An Overlooked Monarchy

The time of the monarchs as ruling bodies in Spain has passed. Western history has been forever altered by the actions of past Spanish kings and queens and their development of the Americas, but it seems that their era has all but faded.

The current Spanish king, Juan Carlos I, abides by the norms of the modern Spanish monarchy – Reinar, pero no gobernar. To reign, but not to govern.

This is the norm, but it is not always followed.

In a recent incident of international fame, Juan Carlos gave the world a glimpse of the steel grit that built the Spanish monarchy and kingdom. During a 2007 Ibero-American summit, an argument broke out between Spanish President Jose Luis Zapatero and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. While discussing the war in Afghanistan, Chavez claimed that the past president of Spain was a fascist for cooperating with Bush and Blair in the war. The Venezuelan dictator went so far as to claim that the past Spanish president was responsible for the Al-Qaeda terrorist attacks in Madrid on May 11, 2004.

Zapatero, who was sitting next to King Juan Carlos, reprimanded Chavez for disrespecting an official elected by the will of the Spanish people. As he is given to do, Chavez continued in his degrading diatribe. At which point the Spanish king leaned forward and said:

“Porqúe no te calles?” “Why don’t you shut up?”

As if Juan Carlos’ indication was not direct enough, it takes on special importance for the Spanish speaker – Juan Carlos neglected to use the formal usted form and thus ignored the status of Chavez’ rank.

Juan Carlos’ words for Chavez are celebrated and immortalized by many a Spaniard. The story made every newscast in Spain and remains a moment of pride. Not only were we able to glimpse the audacity of monarchies past, but we were also able to witness the monarchical will in the face of a dictator reminiscent of the Spanish Franco.

Date Change for Spain's Presidential Elections

On Friday last, Spanish President Zapatero shocked Spanish voters by announcing that he will be moving the date for the presidential elections in Spain from March 2012 to November 20, 2011. Besides superstitions surrounding the date’s numerical significance (20-11-2011), the 20th of November is a date of singular importance for Spain. November 20, 1975 is the day that Francisco Franco died. A day that ended a 40 year dictatorship in Spain.


The Spanish people are stunned.No political analysis has thus far been able to comprehend the reason for the unexpected change of date. Nonetheless, political analysts have endeavored to understand Zapatero’s motivations. Some believe that Zapatero, who is part of the reigning socialist party in Spain PSOE, is using the death of ultra-conservative Franco as a reminder to voters of the dangers of conservatism. By associating Franco with conservatism, Zapatero would succeed in discouraging votes for PSOE’s conservative counterpart Partido Popular (PP).

Following the 15th of May protests in Spain, PP has been gaining momentum throughout the country and is more or less a shoe-in for the presidency. Zapatero’s assumed intention is to curb PP’s popularity. Whether the change of date hinders or helps either side is yet to be seen.

However, regardless of the outcome, Zapatero’s change of date strikes at the heart of Spain’s history and the heart of the careful culture that has emerged from the Franquista era.

Buen Provecho!

The food of Spain may not be as well known as Italian, as processed as American, or as commercialized as Chinese or Texmex, but it entertains its own unique flavor derived from the Spanish culture and influences.

It is not unusual to walk by a shop in the Spanish streets and see in the window whole legs of sows complete with hoof and thigh. For someone from the U.S., whose knowledge of the butcher often extends no further than the frozen food aisle, this can be somewhat disconcerting. But the feeling of nausea must be quickly mastered, because ham is by far the most common meat in Spain and has special cultural importance for the Iberian peninsula. Thanks to the expulsion of the Jews and Muslims from Spain as well as the subsequent Inquisition in the Middle Ages, pork took on a very important role in the culture and religion of Spain. Pork became a staple in most households because it stands as a symbol of Christianity as it differs from the Muslim and Jewish religious practices. In a time when the Catholic faith was being championed by the Reconquest, Counterreformation and Inquisition, something as superficial as the consumption of pork confirmed your orthodoxy. Centuries later, pork remains a staple in the Spanish diet.

While pork is used around Spain, it is perhaps most used in the region of Castile and Leon due to its central location. In the coastal cities of Spain, seafood is emphasized instead. In Barcelona, the seafood is always fresh and always abundant. Both seafood and pork are used in dishes like paella – a popular rice dish of the Spanish people. On the other hand, fresh vegetables and potatoes contribute to the Spanish tortilla, gazpacho and olive oil.

In terms of drinks, Spain is anything but lacking. While certain regions of Spain boast large vineyards and artisan wines, Sangria remains the drink of choice in most Spanish establishments. Many times a caña of Sangria is served with tapas (Spanish hors d’oeuvres) late into the Iberian night. The diverse ingredients that make up Sangria – red wine, fruit juice, rum, sugar and fresh fruit - resemble the diverse cultures that have contributed to the history of Spain and Europe at large.

The Voice of Zamora

Zamora was quiet this weekend. Whether this is typical of the city or brought on by the fact that August is vacation time in Spain is immaterial. The silence that enveloped the city was enough to allow the whisper of her history to speak across the ages.

Zamora is a city in the region of Castille & Leon that is often called a “Romanesque museum” because of its 24 Romanesque cathedrals and the ruins of a large Roman castle at the edge of the city. It is this history of the Roman times that echoed through the silence of the city. Tufts of grass now grow out of cracking Roman construction but the presence of the ancient civilization is evident in every edifice.

But Rome is not the only player in the history of this city. By the river, small houses stretch over the water called “Las Aceñas de Olivares”. The houses were used as water mills in which to grind grain, but their construction dates back to the Muslim influence in Spain. “Aceñas” is actually a shortening of the Muslim word for grain mill and it dates back to the 10th century.

Thanks to their restoration in 2008, the Aceñas continue to churn the River Duero oblivious to the modern world and all her caprices. And the people of Zamora continue to live quietly, products of the history that abounds around them.

Spain and the Americas

There is a flipside to every coin, a dark side for every light, and the discovery of the Americas is no exception for Spain. While the discovery is known as a key player in the economic history of Spain, it is also acknowledged as a black mark in her treatment of the conquered. It is acknowledged, but not overly dwelt on. Like most historical events, the discovery of the Americas and the treatment of her peoples is simply an event of the past – it serves as a lesson, and at times leaves a scar.

In my first days of literature classes at the University of Salamanca, someone touched on Latin American writers and asked our professor what she thought of them. Our professor hesitated to say much but commented that, often times, Latin American writers are overly fixated on the maltreatment of the native peoples by the Spanish conquistadors. It seems that for many, the time of bereavement has long since passed, leaving the balm of centuries to assuage any hard feelings.

Perhaps Latin American writers dwell on the travesties of Spain, but many Latin American people look on their Spanish heritage as a status symbol. The feelings of the Latin American students with whom I worked was definitely a favorable one. Those with Spanish heritage were always to be envied and if you were graced with the lisp of Spain, better to exaggerate it than to leave any shadow of doubt as to your heritage. A girl with both a Mexican passport and Spanish passport thanks to the happenstance of birth was to be envied as much as one with both Mexican and American passports thanks to the situation of their birth on the Mexican-American border. One lucky girl enjoyed the prestige of Spanish blood while another enjoyed the ease of United States citizenry.

Like the unfinished La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, perceptions continue to change and evolve concerning the relationship between Spain and the New World. However, as it stands, it seems that Spain would move past their controversial relationship with the Americas, and Latin America would hold onto the legacy of Spain as a sign of their own worth or of their own misfortune.