I'd like to welcome author and blogger friend Carrie Lofty to the island. Carrie writes great historical romance with an eye for detail and rich characterization. Her newest release is set in medieval Spain (que bueno!) and on her first day on the island, she'd like to discuss...Top Five Reasons Why Spain is Sexy
1. The landscape! Check out the beautiful vistas in this post. We're talking broad plateaus with spectacular sunsets, majestic mountains, and sweeping rivers. There is romance in this place. And if nothing else, it makes a great change from writing about rainy ole' England!
2. The monks! Monks, you say? How can they possibly be sexy? Well the Order of St. James was so eager to recruit new warriors to their ranks--the better to fight Islamic tribes to the south--that they enacted very liberal policies. The monks could get married! And besides, isn't there something sexy about a man who has that much, ahem, self-control?
3. The laws! More cultural warfare against those pesky Moors meant very liberal laws throughout the kingdoms--anything to promote Christianity, no matter how nominal. So if you and your sweetheart went out in to the desert and spent the night, you could legally come back in the morning and declare yourselves married. No banns. No priest. No witnesses. Just the word of the two people involved. It was either that or suggest that God wasn't looking out for these two good Christian kids.
4. The people! Mediterranean countries, particular the Spanish kingdoms with their proximity to the Moors, were like medieval melting pots. People from all over converged because of trade routes, religious orders, and political wheeling and dealing. That meant a huge variety of faces, languages, and cultures. Who knows who you'll meet? (He's probably tall, dark and handsome!)
5. The danger! Nothing is sexier than sharing a dangerous adventure with a hot man who's handy with a sword. Danger gets the blood pumping and makes two stubborn would-be lovers realize all they stand to lose...
And hey, if they get it on out there in the gorgeous Spanish countryside, they can always decide to get married--even if the guy is a monk!
What are your thoughts on Spain? Sexy? Intriguing? Too unknown?
(Tomorrow: Top Five Reasons Why Monks Are Sexy!)
7 comments:
Hi Carrie! Thanks so much for being our guest on the island today. I have to admit that even though I have visited some 30+ countries, many of which make up the bulk of the European continent, I have yet to visit Spain. Now that I'm studying Spanish, I'm getting quite eager to correct that. There is so much history and culture, not to mention great food and hot menz... ;) Monks? Bring it on!
It's so nice, too, when you don't know exactly what they're saying... ;)
The sexy accents! :)
Oh, wow, this sounds fun. I didn't realize your new book was a Medieval! I'm so in the mood for a Medieval.
Liberal monks? Sign me up!
Monks, huh? Never quite looked at a monk that way. Something tells me I'm going to have to look into this. Thanks for the 'heads up'!;)
Hi Carrie!
Welcome to the island.
I think there is something inherently romantic about Spain, maybe it is the villas? Or the beautiful landscape depicted in the photos in the post?
Or, maybe it's the monks? Um, you did say monks right??
I'll look forward to tomorrow's post concerning these monks..
Best
L
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