Castilla Y Leon is pure Spain.

From Kaleel ftp etc

In the mid section of the Iberian Peninsula, the region is the home to most of Spain’s impressive historic and artistic legacy – and the birthplace of Castillan: the Spanish language.
It’s also a path less traveled by.
In addition to it’s dramatic art, the province boasts quintessential Spanish towns and villages, especially the historic, medieval university city of
Salamanca and its smaller sister-city, Segovia: Castilla y Leon’s crown jewels.
Salamanca is a two and a half hour train ride from the clean (and efficient) Charmartin station, Madrid’s main terminal. The rails pass through Spain’s plains of silver-green olive trees and rugged, rock-strewn hills, beyond which are glimpses of distant towns flickering past in the slanting light of the late Autumn sun.
The occasional cell tower and power lines never break the spell of the rolling countryside, dotted with roaming horses and random houses. The sky is El Greco’s – brooding with light and shadow playing on passing facades and ancient boulders.

Salamanca sits at the edge of a greening plane, an impressive sight dominated by a skyline of domed cathedrals and dun-colored walls that embrace the town in a lingering if crumbling medieval clinch. The Spaniards call Salamanca “the soul of the Spanish nation,” and UNESCO dubbed it the “European city of 2002.”
Walk her streets. It’s the only way to get to know her, to experience the layers of Roman, Visigothic, Islamic history, each deepening Salamanca’s culture; each leaving a mark visible to the discerning eye.
But the overwhelming impression of this city on the River Tomes is “Catholicism and Learning.”

The sprawling University of Salamanca dates back to the 13th century and is the oldest in Spain. Its ubiquitous, very venerable buildings give off a powerful sense of history and learning.
The Patio de Escuelas (Courtyard of the Schools) is the portal for the university. Its monumental façade of pure plateresque design ( stonework iridescent with the intricate carvings characteristic of silversmiths) is a favorite gathering place for visitors who come to admire the façade and crane their necks looking for a glimpse of the frog and skull somewhere in the complex motif. For some reason the elusive amphibian has become the symbol of the university.
The halls retain a palpable sense of the lessons and learnings of the centuries. Look into the perfectly preserved classroom of Friar Luis de Leon, a teacher here. He angered the Spanish Inquisition by translating a forbidden book, was arrested in his classroom, tortured and imprisoned for five years by the Inquisition. When he was released, he walked back into to his classroom and resumed teaching with the words all of Salamanca recalls: “Como decimos ayer.” As we were saying yesterday.

On the walls signatures of students who graduated have faded with time’s passing. But once they were written with the bright red blood of bulls.
Most Spanish cities have a religious overlay, but in Salamanca, the patina of the faith is especially intense, with numerous aging convents, domineering churches, the overwhelming cathedral and religious statuary. But these are the repositories of Spain’s vital collection of religious art; they give the walled city its character and identity.

Yet in the very secular tempo of daily life, what seems to matter is not the arts and architecture of religious devotion. Rather the numerous, lovely plazas dedicated to human happiness and activity.
Throughout the meandering, narrow, twisting streets of this walled city, plazas and parks peek out from towering church buttresses, or are magically tucked away in the shadow of a cathedral or defunct convent. These are the centers of conversation and laughter, accompanied by Salamanca’s salty, tangy cheese, exceptional local sausages and smoked meats. Or likely an excellent espresso or a glass of the wonderful, local, inexpensive red wine from Rioja. Now and again the strains of a solitary violin from a musician playing somewhere in the maze echoes off the cloistered homes and curving walls.

From Kaleel ftp etc

The Plaza Mayor, the “mother of all plazas,” is the nerve center of the city.
This huge, trapezoid, cobbled plaza is enclosed on all sides by lofty, ornate Baroque facades, of which the most intricate is the balconied front wall of the City Hall. Once a bull fighting arena, today the Plaza Mayor is crowded with colored tables and chairs, jammed with Salamancans thoroughly enjoying themselves. They gather here in throngs, the hub of the city, then spill out from the plaza into the spokes of complex, surrounding streets until very early hours of the morning talking and drinking; seeing and being seen.
Americans have a lot to learn from the Spaniards who show a respect and thoughtfulness to the different generations. Grandparents chatter with their grandchildren. Parents walk arm and arm with their kids; Elderly couples embrace easily and are listened to attentively by sexy looking teens. Where did we go wrong?

But it would be a mistake to see the impressive art and architecture in one day. They’ll blur into an ochre-colored, gargoyled, undifferentiated headache.
Take visits to the buildings and museum slowly. Intersperse them with a café solo (espresso) or glass of wine and a plate of cured cheese or chorizo for very little money. Strolling down an obscure alley way or back street is safe and the best way to discover a small shop with hand-made goods, a courtyard with birds singing their hearts out or a perfectly framed stained glass window in a forgotten church.

By night, Salamanca is a different place.
The city is bathed in a soft light. The vaulted arches and multi-leveled, intricately carved spires are tinted with a soft, pink glow from artfully arranged lights which highlight the compelling features of the architectural treasures and their ornate designs.
Small clusters of costumed dancers (or devilish clowns), castanets snapping, may emerge from one of the restaurants performing a dance of the region to the delight of passersby.
There are restaurants and cafes everywhere, all sizes and types, and they’re open until very late. Dinner doesn’t start until 10:30 or 11.

Mercifully there are no anonymous, characterless chain hotels, so stay at any of the boutique accommodations on almost any side street or plaza. Learn a little Spanish too, since not a lot of English is spoken. But in this walled, very old and proud city, the people more than make up in kindness what words of English they may lack.
The road to Segovia, a 3 hour ride by efficient autobus, passes through small towns and occasional castles standing guard over very little except maybe a flock of sheep or grove of trees.
Once though the land trembled with the footsteps of mighty Roman legions. In fact, the entrance to Segovia, and its most famous landmark, is a first century, 98 foot high Aqueduct. This slender architectural marvel curves with a grace and elegance that belies its age and length – more than 2000 feet. Built of stone, and embracing 163 arches, not a drop of mortar was used in the construction. It stood the test of time through a complex arrangement of pressure points, a function of placing the granite stones at critical angles. It’s the best preserved monument of Imperial Rome, outside of Rome

Wisely, the government eventually banned cars from passing under its arches and reinforced the structure so today the plaza beneath the Aqueduct is a pedestrian-only, gathering spot for Segovians intent on another day in the life of this very unpretentious city.
With 54,000 inhabitants, Segovia is smaller than Salamanca, but its proximity to Madrid (an hour by bus), makes it a bit more sophisticated.
The Moors, who left an indelible mark on the language and arts of Spain’s south (Andalusia), managed also to leave a significant impression here, so much further north.
The buildings of Segovia, for example have a texture and color in part because of the patterns of non-figurative Islamic art practiced by the Moors from North Africa. This unique mix of Spanish and Islamic elements (Mozarabic) is at its best in the Alcazar, a fortress towering above the plains of Segovia and guarding its western flank for centuries. The Alcazar is a heavy combination of Romanesque and Baroque stonework. But the Spanish, after the reconquest, were wise enough to know they needed the design skills and deft touches of the Moors to turn blocky stone into lace pillows, and create the color and verve necessary to save the Alcazar from itself. The ceilings are richly decorated in deep greens and vibrant golds offset by handsome tile work, all created by the Mudejar artists, Moors retained by the Spanish nobility to save their works from monochromatic excess.

The Alcazar may be the most popular attraction in Segovia but as in Salamanca, it’s the plazas and winding streets that give it its human dimension and meaning. There’s a saying in Segovia that if you kick a stone over, you’ll find a cafe or restaurant.

From Kaleel ftp etc

They are everywhere, and everywhere unique from stand up cafes to Tapas bars to plush eateries. But they are authentic. The cuisine, while not varied, is excellent. The favorite is a crisp, whole suckling pig. Lamb is a specialty as are Granja, white, broad beans that make an exceptionally rich and hearty soup.
My favorite meals were simple one: a plate of tangy, sharp cheese, a bowl of rich fish soup (sopa de pescado) a huge salata mixta (mixed salad), hunks of local bread and a bottle of local wine…all of which set me back $10.00.
As they say about Castilla y Leon, it’s a different kind of tourism.
Bien Viaje

From Kaleel ftp etc

Must Sees:
Salamanca
• The University.
• Casa de las Conchas (House of Shells) with its Gothic design and elegant courtyard. The juxtaposition with the cathedrals is a photographer’s delight
• The two Cathedrals ( old and “new”) united by Gothic and Renaissance elements, the town’s predominant feature.
• For contrast, the whimsical, Modernist Museum of Art Nouveau and Art Deco
Segovia
• The Alcazar
• Plaza Mayor and Cathedral
• The Jewish Quarter (La Juderia)
• San Miguel, where young Isabella was crowned queen. The rest, as they say, is history.

Hotel Recommendations
In Salamanca, it’s the small, intimate, classy Hotel Plaza de Angel. Email: info@hotelplazadeangel.com)
In Segovia, a real find is the Hosteria Ayala Berganza, a small 15th century Castillan palace with 17 perfect rooms and elegant courtyard. www.partner-hotels.com
Full, local breakfasts both places

Help
Spanish Tourism Office New York 212 –265-8822 E:mail: nuevayork@tourspain.es

No es sólo que haya llegado el invierno es que, además, diga lo que diga el calendario, ya es Navidad.

Anyone who knows me, knows me really well, will know that I am appallingly competitive. So competitive that it is relatively impossible for me to play a game and enjoy it unless I know for definite that I will win. I’m better than I was but not much and these days, recognising this for the completely pathetic trait that it is, I try and avoid any kind of game, because I hate the aggressive nastiness it brings out in me. I’m not coy about it, I fess up to the reality: I’m a horribly bad loser and you won’t want to be near me. (I like to think I’m a relatively humble and generous winner, but I think that’s probably a lie. That glow I feel is joy and pride and glee all wrapped up. Told you I was horrible.)

I’m sure there are lots of psychoanalytical reasons for this and since I’ve spent an awful lot of my income on therapy, counselling, coaching…you name it, I’ve had it…I’m not going to trot out the various answers I’ve been given or discussed ad nauseam. But one of my personal explanations is that twice a week, for seven years of school, I lost spectacularly at every single sporting activity/race/game I was subjected to. It was more than humiliating to be last in every race, the person who was never picked for any team (netball, hockey, tennis, swimming…) and who even the teachers didn’t want to teach. I only ever once competed in a race for sports day, the 100m hurdles if I remember rightly, and even then I came third. Since I spent the rest of my school career being an annoying little swot, sport was my Achilles heel, the one thing I couldn’t do, and couldn’t do spectacularly.

My least favourite activity was running the 1500 metres. It was slow, it was long-drawn out and unlike the sprints, where the humiliation was over a lot faster, there was lap after lap to be last. On one particular occasion, a hot hot sunny day (why is running a good idea in the sun?), I was last as usual and being overtaken by Tamara, known in my charming comprehensive as Tammy the Tampon (I think that even beats Tucker the Fucker) mainly because she beat us all to them. My ‘best’ friend, a county running champion, was shouting at me from the sidelines ‘Come on Louise, even Fatty Tamara is beating you’. She was fat, mean but true, and there is no one as mean as a teenage girl, whereas I was a skinny runtkin, but my body just, still doesn’t, do running and however much the humiliation of being overtaken by TTT hurt, I couldn’t go any faster.

So why then, I often wondered throughout this past November, had I chosen to do the literary equivalent of a 1500m race every day, writing a novel, or 50000 words of one, in a month? I hate deadlines almost as much as finish lines, only because I don’t like to miss them (no surprises there then…), and since this one was unlikely to be met I was setting myself up for failure. And yet NaNoWriMo isn’t really a competition with anyone but yourself. You become a ‘winner’ if you write 50k in a month but only you know if you have done it properly or not. (I was intrigued to see word counts of 130k in some profiles in week three, which to me suggests that some were using the NaNo equivalent of steroids, that is ‘ones they’d prepared earlier’.)

Its aim, on a grand scale, is to encourage writing and one of the main purposes of the project, apart from supporting a lot of creative school programmes in the States, is to overcome the two main opponents to anyone’s creative ambitions, and certainly my main ones: procrastination and perfectionism. In terms of the first, there is, ironically, no time for it; if you don’t throw down some words every day, it won’t happen. I planned two large gaps, for my return to London and for my friends visiting, and found myself facing a deficit of, erm, 10 000 words, on Thursday of last week. If it wasn’t for the appalling weather today, I wouldn’t have got through the last 6k either. In terms of the second, the NaNo team expressly forbid you from editing what you’ve done, or even rereading it. Obviously, no one is taking notes so if you choose to do either of those things you’re not going to lose any points, not that there are any to lose. But, quite simply, if you have any sort of life and are writing as well as trying to live that life, you don’t have time to do anything other than hit the word count.

I have tried to write a novel over and over again for the last decade. Interestingly it always seems to be the same story, one that I am currently living: woman leaves terrible job and runs away to Spain, a fiction and a desired reality that I have thought about ever since I first came to Granada in the spring of 1997. There is usually some family tragedy in there too which, equally interestingly, was in my head long before I lived my own. I have never got to the end of this novel. I usually manage about 20 000 words and then get bored. When I met Fay Weldon through work once, she told me that it was not enough to want to write, that anyone who needed to finish a book needed ’something to say’. As soon as she said it I knew that was my problem; I really didn’t know what I was saying.

But as much as I think she’s absolutely right, I also think that most wannabe writers (and I include myself in that group) want to live the life of a writer rather than find a story and do the work. As another volunteer at the Hay Festival in Segovia said to me last year, we want to wake up one morning and find the manuscript by our beds, all written and edited, for us to enjoy and sell, with none of the graft. I have battled with the desire for the finished product, the hunt for something to say, and the resistance to the work required ever since I started to write and NaNoWriMo is the first thing that has ever pushed me over the finish line. I couldn’t procrastinate, I couldn’t think about the glittering career that awaited me if only I could get past chapter one and I couldn’t go back and fiddle with my subordinate clauses. As a result, today, I got to 50 500 words and I still have lots and lots to say. It’s not an exciting book, it’s not a good book, but it is a book. And, no, it is a not a Jack Nicholson in The Shining type of book. I was amazed to find that 1666 words per day (the amount required to get to 50k in a month) takes about an hour and I rather enjoyed every single lap. Perhaps some competition isn’t so bad after all.

La diversidad funcional

Esta es la tercera y última conferencia de la jornada celebrada en Segovia, el pasado día 12 de noviembre, con ocasión de la Exposición “Polio, Síndrome Postpolio. Pasado y presente de una enfermedad silenciosa”, organizada por la Asociación de Afectados de Polio y Síndrome Postpolio de Castilla y León.

Javier Romañach nació en Manresa en 1962. Es Licenciado en Informática por la Facultad de Informática de Madrid (U. P. M.), 1987. Reorienta su carrera hacia el estudio de la Tecnología y la Discapacidad, después de sufrir un accidente de tráfico en el año 1991. Desde entonces, padece tetraplejia y se ha convertido en un activista del Foro de Vida Independiente. Ha escrito libros y numerosos artículos, da conferencias y participa en congresos y en diversos proyectos relacionados con la tecnología y la discapacidad.

En esta interesante conferencia nos propone un cambio de mentalidad y un nuevo enfoque filosófico sobre el concepto de la discapacidad.

• Vídeo 1ª parte.

• Vídeo 2ª parte.
• Vídeo 3ª parte.
• Vídeo 4ª parte.
• Vídeo 5ª parte.

Artículos de J. Romañach:

• El modelo de la diversidad: una nueva visión de la bioética desde la perspectiva de las personas con diversidad funcional (discapacidad). Agustina Palacios y Javier Romañach. Intersticios Revista Sociológica de Pensamiento Crítico, 2008.

• Bioética y Diversidad Funcional. Javier Romañach y Soledad Arnau Ripollés. 2006

Más información sobre Javier Romañach:

• Entrevista de Julia Otero, Programa TVE Las Cerezas (marzo, 2005): vídeo1, vídeo 2, vídeo 3.

Fuentes:

• SIDAR.

• Norte de Castilla. Blog: “Tenemos algo en común… Somos todos diversos”: Activista, Javier Romanach del foro vida independiente.

Síndrome Post-Polio

Este es el título con que el Dr. Enric Portell dio la conferencia el pasado día 12 de noviembre, dentro de la Exposición “Polio, Síndrome Postpolio. Pasado y presente de una enfermedad silenciosa”, organizada por la Asociación de Afectados de Polio y Síndrome Postpolio de CastilIa y León, que ha tenido lugar en Segovia. Esta es la segunda conferencia de la jornada.

El Dr. Enric Portell es Médico Rehabilitador. Responsable del Programa de Atención a Personas con Síndrome Postpolio del Instituto Guttmann, Hospital de Neurorehabilitación, Badalona.

• Vídeo 1ª parte.

• Vídeo 2ª parte.
• Vídeo 3ª parte.
• Vídeo 4ª parte.
• Vídeo 5ª parte.
• Vídeo 6ª parte.
• Vídeo 7ª parte.

Para ver la primera conferencia, a cargo del Dr. Juan Antonio Rodríguez, aquí.

Hace casi un mes que ha quedado atrás Expobioenergía pero aún colea el eco de las innumerables propuestas, acuerdos, presentaciones y visitas que la jalonan. Entre ellos estuvo el caso de Coca, un pueblo segoviano cuya apuesta por la biomasa forestal ha supuesto pasar de un gasto de 66.000 euros en calefacción con gasóleo a 9.000 con pelets y astillas. De paso, ha conseguido reducir su deuda a la mitad.

¿Y si un macroayuntamiento como el de Madrid hiciera lo mismo? Posiblemente conllevaría que su alcalde, Alberto Ruiz Gallardón, solucionaría parte de su galopante deuda a golpe de una energía limpia que crea riqueza, como la biomasa. Juan Carlos Álvarez, el alcalde de Coca, lo explicaba de forma meridiana: “con la incorporación de la biomasa forestal a las calefacciones de varios edificios municipales hemos conseguido reducir la deuda que teníamos en 2006 de 400 euros por habitante a 198 euros en 2008”.

La sucesión de llanura castellana y cultivos cerealistas no hace presagiar que, casi de sopetón, se alcen cerca de 10.000 hectáreas de pinares. De ahí el nombre de la comarca en la que se asienta Coca, llamada Tierra de Pinares. Los montes son comunales y del ayuntamiento, pero el procesamiento de la madera para destinarla a las calderas del pueblo lo hacen madereros privados. Algo que también cambiará, ya que desde el Ayuntamiento adelantan que con la futura compra de una maquina para hacer astillas se reducirá aún más la factura municipal.

Líder en calderas en Castilla y León

La apuesta empezó en 2003, con la sustitución de la caldera de gasóleo en el Ayuntamiento. “Con la biomasa se ha incrementado en cinco veces el espacio calentado, ha aumentado el confort y sin embargo el consumo ha bajado”, resume el alcalde, que pone sobre la mesa la diferencia de gasto en este edificio: de 14.082 euros con gasóleo a 1.935 con pelets y astillas. Al Ayuntamiento le siguieron el colegio público comarcal, un centro de educación para adultos, otro de actividades acuáticas, el parque de bomberos, el instituto de bachillerato y el centro forestal El Sequero. Solo entre los cuatro primeros edificios, incluido el del Consistorio, la factura ha pasado de 66.288 euros anuales a 9.110.

Más información: Energias-renovables.com

Inmovilismo y parálisis: la poliomielitis en la España franquista (1954-1967)

Esta es la conferencia que ha tenido lugar el pasado día 12 de noviembre, en Segovia, dentro de la Exposición “Polio, Síndrome Postpolio. Pasado y presente de una enfermedad silenciosa”, organizada por la Asociación de Afectados de Polio y Síndrome Postpolio de CastilIa y León.

El Dr. Juan Antonio Rodríguez Sánchez es profesor titular de Historia de la Medicina, de la Universidad de Salamanca. Su docencia se reparte fundamentalmente entre las licenciaturas de Medicina, Odontología y Humanidades.

Desde 1997 comenzó a trabajar en la historia de la poliomielitis y el síndrome postpolio y desde 2005 es investigador principal del proyecto “Estudio comparativo de los cambios sociales y profesionales relacionados con la polio en el área transfronteriza hispanoportuguesa desde 1956″, financiado por el Ministerio de Educación. Es autor del libro Responsabilidades no asumidas: la poliomielitis en España (1954-1967), que será publicado el próximo mes de diciembre.

• Video 1ª parte.

• Vídeo 2ª parte.
• Vídeo 3ª parte.
• Vídeo 4 ª parte.
• Vídeo 5ª parte.
• Vídeo 6ª parte.
• Vídeo 7ª parte.

Más Información en:

• Asociación de Afectados de Polio y Síndrome Postpolio de CastilIa y León.
• La memoria paralizada.
• Entradas anteriores de este blog:

 Francisco Goya “La maja vestida”, 1800 circa. Madrid, Prado.

Francisco Goya “La maja desnuda”, 1800 circa. Madrid, Prado.

A quanto pare Manuel Godoy Álvarez de Faria Ríos Sánchez, onnipotente ministro di Carlo IV re di Spagna, odiato da tutti eccetto da coloro che non potevano permetterselo, si era fatto costruire nel suo gabinetto privato un dispositivo ingegnoso. Un ritratto di donna giacente, le braccia piegate sul cuscino e le mani unite dietro il capo, scorreva verticalmente in un recesso segreto e lasciava il posto a un ritratto analogo, medesima donna, ma senza indumento alcuno come una dea pagana. 

La donna sorride in entrambi casi al pittore, non un vero ammiccamento, sarebbe stato troppo volgare, piuttosto una amabile e quieta sicurezza di sè, una ilarità trattenuta e complice. Il pittore Francisco Goya, afflitto da deprimente sordità, dopo aver impartito le istruzioni necessarie alla modella, si suppone amante del ministro, deve essersi concentrato sulla sua opera limitando al minimo la conversazione. Ha certamente come riferimento la Venere d’Urbino e Gli Andrii di Tiziano nonché la Venere allo specchio di Velasquez. È consapevole dell’assoluta eccezionalità della commissione (si tratta per quel che ne sappiamo del primo nudo femminile non giustificabile da pretesti mitologici) e quindi decide di interpretare il tema in modo assolutamente nuovo: annulla ogni indizio ambientale,scompare persino la cortina che nei dipinti dei due maestri incornicia parzialmente il nudo, rivela in modo chiaro il soffice giaciglio sul quale è distesa la donna. La luce è diversa nei due dipinti: calda nella Maja vestida, più fredda nella Maja desnuda. Il ministro non godette a lungo delle gioie della “visione doppia” in quanto una rivolta popolare e Napoleone in persona lo costrinsero all’esilio nel 1808. Goya pagò caro l’aver dipinto l’amante di Godoy, Pepita Tudò: nel 1815 fu chiamato in giudizio dalla temibile Inquisizione che gli chiedeva se riconosceva come opere sue i due quadri, il motivo per cui li aveva dipinti, chi lo aveva incaricato, chi fosse il soggetto e per quale fine avesse prestato l’opera sua. Si salvò per la provvidenziale intercessione di un cardinale.

Associo a questo intervento due clips reperite su YouTube: la prima si riferisce al film “L’ultimo inquisitore” di Milos Forman, la seconda riguarda un’esecuzione di Andres Segovia di un’opera del compositore Granados ispirata a Goya.

So I finally got to meet my romanian friend, Cristina, in Madrid

And she made the tour of Madrid (afterwards, Javi and Nacho were thinking, what could we show you that Cristina did not show you yet?! hehe !! )

And then in the evening we went with Nacho and Javi for a drink:)

And later on we had some more people join us, like Javi’s cousin:)

Next days I stood with Javi, and we went to visit Segovia. Unfortunately, Cristina was still doing her beauty sleep after the last party and did not join us this time..

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Os invito a visitar la Exposición “Polio, Síndrome Postpolio. Pasado y presente de una enfermedad silenciosa“, gracias a la deferencia de Marko que ha subido estos vídeos, para aquellas personas que no pueden desplazarse hasta el lugar de la exposición, Segovia.

Como ya os anunciaba su inauguración el pasado día 3 de noviembre, la Asociación de Afectados de Polio y Síndrome Postpolio de Castilla y León ha organizado esta exposición, que permanecerá abierta hasta el próximo día 15.

Hemos creado este sitio para dar a conocer el proyecto que realizamos en 2008. Queríamos saber si las estructuras de cruce que se habían construido en la nueva línea de ferrocarril de alta velocidad Madrid-Valladolid servían realmente para el paso de animales. Otras preguntas que nos hacíamos eran: ¿qué especies los usan y cuáles no?, ¿son más utilizados unos tipos de pasos que otros?, ¿se usan de igual manera en unas épocas del año que en otras?, etc. En definitiva queríamos saber si los pasos de fauna están bien construidos y si los animales utilizan en sus desplazamientos otras estructuras, como drenajes o pasos de reposición de caminos. Estas preguntas, tratan de responder a otra más importante: ¿es el tren de alta velocidad una barrera infranqueable para la fauna?. Si fuera así, a la larga podría poner en peligro ciertas poblaciones animales por el hecho de fragmentarlas en porciones demasiado pequeñas como para mantenerse (si nos fijamos en los planes de infraestructuras, detectaremos enseguida que sería un problema grave).

Los resultados de un año de trabajo se publicaron en un librito que puede ser interesante para quien trabaje en estos temas. Al final del libro proponemos algunas medidas útiles para mejorar la eficacia de los pasos existentes en el tramo de vía estudiado y otras que se deberían tener en cuenta en el diseño de nuevas infraestructuras.

Para facilitar el trabajo a quien esté interesado en estos temas, en el blog se puede encontrar la bibliografía del libro (con los enlaces a los documentos que se pueden conseguir en internet), y un pdf con el mapa del trazado del AVE en Segovia y de la situación de los pasos que controlamos (con ligeras mejoras con respecto al que aparecía en la edición impresa).

Además, en este sitio se pueden consultar enlaces relacionados con los problemas de fragmentación de hábitats, construcción de pasos de fauna, seguimiento de la utilidad de los pasos y otras medidas correctoras de impacto de infraestructuras lineales, etc.

Iremos añadiendo más enlaces y algunas noticias. Esperamos que te sea útil y que opines.

Marino Morales Gamo, del Club Madrileño de Lucha de Brazos, me ha enviado este video del 4º campeonato de Lucha de Brazos, celebrado el año 1996 en el Pub Bribon, en la calle General Ricardos de Madrid.

En esa ocasión, pudimos contar con grandes competidores de Cantalejo (Segovia) que se enfrentaron a los luchadores de Madrid.

Los pesos fueron -65kg, 65-80kg y +80kg.

La clasificación fue:
-65kg: 1º Marino Morales; 2º Javier Pedrol (Jaro); 3º David Perez.
65-80kg: 1º Fernando Fernandez; 2º Miguel Martin (el halcón); 3º Carlos Mateo.
+80kg: 1º Gustavo Perez; 2º “Competidor de Segovia”; 3º Alberto Bermejo.
Torneo de Campeones: 1º Marino Morales; 2º Gustavo Perez; 3º Carlos Mateo.
Chicas: Peso libre: 1ª Esther Rodriguez Rico. 2ª y 3ª Desconocidas.

Un documento historico. Gracias Marino.

Club Madrileño de Lucha de Brazos:

http://www.teampozuelopulsos.es.tl/INICIO.htm

Casa de los Picos, Segovia. Septiembre 2006

Como si los faraones hubiesen querido instalarse en la villa castellana, el señor alcalde mandó recubrir de pirámides toda la fachada del rudo palacio medieval.

…de un retrasado de Ávila.

Me han publicado un artículo en el diario segoviano, acerca de la Librería solidaria AIDA, donde ejerzo de voluntario y amante de los libros.

He aquí una imagen del artículo y un enlace.

“La librería de AIDA”, Boigandreau, El Adelantado de Segovia.

On the last day of our visit to Madrid, Ana drove us to Segovia to show us this old town north of Madrid and this was a tremendous surprise: not only the Roman aqueduct was quite impressive, having stood centuries while keeping its graceful shape, but the whole historical city was a real pleasure to explore. No wonder it is a UNESCO World Heritage.

The view of the Alcazar from the old Templar chapel in the late afternoon light against a dark stormy sky was unforgettable and so were the various buildings of the city basking in the evening light.

The  austere Templar roman chapel of La Vera Cruz was built on an unusual dodecagonal shape that corrresponds to the twelve arches in the building. It also has a central two-storied room that served as a pillar for the typical roman ceiling, again with twelve sides, and the whole building reverberates from centuries of worship that reminded me of the original crypt at Mont-Saint-Michel (Notre-Dame-sous-terre) with its primitive preroman structure which is another UNESCO World Heritage.

The streets were quite busy for a Sunday afternoon, especially on All Saints’ Day. The tallest buildings seemed to house in their towers many crowds which were flying and quarrelling around them, akin to their Norman counterparts on my childhood abbey…