books?id=SfwZIfF_HxYC

[Willa]

OT but, to make the squiggly over the ñ, hold down your ALT key and type in 164 on your number pad.

[Patricia Rice]

Oh,Jo, I'm sooooo jealous. We did our sun at Christmas and now it will be months before I feel warm again. And Spain! So much more interesting than anything here.

I was going to suggest that you use a Georgian eccentricity and highlight or otherwise notate when you digress and add Dear Reader, I digress, but I think your whole post would end up highlighted. "G"

[Karenmc]

"Yesterday will return tomorrow at 8am."

Just a shout out for the Dr. Who reference Dr. Who and the happiness of having it available for instant viewing on Netflix.

[Susan/DC]

As for the widespread use of Spanish versus Italian, it's not quite fair to compare. Even Romans don't speak Latin any more but its modern descendant, Italian. I think it is more telling of the impact of the Roman conquest that countries as disparate and geographically dispersed as Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, and Romanania all speak Romance languages, descendants of the Latin spoken by the Romans. You would expect these languages to evolve and become different over 2,000 years, and they have. It was only 200 years ago that Spain lost its empire in the New World, so it is not so surprising that Spanish still reigns in its former colonies (and Portuguese in Brazil). If Christopher Columbus has sailed under the flag of his native Italy instead of his adopted Spain, Italian might be the language of Central and South America.

I'd say that over time these regions might wind up with their own, albeit Romance, languages, but I wonder about the impact of TV, movies, the Internet, and dictionaries (which standardize spelling) to slow the rate of change. Don't know, but it's interesting to think about.

[Margay]

I wish I was in Spain today - or anywhere else that's warm. I'm currently buried under a foot or more of snow - well, the state I live in is.
Margay

[Kay Webb Harrison]

Oh, Jo, how I envy you! I spent the Summer of 1972 in Spain as the beginning of my graduate program in Spanish with the University of Virginia. We did a whirlwind tour of the south, center and northwest. Then we settled in Salamanca to attend summer courses offered by the Universidad there. I have dreamed of returning many times, but so far that dream has yet to be realized.

Spain was one of the first European countries to become a unified modern nation; neither Germany nor Italy achieved that status until toward the end of the 19th century. The marriage of Isabel of Castilla and Fernando of Aragón unified the Catholic kingdoms. When their armies conquered Granada, the last Moorish/Moslem kingdom in Spain, in 1492, Spain became a united Christian country. Their daughter Catalina went to England to marry Prince Arthur; after his early death, she married his brother Henry instead. Her older sister, Juana married Philip Hapsburg, called Felipe el Hermoso (the Beautiful). I don't remember if Fernando e Isabel ever had a son or sons, but after her parents died, Juana became queen of all of Spain. Unfortunately, she earned the sobriquet of Juana la Loca (the Mad), because she became outrageously jealous of her consort, Felipe, who was not the most faithful husband. Apparently, Juana was an able monarch, except in matters which concerned her spouse. Her extreme jealously continued after his death; she kept his coffin as part of her household to protect him from other women.

Their son was the Charles mentioned by a poster above. He was Carlos I of Spain, and later became Carlos V of the Holy Roman Empire. The Hapsburgs ruled Spain until the Bourbons/Borbones came to power at the end of the War of Spanish Succession (1600s or 1700s).

I also love the Heston/Loren film El Cid. I used it many times in my Spanish classes.

¡Ojalá que pasen Uds. un viaje estupendo!

Kay

[Keira Soleore]

@Jo: Looking outside my window at the rain and dark gray thick cloud cover, I have to say those pictures of white villas and blue seas under a bright sun are very attractive.

Carrie Lofty wrote a fabulous novel set in medieval Spain, which was such a surprise and a delight. It's titled WHAT A SCOUNDREL WANTS.

If France had won the war instead of England in America, we might be speaking French here instead of English.

A final tidbit, the Mongols invaded vast swathes of Asia and Europe, but left no impact on the language, architecture, etc. They didn't stay to rule, but I'd still have expected much more of an impact. Similarly, the Greeks under Alexander.

@Susan: With the advent of TV and the Internet, language evolution has for the most part slowed significantly, except the more widely spoken ones: English, French, Spanish, Chinese, etc.

[Deb]

I remember reading several early Harlequins set in Spain, but not much background was given about the country. Some of the heroes were very austere in the stories, it seemed. A friend of mine visited Spain on an exchange program and was nervous because she had heard that the people were not friendly to Americans, but she ended up having a lovely visit. She said the people, the food, and the sights were wonderful.

[Beth Elliott]

Thanks for a brief gleam of sunshine and Spanish arcaded balconies. I'd rather be sunburnt than rainsoaked!
Georgette Heyer wrote 'The Spanish Bride' set mainly in Spain, and 'Beauvallet' with a Spanish heroine.
In response to the 'Yesterday will return tomorrow..', I once heard on a local radio station that 'The improvements have improved.' It puzzled me all day.
Is that random enough?

Enjoy your holiday and the dose of Vitamin D.

[Shannon]

Wow. There were a lot of topics in that post. =) I can't wait to visit Spain again. The last time I went, I gained a lot of weight because I was addicted to the food. I can't remember reading a romance set in Spain, but I haven't read that many yet.

[Susanna Fraser]

I envy you, Jo! I plan to make Spain part of the big European trip I'm taking in 2015, but that seems far, far away on this gray, sloppy winter day in Seattle.

At the risk of tooting my own horn, both my recent Carina release The Sergeant's Lady and one of my current WIPs are set in Spain, but since they're Peninsular War stories with British main characters, I'm not sure how much they count.

[maryjoputney]

"Yesterday will return tomorrow at 8am."

How utterly, wonderfully, zen! Or maybe better for a fortune cookie. *g*

Not surprisingly, being a snowbird in Spain sounds infinitely more glamorous than snowbirding to Florida. *g*

[Sherrie Holmes]

Jo, I envy you, not for the heat -- we have plenty of that here, but to be in Spain. My current wip is set in Spain just after the Peninsula Wars, and it's taking a lot of research. Not, I suppose that being in Spain would help, as I don't read Spanish, but being in the right environment surely would.

Have a gorgeous time.

~Anne Gracie (having computer problems, so asking Sherrie to post this for me)

[LouisaCornell]

Oh I am pea green with envy! It is fifteen degrees here in LA (Lower Alabama!)A nice sunny balcony in Spain sounds like absolute heaven!

El Cid is one of my very favorite movies! Just a gorgeous piece of cinema and SO romantic!

Yesterday will return tomorrow at 8 AM. Now there is a philosophical thought to sink one's metaphysical teeth into and no mistake. I am trying to decide if I would really want yesterday to return !!

Enjoy your holiday and send some sun this way, please!

[Betty Daly-King]

More people speak Spanish than speak French and it always puzzles me how public sporting events have French translations rather than Spanish - a lobby the French have won.
Spain is a country I would love to visit. When my architect friend visited his wife said he never stopped grinning as they toured. Lucky you Bev - have a wow of a time!

[Melanie Adkins]

I love that both countries are similar in ways but very different in others. Both people are very passionate about life and love. They are rich in history that is intriguing to us history buffs. I love hearing about what you've seen and experienced. It gives me a chance to travel to a place I will never see. Thanks JO!!

[Pageturner]

Ah, yes - El Cid! What a film! You just reminded me I need to watch it again.

pageturner345 at gmail.com

[Jeanne Miro]

Jo -

You hit a special place in my heart with the mention of Don Quixote! The Imposible Dream from The Man of le Mancha was "our" song and the one we had played for our wedding in 1970!

Since then my husband was in Spain many times while serving in the Navy Reserves and often flew missions on P-3's. He loved traveling all over Spain and was particularly captivated by Gilbraltar. While our boys were in high school we had a wonderful exchange student Angel from Madrid stay with us and he invited our sons to spend time with him and his family in not only Madrid but also Cuenca as well.

My dream is to one day finally be able to visit this beautiful enchanted country as well.

[Tracey]

Well, interestingly enough, the written and spoken languages may have died off - but instead the language of FOOD has replaced them! The Roman and Spanish empires can rest easy with the knowledge that you can still get pizza, spag bol, vino and tapas even in far flung corners of the earth like Darwin, Australia.
That and the sadly pathetic attempts at recreating the architecture - does no one appreciate the importance of scale?
BTW, love your hotel suite, just a little envious!!!

[Sue Stewart]

I, too, watched El Cid many times -- that haunting image of his corpse strapped into the saddle of his war horse routing the enemy army and cantering invincibly away into immortality ...

[Penelope Rambharose]

Wishing you some much needed R and R in Spain,
it looks like a lovely holiday Villa. Have a glass of Sangria for me salute! and find a Tapas
bar to relax in.
Maybe this holiday will be your latest inspiration for your next book set in Spain and Devon ? Happy writing for 2011 and wishing you a Safe return to Devon

[Karin]

For a history of Spain before 1492, I recommend "The Ornament of the World" by Maria Rose Menocal. Did you know that Columbus witnessed and recorded the fall of Granada? He had come to ask Queen Isabella for her financial support of his voyage to India.
I've never been to Spain, but I've been to New Mexico, where the Spanish influence is very strong from Albuquerque all the way up to Taos. New Mexico is our only officially bilingual state; it's in their Constitution.
Another interesting thing: the Sephardic Jews who lived for centuries in the Middle East still speak a language called Ladino. It is the last remnant of the medieval Castilian that was spoken in the Iberian Peninsula when they were expelled in 1492. There's quite an extensive article about it in wikipedia.

[Claudia Smith]

Dear Bev
Cervantes, supposedly a contemporary of Shakespeare from the date of birth to death, speaks of an older world view than Dante, one arising from philosophers of the Roman Empire. One Iberian cynic said "Give women no power or they will take over everything." Alas, the cosmic balance of yin and yang was beyond the Romans, even Seneca.
I love your romances, which do convey the synergic tension between a strong woman and her strong man, neither giving up anything, and gaining everything in their union. Thank you, Claudia

[Quigs]

Butterfly mind.....I like that phrase. I have one and can't say I've heard it described so aptly before. Thanks!

[Kim in Hawaii]

Aloha, Jane! Manana is a Navy housing area here in Hawaii so I chuckled when I read your blog this morning.

I have always been intrigued by Spain - I grew up in Coral Gales (a suburb of Miami) who streets are named after Spanish cities. The vintage houses have Spanish flare. So I'd love to join you in Manana!

[KKTuft]

Since you are in Spain, are you responsible for giving the current Dr. Who his fez? Although he was already wearing it before you went to Spain . . . but then maybe the cracks in Amy's bedroom didn't close before you bought the fez, gave it to the Doctor, and you just don't remember. But Amy remembered Rory, so if you think really hard, maybe you'll remember that you are going to buy a fez tomorrow. . .

[Lyn S]

Our English as a Second Language teacher reminded us to encourage students to use Latin derived cognates. The might know more words to read than they think they do. Except there are some false cognates. Embarrased in English is similar to pregnant in Spanish.

Here is wishing sunny weather on all readers, even if it is just in the books we soak up.

[Samantha Craig]

Thank you for your ramblings. You must be relaxing...which is the point of a vacation! Great Dr. Who reference because what person doesn't need a Dr. Who reference to ponder during their day!

[Helen]

Jo
It sounds so nice there I am in Sydney hot and humid today and of course I have to go to work I would much rather be home reading a book that would take me to Spain on an adventure to a HEA LOL

Have Fun
Helen

[catslady]

"Yesterday will return tomorrow at 8am" - That reminds me of a saying in a song on Craig Ferguson's Late Late TV show - "Today is just tomorrow's yesterday." Makes you think lol. I was to take a trip to Spain over 35 years ago but alas the chartered trip was canceled and I never did get there. Maybe someday...

[Sally Dunn]

The sunshine of Spain sounded wonderful on this rainy/snowy day in Boise, ID. I fully intend to enjoy my 48th anniversary dinner tonight with my husband Jim no matter what the weather.

[Martha Andrews]

My dear (soul not blood) Sister who is English (Eastbourne) is counting the days to retire to Spain. They love the sun and the Spanish way of life.

I understand quite a few of the "Brits" are moving to Spain for a good life in retirement!

Must be wonderful and I love "Yesterday will return tomorrow"! Could that be a future book or song?

[Charlotte Cremin]

Jo, enjoy the Spanish experience.

Wallow in the sun-generated euphoria -- and mushiness. I can tell you a worse head case: chemotherapy-brain. I'm done (successfully) now, but the brain has yet to kick in to full throttle. I'm told it will come. And I can't truly complain!

Charlotte C.

[Mary D.]

My library school professor referred to the
romance languages as "bad latin". My favorite language is Italian (everyone who reads music knows at least a little Italian) because it rhymes and is so joyful. Spanish is my 2nd language and is wonderful because there is only one silent letter (H)and like Italian, rhyming is natural and easy.

Espero que disfrutes este tiempo en espana.
Did you know that the Spanish ojala is from the Arabic "Oh, Allah". In Spanish, it means "I hope so". Lots of Spanish, especially any word that begins with "al" is from arabic. For example, Alhmohada is a pillow.

The last romance I read had an evil Spanish villian and it really upset me, same as it does when there is an evil Mexican. There should be a "good German" in every story, that is a good person to balance out the bad if a gay or ethnic character.

The other way to write manana on an American keyboard is to CTRL+Shift+tilde
which is to the left of the number 1 on my keyboard.

[Jo Beverley]

Thanks for all the great responses. I'm glad many of you have good memories of El Cid. Perhaps I should try to watch it again. I wish there were more epic medieval films made now.

The new Dr Who has a fez? I have a feeling I've been missing some episodes because I haven't noticed that. Not my doing, I promise. And anyway, isn't a fez from Turkey?

The weather continues warm and I continue lazy, but I am pecking away at The Scandalous Countess, my next book.

Jo

[Linda Banche]

Jo, good for you and the sun. Here in New England we just had a storm that dumped almost two feet of snow. Took two days to shovel all that snow off the driveway.

A lot of contemporaries feature Mediterranean countries. About the only time I see Spain in regencies is when a soldier is there during the Peninsular War. And it's a place everyone wants to leave.

Maybe the continental European countries aren't so popular because of the language barrier. Americans and British people speak English. Although some may disagree. *g*

[Robin Boisseau]

So glad you are enjoying the warmth and sun. An often overlooked fact about Spain gave me the idea for my first romance novel. King Edward III's daughter, Joanna, was on her way to Spain in 1348 to marry Prince Pedro (later Pedro the Cruel) when she caught the plague and died. Historians have speculated that the young princess, had she lived and married the prince, might have influenced him for the better and therefore changed history.
Hope the rest of your vacation is as wonderful as the beginning and I eagerly await The Scandalous Countess!

[Sherita]

Spain - the land of my youth! One thing that is a common thread through out all the Latin countries is strong women. "The husband is the head, but the wife is the neck, that controls where the head goes", loosely quoted from My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

PS I'd LOVE to see more stories set in Spain, which has such a passionate history!

[Laura from Rome]

Oh Nerja! I remember it as e very beautiful place! I passed a few winter in Spain with it's warmth and light, even if I live in Rome, anyway not a cold place...you called some memory in my mind!
I like Spain very much, I like spanish, so easy for us Italian, but I think I'd prefer England, because I love green landscapes, if only I could persuade my husband to go to english country! I'm afraid for the language, because, if I am not so bad in written english I'm not good in listening...when we was in London, I was so humiliated for my english! A part of the fact that it was plenty of italian people so we don't need so much to speak english!
Unfortunately italian language, as a new roman latin version it's so useless, and italian school are so lack in foreign languages learning! I'm 40 and I learnt only a foreign language in secondary school (it was compulsory education); now a day things are a little better but anyway we are away from the rest of european countries...
It passed so much time since the time of roman empire! After then, wew framed in so many little states that we were nothing, politically speaking, infact, Colombo had to go to Spain to get the equipment to go to dicover America, and that is why latino-america exists and why they speak spanish!
Anyway I'm happy to be born in Rome, for me the most beautiful city in the world, I love it, it's history, it's climate...everything!
But I remember with nostalgia my time in Nerja and I long to go to english country, meanwhile I cheer up with your wonderful books!
Ciao!