All posts by Pere

In celebration of the dragon boat festival

With thoughts of Rhonda. She is the storm! She faces life with determination. She is our Dragon-Woman because she was born in the year of the Dragon!

… existe ese linaje de mujeres dragonas supervivientes de cáncer que afrontan la vida con decisión, orgullo, fortaleza y valentía …

… there exists a lineage of dragon women- survivors of cancer, who face life with determination, pride, strength and courage…

Cabeza de Dragón, un cuento de dragones y dragonas

Publicado el 12/05/2019  en Relatos  por AguirreComunica

Cuento de dragones. Soy Madre de Dragonas y os voy a contar mi historia. Pertenezco a un linaje de dragonas pero no siempre fue así….

Llevaba pocos días en el equipo pero la acogida fue tan estupenda que no desconfíe en ningún momento. Después de mucho insistir, era novata y la verdad no lo veía muy claro, me armé de valor para subir al dragón con un miedo atroz, escuchando los gritos de ánimo de las dragonas.

Había decidido iniciar una vida llena de deporte y buenos hábitos. Uno de ellos, era aquel equipo de mujeres fuertes que surcaban las aguas a lomos de un enorme dragón verde.

La entrenadora parecía una joven experimentada así que seguí sin desconfiar y con un salto desgarbado, entré en el dragón. El chaleco salvavidas me apretaba enormemente. Entre ese inconveniente y los nervios, me faltaba el aire pero no le di importancia. Si aquellas mujeres valientes podían, yo también.

Me sentaron entre risas en la proa, en una silla de espaldas a la cabeza del dragón y con un enorme tambor entre mis piernas.

El barco se balanceaba y mientras intentaba mantener el equilibrio sobre aquella mínima silla de madera, agarrada con todas mis fuerzas al tambor incrustado entre mis muslos, la entrenadora gritó: posición uno. Levante las baquetas con decisión al mismo tiempo que ellas levantaban las palas.

Silencio

Uno, dos, tres, cuatro…cada vez que las dos mujeres situadas enfrente de mi hincaban la punta de la pala en el agua, descargaba mi escasa fuerza sobre el tambor intentando marcar un ritmo que apenas podía seguir. Cinco, seis, siete… el barco zozobraba a cada palada y mi cuerpo, en vez de dejarse llevar, estaba cada vez más tenso.

Acompañaba el cuerpo hacia delante y hacia atrás mientras chillaba sin parar la entrenadora que llevaba el timón con fuerza, menos mal, haciendo magia para no caernos. Estaba realmente asustada porque el barco se movía mucho y al estar más alta que ninguna e inestable en la sillita de madera, parecía que me iba a caer en cada palada.

Todas sonreían y a mí me dio muy mala espina porque pese al mal tiempo, ponían buena cara. Más tarde supe que esa característica era propia del linaje de dragonas al que estaba iniciándome y que era una filosofía de vida fantástica.

Cuando todo parecía ir más o menos bien, el dragón permanecía recto, erguido, impasible sobre las aguas, empezaron a cantar como posesas: “las dragonas llegan ya todas juntas a palear….”. Lo hacían con una fuerza no humana y desafiándome con sus miradas.

De repente, el aire cambió y pese a estar en el puerto, las olas empezaron a desestabilizar la embarcación. La descoordinación entre las dragonas era tal que el barco saltaba balanceado haciendo que la proa, o sea la cabeza del dragón, el tambor y yo, chocara bruscamente contra unas aguas embravecidas.

Para ser la primera vez que subía a un dragón, la experiencia estaba siendo inolvidable y desde luego que escribiría un bonito cuento de dragones después de esto pero no, no pude escribí nada.

El cielo se ennegreció y pese a los intentos de la entrenadora, parecía que el dragón volaba por su cuenta. Las dragonas sin embargo, parecían felices y disfrutaban con cada embestida que me hacía saltar por los aires y volver a caer exhausta en la escasa sillita de madera.

Empezó la tormenta del siglo que en cuestión de segundos nos alejó de la dársena. Ellas, dragonas experimentadas, le querían quitar hierro al asunto pero yo, agarrada con todas mis fuerzas al tambor, sentí que el dragón nos abandonaba a nuestra suerte.

Palas al agua dragonas, oía chillar a la entrenadora. Qué cada una aguante su pala, no las perdáis si volcamos. Aquella afirmación me hizo cerrar con terror los ojos inundados ya de agua salada y como pude, me sujete al cuello del dragón fuertemente que bravo, subía y bajaba haciendo que mi cuerpo se golpeará al ritmo de las dragonas, contra el agua.

Ellas seguían riendo bajo la tormenta paleando incansables mientras se balanceaban a un lado y al otro como provocando el vuelco definitivo del dragón. Pensé que quizás lo estuvieran haciendo adrede y no estaba muy equivocada. Una gran ola se aproximaba rápida y yo me deje llevar. Volcamos.

Permanecí pegada a la cabeza del dragón que con el ímpetu, se vino conmigo bajo las aguas. Tan fuerte lo cogía que sentí por un momento que pasaba a formar parte de él. Cerré los ojos mientras oía cantar a las dragonas y ya no recuerdo más.

Despierto en el dragón, estoy incrustada en la proa, soy la cabeza misma del dragón y perpleja, no me creo que esto esté pasando. Un cuento de dragones de terror. Me destapan y se hacen fotos conmigo. No se si no se han dado cuenta pero creo que sí porque hablan de mí en presente entre risas como si estuviese entre ellas y no me echan de menos.

Ahora surco los mares con ellas y cuando competimos, sin que los jueces me vean, estiro todo lo que puedo mi cuello verde para que entren las primeras y celebren el triunfo de sus vidas. Se abrazan, me abrazan, lloran de alegría y se hacen fotos con la cabeza del dragón que no es otra cosa que yo misma.

Soy la Madre de Dragonas y pertenezco a un linaje de dragonas valientes que felices y cómplices cantan a grito pelado mientras palean: “…ya se asoma la cabeza del dragón, surcando los mares como un ciclón…”.

Epílogo: Aunque la ficción sea eso, ficción, este cuento de dragones, dragonas y mares es más verídico de lo que parece porque existe ese linaje de mujeres dragonas supervivientes de cáncer que afrontan la vida con decisión, orgullo, fortaleza y valentía y cuentan que por las noches se las oye cantar su canto de dragonas.

Enlace al cuento original: Cabeza de dragón

Sneak Preview of Cartagena

Lovely street in Cartagena

I am back in Xàtiva after spending a few days in Cartagena, a city located in Murcia.

Great place! I love it! Full of history, and also a major port on the sea.

I took lots of photos, but it will take a few more days to sort through them all. When those are ready, I will post an alert here, and put the pictures on the Pere’s Ramblings page.

In the meantime, take a look!

I took a short boat ride from the port
Roman Theater
Bouganvillas and a Jacaranda tree near the Punic wall ruins.

Got your interest? Stay tuned!

Zaragoza 2019

(Click on any photo for a high-resolution version.
Haga clic en cualquier foto para abrir una versión de alta resolución.)

Pilar Cathedral against the bright sky

Zaragoza sits on the banks of the Ebro River. It is an ancient city, and its name is an evolutionary corruption of the city’s name from Roman times: “Caesaragustus”.

I have been to Zaragoza numerous times. The first time was a search for a certain tower, other times to look at the Roman ruins, or the museum with information about the two sieges of Zaragoza from Spain’s War of Independence fought against Napoleon’s troops. One trip was specifically to watch a Verdi opera.

Zaragoza Delicias Train Stations- Old and New

In the photo, the old “Delicias” train station is dwarfed by the current station. The new station had already been built by the time I first visited Zaragoza, its cavernous interior and inadequate heating left passengers shivering indoors.

Aljaferia

The Aljaferia Palace ( قصر الجعفرية ) was originally built during the 11th century by Spain’s Muslim rulers. Through various wars it was repeatedly damaged and repaired/rebuilt. It is the site of various scenes in Verdi’s “Il Trovadore” opera. Today it serves as the home of Aragon’s legislature.

Entrance to the Paliacio de los Luna

On Calle Coso we find the Palacio de los Luna. Today it holds the halls of justice, and one might get a certain opinion about how justice is administrated by the statues. 🙂 Actually these represent Hercules and Gerion from Greek mythology.

Catedral del Salvadore de Zaragoza

One of two cathedrals in the old quarter is “La Catedral del Salvador en su Epifanía de Zaragoza”. Wow, that’s a mouthful! The residents call it “La Seu” for short. (The same name given to the large “non-cathedral” in my town of Xàtiva.)

Tribute to Goya

The famous painter Francisco Goya’s life was tightly linked to Zaragoza. His dramatic paintings related to the fight against Napoleon are vivid images of the violence of war.

Stone Bridge

Originally built in the 15th century, this stone bridge spans the Ebro River.

Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar

The cathedral of “Our lady of the Pillar” sits on the bank of the Ebro River. The mythology regarding an appearance of the Virgin Mary and a wooden statue caused this site to be revered.

Calle de Alfonso I at twilight

The “Calle de Alfonso I” is a major shopping street in Zaragoza’s “old quarter”. It leads from the Calle del Coso to the plaza in front of the Pilar cathedral.

The plaza at twilight

The plaza in front of the cathedral is lined with restaurants and is a popular place to eat.

Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar – Twilight

Day or night the Pilar Cathedral is a beautiful sight.

Banyuls sur mer

The R11 Regional train heads northeast from Barcelona, past Girona, past Figueres to Portbou just on the Spanish side of the French border. After a short stop, the train heads through a tunnel, and this Spanish train ends its run in the French border town of Cerebere. There a group of uniformed French officials standing on the station platform met the arriving passengers and thoroughly checked passports. Inside the station, I bought a round-trip ticket on the French SNCF train heading north. I wasn’t going far, just to the next station: Banyuls sur Mer (Banyuls on the sea).

It is a small town of about five thousand residents. It is quiet and French. I did not hear any other language spoken as I wandered around town. There is a tourist office, and one of those “tourist trains”. But, I guess they are all French tourists! 🙂

The unmistakable indication of a “cat house”! 🙂
I wonder if this fellow was one of the men I later saw playing boules!

A fish market and bakery

This town is definitely in “wine country”. At the time the prospect seemed a bit heavy, but in retrospect, I should have bought a couple of bottles to take back!

First-line restaurants.

Like “Fanta Orange” in Spain, “Orangina” is a soft drink that includes real orange juice (rather that those horrible flavoring chemicals in American orange soda!) It tastes different than Spanish Fanta Orange, but both are very good! And the view was lovely!

“Pierre” is of course, my name in French. But this does not mean “Danger, falling Peters”. It actually is warning about falling rocks!

As the train was nearing this town, I had noticed from the window that there was a cemetery that reminded me of the one we had toured in New Orleans. So later in the afternoon I set out to find it. Using the most basic pieces of French I know, I saw a woman on a chair in front of a small shop. I told her that I don’t speak French and asked her if she speaks English or Spanish. Uh, no, she didn’t. So I asked where the cemetery is. She replied ” which one? There are three”. With a few words and some gestures I conveyed that I had seen one from the train. Right away she knew which one I sought. She pointed down the street, said a few sentences that included the words for right and left, and I was on my way!

Near the train station there was some agricultural land.

The French train was actually quite nice compared with the Spanish regional one I had been on heading from Barcelona. Based on some strange arrangement between the French and Spanish railway systems, the Spanish train heading north can cross the border and drop the passengers off inside France. Heading south, it is the reverse. The French train crosses the border and drops everyone in Portbou.

But before leaving France there was another passport check.

From Portbou, back to Barcelona on Renfe!

Banyuls sur Mer has definitely been added to my “go back and visit again” list!

Stations of the snapshot

The hill upon which lies the “Calvario” church has a great view over the city, as well as a great perspective of the castle. Morning is best when the sun is at your back and Xàtiva is basking in the glow of its rays.

Ermita de Calvario Alto

“Calvario”(Calvary) chapels are fairly common in Spain, typified by a zig-zag upward path with stations of the cross at each bend.

By Xàtiva’s standards, this is a relatively “new” shrine, originally built in the 18th century and restored in the late 20th century. But the youth of the structure in no way detracts from the wonderful views as you climb up.

View over rooftops toward La Seu

Climbing the path up to the shrine one is treated to gradually changing vistas of the city and upward toward the castles.

Small neighborhood outside the medieval wall
Repairs underway to the upper castle

In the photo above, you can see scaffolding in place as part of the upper castle undergoes repair work. The section of castle on the right include the current entrance to the castle. Click on the photo if you want to zoom in!

Ermita de Calvario Alto
Back side of the shrine
View toward El Puig

The hill in the background of the above photo is “El Puig”. On top are the ruins of the Ermita de Nuestra Señora del Puig, which is under reconstruction to prevent its total collapse.

Looking past one of the “stations of the cross” toward La Seu and the “old quarter” of Xàtiva

Time to head back down and walk home.

View (R to L) of Calvario, el Puig, and Colegio la Immaculada

At the left side in this photo we new see the “Colegio la Immaculada”, a primary school attended by a friend’s son and where my “cousin” Fanny teaches.

Medieval wall and Calvario

Heading back toward my house I climb upward toward a break in the old city wall.

View of the “casco antiguo” and La Seu, with the newer sections of Xàtiva in the background

Heading home I get another view of la Seu and can also see the little street “Collar de la Paloma” and my house.

My house is indicated by the blue arrow

Above you can see an enlarged view of Rinconada Collar de la Paloma, and my home sweet home.

Ermita of Sant Josep

I pass one last monument- Sant Josep, before descending to my house.

Rancho de salva

My friends Natalia, Salva, Voro, and Nico have a ranch.
OK, I say “friends”, but honestly Natalia and Salva feel like much more than just friends. They feel like family, like close cousins.
OK, it is not exactly a ranch.
For a number of years they have had a small bit of land up on a hill outside Canals. It was dry, and a bit barren, but it did have a view to the distance of Montesa. This year, Salva proudly announced to me that they had bought a bit of land at the edge of Annauir, their hometown.
“Want to go take a look?”
“Of course!” I answered.

The plot of land was enclosed within a fence and included a couple of sheds/outbuildings. He pointed out what would soon be his chicken coop, and a variety of fruit trees. Variety? There was at least one of just about every fruit tree you can imagine. They had not had the property very long, and he was working to fix things up a bit before the heat of summer arrived. He was placing irrigation tubing within a fabric-protected greenhouse where he would plant a variety of vegetables.

Outside, by the border fence there were roses and even some grape vines, with tiny budding grapes.

About a month later, before I headed home to Colorado, Salva took me back again. The coop had chickens clucking along who decided that perhaps my shoes were food-like substances. Vegetables were slowly growing in the garden area, and crazy snails were working their way up any vertical surface or stick.

I think it is great that their two small children would have this bit of terreno as part of their world as they grow up.

As Salva drove me back to Xàtiva I said to him, “You have a really good life here.”
He said “Yes, we are happy. A person can always want more. But if we are not satisfied with what we have, a person will never be happy.”

Visiting Friends in Ontinyent

The weather is getting much nicer, and I decided it was high time I visited my friends Rafa and Marta who live in Ontinyent.

(click on any photo to go to an enlarged view. In that view, click again to “zoom in”.)

Rafa picked me up in Xàtiva, and they showed me their beautiful flat before we headed out to see the sights.

Very close to town is an oasis called Pou Clar (Clear Spring)

Pou Clar
The ducks here are a different breed than the mallards common in Denver.

It is a tranquil haven right off a highway, but down below you can’t even hear the cars.

The time is always right for a “selfie”


This park is quite extensive with a series of trails that follow the water, but one trail also climbs up the hill on the other side where there are picnic benches protected by signs that warn that picnicking is strictly forbidden. 😂😂

This area is near a spot I have often admired from the train that runs to Alcoy. As the train slips out into the open air between tunnels, there is a quick glimpse of a complex of buildings that includes what looks like a castle gate leading into the hillside. I have always been curious about it, but nobody seemed to know much about it.

Mystery spot

Well, today, a couple of kilometers from Pou Clar, we stopped by the entrance to that site. “Al Barranc el Castell i la Noria” (the castle and wheelhouse in the ravine)

The front door of: Al Barranc el Castell i la Noria

After getting that all straightened out, we headed to our next destination!

Bocarient

We continued up the road to the beautiful little town of Bocarient. Rhonda and I had been there a decade or more ago. From the highway, the view of the  church and the town’s jumble of old houses is stunning!

Bull ring in Bocarient

When we visited, we had heard of a hilltop bull-ring  carved out of the native stone, but had been unable to find it. Rafa navigated his car up and down a series of extremely narrow one-way streets and took us to the edge of the bull ring. I am not a fan of bull fights, but this was a very interesting sight!

Time to eat! We headed back to Ontinyent, where our treasured guide Marta led us to an elegant restaurant. The morning travels had sparked our appetites. The Salmorejo I had as my “first dish” was definitely not on my diet plan! But it was delicious!

Salmorejo
Paella

My “second course” was “Grandma’s paella”. This wasn’t going to help my diet either! (and don’t even ask about how the wine you see in the photo fits in!) To wrap things up we each had yummy flan. OK, this probably set my weight reduction plan back a whole week, but it was so delicious!


Next, Rafa and Marta took me to the Hermita de San Esteve, which is high atop a mountain with a stunning view over the entire area. On the drive up, Rafa recounted a recent strenuous bicycle ride up to the top.

Hermita de San Esteve

I felt as if I had worked off some of my meal’s calories just by listening to the account!

The view from San Esteve (click to enlarge!)

Compass rose

There are metal plates with all the sights you can see from this panoramic view. Of great interest me was the “compass rose” that identified which directions the view included. At the top it says south. But I was fascinated by the labels for east and west: Llevant (rise) for east, and Ponent (set) for west!

In the shade

After admiring the view for a bit, we took shelter from the sun and sat for a bit to recover from the meal.


OK, time to stop lollygagging! Back to Oninyent to see the sights of the town! We headed toward the old quarter and walked past the Santa Maria church which boasts the tallest bell tower in the region.

Bell tower of Santa Maria

The view across the old part of town was quite pleasant!

Rooftops of the old part of town
Clock of mystery

One roof sported a strange, intricate clock. It was a mystery. We later walked in front of the building that the clock adorned, but it was nothing special at all. Go figure. Somewhere there is a story…

On a wall, there was a painted image of a cat with wings: “The cat on the roof meowing for love”






Last but not least, two bridges over the Clariano River: One low, one high.

Low bridge over the Clariano
High bridge

Back to Xàtiva now!

Valencia’s “Mercado Central”

Today I was on a special shopping mission in Valencia. During my search for a particular item, I made a brief detour through Valencia’s massive, covered Central Market.
We had been to it several times about 15 years ago, but then massive renovations began. I am not sure exactly when the work finished, but this was the first time I had been inside the building since its rebirth.
Oh my goodness!
Amazing: Such a beautiful building! And what a wide assortment of fruits, seafood, meats, and any other type of food you can imagine. There is a sign that says something to the effect of “If you can’t find something here, it is quite possible it is not available anywhere.” They could be right!

Time to walk

My “SlackerBit” (the anti-FitBit) started nagging me that being a slacker is one thing, but that I had become almost immobile. It gave me a kick in the posterior and told me I had better walk, or else start looking for pants with a yet-larger waist size. So… I ambled up to the handy nearby castle and back. 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My SlackerBit said “OK, fine. Now what are you going to do tomorrow?”

🙂