2nd day of Lorca conference

At dinner last night there was a larger group of younger people, kind of loud. After they left the head waiter complained about them to the rest of us eating there, mostly older people like me. I guess that's why they call it the "Residencia de Estudiantes," he said. I wasn't bothered so much though I wasn't sorry to see them leave.

***

Slept ok: jet lag usually affects me more the second night. Still no signs of Lorquistas at breakfast.

I walked down to Hiperión in the morning, a bookstore selling mostly poetry.  It is not being kept up well, and I only found a few books I wanted, including a selection of the Venezuelan poet Gerbasi. The Central down by the Reina Sofía is much better.

 On the other side of Recoletos from Hiperión is the historic Café Gijón. I had a coffee there; asked to play the piano and of course the waiter said no, and not in a very sympathetic way. It would have just as easy to say no with a smile, but I'm very used to the antipático style of Madrid. A bit of piano withdrawal here. I didn't stay as long in Gijón as I would have if the waiter had been a bit less gruff.

I notice from the program that the conference is international because of scholars from 3 nations: Spain itself, the US, and Italy.  There is one other woman from the US, Melissa Dinverno from Indiana U, me, and an Italian guy.  Tomorrow we will be in the Complutense, and on Wed. we stay in the Resi itself. I'm wondering whether the Spanish participants will show up for their own day and then go home again.

***

Talk went well. Didn't have many questions.  Reconnected with a Lorquista from the U. of Indiana, who gave the talk right before mine. Had a beer with Don Wellman, Gamoneda's translator, then dinner with the Indiana Lorquista and a Spanish guy whose book I had once reviewed (favorably, which was good.) I ended up walking 20,741 steps today, since I walked back from the Reina Sofía.