LEON

He was fair, in distress and obviously in desperate need of our help. We were sure of that much the moment the handsome stranger first appeared on our doorstep. Looking desperate, puppy eyes full of sorrow, he was literally begging for attention, a caress, some goodies. Costa Live has had a new boss ever since. Leon, our golden Retriever, is now in charge of watching the mailbox - closely. Never ever prone to canine malice, but occasionally tired as a dog after a long hike through the picturesque Empordà, he has habit of making us go outdoors even when it is pouring cats and dogs. He is most certainly going to make sure we will be actively exploring the region in 201, always on the hunt for the best views, hidden corners, nice restaurants and new hiking routes.
We were not the only ones to go to the dogs last year. As 2009 was drawing to a close, the bitch Primadonna and her human Yvo were officially labeled as Supertalent 2009 and won as much as 100 000 €. US president Barack Obama had promised his daughters to buy them a puppy should he be elected president of the United States. “Bo”, their dog – a Portuguese water dog – moved into the White House in spring 2009. And David Beckham’s most treasured Christmas present 2009 was a dog as well. His wife Victoria stated that the animal, a bulldog, symbolises the spirit of English foot ball.
The world’s most famous restaurant also uses a bulldog as their symbol. It has been known as “El Bulli” for many years now.
“Having gone to the dogs” actually means to have gone to ruin, to have hit rock bottom; it is a way to describe a life that is in pieces.
A long time ago, when there were no big banking companies, people kept their fortune in big wooden lockers. At their bottom, there was a picture of a fierce looking dog, which was supposed to fight off bad luck and evil spirits. When all fortune was gone, the dog became visible, and the family in question had gone to the dogs indeed. Later on, people started giving their money to a banker instead. Bad luck, however, when the sun of a bitch decides to speculate and loses…leaving you to feel as sick as a dog. Excuse the pun, but wordplays like the above clearly indicate that the dog has been around us for a very long time.
Artist and comedian Loriot “went to the dogs” as early as 1954. In a number of poignant drawings in black and white he created a mirror image of human – canine relationships. “more and more often, dogs fine themselves wondering: Do we really want to keep a human or not?”. We are glad Leon decided that, yes, he would like to have humans…