La Semana Santa (cont´d)

Adam Levy, on the other hand, chose to go aventure around Italy for his spring break. Accompanied by some travel companions, he did Florence and then the Italian coast, spending a good part of his time in Capris. Great food, great wine, architecture, night life, and the beautiful mediterranean coast - how can you go wrong there? The weather was ideal, with sunny and clear skys. From the looks of things it was one of those trips that makes you say, damn life is good! Italy was a wonderful experience and a contrast from Barcelona - it seemed more provincial and less cosmopolitan. Like Barcelona the food was great, though different of course, and the people were energetic and open. Speaking of tans, Adam definitely took care of his this spring break. In life, it´s all about prioritizing, or so they say. I guess at times it´s best to throw concerns and planning to the wind and live the moment to the fullest. Carp diem, Carp diem.

La Semana Santa (cont´d)

La Semana Santa, the Time to Travel

Just about every student I know of traveled this spring break. It´s great. Everyone comes back with a great tan, relaxed and happy as can be. It does wonders for one´s physical/mental well-being to travel around continental Europe. While destinations were distinct, and all very interesting, here are two examples that both seemed like fun and interesting trips.

Iana Petkova went to the very Spanish city of Salamanca, where la Semana Santa is celebrated with religious processions symbolizing the passion of Christ and the spirit of penitence (young men bear the heavy platform on their backs as a form of suffering for their sins, and thus purifying themselves). According to Iana, Salamanca is a beautiful city - clean, the people were exceptionally friendly, and although there were things to do at night, the atmosphere was a lot more relaxed than that of, say, Barcelona or Madrid. Salamanca is a great destination for those looking for a very authentically Spanish destination and to spend a little bit of down time. Nevertheless, as a university town, there are quite a lot of things to do.

The Earth Fair Comes to Barcelona

The Earth Fair Comes to Barcelona
April 22 and 23 saw the Earth Fair (la Ferie de la Tierra) come to Barcelona held at el Passeig de Lluí­s Companys, the large plaza that lies inbetween l´Arc de Triomf and el Parc de la Ciutadella (normally the fair takes place at el Parc de la Ciutadella but due to maintenance and construction being done at the park, it wasn´t possible this year). A large stage at the entrance of the paseo, immediately behind el Arco de Triunfo, held musical performances and talks given about the dangers of nuclear energy and the viability of energy alternatives that exist. An energetic point of reunion, the stage held dynamic drum and bongo sessions had hundreds of people dancing. Once beyond the stage, three large passages were home to stands, tents and even large Teepees, each one representing a special interest group, selling arts and crafts, selling ethnic foods, or giving demonstrations of some alternative healing art, such as massage. Two days filled with music, food, activities and people. It was an excellent opportunity to have a good time and learn new things, as well. The Earth Fair coincides with Earth Day, and in Barcelona the fair is dedicated to the nuclear accident that happened in Chernoble, Russia in 1986 and which resulted in the catastrophic loss of life and damage to the surrounding region (to this day there is a terribly elevated rate of cancer in children and adults). The fair also coincides with el Día de Sant Jordi, the Catalan version of St. Valentine´s Day. Tradition dictates that men give their sweetheart a rose, and women give a book to their man (though with modern times the exchange of roses and books has become more varied and flexible). Earth Fair, for these reasons, celebrates the conservation of the earth, the importance of unity and friendship, as well as the cultivation of spiritual awareness and the sweetness of romantic love, all wrapped up into one bright sunny weekend; not bad. Having spent the weekend there, myself, I would definitely recommend it to anyone living in Barcelona or merely passing through on vacation. It is always an encouraging experience to see diversity being celebrated side-by-side (for example, animal rights people, who maintain that eating meet is murder, and right across was a tent serving fabulous Argentinian steak and sausages for six euros a plate). Each group, or each person has their truth, their version of viewing the priorities of the present moment; who says that these visions cannot coexist in harmony? The earth is home to diversity, for everything under the sun exists means a lot. The spirit of la Ferie de la Tierra is to embrace differences because the interaction of such differences results in the evolution of ideas, of concepts, which takes place through new experiences. We can all benefit from the experience of unity; in our modern times, we need to feel some connection to the earth amidst rapid change.