Isabel Pantoja
Avid followers of Spanish corruption cases will recall the case of Isabel Pantoja who was a famous singer here in Spain before getting involved with Julián Muñoz, corrupt mayor of Marbella who is doing time for embezzlement, bribery and corruption. La Pantoja, as she is affectionately known here, has been given 2 years jail for blanqueando dinero (money laundering) for Muñoz . La Pantoja, star of stage, screen, radio and Cash Converters had a long career and a string of hit songs, the most memorable being; 'Cambio Por Tí' (I'll Change Money For You) , 'Te Puedes Fiarte de mí' (You Can Bank On Me) and 'No Me Gustan Lugares Limitados (I Don't Like Confined Spaces').
La Pantoja doesn't fancy being locked up and, with the help of the best lawyers laundered money can buy she has lodged appeal after appeal. Last Thursday she was 'given 72 hours to go to the prison of her choice voluntarily or risk being arrested', and apparently this will mean 'staying in prison all the days of the week', not just Monday to Friday. Her son, Kiko, is not happy at all. His 2000€ a week pocket money will stop for a start. He asked on Twitter, 'Is all of Spain happy now? I hate this country'. 'La Pantoja' will be joining her lover, Muñoz, and his ex-wife in Seville's Alcalá de Guadaíra penitentionary which has an excellent chef, free wifi and satellite TV in every suite. I expect she'll be out in time for the release of her new album, 'Live from Alcalá de Guadaíra'.
The Duchess of Alba
On the same day that La Pantoja got the black spot from the Málaga courts,. Maria de Rosario Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart de Silva XXV111 duquesa de Alba and Berwick-upon Tweed died aged 88. Cayetana, as she was affectionately (apparently) known was a multibillionairess, had more noble titles (over 40) to her name, than anyone else in the world and owned so much land that she could travel from Santander to Málaga (north to south for the geographically challenged) without leaving her property. 'All mine!' she was known to sing (to the tune of 'Y Viva España' ) as her limousine cruised duchesstically down the A-1 towards Burgos where the best morcilla (black pudding) comes from -Cayetana owned some of the biggest morcilla farms in Spain.
Most Spaniards believe that The Duchess of Almost Everywhere Including a Big Chunk of Scotland) was so posh that Queen Elizabeth 2nd. of Great Britain had to curtsey to her. This is a lie. She always denied that she had undergone any cosmetic surgery. That's a lie too.
The Bitch on Heat
Our Tommy has had his head turned by this beauty queen of the castillo.. Two of Joseli's many dogs are Chinese Shar-Peis, arguably the ugliest dogs in the world. But they do say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. With dogs it's all at the opposite end. Joseli makes a few euros breeding them and selling the cachorros (pups) to dog lovers with either visual disabilities or a sense of humour. One of them is on heat and has captured the heart of our Tommy, an innocent in these matters. He has been off his grub for days and spends all his time howling and panting and whining and living for his next encounter up at the castillo. It appears that the scent can be detected 'half a field away' (?).
Joseli, who lets his dogs roam free, is mildly amused and tries to explain to me the finer points of canine reproduction by fairly explicit and unambiguous signs and some words I can't find in the Oxford Concise Spanish Dictionary. I think Tommy understands them. I googled 'Do dogs get lovesick?' and the answers confirmed that he was indeed in deep. I have had to change his morning walk now to 'switch him off' and even Mrs. Sanchez is sympathetic. He seems to be over it now and I shall be looking around for a suitable gilrlfriend for him when we get back to Blighty next week. 'How're you gonna keep 'em down on the farm now that they've seen Paree?'
Last Sunday we were invited by two lovely ladies, both named Ana Molina to una comida (lunch) at Ana's casa de campo.(country retreat). One of the Ana Molina's was our good friend Antonio's wife. He died three years ago and the other Ana is Ana's cousin. Bob and Christine came too and the party was completed by Santi Mámely and Ana Molina's mother who may also be called Ana Molina. Twelve dogs had also been invited and Ana could name them all. ( all called 'Perro Molina') Ah, the country life!
The afternoon was warm and sunny so the table was set outside (November 23rd. please note) and Ana and Santi peeled some naranjas (oranges) and seeded some granadas (pomegranates) for a salad.
Ana Molina (foreground) and Santi Mámely preparing la comida
Instead of throwing he peel in the bin or over the wall, Ana hung it up in strips on the window's rejas. I had heard about this before, but the explanation I had been given by a patron of Bar Madrugón had seemed bizarre and probably a wind up.
Not at all. 'For polvora', said Ana .'We get 3 € a bag for the dried peel at Hermanos Ramos down by the station and they send it off to make municiones ¡Hay que ver!
Click on the link if you don't believe me.
The meal was lovely
November 27th. 2014
I believe. Would I ever doubt. Will linkclick though.
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