Welcome to Confused Heap of Facts!
Why is this blog called Confused Heap of Facts?
Málaga: A (sort of) river runs through it
A white van is parked under a bridge while two city council workers collect old cardboard boxes, plastic bags and other piles of rubbish. Dog owners let their excited pets off the lead to run around and chase each other. … Continued
The Countess, the castle and the colonia.
What does a medieval castle in a small Spanish town and a modern housing estate in Madrid have in common? You might be surprised to learn that both are linked to the last Empress of France: Eugenia, the Countess of … Continued
History Lives in Carabanchel
This Saturday, I took a short train ride, but a long trip back in time to find out more about the first inhabitants of the lively and diverse neighbourhood of Carabanchel. Most of the dwellings in this southern barrio date … Continued
Pig Out! – The porcine traditions of La Alberca.
Every August I visit the town of La Alberca for a language immersion programme and to escape the heat of Madrid. Nestled in the Sierra de Francia region of Salamanca, the area is named after the influx of French workers … Continued
Seeing San Isidro
WARNING: THE PICTURES IN THIS POST SHOW HUMAN REMAINS The smell of incense and the sounds of Mass float out of the side door of San Isidro Collegiate Church on Calle do Toledo, as a long queue shuffles past. People … Continued
Toledo Bridge and San Isidro
Stroll down the hill from Puerta de Toledo and you can find the impressive and very decorative Toledo Bridge. This 180 metre long, nine arched structure, replaced two late 17th century wooden bridges, both destroyed by floods. It’s hard to … Continued
La Alberca: A portal to the past
La Alberca in the region of Salamanca is a place full of history. In its dark narrow streets sit sloping timber buildings dating from the 14th century onwards. This picture postcard village in Spain was the first to be given … Continued
Belmonte and the Ruta de Quixote
“In a place in La Mancha whose name I cannot quite recall…” The wind whips through the narrow, quiet streets of Belmonte, a small hillside town in the flat plains of La Mancha in southeast Spain. The locals hang thick … Continued