Look beyond the sandy beaches and you will find that Spain has another dimension. As the fourth largest economy in the EU it has a diversity and vision that goes beyond the costa mentality and the construction industry - though you'd be forgiven for thinking differently. Yet despite the end of the concrete era, the question of building is still very much alive away from the abandoned Urbs of the Mediterranean. In these other circles - amongst the La red de arquitecturas colectivas - talk is of sustainability and an alternative future that serves the needs and ideals of the present generation. One man playing a part in constructing this new future is Santaigo Cirugeda from the deliciously titled: Recetas Urbanas. READ MORE...
Don’t get me wrong. I love Semana Santa. Or did anyway. Especialy the first time I saw it, even the second and third times I thought it was pretty surreal. I've seen it in big cities like Seville and Malaga. I've seen it in small towns like Almunecar, and Loja. I loved the anonymity, the incense smell, the costumes and the sheer physical exertion from everyone from the nazarenos to the costeleros. In fact, I wrote a chapter on what I believe is really special about Semana Santa in Inside the tortilla. You can check out the photographic version in this weeks free ePub and PDF give-a-way: An Agnostic in Semana Santa and get a FREE CUT OUT DOLL'S at the same time too! See below for links. But you see, after a few years things tend to change. Some people in town - that I had previously thought to be afficionados of all things religious - turned out to be Semana Santa haters and one evening, they sat me down and gave me 5 persuasive reasons for fleeing Spain during Semana Santa.
2015 is Going to be the Year to Live in Spain.
Neither because its spring and everyone but the kitchen sink has uploaded a photo of almond blossom to their timeline whilst dancing to Sam Cooke: "It's been a long, a long time coming...but I know a change is gonna come, oh yes it will"
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What has Spain, 70's Pop icons, Piglet's scarf and an absence of women in politics to do with life? Read on, or listen to the podcast below for the full story. Sadly, eternally was not to be as reliable a yardstick as the Greeks had hoped. Like Demis' Top Of The Pops stardom, it was to be followed - perhaps too quickly - by that awkward moment often seen in musicals when a song has finished, and the actors have to cough and shuffle back to the blandness of normality. It's been a hectic week since the Greek left wing coalition Syriza took power. Promises to double the minimum wage took off to a good start when the new president announced an increase from 586 to 751 euros. Not quite double, but a start one could say. Of course, winning 2 seats short of an overall majority would inevitably mean compromise. The pact with the centre right party raised more than one activists eyebrow. But hey, this is politics. Who really expects change? Particularly if we have voted for it. (Read more...)
Forgotten Stories From Spain: The Anarchist Cars (With No Master Plan)
As I'm not into military history - the thought of comparing tank wheels sizes or turret lengths frankly holds as much interest for me as the shaving habits of the current Spanish PM - I am however curious about what happened to Catalan Industry at the outbreak of the civil war. Not, I should add, because Industrial history is of particular interest - but for the following reasons:
"I'm Justified and I'm Ancient and I drive an Ambulance Van"
Between August 1936 and January 1939 many factories were collectivised in Catalunya by the workers of the CNT and the FAI, (Confederacin Nacional de Trabajadores and Federacion Anarquista Iberica) including one particular large complex: The Maquinaria Moderna para Construcciones y Obras Públicas de Sant Sadurní. Vehicle adaptation and experimentation then became synonymous with the industrial north and in particular, Barcelona. Even Norman Bethune, the Canadian Doctor drove up to the province in search of a customised van to embark on his idea for a mobile ambulance. Other collectivised factories in Catalunya produced bombs, pistols, shells, grenades and dynamite. This car workshop, however, was converted into a huge factory for the production of tanks, assault vehicles, tractors, artillery and wacky shaped armoured cars. Factory Z: All Bound For Mu Mu Land
Design in the factory had not limitations. Chevrolet lorry or trucks were converted into armoured cars, a tractor would be re-designed to clear roads or snow. But it was the design of other vehicles, modified and customised in these factories that would become the template for Batman and Robins future transport needs.. Design and Innovation: Fishing in the Rivers of Life (hoi)
The Last Train Left an Hour Ago...
Franco was prepared to use his new powers to control and create a new society. His consistent use of violence and repression only escalated inequality and he respected neither privacy, laws of human dignity or international legal rights. In short he used force to create a world compliant with his own world view. And in so doing, paved the way for other Dark Knights to follow. Still, the crazy designs of the anarchist collective in Barcelona proved themselves light years ahead of the traditional Mu Mu car industry. Not until the 90's (Make mine a 99!) would we see the small personal combat vehicles/4X4 suzuki style designs hit the side-walks of bored urban-bound dreamers. But these designs were first on show back in the 1930's in the justified and ancient, anarchic and creative energy driven times of revolutionary Spain. READ THE BEST STORIES FROM SPAIN:
Health Warning: This is not a tweet-length post. It may be better absorbed with your feet up, a chocolate digie and a cup of Ovaltine in your hand. Or if you prefer, go to the bottom of the post and you'll see a link to the audio version you can download. Either way, Go Slow and expect only the unexpected. READ MORE...
It is said that One Image equals a 1000 words. So, save yourself a lot of energy and download the appropriate Spanish Poster that reflects your position on life. Free from the gazpachomOnks library of Images that Shook Iberia
Grab the set over on the Free Tab above: Free Posters and Feel Free to Share!
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