Guadalajara, the great unknown

I have a tradition in order to spend the Easter holidays. I choice one of the Spanish area and then I’m going to visit it. This year I have chosen Guadalajara.

I didn’t know anything about this area and after visiting it I came back very pleased and amazing.

Guadalajara is the northernmost province of Castilla – La Mancha. There are many places to visit and one of them is the north, with medieval villages and castles like Atienza, Sigüenza…. . The local dish is “Sopa Castellana”, “Asado a la Leña”….. Oooff!! incredible, the sweets are made with Alcarria honey and the most famous are “Borrachos”. Another beautiful place is the black architecture towns, which show us how the materials from the natural surrounding were used; the houses are building with black bricks.

There is a book called “Viaje a la Alcarria” that it was written by Camilo José Cela in 1946, this is one of the most important travel books in literature. The writer explained his experiences during his journey to the Alcarria.

The worst thing about this travel was the weather: wind, cold, snow…. but when you are in holidays these things do no matter.

Uncanny Story

I’m going to write a true story that happened to me a long time ago.

It was the night of St. Joan and, as always, I was celebrating the night of the bonfires with my family and some friends in the house that my parents had in the field, close to the mountain of Montserrat.

It was into the night when suddenly and without any explainable reason the night became day for a few seconds. We looked to each other not knowing what to say and wondering why the night turned into the day.

The next day we heard on the radio that something strange had happened in the mountain of Montserrat and that was not the first time that these weird stuff happened.

Some alien in the mountain, isn't it?

English or American writer ?

I have just started the book “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker. I have chosen this novel because it was in the list of books banned from Sarah Palin and I thought that it will be so interested to read it, since it makes me remember the film that it was so nice.

But my feeling, when I read the firsts pages, has been that this book is not easy. Alice Walker is from Georgia and she uses American English with many abbreviations and terms that make me the reading so difficult.

When we want to read a book what is better English or American writer? From my point of view is better an English writer but I don’t know if I’m making a mountain out of a molehill.

What do you think ?

International Women’s Day

Today is the International Women’s Day, that‘s celebrated around the world each 8 March. It’s an important day to celebrate the achievements that women have done during the past.

In many countries they are marching to demand more rights for women because, unfortunately, in the twenty - first century there are a lot of women without the same rights as men like the same payroll, social justice, health-care……so on.

It’s a day to celebrate the past achievements and what they are going to do and can do in the future.

¡¡ Happy day to all women !!

Calçots

Now is time to eat calçots…., but what is the origin or history about this particular Catalan tradition ?

According to the legend “calçots” was discovered by Xat de Banigues a country person from the XIX century in the area of Valls. This man forgot that in the grill he had to put some onions and they burned, but instead of throwing the onions away he peeled them and he discovered that inside there was a fresh and delicious calçot”.

The “calçot” is the main character of the famous “calçotadas”,that are celebrated in the area of Baix Penedès, mainly in Valls. It's served with delicious romesco sauce, red wine or cava.

In Valls each year there is a competition in order to see the person who eats more calçots in a certain period of time. This year the winner has eaten two hundred and fifty calçots in forty-five minutes …….oooops!! incredible.

I thing that’s a good experience to enjoy eating calçots and I encourage you to taste it.

Let's go …and see you in Valls ¡¡

Charles Darwin

Charles Robert Darwin

1809 - 1882

This week we are celebrating the birth of Charles Darwin that was born two hundred years ago.

This extraordinary naturalist was born on February 12, 1809 in Shrewsbury, England. He was famous for his theories about evolution and natural selection.

From December 1831 to October 1836 Darwin made his famous journey in H.M.S. Beagle, a science expedition around the world. During the trip he collected a variety of plants, animals, bones…… for further studies. When he returned to London he started a scientific research about his notes that he had made during the expedition.

As a consequence of his studies in 1859 he published the book “Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection”. After the publication there was a big fuss about it and he was denounced by the church.

But why was there a big fuss?.... Darwin was the first person who explained the evolution of species with true evidence, and explained as well how species change and adapt to the environment, only the stronger and that have the ability to adapt to the environment can survive in it, and in this evolution he included humans.

He died on 26 April, 1882 and he was buried in Westminster Abbey close to another great scientific Isaac Newton.

ATHEIST BUS IN BARCELONA

As our teacher suggested us I’m going to write about the atheist campaign in Barcelona.

This month has started an atheist bus campaign in Barcelona. Two buses of the line fourteen and forty-one have begun running with the advertising “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life”.

This campaign is as a result of the campaign launched the last October in London by Guardian newspaper and supported by the British Humanist Association and atheist campaigner Professor Richard Dawkins.

The Spanish organizer wants to spread this campaign in others towns like Valencia, Bilbao, Sevilla and Zaragoza, but it does depend on the advertisement collection.

I agree with this kind of campaign. The Catholic Institution is allowed to express an opinion about important subjects like the abortion, education, gay marriage……, where the government has the authority and the competence about it, the Catholic Institution hasn’t been able to comment anything about this sensitive subjects due to we are in a lay society, and of course with this bus advertisement some Christian associations in Barcelona has announced a campaign in God defence.

From my point of view the atheist has the same rights to show to the citizens their thoughts and express with absolutely freedom their opinions.