Spanish views from a small town

The other night, watching a program that us ually deals with sup ernatural themes ( I like a good ghost story), they brought up this story. I don't rememb er hearing about it when it happened, but it made me think about how sin gular Spain and Spanish industry are. Or were, if we're lucky. I have been to the Pyrenees and they have awed me . Every green corner and rolling stream look like man has never touched it. But down in their foothills, in the province of Huesca, near Jaca, the town of Sabiñ án igo is invisib ly ill. Man has imposed himself with his poisons on this land. This is where the chemical company, Inquinosa, spewed its poi son for almost t wenty years. In 1975 the company set up a factory to make lindane. This is an organochlorin e that was first synthesi zed in 1825 by Michael Faraday, pionee r in ele ctrochemistry and electromagnetism. However, it wasn't until 1942 that it began to be used as a pestici de. It has been used to treat almost eve rything...

In Almería province there is a fishing village with an evocative name, Palomares. The name means dovecotes, and brings to mind the cooing of doves and peaceful surroundings. In Spain its name brings to mind midnight minus two seconds. In 1966 Franco was a firm ally of the United States. After all, through the Marshall Plan at the end of World War II, the United States brought much- needed relief to a country that had not been able to recuperate from a bestial Civil War ten years earlier and punishment inflicted during the World War for being an ally of the Axis powers. Franco was a shrewd dictator and knew when to cut his losses and make an international about face. As the War drew to a close, and it was obvious his friend Hitler was going to lose, Franco decided Spain wasn't going down with the ship. He cut his ties and turned to the Allies as a neutral. He was admitted into the club and was given relief. In return, he ceded territory for the United States to use as air bases at...