In honor of Indigenous Peoples Day, we celebrate the life and legacy of Rainbow Honor Walk honoree We’wha (c. 1849 – c. 1896). A revered Zuni lhamana—a Two-Spirit person who embraced both male and female roles—We’wha was a gifted weaver, potter, spiritual leader, and cultural ambassador. In 1886, they traveled to Washington, D.C., met President Grover Cleveland, and shared the rich artistry and traditions of the Zuni people with the wider world.
We’wha’s life reminds us that gender diversity and spiritual wholeness have always been part of human history—and that honoring Indigenous traditions means honoring every expression of identity. www.rainbowhonorwalk.org
Part of a continuing exploration of Off-the-beaten-path Spain by Alfredo and David, including research for the forthcoming novel, Thorns of the 15 Roses, sequel to Upon This Rock
Caption:“El Pescador de Caña,” by Antonio Coello de Portugal Narváez (2010), overlooks the Cantabrian Sea from the Mirador de Pechón — a tribute to the region’s enduring fishing tradition
.11 October 2025: Leaving Santander, Alfredo and I took the slower, scenic road back to Llanes — the one that hugs the Cantabrian coastline and slips inland through forests and cliffs. Near Pechón, we pulled off the road at a vista point overlooking the sea. There, at the Mirador de Tina Menor, sits “El Pescador de Caña,” a bronze fisherman seated on a rocky perch, rod in hand, his gaze fixed toward the surf.
Installed in September 2010, the sculpture is the work of Antonio Coello de Portugal Narváez, a Madrid-born architect and sculptor who made Pechón his home. Standing nearly three meters tall and weighing 800 kilograms, it honors generations of Cantabrian fishermen who have eked out a life and a living in the waters of this rugged region.
It was a perfect prelude. From sea to mountain, from salt to stone — our route that day would trace a “pilgrim’s progress” in northern Spain.
Caption:The Monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana, one of Christendom’s five permanent Jubilee sites.
Our inland goal was the Monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana, hidden deep in the valleys at the foot of the Picos de Europa in the Medievally-charming but very touristy town of Potes.
Founded in the 6th century, it is one of Christianity’s five perpetual Jubilee sites, alongside Rome, Jerusalem, Santiago, and Caravaca de la Cruz. Here is preserved the Lignum Crucis — the largest surviving fragment of “The True Cross” brought from Jerusalem by Saint Toribio, Bishop of Astorga — allegedly a piece of wood from the cross on which Jesus was reputedly crucified.
It’s hard to believe, but it was almost 25 years ago that we visited here for the first time, with our dear friend — family — the late Bishop Otis Charles. As Alfredo observed: “one doesn’t have to ‘believe’ to nonetheless feel the significance that people have been coming here for 1200 years in pilgrimage.”
The monastery is austere and ancient, its stone walls steeped in centuries of prayer. Inside, the Chapel of the Lignum Crucis gleams with baroque gold — the reliquary cross catching the flicker of candlelight.
Caption: The baroque reliquary of the Lignum Crucis, said to hold the largest surviving fragment of the what Christians revere as The True Cross.
Outside, plaques recall the work of those who restored the monastery, including Fray Desiderio Gómez Señas (1925–2007), whose dedication revived both the buildings and the ancient cult of the Holy Cross.
In the cloister, an exhibit tells the story of Beatus of Liébana, the 8th-century monk who wrote his visionary Commentary on the Apocalypse here — a text that shaped medieval art and theology. His illuminated Beatos became not just religious manuscripts but priceless and irreplaceable pieces of Spanish and world patrimony. To me, literally, they are Revelation.
Caption:Beatus of Liébana’s “Commentary on the Apocalypse” inspired illuminated manuscripts throughout medieval Europe.
Beatus’ voice serves my current writing, Thorns of the 15 Roses, where Spain’s layered past — sacred and violent, mystical and political — rises to the surface.
Caption:The Camino Lebaniego, a pilgrimage route connecting the coastal Camino del Norte to the mountains of Liébana.
Outside the monastery gates, the Camino Lebaniego beckons — a pilgrimage route that diverges from the Camino del Norte, leading travelers inland toward Santo Toribio and the relic of the True Cross. It’s an ancient path of redemption, once believed to heal both soul and body. Today, hikers and cyclists follow it much as their medieval forebears did — for faith, for beauty, or simply for silence.
Caption:Away from the souvenir shops and restaurants, Potes still resonates with ancient charm.
Our drive continued through the valley — past Castro Cillorigo and Tama, small towns tucked between chestnut groves and the rising flanks of the Picos. We passed roadside shrines, stone bridges, and the faint scent of burning wood — the sensory palette of autumn in Cantabria.
Caption:The Cantabrian and Asturian coast of Northern Spain is replete with stunning, sea framed vistas.
By the time the sun began to dip behind the peaks, the sea — “La Mar” as I always insist on calling it, never “El Mer” — once again pops into view. How I love looking out onto that vast, salty horizon. In a few weeks, Alfredo and I will return home via ship. This entire trip, and my writing and research, has been ocean framed. I can’t help but note that all three of Columbus’ vessels could easily have fit in the dining room of Holland America’s “Oosterdam”, our homeward “ride.” In my onboard maritime history lectures, I always recount stories from that “Age of Exploration.” This next set will be richer because of our time in Spain.
From Pechón’s fisherman to Santo Toribio’s reliquary, the journey had traced a single invisible thread: the Cantabrian people’s enduring dialogues between Earth and Sea; Heaven and Human.
From Llanes to Tazones: Following in the Wake of an Emperor — By David Eugene Perry; photos by Alfredo Casuso
Last night in Llanes, we stopped before a bronze plaque set into a sunlit yellow wall — its inscription recalling a moment five centuries ago when King Carlos I of Spain, soon to become Emperor Charles V, spent the nights of September 26 and 27, 1517, in this very town. Only seventeen, he had just arrived from Flanders to claim his inheritance as Spain’s first Habsburg monarch.
That small plaque — a replica of an earlier wooden one — set our imagination in motion. It reminded us that Charles’s arrival had not been a triumphant parade but rather a journey born of chance and weather. His fleet, bound for Santander, was blown off course by storms and forced to land in the small Asturian fishing village of Tazones, not far from Llanes.
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Ruta Mañanga, Porrúa
This morning, tracing his route, we drove west from Llanes to Porrúa, where we hiked the Ruta Mañanga — a two-hour trail through meadows, chestnut groves, and sea-view ridges. At every turn, Asturias offered up a gasp-worthy tableau of green, sea, and mountain air. Veterans of hundreds of hikes over 27 years, Alfredo and I easily listed this among our “top five” for scenic beauty, alongside favorites in Grazalema and Orvieto.
Afterward, we stopped at the Museum of Asturian Rural Life, an intimate and thoughtful collection that captures the region’s centuries-old farming and fishing traditions.
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Tazones: Where History Met the Sea
A short drive brought us to Tazones, where on September 19, 1517, Charles I first stepped onto Spanish soil.
Today the town remains a pocket-sized harbor of whitewashed and color-trimmed houses, fishing boats bobbing in the tide, and gulls circling over the Plaza del Riveru, once the center of the whaling and fishing trade.
Plaque on the beach at Tazones marking Charles V’s historic landing, 1517. View of Tazones Bay from the commemorative marker — the same shore where the young emperor came ashore
Walking uphill through narrow cobbled streets, we paused at the Mirador de Les Muyeres, dedicated to the women who once watched from above for the fishing boats’ return. Nearby stands a touching wooden statue of a woman mending nets — a tribute to their endurance and central role in village life.
“El Mirador de Les Muyeres”: the lookout where generations of women waited for the fishermen to come home, with wooden statue honoring the women of Tazones.
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The Shellfish House and the Church of San Miguel
The Casa de las Conchas, the famous “shellfish house,” remains one of the most photographed buildings in Asturias — its entire façade covered in seashells, decorated with bright red balconies, lifebuoys, and a pirate flag fluttering above.
The whimsical “Casa de las Conchas,” or Shellfish House, in Tazones.
Just beyond stands the small Church of San Miguel de Tazones, whose interior holds two poignant treasures: a beautifully preserved statue of Saint Michael and a plaque telling the story of El Niño Manolín, a small sacred image saved from the flames when the church was burned in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War.
Statue of Saint Michael inside the Church of San Miguel with plaque recounting the rescue of “El Niño Manolín,” hidden to protect it from destruction during the Spanish Civil War.
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Lunch by the Sea
We ended our visit at Mar-Bella, a seaside café near the harbor. Lunch was simple and perfect: navajas (razor clams), cabracho (a delicious pâté made of scorpionfish) and a chipirone (a small grilled squid) all paired with Asturian cider poured in the traditional way.
Sidra natural served in a traditional wooden decantador — poured from a height to aerate the cider and bring out its sparkle.
In Asturias, cider isn’t just poured; it’s escanciada — a quick, precise motion that transforms the drink with a bit of air, a bit of theater, and a lot of local pride. Here it was done in an on-table device: adorable.
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Following the Emperor’s Path — and the Dinosaurs’:
Charles’s 1517 route took him from Tazones inland to Villaviciosa, and then to Avilés, Gijón, Ribadesella, and Llanes, before continuing toward Valladolid. Along these same rugged coastlines, he first met the land he would rule.
We also discovered that Tazones hides another layer of history — or prehistory — beneath its cliffs: the Yacimiento del Puerto de Tazones, part of the Monumento Natural de los Yacimientos de Icnitas de Asturias, preserves fossilized dinosaur tracks from the Jurassic period, some 150 million years ago.
Information on Tazones from the age of the dinosaurs
Today, ours was a smaller voyage — just a drive, a hike, and a meal — but in the steps of emperors and dinosaurs.
Ahoy! Today’s “Millergram” from the great Bill “Mr. Ocean Liner” Miller brought back so many happy memories: noting as it did the 35th birthday of my “first ship”, Crystal Harmony” (now Asuka II). In 1990, Kirk Frederick hired me to “help out” on a Christmas Cruise aboard “Harmony” and I was hooked. In 1998 and ‘99 I shipped out on her younger sister Crystal Symphony. It was there on deck “ship spotting” that I met Bill (many of whose books I already treasured), leading to a friendship as strong as anchor chains.
In 2000, Alfredo and I sailed (and worked) together aboard “Symphony” followed by another joint stint on “Harmony” to Mexico in 2001. Then, in 2014 we lectured our way across the Pacific with Bill Miller on “Symphony.” Those two sisters have been a big part of our life!
Ahoy and thank you Kirk and Bill! And, of course, without these two ships, Alfredo and I would not have met.
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6 October 2025: Bill Miller’s “Millergram.”
Anniversary! The late Mary Tyler Moore would be proud – the Asuka II turned 35 in July. The ship, operated by Japan’s NYK Cruises, is the former Crystal Harmony. Ms Moore was the ship’s godmother back then, in June 1990, the very start-up of elegant Crystal Cruises. At the time, the 960-bed, Japanese-built Harmony was often described as the “most luxurious cruise ship yet built”. It was transferred in 2005 by then NYK-owned Crystal to fulltime Japanese cruise service.
We had the first of many cruises on the Harmony back in Aug 1990. The ship was absolutely impeccable! And we were aboard the ship’s final cruise under the Crystal houseflag (to Alaska out of San Francisco) in the summer of 2005.
The Ravishing Renovations and Reopenings of the Plaza and Castro
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RAGE Monthly OCTOBER 2025 Community Spotlight by Kevin Perry
A Tale of Two Dreamscapes: The Ravishing Renovations and Reopenings of the Plaza and Castro
You shimmer from within, you sparkle out loud and you brighten gawd’s great universe. Your queer starlight is blinding, despite the haters trying to tone you down or marginalize your moonglow.
But no one can dim your dazzle.
Your unique brand of illumination has guided you through the turbulence of adolescence, the uncertainty of a world that misunderstands you, and the hatred of our current cultural climate. But now your gay glimmer will find its way to not one but TWO safe havens that will reopen their refurbished doors to the public soon.
THE PLAZA THEATRE IN PALM SPRINGS:
“Part of the magic of The Plaza Theatre is that it’s an atmospheric theater,” said J.R. Roberts, president of the restoration foundation. “In the 1930s, people were looking for an escape from the miseries of life, and movie theaters were the place they could go to sit in the dark, munch popcorn, and the outside world wasn’t there. The Plaza was an experience just walking into it because its architectural style was really like an old Spanish village. … When the lights came up, you had village scenes on either side of the auditorium, and when the lights went down, you’d get almost a sunset effect. And when the moon that faded, the ceiling would light up with twinkling stars, and that would remain through the film.”
Roberts continued: “The magic carpet ride started with Greta Garbo.” She reportedly lurked in the shadows while her movie Camille played out on the silver screen. “That was the world premiere of the film and it launched Hollywood’s connection to The Plaza Theatre. So the stars were already coming to Palm Springs to hide out. It was the place they could come and let their hair down and be themselves. And it was a little too far for the paparazzi to follow them.”
Palm Springs earned its reputation as a pop culture playground, and one theater dominated the game.
“The Plaza was just always full of big names and big, exciting connections to Hollywood and premieres,” Roberts said. “Bing Crosby and Bob Hope did live radio shows. … You also had such great acoustics that you had people like Frank Sinatra actually recording albums here.”
Listen up, because that landmark is getting a makeover. Innovation mingles with preservation to create a space that honors the past as it simultaneously forges the future.
“It was a challenge to restore it,” Roberts said. “You bet. But the great news is that it had never really been destroyed. Even though it was in a pretty advanced state of decay, most of the original lighting was there. The beautiful artwork on the ceiling had never been painted over. We found a gorgeous, hand-painted proscenium behind drywall … so we were able to do a true restoration versus a remodel, and all the original lighting has been restored. So when you walk through the doors, it will be 1936 again. But behind the walls, with respect to comfort and technology, it’ll be 2026. We are installing state-of-the-art sound, incredibly comfortable seats, the air conditioning and heating systems are all new, so to be in the theater will be a great experience, summer or winter.”
The Plaza is timeless and timely, boasting sold-out shows well before their reopening. Legends like Lily Tomlin, John Waters, and Billy Porter are posting eye-popping pre-sales … and that’s just the first week!
“We’re getting an incredible lineup, and we haven’t yet announced the opening night, which is actually December 1,” Roberts said. “One of the things I’m most excited about, I have to say, is the groups that now have a home. Some of our most wonderful local organizations like the Gay Men’s Choruswere bouncing from theater to theater and were having to do three shows at the museum. So I am thrilled that this will be their new permanent home — same for Modern Men.
And I’m extremely excited about the new Palm Springs Symphony.”
That’s music to our queer ears!
“Throughout time, theaters have been a place the LGBTQ community could go. It’s our fantasy world. And The Plaza will continue with that,” Roberts promised.
“Palm Springs is more important than ever for the safety and comfort of the LGBTQ community. And Palm Springs Plaza Theatre will be a direct extension of that. And that’s why I personally got involved. I felt like the one thing that I could do in such a toxic political environment was to help maintain and build on the cultural and arts assets of our community.”
Roberts applauds the parallel preservation of his NorCal neighbors at The Castro in San Francisco.
“These iconic theaters that really helped carry the LGBTQ community through some rough times will be there, these places will remain, and these will stand as pillars to both of their communities: The Castro in San Francisco and The Plaza in Palm Springs.”
Thanks for the stellar segue, J.R.
THE CASTRO THEATRE IN SAN FRANCISCO:
Our traveling show soldiers on. Next stop: the sublime, scintillating city by the Bay.
“I came to San Francisco because it was a welcoming place for me as a gay man,” said David Eugene Perry, writer and founder of San Francisco’s LGBT Rainbow Honor Walk, who recounts his revelatory rendezvous with the Golden City. “The reason that I still love San Francisco and Palm Springs is because these are two cities that are welcoming. And right now there’s a lot of fear in our community.”
Fear is nothing new, but it’s also nothing to ignore.
“During those years of the ’80s and early ’90s, The Castro Theatre became a safe place for a lot of gay men to gather. And it just was really a haven during the darkest years of the AIDS pandemic. After that, it just became even more and more of a place for not only people to grieve, but a place to have celebrations. I really think that it was during the late ’80s and early ’90s that The Castro Theatre became kind of a gay cathedral.”
The Spanish Colonial Baroque building has beckoned boldness for generations.
“The Castro Theatre is 102 years old,” Perry said. “Marc Huestis during the ’90s did some incredible events where he brought in people like Debbie Reynolds, Kim Novak, all these incredible Hollywood stars. They would come in to see their film screen and answer questions from the audience. Armistead Maupin made his very last appearance in San Francisco at The Castro Theatre during the premiere of the latest Tales of the City TV series. Over the years, political figures have come to talk there and share their stories of inspiration. There really is no other venue like it in San Francisco, I would dare say in California.”
But it’s the local luminaries that Perry vows to commemorate.
“There are now 44 bronze plaques on the sidewalks of Castro,” he said. “There’s another 20 that are going to be installed in the next two years. It took 20 years to get the first plaques done, but people were dying of AIDS, and I thought: I want people to always know how important this moment was to the gay community. So preserving this history is something that’s a personal commitment to me. … I know the importance of The Castro Theatre to the LGBTQ community at this moment when so much is under fire. We’re seeing an assault on creativity. And so much of the United States’ cultural community is based in the queer community. So, when the arts are under fire, that means the gay community is under fire. This current political moment, which we will survive because we are a proud and resilient country, and we’re a proud and resilient people because our strength is in our diversity. And no one presidential administration is going to keep us down.”
A genteel warrior, Perry shares a rallying cry with his fearless extended family.
“If you’re worried as a trans person, bi person, a non-gender conforming person, you need to know that we have all fought these battles before and we are not going away and we will win this. We just need to keep on keeping on.”
In the spirit of progressive thinking, The Castro Theatre team has brought the establishment into the queer and now.
“You’re going to have, for the first time in over 100 years, an air conditioning and heating and circulation system,” Perry said. “Also, the organ that has become so important to all the film screenings and the sing-alongs is going to be upgraded to a brand new state-of-the-art theatrical organ. It will be the biggest theatrical organ in the world, and that will be installed in November.”
In addition to raising the roof, The Castro will feature retractable raked floors that expand and collapse on demand. “You’ll be able to do spoken word events, you’ll be able to do standing concerts,” he said. “So it truly is going to become a multi-use facility without losing all of the important traditional performances.”
Perry sees that action of time as a brilliant proscenium that frames our collective turbulence and triumphs.
“The fact that you’ve got The Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs from the ’30s and The Castro Theatre in San Francisco from the ’20s, all being brought back to life at the same time, shows two things. One: History is important. Two: California, North and South, respects its architectural heritage, but it also respects the place that both these theaters have in the lives of the community. I’m proud to say that I’m going to be there for both opening nights. I’m here for the opening night of The Plaza in Palm Springs in December, and I’ll be there for the opening night of The Castro Theatre in February of 2026.”
We can’t wait to join you, David.
The stage is set. The air bristles with anticipation. The show will go on.
