Some governments are becoming incredibly paranoid. Take for instance the case of Italy, where a new law has been established, affecting internet users. Any person wanting to use an internet cafe in Italy will have to show and have their passport registered by the cafe owners, as explained in The Guardian's article : Passport to Surf . And I wonder, what's next? The same law for all European countries? And how about tatooing passport numbers in the citizen's arms? Nazy-style, why not, after all this is Europe, we have a lot of experience, History is there to help us! If this is what the EU Constitution is, this Constituion some still want us to adopt, no matter what, then let me tell you: you can keep your precious Europe. I'm out of here.


La paranoia de algunos gobiernos ha llegado a limites insospechados. Segun una nueva ley italiana, los internautas que deseen usar los servicios de un internet cafe tendran que mostar su pasaporte, segun informa The Guardian en este articulo : "Passport to Surf". Y lo proximo que sera? La misma ley a nivel europeo? Y luego, por que no hacer que cada ciudadano tenga que tatuarse el numero de pasaporte en el brazo? Al estilo nazi, que para eso estamos en Europa, no? Ya tenemos experiencia, para eso esta la Historia, para ayudarnos a oprimir. Si esa Constitucion Europea que algunos aun desean imponer se basa en esto, se lo digo bien claro: metanse Europa donde les quepa, que yo me largo.

The weather today:
Mostly Cloudy
15C
UV Index: 2 Low
Wind: From the West Northwest at 15 mph
Dew Point: 7C
Humidity: 59%
Visibility: Unlimited
Barometer: 1,021.3 mb

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I wish my relatives decided they don't want to celebrate their birthdays. This would mean no more spending hours and hours trying to find an appropriate present light enough in weigh so I don't pay an eye for the postage. It would also mean the end of carefully wrapping presents in bubble wrap so they don't break and then carefully cellotaping the box to secure the contents. In summary: I am fed up with the whole stuff! No more birthdays, for heaven's sake! And Xmas! Xmas is just in 2 month's time!!! I won't survive another year of this! My relatives live in two different continents, help!!!

Me encantaria que mi familia decidiera que ya no quieren cumplir mas anios. Se acabaron los cumpleanios! Para mi, significaria el fin de esta tortura de horas y horas pasadas buscando un regalo apropiado que, ademas, no pese mucho y me arruine al enviarlo por correo. El fin de pasarme el rato envolviendo el regalo en plastico de burbujas, para que llegue perfecto. El fin de esas horas pasadas envolviendo la caja del maldito regalito para que no se abra por el camino. Queda claro? Estoy hart@ de cumpleanios y santos. Y la Navidad....que viene la Navidad, maldita sea, en dos meses ya estamos otra vez con la misma historia, yo no sobrevivo otro anio, socorro! Que tengo familia en dos paises, una en cada punta del mundo!!!!

The weather today:
Mostly Cloudy and Windy
17C
UV Index:1 Low
Wind: From the West Southwest at 30 mph
Dew Point: 12C
Humidity: 72%
Visibility: 9 miles
Barometer: 1,014.2 mb

 

Our sunflowers have gone crazy this year. They won't stop flowering and it is already the end of September! They are truly the 'miracle sunflowers'. To start with, we never planted them! We planted some gladiolae bulbs and added plenty of compost. The next thing we knew, the sunflowers were there. We suspect some of last year's sunflowers seeds fell in the compost and there you are, sunflowers again! But the 'miracle' does not stop here. When the first flowers dried out, more little flowers appeared in the plants. There are currently between 5 and 10 sunflowers in each plant. There has been a non-stop flowering madness since the beginning of July. To think we didn't want sunflowers this year....

Nuestros girasoles se han vuelto locos este anio. No paran de producir mas y mas flores y ya estamos a finales de Septiembre! Son realmente girasoles milagrosos. Para empezar, nosotros no los plantamos! Lo que plantamos fueron bulbos de gladiolo, y aniadimos mucho compost para alimentarlos. Y lo que paso despues es que...salieron girasoles! Pensamos que algunas semillas de girasol de las plantas del anio pasado cayeron por error en el compost. Asi que...venga, girasoles otra vez! Pero el 'milagro' no se acaba aqui... cuando la flor de cada planta se seco, salieron mas flores! Ahora mismo, cada planta tiene entre 5 y 10 flores. Y asi, desde principios de Julio. Y eso que no queriamos girasoles este anio....

The weather today:
Cloudy and Windy
17C
UV Index: 1 Low
Wind: From the Southwest at 23 mph
Dew Point: 12C
Humidity: 74%
Visibility:Unlimited
Barometer: 1,015.9 mb

It's been a busy week and I 've not had time to post in the blog. However, I had a bit of time, enough to buy the tickets for the Royksopp gig on 15 October.

Ha sido una semana muy ocupada y no me ha dado tiempo de postear en el blog. Sin embargo, si me ha dado tiempo de comprar entradas para el concierto de Royksopp el 15 de Octubre.

The weather today:
Rain
18C
UV Index: 1 Low
Wind: From the South at 12 mph
Dew Point:16°C
Humidity: 88%
Visibility: 2 miles
Barometer: 1,010.2 mb

Back to the Moon! By 2018 human beings will step again in the Moon, as announced by NASA . The spacecraft will be based on the Apollo model although it will be bigger and carry six astronauts aboard. I am happy we are going back to the Moon but cannot stop suspecting this may be a new Space Race. Against whom you will ask. The Russians are not economically able to compete in this race! Ah no, not the Russians. The Chinese! They've already said they are going to the Moon . So the US needed another Space Race to take them back to the Moon. I cannot but think...thanks, China!
To those who oppose spending on space exploration, to those who ask why go to the Moon when there are so many starving people in our planet, the answer is very simple : stop war and producing arms. That will feed the poor and solve all problems in this planet. The money spent in space exploration is ridiculously small, compared to what is spent in war. Don't stop space exploration. Our future may be in the stars!

Volvemos a la Luna! En el 2018 una nueva mision tripulada pisara la Luna, declara NASA . La nave se basara en el disenio de las naves Apollo , aunque sera de mayor tamanio y transportara seis astronautas en lugar de tres. Me alegra que volvamos a la Luna pero al mismo tiempo, se me ocurre que esto es otra 'carrera espacial'. Me direis que los rusos ya no estan en condiciones de participar en otra. No, por supuesto que no. Pero los chinos, si! El gobierno chino ha anunciado varias veces su intencion de ir a la Luna . Justo lo que necesitaban los americanos para ponerse manos a la obra. Otra competicion! Ante los resultados, solo se me ocurre decir....gracias, China!
A los que se oponen a la exploracion espacial, a los que preguntan como podemos pensar en ir a la Luna si hay tanta gente muriendo de hambre en este planeta, yo les respondo, bien simplemente : la solucion es que no haya mas guerras y se pare inmediatamente la produccion de armas. Eso dara alimento a los pobres y resolvera los problemas de este planeta. En comparacion con lo que los gobiernos se gastan en defensa, el dinero invertido en exploracion espacial es ridiculo, es una cantidad infima. No obstruyais la exploracion espacial. Nuestro futuro bien podria estar en las estrellas!

The weather today:
Mostly Cloudy
15C
UV Index: 1 Low
Wind: From the West Southwest at 5 mph
Dew Point: 11C
Humidity: 77%
Visibility: 6 miles
Barometer: 1,025.1 mb

Not identified! / Sin identificar!

Liberty cap or some poisonous horror?/ Seta magica o bien venenosa?

A member of the Lactarius family,edible and tasty. We think. / Uno de la familia de los Lactarius. Comestible.... probablemente!

This last weekend we went mushroom hunting to the New Forest . The photos above are some of the result of our useless search. A grand total of 15 mushrooms, most of them non-identified! Mushroom hunting is not that easy, you see!


Este fin de semana fuimos a buscar setas a la New Forest . Las fotos de arriba muestran parte del resultado de la infructuosa busqueda. Encontramos la impresionante cantidad de.... 15 setas! Y la mayoria de ellas, no fuimos capaces de identificar. Ya veis, lo de las setas no es facil, precisamente!



The weather today:
Mostly Cloudy
19C
UV Index:3 Moderate
Wind: From the West Southwest at 6 mph
Dew Point: 11C
Humidity:57%
Visibility: Unlimited
Barometer: 1,024.7 mb

Yesterday we tried cooking spaghetti carbonara as Heston Blumenthal proposed in this article in the Sunday Times. It seemed a bit strange, especially the part of the recipe when Heston suggests using 3 raw egg yolks and they get cooked only by the heat from the cooked pasta. But...it works! And the sauce is very smooth. I think from now on it will be Heston carbonara at home! See the recipe below, quoting from the article:

"SPAGHETTI CARBONARA (six servings)

4 medium onions
3 cloves garlic
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
300g smoked streaky bacon, sliced across into 1cm strips
1-2 fresh green chillis (depending on taste), seeds and pith removed, and chopped
600g best-quality dried pasta (spaghetti is ideal)
4-5 medium egg yolks
100g fresh parmesan, grated
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley

Peel, halve and de-root the onion, and chop finely. Peel, chop and purée the garlic (sprinkle a little table salt over the roughly chopped garlic and, using the flat side of the chopping knife, drag it backwards over the garlic — watch your fingers — until you have a smooth purée).

Pour about 75ml of olive oil into a frying pan and add the onions and garlic. Cook on a low to medium heat for 15 minutes. While the onions are cooking, you may need to regulate the temperature; the onions should not be coloured after the cooking time. Add the bacon and chopped chilli to the onion and garlic and turn up the heat. Cook until the onions and bacon are just starting to colour at the edges.

Put on the pasta water: use 6 litres of water and 60g of salt. When it comes to the boil, add the pasta, stirring gently to ensure that it does not stick. Cook according to the packet instructions, until the pasta is al dente.
Meanwhile, put the egg yolks into a bowl large enough to hold all the pasta. Add the grated parmesan and set aside. Chop the parsley leaves.

When the pasta is ready, drain through a colander — keeping back a bit of the water — and tip immediately onto the egg yolk- and parmesan mix, and ensuring that 1-2 tbsp of the cooking water goes with it. As you stir the pasta into the egg and cheese, the heat will cook the eggs and melt the cheese, making the sauce. Stir in the hot onion and bacon mix, sprinkle over the chopped parsley and serve.
Heston may add peas to this dish; broccoli is also be a great extra. If you do use peas, it might be an idea to change the pasta, as the spaghetti won’t hold them."

Ayer preparamos spaghetti carbonara siguiendo la receta que Heston Blumenthal propuso en este articulo (en ingles) en el Sunday Times. Habia una parte de la receta que se nos hacia bastante rara, cuando Heston sugiere usar 3 yemas de huevo crudas. No cocinarlas, sino dejarlas crudas hasta que se cuecen con el calor producido por la pasta hirviendo. Raro, si, pero...funciona! Y la salsa es de textura suave y sabe genial. A partir de ahora, en casa se prepara solo la carbonara al estilo Heston! He copiado y traducido la receta del articulo, probadla! :

"SPAGHETTI CARBONARA (para 6 personas!)

4 cebollas de tamanio medio
3 dientes de ajo
Aceite de oliva virgen
Sal
300g bacon tipo ahumado, cortado a tiras delgadas de 1cm de longitud
1-2 chilis verdes frescos (si os gustan), cortados finamente y sin semillas.
600g pasta spaghetti
4-5 yemas de huevo, tamanio medio
100g queso parmesano, rallado.
1 ramito de perejil, cortado finamente.

Pelar y cortar finamente las cebollas. Pelar y trocear muy finamente, hasta casi hacer pure, los ajos.

Poner 75ml de aceite de oliva en una sarten, calentar y aniadir las cebollas y el ajo. Cocer a medio/bajo fuego durante 15 minutos, vigilando la temperatura, las cebollas no deben tomar color en ningun caso. Aniadir el bacon y los pedacitos de chili y subir el fuego. Cocinar hasta que las cebollas y el bacon empiecen justo a tomar color en los bordes.

Llenar una olla con agua para cocinar la pasta : usar 6 litros de agua y 60g de sal. Cuando el agua hierva, aniadir la pasta, removiendo con cuidado para que no se pegue a la olla. Cocinar siguiendo las instrucciones del paquete, hasta que la pasta este al dente.

Mientras tanto, colocar las yemas de huevo en un bol suficientemente grande como para contener la pasta hervida. Aniadir el queso parmesano rallado. Trocear el ramito de perejil.

Cuando la pasta este lista, escurrir en colador - guardando algo de agua aparte - y pasar inmediatamente al bol de los huevos y parmesano, aniadiendo tambien 1-2 cucharadas del agua que habremos reservado. Mezclar con una cuchara la pasta con el huevo y queso. El calor de la pasta hervida cocinara las yemas de huevo y derretira el queso, convirtiendose en la salsa. Aniadir las cebollas con ajo y bacon, mezclar todo junto, aniadir un poco de perejil y servir.

Heston a veces sirve este plato con guisantes o bien broccoli. Si se usan guisantes, seria preferible usar otro tipo de pasta ya que los spaghetti son demasiado finos y los guisantes se escurren al fondo del plato".

The weather today:
Partly Cloudy
14C
UV Index: 4 Moderate
Wind: From the North Northeast at 13 gusting to 25 mph
Dew Point: 6C
Humidity: 59%
Visibility: 6 miles
Barometer:1,017.9 mb

Google launched today its search engine in blogs, the Google Blog Search . And soon this years'April Fools Day joke, Google gulp will become a reality, instead of a joke! Now, don't get me wrong, I've always liked Google. But this 'Google Supremacy' is starting to make me feel a bit uncomfortable, I' m starting to wonder if Google will be soon asking me.... 'where do you want to go today?' .....


Google inaugura hoy su buscador de palabras en blogs, el Google Blog Search . No, si al final sera verdad que lanzan la bebida Google Gulp en lugar de ser otra broma del dia de los inocentes del anio pasado! No me malinterpreteis. A mi me ha gustado Google desde el principio. Pero este punto al que llegamos de la 'Supremacia Google' me esta empezando a incomodar, hasta que un dia de estos acabara preguntandome... "hasta donde quieres llegar hoy? " ....


The weather today:
Mostly Cloudy
20C
UV Index: 1 Low
Wind: From the Southwest at 15 mph
Dew Point: 18C
Humidity: 88%
Visibility: 6 miles

We would like to enrol to a scuba-diving course next year. For this year, however, we have just decided we'd like to go to the woods and pick some mushrooms ! It may seem a VERY easy and 'soft' option compared to scuba-diving. However, have a good look at any book on edible mushrooms and you will see that for each edible mushroom there are at least three very poisonous lookalikes. I would then say wild mushroom picking (and eating them) is riskier than scuba-diving.

El anio que viene nos gustaria matricularnos en un curso de submarinismo . Para este anio, de momento, lo unico que hemos decidido es que iremos al bosque a buscar setas ! Lo de las setas parece una opcion bien facil y sin riesgos, comparada con el submarinismo. Pues no. Echad una ojeada a cualquier libro donde se de una clasificacion de setas comestibles. Bien pronto vereis que, por cada seta comestible, hay por lo menos dos muy similares pero venenosas. Por eso digo que buscar setas en el bosque (y comerlas, por supuesto) es un deporte de alto riesgo, mucho mas que el submarinismo.


The weather today:
Mostly Cloudy and Windy
19C
UV Index:3 Moderate
Wind: From the West Southwest at 23 mph
Dew Point: 17C
Humidity: 89%
Visibility: 7 miles
Barometer: 1,022.0 mb

Are you fascinated by the rivalry between Steve Jobs (Apple) and Bill Gates (Microsoft)? Now you can enjoy all the complexities of their relationship in a new New York....musical! Nerds The Musical is a 'musical software satire', an "outrageous epic take on the parallel stories of computer pioneers BG and JS, two technological geniuses as they blaze a path from 'garage inventors' to warring titans of the computer revolution".
And I say : what else do you expect for 15 US dollars? of course first you'll have to fly to New York...

Os fascina la rivalidad entre Steve Jobs (Apple) y Bill Gates (Microsoft)? Pues ahora podeis disfrutar de una manera amena y divertida de las complejidades de esta relacion en un nuevo....musical de Nueva York!!! Nerds The Musical ('nerd' en ingles es similar en signicado a 'freak, freakie' o 'friki' tal como se ha espaniolizado la palabra) es un 'satirico musical de software', una "increible epopeya basada en las historias paralelas de los pioneros de la computacion, genios de la tecnologia Bill Gates y Steve Jobs, mientras forjan su futuro, desde 'inventores de garage' a titanes guerreros de la revolucion computerizada".
Y digo yo : Por 15 US dolares que mas quereis? Claro que primero hay que volar a New York, eso si...

The weather today:
Haze
18C
UV Index: 1 Low
Wind: From the South Southeast at 7 mph
Dew Point: 15C
Humidity: 84%
Visibility: 5 miles
Barometer: 1,024.7 mb

Quoting from The Guardian article Keep your face straight: passport grins pass into history : "It sounds like something from an Orwell novel: British citizens who hope to be allowed to leave the country are no longer allowed to smile. But this new seriousness really did come into effect at midnight: forthwith, if you want to get out, then keep your mouth shut.
In fiction, this interdiction on grinning would result from some tyrannical ban on happiness. In fact, it's a practical matter: the new biometric recognition scanners purchased to improve security at border controls are only able, due to some idiosyncracy of their digital instructions, to recognise straight faces. So, from this morning, potential travellers must produce in the curtained booth or photographer's shop what the official form calls "a neutral expression with your mouth closed".

I guess this new regulation is not bothering the British at all. For all I know, they are not exactly known for their bubbly and smiley personalities. Except when drunk, of course. And that doesn't last for long because they will soon become violent and aggresive. Try a little expedition on a Friday or Saturday night to any British city centre and you will agree. The panorama is something out of the Escape from LA film. Unfortunately, without Kurt Russell .


Cito del articulo de The Guardian:
No te rias : pasa a la historia el sonreir en el pasaporte : "Suena como salido de una novela de George Orwell: los ciudadanos britanicos que quieran salir del pais tienen prohibido el sonreir. Esta nueva impuesta seriedad entro en vigor en la medianoche de ayer. De ahora en adelante, si quieres salir al extranjero, cierra la boca. Si fuera una novela de ficcion, esta nueva norma resultaria ser una tiranica prohibicion a la felicidad. En realidad, en una cuestion practica: los nuevos scanners biometriocos adquiridos por los aeropuertos para mejorar la seguridad tienen sus limitaciones y solo pueden 'leer' fotos de caras serias. Asi que, desde esta maniana, quienes deseen renovar su pasaporte deberan presentar fotos con lo que, oficialmente se describe como "una expresion neutral con la boca cerrada".

Lo cual, en mi opinion, no debe preocupar demasiado a los britanicos, que no gozan, precisamente, de reputacion internacional por su caracter alegre y sonrisa permanente. Excepto cuando van borrachos, claro. Aunque en esos momentos tampoco les dura demasiado la sonrisa, porque, mayoritariamente, son de lo mas violentos. Un paseito un viernes o sabado por la noche por cualquier ciudad britanica y me dareis la razon. Las escenitas son del tipo 'Escape from LA', lamentablemente sin Kurt Russell .

The weather today:
Partly Cloudy
21C
UV Index: 2 Low
Wind: From the Southeast at 10 mph
Dew Point: 14C
Humidity: 67%
Visibility: 7 miles
Barometer: 1,020.7 mb

I like this type of floor for my bathroom....
More amazing photos like this in Worth 1000 .

Este tipo de suelo me gusta para el banio...
Mas fotos como esta en Worth 1000 .


The weather today:
Mostly Cloudy
25C
UV Index: 4 Moderate
Wind: From the East Northeast at 5 mph
Dew Point: 15C
Humidity: 54%
Visibility:6 miles
Barometer: 1,009.1 mb

Half the country's population watching the cricket and I am playing Florence Nightingale (XD those of you who personally know me can laugh here) to my sick other half... my perfect excuse for today's lack of ideas !


Medio pais viendo el cricket y yo de Florence Nightingale (XD los que me conoceis personalmente, ya podeis reir) de mi enferm@ media naranja.... excusa ideal para no postear hoy nada decente!


The weather today:
Sunny
21C
UV Index:5 Moderate
Wind: From the West Southwest at 5 mph
Dew Point: 14C
Humidity: 67%
Visibility: 9 miles
Barometer:1,012.2 mb

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There's nothing nicer that a beautiful sunny day in summer with a big plate of "moules marinieres avec frites" (mussels with French fries, although it sounds chicest in French, doesn't it? XD) in France. Or wherever you are, who cares, seafood is ALWAYS good!


Que mejor que pasar un soleado dia veraniego en Francia, almorzando "moules marinieres avec frites" (mejillones a la marinera con patatas fritas, vaya, pero es que en frances queda tan chic! XD). O que caray, aunque no sea en Francia, un plato de marisco SIEMPRE apetece!


The weather today:
Sunny
23C
UV Index: 4 Moderate
Wind: from the South Southwest at 12 mph
Dew Point: 14C
Humidity: 57%
Visibility: 6 miles
Barometer: 1,010.8 mb

In 1918, hundreds of square kilometres in northern France looked like this. No, in fact, much worse, as the green grass was then mud and filth. All you could see were trenches and bomb craters after the bloody Battle of the Somme which lasted months : from the 1st July 1916 to the 18th November 1916.
Today it is a non-descript area in the North of France with many maize and potato fields. And many soldiers' cemeteries. Take any small road, far from the motorway and you will be shocked at the number of cemeteries and white graves. And these are only the soldiers they could bury. Many others lay somewhere there, without grave to remember their names. If any person with any desire of war were to be made to dig every single grave I saw in the Somme, I bet they would not seek war ever again.


En 1918, cientos de kilometros en el norte de Francia tenian este aspecto. O mejor dicho, peor que esto. Substituid la bonita hierba verde por fango y porqueria. Todo lo que se veia eran rincheras y crateres causados por la explosion de las bombas lanzadas por ambos bandos, desde que tuvo lugar la larguisima Batalla del Somme que duro del 1 de Julio al 18 de Noviembre de 1916. Hoy en dia es una zona sin mucha distincion en el Norte de Francia. Con somnolientos pueblecitos y campos de maiz y patatas. Y cementerios de soldados. Tomad cualquier carretera comarcal, dejando atras la autopista, y os sorprendera ver la cantidad de cementerios militares de blancas lapidas que existen en la zona. Y estos son los soldados a los que pudieron enterrar decentemente. Cuantos otros hay sin identificar, enterrados sin lapida que les recuerde! A los amantes de la guerra, aquellos que desean guerra a toda costa, si a cualquiera de estos se les obligara a cavar todas las tumbas que he visto en la zona del Somme, bien rapido se les pasarian las ansias guerreras!

The weather today:
Sunny
22C
UV Index:3 Moderate
Wind: From the East Southeast at 7 mph
Dew Point: 16C
Humidity: 69%
Visibility: Unlimited
Barometer: 1,007.5 mb

This is the view of the White Cliffs of Dover from Cap Gris Nez, Opale Coast, France. I loved seeing England from France in the morning and then crossing the Channel that same evening. Two countries set apart by the ocean in just one day..

Esta es la vista de las 'blancas colinas de Dover' desde el Cap Gris Nez, en la costa d'Opale, Francia. Por la maniana estabamos en Francia, viendo Inglaterra al otro lado. Por la noche cruzamos el canal de la Mancha en ferry y nos plantamos al otro lado. Dos paises separados por el mar en un dia...


The weather today:
Mostly Cloudy
19C
UV Index:3 Moderate
Wind: calm
Dew Point: 14C
Humidity: 71%
Visibility: Unlimited
Barometer: 1,012.5 mb

I hope you will understand. I've not been posting in the blog for the past two days. I was busy. I had to find a place to keep all the beautiful Moet-Chandon champagne bottles we bought in Epernay the last weekend! And when I say 'a place to keep' I don't mean down my throat exactly. Not yet....

Espero que lo comprendais. No he posteado en el blog durante los ultimos dos dias. Estaba ocupadisim@. Buscando un lugar adecuado en casa para colocar todas las preciosas botellas de champagne Moet-Chandon que compramos en Epernay el fin de semana pasado! Y cuando digo 'lugar adecuado' no me refiero a garganta abajo precisamente. Aun no...

The weather today:
Partly Cloudy
21C
UV Index:5 Moderate
Wind: From the Southwest at 6 mph
Dew Point: 14°C
Humidity: 66%
Visibility:Unlimited
Barometer: 1,024.7 mb

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