Posts by Gravy
The Death of a Doorman
My previous portero died unexpectedly. One day he was there – a fat and jovial man, bald, glasses, head pushed a little forward giving way to the staircase of rolls…
El Abuelo’s Ashes
Buenaventura Bravo’s main job during the Spanish Civil War was getting his goats out of the village and into the mountains. This was no top-secret mission, entrusted upon young ’Ventura…
The Problem with Assimilation
“The problem with Muslims is that they don’t assimilate,” announced the Australian owner of a Balinese sports bar. The red-nosed sexagenarian was drunk on his own stock and the admiration…
I Travelled Spain With 29 Women
A love letter to my she-wolfpack This is an ode to the 29 women whom I just travelled with. 29 babes. The 29 femme fantasies, 19-to-29-year-old horny, but mostly hungry…
The Astray Guide to Travelling Spain
Where: Modern Spain is best defined as occupying most of the land that was conquered by, and then reclaimed from, the Moors, minus the kingdom to the west that wasn’t…
The Astray Guide to Not Looking Like a Tourist in Spain
Did you know that Spaniards have their own term of disendearment for us? Well they do, it’s guiri (pronounced giddy), and it basically means sunburnt foreigner who puts chorizo in all…
Why Do A Writing Workshop In Spain?
¿Porque no? In line with our ethos to foster writers and writing in the most interesting and pleasant places on Earth, the time is ripe to offer our world-famous and…
A Gringo Goes to Salvador’s Carnival
When you hear ‘Ziriguidum‘, you’re required to put both hands on your knees and bend down like you’re addressing an imaginary, ground-borne squirrel. Once you’re in that position – knees bent…
The Angry White Man in the Van
Another attack in a major city has left us needing to talk about the angry young man in the room, or better, in the hire van. In Toronto, on Monday,…
These Dickheads Probably Still Think This Is Okay (And So Do Most of Their Mates)
Another week, another group of young Australians in blackface. It’s a regular enough occurrence for the outrage to be dulled; it’s not going to go viral, a panel of white…
We Survived the Tokyo Snowstorm
Our roommate, J, told me this was the coldest winter Tokyo had experienced in 48 years. He told this to Gemma, too. Information from Jonny is taken with a grain…