I suppose my ongoing Velvet recaps could count as reviewing culture from Spain, but I went with a book in the spirit of reading around the world. And that brings me to An Englishman in Madrid, a spy novel set in pre-Franco Spain. The protagonist, Anthony Whitelands, is an English art historian. In 1936, he… [Read More]
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Recapping Velvet: Season 1, Episode 10, “The Big Day”
Warning: there are many, many spoilers about the Spanish drama Velvet ahead. I think I’m in denial about how much I liked this show, because I have pages of notes but it takes me forever to write them up. And when I write them up, I just get annoyed by how these characters behave. This episode… [Read More]
Luxembourg: The Expats
I got a little behind in my world reading project. The problem isn’t the reading so much as writing up the reviews! The Expats, by Chris Pavone is a thriller about an expatriate family living in Luxembourg. The country has a population of about 650,000, about half of whom are expats. This creates a tension… [Read More]
Detroit’s Cathedral of Finance
On a recent trip to Detroit, I checked out the Guardian Building, which is also known as The Cathedral of Finance. It was built in 1929 for the Union Trust Company, a bank that claimed 25% of Detroit’s deposit market. It’s absolutely gorgeous, with ceramic brick and Pewabic tiles. The pictures tell the story better… [Read More]
Recapping Velvet: Season 1, Episode 9, “Alberto’s Choice”
Warning: there are many, many spoilers about the Spanish drama Velvet ahead. Language Point: Fulada, meaning tart or whore. They never teach the swears in Spanish class. Emilio returns the briefcase, then goes down to talk to Ana. He reminds her that his job and his life is on the line, too. Ana explains that she… [Read More]
