Richard Gwyn

Extreme weather in the Pyrenees

The photo reminds me of a painting by one of the old masters. The scene is Biblical. A shepherd hauls a bale of hay for his flock of terrified goats. Plumes of smoke drift across the land. There… Read More

Post-canícula promenade

  The howling of the village dogs has calmed down over the past week, due to the passing of the canícula (named for the dog star, Sirius, and its associated theme of mad dogs/midday sun, hence also ‘dog… Read More

The Black Lake of Antonio Machado

  El ojo que ves no es ojo porqué tú le veas  es ojo porqué te ve.   The eye you see is not an eye because you see it but because it sees you.   This morning,… Read More

Walter Benjamin at Portbou

Yesterday an excursion to Portbou and a picnic on a nearby beach to celebrate the birthday of our dear friend Juliette. As usual our large and straggling international party effectively turned a section of the beach into an… Read More