Los Potreros

Estancia Los Potreros is an exclusive 6,500-acre working cattle farm, at the top of the Sierras Chicas in the heart of the beautiful region of Córdoba, Argentina.

Estancia Los Potreros dates from 1574 when breeding mules for the silver mines in Peru was the main activity on the hills.

Cattle replaced mules during the last century and today the estancia provides an idyllic retreat for horse riding and nature lovers.

Thank you, Jolyon

The Love of a Good Woman

The Love of a Good Woman is a collection of short stories by Canadian writer Alice Munro, published by McClelland and Stewart in 1998.

The eight stories of this collection (one of which was originally published in Saturday Night; five others were originally published in The New Yorker) deal with Munro's typical themes: secrets, love, betrayal, and the stuff of ordinary lives. Nice cover!

Combatants for Peace

Combatants for Peace is a movement started jointly by Palestinians and Israelis, who have taken an active part in the cycle of violence; Israelis as soldiers in the Israeli army (IDF) and Palestinians as part of the violent struggle for Palestinian freedom.

After brandishing weapons for so many years, and having seen one another only through weapon sights, they decided to put down their guns, and to fight for peace.

I was particularly moved by the stories about the village of Lifta. Great work; there is still reason to hope.

Ilan Shtayer - a former Israeli soldier who is now a member of "Combatants for Peace", is part of an association called "Save Lifta", which is fighting for the preservation of the village.

Horse Whisperer Martin Tata

Martin Tata has been showcasing his unique bond with horses through performances to tourists from around the world. Born and raised on a ranch in the traditional gaucho-town of San Antonio de Areco, around 110 kilometres outside of capital Buenos Aires, Tata has lived and worked amongst horses his entire life.

There is no whip in sight, no shouting or loud jabs. Not even a firm hand on the reins. And yet Martin Tatta somehow persuades his beloved Milonga to join him in acrobatic feats, from handstands to other poses that even the most understanding horses rarely display.

Through soft touches, gentle coaxing and a few tender nuzzles, it seems Tatta can sway his steeds to do just about anything. In San Antonio de Areco, a bastion of Argentine gaucho culture outside the capital of Buenos Aires, the 33-year-old Tatta is known as “the horse whisperer.”

Eleven years ago, the horse trainer’s way of “breaking” horses without aggression caught the attention of a local rancher, who encouraged Tatta to perform for tourists. Since then, he’s travelled the world displaying the special skill he has with horses.

Tatta insists anyone could do this, if they were to be patient and gentle enough. But veteran horseman Alberto Nally, who at 70 is one of the most experienced gauchos in the community, says no other gaucho has such a gentle touch.  “It hardly looks like he’s even trying or doing anything — that’s why it’s special,” Nally said. “I’ve seen other trainers using their reins and pulling the horse’s head back and forth, but Martin, no. He is steady and soft when he works with them. He has a gift. He was born with it.”

Muchas gracias, Ariel

Luis Buñuel's Viridiana

Viridiana is a 1961 Spanish-Mexican motion picture, directed by Luis Buñuel and produced by Mexican Gustavo Alatriste. It is loosely based on Halma, a novel by Benito Pérez Galdós.

I can't think of a more mischievous filmmaker than Luis Buñuel. After you get to know him, you can catch him winking in the first few shots. Under the opening title shot of "Viridiana," we hear Handel's "Messiah," but knowing Buñuel we doubt this will be a religious picture. In the second and third shots, we see a Mother Superior advising a novice at a cloistered convent to visit her old uncle before he dies. No good can come of this in a Buñuel film. The fourth shot shows a girl skipping rope. Well, not the whole girl, just her feet, observed for a little too long. "That was a wonderful afternoon little Luis spent on the floor of his mother's closet," Pauline Kael once observed, "and he has never allowed us to forget it."

So: Buñuel the satirist, Buñuel the anti-clerical, Buñuel the fetishist. That's the usual litany, but we should not exclude Buñuel the grandmaster of black comedy. None of his films is lacking a cheerfully sardonic view of human nature. His object is always dry humor. Even when he was working for Hollywood studios, recycling the sets and costumes of English-language pictures into Spanish versions of the same screenplays, or later simply dubbing them into Spanish, he slyly slipped in a few touches that were lacking in the sources. He is one of the great originals, creator of satirical delight, sometimes hilarious funny, and if you love great movies you sooner or later get to him.

Uuno Klami

Uuno (Kalervo) Klami (20 September 1900 – 29 May 1961) was a Finnish composer. He was born in Virolahti. Many of his works are related to the Kalevala. He was influenced by French and Spanish music, and especially by Maurice Ravel, for whom he had a particular esteem.

He participated in five armed conflicts, including two wars in Karelia, the Finnish Civil War, the Winter War of 1939-40 and the Continuation War of 1941-44.

The energetic Karelian Rhapsody was the first Finnish orchestral work to be published in Finland, and a long-time favourite in radio concert programs.

Klami died of a heart attack in Virolahti at age 60 while sailing his favorite boat "Miina".

Adishatz (2), with Mawa Jane

Following yesterday's post on Adishatz (goodby and hello in the Gascony language and a funky fashion brand too), let me introduce you to Mawa Jane.

With a strong interest in partying and rugby, Mawa Jane came up with this attire. 
French national colours, high heels and rugby socks with the Adishatz trademark Frenchman largely imprinted on it.

Just wonder what happened to her beret... 

Adishatz

"Adishatz" means "hello" and "goodbye" in the Béarnaise dialect, but is also the name of a brand of quirky T-shirts, inspired by Béarnaise traditions (like the beret, of course, and rugby).

Adishatz typically uses stereotypes of the French (or as perceived by non-French) as designs for their T-shirts.

Better even, they offer their own beret, made by Laulhere, with Adishatz label. 

Arvid Lorentz Fougstedt

Arvid Lorentz Fougstedt was a Swedish painter and cartoonist. He worked for a time as a draughtsman at the Swedish satirical magazine ‘Puck’ before moving to Paris to continue his studies. 

There he studied at the Académie Colarossi under Christian Krohg and at the Henri Matisse school. In 1916 he journeyed to Madrid where he was commissioned to copy Memling’s altar piece triptych in the Prado Museum. On his return to Sweden in 1917, his style reached a synthesis of French Empire, French Cubism, German Renaissance and Dutch early Renaissance. 

In 1918 he produced "Ingredients in David's studio" a painting statement that aligned himself with the New Objectivity movement.

He established himself as a major portrait artist. He became in 1934 a member of the Academy of Arts and in 1937 professor of drawing there.

The Basque Swastika

A World War II documentary that premiered at the recent San Sebastian Film Festival explores the interest of top Nazi officials in the unique Basque culture and its mysterious origins. 

“The Basque Swastika”relies on rare archival footage, historic documents and eyewitness accounts to feature an interesting look at Basque resistance and cooperation with the Nazi occupiers.

After Adolph Hitler’s military defeated France in 1940, German scouting troops arrived at the Bidasoa River near Hendaye. This paved the way for the arrival of Nazi forces that occupied parts of the Basque Country until 1944, according to the film.  Among those who visited the Basque Country was Heinrich Himmler, head of the Gestapo and one of the most powerful figures in Germany. Among the footage used by Andrés and Barajas is a short Nazi propaganda film titled “Im lande der Basken,” or “In the Land of the Basques.”  It was produced by noted German director Herbert Brieger, whose son is featured in “The Basque Swastika.” Other compelling footage shows German planes crashing at the beach at Donostia, or San Sebastian, and Nazi soldiers enjoying rest and relaxation on the sand at Biarritz. Even though the Basques opposed Spanish dictator Francisco Franco, who was supported by Hitler, several commentators in the documentary say that the Nazis viewed the Basques as one of Europe’s  “purer” races.  

The Basques were neither French nor Spanish, which in the view of some Nazis meant that they were not tainted by  impurities of other cultures, according to the film.

Oihane Perea Perez de Mendiola

Oihane Perea Perez de Mendiola (1977) was last year's bertsolaris champion and can proudly wear the txapeldun. 

A bertsolari is a singer of bertso, a musical verse in Basque tradition. The bertolaris are often found in pairs, in which a topic is sung extemporaneously in verses alternatively, but they can stage solo or group verse sessions too. Oihane is a teacher and facilitator at the Araba Bertsolaris Association. 

At the age of 12 she began in the Gasteiz bertsolaris school. She is 
currently Araba champion and is three-times provincial champion. 

Domaine des Coteaux d'Engravies

The vineyard Coteaux d'Engraviès was set up by Philippe and Claire Babin in 1998, following the long tradition of wine making in the Ariège.

From 2002 they became “organic”, working without synthetic pesticides or chemical fertilizers. They became fully certified organic in 2006.

In 2007 a cellar was set up in the town of Dun near the vineyards; a first favourite in the Guide Hachette and other international awards.

In 2013 the Roc Maillols is ranked among the top 10 of the selection Southwest in the Revue du Vin de France (RVF).

Needless to point out that Philippe Babin is a dedicated beret wearer!

Beret Wearing Demonstration

A demonstration on how to wear your beret (courtesy of Laulhere and Marina). Highly recommended!

Bérets from Ariège

Ariège (Arièja in the Occitan language) is a department in the Midi-Pyrénées region of southwestern France named after the Ariège River. Its capital is the town of Foix and the inhabitants of the department are known s Ariègeois or Ariègeoises.

No surprise these Ariègeois are proud beret wearers too and have their own berets to show pride of their "département". 

If interested, youy can order these berets here. 

La vie dans une ferme française (Life on a French Farm)

Another old (1950's) documentary with some incredible berets: La vie dans une ferme française ("Life on a French Farm"). The film is American made, but French spoken (poor subtitles available)

The film shows what a typical small French farm looked like, under the assistance of a Mr W.R. McConnell, Professor in History at the University of Miami. 

Les Bergers Carthares

Olivier et Marielle Chautard live on a farm in the foothills of the Pyrenees (Ariège) in the heart of Cathare country. For them, the best decision they ever made was to take on the family farm where they primarily breed sheep and angora goats.

"We live each day in complete happiness knowing how lucky we are to live within the framework of nature: the seasons, the sun, the rain, the snows (There'salways a reason for farmers to talk about the weather!)

Above all else, our trade is a passion. Olivier is a true breeder at heart, recognizing all his animals, attentive to the least sign indicating that a goat is ready for lambing or is sick... this often requires much patience and effort.

Marielle, is passionate about the creation and manufacture of the sweaters, jackets, coats..."

But what does their particular breeding mean? They have about fifty angora goats whose principal function is to produce mohair. Twice a year they shear them because their hair grows very quickly and each adult goat produces 3 to 4 kg of mohair. The fleece is sorted and classified in various categories of smoothness, length, cleanliness...

The mohair is then entrusted to the best home-workers to be transformed into various yarns for weaving or knitting.

Marielle developed some beautiful berets in a mix of mohair and silk.ore information here. 

A Small Community in the Vosges

A few good berets in this beautiful 1969 documentary about a village in the Baganelles Pass in the Vosges, where small scale farmers cling to their farms.   

The farmers explain their working conditions which are so much more difficult in the mountains. In winter, they become lumberjacks for the municipality. The images linger on the activities of daily life, milking cows, making cheese or landscaping. 

Even if you don't master the language, very worthwhile watching!

Basque Painter Patrick Larcebal

Basque artist painter Patrick Larcebal paints the land of his roots, expressing history and his attachment to the Basque Country through his paintings.

His paintings reflect the beauty and variety of landscapes of his country and tell through authentic scenes, the life of the Basques.

Larcebal made ​​the watercolor his favorite medium because it embodies softness and lightness, while his oil paintings  express the strength and presence of his characters and landscapes.

The Boinas of the Fábrica Nacional de Sombreros

The brand new page for the berets by the Uruguayan Fábrica Nacional de Sombreros is LIVE!

The Fábrica Nacional de Sombreros is a long-time player in the world of berets and one of the oldest beret manufacturers in the Americas. The manufacturing processes remain artisanal, a combination of handwork and machines that has hardly changed from 80 years ago. 

Making berets, or boinas, can't be studied - it is taught by masters to apprentices from person to person, from generation to generation. The Fábrica Nacional makes a variety of berets in a beautiful light density merino wool and pure cotton. Berets that are durable work-gear for the gauchos, farmers and peasants, adapted to South American conditions; breathable, warm in winter - cool in summer and due to their diameter, offering great protection form the sun.

South Pacific Berets stocks the medium diameter un-lined Nutria merino berets, the standard 295mm diameter Castillas in both merino wool and pure cotton in a variety of colours, as well as the custom made Cataluña Plato Grandes in 350mm diameter. 

All are top quality berets, made for South Pacific Berets (see label) and hard to find anywhere outside Uruguay.

The Almost Vanished World of Bernard Peyrol

French photographer/writer/director Bernard Peyrol makes me think of my photographer friend Jesus Arruabarrena, documenting rural living that is close to extinction.

 Peyrol also produced a film, introducing Pierre from Boutières. At the foot of Mt Mzenc, located on the border of the Haute Loire and the Ardeche, Pierre chooses to live on his modest farm and refuses all forms of "modernism". 

The scenes of Pierre come from the DVD "Le Monde Rural" (The Rural World). For more information and ordering, visit: www.peyrolbernard.com.