tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80597032304778553872024-03-05T04:16:38.211-08:00Invest ProfitAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11173398507917386963noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059703230477855387.post-47589083142125114792013-10-07T05:40:00.005-07:002013-10-07T05:40:39.001-07:00Supernormal Profit - Consequences of Supernormal Profit and Monopoly in the Businesses<div id="article-content">
It can be argued that there is no firm that is really a monopoly
because true monopoly exists when there is only one producer of a
commodity that has no close substitute. However, it can be said that
monopoly exists when one firm dominates a market. The demand curve is
downward sloping and the monopoly firm is the price taker. Monopolies
are caused by economies of scale (can create natural monopolies) and a
firm controlling an essential factor of production. (can create
artificial monopolies).<br />
Monopolies that are able to make
supernormal profits, are not necessarily against the public interest, in
fact, almost all, if not all profit based organization; aim to make as
much profit as it can at any given time. i.e. maximise profit. The fact
that monopolies which make supernormal profits could charge lower prices
does not necessarily indicate that they can afford to charge lower
prices for goods and or services offered to the public.<br />
Perfect
competition model and monopoly model will be used to show how
supernormal profits are acquired by firms. Topics such as benefits and
consequence of supernormal profits ( short and long run benefits of
supernormal profits to a firm) , types of supernormal profits by firms,
concept of supernormal profits in relation to consumer or public
interest and efficiency and ways which firms make supernormal profits
will be used to explain why monopoly firms are not necessarily against
the public interest in regards to prices they charge for their products.<br />
Supernormal
profits are profits made in excess of normal profits i.e. excess profit
made over the normal profit, while normal profit is the amount of money
made by an organization that is just enough to cover its expenses and
not go bust. Supernormal profits can be in the long run or in the short
run. Not all firms make supernormal profits in the short run. Firms that
make supernormal profits in any market are giving indications that the
market is viable and that there is an opportunity for money to be made.
These prompts new suppliers into the market and the theory of demand and
supply play a major role in influencing how the supernormal profits are
competed away. However, how fast the supernormal profit is competed
away depends on the barriers to entry in the market or industry.<br />
In
a situation where perfect competition exists, there is optimum
allocation of resources. Perfect competition is currently deemed as
theoretical market and is based on some assumptions before it can exist
in an industry. These assumptions are that : there must be no barriers
to entry , there must be perfect knowledge of the market , there must be
large amount of buyers and suppliers that neither can easily influence
the market price , there must be homogeneous goods and low transport
costs .However, supernormal profits can still be made by an individual
firm in the short run. This could be as a result of a new innovation or
new idea.<br />
These assumptions in the perfect competition show that
the consumer benefits because Average revenue equals Marginal revenue
equals average total cost hence only normal profit is made. That is
P=MR=AR .<br />
Monopolistic competition, on the other hand, is a
situation whereby there are many small firms that produce differentiated
products and the price and output decisions of any of the firms can
have no effect on the out put and decision of other firms. In a
monopolistic competition, firms usually charge supernormal profits
because demand is inelastic .This income (supernormal profits) is
siphoned and redistributed usually to the shareholders. This means that
if there are supernormal profits, there is also productive and
allocative inefficiency. In the short run equilibrium in a monopolistic
competition there can be supernormal profits but quickly competed away
in the long run due to easy market entry into the monopolistic
competitive market.<br />
A competitor and a monopolist have one thing
in common and it is to maximize profits. They both have similar
attributes except they operate in 2 different market systems. As we can
see in the monopoly model, the marginal cost curve is not the same as it
is in the perfect competition model, the demand curve shows he highest
possible price that can be charged to a product at a given level of
output. In this way, the monopolists can make supernormal profits by
setting output level at Marginal Cost equals Marginal Revenue i.e. MC =
MR and setting price for the product by choosing the point that
intersects the demand curve and the vertical line drawn through the
point where MC=MR.<br />
For a perfect competitor, the price will always
be equal to the marginal revenue , but for a monopolist the price will
always be greater than the marginal cost. When a monopolist is making a
normal profit , it doesn't necessarily mean that it has to be at the
lowest point of the average cost curve.<br />
Allocative efficiency is
also known as Pareto efficiency and is based on the work of an Italian
economist called Vilfredo Pareto . This particular work is called Manuel
D'Economie Politique ( 1909 ). Allocative efficiency means that it is
possible to improve one consumers welfare without making another
consumer worse off. In order words , resources are allocated efficiently
so that the welfare of a group of consumers are improved without making
another group of consumers worse off in the economy.<br />
Productive
efficiency means production of goods and services at a minimum cost.
This means it is not possible to produce more of any particular good
without producing less of another. This means that there is no waste in
the production process.<br />
In a monopolistic competition, if both the
allocative and productive efficiency are applied the consumers will be
charged less and the monopoly firm will be making only a normal profit
but the price charged will be higher than the marginal cost. This normal
profit can either be used to maximize profits or to minimize
competition .The demand curve plays a major role in determining output
levels. However, monopolies have its downside such as allocative
inefficiency, price discrimination cartels, artificial scarcities and
productive/technological inefficiency.<br />
Monopolistic firms also
make supernormal profits by differentiating their products more from
rival products and this could be through adverts or by just changing the
product a bit. Another way for monopolistic firms to make supernormal
profits is by having a overall cost leadership.<br />
Perfect
competition is an ideal model , but it doesn't really exist, for example
share prices are decided by almost competitive markets. There have been
criticisms against perfect competition and monopolistic competition.
Perfect competition is good for customers because they will be getting
goods at the least prices . This appeals to the public interest while
monopoly is deemed as bad because goods are identical, produce less and
consumers pay more than they should for goods and services when compared
with perfect competitive market.<br />
In the case of drug companies (
largely monopolies ), supernormal profits are needed so that the drug
firm can spend more on its researching and developing to develop more
medicines to help improve lifestyle. Other large firms are also able to
develop new products that could bring more technological advancement,
pay high staff salaries , give pay rise and bonuses due to the
supernormal profits they make.<br />
Shareholders always want high
returns at all times and these increasing returns can only come from
supernormal profits. An employee in a firm that is in a highly
competitive market , will always be on the edge because he or she could
lose their job anytime , an employee would like to be employed by a
company that is well off rather than a firm that is always on the edge
of break even.<br />
In conclusion, it can be seen that monopolies are
not necessarily against public interest because some supernormal profits
are used to improve products the firms make and the public benefit from
these research and development while some do go to shareholders.<br />
Monopolies
make supernormal profits in the short run but are quickly competed away
in the long run by new entrants into the market due to easy entry
barrier. Perfect competition is ideal because Marginal Revenue equals
Marginal Cost, no abnormal profits, just normal profits but could deter
future developments while monopolies will always have the price of their
products higher than the marginal cost because when Marginal cost
equals Marginal revenue profit is maximized.<br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11173398507917386963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059703230477855387.post-34644192580339151662013-10-07T05:40:00.002-07:002013-10-07T05:40:12.201-07:00Know When and How to Take ProfitsNo matter how well you enter a trade, if you never take a profit then
it is all for naught. Like fishing, stories of the one that got away
mean absolutely nothing compared to the big fish sitting in the frying
pan. Back in 1999 an older brother of mine was sitting comfortably on
over a million dollars in stocks and stock options. That is until the
tech boom bust occurred in 2000. Within a few short months his wealth
was reduced to a fraction of what he once owned. The impact on his
financial security was so great that he even had to sell his
multi-million dollar home, unfortunately before even the housing boom
got underway where he might have made up for some of his losses. Like so
many others, he didn't see a need to take the money and run, he just
thought it would continue to increase in value. He didn't see a need to
take a profit.<br />
All good things come to an end and this is
particularly true when it comes to market growth. Markets go through
cycles where they increase in value and then the bottom falls out.
Eventually they grow in value again, but they don't always reach prior
levels as anyone that happened to own NASDAQ stock during 2000 can
attest to.<br />
Taking a profit is more important than the original
entry, but most new traders tend to focus on techniques for entering a
trade and ignore the exit. Unfortunately, many courses and books on
trading only help to promote this failing since many never stipulate a
means of exiting other than simply when a stop limit is exceeded.
Exiting therefore becomes more of a loss prevention strategy rather than
any intentional effort to maximize profits. So then, how and when do
you take a profit?<br />
First, it is important to understand that there
are numerous techniques for determining when to take an exit and there
are entirely different reasons for taking one as well. This is not a
"one size fits all" matter. An exit to control losses is still
invaluable and should always be part of your trading. What we are
focusing on here is a different kind of exit, a proactive approach
designed to capture profits before they slip away. Some of these
approaches are based on reaching preset profit levels and some on either
momentum or over-bought/over-sold criteria. In practically all of these
methods an exit typically occurs either too early or too late, but the
benefit is that a profit is actually taken out of the market and the
inevitable vanishing act created by a market retracement is avoided.<br />
Profit-taking
is not about capturing all the potential profit, it is about making an
actual profit while a trade is still profitable. It is important to
understand the difference here. This means that a profit-taking exit
will at times have you out of a trade while it is still producing and
you will miss out on anything additional that it produces. Consider this
a trade-off the next time you watch a profitable position slip away and
turn into a loss.<br />
In order to maximize potential profit, some
traders will choose to enter with multiple contracts, shares or lots and
as the criteria is reached for a profit-taking exit they will only exit
partially, allowing the rest of the trade to potentially accumulate
additional profit. This may include secondary profit-taking levels or
even third, fourth or more. Other traders choose to exit their entire
trade as soon as it reaches their profit-taking criteria. However a
trader chooses to handle profit-taking, in all cases an additional and
separate exit order that serves as a stop loss will always be in place
just in case the profit-taking point is never reached.<br />
So how do
you determine your profit-taking criteria? Several methods can be
applied, such as a set percentage or profit gain. For example, while
trading the S&P e-mini a trader may set a profit-taking level at 2
points, which equates to $100.00 per contract. If you bought at 850 then
you would exit at 852 irregardless of how strong the bullish trend
might be. If the market moves to 856 then you will miss out on the
additional $200.00. Even so, you would have made a $100.00 profit while
you could. Many a trader would have stayed in the market until it
reached 856 only to see it drop back down to 848 for a $100.00 loss,
where their stop limit was set. No matter how far the market moves in
your favor, it means nothing unless you are able to actually take the
profit.<br />
A method that I personally have found very effective is
that of using channels. Using a channel can be as simple as drawing a
trend-line, duplicating it and then placing it on the opposite side of a
price trend. For example, during a bullish trend a trend-line is drawn
off of the lows that have the greatest clearance and encompass all the
price bars. Then this line is duplicated and placed on the high that
places this line furthest out and clears all other highs within the
trend. If a price bar reaches this upper line then a profit-taking exit
is signaled and taken. Although the upper line is nothing more than a
duplicate of the lower line's angle, it is amazing how often price will
react strongly by declining immediately following price's contact with
it.<br />
An alternative choice is that of using either an
over-bought/over-sold indicator or a momentum indicator. Divergence is a
valuable part of using either of these, so if you choose this route
make sure you understand how divergence works. As is true when using any
indicator, it is imperative that you establish the very best optimize
setting for the market and time frame you are trading. Most indicators
have various settings and will require frequent adjustment or otherwise
you are likely to see the quality of the signals degrade. Typically, the
very best profit-taking indicator and setting will be quite differently
than the best entry setting. What you use to enter a trade is not
likely to work well for profit-taking.<br />
Others find that using
support and resistance levels is also good for profit-taking signals.
Using prior highs and lows where the market reacted previously tends to
be a reliable indicator of when a trend will stall or even come to an
end. However, keep in mind that price will not always react exactly at
prior price levels. It is prudent to allow a range for variation and
take profits slightly before price hits a prior high or low level. For
example, with the S&P e-mini you might have bought at 850 and the
market is moving higher toward a prior high which topped out at 854.
Often it is better to take an exit a little lower, such as 853 ½. A
prior high will typically bring a strong reaction and this can bring a
very challenging exiting situation. A few examples of what could happen
if you wait until for price to reach 854 are:<br />
<ol>
<li>Traders will not allow price to actually reach 854 at all, so it fails to ever reach it</li>
<li>It reacts so fast to reaching 854 that can't get an order filled at that price</li>
<li>It drops so fast after reaching 854 that price is below 852 before you can ever get an order filled</li>
</ol>
Allowing a range of plus or minus on the conservative
side will increase the odds of being able to actually take a profit,
which is the goal of profit-taking in the first place.<br />
Profit-taking
is an important tool that every trader should add to his or her trading
arsenal. The thrill itself may have been what initially attracted you
to trading, but sooner or later every trader needs to make a profit. As
you probably already know, the market really doesn't want to give up any
of its money to you so don't expect it to. Instead, why not take
matters into your own hands and actually take it from the market
yourself?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11173398507917386963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059703230477855387.post-41320378386130219462013-10-07T05:39:00.004-07:002013-10-07T05:39:43.214-07:00Increasing Profits Takes More Than Good Luck<div id="article-content">
There's one thing that always amazes us: the number of business
owners who view profitability as a matter of luck. They tend to think
that extremely profitable businesses got that way because market
conditions were right, or they happened to have a product or service the
world was dying for.<br />
But let's get real. Do you really think that
corporations like McDonalds, for instance, are run by individuals
clutching rabbits' feet and keeping their fingers crossed, fervently
hoping for another good year?<br />
The truth of the matter is that the
profitability of your business can be managed and purposefully grown. In
fact, it must be managed if your business is going to reach its full
potential.<br />
While there is no magic formula for increasing
profitability, there is a step-by-step process that can be applied to
your business to discover the unique path that will result in the growth
of your enterprise.
<br />This process begins with an understanding of what drives profit and
how you can affect those drivers in order to achieve your goals.<br />
<b>Put your focus where it belongs</b><br />
Yes,
there are uncontrollable factors affecting the profitability of your
business. For instance, you can't do much about the state of the economy
or whether or not there is a labour shortage in Alberta.<br />
Now, you
can choose to lose sleep over the unpredictable nature of being in
business. You can cross your fingers and toes, hoping that your
financial statements will show a profit for this year in spite of
skyrocketing rent and labour costs.
<br />Or you can recognize that much of life is unpredictable and that success comes to those who focus on what they can control.<br />
<strong>What can you control?</strong><br />
There
are only 4 factors affecting the profitability of any business,
including yours, and you have some level of control over all of them.
These profit drivers are:
<br />
<ol>
<li>The price you charge.</li>
<li>The quantity (or volume) you sell.</li>
<li>The costs you incur directly in producing the products and services
you sell. These are variable costs because they increase or decrease as
your sales increase or decrease.</li>
<li>The costs you incur whether or not you make any sales. These are
fixed costs (sometimes called overhead) because they do not change with
changes in sales volume - at least not on a day-to-day basis.</li>
</ol>
In order to make more money, you may have to increase
your price, increase your volume or decrease your costs. It sounds
simple, because it is simple.<br />
Now, we're not recommending you
simply dive in and change your prices or switch suppliers. Action
without a plan is never a good idea, especially in business. Without
some understanding of the potential ramifications of a particular
action, you may end up taking some serious risks.<br />
But doing
nothing isn't the way to go either, especially if you did nothing last
year. And the year before. (Doing the same thing year after year and
expecting different results is the definition of insanity!)
<br />You cannot just hope for your profits to increase, because they
won't. Profitable businesses have owners or chief financial officers
(CFOs) in the driver's seat, steering intently toward planned growth.<br />
<b>Here's the bottom line</b><br />
There are only four ways to increase the profitability of your business.
<br />
<ol>
<li>Increase the number of customers you serve.</li>
<li>Increase the number of times customers come back.</li>
<li>Increase the average value of each sale.</li>
<li>Increase the effectiveness of your operations.</li>
</ol>
Within each of these areas there is a myriad of actions
you can take. For example, in order to increase the average value of
each sale, you can increase the price of your product or service, or you
can create packages that will increase the amount each customer buys in
a single visit.<br />
Regardless of which route works best for you, the
important point is that a small increase in the average value of each
sale will affect your gross profit margin and your net profit margin.
<br />A modest increase in each of the above areas--a few more customers, a
few more visits per customer, a slight price hike and a couple of
changes to your operations--can result in a dramatic increase in the
profitability of your operation.<br />
<b>Step 1 - Developing a profit strategy</b><br />
Increasing
profitability requires a well-thought-out strategy based on calculation
and the development of what-if scenarios. After all, a change in one
factor is going to affect other factors.<br />
For example, what if you
increased the price of your products and/or services by 20%? How will
that affect your volume? If the number of sales drops, will profits
increase? Only the numbers will tell.<br />
There's no point sitting in
the driver's seat if you don't have a map. A profit strategy is your
map, built on the unique requirements of your business. It allows you to
make informed decisions as to which actions you will take in order to
increase your profits.<br />
<b>Step 2 - Taking it step by step</b><br />
Understanding
what drives profit in your business and the 4 ways to increase
profitability are the first two of nine steps to developing a successful
profit strategy.<br />
<b>Step 3 - Evaluate your profit potential</b><br />
Your
next move is to quantify the amount of profit currently hiding in your
business. How will changes to the four profit drivers impact your
profits? How big of an increase can you realistically see this year?<br />
<b>Step 4 - Lay out your strategy</b><br />
With
analysis completed, it's time to choose a course of action and solidify
your plan. How much more money do you want to shoot for? How will you
get it? Will you increase prices or try to create packages in order to
increase the value of the sale? Will you work on streamlining
operations? Be specific.<br />
<b>Step 5 - Determine changes required in the business</b><br />
What
else needs to get done in order to implement your profit improvement
strategy? Will you need to create new marketing material? Will you have
to upgrade your computers and software?<br />
<b>Step 6 - Take action</b><br />
This
is the most important step, and the one where many owners fall down.
Fear, resistance, life getting in the way--those are just a few of the
reasons we offer for failing to take action on a plan.<br />
Success
requires that you just do it. But don't feel that you have to do it
alone. Many people use friends, mentors, partners or coaches to keep
them on track and motivated.<br />
<b>Step 7 - Measure results</b><br />
Again,
very important, and again, often skipped. How are you going to know if
your actions are working? Measuring results allows you to make informed,
accurate decisions based on what's really happening in your business.<br />
<b>Step 8 - Evaluate and revise</b><br />
Did your profit strategy work? Why or why not? Use what you learn to refine your strategy for further growth.<br />
<b>Step 9 - Re-measure</b><br />
The
process of taking action, measuring, revising and measuring again will
go on as long as you're interested in improving the profitability of
your business.<br />
</div>
<div id="article-resource">
Steven Walker is a Chartered Accountant in Calgary, Alberta and
founder of BusinessWorks Chartered Accountants. BusinessWorks provides
CFO-To-Go services for small and medium size businesses. The development
of a tailored 'Profit Improvement Program' is instrumental in creating
and managing solid business growth.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11173398507917386963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059703230477855387.post-66456783413954597962013-10-07T05:39:00.001-07:002013-10-07T05:39:04.415-07:00Theory into Action - Calculating Damages Payments and Accounts of Profits in Patent CasesIt is all well and good to be encouraged to apply and obtain for patent protection. The main remedies for patent infringement are a narrow injunction to prevent future instances of the infringement, and either damages or an account of profits. In this article, we examine the measure of monetary compensation that may be awarded by these damages and accounts of profits and the factors taken into account in their calculation.<br /><br />Claimants who have successfully proved liability in an action for patent infringement, either actual or anticipated, are entitled to elect their remedy. Successful litigants will discover that the measure of the award for compensation may vary widely depending upon their election between damages and an account of profits.<br /><br />Comparison of the Remedies<br /><br />The variance between an account of profits and damages exists because the focus is on the affairs of different parties: in one instance that of the claimant and the other on the defendant.<br /><br />Damages<br /><br />An award of damages focuses on the losses sustained by the claimant. There is no upper limit on the measure of damages that may be awarded. Relief for patent infringement may overlap with other areas of intellectual property; for instance the copyright of the claimant may have also been infringed (an instance being software). In calculating the sum to be paid in damages, a court will disregard whether the defendant could have avoided infringement by using substitute process and thus avoided a charge of infringement altogether. It is irrelevant. Losses not caused by the infringement are not recoverable.<br /><br />An Account of Profits<br /><br />On the other hand an account of profits focuses on the profits made by the defendant, without reference to the damage suffered by the claimant at the hands of the defendant. The purpose of the account is to prevent the unjust enrichment of the defendant by the use of the claimant's invention. The claimant is treated as if they were conducting the business of the defendant, and made the profits of the defendant. As such, the upper most limit of an award is the sum of profits made by the defendant caused by the infringement. In most cases, an award of damages will equal or exceed the maximum award in an account of profits; however an account of profits may greatly outstrip an award of damages in the right case. When assessing an award, to say that a defendant should have generated higher profits is immaterial: the claimant must take the defendant as he find them.<br /><br />The profits must have been earned from the use of the claimant's invention, and if the infringed invention formed only part of the overall product or process, then only that part of the profit attributable to the patented invention is recoverable. This is where most difficulty is experienced in assessing the profits earned by the defendant and a number of approaches may be taken during the assessment. Courts take the view that this would be unfair upon the defendant for the claim to be awarded all of the profits where attribution of profits is possible. Manufacturing processes that use the patent in question as a small step in the manufacturing process provide a typical example, in that it clearly cannot be said that the entire profit of the application of the process is attributable to the infringement. Where it is appropriate to apportion losses, the reference for the assessment will involve splitting the profits between infringing and non-infringing parts of the process.<br /><br />On the other hand, there are instances where it is appropriate for the claimant to recover all of the profits of an invention, however whether this is so turns on the facts of the case.<br /><br />Making the Calculations<br /><br />Damages<br /><br />It is trite to say that the claimant is entitled to be placed in the position they would have been had the infringement not taken place in the context of damages. The test for the measure of damages in patent cases is seen in the application of the 'but for' test, and the damage must be the natural and direct consequence of the defendant's acts. Although the claimant must prove their loss, they are assessed liberally. Courts recognise that monopoly rights lead to higher prices or licence fees, so this is the peg to which damages are assessed.<br /><br />A court is generally prepared to imply that inference with the claimant's monopoly will cause damage in the ordinary course of events, and the absence of a precise means to calculate damages will not necessarily result in an award of nominal damages, but a fair sum of what a reasonable person may expect to have lost, with reference to the general trade that has been interfered with by the defendant.<br /><br />There are two ways to calculate the damages suffered by a defendant, and the method turns on whether the claimant manufactures the patented invention or whether manufacturing of the invention is licensed to others.<br /><br />The Reasonable Royalty<br /><br />Where the patent owner licenses the production or use of the invention to others, the measure of damages is the lost royalty profits.<br /><br />A court is usually inclined to award a reasonable royalty to the claimant, notionally asking: if the claimant did grant a licence to use the patent, what would they reasonably be expected to obtain in the market?<br /><br />The damages are limited to the lost licence fees that would have been payable by the defendant. Where previous licensing fees have been agreed, the determination of the price as it has been determined in the free market will be persuasive evidence of the proper sum payable, as that is the sum that the infringer will be presumed to be asked to pay. The sum may be increased where standard licence fees impose restrictions upon the licensee which are not similar to the conduct of the defendant when committing the infringing acts. Thus when a product is usually made available on a usage only basis, and the infringer has manufactured and sold the product with purported licences to further develop the invention to its licensees, an uplift in the award payable is likely.<br /><br />Where there is no precedent of licensing by the claimant, calculation of a reasonable royalty may take into account:<br /><br /> the patent owners' previous conduct in pricing and terms<br /> Percentages standard in the trade<br /> cost of designing around the patent monopoly rights<br /><br />The proper sum for the notional licence fee is the sum that a potential licensee would be willing to pay to enter the market.<br /><br />Where there is no licensing activity, the court may use this notional licence fee to calculate damages. Evidence of the quantum to be awarded may be a quoted licence fee by the claimant. Where there is no quote for a reference point, the measure will be the rate that a licensee who is not in the market would pay, regardless of whether they might have been able to make non-infringing equivalents.<br /><br />Manufacturers of Patented Inventions<br /><br />When the patent owner manufactures the product, the patentee is entitled to lost manufacturing profits.<br /><br />When the patent owner is a manufacturer rather than a licensor, it has often been said that the appropriate figure cannot be arrived at with mathematical precision. It is the profit that the claimant could have made that sets the baseline for the award. Some allowance may be made for the exertions made by the defendant, as it is presumed that not all sales made by the defendant would have been made by the claimant had there been no infringement.<br /><br />Heads of Damages<br /><br />Depending on the type of case, the following heads of damage have been established by previous case law:<br /><br /> Loss of profits<br /> in the form of sales diverted away from the claimant by reason of the infringement;<br /> lost margins on sales not made due to the pressing need to reduce prices due to price depression caused by the infringer.<br /><br /> Loss of goodwill and reputation to the claimant, which arguably has several dimensions;<br /><br /> Sums representing the benefit of the use of the invention by defendant in the market, which is qualified by taking the market value of the use. It is damages for the unauthorised use, which resonates as a licence fee for the use and restitutionary damages (sometimes referred to as 'gain based damages'), an area of damages law rarely pressed.<br /><br /> Lost profits on sales lost on goods that are commonly sold with the invention<br /><br /> Springboard Damages: damages that are suffered after the infringement by establishing a market presence through infringement and early entry into the market.<br /><br /> Diminution of value in subsidiary companies owned by the patent owner due to the loss of sales by them where the profits flow through to the holding company.<br /><br /> Depending on the nature of the patent, there may be losses sustained by loss of sales on products commonly sold with the patented products, provided it is foreseeable and caused by the infringement.<br /><br /> As a general rule a claimant was entitled to recover for losses and expenses reasonably incurred in mitigation.<br /><br />Where the patent owner has reduced prices in a competitive market, a court may have regard for the argument that the patent owner could not have maintained their sales at current prices in that environment. This is a matter that goes to causation of damage - the claimant is not entitled to recover losses unless the defendant caused them.<br /><br />In the case of infringement of a product, a good starting point for assessing damages is to obtain evidence of the number of infringing products made and in the alternatives sold, the sums received and the approximate costs incurred. This creates a reference point for the calculation.<br /><br />The point needs to be made that the damages recovered in any particular case depends on the facts of the case. The general principle of awarding tortuous damages applies - that any losses caused by the infringement are recoverable, whether or not the particular heads appear in the list above. A defendant is said to take the claimant as they find them, and thus damages outside these heads of damages which are peculiar to the claimant will be recoverable in the appropriate case.<br /><br />Making an Accounts of Profits<br /><br />Defendants are not obliged to hand over the gross profit obtained by reason of the infringement. In keeping with the approach that the claimant is said to stand in the shoes of the defendant, a court will make allowances to the defendant for parts of the gross profit that are attributable to proper expenses associated with making sales, such as advertising and marketing; increases in value of goods or services once sold or provided and additional features of the product or service that are outside the infringing invention (such as value added services).<br /><br />In the event an infringer makes a loss in a manufacturing process, the sum by which the infringing process reduces those losses are recoverable on an account.<br /><br />Where it is difficult to separate out the different components of a process in order attribute a proportion of the profits, courts may decide to assign a percentage of the profits on the same percentage that the costs and expenses are attributed to them by adopting an accounting approach. A judge will make a reasonable approximation. Account may then be taken of the relative importance of the relative attractions of different parts of an infringing product. In this way the courts reserve a discretion to grant a larger slice of the profits where the infringement can fairly be said to play an important role in the profits obtained by the defendant. This approach takes a 'base allocated profit' percentage and then that percentage is weighted for the importance to the profits obtained.<br /><br />There are cases where the patented invention has readily discernable impact on profits, either positively or negatively. For instance, the patented invention may reduce the costs associated with the manufacturing process, making the process more efficient. In that case a larger share of the profits would be payable to the claimant on an empirical basis. It involves a comparison between the profitability achieved when the patented invention is used and on the other hand when it is not used. This brings consideration of efficiencies introduced by the invention into consideration for the calculation of the slice of the profits to be awarded to the claimant.<br /><br />Making assessments of damages and accounts of profits after an infringement of a patent frequently requires the involvement of forensic accountants with some knowledge of the industry in which the infringement has taken place. As a general rule, an account of profits will probably be preferred in cases where the claimant cannot point to any damage in their own business. This will usually be the case where the margins of the defendant outstrip the profits that of the claimant.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11173398507917386963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059703230477855387.post-65512555547775859492013-10-07T05:37:00.002-07:002013-10-07T05:37:36.997-07:00What is Profitability?<div id="article-content">
We all know what profit is: the surplus left over from revenue
after covering expenses. Profitability is the measure of profit
generated on an ongoing basis. Profit is generally measured in dollar
terms; profitability is measured as a percentage of sales. You need to
focus on both.
<br />For many small businesses, profit equals the owner's paycheck. If
your profitability from operations doesn't generate enough cash flow,
you don't get paid. The first step is to figure out how much you need to
pay yourself--to cover your basic needs and desired lifestyle, savings
and retirement, and to pay your taxes. Then, figure out how much money
your business needs to bring in to cover its expenses and pay you this
amount.
<br />This is an eye-opening experience for business owners. Your initial
reaction may be dismay: "How can I ever bring in that much revenue? Am I
doomed to just scrape by?" But, given your financial goals, you can
begin looking seriously at how to restructure your business to give you
what you need financially--or else get out of it and go on to something
else.
<br />Profit is more than your pay
<br />Even if you are a sole proprietor, learn to view "profit" as
separate from what you pay yourself. Pretend that your company is a
corporation, where you earn a regular salary, and that makes a profit
beyond that. You get paid to work there, and as owner, you expect a
profit dividend.
<br />Profit is more than money
<br />Here's how small businesses should look at profitability:<br />
o
Profit is ROI--return on investment. You (and perhaps others) put
capital into your business and you expect to get it back someday with a
suitable rate of return. For an established yet vulnerable small
business, a suitable ROI can be from 20% to 30% per annum.<br />
o
Profit is ROE--return on effort. Many people start their businesses
largely with sweat equity, putting in thousands of hours of their own
time--unpaid--to get the business up and running. Can you ever recoup
the value of your time?<br />
A business run by the owner should look at
profit as the financial return per unit of your effort. For example,
suppose you work 2,000 hours in a year, and your company's profit is
$250,000. For that year, you could say that you had a return of $125 for
each hour you put in. If you want to operate with greater ease, make
sure you don't increase profit by dint of harder work and longer hours.
More on this in chapter 11 of my book "How to Grow Your Business without
Driving Yourself Crazy" in the section on "Leverage Your Effort."<br />
o
Profit is a tuning fork. It tells you how well tuned your business
instrument is. When you are doing things right--working productively and
cost-effectively, selling the right things to the right people, serving
your customers well, treating your own people well--profit is the
measure that amply demonstrates that.<br />
The opposite is also true.
When your business is not tuned properly, it sounds the discordant notes
of low productivity, unhappy employees, dwindling customer base, and
mounting losses. Profit is acknowledgement that the business is tuned
properly.<br />
o Profit is flow. Profit provides the surplus that helps you weather the lean times. Profit allows you to be generous.<br />
o
Profit is energy. Many small business owners say they are more
interested in achieving their vision than in making a big profit. But
without adequate profitability, you get worn down, burnt-out and
discouraged.<br />
An unprofitable business fails unless outside money
is continually pumped in. You cannot make the contribution you want
without bringing in a good profit.<br />
The uses of profit<br />
As
your attitude toward profit shifts from (a) what's left over that you
use to pay yourself, to (b) a resource you use for critical business
needs, you can plan your operations so that they regularly generate
profit beyond what you pay yourself. You can create a "profit budget" to
calculate how much you need to cover such items as:<br />
o Fund for expansions or upgrades. How much do you need to set aside each year for anticipated upgrades and expansion?<br />
o
Cushion to cover downturns. How much should you set aside each month to
provide an insurance policy against short-term financial reverses?<br />
o
Fund for bonuses and financial incentives and profit sharing. What
proportion of sales revenue should you allocate to incentives and
bonuses in order to motivate top performance?<br />
o Retirement
programs. What proportion of salaries and wages should you set aside to
fund retirement plans for you and your employees?<br />
o Paying taxes. How much must you set aside each month to pay taxes on the profit you anticipate?<br />
o
Debt repayment. How much cash flow must be available after taxes to pay
down your debt--including repayment of money you have put into the
company?<br />
Calculate all these amounts that pertain to you and add
them up. This is the amount of profit from operations you need each
year. If you divide this sum by your projected revenue, you get a
percentage that shows what proportion of each dollar of sales revenue
should be available for these uses. One of the most important uses for
this percentage is to set prices that assure the desired level of
profitability.
<br />Your accountant may gnash his or her teeth over the above paragraph,
correctly pointing out that many of these items are business expenses,
not profit. I agree. However, for small business owners who are trying
to make a transition from a cover-the-costs mentality to a
generate-surplus mentality, developing this profit budget is invaluable.
These are the very items that they otherwise fail to account for in
their planning, their projections and their pricing decisions.<br />
Need help?<br />
Several
of our books, workshops, and e-tools help you boost your
profitability--and to figure out how much profit you need. These
include:<br />
o How to Grow Your Business without Driving Yourself
Crazy, esp. Chapter 13, "Build a Culture of Profitability" and Chapter
15, "Calculate the Benefit and Cost."<br />
o "Build a Culture of Profitability" available as e-book and tel-online workshop.<br />
o "Sources and Uses of Cash" template. A crucial tool in projecting cash flow.<br />
o "Success in 2007" plan workshop helps you put profit in the context of all other facets of your business.<br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11173398507917386963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059703230477855387.post-37137735803988913482012-09-18T11:25:00.000-07:002012-09-20T09:42:33.144-07:00Building a house | Might cost to build<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhctM0v09O-44JLVVFTx8SP7OdezzuzaqnrwpOWwouOmtPLOLlm9tzdpH1nILbFidE763qNHa8WE_Kp38r6XJqttSYXKasVYnBH4dyEfTT08Lh9efxFfXS-Tfuuwa0BJOx5KumFTFDUZak/s1600/IMG_5482.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhctM0v09O-44JLVVFTx8SP7OdezzuzaqnrwpOWwouOmtPLOLlm9tzdpH1nILbFidE763qNHa8WE_Kp38r6XJqttSYXKasVYnBH4dyEfTT08Lh9efxFfXS-Tfuuwa0BJOx5KumFTFDUZak/s320/IMG_5482.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arnulfo chatting with the owner<br />
of a house Marlu built.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My German friend Arnulfo is about to take a huge step. He came back to Mexico in March after returning to Germany for about six weeks. His old life there had changed. The woman whose dog he walked had died and the dog went to a new home. Other things he'd been doing in retirement just didn't have the pull for him that Chiapas did.<br />
<br />
His dear friend Edith asked him to come back and see if they could share a life together. Beyond that there were no promises, and from time to time, their relationship has been a bit rocky. Edith is very independent and protective of herself, and her children. Arnulfo is the kindest man in the world, loves those kids, and is a grandfather figure to them. He loves playing that role since he has no grandchildren of his own. Now, after a few months, the relationship has settled down. The man who owns property behind Edith has offered to sell a nice chunk of land to her. Arnulfo would like to buy it and build a house for himself.<br />
<br />
So I introduced him to Marlu, a Dutch woman who has lived here for thirty+ years, and is an architect. I know of her because people I know live in her designs. I took Arnulfo to see Linda and Andrew's townhome, and he was very impressed. Marlu can turn the tiniest walled lot into a spacious airy and useful home, full of custom cabinetry and multi-use spaces. And she speaks Dutch, close enough to German, so the two of them hit it off royally.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5oh-pZky0vMe0jcuCHW_3XgRuRPx1gg7cetqNpgvpv_UROdd_Q7itVpwnWfvLus4v_-NsyScIs9p5kRVQwR7r-NTnXikzWz0hScTTKYm5wYEqCdYFRYiSEdMIRsxMLmcZSYifQ5r3_d0/s1600/IMG_5494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5oh-pZky0vMe0jcuCHW_3XgRuRPx1gg7cetqNpgvpv_UROdd_Q7itVpwnWfvLus4v_-NsyScIs9p5kRVQwR7r-NTnXikzWz0hScTTKYm5wYEqCdYFRYiSEdMIRsxMLmcZSYifQ5r3_d0/s320/IMG_5494.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tiny house, an octagon, where 40 people<br />
gathered to play music and dance. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Marlu also takes belly dance lessons with my landlady, Margaret. Yesterday the four of us and Marlu's friend Pepe went to a friend's house for a belly dancing party. Arnulfo is almost as fond of Turkey as he is of Mexico, so he had a ball; belly dancing with all those women in their silky costumes to lively Turkish music, and eating hummus, baba ganoush, safron rice, home made pita breads, and halva. There were three houses in a row on that property, right next to a forest reserve, all designed and built by Marlu, so Arnulfo got to see some more excellent examples of her work. The homes are adobe with solar features and environmentally sound construction. They're tiny homes, but one could envision living in any of them very comfortably.<br />
<br />
After seeing those little houses, and getting an idea of what it might cost to build one (between $25 and $50K US) Arnulfo was on fire. He was so excited he's already made a list of the features he wants, and how it might be situated. Now he just needs to purchase the land and the work will begin.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkh-zttfwI3xV31btcAKG3L5ZhWkN1qFPCda4mpMlRX2Owr_pgBfULJLojtmtMW1jt-HVW3ZPGta40gl4pGkSurP540DcbiGmIq7sQ2Z_d3WmEbOdTTIjLS7DtDFFZJJIo8u09vrXPJg/s1600/IMG_5496.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkh-zttfwI3xV31btcAKG3L5ZhWkN1qFPCda4mpMlRX2Owr_pgBfULJLojtmtMW1jt-HVW3ZPGta40gl4pGkSurP540DcbiGmIq7sQ2Z_d3WmEbOdTTIjLS7DtDFFZJJIo8u09vrXPJg/s320/IMG_5496.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An even smaller octagonal house</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-AK5-TjI6dmylPOXqDj-AhOBe9BuuNOctI70bD3sECwUzkMkBKEnQKF_Ryv6u0qE2628HaVanprfX9EYRiwUFTFG1lonsiW26NRLOOP9p5oKUWjUu69eh0Tu4Eu5N3grnaLSmU-eCSrA/s1600/IMG_5497.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-AK5-TjI6dmylPOXqDj-AhOBe9BuuNOctI70bD3sECwUzkMkBKEnQKF_Ryv6u0qE2628HaVanprfX9EYRiwUFTFG1lonsiW26NRLOOP9p5oKUWjUu69eh0Tu4Eu5N3grnaLSmU-eCSrA/s320/IMG_5497.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Larger two bedroom home in the trio of houses</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11173398507917386963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059703230477855387.post-22924482072842914102012-09-18T00:40:00.000-07:002012-09-18T00:40:00.256-07:00More foodie fun in Spain: Sky Bacon<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi36MON-wQa_aAlGKQ33K3tTKIuwViJk-_Y0y8Z7GM7wMWMVX0wsd0RAI6hW8888rLH2xh1lnZENPfvsyvoiajleh81-2_9Mmgxf9CrHsOGCVxf0zzUxhwanVeeq2iHjecrwayFy4O7WBc/s1600/IMG_6532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi36MON-wQa_aAlGKQ33K3tTKIuwViJk-_Y0y8Z7GM7wMWMVX0wsd0RAI6hW8888rLH2xh1lnZENPfvsyvoiajleh81-2_9Mmgxf9CrHsOGCVxf0zzUxhwanVeeq2iHjecrwayFy4O7WBc/s320/IMG_6532.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful translucent Bacon from Heaven.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>More foodie fun in Spain: Sky Bacon. That's what the translator calls it, but it translates literally as Bacon from Heaven. After all, it was invented by a group of nuns in the Jerez region of Spain, when they needed to use up the tremendous amount of egg yolks left over when the whites were used for clarifying wine. The brownish color comes from caramelized sugar. This dessert was invented in the mid 1300's and may have been the forerunner of the famous Spanish dessert flan. Little dishes of Tocino del Cielo are found all over in practically every bakery, alongside beautifully decorated cookies, cakes and other pastries. Surprisingly, very few Spaniards are overweight. I'm not sure how they manage to have so many bakeries (obviously a good business to own) and still be svelte.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11173398507917386963noreply@blogger.com0Paseo de las Delicias, 1, 41001 Seville, Spain37.38264 -5.996295134.017961 -11.050006100000001 40.747319000000005 -0.94258410000000037tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059703230477855387.post-35348566864877709792012-09-17T00:56:00.002-07:002012-09-17T00:56:50.243-07:00Investment Plan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11WguMkUIQeiZyRuwPKyPrfZ-pGZYs_NT2t6YCdj5FOnsrAkiOqhY1mBBhJb8Q0L2fou49J4bGyPFnSoa6vAcLenitrXl7yc49cMCPedLTHgTZniNEYCrwaZSBqXtPsMYFV9UUVkjxw4/s1600/Golden-Rules-of-Investment.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11WguMkUIQeiZyRuwPKyPrfZ-pGZYs_NT2t6YCdj5FOnsrAkiOqhY1mBBhJb8Q0L2fou49J4bGyPFnSoa6vAcLenitrXl7yc49cMCPedLTHgTZniNEYCrwaZSBqXtPsMYFV9UUVkjxw4/s400/Golden-Rules-of-Investment.png" width="400"></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Developing an Investment Plan:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In
order to invest wisely, you need to have a suitable investment plan
that will ensure the appropriate amount of growth for you. Your
investments will also need to be safe and easy to manage.
<br>The first step in developing an investment plan is to identify what
type of an investor you are. Investor types are often determined by
their stages in life. Here is a guide:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
- Single person under 40
years old. Focus: Long-term investments, medium to high risk.
Emphasis: capital gain, compound growth.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
- Two-income married
couple, no children, aged 20 to 40 years. Focus: Long-term
investments, medium to high risk. Emphasis: capital gain, compound
growth.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
- One-income family, young children, aged 20 to 40 years.
Focus: Long-term investments, low to medium risk. Emphasis: compound
growth.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
- Single person, aged 40 to 60 years. Focus: Medium-term investments, medium risk. Emphasis: capital gain, compound growth.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
-
Married couple with adolescent or independent children, aged 40 to 60
years. Focus: Medium-term investments, medium risk. Emphasis: capital
gain, compound growth.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
- All investors, aged 60 and over. Focus: Short to medium-term investments, low risk. Emphasis: Income.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<a href="http://firstforkait.blogspot.com/2012/09/investment-plan.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11173398507917386963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059703230477855387.post-16546861519539716042012-09-17T00:54:00.003-07:002012-09-17T00:54:50.632-07:00UK land represents some of the best investment land available<div id="article-content">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwBPMgKIe8-sJpZFfGS90CggZawOKzHGDWcTTmZMHdBXDhfrj8HBjxYibMR3Y0m5bSRIdZ20AQ5GmK5myka5qzY5_Ip_Z7KRQkDGKYZaSvGwfJ8vrpj_iVebUQKKavDUEiByrFbueNPf0/s1600/british+land+1+year.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwBPMgKIe8-sJpZFfGS90CggZawOKzHGDWcTTmZMHdBXDhfrj8HBjxYibMR3Y0m5bSRIdZ20AQ5GmK5myka5qzY5_Ip_Z7KRQkDGKYZaSvGwfJ8vrpj_iVebUQKKavDUEiByrFbueNPf0/s400/british+land+1+year.png" width="400"></a></div>
<b>UK land represents some of the best investment land available.
These eight facts, presented by a land planning and land investment
expert, will tell you what wise investors already know about investing
in land</b><br>
<b>1) Investing in UK Land is a real asset</b><br>
You
can see, use, and most importantly, build on investment land. You hold
the legal title deeds to your investment land as surety. There are no
complicated concepts in land investment, just a burgeoning demand for a
finite amount of UK land.<br>
<b>2) Investing in Land yields strong returns</b><br>
A
finite supply of UK land partially explains its historically rising
value, and implies it is unlikely to depreciate. Mark Twain said, "If
something is unable to be manufactured and the underlying demand for it
is constant, then its value will tend to rise." Demand for UK land is,
at the very least, constant. The property market increases reflect
soaring demand for houses from an ever-growing population. Therefore,
investing in UK land offers strong returns. It is reasonable to achieve
the equivalent of 30-35% annually in a 5-year land investment project.
This equates to compounded returns of around 400-450%. Such returns
are hard to realise with other UK investments.<br>
<br>
</div><a href="http://firstforkait.blogspot.com/2012/09/uk-land-represents-some-of-best.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11173398507917386963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059703230477855387.post-6312964244791701812012-09-16T10:59:00.000-07:002012-09-16T10:59:12.710-07:00Think Globally - Invest Globally<div style="text-align: justify;">In the US we often think of ourselves as the center of the universe and invest primarily in our own country. Many US investors put 15%-20% of their portfolios into international stocks for diversification. That still leaves 80%-85% bet on the US stock market and on the US dollar which is a big bet. Due to more rapid growth in other parts of the world over the past 20 years, the US now represents only 43% of the total global equity market values. Thus, to be truly invested on a globally neutral basis, a US investor would have to put 57% of their portfolio into investments outside the US. Is that a crazy idea or a smart idea? Is that too risky?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Will the USA be a laggard in the global economy going forward?</div><div style="text-align: justify;">There is a good chance the USA could be a laggard in the global economy over the next 10 years. I am concerned about our ballooning deficits, increased government control and socialism, massive government spending, Social Security/Medicare shortfalls, and the rising tax rates that will be coming. Our corporate tax rates in the US are already the second highest in the developed world. Significantly higher tax rates in the future are inevitable to pay for all this spending and that will dampen economic and profit growth in the US. The government is now talking about healthcare reform in the US that will increase our deficits by another trillion dollars (CBO estimate) over the next 10 years. All of this excessive borrowing, spending and money supply growth has the potential to further reduce the value of the US dollar and to lead to future inflation. That is not good for US investors going forward. Our government, financial institutions, and consumers all have too much debt. They will be deleveraging over the next 5+ years to fix that problem. This deleveraging process will reduce future economic growth. It appears that the US dollar has the possibility of being replaced as the "global reserve currency" as many other international governments (such as China) and investors are worried about these same structural issues in the US. The US dollar recently (September 2009) sank to the lowest level for the year relative to other currencies. Has the USA passed its peak as the dominant and most successful economy in the world, much like the United Kingdom did 110+ years ago? US dollar weakness, relatively sluggish US economic and profit growth, and possible rising inflation in the US are several reasons to consider being diversified internationally. By investing internationally you are protecting yourself from a falling dollar.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><a href="http://firstforkait.blogspot.com/2012/09/think-globally-invest-globally.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11173398507917386963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059703230477855387.post-83926365004899167912012-09-14T02:30:00.000-07:002012-09-18T00:39:11.525-07:00Toledo and the Ave<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:Revision>0</o:Revision> <o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:Pages>1</o:Pages> <o:Words>764</o:Words> <o:Characters>4359</o:Characters> <o:Company>Honeywell</o:Company> <o:Lines>36</o:Lines> <o:Paragraphs>8</o:Paragraphs> <o:CharactersWithSpaces>5353</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:Version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings></xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument></xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles></xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style><![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal">The big suitcase was a great idea, except that it holds so much, and therefore weighs more than any suitcase I’ve ever traveled with. It’s allowed me to bring many things I would otherwise have to buy or do without, but on the other hand, toting the thing down the antiquated staircases in the metro was awful. Thankfully, people are helpful and several big strong young men took pity and carried it down for me. Otherwise, its four wheels did an excellent job of wheeling itself with my other tote bag strapped to the top. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiHyJN3euTD0_0w7WrlVlZDHFPMn90V73nkCBLNCugupGuA3c6fndLdYIFJcvQm602bxelr8Rp94wu1jZweENq90v2DDGri11aazWj6EuiDBLbfyVkYwSxQB9NNO1uWb3g43KBlRxXmVY/s1600/IMG_6369.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiHyJN3euTD0_0w7WrlVlZDHFPMn90V73nkCBLNCugupGuA3c6fndLdYIFJcvQm602bxelr8Rp94wu1jZweENq90v2DDGri11aazWj6EuiDBLbfyVkYwSxQB9NNO1uWb3g43KBlRxXmVY/s320/IMG_6369.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neptune's fountain, across<br />from the Prado Museum</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Two weeks in Madrid and I finally knew what I was doing, where I was going, how to get there, and how to not overspend my deflated dollars. It would have been lovely to spend one Euro and think that I was spending one dollar, it would have felt normal, but knowing that one Euro was really spending $1.30 and that a simple bus ride was actually three dollars was not comforting. It didn’t help any that I’d spent six months of this year in Mexico where a bus ride was 5 pesos, less than forty cents. It’s all part of those innumerable calculations one must make while traveling.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">As I write this, I am zipping along at about 270 kilometers an hour in the Spanish Ave, a high speed train to Sevilla. The countryside is whizzing past so quickly that I must look further into the distance, or nausea will descend. I don’t think I’ve ever gone this fast while on the actual earth, not even in high school when then boyfriend Tom liked to rev up his Camaro on the straight-aways.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The countryside is golden in autumn, wheat fields have been harvested, and lie in yellow strips across rolling hills. This part of Spain looks so much like eastern New Mexico with its farms and distant purple mountains. The music is an orchestral version of Aranjuez, lost entirely on my seat mates who are plugged into iPods. Occasionally a small pueblo comes into view with a tall church tower, but mostly the country is natural with fields planted where possible. The natural “stuff” is dry with a few sages and grasses, maybe even cacti. We’re going way too fast to focus on anything close. Off in the distance are many olive orchards with their dark gray-green leaves. Most of these are short newer trees, unlike the grand specimens in the Jardin Royal of Madrid. Short is probably preferable when it comes to harvesting.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The Ave tracks have been laid straight across the landscape, with cuts through hills and elevated over the valleys. It does not follow any existing road, but cuts its own swath across the landscape with barely a turn in direction. The pueblos we pass are compact and small, with brick or stone walls and tiled roofs. A couple of times, we’ve passed castle ruins on a hill. Once in while another train whizzes by in the opposite direction, our combined speeds make the passing nothing but a quick shake and blurr. It’s always startling though.</div><div><br /></div>Yesterday, I went to Toledo, at one time the capital of Spain and still a beautiful Medieval city, on a high hill, surrounded on three sides by a river, and with strong thick stone walls. It was for a while in the 1500s, home to the famous Spanish court artist and innovative painter, El Greco. Prior to this trip, I had no real appreciation for El Greco, a Greek who had come to Spain after a sojourn in Italy where he learned painting. His personal style developed over his relatively long life, into what can surely be called early impressionism. I’d noticed that aspect when seeing how different his paintings were, compared to his contemporaries in The Prado, but in Toledo, there is a home and museum entirely dedicated to El Greco, and those painters most influenced by him.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdT4K3Ctzy2TFPZWyYAVgYT1szO7RS_jJQFCZze2ETJo6rYDXPrQUJ65xGV_G03we3xNHDCQYJ0M7sqLe1WSO8JzluRKHRReUOoQk11r4aRGnSFGZCl4MCtVZANKVUzJNglt9LAB25SQ/s1600/IMG_6464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdT4K3Ctzy2TFPZWyYAVgYT1szO7RS_jJQFCZze2ETJo6rYDXPrQUJ65xGV_G03we3xNHDCQYJ0M7sqLe1WSO8JzluRKHRReUOoQk11r4aRGnSFGZCl4MCtVZANKVUzJNglt9LAB25SQ/s320/IMG_6464.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Greco's pre-impressionist style</td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLzNZguBV7SC8lU_SQ0Jx5UGpVcSa_qZwGwDKQEbh3J-LKMw9ZkknSgI2ZMaNDkBQwI0InoPLe85MfEVyvSZAvgsVwRBK_umsDbvDuZ-yf4e1w6xpRUowVHfUf7IypZZ0iTmLIQTEJqw/s1600/IMG_6459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLzNZguBV7SC8lU_SQ0Jx5UGpVcSa_qZwGwDKQEbh3J-LKMw9ZkknSgI2ZMaNDkBQwI0InoPLe85MfEVyvSZAvgsVwRBK_umsDbvDuZ-yf4e1w6xpRUowVHfUf7IypZZ0iTmLIQTEJqw/s320/IMG_6459.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOBnFu8-x2KEolwRnwJQxRD9RpyKOkpfDIlWUq6ej0AR3g_C7OeB6DPHfmOkz7sU2VQRZ6VTsj7e4xWWJtcNhojthaGOfIeEJ3w4UJ6hlkVo28YRMZ6XtsFoXL7DCJjuIvB1zxJAskqQY/s1600/IMG_6486.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOBnFu8-x2KEolwRnwJQxRD9RpyKOkpfDIlWUq6ej0AR3g_C7OeB6DPHfmOkz7sU2VQRZ6VTsj7e4xWWJtcNhojthaGOfIeEJ3w4UJ6hlkVo28YRMZ6XtsFoXL7DCJjuIvB1zxJAskqQY/s320/IMG_6486.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-f-aDKflJjVCx4unZpS-Jfoobk-oUYashOtW5QmwqU6XbVJRBXLRLxQ3cRhP3BqC-xFIuP-M142tqhPPYY3IUuf4g4e-GKUQ1DU0o2136Lzb1GVuPnDd9LEVD9D_WRXR8HGMlCIeNHo/s1600/IMG_6391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-f-aDKflJjVCx4unZpS-Jfoobk-oUYashOtW5QmwqU6XbVJRBXLRLxQ3cRhP3BqC-xFIuP-M142tqhPPYY3IUuf4g4e-GKUQ1DU0o2136Lzb1GVuPnDd9LEVD9D_WRXR8HGMlCIeNHo/s320/IMG_6391.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Next door is a Synagogue with an interesting history. In the early part of the second millennium the Moors occupied much of Medieval Spain with one of their capitals in Toledo. There was a large thriving Jewish community that built a synagogue with the most dramatic tall ceiling, and lavish carved stone walls. In 1492, before the autumn when Columbus discovered the New World, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand managed to kick the Moors out of Granada to end the occupation of the Moors and their abominable tolerance for those who followed a different religion. As a result the Jews were also kicked out of Spain and their Synagogue was turned into a Catholic church. To the church’s credit, the beautiful carved walls and pillars were left intact, merely covered over with wooden retablos. The floor, the tile work, and the architecture remained the same. Now it is a museum to the legacy of the Spanish Jews and their history. Many of the Sephardic Jews left, and many more converted to Catholicism only to be ‘tested’ again and again by the Inquisition which used torture to reveal closet Jews, and inspire their conversion. I’ve often wondered what Jesus, whose entire life was about teaching people to love other people and accept them, would have thought of such horrors done in his name and of similar intolerance today as well.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifUZUfiF3xSk55QUfbXA-o3Fa2RDx4QeVssgE347nH6lAHzJ8HNp6UlfnftLQpAq9cDWEVNL0tPfWswLWSrZE_Y3B1cYSIgHq0WpfZrUrmzb5UNlYIw7-sj-4kUu3hbR6K-aas54X4oCw/s1600/IMG_6418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifUZUfiF3xSk55QUfbXA-o3Fa2RDx4QeVssgE347nH6lAHzJ8HNp6UlfnftLQpAq9cDWEVNL0tPfWswLWSrZE_Y3B1cYSIgHq0WpfZrUrmzb5UNlYIw7-sj-4kUu3hbR6K-aas54X4oCw/s320/IMG_6418.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSYj6_RP-RcqOyaFvi_vddxgZCSBQTob4kLgPm8BriWCNnGWRG-Uq5Gy4qz7_7aD_PY_GxCCIEEJ-l2sFjuN45x2c91NmG38yXkajZYIbDbXaqBhJ8jz9JB6dC6zTjZXuNKOLNQCEGmTU/s1600/IMG_6412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSYj6_RP-RcqOyaFvi_vddxgZCSBQTob4kLgPm8BriWCNnGWRG-Uq5Gy4qz7_7aD_PY_GxCCIEEJ-l2sFjuN45x2c91NmG38yXkajZYIbDbXaqBhJ8jz9JB6dC6zTjZXuNKOLNQCEGmTU/s320/IMG_6412.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMeFiq5J3g1zkQGjM2DZWDHnAv1FbTYz6FwL_UtJ_gZdH5nYEieLXsz1ZS1nj-A_kPypNBKxsjIVD_vRJOQFpatsYPH5afkqtwXi0bKvQH1JctN8pFgzIFmWSsl05ZkXDTao8HnyTghg/s1600/IMG_6439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMeFiq5J3g1zkQGjM2DZWDHnAv1FbTYz6FwL_UtJ_gZdH5nYEieLXsz1ZS1nj-A_kPypNBKxsjIVD_vRJOQFpatsYPH5afkqtwXi0bKvQH1JctN8pFgzIFmWSsl05ZkXDTao8HnyTghg/s320/IMG_6439.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zZQj62-FNBpGcSApWgqPTVEwrbdRIuk9KAgS07TB-MscHgfFIXCHYp0zPcp4W7LbWYBIN1dSR6kOIWE0fXakDHWT5QtYNtnEebqh0mHA79udekDq6HXrt6w2WXC_Z8ZCK0XrHIQbdkA/s1600/IMG_6445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zZQj62-FNBpGcSApWgqPTVEwrbdRIuk9KAgS07TB-MscHgfFIXCHYp0zPcp4W7LbWYBIN1dSR6kOIWE0fXakDHWT5QtYNtnEebqh0mHA79udekDq6HXrt6w2WXC_Z8ZCK0XrHIQbdkA/s320/IMG_6445.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catacombs under El Greco Museum's patio,<br /> once part of a large Jewish home, with cisterns <br />and baths for ritual cleansing. </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOq3kQOx2dGsbQCQ313QYMJO9D8uPhwicpqmR9qMICE0KyZ8Um_Ivg9iqmuRyCZ9S0OWoBRkNCM9KWwY3ae3Pya_NcoUg6lbyUGh-FBIPmSdMxp2hWGXOPu7goR3TkAHRAe4tRE3rjonE/s1600/IMG_6498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOq3kQOx2dGsbQCQ313QYMJO9D8uPhwicpqmR9qMICE0KyZ8Um_Ivg9iqmuRyCZ9S0OWoBRkNCM9KWwY3ae3Pya_NcoUg6lbyUGh-FBIPmSdMxp2hWGXOPu7goR3TkAHRAe4tRE3rjonE/s320/IMG_6498.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the official gates to the city of Toledo,<br />I am guessing they never had much of a rush hour.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">In two and a half hours, we have traversed a quarter of the country on the Ave, over mountains, through tunnels, past forests, and in and out of cities like Cordova. It’s greener closer to the coast, and many degrees hotter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, to explore Sevilla!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11173398507917386963noreply@blogger.com0Toledo, Spain39.8567775 -4.024475939.6617535 -4.3403329 40.051801499999996 -3.7086188999999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059703230477855387.post-59135896146321365042012-09-11T00:56:00.000-07:002012-09-18T00:39:11.525-07:00La Reina Sofia<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGK_HUJ2F4z-iMxbSc_52sK5i420p39Rs5K_dUUf2nYpT6tEcxROShiDA__9uKIXLsLh6p1A8WuguzxODtn32M1jQdlXYI-0JeXVgQDDEvCnpR65hZ1HITZHUuoo7q5uj8zBRUu2R03Ic/s1600/IMG_6345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGK_HUJ2F4z-iMxbSc_52sK5i420p39Rs5K_dUUf2nYpT6tEcxROShiDA__9uKIXLsLh6p1A8WuguzxODtn32M1jQdlXYI-0JeXVgQDDEvCnpR65hZ1HITZHUuoo7q5uj8zBRUu2R03Ic/s320/IMG_6345.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken in the Pinocchio restaurant that<br />has a panel of mirrors, across the<br />plaza from the Reina Sofia.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The last of the three great art museums I wanted to visit, the Reina Sofia, is devoted to modern art, and the modern Spanish artists that put Spain's art scene on the map: Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, and Salvador Dali.<br /><br />Included in the definition for modern art is a series of small paintings done by Goya around 1810. In them, he used painting as a social commentary, a first for artists who previously were portrait and landscape painters, not philosophers. He used art to represent his horror at the consequences of war, where all sides are victims. They are sensitive drawings showing death and destruction, the helping hand for the injured, the loss of children and parents, exactly as he witnessed it, giving the viewer an opportunity to feel the same emotions. It was a big step forward.<br /><br />Guernica is Picasso's most famous painting, and arguably the most important painting of the 20th century. For the first time, I rented the audio guide and listened to the background information on Guernica, as well as viewing photos taken as it was being painted. It had been commissioned by the Spanish Government, which later fell to Franco's forces. And at Picasso's request, the painting did not return to Spain until democracy was restored. In the ensuing years, the painting traveled all over the world, but now, due to the wear, tear, and inevitable damage to such a huge painting, it is permanently housed in the Reina Sofia.<br /><br />A number of important Miro and Dali paintings are also on display, along with many artists of the cubist period that I didn't know about. Angeles Santos, at age 17, painted El Mundo, an impressively large painting of a square world surrounded by stars, the sun, and odd bald women with daughters. There is a room of Telluric paintings, a style I knew nothing about previously, and the interesting work of Juan Gris who moved the point of view to the inside of objects as well as outside. Modern thinking reflected in art.<br /><br />I believe photos were not permitted, but people were taking them without bother, so I snapped a few too. Outside, in the courtyard a Calder mobile rotated in the breezes.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3jpMXZ2fHBPeMtqacci5tbEad2oj04z3jeQLcbz8StLMeExvwpkqr913RgLyGKSfVQ8Bywxax2-dcIvo53smHKmx9xqaGUFfH2PoWPpzxm0GlQYkl_A3dPFpiE7ae12-uh3TLZTcDeA/s1600/IMG_6355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3jpMXZ2fHBPeMtqacci5tbEad2oj04z3jeQLcbz8StLMeExvwpkqr913RgLyGKSfVQ8Bywxax2-dcIvo53smHKmx9xqaGUFfH2PoWPpzxm0GlQYkl_A3dPFpiE7ae12-uh3TLZTcDeA/s320/IMG_6355.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note the way the woman's hair<br />gets reflected by the sculpture,<br />or vice versa....</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPM5gA444L8FaQYFvteFlrwE8BUJB_Fk8PNZ8-mMJ3ZuAbWHptNk4gOfZwLCCy9HMeYUPiGmQnV0gSreEQS8ExXI2fbkf9Yzbyk-LbZghDQWUkt67JFpy5osehxE7zuJknbWbRIELwaw/s1600/IMG_6353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPM5gA444L8FaQYFvteFlrwE8BUJB_Fk8PNZ8-mMJ3ZuAbWHptNk4gOfZwLCCy9HMeYUPiGmQnV0gSreEQS8ExXI2fbkf9Yzbyk-LbZghDQWUkt67JFpy5osehxE7zuJknbWbRIELwaw/s320/IMG_6353.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A work of art, all by itself on a wall.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwURvF2hqonCFLUT0ZHOMz17Brs0lAsrFEmdPTZX1GCpm53il1phVvkxGKlKgY5ubn5PP7SY6Bf3GNPV-Volnqm8a60RulR3j2MOrY0nDURRD1aI6EgBzxZ-AKTQVU6rKrCLYyzDx87c/s1600/IMG_6347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwURvF2hqonCFLUT0ZHOMz17Brs0lAsrFEmdPTZX1GCpm53il1phVvkxGKlKgY5ubn5PP7SY6Bf3GNPV-Volnqm8a60RulR3j2MOrY0nDURRD1aI6EgBzxZ-AKTQVU6rKrCLYyzDx87c/s320/IMG_6347.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Calder.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11173398507917386963noreply@blogger.com0Madrid, Spain40.4166909 -3.700345440.2232694 -4.0162024 40.6101124 -3.3844883999999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059703230477855387.post-44539417208269718192012-09-09T13:20:00.000-07:002012-09-18T00:39:11.525-07:00It's a Sunday thing....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN4ioMvQo6EY_tiLnbKIgeIevhja22llqPp1Qmb8WFw39aTbPnaYoyqhLQokH1U-PeS71amCRdReJRjkw5JBBQ4kX_VwnFdi_xGJtVAwbxm8qlQGp6DnKtAN4Eo9lCbGccts7fW8dEDT0/s1600/IMG_6027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN4ioMvQo6EY_tiLnbKIgeIevhja22llqPp1Qmb8WFw39aTbPnaYoyqhLQokH1U-PeS71amCRdReJRjkw5JBBQ4kX_VwnFdi_xGJtVAwbxm8qlQGp6DnKtAN4Eo9lCbGccts7fW8dEDT0/s320/IMG_6027.jpg" width="240" /></a>Last Sunday, I got off the metro at the Retiro Station to have a look at the playground of the once rich and famous. Retiro Park was the private recreation area of Spanish Royalty for most of its history, only opened up in the 1850s to the great unwashed of humanity. Actually for years after opening to the public, you could only get in if you were quite dressed up! Nowdays, any rif-raf is permitted and they do come....in droves.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div style="text-align: right;"></div>It's a Sunday thing to go to Buen Retiro Park with the family, maybe rent a row boat and row around on the formal "lake", a large rectangular pond graced by Roman columns, statues, and stone lions, a monument to Alfonso XII. During the days of the kings, the lake hosted mock naval battles. South of the lake is the Crystal Palace, a glass and steel construction used for exhibits. Another exhibit hall, the Palace of Velazquez, is named for it's architect and that of the Crystal Palace, Ricardo Velazquez Bosco. Several of the royal buildings are still standing and are used for various functions.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpX_B1QuWcZ8EnAYX72WAr6J9KA0EOqKtPh1Dm6BRUTBRnUyns-5Ok2XvxCIDHpc3UP8jZLu8oycN_aHW7zH-YViKsDouX9f4bwTui6LZZk9uYgcVKCd8riS0PDZSVcOdOrhR89ua3iY/s1600/IMG_6033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpX_B1QuWcZ8EnAYX72WAr6J9KA0EOqKtPh1Dm6BRUTBRnUyns-5Ok2XvxCIDHpc3UP8jZLu8oycN_aHW7zH-YViKsDouX9f4bwTui6LZZk9uYgcVKCd8riS0PDZSVcOdOrhR89ua3iY/s320/IMG_6033.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The monument to King Alfonso XII</td></tr></tbody></table>The park is enormous, over 350 acres of formal landscaping, walkways, paved and unpaved roads, planted and maintained forests, fountains and statues. Most of the crowds center around the lake, the vendors, and the buildings, leaving the small pathways, all quite straight and intersecting, to people who want a quieter experience. Although it is completely maintained, some of the less traveled areas feel natural and 'unmanned'. On a walk through I came across two men playing guitars and singing Beatle's tunes with both Spanish and English lyrics. Benches in all the formal circles are a welcome relief from walking all day, and the shade is a nice break from a rather intense sun. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGEfW0sC6-y3vEhRl47mACA5gimXXFJU5B1oI9O_vTT-T4EK8GdoIN8a3Tc4wOKf-FvpYSm_vtMvhxXiNcHYZtvHJ76dQOPd862D4vx9VP989gJLAGPecVg_WzO9DX_LEVtzhiSwUTk4/s1600/IMG_6044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGEfW0sC6-y3vEhRl47mACA5gimXXFJU5B1oI9O_vTT-T4EK8GdoIN8a3Tc4wOKf-FvpYSm_vtMvhxXiNcHYZtvHJ76dQOPd862D4vx9VP989gJLAGPecVg_WzO9DX_LEVtzhiSwUTk4/s320/IMG_6044.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A portrait of Justice, directly beneath<br />the tail of King Alfonso XII's horse.<br />Could that have been planned??</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmCFGLTCWMFPdt8b_dg0b2AW70eBr9FUWwjFqesEi3PbPvBY3rnSE-UBE3dXDBcIK4KfcD1QUPB8EgqwhtjhrREVdECQ3u1zVvOlWUevrmoWYUprI3m0BFHbXoRGLlwIubUsYq_IKHAoM/s1600/IMG_6047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmCFGLTCWMFPdt8b_dg0b2AW70eBr9FUWwjFqesEi3PbPvBY3rnSE-UBE3dXDBcIK4KfcD1QUPB8EgqwhtjhrREVdECQ3u1zVvOlWUevrmoWYUprI3m0BFHbXoRGLlwIubUsYq_IKHAoM/s320/IMG_6047.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of many lions guarding the monument.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11173398507917386963noreply@blogger.com0Madrid, Spain40.4166909 -3.700345440.2232694 -4.0162024 40.6101124 -3.3844883999999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059703230477855387.post-52521040253079251842012-09-09T11:54:00.000-07:002012-09-18T00:39:11.525-07:00More Madrid Museums!In addition to the CaixaForum, I have so far seen the Prado and the Thyssen-Bornemisza. My friend Linda pointed out that I actually met one of the sons of that family who was touring PureCycle, a company where I worked in Boulder back in the mid 70s. <br /><br />The Thyssen-Bornemisza is housed in the family's original mansion, now completely revamped in its role as museum, with an additional large building for Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza's personal art collection. One single floor took two and a half hours to see, going at normal museum speed. The earliest works are mostly Italian religious art, but exquisite. I've never seen so many Madonna and child paintings. Most were oil on wood panels so they have survived for hundreds of years. In the Prado, the Madonnas were often nursing the baby Jesus, and in one painting her breast squirted milk across the sky to "create the milky way", and in another the milk dripped down onto the faithful, a group of grown men. Apparently a religious order was created out of a dream the founder had of suckling milk from the Madonna.<br /><br />The Prado had every Spanish painting I'd ever seen in my Spanish class in highschool, when, as part of the fourth year program, we had to critique art in Spanish. Most of that language, I've long forgotten. But I never forgot the paintings themselves. The famous Las Meninas, which features the Infanta Margarita and the artist Velazquez painting a canvas, is the signature piece of the Prado itself. It is also one of the most analyzed paintings in the world, due to the strange relationships between the posed figures and the odd juxtaposition of the King and Queen in the mirror, as if they are standing exactly where you, the viewer, are standing.<br /><br />An interesting aside....I was on the metro when a man about my age got on with his four year old granddaughter. She was curious, bright and so chatty. She also looked like the Infanta Margarita in Velazquez' painting. She had a big bow in her hair in the same place as the Infanta's flower. I told her grandfather that I saw the resemblance, and he said, yes, people have said that about her.<br /><br />In the Prado, there are many rooms devoted to Goya, another of the great Spanish painters, and a couple more with El Greco paintings. I was so surprised to find that El Greco painted with such an impressionistic quality to his work, almost as if he were ahead of his time. Knowing little about such things, I wondered if his style influenced any of the Impressionists or not.<br /><br />In the Thyssen-Bornemisza there are far more modern paintings by impressionists and more Flemish, German, French, and Dutch painters. Gauguin, Degas, Picasso, Van Dyke and many others were represented. It was overwhelming. I went outside for an hour or so, just to rest and close my eyes before going back to drift through the second floor. They had a special Edward Hopper exhibit in another part of the building, with an additional entry fee. Fortunately for me, it was sold out on Saturday. I may need to go back once more to see that as well.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZlDeEdpvjI9p0XpWDDhoqvUaP4GEoBjdkWptzHA8eOrE5ZmhhKMlJL8elL60QnU5DTwi36E0XCWPBn2oJaRUhk0f_WhQdUquUXvfqcRvolzGSIbUnovGN8OloGUg4Z0ba3WX1iMlt9TI/s1600/IMG_6024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZlDeEdpvjI9p0XpWDDhoqvUaP4GEoBjdkWptzHA8eOrE5ZmhhKMlJL8elL60QnU5DTwi36E0XCWPBn2oJaRUhk0f_WhQdUquUXvfqcRvolzGSIbUnovGN8OloGUg4Z0ba3WX1iMlt9TI/s320/IMG_6024.jpg" width="240" /></a>The museums sell a multi-pass ticket to the three major museums, including the Reina Sophia. That one is on the plan for tomorrow, and since a pass came with the ticket, I will return to the Prado one more time to see what I missed before, and to linger on a few of my favorites.<br /><br />Outside the Prado, a man played classical guitar, several pieces by Rodrigo, so beautifully, it brought tears. In many ways I've been disappointed that Madrid is not more "Spanish". It seems like a bustling modern city, not unlike New York or Philadelphia. To hear Rodrigo played beside the Prado created the Spain I had been longing for.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11173398507917386963noreply@blogger.com0Madrid, Spain40.4166909 -3.700345440.2232694 -4.0162024 40.6101124 -3.3844883999999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059703230477855387.post-38627994136957018002012-09-08T01:24:00.000-07:002012-09-18T00:39:11.526-07:00Public Art of MadridThis small collection of photos hardly does justice to the massive amount of public art in the parks, plazas, and gardens of Madrid. They are just a few of my favorites.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMSH-1593ZveU5JSZUACdWvNaCUU8I8ZI97sD62Q343F6d3CSjKRC51Bql0qFO_hX1md6GxeN21PPvlGRwEiM3Dm036qz_nRxzgJ02DSWF8mL752o_PKmhR3ShyphenhyphenImv774gO1dyNT6XXQ/s1600/IMG_5958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMSH-1593ZveU5JSZUACdWvNaCUU8I8ZI97sD62Q343F6d3CSjKRC51Bql0qFO_hX1md6GxeN21PPvlGRwEiM3Dm036qz_nRxzgJ02DSWF8mL752o_PKmhR3ShyphenhyphenImv774gO1dyNT6XXQ/s320/IMG_5958.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Detail of pedestal in front of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">the Royal Palace. </span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVE0KJZUt_sNTMjbeqrWG_K1donWJpdLhTKuyjAZtwPKUIC65L-v8SCQDgIaCvOxe7xwFcRn8hpTMY-WJVMI5kEp0A0n5kQ4OpUF4mfIM4frB-3_VJxxnZOLeuoMADpQJ7pGFvJDtRv_s/s1600/IMG_6013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVE0KJZUt_sNTMjbeqrWG_K1donWJpdLhTKuyjAZtwPKUIC65L-v8SCQDgIaCvOxe7xwFcRn8hpTMY-WJVMI5kEp0A0n5kQ4OpUF4mfIM4frB-3_VJxxnZOLeuoMADpQJ7pGFvJDtRv_s/s320/IMG_6013.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail of pedestal for a statue on Paseo Prado.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3cQaBcKssUJTTBwufE8dmvbzUs9heCgn9EMkTcZyvnQWTz0yeSclg1-bFJMzcVdsZRye-nEY5NcY-dS_139we4pEh37FCwljpt4g3Dpg6QIb5tqQgBjI27a_IKfjCTBxQcBYjoRDGTYk/s1600/IMG_6014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3cQaBcKssUJTTBwufE8dmvbzUs9heCgn9EMkTcZyvnQWTz0yeSclg1-bFJMzcVdsZRye-nEY5NcY-dS_139we4pEh37FCwljpt4g3Dpg6QIb5tqQgBjI27a_IKfjCTBxQcBYjoRDGTYk/s320/IMG_6014.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the parkway on Paseo Prado</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJSabqUf0T2mfzTHYSW86RdQoxfANTRcEg34RJcqg1MTFvxFfKuJjaHD5KHPzXCzNfgrewF2sfbtQ8ShRlY9rY-5kwiVT9IuyfXGRhVpQRgf4A9OX2bqwThTaLIfD8SBru0NPjFlKFD6w/s1600/IMG_6116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJSabqUf0T2mfzTHYSW86RdQoxfANTRcEg34RJcqg1MTFvxFfKuJjaHD5KHPzXCzNfgrewF2sfbtQ8ShRlY9rY-5kwiVT9IuyfXGRhVpQRgf4A9OX2bqwThTaLIfD8SBru0NPjFlKFD6w/s320/IMG_6116.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Statue in the Real Jardin Botanico</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY1bImjiIC388enGgvRyibyOojc6tLh5rtO7hLnAJyJVmHeNdtE6I9DYxsQav_mB2jy9HUz8PYO3XPTJBpHPMVhVMJaO0Bm27WmjqtppGNeGYzalC__QAwdINsZpYAN191aS0Sa2jP9UU/s1600/IMG_6129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY1bImjiIC388enGgvRyibyOojc6tLh5rtO7hLnAJyJVmHeNdtE6I9DYxsQav_mB2jy9HUz8PYO3XPTJBpHPMVhVMJaO0Bm27WmjqtppGNeGYzalC__QAwdINsZpYAN191aS0Sa2jP9UU/s320/IMG_6129.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of the column above the Cervantes statue,<br />Plaza de Espana</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-7HGqeV0QpxE5AFoLeBcSduRUe1QEwUzjFwwu6azjZV2Tc3Sj1I6i_TevUpzu3GOC7qNQGV8phqfw3AOek6lonA-aio-7kfrsqaD3Zia521jV_ATOPmmxlsgPw_Izm6NU2HMmQNMRCfU/s1600/IMG_6182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-7HGqeV0QpxE5AFoLeBcSduRUe1QEwUzjFwwu6azjZV2Tc3Sj1I6i_TevUpzu3GOC7qNQGV8phqfw3AOek6lonA-aio-7kfrsqaD3Zia521jV_ATOPmmxlsgPw_Izm6NU2HMmQNMRCfU/s320/IMG_6182.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nymph in a pool at the Roseada,<br />Madrid's rose garden</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWI3hxCIf6zyeRKfrC8rDujjUQiLSB5KE4ABMANAtGoM7DUojhxTjicJOT0j6dX18UL1tsvQMKTzXiBWO6hV2LcwZPKa04Q8WeSz5JkqHFJ0MX_f2Slo91DLvX3-J3a0AZRFjX639qM0M/s1600/IMG_6237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWI3hxCIf6zyeRKfrC8rDujjUQiLSB5KE4ABMANAtGoM7DUojhxTjicJOT0j6dX18UL1tsvQMKTzXiBWO6hV2LcwZPKa04Q8WeSz5JkqHFJ0MX_f2Slo91DLvX3-J3a0AZRFjX639qM0M/s320/IMG_6237.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Statue of Cervantes, with<br />Don Quixote & Sancho Panza<br />Plaza de Espana</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBSBuZaK9iNALQQ65movJKHFCYRxcoIiUTvZw2YFGPeeEt9E-Enw9YU5-NhmtKTuODDjT55Wpk8ab1cT7mTtwgcX_p9KZCfLAMQ52cT7pz8pEqDz9zcC9C06BCWsz6GnFeKo-w3cVz9_w/s1600/IMG_6245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBSBuZaK9iNALQQ65movJKHFCYRxcoIiUTvZw2YFGPeeEt9E-Enw9YU5-NhmtKTuODDjT55Wpk8ab1cT7mTtwgcX_p9KZCfLAMQ52cT7pz8pEqDz9zcC9C06BCWsz6GnFeKo-w3cVz9_w/s320/IMG_6245.jpg" width="235" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fate that befalls all statues....</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIBvz21uGICS7Cn85pN5K4bPNnXxD35XeRFnVS9Y2hYMna-sPIDAx9_DjDcg7wj1lZrrrGejvmNxcGNpEe9iD6gtDofh-2SnjzIqAU_1PUy7W3LMnvt_K2cxUOm_-lq4khJNyKPAVH8b8/s1600/IMG_6128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIBvz21uGICS7Cn85pN5K4bPNnXxD35XeRFnVS9Y2hYMna-sPIDAx9_DjDcg7wj1lZrrrGejvmNxcGNpEe9iD6gtDofh-2SnjzIqAU_1PUy7W3LMnvt_K2cxUOm_-lq4khJNyKPAVH8b8/s320/IMG_6128.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail of a flamenco dancer and her admirers,<br /> on the Cervantes pedestal</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11173398507917386963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059703230477855387.post-80862841960934552052012-09-08T00:11:00.000-07:002012-09-18T00:39:11.526-07:00When "Trickle Down" actually works.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_Hv_S5o7y512PFeg_dWWWYNdoLXoYeL_W2mi3dwd_-w2ng2ZLuJfB22DuCAI4phCNdjdAfnPBNG8cmYs2JkAgZL3VJc31JeU4jsC6he4PAF-vCBYiDn7kJ4vZj_BHdSFbPruBQU9tGc/s1600/IMG_6086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_Hv_S5o7y512PFeg_dWWWYNdoLXoYeL_W2mi3dwd_-w2ng2ZLuJfB22DuCAI4phCNdjdAfnPBNG8cmYs2JkAgZL3VJc31JeU4jsC6he4PAF-vCBYiDn7kJ4vZj_BHdSFbPruBQU9tGc/s320/IMG_6086.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entry stairs in the CaixaForum</td></tr></tbody></table>Madrid is "museum central". There must be 20 museums of various types scattered around the city, and that's not counting the marvelous parks, parkways, and botanical gardens which are artistic and "museumy" in their own ways.<br /><br />Along the Paseo Prado are five art attractions: the Reina Sophia, the Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza, the Real Jardin Botanico which is filled with statues, and CaixaForum. In addition, the Plaza de Neptuno and the Plaza de Cibeles feature incredible oft-photographed sculptures and dramatic fountains.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />The unusual and modern museum is the CaixaForum. Caixa is pronounced Cah-ees-ah. In Catalan it means box. There is a bank named Caixa too. I didn't see anything to verify this, but I would guess that the bank might have a lot to do with the museum's existence.<br /><br />Inside, the CaixaForum is reminiscent of the Guggenheim in New York City, the way the stairs wind upwards. On exhibit currently are many works of William Blake and of subsequent artists whom he inspired. Blake worked mostly in tempura paints which have not withstood the test of time well. Many of his works are faded, but what sensitivity! He was interested in the religions of the world, philosophy, and ancient art, attributes that made him an artist and poet well ahead of his time. He formulated his own mythology complete with heroic stories as well as the occasional buddhist thought. One quote was "If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is - infinite!"<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEYixgyWs_zsLnMGMqaHMK3bnCf1ZP67VgsqB3upIw0rWNft3fh3NM3oxMhg-yTj4NSB6UbIXxoNuNXXDnqOV-MKhjUWBgluw7xfwtHZD0iMoyfepFgtDMoazptHq5Oz3Swl6xHGIuzqA/s1600/IMG_6076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEYixgyWs_zsLnMGMqaHMK3bnCf1ZP67VgsqB3upIw0rWNft3fh3NM3oxMhg-yTj4NSB6UbIXxoNuNXXDnqOV-MKhjUWBgluw7xfwtHZD0iMoyfepFgtDMoazptHq5Oz3Swl6xHGIuzqA/s320/IMG_6076.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wall of living plants </td></tr></tbody></table><br />And on the outside, the building in front of the museum has been turned into a vertical garden. Concrete forms of various sizes with pools of dirt were built and then planted with a great array of different plants. The entire thing is watered with a system which trickles water down the wall, watering each plant as it makes its way down. The only reason it works is that no plant is denied in favor of others, and all the water trickles down, none of it is siphoned off at various levels. A good analogy for the economic trickle downers. The overall effect is a growing wall, lush with life.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11173398507917386963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059703230477855387.post-7664587370174412072012-09-05T12:48:00.000-07:002012-09-18T00:39:11.526-07:00The Royal Palace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJoYX7a66ypzsXNYcl2z-c8rY0m5R0ybSDt1wr8vN-PWBzc1wVnNHSm725-QBH-DeVD4HXULnPtNSFdmO66DnPEQKV7fUC5GvT9l1D0dOrwsyKxLknA-wAjh8YxfMbutCfFnCeeUp_pjQ/s1600/IMG_5964.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJoYX7a66ypzsXNYcl2z-c8rY0m5R0ybSDt1wr8vN-PWBzc1wVnNHSm725-QBH-DeVD4HXULnPtNSFdmO66DnPEQKV7fUC5GvT9l1D0dOrwsyKxLknA-wAjh8YxfMbutCfFnCeeUp_pjQ/s320/IMG_5964.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I've been going to museums and grand open homes for years. It's always such a delight to see what </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the ultra-rich have put money into. Most of the best art and music in the world were the direct </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">result </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; white-space: pre;">of patronage by rich people, government, and churches. So, to see where much of the </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; white-space: pre;">wealth that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; white-space: pre;">was sucked out of the Americas ended up, was mind-boggling.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace;"><br /></span> <tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Royal Palace is billed as Madrid's most beautiful building, and there's no<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">doubt about that. It is a huge edifice, with gold and black lampposts in the<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">courtyard, an armory, a pharmacy, and the living quarters of the royal family.<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Much of the palace is closed to the public, and is actually still used for state<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">occasions. One large reception room had a list of the incredible world events<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">that took place there, including Middle East Peace conferences and treaty<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">signings.</tt><br /><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The kitchens and storage rooms that must surely exist were not on the tour, nor<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">were the servant quarters. But the throne room, reception areas, the King's<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">personal quarters, and many rooms that were used over the years for various<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">purposes certainly were. The most beautiful room of all was the king's dressing </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">chamber!</tt><br /><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Every square inch of floor, wall and ceiling was covered in some form of<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">exquisite art. The walls had "wallpaper". Certainly not paper, but material,<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">hand woven and then embroidered and brocaded with fine silk thread and even<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">threads made from silver and gold. Ceilings were painted with scenes from Greek<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and Roman mythology, and in the chapel, the ceiling gave the impression that if<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">you prayed hard enough, you could rise up through it directly into heaven.<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The floors were designs of inlaid wood, or in some cases, stone - rivaling the<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">malachite and ruby stone inlays of the Taj Mahal. Furnishings were carved, and<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">sometimes painted, or gilded. One room was entirely of porcelain. Beautiful<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">delicate porcelain vines and flowers, from pots rising up to the porcelain<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ceiling with clouds. Each panel had been made to fit the room, and then put<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">together in such a way that the joining seams could not be seen. The dining room<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">was enormous, the floor covered in the largest handwoven rug I've ever seen.<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Walls were often covered in tapestries, now hundreds of years old, and still<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">beautiful. Chandeliers hung in almost every room, made from silver and crystal.<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Statues abounded, of marble, and by artists such as Goya and Titian. Paintings<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">by Goya and Rafael graced the walls, any one of which required a long perusal. </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And in the music room, five, (yes 5!) Stradivari violins and a viola.</tt><br /><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sunday was the last day for the bindings exhibit so I took advantage and saw<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">that as well. Books, too, were an exquisite art form, and were a substantial<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">part of the royalty's investment. The exhibit was in six rooms and featured<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">every kind of binding imaginable from carved stone and wood covers for books, to<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">hand lettered and painted books with leather binding, even one made from a<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">carved slab of malachite with gold metal edges and trim. In addition, there was<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">a desk carved and constructed entirely of malachite, a present from Russia.<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Other book features were the painted and embossed edges, the paper itself part<br /> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">of the aesthetics. I have never seen so many beautiful books!</tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Photos inside the palace were not allowed, but there are some on the web. <a href="http://www.pbase.com/j_a_a/madrid_royal_palace">http://www.pbase.com/j_a_a/madrid_royal_palace</a> </tt><tt style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></tt><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><tt><br /></tt></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><tt><br /></tt></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFKzMh4t5Lz2GOJxjvCLTxAyIWoa2Gvz9EOa1IYIorffLwU9m7QhixtZgcYWgXwcMqY9Bba7vA9KdaK2yNrzR6jNKYHBASpVhpA2No4-OG_qF9WDg_ts_rhbsOnqZAwv440J3p1Pkscs/s1600/IMG_5971.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFKzMh4t5Lz2GOJxjvCLTxAyIWoa2Gvz9EOa1IYIorffLwU9m7QhixtZgcYWgXwcMqY9Bba7vA9KdaK2yNrzR6jNKYHBASpVhpA2No4-OG_qF9WDg_ts_rhbsOnqZAwv440J3p1Pkscs/s320/IMG_5971.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Detail of the lamp post.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><pre><tt><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></tt><div style="font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><br /><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Ddg_LnSGjY4OY3VJzRkeF8MbGx_l106fJlelKQ19umBrpjGXm9piXA7voFBeT4Yi4oALtNnVJi-73xsDGgZl0OP0pH692BhAhPqiGFES5soRDMNO0nTHTZ9U5qFgLS6TTHMGGKUauC4/s1600/IMG_5966.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Ddg_LnSGjY4OY3VJzRkeF8MbGx_l106fJlelKQ19umBrpjGXm9piXA7voFBeT4Yi4oALtNnVJi-73xsDGgZl0OP0pH692BhAhPqiGFES5soRDMNO0nTHTZ9U5qFgLS6TTHMGGKUauC4/s320/IMG_5966.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr><br /><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sculpture on a</span> corner of the Palace,<br /><br />different ones on each corner of every wing.</td></tr><br /></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><br /><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiueXdECZFdEiPRwcpv8emrQcDonI9TsUKYmrlniQZcLjY2d_N984zrrs7r9CTtETEjHtp_nE2UEPMtc7BwlU9f0tel4b5lnjEw9K8kbTAKc5IMjVFEDB3CP53rwv5ZGE7NmHfwOWA7840/s1600/IMG_5959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiueXdECZFdEiPRwcpv8emrQcDonI9TsUKYmrlniQZcLjY2d_N984zrrs7r9CTtETEjHtp_nE2UEPMtc7BwlU9f0tel4b5lnjEw9K8kbTAKc5IMjVFEDB3CP53rwv5ZGE7NmHfwOWA7840/s320/IMG_5959.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><br /><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bas Reliefs are all over the place!</td></tr><br /></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><br /><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_oaZfCDjC7x4jSMlqQmuWLs2ZO8Brfu2V0mXM5tMwE-2E8pbvgIZMrurnm4fIuv_T39bTtXo9DxW1ZPH2Q4tn3_Fz-q6-eQkFo78fWE9pc16w45xzYC7iCvOc13-LXZusudHQiJCPFTc/s1600/IMG_5961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_oaZfCDjC7x4jSMlqQmuWLs2ZO8Brfu2V0mXM5tMwE-2E8pbvgIZMrurnm4fIuv_T39bTtXo9DxW1ZPH2Q4tn3_Fz-q6-eQkFo78fWE9pc16w45xzYC7iCvOc13-LXZusudHQiJCPFTc/s320/IMG_5961.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><br /><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monument in front of the palace</td></tr><br /></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><br /><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgriwnCqpZef5hcb9asE-t8YwgbZ0otz8wDVCOXAbUXbqaHUHsiy2_Vx_7jcNYaGRBKFDD-rrsV3b0WAcpgU1PdW3geFvTCvBT2F8gNVG3NIwUEs9G7tlXLYZDDah5lsf9RxTxlK9k1AfY/s1600/IMG_5953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgriwnCqpZef5hcb9asE-t8YwgbZ0otz8wDVCOXAbUXbqaHUHsiy2_Vx_7jcNYaGRBKFDD-rrsV3b0WAcpgU1PdW3geFvTCvBT2F8gNVG3NIwUEs9G7tlXLYZDDah5lsf9RxTxlK9k1AfY/s320/IMG_5953.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><br /><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Palace neighborhood.</td></tr><br /></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><br /><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCSVWaxY7KGNa50HpP6Xo0bZeuYB_QNiCbsC_RprupBy86dA_ZPHPoNAqExJp1wT4qG71KueKAVgO5atgVMll26qs5SvX8jT0B46msFCZ3rmqP9nEyDdsFwxgwjf1NaoAVs9uFreQdH8/s1600/IMG_5950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCSVWaxY7KGNa50HpP6Xo0bZeuYB_QNiCbsC_RprupBy86dA_ZPHPoNAqExJp1wT4qG71KueKAVgO5atgVMll26qs5SvX8jT0B46msFCZ3rmqP9nEyDdsFwxgwjf1NaoAVs9uFreQdH8/s320/IMG_5950.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><br /><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a little view through the formal gardens...</td></tr><br /></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><br /><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4gl3bm63mBJvPT3AwGVyGI9HCj-JlVZO_vqFbtTIec7gy4WkcRJkj_K7HandDhAZdjGv4bqP-ELq_cOfIxaohZ-PKsM7NaiA2BEA9Li0GlPJKaLwEpF_CDk2rRBQFNQvqXUIavaiuUE/s1600/IMG_5967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4gl3bm63mBJvPT3AwGVyGI9HCj-JlVZO_vqFbtTIec7gy4WkcRJkj_K7HandDhAZdjGv4bqP-ELq_cOfIxaohZ-PKsM7NaiA2BEA9Li0GlPJKaLwEpF_CDk2rRBQFNQvqXUIavaiuUE/s320/IMG_5967.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><br /><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Palace Courtyard</td></tr><br /></tbody></table><br /><tt><br /></tt></div><br /></pre>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11173398507917386963noreply@blogger.com0Royal Palace of Madrid, Calle de Bailén, 28071 Madrid, Spain40.417955 -3.71431240.405865999999996 -3.734053 40.430044 -3.6945710000000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059703230477855387.post-21776438976823343802012-09-02T14:45:00.000-07:002012-09-18T00:39:11.526-07:00Big City Life - MadridIt is difficult to have lived in Mexico, and then come to Spain and NOT make comparisons. There are so many contrasts. It's a bit more difficult to understand people here, they tend to slur words together a bit. And they have different words for things, especially modern things that get named something different when they come into existence.<br /><br />And it's difficult, too, to compare essentially urban people with the more rural Mexicans that I came to know, even though they lived in a city. It wasn't a very big city, so they retained much of their rural culture. It would be like comparing Longmont, Colorado with London, England. They speak the same language, and eat many of the same foods, but otherwise, are quite different in social outlook and interests.<br /><br />It's been fun mastering the Metro. Especially when I discovered the metro station for Cartagena street is several blocks closer than the one I'd been walking to. It turns out that once you're "in" the metro, you can go anywhere you want. In other cities, the money on your metro ticket isn't deducted until you leave the station by putting your ticket through the machine. If there's enough money on the ticket, it lets you out, if not, you're stuck until you add money to it. But here, I was able to purchase a 10 ticket pass for 12 Euros. So far I've used 4 of them. And each trip has been down two or even three different lines. It makes getting places fun, fast, and very easy. And knowing "my" lines, I can't really get lost in this city for long. A metro station will be someplace nearby and I can always get home.<br /><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha1BEol7WTm5PpHbYLWcjbWRimmSrnEgAVDWP45mxuc8IDL2mgTrOGYdsclMmHrfEXEs1PQ1rhGsa541cZ7Y-oDOvC9jCsJsqVH4RvN2-XeayVCHGeZfPASnQ7lyCpeuCHJrTVE1YqH-Q/s1600/IMG_5911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha1BEol7WTm5PpHbYLWcjbWRimmSrnEgAVDWP45mxuc8IDL2mgTrOGYdsclMmHrfEXEs1PQ1rhGsa541cZ7Y-oDOvC9jCsJsqVH4RvN2-XeayVCHGeZfPASnQ7lyCpeuCHJrTVE1YqH-Q/s320/IMG_5911.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old trick from India</td></tr></tbody></table>Home is a very nice apartment, a condo really. It's new construction, about six years old. The rooms are all pretty small, but there are built-in drawers in the closets, and lots of storage floor to ceiling, so it feels clean and organized. I rent a room and bath from a woman who advertised on AirBnB. Eva is a very nice person who speaks English quite well. She enjoys watching American TV programs like The Simpsons. She produces the nightly news for a Madrid TV station. She sleeps till about 10am then works till well after 8pm. I get the impression she can be quite the partier, as are many Madrilenos. So many of them stay out all night long that they are called "cats" (gatos). Renting from a local is such a good thing for me. Eva told me how to get around, where to go, what the "hot" spots are, what museums and sights are really worthwhile, which are merely tourist traps. It's also good to know that someone would know, and possibly care, if I didn't show up some evening.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjw3dfrRXz1s839BD-HS_Xb_D-0FzPdAQ0BwLlpr-fUIb_jA0VFeQkNobT918joFbkgfzl_mTORxSyKPM7iBc8hniYhd-3SfehPk5wSWl7habYbkgu4wondEkn435seGZpBGme4hiEMdg/s1600/IMG_5942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjw3dfrRXz1s839BD-HS_Xb_D-0FzPdAQ0BwLlpr-fUIb_jA0VFeQkNobT918joFbkgfzl_mTORxSyKPM7iBc8hniYhd-3SfehPk5wSWl7habYbkgu4wondEkn435seGZpBGme4hiEMdg/s320/IMG_5942.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Live sculptures - miners.</td></tr></tbody></table>Of course, this is a super-tourist city. I must have heard fifteen different languages today, from eastern European to Chinese. Many signs and menus are in Spanish and English. And like many places inundated with tourists, the service people are a bit cool and unfriendly, though there hasn't been any overt hostility. There are a lot of little rip-offs, like not giving back the change after a transaction, like 30 cents doesn't matter.<br /><br />And people love dogs! I've not seen a single cat as they probably stay indoors all the time, but dogs are out with their owners who even carry food and water for them in their bags.<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdRiS6Nc_0_MR33Jg1yYyRlN-EoEo3soWlYpXgC7NfSCS0arV0tmrFkeJrYtet1vVby17Cs840Kf2vs7Fv2dFGdW1nE1uBrgD4Uy-FiWPWDHdayK_YTLoWZ6Rg0CsI0cq59cGGkuSbbw/s1600/IMG_5928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdRiS6Nc_0_MR33Jg1yYyRlN-EoEo3soWlYpXgC7NfSCS0arV0tmrFkeJrYtet1vVby17Cs840Kf2vs7Fv2dFGdW1nE1uBrgD4Uy-FiWPWDHdayK_YTLoWZ6Rg0CsI0cq59cGGkuSbbw/s320/IMG_5928.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little cutie pie.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">A lot of people earn a living performing on the street, and the buskers are quite creative. One pair uses an old trick from India where the support holding the "floating" man's seat is disguised in the sleeve of the man holding him up. Others dress up and act as mannequins, usually with some political purpose on top of the "performance". Many play instruments. In the metro, I heard what I thought was a live quartet playing Baroque music. Came around the corner to see a man "playing" one violin but the music included a coronet. Turned out, his whole deal was an act, the music came from an iPod put through an amplifier!! While walking down one of the traffic-free streets, lilting harp music was coming from a man wearing blue jeans and a big rodeo belt buckle . Turns out he was from Ecuador and once rode the bulls. Now that's a contrast of professions, from bull rider to street harpist. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjirf2oQYJr9fvkeFLi6boFP3GC2rTgfNDVNYZU138SUoC37-ieoeAnjwAWCUXnfX4dpkGtQ-HmSSeV_nPuEpEdUFldNDYuOavs2CdhA94JnfZrHaFScyeOPj2O9mHNoYsfECDk30dckZg/s1600/IMG_5881.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjirf2oQYJr9fvkeFLi6boFP3GC2rTgfNDVNYZU138SUoC37-ieoeAnjwAWCUXnfX4dpkGtQ-HmSSeV_nPuEpEdUFldNDYuOavs2CdhA94JnfZrHaFScyeOPj2O9mHNoYsfECDk30dckZg/s320/IMG_5881.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11173398507917386963noreply@blogger.com0Calle de Cedaceros, 2, 28014 Madrid, Spain40.4166909 -3.7003454-17.1755494 -165.4190954 90 158.0184046tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059703230477855387.post-24497217020156202652012-09-01T13:09:00.000-07:002012-09-18T00:39:11.527-07:00Foodie Fun in Madrid<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px;">First day in the Capital of Spain, and at one time, capital of practically half the world. Much of the wealth sucked out of the Americas is still here in some form, in beautiful buildings, museums, and art. </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px;"></span><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px;"></span><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I spent some time matching the metro map with the map of the city. I'm staying with a lovely thirty-ish woman named Eva. She is a Madrilena, a native. We sat down for a little while last night, she showed me all the great places to go. In the old elegant part of town, the Plaza Sol and the Plaza Mayor are the big gathering places, with massive numbers of shops and restaurants branching out in all directions. </span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px;"></span><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px;"></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I took two metro lines to Plaza Sol and wandered around. I hadn't eaten breakfast at all, and it was already after noon. Tapas and a glass of wine seemed so romantic and Spanish. There was a small but crowded restaurant, called simply Cafe & Tapas, with outdoor seating in a deeply shaded patio. </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px;"><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZniemDGKZO4E6Z4Xj8qQ_Un1MLDD6gj1JgLlM2AhMYAN1C87XnJT105vkze2xkUDM1SFRp0f7oRB87GQb653J9V9Tmo15qHjiEgjMPtuVjTjYsGJKyTRaOBhDQ6dLsXuQv03YOkG9Fw/s1600/IMG_5857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZniemDGKZO4E6Z4Xj8qQ_Un1MLDD6gj1JgLlM2AhMYAN1C87XnJT105vkze2xkUDM1SFRp0f7oRB87GQb653J9V9Tmo15qHjiEgjMPtuVjTjYsGJKyTRaOBhDQ6dLsXuQv03YOkG9Fw/s320/IMG_5857.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tortilla Tapas & Vino</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Spanish make what they call a tortilla, but it's actually a potato pie. My Spanish teacher in Mexico, whose first husband was a Spaniard, showed me how to make it. Not something you want to try at home unless you have a fire extinguisher handy. It consists of small cubes of potatoes deep fried in olive oil until they are almost cooked, then egg is added to them and in a smooth (and practiced!) move, you flip the entire thing over in the pan to cook the other side. One wrong move and oil gets everywhere and can set the house on fire. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">At this little restaurant they had "pinchos" of different tapas, small servings, with a large hunk of bread. I ordered a sparkling rose and a pincho of tortilla. It was done to perfection, light potato flavor, almost crisp on both sides, and in a wedge shape. What a treat for my very first Spanish wine and tapas experience!!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2CN-zK59tNh_mQIGcdyE74PgW_D3ko8BZ3CqlS6NPOF1bdtXiKU2jzoPge04prpRf3cwJ9MmmyNlfAlZ4IPelnhF8JO4RfegSQjO5FYpRZ3FLCa_DevgJqH7PqvGkv2Me8fiASTwdS5E/s1600/IMG_5893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2CN-zK59tNh_mQIGcdyE74PgW_D3ko8BZ3CqlS6NPOF1bdtXiKU2jzoPge04prpRf3cwJ9MmmyNlfAlZ4IPelnhF8JO4RfegSQjO5FYpRZ3FLCa_DevgJqH7PqvGkv2Me8fiASTwdS5E/s320/IMG_5893.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Churros y chocolate</td></tr></tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Another famous culinary sensation is a plate of freshly fried churros with a cup of thick rich chocolate. The most famous restaurant is the Chocolateria San Gines on Pasadiso San Gines 5. I'd heard it would be packed, but at 3pm it wasn't crowded at all. I paid E3.50, got my reciept and was met by a waiter who almost immediately brought the cup of warm thick pudding-like chocolate and a plate of churros. It was as "to-die-for" as anything ever recommended. I do believe they might have other things to eat there, but no one in the place was served anything different while I was there. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3BPiVWO7DKqkiDEIEHnP3WZI-inKv_m1mAQ_rVabq32KuNDQJIBAUG2z3h5bWb8ClENTvvjEAUrRjf8M1H9oVMSaxg97eLiG177e7jNHfm3mt05C_yCgfXlCqPAGy2s1x0Tt8w2-5hY/s1600/IMG_5937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3BPiVWO7DKqkiDEIEHnP3WZI-inKv_m1mAQ_rVabq32KuNDQJIBAUG2z3h5bWb8ClENTvvjEAUrRjf8M1H9oVMSaxg97eLiG177e7jNHfm3mt05C_yCgfXlCqPAGy2s1x0Tt8w2-5hY/s320/IMG_5937.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gelato artist and her rose creation!</td></tr></tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As if the above weren't enough calories for a week, I wandered around up and down andadors (walking streets, cars get parked underground!) and came across a gelateria. The young lady inside fixed me a "small" cone in the shape of a rose, with as many kinds of icecream as I might like. If I'd known it was going to show up as a flower, I'd have picked other flavors that weren't brown, my choices were coffee and chocolate. Duh! But the rose was beautiful and the flavors exquisito together despite their lack of color contrast! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">More wandering about, visiting such oddities as the Ham Museum until I was exhausted, then I zoomed on back to the apartment on the Metro. I wasn't worried about getting lost. All I ever had to do was ask for the nearest Metro station, and I could figure out how to get back home once I know the name of that stop. Madrid is going to be a fun experience for the next two weeks. But the food consumption has definitely got to slow WAY down!!</span></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYlDpcM1-RRxrOeazdQDMMDGOZnz6uVuMakcAKBg08P5Ykk-i25cgsTwwnBHBiSYyPiQkFx87fxkNWubJqDf3SlbQ53fnD4uPO4bc-f_5nM_v1Ukz8DM0fmgQwH0pLkTFhnc0Yo1iwT2M/s1600/IMG_5851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYlDpcM1-RRxrOeazdQDMMDGOZnz6uVuMakcAKBg08P5Ykk-i25cgsTwwnBHBiSYyPiQkFx87fxkNWubJqDf3SlbQ53fnD4uPO4bc-f_5nM_v1Ukz8DM0fmgQwH0pLkTFhnc0Yo1iwT2M/s320/IMG_5851.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The morning run to the grocery, fruit, vegies, ham,<br />olives and coffee!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurIZRQrvcXClW_F00XgwGLWP214LVOW9KA4zlszHll-mdP2OviKmfTnd_vaz7pCp6WHWXfXUviJrbvDGiGc9hpm-u0YreQ94eEOCUsOWLb-gd79O5Gn2pScQ7ziIw7Zeqa_r6zW3sOs8/s1600/IMG_5901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurIZRQrvcXClW_F00XgwGLWP214LVOW9KA4zlszHll-mdP2OviKmfTnd_vaz7pCp6WHWXfXUviJrbvDGiGc9hpm-u0YreQ94eEOCUsOWLb-gd79O5Gn2pScQ7ziIw7Zeqa_r6zW3sOs8/s320/IMG_5901.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of many displays at the Ham Museum! All<br />for sale along with cheap specials involving<br />a glass of beer and a sandwich.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOXztsb8oiyYOl3TNJLCGwpLHPBO0HXaCKqYja89UkzZzeF5YUBKuxR7lpefygLTCmCTnUnmhd4ZI0EqtRTeWvAbStnbs8eu67Sedjk40i2Id2KO61WN5iRwOd3bnsNwjrjol4qc781Q0/s1600/IMG_5931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOXztsb8oiyYOl3TNJLCGwpLHPBO0HXaCKqYja89UkzZzeF5YUBKuxR7lpefygLTCmCTnUnmhd4ZI0EqtRTeWvAbStnbs8eu67Sedjk40i2Id2KO61WN5iRwOd3bnsNwjrjol4qc781Q0/s320/IMG_5931.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful restaurant called the Cave.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-QoCLzIPloCkfdgg0NnZKpRcYgpZiHpJJpwKkXEVtBsIIaCF87BZV8lg4CzX1zX-JbhXVc8E53Ix6kCRmGCVbvBMGQwr2T3GaMjYTPkzpkioyCqw9WjjqTHo0Be1JjwjSYT__W8JlHA/s1600/IMG_5940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-QoCLzIPloCkfdgg0NnZKpRcYgpZiHpJJpwKkXEVtBsIIaCF87BZV8lg4CzX1zX-JbhXVc8E53Ix6kCRmGCVbvBMGQwr2T3GaMjYTPkzpkioyCqw9WjjqTHo0Be1JjwjSYT__W8JlHA/s320/IMG_5940.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Candies with embedded fruits and nuts!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11173398507917386963noreply@blogger.com0Calle de Cedaceros, 2, 28014 Madrid, Spain40.4166909 -3.7003454-16.938355899999998 -165.4190954 90 158.0184046tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059703230477855387.post-1456951125114057382012-08-24T15:27:00.000-07:002012-09-18T00:39:11.527-07:00Stories from a SuitcaseMy sister once showed up at my house in New Mexico, having driven 500 miles from Colorado, with four suitcases and a box of shoes, for a weekend visit. I couldn't help but laugh. She brought, among other things, an entire country-western outfit complete with cowboy hat and boots, just in case we might go two-stepping, and half a dozen elegant outfits with matching shoes for dining out.<br /><br />Talking with my friend Sheila this morning, I am reminded of how much I've had to learn, unlearn and relearn about traveling. Sheila asked me for a list of what I thought she should bring, since she and her friend Ann are joining me for a week in Italy in November. She wants to travel, but hasn't done a lot of it yet. So this list is for her, as well as anyone else interested in what to pack for long or short term travel.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAru4mTa3CEOqgYwtEhE4AK5aUWpzUTDmoBz8KJFAajlTI3mLBRQpWzc3dlEDdvK2O9De2p9l-_siOAEdJTmIR8a9p-q77TFpbbxBogG_jSpuhcxuBCCHt9Zr_Jwm1hQ9s8v8_N6kTgs/s1600/IMG_5830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAru4mTa3CEOqgYwtEhE4AK5aUWpzUTDmoBz8KJFAajlTI3mLBRQpWzc3dlEDdvK2O9De2p9l-_siOAEdJTmIR8a9p-q77TFpbbxBogG_jSpuhcxuBCCHt9Zr_Jwm1hQ9s8v8_N6kTgs/s320/IMG_5830.jpg" width="195" /></a></div><br />1. For this upcoming trip I purchased a bigger wheeled suitcase, a good sized one made by Heys, and gave my smaller one away. It sold for a deep discount at TJ Max because it had a scratch!! (Like it won't get ten new ones on the first trip!) It's essentially a plastic clamshell with four wheels at the bottom, a pull-out handle and two other handles on the sides. It's also brightly decorated with a scene from Italy. Now there is NO chance I will mix up my suitcase with any other at the baggage claim.<br /><br />2. Basics for health and survival: a first aid kit with extra things like Tums for indigestion and Kaopectate for diarrhea. A sticky ace bandage that does not need 'clips' for the occasional sprained ankle or torqued thumb. For the older traveler....knee braces for hiking. If the suitcase is long enough, maybe a foldable or telescoping walking stick would be good to take along. My walking stick also has an attachment at the top to mount a camera, so it doubles as a monopod. Bring all the vitamins and drugs you normally take. If you are packing prescription meds, make sure they are in the original bottles with the labels. Sunscreen (a travel sized one is fine), and a good hat that can be tied so it won't blow off, like a <a href="http://www.tilley.com/Hats.aspx" target="_blank">Tilly hat.</a> Basically, go through your own supplies at home to see what you normally keep around for emergencies, then pack a few of those things. Creams and gels can go into the small screw top containers made for traveling, there's a travel size tube of aloe vera for sunburns. Think about bringing a small container of Metamucil or psyllium fiber, fiber tablets, or small package of fiber cookies. (Travel on buses, trains, and planes has a tendency to constipate a person!) A couple of items you may want to have in your carry-on: something warm to wrap around yourself, a pair of socks for chilled feet, and a neck pillow. Lots of pillow styles are available, try them out carefully, you'll be glad you did. (The absorbent towel mentioned later in this list is great as a cover or a pillow.) I was once advised to have a toothbrush, comb, and clean underwear in my carry-on, as you never know when you might be stranded for the night without your big luggage. That actually happened to me in Dallas, but had I heeded that advice? Nope.....I was stranded with only my fingers for a comb.<br /><br />3. If you like day trips and hiking around, you'll want to pack a pack, preferably a thin camel-back that holds a couple liters of water, with a few pockets for lunch and essentials. In the pack you can stash a light plastic poncho, sunscreen, a bandana, your hat, maps, etc. But when you're out with the pack, remember not to put any real valuables in it, as people can easily distract you, unzip a pocket and take whatever is inside. Pickpocketing happens to just about every traveler eventually.<br /><br />4. Electronics and cameras. Make a list of what you must have on the road and bring all the battery chargers, data transfer cords, disks, docking stations, etc. If visiting outside the Americas, purchase an electrical plug adapter before you go, as most adapters sold in other countries are for those people needing adapters for the US, not the other way round. I find a medium sized zippered bag is great for all those loose adapters, batteries, and cords. You'll want to put any valuable electronics and cameras in your carry-on bag for security. Small cheap phones with limited minutes can be purchased in most countries if you need one, the iPhone can be reconfigured by changing out the sim card if you have the right model.<br /><br />5. Papers and books: Bring only what you really need. Books weigh a LOT and bog you down. Most travel guides can be purchased at the destination and left behind or resold to second hand book stores. If you pick up a second hand guide, cut out the pages you need and toss the rest. It'll lighten your load. If you have an iPad or iPhone, download some guides from the App Store, and use those maps.<br /><br />6. Washing; I take enough underwear for 7 days, figuring I can do laundry on the road, even if I wash only the underwear by hand. Most clothes can be worn many days without ill effect on you or others. A super-absorbent towel is handy for use after a shower, mopping up, or to squeegie out the underwear before hanging up to dry. A light cord about six feet (2 meters) long and some small clips are good for all kinds of purposes, including a make-shift clothesline. Travel sized liquid detergent is good to have, as are some smaller absorbent towels for the kitchen. (By the way, shampoo is also excellent laundry soap!)<br /><br />7. Clothes: I highly recommend taking very few clothes. 2-3 pairs of pants, one light weight, one heavier weight (unless you're going to Antarctica or someplace!) The light pants could be the zip-off legs type that also give you a pair of shorts in case you need them. One dress up thing: (for men) a dress shirt with a tie, (for women) a nice dress with a shirt jacket over (that you can use anytime), and a pair of decent looking shoes that double as good for walking long distances too. A couple of short and long sleeve shirts, a good velour pullover or jacket, and an over-jacket that is water resistant (like Gortex). Unless you're in a rain forest you probably won't need a folding umbrella. You will need something comfortable to sleep in that would NOT be an embarrassment if you end up sleeping in other people's homes or a hostel. The thing about clothes is they are available everywhere, unless you're really hard to fit. Many times, for an extended stay, I buy a few extra clothes and then leave clothes behind. It's good for you, and for their economy too. The nice thing about traveling is that hardly anyone will see you in the same clothes more than once! Ditto for jewelry, which is small and easily taken back home as nice souvenirs!<br /><br />8. Shoes. In addition to the comfortable but dressy shoes, you may want hiking boots and sandals. Find a pair of shoes you can live in, because you'll probably be walking a lot. And you'll want shoes that won't slip on wet cobblestone streets and turn an ankle. I have some Teva all-terrain sandals that I wear year round unless it's really cold. I can walk for miles in them. But I take hiking boots too. Under long pants they look a lot like normal walking shoes, but have much better ankle support.<br /><br />9. <a href="http://sherryhardagetravel.blogspot.com/2012/07/onions-and-garlic-cooking-on-road.html" target="_blank">CookingOnTheRoad</a> is a previous post with all kinds of suggestions for what to take and do if you are on an extended stay and will be cooking for yourself.<br /><br />10. Personal grooming: Again, go through your own bathroom, and decide what you must have to get ready on a daily basis. Check out the travel sections at stores like REI, WalMart, and Target. You'll find squashable hair brushes, mirrors, sewing kits, cosmetic travel kits, small deodorants, tiny toothpaste tubes, etc. If you can live with a minimum amount of makeup, fingernail polish, hair gunk, blow dryers or curlers, try to take as little of this stuff as possible. Most hotels have blowdryers. For a longer trip, you can buy what you need along the way. Better yet, find a nice hairstyle that doesn't require more than a comb through (or comb over!) and go with that!<br /><br />11. <b>And most importantly!!</b> Money, passport, tickets, and visas for whatever countries you'll be visiting. And a travel pouch to wear under your clothes for keeping the your money and passport safe. Ladies - carry a purse if you need one, but make sure it zips, has a long strap you can wear across the chest, and is leather or some tough material that is not easily cut. Men - carry money in the front pocket, you're more likely to notice a strange hand in your pocket if it's in the front! Think about how you'll get money on the road. Make sure you know the passcodes for your credit cards and debit cards. I have two debit cards, one for travel (not too much $ in that account!), and one from my regular account. I keep the regular one, the credit card, and my passport together at all times, and only use the travel card for getting money at ATMs. That way, if the travel card gets stolen (or I am abducted and forced to withdraw all the money in my account) the thieves won't get much, and I'll have a backup!<br /><br /><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11173398507917386963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059703230477855387.post-43975051174674790352012-08-21T06:49:00.000-07:002012-09-20T09:42:15.490-07:00The next big trip<br />
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img id="il_fi" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY94ZdY2KgXQRYZr0iFe_8XRpGX8XEhhy9vz5GCpLJ2kTtXQ0BfQrdCRieZDkTj8vhPB6-iX9snrwQcRS5DnaRf38dya2pj8ht8APCvQS-7i9joLVdwnKCl2y51rBUpeKOaBzFpKuJ3wOL/s1600/JCLittle_BigTRIP2.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" />In about a week, I will be going to Albuquerque to see my mother, and spend the night with friends who live near the airport. The next day, I'll go to Madrid.</div>
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The Mother-Country. The country from which the Americas sprang. Not to say the Americas wouldn't have been eventually discovered, but it was the foresight and confidence in Columbus on the part of Queen Isabella that led Spain to become a world power and to leave Spanish around the world as its legacy.<br />
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I speak Mexican Spanish, and not well. I'll probably never be a fluent Spanish speaker unless I stay somewhere for a very long time, and have NO expat friends. Unlikely on both accounts.<br />
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But I am looking forward to learning in the old country. I'll have to tune my ear to thhhh sounds instead of sss's. And many new words that already (from maps and reading) sound more Italian than Spanish. My lodging for the entire month of September is sewed up and paid for, thanks to the Internet and credit cards.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4i6vtEMfNefyMwpw6bCk-KucYjnXkcMBhA9PUNUiQ3D6jZXv8Kl5QZvFqOg2YVseCYJVH_nXm7UVMLrCIq4ILgW1mlU8dZw8Vk73AOK9zAxb2MYxZjrr8S7GQZTFcrUeYvRLtVJm2cVA/s1600/IMG_3840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4i6vtEMfNefyMwpw6bCk-KucYjnXkcMBhA9PUNUiQ3D6jZXv8Kl5QZvFqOg2YVseCYJVH_nXm7UVMLrCIq4ILgW1mlU8dZw8Vk73AOK9zAxb2MYxZjrr8S7GQZTFcrUeYvRLtVJm2cVA/s320/IMG_3840.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hat on volcanic tuff,<br />
the dominant rock in Capadoccia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
AirBnB is a godsend. In so many ways. I'm too old to sleep in cheap hostel dorms with a bunch of loudly dreaming post-teenagers and snoring dogs. And I'm too cheap and too poor to stay in nice hotels for three and a half months. So AirBnB to the rescue! All over the world, people have a spare room, or maybe a spare master suite, or even an teepee in the backyard, and they are willing to rent it by the night to weary travelers. I am simply amazed at how many options there are in largish cities, hundreds of possibilities ranging from $10 a night to $700 for an entire eight bedroom home. I have focused on single women with a spare room, preferably with its own bath, and so far have not paid more than $35 a night, way cheaper than a hotel room in say, Barcelona, where the cheapest ratty hotel gets $65.<br />
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Trusted Housesitters is another website I've put to good use. The annual fee has almost doubled, I think I paid around $35 last year, now it's over $60. For good reason. There are way more sitters than homes, and Trusted Housesitters charges on both sides of the fence. Either way, the owners get pet care and home care for nothing, and I get places to stay for sometimes a month at a time, for nothing as well.<br />
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Part of this trip will be spent in Turkey, four nights at an AirBnB home in Istanbul, and a month in Capadoccia, in the super touristy center of the country, housesitting a cave home. I'm looking forward to this trip so much. The time is speeding up to departure date, so stay tuned. It won't be long, I'll post photos of Europeans doing such European things as drinking espresso in sidewalk cafes, and pinching women on the butt. And maybe some not-so-stereotyped things too!!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11173398507917386963noreply@blogger.com