Climbing in Spain

Since a couple of years has the iberic peninsula turned into one of the famous climbing regions for climbers from climatically bad regions in Europe. During wintertime a lot of europeans from the northern part of europe travell to Spain to enjoy the smooth climate and the rocks with their good qaulity.

The 7 provinces with the best rock potential and quality are Andalusia, Valencia, Castilla La Mancha, the south of Mallorca, south of Aragon, Catalunia and Basque Country in the North.

Between Valencia and Alicante is it too hot for middle Europeans. The best time is between Oktober and Mai.

In the northwest layed Provinces Asturia, Cantabrien and Galizien is the best time between April and June ore in Oktober.

On following Links you find further informations about rock climbing in Spain such as Maps of various rock climbing areas around Spain and specific details to spots like Costa Blanca, El Chorro, Andalucia, Malaga, Granada, Mallorca, Barcelona, The Pyrenees, Montserrat, Albarracin and Madrid.

Following video shows the impressions of 4 climbers practicing deep water soloing on Mallorca. Water soloing is climbing without rope. And if you fall, you fall in the water.

Resources:

http://www.kletterphoto.de/Zu_den_Galerien/Spanien/Allgemeine_Kletterinfos_zu_Spa/allgemeine_kletterinfos_zu_spa.html

http://www.abseilacht.de/Spanien/mainFrame.htm

http://www.climb-europe.com/spain.htm

Alhambra

The Alhambra, also known as red castle, is a important castle on a hill of Granada, Spain. Inside its very old walls is a citadel located, the Palacios Nazaries, the palast of Karl the fifth and other buildings like a church, a monastary and a Parador-Hotel. Beside its walls are widespreaded gardens located.

The name “red castle” comes from the red colouration of its outer walls. The Alhambra is one of the wolrds most visited tourist attractions in Europe and since 1984 world cultural heritage.
The ground area from the castle is 13 hectare.

In the mediaeval times lived the aristocratics, the militär and higher townsmen, important traders and important craftsmen in its walls. First mentions are going back to the 9th until the 12th century.
After the Caliphate of Cordoba, an islamic state during 925 and 1031 on the iberic peninsula took the berber leader Zawi ibn Ziri authority over the castle and made it and its ambience independent. Berber dynasties ruled until 2.Jan of 1492 over the castle. But on this day the katholic kings of Spain re-conquered the castle back. This was the last bastion of the moors in Spain.


Following video shows a reportage about Alhambra.



Recources:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alhambra
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliphate_of_C%C3%B3rdoba

Flamenco

Flamenco is the term for a group of songs and dances from Andalusia in which the guitar is the main instrument along with others. It is considered as traditional spanish music and its development is inseperable connected to the historical, social and cultural development of Andalusia. The traditional music culture of this province is verbally transmitted almost without any written verification.

For the Flamenco artists is the most important element the vocals. This “cante” is a bitter orientally apeared plaint. The importance of the dance, el baile, rised during 1850 and 1936 while special flamenco cafes, the cafés cantantes, gained popularity.

The playing of the flamenco guitar, el toque, is verbly passed. This is, why even some important flamenco guitarists cannot read music notes.

The following video shows a flamenco guitarist and dancer.

Following video shows Paco de Lucia, one of the most famous falmenco guitarists with his song "Entre dos aguas".

Recources:

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamenco

http://www.planet-wissen.de/

Wind Energy in Spain and Germany

Due to the energysituation in theese days, the trend goes more and more from conventional energy sources to renewables. A study by the Global Wind Energy Council, Brussel, shows that from the point of installed power world-wide, Germany is on place two with 23.903 MW directly followed by Spain with 16.754 MW at the end of 2008.

More than 60% of the spains produced windenergy comes from the provinces of Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León and Galicia. In Germany the three biggest producer of windenergy are the states Niedersachsen, Brandenburg and Sachsen-Anhalt.

Both countries also have big companies, which produces wind power plants. Beside other companies are in Spain Gamesa and in Germany Enercon one of the biggest.

Recources:

• http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energ%C3%ADa_e%C3%B3lica_en_Espa%C3%B1a
• http://www.wind-energie.de/

Running of the bulls

One thing, which every year attracts the worlds attention on Spain, is the running of the bulls. Normally it appears on the television news telling that people have been hurt during practicing it. But what are the roots? How does this event work? This article wants to give an short overview about one of the worlds most knowing events about Spain.

The encierro (from the verb encerrar, to lock/shut up, to pen) is a costum which is held in towns and villages around Spain, some cities in Mexico and in the south of France during the summer. The most famous encierro is held in Pamplona (Spain).

The origin of this custom is the transport of the bulls from the off-site corrals where they had spent the night, to the bullring where they would be killed in the evening. Youngsters would jump among them to show off their bravado.

Before the running of the bulls, a set of wooden or iron barricades is erected to direct the bulls along the route and to block off sidestreets. There may be a double row of barricades along the route to allow runners to quickly exit in case of danger. The gaps in the barricades are wide enough for a person to slip through, but narrow enough to block a bull.

A group of large oxen are released at the end of the run to pick up any stragglers and a run is considered good if the bulls flow swiftly. Whenever a bull gets separated from the herd, it can be very dangerous because it becomes disoriented and often attacks anything, or anyone who attracts its attention. Unlike bullfights, which are performed by professionals, anyone may participate in an encierro.

The bullruns are dangerous. From time to time participators are catched up by the bulls and gored ore get trampled by their hooves. But this danger is one of the biggest appeals for the people to join this event. Some aspects are advised to potentional runners:

• Don´t drink before participate a bullrun
• Warm-up before the run
• Beware a good distance to the bulls
• On straight ways run on the outer side of the street
• Take curves only on the inner side
• If you fell down, only stand up, when the bull went away. If you are on the ground stay as tight as possible to the ground, so the bull cannot pick you up with his horns.
• Take something like a newspaper with you to deflect the bull if it is necessary

The following video shows a short reportage about the San Fermin festival in Pamplona and what can happen, when you are on the wrong time at the wrong place….

Recourses:

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encierro_(tauromaquia)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Running_of_the_Bulls

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stierlauf

Nature

One of the most different elements between countries is nature, or at least as I perceive it. I would like to describe what is different for me in a case of nature between Spain (represented by Valencia) and Slovakia (represented by my hometown Piešťany).

From my country I´m used on lot of green wherever you look. Always you have a lot of trees or at least lower vegetation. It is very rare that soil is visible without green coverage. If some bare soil apears it is mostly on steep slopes or in high elevations. Generaly it is typical continental vegetation with lot of forests.

As opposite seems to me a vegetation in Valencia region. Real nature is not so dense so you can see lot of bare soil or naked stones. Also you can notice high level of soil erosion, even in small slopes. For me erosion is in Valencia very visible. I was always wondering when I saw a quite deep channels going through slopes.

It is very visible that in country is not enough of water and it si very dry. And also I think that if there is any water in form or rain, it is quickly gone, because nothing stop and hold it in country so it simply flow away.

But I like this mediteranean vegetation with lot of aromatic plants as rosemary, lavender and with pine forests. It is very sad that lot of this forests were damaged and now when people are travelling around coast can see only bare mountains. I was so surprised to see it. And of course I like a lot palm (Phoenix canariensis, Trachycarpus fortunei, Chamaerops humilis) and tropical trees and here in Valencia, contrary to my country, I can enjoy them.

And this two cities has in a case of nature something very similar ... and it is water area. Near Valencia is Albufera National Park to which correspond in Piešťany water area named Sĺňava. Both are refugium for plenty of the bird species, important recreational area and important landscape element.

Countries fact sheet

As I´m comparing countries it will be useful to know a some basic information about each of them. So I prepared short fact sheet about them, which shows their general characteristics.

SLOVAKIA
Area: 49 500 square km
Population: 5,2 million inhabitants
Capital: Bratislava (426 000 inhabitants)
Neighbours: Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Hungary, Ukraine
Highest peak: Gerlachovský štít (2 655 m)

GERMANY
Area: 356 910 square km
Population: 80,6 million inhabitants
Capital: Berlin (3 396 990 inhabitants)
Neighbours: Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, France, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland
Highest peak: Zugspitze (2 962 m)

SPAIN
Area: 504 780 square km
Population: 39,2 million inhabitants
Capital: Madrid (3 228 359 inhabitants)
Neighbours: France, Portugal
Highest peak: Pico de Teide (Tenerife, 3 719 m)

References:
http://www.destinacie.sk
http://www.sispain.org/
http://www.wikipedia.com
http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com
http://www.funbumperstickers.com
http://www.prezident.sk
http://www.bratislava.sk