La reina Calafia (novela)

Don Antonio Mascaró is a history professor whose days are a blend of lecturing on Hispanic‑American culture and wandering the bustling streets of early‑20th‑century Madrid. After class he drifts through antique book stalls, trading in rare volumes and occasional poems, a habit that mirrors his quiet fascination with the past. His modest home in the upscale Salamanca district sits far from the university, making his long walks an essential ritual that sharpens his mind and offers a brief escape from routine.

These promenades become a subtle transformation; the narrow alleys of old Madrid give way to the grand avenues of Alcalá and the leafy expanse of the Retiro. The city’s modern pulse awakens new ideas, and a lingering curiosity nudges him toward an unexpected visit to his old friend, the engineer Ricardo Balboa. As he boards the tram, the ordinary journey hints at possibilities that could reshape his scholarly world and personal life, inviting listeners to follow Mascaró’s contemplative steps into the heart of a changing Spain.