The Times 29032

[TioMateo]

Just back from a week in Crete for late summer sun.  Wonderful.  Took 6 Times Xwords with me for the beach.  Only one parsing query out of all of those !!  :-

 

Proclamation of expert male spies on religious books from the east (14) ?R?N?N?I?M?N?O. It is obviously PRONUNCIAMENTO (Proclamation). I get PRO (expert) CIA MEN (male spies) and TO (Old Testament reversed).  BUT, where does NUN come from?

[TheWinner]

https://crosswordgenius.com/clue/proclamation-of-expert-male-spies-on-religious-books-from-the-east

[bookbinder]

You went to Crete, and spent your time doing crosswords?

[Neveracrossword]

TioMateo, the nun = religious, noun,  (as mentioned in Bookbinder's link) is confirmed on the Times For The Times blog. I assume this means the To is just  OT, Old Testament, books', not 'religious books' (and from the east, reversed).

[TioMateo]

bookbinder, I didn't say I spent all my time in Crete on the beach doing crosswords. We explored Knossos and other sites; we tracked down a few of Crete's best restaurants, (usually full of the locals not tourists) and ate very well; we also tracked down some of the best beaches in Crete (eg Elafonissi);  when on the beach(es), I read books and did some crosswords whilst sunbathing.  Is that OK?