Category: notes

I have tickets for this Wednesday’s European Cup match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium… now that seems like a podcasting opportunity if ever I saw one! Watch this space…

The Retiro Park, Madrid, this afternoon. Click here for more photos from the park and last week’s trip to the Basque country.

Just look at that water! This is Cala Saona in Formentera. One of the few crowded beaches on the Island but stunning none the less. The fisherman’s shacks on the left still hold working boats that are pulled up out of the water after every use.

Formentera is said to be in a magic triangle that also includes Ibiza. I’m not usually convinced by that sort of thing but the Island does have an amazing calming effect that I can still feel over a month later. Can’t wait to return…

In February 2006 I will be joining 100 other riders to cross 2,500 km of Southern India on a Royal Enfield Motorbike.

The total cost of the trip is 3,500 UK Pounds, half of which, 1750 UK Pounds, goes to charities (see link below). It is this half that I need to raise with your help, with your sponsorship. The rest of the trip, flights, accommodation, spending, etc, is paid for by me.

All the details of the trip, and how you can help by sponsoring me to raise the charity money, are here:
http://www.benjamincurtis.com/enduro_india/

Marina, my wife, says that the Spanish don’t really get the idea of sponsored charity events – I don’t know how this works in the US or other countries, but back in the UK we spent our childhoods doing sponsored walks, runs, bike rides.

The charities which benefit from the ride are:

Mother Teresa Educational and Charitable Society – Funding for literacy projects, and HIV in children awareness programs, in the Southern Indian state of Kerala.

Rainbow trust – Founded to provide respite and support at home to children with a life threatening or terminal illness and their families.

WWF – Worldwide Fund for Nature. Funding projects that benefit the well-being and survival of India’s forests, tigers and people. This charity basically gets the bikes.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can make a donation. The podcasts will always be free, and I will not be asking for money on a regular basis – maybe just a charity event like this once a year. This trip is a way of fulfilling a long-term dream for me, whilst being able to help some charities out at the same time. And of course I’ll be podcasting the trip all the way!

Saludos,
Ben

El Pais reports that Cataluña is to be granted it’s own .cat domain name extension in 2006. This is great for their drive for further cultural independence, and I can’t help thinking, an opportunity waiting to happen for lovers of all things feline. How long before we see pussy.cat, ilovemy.cat, kitty.cat etc etc.

Spain drew 1-1 with Serbia last night, putting their chances of playing in the next world cup in serious jeopardy. They have the best domestic league in the world, but when it comes to international games, they are rubbish.

I’ve even heard this blamed on the old inter-regional problems polemic – the Basques don’t like the Madrileños, who don’t like the Catalans etc., meaning that it is impossible for them to play well together – but that sounds a little far-fetched…

It seems to me this crisis is being totally mismanaged. Perhaps the most rousing attack I have heard was by the Mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, in a radio interview. This is a must-listen piece of audio. Click here to listen.

I would be very interested in any comments on the situation from American readers of this blog. Use the comments link below to let me know what you think. Thanks. I really hope they get this sorted out ASAP.

Hmmm… that sounds like a title from a book… Anyway, we are on holiday on a small island near Ibiza, surrounded by white sandy beaches and swimming pool seas… Tomorrow we head for 5 days in the UK, from where we hope to upload the latest podcast (back in English again this time), and our whereabouts now will be fully revealed!

Right, back to the beach! Hasta luego!

The photo at the top of the page is of a Moorish castle on the Almerian coast, in the Cabo de Gata National Park – one of the dryest, wildest, stoniest, most scorpion-infested and beautiful parts of the coast of Spain.

The podcasts are going to be carrying on, hopefull at a rate of about three or four per month minimum, but I’ve had positive responses to the idea of vidcasts (or vcasts or video casts – just what are they called?) So now my thoughts are, what to put in a vid cast? I was thinking of short snippets on aspects of Spanish life, not me in front of a camera with a microphone, but something visually impressive – which makes me wonder where the video comes in when a stills camera does that so well already? So, beyond a few thoughts of my own, I’d love to hear from anyone with ideas of what a Notes from Spain vidcast should consist of, and if you have any requests for the podcasts or the blog while we’re at it, then all are really welcome!

Leave comments on this post or email me if you prefer. And thanks in advance for any input!