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Adiós, Aurevoir, auf Wiedersehen – the pain of saying goodbye
Although at first sight we don’t notice it, but our life is full of goodbyes. There are a lot of different types of farewells which produce mixed emotions in ourselves: stag nights, moving to another city or even going abroad, saying goodbye to our work-mates, the daily ´See you´ in our favourite baker’s shop next door, the separation from our beloved partner or the passing away of a good friend. The list of the different kinds of farewell seems to be infinite. But what is the real sense of saying goodbye? Whether it is a ‘goodbye’, a ‘see you soon’ or just a simple ‘see you’, all those expression hide incredible emotions: starting with sadness through curiosity of something new, till real feelings of happiness. Farewells have very paradoxical properties. Depending on the way and form, saying goodbye can hurt and be very liberating at the same time. Although the separation of somebody or something can initially be very painful, they also have a certain sense. Life is like a book, which consists of different chapters. Before starting a new one, we should finish with the previous chapter. In this way, the experiences of the previous episodes are very important and decisive for the continuation of the plot. So it depends on you if your life will be an exciting novel, a chick flick, real poetry or a fantasy story. But we aren’t alone with those sentimental problems. Many artists, actors, painters, musicians and, of course, everyday people like you and me, try again and again to express their feelings through each kind of art. Whether the classic songs...
April 2010: the TV is dying!
What will happen with the goggle box? Those who thought that television is finally coming down were totally wrong, because analog TV is dying, yes, but the DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television) is expanding throughout the world. This new TV format has already been introduced in many countries, but has not yet produced the final and total analog switch-off. In Spain it will arrive on 3rd April 2010, in France on 30th November 2011, while in the northern European countries, DTT has been fully implemented. Whether this change will be a historic change or not, the interesting thing is that we have an opportunity to ask ourselves some questions: What does the TV contribute to society? What reasons do we have to adapt our TVs to the new digital era? Does the TV simply entertain or does it also develop people’s inteligence? Attraction and Repulsion TV has grown over the years and it has turned into a flat, big screen. Whether you like TV or not, it does not leave anyone indifferent. There are some who love it and they sitll remember their favourite TV shows from their childhood or those who enjoy great moments on the sofa with a blanket and a good movie. However, there are those who do not like it and don’t even have a space at home for it. What advantages and disadvantages has the DTT? You will enjoy more channels, better image and sound quality, and you won’t have any other receiving signal problems. The TV will add more interactive services such as audience participation in contests and surveys. The sports events will take...
Gay Paris, discover the pink side of the city of the lights
Paris, the city of light, is the perfect capital to let our love run away. No matter what your sexual orientation may be, Paris is a tolerant city that welcomes all kinds of love. For the gay community the French capital is an ideal holiday destination thanks to the amount of gay establishments there. The Marais neighbourhood (Fourth District), concentrates the majority of gay life, but other districts along the right bank of the Seine, near Châtelet and Hôtel de Ville, are also very popular among the gay population. Marais is to Paris as Chueca is to Madrid or Soho to London: the gay quarters. There, both straight and gay can intermingle. In the area there are plenty of bars, restaurants and shops for all tastes, including many aimed at the gay market. On the Marais streets gays and lesbian couples can feel free to spread their love. Beaubourg streets of Vieille du Temple and Rosiers are known as the “pink triangle”. This is a beautiful and charming area, where many communities and cultures live together: all kinds of people are intermixed with many artists and intellectuals, as it is a very cosmopolitan district of Paris. Besides being an area to party in Paris, this is also an ideal shopping area. Lesbian girls often complain about the poor nightlife offers available to them, but not in Paris. In recent years women-only pubs and clubs have proliferated and the Ecouffes Street in the Southern Marais area is the lesbian area par excellence, with plenty of bars, shops and even a sex shop just for the girls. Paris is one of...
Enjoy Berlin with 20 euros for a week!
The credit crunch doesn´t seem to want to go away and it´s getting harder to make ends meet. Unfortunately, we are forced to dispense of many caprices and to renounce many of our leisure activities. But what would life be without a bit of fun? Forget the money, take advantage of this advice because you can enjoy a trip to the German capital for next to nothing! To begin, why be deprived of a trip when the tickets can cost only 10 Euros? Yeah, you’ve read well! Today, flying can be very cheap thanks to the Internet. Just be aware of the best offers and you can travel for less money than the cost of a decent pizza. Another key element is the accommodation. Avoid the hotels. If you want an accommodation suitable to all budgets, rent an apartment with some friends, the more you are, the less money you’ll pay per head! Choose the cheapest accommodation! With these issues resolved, take some notes about how to move around the German capital without spending almost a euro. To begin, you should know that Berlin is one of the cheapest capitals across Europe… Rent a bicycle to move around the city, it’s cheap and comfortable and very healthy! Here´s an initiative that, if you wish, it can be absolutely free. A few years ago a company called New Berlin Sandemans began to offer free tours through the capital. You might ask, does it really cost 0 euros? Yeah, it is real! You only have to pay if you consider it appropriate. If you don’t like the tour or you don’t...
Madrid or Barcelona, which city is the best?
It’s not only football that plays an important part when it comes to the question of honor between Barcelona and Madrid, but as well there are a lot of more significant aspects in relation to the tourism sector. Millions of tourists who visit both cities regularly are the best critics and they are able to decide which city deserves the title of being the best city in Spain. Madrid v Barcelona: who will bring home the bacon? Before comparing both cities with each other, first we should talk about the things they have in common. Both cities are capitals, Barcelona of Catalonia and Madrid of Spain. The population of both cities is big, although in Madrid live more than 3.200.000 citizens, meanwhile in Barcelona the number comes only to 1.700.000 inhabitants. Furthermore, the Spanish economy makes its benefits due to both cities. Those aspects can be very interesting, but they are completely irrelevant when it comes to the decision where to spend your holidays. Let’s talk about more important categories: What about the creative world of culture and art in both cosmopolitan cities? Barcelona offers you important museums, like the Dalí, Picasso or National Art Museum of Catalonia and a lot of more impressive expositions of the alternative art, but Madrid wins the match with one of the most important museums in Europe: the Prado. But that’s not the only emblematic museum of international art which Madrid offers you. As well the Reina Sofía, the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum and a lot of more treasures of the world of art and culture are waiting for you in Spain’s capital. Point for...
Budapest, the spa paradise of Europe
Budapest was already given the official title of “Spa City” in 1934. And that for good reasons, because the Hungarian capital offers you uncountable thermal and curative waters and springs. So relaxation will be absolutely guaranteed. The spa paradise invites you to disconnect from your stressful everyday life and dedicate yourself to your health, body and soul. Budapest is as well a perfect health resort due to the huge concentration of minerals in the water and its curative powers. The thermal and curative baths already exist for a long time, but only in the 20th century they discovered the positive consequences regarding to the treatment of specific diseases. You may think that Budapest is only a perfect destination for pensioners or people with health problems, but that isn´t true. Uncountable organizers offers you frequently water parties which will impress you without any doubt. Have you heard something about the “Cinetrip” or “Magic Bath”? These are spectacular water parties where hundreds of party people get crazy dancing and partying in the middle of the water. Gogos, laser shows, theme parties…sounds hot, doesn´t it? A lot of the baths are not mixed, but the most of them are open for men and women at the same time. One of the famous bathes in Budapest is undoubtedly the Gellért Spa (District 4. Kelenhegyi Street, 4). A very special atmosphere is waiting for you there: impressive marble columns, colourful mosaics, statues, stained glass windows, modern decoration and 9 therapeutic pools will make you feel like in paradise. In addition, a thermal water pool, a children’s pool and a whirlpool will guarantee you 100%...
Erotic art in the Thyssen museum with Tears of Eros
Georges Bataille announced in the preface of his book The Tears of Eros that his objective was to “raise the awareness about the identity of the orgasm (or small death) and of definitive death”. That’s why the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum in Madrid lends the title of this work to its new autumn exposition, with erotic art as a topic. In this exposition, which will be open until 31st of January, we will discover erotic passion and the intimate relationship between the sex drive and death instinct through more then 120 works, from the Renaissance until the present day. The works of the avant-garde artists communicate with the classical ones: Rodin, Rubens, Warhol, Rousseau, Cézanne and Picasso are all sharing the same wall. Also other, less conventional art forms have their place here. There is for example a video of a sleeping David Beckham, filmed by Sam Taylor Wood in 2004, and an image of Rachel Weisz posing naked with a snake (see photo). A big part of the exhibition is based on works that show universal myths, such as Adam and Eve, Venus, Andromeda… This way, a lot of figures and scenes from Jewish-Christian tradition and classical mythology present us a tour in two parts. There is “From temptation to sacrifice” which will go deeper into the signs of death in erotic passion, using works such as the Birth of Venus, Eve and the serpent, the Temptation of St. Anthony and The Kiss. The second section is “Eternal Sleep” which will show us the death or dying like being in a trance, similar to ecstasy of love. Part of the...
Island Hopping in Venice
Venice is without doubt one of the most romantic cities in the world: endless canals, gondolas and Italian music. This is the typical image that all turists have in mind. But what about the uncountable little islands that surround Venice? If you really want to get to know the authentical character of the city, make sure to visit the beautifull islands of Murano, Lido or Burano. You will be astonished by their beauty. The Venetian Islands have a rich history and tradition. During the 5th and 6th centuries, they were inhabited by residents of Venice who were fleeing the terrible wars. In Italy you can still find some deserted island like the ones we know from books and films. Many islands are real health centres with spas or even hospitals. The island of San Servolo is a real academic island, here you find the International University of Venice where students from all over the world come to study restoration.. Let’s start with the famous island of Murano. Renowned for its glass production, today it’s a popular destination for tourists and lovers of art. In 1921, almost 100 years ago, the factories were banished to the island of Murano, far away from the city centre, out of fear for incidents. Some of these creations are true works of art, so it’s a great place to buy souvenirs. In addition Murano has some romantic canals and two charming churches, St. Mary and St. Peter Martyr, which you shouldn’t miss. The Lido Island is a true paradise. It’s the only island of Venice without canals, since it’s sandbank of about 12 km...
