Jonathan's last blog

I'll get the language points out of the way first, Silvia .....

About Almodovar, you write: "As for his beginnings, he wasn’t considered politically correct. However, he is in fact a transgressor artist." The link word 'however' doesn't seem right here, because it signifies a contrast - but for a lot of people, being a transgressor artist and being politically incorrect would be pretty much the same thing.

"..... people excluded from the society" should be people excluded from society - i.e. from society in general.

And about Penelope Cruz: "She is actually one of his muses, and lately she has become his inspiration." But I think part of being a 'muse' is being an inspiration, isn't it?

"Now, she is trying to make her way overseas." This could mean that she's trying to leave the country. I suppose you mean something like:

Now she is trying to build a career overseas.
Now she is trying to establish herself internationally.

..... to become more famous beyond our borders.

in a Hollywood street.

The Others, which starred Nicole Kidman is a disturbing film with an unusual ending.

Luis Buñuel is a famous old film director.

I must make a point of seeing more Spanish films. I have to admit that most of the names you mention are unknown to me. Achero Mañas sounds particularly interesting

You can see him as a kind of modern poet.

"One of his films that is my favourite .....":

This could be:

My favourite of his films / My favourite film of his / My favourite film by him
(i.e. my top favourite)

or:

One of my favourite films by him

This film makes one think about what our ideals are .....

So there's always room for improvement. But more importantly .....

Thanks very much, Silvia, for all you have contributed to this forum over the past few weeks, and for all you've told us about yourself, your region and your country. It's been very educational for me, and it's really rekindled my interest in Spain and Spanish culture. In fact, it looks as if I might be going to Madrid later this year, so I'll be dusting off my Spanish textbooks in preparation for that.

You're really doing fine with your English. And I've noticed that even during this short time, you've managed to take on board some of the corrections I've suggested, and to implement them in subsequent postings. Good luck with your English and your professional life.

Thank you, too, to everyone around the world who has read and contributed to this blog, with questions, stories, opinions, greetings and supportive messages. I'm sure that your dialogue will continue. (I'll be reading, as well!)

Silvia, you wrote: "Jonathan, you seem to have travelled a lot." Well, not really, at least not compared with a lot of people nowadays. But I've travelled around Europe quite a bit, from North Cape at the extreme north of Norway to Cádiz in the south of Spain - by train, by bus, by ferry, by bike and on foot, wearing out innumerable pairs of boots and shoes on the way, and taking thousands of photos.

For the forseeable future, whatever other travelling I do, I'll certainly be travelling backwards and forwards between Łeba and Leeds, like a yo-yo or a pendulum. So here are a couple of final photos to illustrate the movement of that pendulum.

You already know that I'm a big train enthusiast. Well, much as I enjoy the comfort, convenience and efficiency of fast, modern trains, I also greatly appreciate the opportunity to travel back in time and ride on old-style steam trains. Yet another of our favourite days out when we're in Leeds is the trip along the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. This is one of a large number of preserved railways in Britain which are operated entirely by volunteers - yes, I once worked there for a while, too!



And finally, back to Poland. Whether or not there's any more snow and ice, there'll certainly be three or four months of cold, grey weather to contend with. And then .....

One of the definitive signs of spring is the arrival of the storks, which fly in from southern Africa, where they've spent the winter. In fact, Poland is the most popular destination for migrating storks, and they're a characteristic feature of the summer landscape here. They build their nests - and return to them from year to year - surprisingly close to human settlement and activity: on rooftops, chimneys, telephone posts and special platforms that people construct for them, as well as trees.


So I'll leave you all with that as a hopeful sign of spring, renewal and success in all your ventures.

Jonathan

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