Spain by the horns

I've been reading this book that has subtlely enchanted me with its whimsical and funny description of the Spanish culture- their obsession with bull-fighting, their loud bt comical demeanours and passion for fiestas and siestas alike.

The Aussie author began by writing about his encounter with an infamous matador (bull-fighter) in Sydney- with funny lines from the matador -'I yam estill esleeping.' or 'Bool-fighting runs in my blaad, I leeve it, I think abouut it and I go crazy withou tit.'

'In Spain, I discovered, people inhabited every inch of their lives. They feasted upon it up to the elbows. They drank red wine with their lunch and smoked full-strength cigarettes. I, on the other hand, ate tuna salads and got home in time for the news. Ever since my first trip to Spain I´d searched for ways to loosen up a lil, to be, in effect, more Spanish. But what worked for the Spanish didnt fit with my life at home. I couldn´t take off from work for a 2-hr siesta.´

He subtlely brings out that charm in the world of Spanish - the kind that only the rare few ones get a sneek peek in, and ultimately fall in love with.

A great read for lovers of all things Spanish.