Vides Gays For Ihpone

The other "face"

frequently visit the column by Arturo Perez-Reverte in XLSemanal . With the release Sunday / Sunday best of my esteemed Voz De Galicia, performs the same ritual for many years and his first patent Arturo Corso in this supplement, second Cristino Álvarez and gastroarqueología class in the extra Sunday La Voz. These first 15 minutes of the day are in charge of opening the floodgates to both brain and stomach. A luxury. However
Sunday could not be. The reasons do not come to mind as well, despite the enormous interest that may arise, I will not discuss my private life. The result is that I laughed 72 hours later than the rest of the misadventures dumps the grocery . They say he who laughs last laughs best, it was not the case.

Because neither he nor his writing goes to church: it is usually delicious does not involve having faith in their sleeves cut weekly. My taste was his column / character is purely cerebral, without admiration and indulgence (to say the truth, I have not even dropped his movie). On the contrary.
So every Sunday I go back to examine the added to my desire to skip the pad of the postman and backing to see the face of unbearable Prada is highly proportional to the pleasure I sought Arturo will last Sunday.
And while the pleasure induced is variable - with a half high - today I turned the page (topándome again with the bloody face of non-intelligent designer ) with some mixed feelings: Yes but no. I laughed, I quietly uttered the inevitable "asshole" when it appears in the silly column. But I have left a bittersweet taste in the mouth. And amuse-gueule Cristino dip. That would be my answer, if I were this guide:

Story El Escorial. It's my job but also my passion. The thing comes from 15 years ago, when my parents decided to move in front , as he called San Lorenzo. Not a day that does not take a walk in the surroundings: a pleasant stroll, especially on sunny winter mornings, when the monastery was cut impassive under the clear sky of the mountains, without speculation, stupidity or knavery urban country may have, yet, destroy the four centuries of memory that contain their venerable walls of gray granite. After so much time walking through its rooms, stairways and corridors, it is normal for anyone familiar with the building finishes and its history.
So when friends of my parents came home, used, resulting in pride of my parents, to accompany those who had not yet visited the monastery. About the impressed by the sobriety of the three small rooms from which Philip II directed the vast and powerful empire on earth, and other battles room or library, but when all are stunned, especially the foreigners, it is going down to the crypt where, from the Emperor Charles so far, the remains of all the kings of Spain.

After a few years, quite naturally, I ended official guide, after having passed the relevant examination and paid the rates irrelevant. I have spent about 10 years working as such and my joy would be complete if it had, like many other professionals, to fight against 2 items devastating combination: fewer and fewer customers and more intrusive.
- less customers because today's culture is no longer valued. And no one pays for what is not valued. Today, we visit El Escorial liability: it is a guide or brochure that says you have to visit it, because you can not go home saying that you have not seen, because although no one walked on his own museum city, while out the tourists never miss one.
But obviously the vast majority passed the guidance and comply with what indicates a display or poster (best first especially if you have a doll-logo corny), provided that not more than 8 lines.
- more intrusive because there are professional people who want to go and save the test hotshot, rates, self and other obligations of saying that "we all." Although there is another more painful intrusion in my opinion: the few fans who take advantage of the low background and no cultural requirement of some visitors more interested in verifying whether the wine is included in the lunch menu in the gauntlets of Don Juan Austria. To these people, the guide will drop 3 pirate historical data, desktop-like many stories on television, For example, the only queen boy - Francisco de Asis de Borbón - who says, with a half smile on his face, with much effort of will is supposed father of King Alfonso XI. And our visitors are delighted.

I do not. So I agreed with those responsible for the room a relentless hunt these real pirates of culture (not like those who do not want to fill the pockets of the $ EAG).
few days ago, a campus security guard, heeding the orders of the address without it being this really your competition - it must be said - he called attention to a man who was explaining many details all the secrets of my Monument a couple of 50 years. "Another of those who want to exercise without a license!" Said the guard. "These agencies are hired because they are paid less than officers, and then for us to do the dirty work." he muttered. However, what was not surprised to hear answered by the alleged infringer was not guidance but a friend of the couple in question. "A wise guy with an excuse brought from home? Or a really religious guy" is asked. Besides that the former was statistically more likely, the poor watchman, paid to discern a troublemaker, a thief or a vandal mere visitor, was plagued by doubt: "If I let him do, like phone call me a fool to swallow the toad and get kicked out. Having regard to the Euribor, the wrong time. And if it is really a friend, as seems to be due to the absence of surprise in the face of the pair when presented as such, I doubt that will accept him to shut up. "In the end, the guard opted for the solution of all life" which is not sent, and the the boss is away. They sent me not to let people who are not in possession of the card guide practice as such. "He realized the absurdity of his answer at the same time as the words escaped his mouth and face of his interlocutor countenance changed. This then started to talk about his balls, he proposed that pegase a shot, made the classic reference to the constitution, let out a tirade about freedom and left.

When the guard came to tell the incident, I immediately realized that was wrong of prey, the classic over-zeal of a person who was taught to obey rather than think. I thought of running after that "other profession professional guide" to offer my sincere apologies and excuse the vigilante. But I immediately thought that someone so educated and so in love with the Escorial would have understood perfectly well that we put much (if too much) emphasis on protecting the quality of information provided to visitors. I even imagined he shared our concern to avoid the intrusion. For sure he, too, have a profession related to the culture in which it will have tried many CANTAMAÑANAS brew. And above all, did not hesitate a moment to accept the incident as collateral damage and not ride any scandal for / with it.

Greetings Arthur, we read I read.

PS unquoted extracts Arturo Perez-Reverte included in the letter, and you notice the difference in style.