Tuesday, March 28, 2006 

Souvenir of the Day - Castanets


Newt insisted on buying a pair of Andalucian castanets. Traditional castanets are made from wood, and have a hollowed out bed the size of a walnut. Joined with a piece of decorative string or rawhide, they are used by flamenco dancers and add to the frenzied pace of the dance. Black fibre castanets, as well as those made of glass, are now popular with professional flamenco dancers.