Just a quick note-returned from Mallorca yesterday. Great place to visit off season. Beautiful views, nice people, interesting historical sites, great cultural experiences abound.
The one stirring moment that brought tears to my eyes was to see a church built on top of a synagogue. Of course, this happened centuries ago; nevertheless, the ugliness of the building reminded me of the ugliness of the original act. Before Queen Isabel tried to unite the various kingdoms of Spain, Christians, Muslims and Jews lived and worked side by side. I’m sure that even then, living together was not perfect. However, trying to make the whole of Spain speak Spanish and practice Catholicism in an attempt to unify its parts had a horrible effect on the then population. It brought out the worst in people. Taking material things from rightful owners makes a people lazy. No wonder the Armada failed.
