http://dgratisdigital.com/WordPress/freed Another Dgratisdigital.com Blog Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:26:10 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en We live under dimming skies, even Salamanca from across the sparse encina studded hills appears shrouded in the bruised, griseous haze of a smog. But this is only "natural", Salamanca is a European city like any other - full of cars, buses and other major sources of pollution. Most cities ... http://dgratisdigital.com/WordPress/freed/2008/08/13/whats-our-poison/ According to G.K Chesterton the most romantic thing in the world is when the trains runs on time. Only someone who lived in Britain could say such a thing. When it actually happens, your typical Englishman is a little unsure how to act; other than the usual exclamations of "Good ... http://dgratisdigital.com/WordPress/freed/2008/08/08/off-the-rails/ Chances are, if you’re on a flying visit here, you’ll be popping into one of the tourist shops along the Rua Mayor. The options for frittering away your euros there are endless. You could, for example, buy a flamenco related item, having absolutely no relation to this region at all, ... http://dgratisdigital.com/WordPress/freed/2008/08/01/glazing-over/ How do you know who your true friends are? Well, a good place to start, apparently, is to contract a powerful infestation of mites or lice; those people who will even shake hands with you during such times can be counted on the fingers of that dubious limb. I was ... http://dgratisdigital.com/WordPress/freed/2008/07/25/playing-the-host/ What’s your deepest fear? Well, apparently the majority of Spaniards are most preoccupied by the rising cost of petrol, with terrorism and climate change coming in 4th and 5th. Not much of a surprise really; a similar survey this time last year came up with more or less the same ... http://dgratisdigital.com/WordPress/freed/2008/07/18/the-lost-world/ Nothing is more indicative of a country’s social health than the general attitude towards its young and elderly. It’s commonly believed in England that Southern Europeans live longer. But I’m not sure it’s true; the old folk of England manage to drag out more or less the same life span ... http://dgratisdigital.com/WordPress/freed/2008/07/11/getting-on/ One of the many things which strike you whilst meandering round a Castellano pueblo is the presence of so many recycling bins. It may surprise you, but the Spanish seem to be much greener than us Brits. It’s all relative of course; everyone needs to be doing a lot more; ... http://dgratisdigital.com/WordPress/freed/2008/07/04/the-cares-of-the-world/ This week I’m far from Salamanca, 900 kilometres in Fact. It’s a funny life drifting between two worlds; you end up being a stranger everywhere. There’s also a sense of relief on arriving at either destination which isn’t simply due to the escape from the impersonal ordeal that is modern ... http://dgratisdigital.com/WordPress/freed/2008/06/27/well-meet-again/ Salamanca plays host to many visiting academics, having as it does one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Europe. I first came across mention of the city and its university in a story by Irving in a collection of American short stories - an anthology which was, coincidentally, ... http://dgratisdigital.com/WordPress/freed/2008/06/20/dreaming-of-sally/ Got a job? If so, you might count yourself very lucky. Across Europe the employment situation seems to be looking rather "hairy" to say the least, and Spain is no exception. The thing is that we’re usually so preoccupied by the job situation that we forget to consider what a ... http://dgratisdigital.com/WordPress/freed/2008/06/13/out-of-sight-out-of-mind/