lost in translation

© 2003 - 2007 Graham Jeffery

I'm back. And whilst I'm washing the sand from my undies, and before I get round to reviewing my reading, I thought I'd post a couple of observations from Gran Canaria.

• The Spanish have not implemented a smoking ban. This is because smoking seems to be the national pastime. They smoke everywhere, all the time, on the move, and mostly strong cigarettes. This kind of ruins the whole alfresco eating thing for an ex-smoker-parent like me.

• The Spanish love children. I mean absolutely love them (although they don't let this get in the way of smoking- many mothers have perfected the art of holding a child, smoking and gesticulating during conversation at the same time). I think my son thinks he's famous after all the attention he received whilst out and about. He looked quite put out once back in London where, let's be honest, you have to work pretty hard to get anyone to look up from reading their free newspaper.
  

• The Spanish don't seem to have heard of high chairs. You either have the child on your lap or feed them in their buggy. As a result our buggy now looks like a lost work by Jackson Pollock.

• I love those lovely bits of literal translation which can make reading a menu a confusing experience. My two favourites were hummus made from 'the finest cheak-pie' and a sandwich containing 'muffled zucchini' (which turned out to be a thin slice of courgette, battered and fried).

• Babies love eating sand.

All three books I read whilst away are great. I can't wait to tell you what I thought. But I'll have to. And so will you.