Spain by the Horns
by Tim Elliott
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'Who is Jesulìn?' I asked. 'Who is Jesulìn?' said Julio. 'Just the most successful matador in the history of de bools. Almost everyone you meet in Spain has something to say about Jesulin,' he said. 'Si, si, if you want to write a book about Spain, Jesulìn is your man.' For Tim Elliott, a man who buttered his toast to the edges and was always home in time to see the news, Spain was synonymous with flamboyance, passion, spontaneity and adventure. In Spain, he felt, people inhabited every show more inch of their lives. They feasted upon it, up to their elbows. They drank red wine with lunch and smoked full-strength cigarettes. So when he heard about Jesulin, a handsome and talented young bullfighter who fills arenas with adoring women, Elliott went looking for him, certain the man dubbed 'the Beckham of bullfighting' held the key to the heart of this enigmatic country. Criss-crossing Spain on a diet of tapas and sherry, he finds himself plunged headlong into a world of ancient ritual, eccentric characters and all-consuming passions. It's a quixotic quest through a land where no one is ever on time, there's always a fiesta on somewhere, and the gossip glossies are as revered as Columbus. Funny, fast-paced and revealing, Spain By the Horns takes you below the surface of the world's most colourful nation, to experience a Spain you'll never forget. show lessTags
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Elliott has a dream – to write a book about Jesulin, a famous bull-fighter in Madrid. So he left his family and flew to Spain for the sake of his interest in bullfighting.
It didn’t end with a happy ending like how I’ve expected. Meaning, he didn’t achieve his goal in the end. However, it’s not the end that matters. It’s the journey that counts.
Initially, I thought this book is all about bullfighting. Of course I was wrong. It’s an eye opener to everything Spanish. Elliott talks about the gypsies and some exorcise neophytes. And how he went to curanderos, the healer. Then he met Regordán who told him the story of magic circle. The circle is made from 12 white stones alternating with 12 red stones. Red – the color of fire show more and blood. Each button represents a constellation in the zodiac. However, twelve has a wide Christian significant – 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles, Revelation noted that Jerusalem will have 12 foundations and 12 gates. The city measures 12,000 furlongs and has 12 precious stones within it. The Tree of Life will produce 12 different kinds of fruit, etc.
This is why I feel that this book does not only focuses on travel, however there is incidental customary knowledge that Elliott imported into this writing. I’m reading it again. The information put forward are beyond general knowledge, gotta spend some time to digest it.
http://reading-now.blogspot.com/2007/07/spain-by-horns-tim-elliotte.html#links show less
It didn’t end with a happy ending like how I’ve expected. Meaning, he didn’t achieve his goal in the end. However, it’s not the end that matters. It’s the journey that counts.
Initially, I thought this book is all about bullfighting. Of course I was wrong. It’s an eye opener to everything Spanish. Elliott talks about the gypsies and some exorcise neophytes. And how he went to curanderos, the healer. Then he met Regordán who told him the story of magic circle. The circle is made from 12 white stones alternating with 12 red stones. Red – the color of fire show more and blood. Each button represents a constellation in the zodiac. However, twelve has a wide Christian significant – 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles, Revelation noted that Jerusalem will have 12 foundations and 12 gates. The city measures 12,000 furlongs and has 12 precious stones within it. The Tree of Life will produce 12 different kinds of fruit, etc.
This is why I feel that this book does not only focuses on travel, however there is incidental customary knowledge that Elliott imported into this writing. I’m reading it again. The information put forward are beyond general knowledge, gotta spend some time to digest it.
http://reading-now.blogspot.com/2007/07/spain-by-horns-tim-elliotte.html#links show less
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