28 de marzo de 2009

Granada y sus flores. Marzo 2ª parte

Continuamos con el mes de marzo, en el que florecieron muchas plantas, como las que a continuación tenemos: Erguen Calicotome Villosa. Preciosos abustos en flor amarilla a las afueras de la Alhambra, en el paseo que recorre la muralla sur del monumento. Coronilla de jardín coronilla glauca. Localizada en el Jardín del Generalife, en la escalera de salida Arbol de Judas, Arbol del Amor, cercis siliquastrum. Este árbol tiene muchos nombres. Florece antes de echar las hojas, que tienen forma de corazón. Este precios árbol dee flores fuxia se encuentra en la Plaza de los Aljibes, de la Alcazaba, Alhambra. ...pero también pueden ser de flores rosa pálido (pabellon de entrada del Generalife) o blanca (Calle Alhamar)... Ahora algunas fotos de flores cuyo nombre desconozco...si alguien las conoce, puede ayudarme dándomelos. Este hermosísimo árbol está localizado junto con otros compañeros arededor de la mismísima Fuente de las Batallas, en el centro de la ciudad Y por último, este seto colgante de hermosas flores amarillas, localizado en las proximidades de la Plaza de la Victoria, en el barrio del Albaicin

27 de marzo de 2009

Granada y sus flores de marzo

Mes a mes, la ciudad va tomando color, ya, cerca del comienzo de la primavera, los granadinos vemos cada vez más flores en la ciudad.
Cerezo (Prunus) Recorrido de la muralla norte de la Alhambra. Hay dos hermosos cerezos localizados uno al lado del otro
Añadir imagen Glicinia (Wisteria sinensis). De flor azul. Localizada en el Palacio del Generalife, en camino hacia "La Casa del amigo".
Membrillo (Cydonia vulgaris) Localizado en la cuesta de los chinos, justo debajo del puente que une las colinas de la Alhambra y la del Generalife

Las flores de febrero en Granada

Bien, siguiendo con nuestro propósito de mostrar los cambios de la cudad, mes a mes a través de sus flores, aquí están las que florecieron en febrero, Almendro (prunus dulcis) Foto tomada en la zona de la Medina, en el Conjunto Monumental Alhambra y Generalife. Hay cuatro almendros de gran porte localizados muy próximos unos a otros Magnolio caduco (Magnolia x soulangeana)Este hermosísimo magnolio lo encontré en su mejor momento de florecimiento en la zona de la Rauda, Conjunto Monumental Alhambra y Generalife. Está solo, rodeado por un pequeño seto de boj. Mimosa (Acacia dealbata) Foto tomada en el barrio del Albaicín, calle Beso.

Como florece una ciudad, de enero a enero

Feerico Gacía Lorca leyó en 1933 una preciosa conferencia en Montevideo, Uruguay. La conferencia se titulaba "Cómo canta una ciudad, de Noviembre a Noviembre". A lo largo del año, cantando él mismo y tocando el piano, recorrió el año completo a través de las canciones populares y de las costumbres de la ciudad, algunas de ellas aún vigentes entre los granadinos. Vamos a intentar conocer la ciudad de Granada, de enero a enero a través de sus flores, según van floreciendo mes a mes. Para empezar, estas son las primeras que lo hicieron, a finales de enero Manzano japonés (Malus floribunda) La fotos primera y segunda están sacadas en los jardines del Generalife. La tercera es un detalle de un´manzano japonés localizado en el Jardín de las Casas del Chapiz, barrio del Albaicin. Forsitia (Forsythia) Esta Forsitia está localizada en los Jardines del Partal, del Conjunto Monumental Alhambra y Generalife.

26 de marzo de 2009

Granada, Manuel de Falla & Federico

Manuel de Falla, musician, originally from Cadiz, visited Granada first in 1914...he felt in love with the city. 1919 his mother died in Cadiz, so it was the time for him & his sister, not having more duties in Cadiz, to move to that wonderful city they had met once in 1914. He looked for a house close to the Alhambra, a nice small, quiet carmen where he could work in his compositions.
Falla by that time was a very famous music componist... Everybody in Granada knew he had moved to live in Granada. As soon as Federico knew it, went to visit Don Manuel with another friend (a young painter). They knocked in his door & as Don Manuel opened, Feserico said something like "We want to be your friends, I´m only interested in poetry & music & my friend here is just the same as I, only he interested in painting"... Federico & Don Manuel became very good friends (Don Manuel was 30 years older than F.)... Federico went very often to visit Don Manuel & the opposite happened too.
They organized 1922 the fist flamenco song contest ever in the history of Spain, they worked together on little opers & other pieces. Their friendship never ended & as well as by Fernando de los Rios, the two families became very good friends...and in both cases, the first contact had been made by Federico. 16th of August 1936, as Don Manuel knew Federico was arrested by the facist army at the beginning of the Civil War, went there trying to safe his friend...he was told it was already too late, Federico was already fussilated... but it was a lie, Federico was still inside, Don Manuel couldn´t do anything for his friend.
Don Manuel went into exile to Argentina during the Civil war. He died 1946 in Argentina

Federico García Lorca & Fernando de los Ríos

The first time that Fernando & Federico met, Fernando was director of the cultural centre of Granada as once Federico went in & played at the piano a piece of Beethoven. Federico was about 15 years old. Fernando was in his working desk...& needed to get out to see who was playing music so beautifully... Federico began to visit Fernando regularly...Their friendship never ended. Fernando was 10 years older than Federico. Later he became his law proffesor & helped him to finish his law studies. Knowing Federico very well, Fernando was the one to convince the father of Federico to allow him to go to Madrid & live the cultural ambiente of the capital, it could help the literary development of Federico, as well as goint to a biger city, more opened ambiente. 1929 as Federico went into depression (love pains) Fernando spoke to the father of Federico...it could be a good idea that Federico went out of Spain for a while...Fernando was invited to give some conferences in New York, he would take Federico & arrange a room at the Columbia University of N.Y. Federico stayed between Ney York & Cuba about one year long. He wrote "Poet in New York" Fernando was Minister of Justice & later Minister of Education...again their lives crossed. Fernando impulsed a Clasical Theater Company which was going to be directed by Federico which aim was to bring classical pieces of spanish theater to all the rural areas of Spain... La Barraca. During the Civil war, Federico was fussilated & Fernando went into exile. Fernando managed that one by one all the family members of Federico could leave Spain to New York. sisters, brother, nephews & as well mother & father (86 years old as he took the ship to N.Y.) They lived first at home by Fernando. Francisco, brother of Federico married finally the only daughter of Fernando in the States, they had three girls, one of which, the youngest is today the director of the Legacy foundation of Federico García Lorca. She is Laura García-Lorca de los Ríos

21 de marzo de 2009

La tía Mariasun

La tía Mariasun es la única hermana viva de mi abuelo materno. Maria Asunción Escauriaza, casi 100 años cumplidos y 75 de ellos en la orden religiosa "Esclavas del Sagrado Corazón".
Que yo sepa, la tía Marisun ha vivido en varios paises, entre ellos Roma. Allí vivía ella cuando la Tía Manola, (otra hermana de mi abuelo) nos llevó a un grupazo de niños, todos sobrinos, o sobrino-nietos, de edades entre 8 y 14 años. Lo pasamos genial, la tía Mariasun nos enseñó Roma desde su Cincuecento descapotable y nos llevó a todos a ver al Papa (entonces Pablo VI). Tengo recuerdos imborrables de aquel viaje, yo tenía quizás 9 años.
Desde hace 20 años mas o menos, la tia Mariasun vive en Miami, ha venido de vez en cuando a España a reencontrarse con todos sus sobrinos (mas de 20), sobrino-nietos (más de 70) y sobrino- biznietos (un buen puñado también).
Sigue con su buen humor, no hay mas que verla... una mujer vivaracha, alegre, simpática. Este es el pequeño homenaje de la familia García- Valdecasas Escauriaza a la tía Mariasun.

Rafael Rodriguez Rapún & Federico García Lorca

I think of you very, very much. It is very difficult to stop seeing somebody you have spent all hours of the day for a long time & very difficult to forget. Much more difficult if you feel so powerfully attracted by that person as I am by you. But as you will come back, I am relieved by thinking that those hours can repeat again. I need to go back to work. Now I have already written something, and allthough I know you deserve more, I may finish now. I will keep writting frecuently. With all the love from somebody that does not forget you. Letter of Rafael Rodriguez Rapún to FEDERICO. sometime in spring 1933. Note: Letter that Rafael wrote as Federico went to Argentina in 1933. The power of attraction of Federico was so strong that nobody could survive to it. Federico was friendly, warm, clever, funny...very charismatic. Rafael was completely "caught" by Federico. Friends of Federico used to say "when Federico is there, the weather is not cold or hot, the weather is...Federico" ...Federico was fusilated in Granada on the 18th of august 1936, just at the beginning of the Civil War, by the facist militarys which took the power in the city of Granada. As soon as Rafael received the new of the death of Federico, he recruited in the republican army. People who fighted with him said that he was "specially courageous, that he allways was the first one, the most activ, the one that risked more"... Rafael died in the camp during a battle on the 18th of august 1937, EXACTLY one year after the death of Federico...

13 de marzo de 2009

La Plaza de Gracia

La Plaza de Gracia de la ciudad de Granada es una "plaza de barrio", de las pocas que quedan en Granada, una plaza a la que acuden vecinos de todas las edades, una plaza viva y alegre donde todos encuentran un lugar para pasar un par de horas durante el dia. Hace unos días bajé de nuevo a la plaza, debía llevar mis envases al contendor de reciclaje...y me encontré una desagradable sorpresa... alguien había colocado unos preciosos maceteros en la explanada que hay delante de la iglesia... ¿De quién ha sido la brillante idea? He criado a mi hijo en la Plaza de Gracia... en ella mi hijo ha aprendido a andar, ha jugado con los columpios, ha estrenado sus juguetes cada navidad, y ha jugado a la pelota. Mi hijo ha crecido en la Plaza de Gracia, yo he preparado durante muchos años oposiciones en la plaza de Gracia, mientras él jugaba con sus amigos delante de la iglesia. Ahora, con 15 años, es el lugar donde se reune todos los dias unos minutos con sus compañeros del colegio, el Colegio Virgen de Gracia, al finalizar las clases. En ese momento se encuentra con sus primos y saluda a su abuela, que está allí con ellos antes de ir todos a comer, cada uno a su a casa. Pero si seguimos por el camino en el que vamos, quitando espacios para los niños y poniendo maceteros, los hijos de mi hijo se perderán esos fantásticos años en la plaza...Ya lo ha perdido mi sobrino, que tiene 7 años y al que no dejarán jugar en la plaza, porque ahora hay un bonito macetero en el lugar donde podría hacerlo. A partir de ahora, mi sobrino y los hijos de mi hijo solo podrán pasear en la plaza...y como eso va a ser muy aburrido, pedirán a sus padres volver cuanto antes a casa a jugar con la consola, internet o ver la televisión...Una verdadera pena. Si la idea ha sido de la parroquia, se equivoca doblemente, pues no solo perderá niños en la plaza, perderá familias enteras y mucho peor, la oportunidad impagable de mostrarse próxima a la gente, de ser hospitalaria, y lo más importante, ser accesible...la iglesia lo necesita, cada día pierde fieles, y los pierde equivocándose también con medidas como esta, alejándose de la gente...y no permitiendo que unos chiquillos jueguen en su explanada. Mi hijo tendrá toda su vida un recuerdo imborrable de la Plaza de Gracia, le gustará ir siempre, y por eso, aún le quedan muchas vivencias en ella, enamorarse en las escaleras de la iglesia (si la parroquia no lo impide) y tomar una cerveza en verano con ella o con amigos en alguna de sus terrazas... Mi hijo ya es mayor, ya no utiliza la explanada de la iglesia, lo hizo a sus 7-9 años, pero yo quiero que todos los niños que lo quieran puedan seguir utilizándola, cuantos más, mejor, así tendremos niños sanos, niños que juegan con otros niños y que crecerán más sanos que si se quedan en casa toda la tarde. !!Quiero que retiren esos maceteros de la explanada de la iglesia Virgen de Gracia...los niños jugando son mucho mas hermosos que los maceteros!!

4 de marzo de 2009

Tombuctú

Tombuctú, in the middle of the dessert of Mali. Tombuctú is unreachable & misterious. The western world knew of the existence of Tombuctú only since the 19th century... but it has been a city to stop on "the Caravanes road" of Africa for centuries & centuries. 15th Century Tombuctú was a very important centre of knowledge. Today, Tombuctú has the biggest bibliotec of old Andalusian manuscripts of the world. Ismail Diadie Haidara Katy is the owner of it today. The collection began end of the 15th century, his ancestor, a very educated man, needed to flee from Toledo as things were getting difficult for the muslim population. He took his most valuable treasure with himself...400 manuscripts... which were finally deposited in Tombuctú as he settled there on his exile. His descendants, generations & generatios of them have been aware of the importance of this heritage as well as of the importance of knowledge... they have preserved it as well as increased the collection over the centuries. Generations & generations of Kati family-members... Twice the collection has been divided & disseminated, & twice the complete collection has been unified. Today they are 7000 manuscripts all of them with "notes on the sides of the pages"... very recognizable. Ismail Diadie Haidara Katy has spent 20 years travelling all through the side of the River Niger visting families, bibliothecs, catalloging it, re-unifying it...He has spent all his fortune, loosing properties & savings. He swears the collection is today re-unified but if it were not so...his sons & grandsons will maintain this task...for sure! 1990´s UNESCO knew of the existance of this important private bibliothec, Today it is protected for ever & all the knowledges contained are being investigated... In Tombuctú the official language untill the 17th century has been Spanish! Weddings & festivities are still today different from the surrounding places. In their university still they study these old manuscripts as a general discipline. Two of the principal mosques of the city have been built by an Andalusian-granadino & over 40 days a year -non stop- they read a specific manuscript of poems on the Al- Andalus past...In fact, Granada is not the last city of Al-Andalus...it is Tombuctú!

1 de marzo de 2009

Arian´s race

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkMjND_oyyk This is a video of the competition in which Arian took part last weekend. It was the Andalusian Atletism children chapionship. The film was made by the father of one of the winning boys, so Arian appears very little, but still he is to be recognized. In the video there are four races. Arian appears in the first (semifinal 300mts) & in the forth one (final 60mts). Arian is the dark haired boy dressed in black & red. In both races he is the last one...but at the end he has got the 8th possition on the absolute timing of both races. So, to translate it into normal language, Arian is the 8th of Andalucia in 300mts & 60 mts... Congratulations to Pablo Anaya (the winner of the three races)... & as well Congratulations, Arian!!