Sara Saez: A weekend in Cantabria

June 15th

The day started at dawn for me. In spite of the long 360-km journey, I was delighted. It was going to be only a weekend but I’d been counting the days for a fortnight. When I arrived at the station in Santander, my sister Macu was anxiously waiting for me. She had been doing a one-week English course and was totally exhausted. The only thing she wanted was to have a rest, so I left her at the hostel and I went for a walk along the promenade.

I arrived at the beach, and as soon as I lay on the sand, my phone rang. Macu had just woken up and she wanted me to pick her up. If only she could move around the city as I can do! After going back to the same beach, called Los Peligros, we ate a sandwich and took some pictures. I was quite excited. The landscape was amazing! The Magdalena Palace was just in front of us, on the top of the hill, surrounded by a dense forest which gives it an air of mystery. 

Later at the hostel, we came up with the idea of visiting Castro Urdiales the following day. It was my sixth time in Santander and the sixth day for my sister. We needed a change, and we’d never been to Castro before. Furthermore, I’d mentioned it hundreds of times, so I hurried to the station in order to buy two tickets for the following early morning. It was 8 p.m and we were exhausted, so we only sat on the balcony and chatted, when suddenly we saw the huge ferry that sails to the south of England.

June 16th

Early in the morning we packed our luggage. We lodged at a B&B hostel, so a plentiful breakfast was served – typical cakes included! The only drawback was the treatment received from the staff, which surprised us because, as a general rule, people there are warm and hospitable. Moreover, the room wasn’t comfortable enough, so the best choice was to leave the place. My sister suggested writing a letter of complaint but it wasn’t worth it even so. We just forgot about it. When we arrived at the station we only had 15 minutes left until the bus to Castro would leave. Before that, we had to keep our luggage into the lockers, but it was Sunday and the staff there were off. Fortunately, the man in charge of the security helped us kindly, and eventually we got on the bus in the nick of time. 

In Castro we felt a bit lost and the station was quite a long way from the town centre. Fortunately, a guy from Bilbao led us to the beach. He wasn’t very fond of the place, but we didn’t let him discourage us. It was hot and sunny, and the beach is great, beautiful as well as crowded. Most of the people there were from Bilbao, and they were so chatty that we talked to them without a feeling of shyness. Their Basque accent sounded quite strong and striking but it was OK.

The journey back to Santander was pretty eventful: people saying funny things and our noisy laughter, a plane taking off quite close to us, and a group of English people in front of us talking to each other in a distinctive accent. 

Finally, we ended our trip with a long walk along the promenade in Santander and said goodbye to this amazing city “until the next time”. Undoubtedly, I always feel at home in Cantabria!

Elena Herrero: Scotland revealed

Scotland, in the northernmost part of Great Britain, is one of the four countries that form the United Kingdom. Famous for its historic castles and epic battles, as well as beautiful lochs and stunning landscapes, a varied wildlife or stylish shopping, it is a land of legends, almost mythical for its incredible beauty.

The capital, Edinburgh, recognized as a World Heritage Site, is well known for its cobbled streets and the sandstone façades of its wonderful architecture in the Old Town, where you can imagine yourself  transported back in time, exploring the secret Closes along the world-famous, historic Royal Mile, or strolling along the “Water of Leith” walkaway, where you can dine while watching the impressive twilight. However, although Edinburgh is esentially a modern city today, you can still admire centuries-old ruins in the centre. 

The Royal Mile

By the way, if you are an archeology lover, you should travel to St. Andrews, the world's home of golf, to visit the picturesque ruins of its cathedral, overlooking the North Sea.

The ruins of St. Andrews' Cathedral

The Scottish Parliament

Tradition and modernity live together on both ends of the Royal Mile. On one end, at the top of the hill, you can find Edinburgh Castle dominating the city, where Royalty lived within its walls for centuries, waging countless battles; meanwhile, at the bottom you suddenly bump into the award-winning Scottish Parliament building, designed by the late Spanish architect Enric Miralles, who sadly died before the building was finished; its risky, controversial design, an original twig and leaf inspired by the flower paintings of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s unique architecture, underlines the sketch as a complex landscape scheme, a landmark building connected to the landscape, as opposed to other more classic venues, which has become one of the most important visitor attractions in Edinburgh nowadays.

The Scottish Highlands are completely different; I’m talking about its awesome scenery, which is synonymous for peace, relaxation and, of course, malt whisky! Alba (the Gaelic name for Scotland) is the place where nature puts its beauty into words. Home to the forest of Caledon (Roman for ‘wood on the hills’), we can discover impressive hill lochs, wonderful moorlands, high cliffs or great glens. It’s mind-blowing, literally! As Scotland has two different coasts, both on the Atlantic and the North Sea, it shows incredible diversity, a bit of everything, from wildlife to birdlife, not to mention the rich heritage or the warm welcome its Celtic descendants will give you. A visit there will open you up to a world you could have never imagined, a place that will seduce you!

Left to right: Glasgow Tower, Science Centre & IMAX cinema

The Transport Museum

But if you think that Scotland is just Edinburgh and the rest of the cities aren’t worth visiting, you are absolutely wrong! Don’t miss Glasgow! Located on the River Clyde, and reborn as a center of style against the historical Victorian buildings after its industrial background, Glasgow is a cosmopolitan alternative to Scotland's countryside, with the latest urban renewal projects, which give the city its current modern image; actually, some of the most exciting projects in Scotland in recent years, bringing people to the Riverside, are the innovative Science Centre, promoting the importance of technology, and the breathtaking new Transport Museum. Designed by the famous Irani architect Zaha Hadid, it is one of the most challenging projects in Scotland lately, encapsulating the building in a ‘wave’, open at both ends, with two clear glass façades, which light the main exhibition space and its fantastic transport collection.

A must-see is the work of Scotland's best-known architect, the afore-mentioned Charles Rennie Mackintosh, especially the School of Art, one of the finest examples of the main representative of Art Nouveau in the United Kingdom. 

Nevertheless, the visit won’t be complete if you don’t explore the city's wide streets, scattered with welcome pit-stops around Merchant Square, or the GoMA (Gallery of Modern Art), which boasts famous art collections.

I hope you have enjoyed this post dedicated to Scotland, which maybe one day will encourage you to visit these incredible places I strongly recommend.

Nuria: my trip across the Med

Last month I travelled around Greece and Turkey; now I can say that it was the best trip I’ve ever made!

This is the last year of my degree, so my friends and I decided to save some money and spend a week together. During these five years we’ve visited many places: London, Paris, most of Italy… so we chose a country that nobody had been to before: Greece. But the cheapest option was a cruise through the Mediterranean, which included Turkey, so we booked one.

The first island we visited was Santorini. I swear it looks exactly as you can see in postcards or in Google images! Santorini is white and blue, lost in the middle of the nowhere … you can breathe peace! 

Santorini

But I have to admit that my first contact with the idyllic island wasn’t really good. When we arrived at the port, we realized that we had to take a cable car to the village … either that or or we had to “rent” a donkey (one per person, of course)! We didn’t think it would be so dangerous and terrifying! The donkey walked all the way to the village alone, and it ran as fast as it could! Furthermore, I have to say that the conditions for the animals (food, water …) weren’t that good.

Then we travelled to Izmir and Marmaris. In my opinion these crowded cities aren’t culturally oriented but simply focusing on commerce. We could see one or two lovely, tiny old mosques, but nothing more.

Izmir

We were slightly disappointed but then … we arrived in Istanbul! It’s so beautiful and magical! You can get lost so easily in its noisy suburbs and streets … but if I have to point out something negative it is the outrageous prejudice against women that we found there. For example, they have to pray in a different part of the mosque. In fact, they must be behind men and in a separate room.

Then we went to Mykonos, for me the nicest island on our trip. I loved its delicious food, above all the bread, the feta cheese … yummy!

And finally our last port, Athens! Visiting this ancient city was one of my childhood dreams. There is so much history around its famous monuments … everybody could feel it. 

We were exhausted after our crazy yet memorable seven-day trip but I know that we enjoyed it a lot, especially Athens!

Meme: My favourite song? ... Why not a tango? - A tribute to Jose Luis Sampedro

As every student of English in the Official School of Languages, I have often been asked to write about my favourite song. I have always avoided doing it since I have been quite reluctant to choose a single song. Actually, every time I decided to opt for one, several of them came to my mind,  consequently making my choice a difficult task. 

However, a few days ago I was listening to the radio. Jose Luis Sampedro´s wife, fellow writer Olga Lucas, was being interviewed, and she was talking about her recently deceased husband so I knew that he loved tangos, especially this one called "Cambalache". Then the radio broadcast this fantastic song from beginning to end. I paid careful attention to it and I realized that its lyrics remain highly topical, in spite of having been written by Enrique Santos in 1934.

It was then that I decided to choose Cambalache as my favourite song,  not only because of its lyrics and the forceful performance by Carlos Gardel but, above all, because I want to show my admiration and respect for Jose Luis Sampedro as well as remember him and his wise thoughts forever and ever through this song:

Cambalache’s lyrics

Original Spanish version

English translation

Que el mundo fue y será una porquería, ya lo se... En el quinientos seis y en el dos mil también! Que siempre ha habido chorros, maquiavelos y estafaos, contentos y amargaos, valores y dublés... Pero que el siglo veinte es un despliegue de maldad insolente ya no hay quien lo niegue. Vivimos revolcaos en un merengue y en un mismo lodo todos manoseaos... Hoy resulta que es lo mismo ser derecho que traidor..! Ignorante, sabio, chorro, generoso o estafador! Todo es igual! Nada es mejor! Lo mismo un burro que un gran profesor! No hay aplazaos ni escalafón, los inmorales nos han igualao. Si uno vive en la impostura y otro roba en su ambicion, da lo mismo que sea cura, colchonero, rey de bastos, caradura o polizón... Que falta de respeto, que atropello a la razón! Cualquiera es un señor! Cualquiera es un ladrón! Mezclao con Stavisky va Don Bosco y "La Mignon," Don Chicho y Napoleon, Carnera y San Martin... Igual que en la vidriera irrespetuosa de los cambalaches se ha mezclao la vida y herida por un sable sin remache ves llorar la Biblia contra un calefon. Siglo veinte, cambalache problemático y febril! El que no llora, no mama, y el que no afana es un gil. Dale nomas! Dale que va! Que allá en el horno nos vamos a encontrar! No pienses mas, sentate a un lao. Que a nadie importa si naciste honrao. Que es lo mismo el que labura noche y día, como un buey que el que vive de los otros, que el que mata o el que cura o está fuera de la ley.

That the world was and it will be filth, I already know... In the year five hundred and six and in the year two thousand too! There always have been thieves, traitors and victims of fraud, happy and bitter people, valuables and imitations But, that the twentieth century is a display of insolent malice, nobody can deny it anymore. We live sunk in a fuzz and in the same mud all well-worn-out ... Today it turns out it is the same to be decent or a traitor! To be an ignorant, a genius, a pickpocket, a generous person or a swindler! All is the same! Nothing is better! They are the same, an idiot ass and a great professor! There are no failing grades or merit valuations, the immoral have caught up with us. If one lives in a pose and another, in his ambition, steals, it's the same if it's a priest, a mattress maker, a king of clubs, a cheeky devil or a stowaway. What a lack of respect, what a way to run over reason! Anybody is a gentleman! Anybody is a thief! Mixed with Stavinsky, you have Don Bosco and La Mignon don Chicho and Napoleon, Carnera and San Martin. Like in the disrespectful window of the bazaars, life is mixed up, and wounded by a sword without rivets you can see the Bible crying next to a water heater. Twentieth century, a problematic and feverish bazaar! If you don't cry you don't get fed and if you don't steal you're a fool. Go on! Keep it up! That there, in hell we're gonna reunite. Don't think anymore, move out of the way. Nobody seems to care if you were born honest. It doesn’t matter if you work day and night like an ox, or you live off the others, or if you kill or heal or live outside the law.

My decision might seem strange even if an absolute agreement with the man who claimed things such as "Freedom of speech is worthless without freedom of thought" or "The right to life is widely discussed but nobody refers to the most important, which is the duty to live life to the full”, is easily understandable.

Jose Luis Sampedro (1917-2013) was an economist who was proud of the period of his life that he spent as a professor at the Complutense University in Madrid. Nevertheless, he did not hesitate to resign from his post to support some colleagues who had been unfairly dismissed. He always championed a more humane and caring economy. He stated that considering money as the most essential element in our lives would lead us to catastrophe and admitted that he was absolutely outraged by how indifferent the current situation is considered in general.  He could not stand the government´s ignorance and haughtiness.

He was also an exceptional writer. Sampedro's humanist concept inspired him to create literary works such as "El rio que nos lleva", "Las sombra de los días", "El Mercado y la Globalización". In 1990, he was appointed as a member of the Royal Spanish Academy. His maiden speech, "Desde la Frontera", focused on the harmful influence of consumerism on society.

I would like to finish this post with one of the last paragraphs of this speech, which I do not dare translate into English, in case it could miss its real essence:

Muy colmado de ciencia está Occidente, pero muy pobre de sabiduría. Es decir, del arte de vivir, más aberrante que la ciencia porque, contando con ella, incluye además el misterio. Ahora no se procura alcanzar la iluminación, sino sentir el latigazo del deslumbramiento. Se busca el estrépito, lo aparatoso, los focos publicitarios; no el silencio, lo auténtico, ni el resplandor tranquilo de la lámpara. Un símbolo de nuestro tiempo es preferir la ducha, rápida, ruidosa y acribillante, en vez de envolverse voluptuosamente en la líquida seda del baño, lento y sosegado. Los países de la periferia conservan, aun en su atraso técnico, más sabiduría y eso es una esperanza para todos, porque cada día es más urgente compensar el desajuste esencial de esta civilización: el de tener muchos medios sin saber ponerlos al servicio de la vida.

Jose Luis Sampedro died on 8th April 2013 after, and I quote him, "having passed from a placid old age to a bloody awkward one".

This is my humble way of paying tribute to the late writer, an outstanding human being.

My hometown / favourite place (part II)

Oscar - El Bierzo:

Imagine a deep valley. Imagine very high mountains and beautiful landscapes. Imagine old small villages in which time doesn't go by. If you are not in a hurry, El Bierzo is the place for you.

El Bierzo is a geographical area located in the north-west of León. It has a population of around 145.000 people and a Mediterranean microclimate.

This land offers nature, rural tourism, gastronomy and, above all, the culture of wine. St. James’ Way crosses from east to west and it's good business in the area.

El Bierzo is a truly enjoyable place where you can practise a wide range of adventure sports like trekking, mountain bike and so on, or you can climb to the top of its mountains and enjoy the beautiful sceneries.

The region is also famous for its wines and plentiful in products such as the "King", Botillo, and his knights, the pippin apples, as well as Bierzo peppers and chestnuts, all of them controled by the "consejo regulador".

Indeed, no wise person should leave this region without tasting its wines. Nowadays there are a lot of wine cellars in which are producing excellent wines and Queen Mencia is coming up through the Spanish ranking. The wine festival in early May is the best way to taste many of these wines.

Inma – Paris:

Twelve years ago, I was living in Paris, in the 16th arrondissement - or district - (there are 20); it is the largest city in France and has a cosmopolitan population of about 2 million people.

People call Paris “the City of Light” and, of course, it is the city of LOVE as it is the most romantic city in the whole world!

You can visit a lot of beautiful places and awesome monuments like the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Montmartre, the Notre Dame cathedral, the Louvre Museum, etc…

Paris is crossed by the river Seine and also you can walk across all its bridges or travel along the river on a “Bateau Mouche”; the most famous / popular bridges are the Pont Neuf and the Pont Alexandre III.

Paris is also an interesting city to go shopping: the best known street is des Champs-Élysées Avenue, described as “la plus belle avenue du monde” ("the most beautiful avenue in the world"), where you will find cinemas, cafés, luxurious specialty shops like Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Hugo Boss, etc.

If you want to eat well, I recommend the “Quartier Latin”, which is known for its lively atmosphere and many small restaurants called “bistros”.

For all these reasons, Paris will be my second hometown forever!

Maria - Ciudad Rodrigo:

Ciudad Rodrigo is one of the most wonderful places in Castilla y León. It’s my second hometown after Salamanca. I stayed there every summer of my childhood because my grandparents lived there.

It’s a small town in western Spain in the province of Salamanca, about an hour by car from Salamanca. It’s also been known as Miróbriga since Roman times but it was originally a Celtic village. This is the reason why the local people are called “mirobrigenses”. 

Its historic centre is enclosed by the antique walls were built during the Middle Ages like The Walls of Ávila. They aren’t so beautiful as The Walls of Ávila, but you can also walk along them. It’s the best way to discover Ciudad Rodrigo. My favourite place on the walls is a place called “La Batería”, next to the Castle of Henry II of Castile. There you can enjoy a great view of the Águeda River and also you can watch Portugal on your right side and Peña de Francia on your left side. It’s an amazing picture!

Next you can visit the medieval castle, where there’s a Verraco (or bull) in front of it, built by the Vettones, the first people who lived in Ciudad Rodrigo. Not far away there is the ghotic cathedral, where you can see the shots on its walls from the Napoleonic Wars. 

During your walk around the town, you can find several old houses like the Palace of Águila, with a great garden, Vazquez House, Castro’s Palace and so on. The Main Square has some historical buildings around it, including The City Hall and Marqués de Cerralbo’s House. In this square are built the famous “tablaos” every year, where the town celebrates “The Carnival of the Bull” before Holy Week. It’s the best-known festival in Ciudad Rodrigo. For five days, from Friday to Tuesday, you can enjoy the running of the bulls like in Pamplona and the endless partying. 

An exhibition you shouldn’t miss is “The Theatre Festival of Castilla and León” celebrated every August. You can have fun with the theatre shows on the streets.

When you are hungry, you shouldn’t forget to taste fried eggs with “farinato” because it’s the most traditional dish in Ciudad Rodrigo. 

When your tour is over, don’t forget to visit a place of interest called “The Three Columns” because it was part of a Roman building. It’s much loved by the mirobrigenses. You can locate it on the outskirts of the town on the road to Salamanca.

Ciudad Rodrigo is a fantastic place to spend a lovely weekend or to go on holidays in summer. You shouldn’t miss it!

My hometown / favourite place (part I)

Carlos - Hervas:

Hervas is a small city in the north of Cáceres. The population is about five thousand people. The weather is warm but very wet. Its rainfall is similar to Galicia.

      

There are several forests around the town with many routes to walk or go cycling. The most famous is (the one) called “La pista Heidi", thirty one kilometers around the town to enjoy the beautiful landscape. From everywhere in Hervas, you can see the highest peak of the surroundings town, called the “Pinajarro”. Also you will find beautiful places near the unpolluted river Ambroz, where you can swim in summer.

      

But In the town centre you can visit the ancient Jewish quarter, with its old houses and narrow streets, two antique churches and a nice Classical Motorbike Museum, with more than two hundred old motorbikes. This museum is in the outskirts of the city in a remarkable and singular building.

      

In the city centre you’ll find a lot of bars and restaurants where you should taste some delicious dishes of Extremadura food. The wonderful variety of cheese and the great Iberian ham have made Extremadura a fantastic gastronomic destination.

People in Hervas are always friendly and helpful (to you). It’s a good place to spend a small break or a long holiday.

Elvira - Salamanca:

Salamanca is a little town about two hundred km away from Madrid, the capital of Spain. Nowadays the city’s population is around one hundred and fifty five thousand people plus a lot of students from many other cities and countries.

In Salamanca people are friendly and very close. It´s a cosy beautiful city with a lot of stone buildings that show all its splendor when the sun shines. The streets are crowded with foreign students and people from around the world who like to come to our city to visit its famous monuments, like the two magnificent Cathedrals (called the new and old Cathedral), the two prestigious Universities, one of them the oldest in Europe, with its impressive facade, the stunning Plaza Mayor, the most beautiful in Spain, and many other ancient monuments like  St. Esteban´s Church, almost as big as the new Cathedral.

I like the weather in Salamanca and specially I love walking  across its picturesque streets in the town centre  on those winter days when  the sun is shining in a clear blue sky.

Of course food and drink are really good too. There are many shops and restaurants offering a great variety of the typical cold meat of Salamanca.

I don´t know anyone who doesn´t like Salamanca. It is a fantastic city to live in.

Carmen Mendez - New York:

New York is one of the most modern cities in the U.S. and very famous in the whole world. When I was there it was summer and very hot, but in winter is totally the opposite, it's too cold and the city is usually covered in snow. 

The city has different boroughs, and the most crowded is Manhattan, because it's where tourists usually spend all the time. There you can find the highest buildings with hotels, shops, restaurants ... and also it is very famous for sightseeing. It's a very fast city, and everybody is running all the time in the streets.

New York is a multicultural place, because there live people from all over the world. 

In my opinion it's a gorgeous city, but not everyone would like to live in Manhattan, because it's very noisy; maybe it is good to live in Queens, for example, which is another borough, like Manhattan. 

In Queens you can find a quiet and peaceful neighbourhood where you can live and start a family; but thinking of work, Manhattan is an awesome place to have a job, where you can find lots of companies  and probably whatever you want.

When I was in New York, I decided that I'd like to live and work there.

Estefania - Verona:

I invite you all to discover the fascinating city of Verona, all its emblematic corners and sites, which will not leave you indifferent!

Near Lake Garda you will find the most romantic city in Italy, which the literary work of William Shakespeare was inspired by.

Verona is the second most artistic city in the country, after Venice, and is characterized by its medieval architecture, with a lot of Roman elements. 

You will be amazed by the beauty of its streets and the marvellous things it has to offer, for example, its magnificent second-century coliseum, the Amphitheatre called “Arena“, where the most important opera singers perform. 

By going through a porch covered by sheets of paper displaying messages of lovers, you arrive at the famous “House of Juliet”, situated in a famous inner courtyard. There, you will see the bronze statue of Juliet, with a naked breast which, people say, will bring you good luck if you touch it! Also, in one of the sites of the inner courtyard you will find the famous balcony in which Romeo “courted” his beloved Juliet. 

Moreover, Verona has one of the most beautiful squares in Italy, and the whole city is enriched by lots of palaces, statues, old districts and other architectural jewels like the “Madonna Verona” fountain.

Mercedes - Hondarribia:

Four years ago, while on holidays in the north of Spain, I discovered a wonderful town near San Sebastian called Fuenterrabia, Hondarribia in Basque. It was a nice surprise when I visited this place, which combines the peaceful countryside with the beautiful sea. It is a pleasure to watch the environment of its streets while you feel the hot rays of the sun that illuminate the locality.  

I loved the fishing port, with its typical sea houses, which seem to be taken from a fairytale, are painted in bright colours. 

The ancient walled neighborhood has numerous buildings of artistic and historical interest. The streets form a rectangular plan of paved streets and beautiful buildings with wrought-iron balconies.

The north is famous for its gastronomy, so I like eating there because the food is (quite) delicious. I like the “xaca”, a typical dish made with “boca de mar” (surimi), hard-boiled eggs and mayonnaise. In Hondarribia there are many restaurants where you can eat very well. It is very typical to buy an ice cream while you walk along the maritime walk. There are very famous ice-cream shops with long queues. 

The weather is typically north, cloudy and rainy in all seasons but the temperature is nice because it is not too cold. 

It is worth visiting this wonderful town. 

Eva - Rodiles (Villaviciosa):


Rodiles is a beach near Villaviciosa in Asturias.

The beach is one kilometre long and it has a eucalyptus forest nearby. The water is cold but it has very nice waves for surfing or doing bodyboard.

Rodiles is a very nice place for camping because there are a lot of places around the beach. Moreover, it is a wonderful place because it has mountains and a beach in the same place.

It usually rains so it is a very wet place but it is all green and in summer it is hot.

Rodiles is a beautiful place and very nice for sightseeing, and you can walk at night along the beach and hear the waves.

It is a quiet and peaceful place because there aren’t a lot of people living there.

Dark Side of the Moon: 40 years on

On March 27th I turned 50. Only three days earlier, one of the most popular, biggest-selling albums in rock history, Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon, celebrated its 40th anniversary, which means I was a tender 10-year-old, still in Franco's days, when it was released in the UK. 

It wasn't until 1978/9, when I went to Bilbao to stay for a few days in summer at my godfather's flat that I first listened to the glorious album. His elder daughter, Begoña, happened to have the vinyl record somewhere and I was immediately attracted by the futuristic cover when I came across it. On the outside a ray of light passing through a prism, a simple, elegant layout against a black background. Then inside the mix of sound waves with the colour spectrum ... I don't know why, but I found the design mesmerizing and so I kept staring at it as I started listening to its ground-breaking music. 

I vaguely remembered the name Pink Floyd in those days but I had probably not heard any music by the mythical British band before, so to me it was sort of a revelation. Begoña had a very primitive turntable and the sound was not particularly good. But still, there was something odd, different, almost magical about it. Of course I wouldn't try to understand the lyrics, my main focus was the captivating melodies that came out of the loudspeaker. 

Honestly, I found some of the songs too weird, as it were, in particular the instrumental piece "On the Run". What the hell was that repetitive, almost nightmarish noise produced by a synthesizer! Indeed I loved the soothing opening theme, "Breathe", the ethereal beauty of "The Great Gig in the Sky" (such an awesome vocal performance!), the more rock-oriented "Money" (arguably the best known song of the album and my mobile's ringtone right now), the velvety, jazzy "Us and Them" ... You know, being used to hard-rock stuff in those days, the sound Pink Floyd created definitely opened my ears to new sounds.

The band in the early 70s. Left to right: Wright, Waters, Mason and Gilmour.

When I came back to Salamanca a few weeks later, I talked to one of my mates - who at the time had an enviably good music collection - about Dark Side of the Moon, and right away he lent me a cassette, Wish you were here, probably the other most famous album by Pink Floyd, which of course I love too, quite as much. My diehard affection for the British band was complete, and what's more, I guess I changed my taste from hard rock to progressive rock, so I started listening to symphonic rock bands like Yes, Genesis, Camel and stuff. 

There are so many things I could tell you about DSOTM: how influential it has been in rock music, the staggering 15 years it remained in the US Billboard charts, the mind-blowing overall sales of 50 million copies to date ... Whatever the facts, The Dark Side of the Moon is, no doubt, one of Pink Floyd's most popular albums among both the fans and the critics, and is often cited as one of the greatest records of all time.

So if you want to listen for the first time to this rock gem or savour its music more lavishly yet again, here is the full album - with the lyrics captions:

And it you are, like me, a Pink Floyd fanatic, you will surely enjoy this enlightening documentary on the making of the album, featuring interviews of the band's four classic members, as well as the legendary sound engineer Alan Parsons and different rock critics on both sides of the Atlantic praising the masterpiece.

Are you keen on Pink Floyd's music? Do you like DSOFT? Post your comments here below!

My earliest memories (part 2)

Rebeca:

Eating a croissant stuffed with chocolate while watching a Santa Claus animation film every December 24th.

Staring at my brother's room's locked door while sitting until he ended studying - which could last for hours and hours.

Rosa: 


Getting out of my crib.

Eating bread with nocilla at my grandparents' house in their village.

Smelling wet land in Spring.

Going to the Helmántico stadium with my little sister holding my father's hand.



Nuria:

One of my favourite childhood memories is the first time I visited the sea with my family. My father had to drive our old Peugeot for many hours until we arrived in Santander. Such an amazing moment, I couldn’t believe it! I have to say that I was really afraid of the water, but also terribly excited about the sand and my “beach toys”, like the shovel or the rackets!

But definitely, the best moment of the journey was when we went to La Magdalena. I had never seen penguins, seals, lions, polar bears …  I thought that those animals only existed in my books!

That reminds me of this photo that I attach. I was so angry! I didn’t want to leave that fantastic place!

After that, my father took me to eat one of the best ice-creams I’ve ever tasted. I can’t remember the name of the shop, but I still can feel that marvellous chocolate.

Esther:

Touching my smooth hair while sucking my thumb.

Looking at the sunset in my father's warm arms on a peaceful beach.

Sweet liquorice. Not the black one, but red.

Eva Lopez:

Touching wood, smelling sawdust and looking at my grandfather´s big hands carving amazing pieces of furniture.

Smelling boiling milk, waking up early for school.

Eating bread with cream and sugar while watching "Aplauso" on TV with my grandmother.

Encarna:

It  was a scorching summer day and the dark curtains scarcely let  the light into my room. I was sleeping on the sofa, just a  short  nap to pass  the  boring  hours that  always seemed so long to me.

Suddenly, a beautiful melody woke me up, I listened carefully and decided to go out. As I rushed  down the stairs I could  hear my parents whispering in a  quiet voice and dancing slowly. The radio  was still on ... Mrs Robinson, their favourite song, was  completely unknown  to me at the time.

They  could not have seen me but I stood  in front of them near the door while a  delicious apple cake was being baked in the oven   and made me feel like a  princess in her gold shelter.

That unforgettable song always brings back the delightful,  peaceful  memories of my childhood and sometimes I still hum the tune while I try to cook a  delicious cake for my family once again.

Sara Saez:

Smelling the dish that was being cooked while I was playing with my Pin & Pon.

Looking at the camera as my aunt took a photo of me. I was wearing her sunglasses.

Lourdes:

Looking at the untiring, hard-working ants as they were fetching food in the garden. I would follow them and try to move them back to their nest using fine sand and little round grey pebbles.

Smelling the freshly cut grass while my father was mowing the lawn.

Smelling the wet soil on stormy summer days.

Singing old traditional songs with my parents and sisters on our way to my grandparents' village.

Sarahi:

Smelling and eating my grandma's delicious food, after a "tough" day at school.

Having a picnic (or barbecue) in a beautiful natural park with my lovely family and then playing a great baseball-soccer-volleyball match (or whatever we could).

Watching the shining, twinkling stars and the high desert mountains while listening to Eric Burdon & The Animals' song "San Franciscan night", as my dad was driving to our holiday destination.

Feeling my mom's soft scratching on my back in bed until I fell asleep.