A Homage to Jarama and Bob Doyle

Last Saturday we met up early near Atocha and boarded two coaches bound for the civil war battlefield of Jarama where many members of the Fifth International Brigade had fought against Franco and his nationalist army.

The last Irish member Bob Doyle died on the 22nd of January aged 92 and he had battled all his life from the strrets of Dublin to Jarama and beyond.
We were a motley crew of Spaniards with political affilitions to the cause, ex pats who were interested in the civil war but of the left bank and some whose family had fought for the Republican cause.

Even the olives were bleeding and as we made our way around the battlefield with trenches and bunkers still in place seventy years after the battle, one felt much emotion and hope that in these dark days, we might rediscover their ideals.

There were talks in Spanish and English about this major event in world history interspersed with poetry readings, songs and a lone piper played. We held minutes of silence for those who fell in thes stony hills and for Bob Doyle the last to fall.

We retired to Meson El Cid to dine on fine baby lamb and local wine before a visit to the museum which contained photos of O´Duffy and Ryan showing the Irish had taken both sides in that terrible bloodbath. Truth and love against the force of evil.

Viva la Quienta Brigada¡

Where is the wisdom?

Having spent the last 72 hours on a diet of painkillers, mashed vegetables and clamoxyl holed up in my flat - one wonders about the logic of paying good money to have pain inflicted on oneself.
I am of course speaking of a visit to the dentist where a wisdom tooth was despatched. Since the anastethic wore off , the discomfort has been constant and another two visits early next week promise more physical and financial pain.
It had been a number of years since my last visit to a dentist and I have been paying ever since. The name of the establishment in Torrelodones is Ratoncito Perez which is the name of the mouse which collects a child´s tooth from under the pillow after it has fallen out. This is quiet suitable as my behaviour is not very brave when i visit but would highly recommend the place if your teeth require a service.

On a happier front , Leinster have qualified for the Heineken quarters and we will travel to the cabbage patch in London on Easter Sunday. The previous day, we will be in the land of leeks to see Cardiff play Toulouse with my froggy friends. It promises to be quite a weekend and one is hopeful of a semi final in Dublin against the red jerseyed media darlings.

We have more snow.