SAILING ALONG THE THAMESIS FROM THE ROMAN AGE

Today, The Morgans & The Grandma have decided to sail along the Thames. It has been an accidental trip because The Grandma has fallen to the water and, nowadays, there are no news about her.

Please, Grandma. Swim as time as you resist. We are on the way!

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More info: Free Simon 

The Thames River, known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At 346 km, it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the River Severn.

The river rises at Thames Head in Gloucestershire and flows into the North Sea near Tilbury, Essex and Gravesend, Kent, via the Thames Estuary. From the west it flows through Oxford (where it is sometimes called the Isis), Reading, Henley-on-Thames and Windsor. The Thames also drains the whole of Greater London.

The lower reaches of the river are called the Tideway, derived from its long tidal reach up to Teddington Lock. Its tidal section includes most of its London stretch and has a rise and fall of 7 m.

From Oxford to the estuary the Thames drops by 55 metres. Running through some of the drier parts of mainland Britain and heavily abstracted for drinking water, the Thames' discharge is low considering its length and breadth: the Severn has a discharge almost twice as large on average despite having a smaller drainage basin.

Along its course are 45 navigation locks with accompanying weirs. Its catchment area covers a large part of south-eastern and a small part of western England; the river is fed by at least 50 named tributaries. The river contains over 80 islands. With its waters varying from freshwater to almost seawater, the Thames supports a variety of wildlife and has a number of adjoining Sites of Special Scientific Interest, with the largest being in the North Kent Marshes and covering 5,289 ha.

More information: River Thames

According to Mallory and Adams, the Thames, from Middle English Temese, is derived from the Brittonic name for the river, Tamesas (from *tamēssa), recorded in Latin as Tamesis and yielding modern Welsh Tafwys, Thames.

The Thames through Oxford is sometimes called the Isis. Historically, and especially in Victorian times, gazetteers and cartographers insisted that the entire river was correctly named the Isis from its source down to Dorchester on Thames and that only from this point, where the river meets the Thame and becomes the Thame-isis (supposedly subsequently abbreviated to Thames) should it be so called.

Marks of human activity, in some cases dating back to Pre-Roman Britain, are visible at various points along the river. These include a variety of structures connected with use of the river, such as navigations, bridges and watermills, as well as prehistoric burial mounds.

The lower Thames in the Roman era was a shallow waterway winding through marshes. But centuries of human intervention have transformed it into a deep tidal canal flowing between 200 miles of solid walls; these defend a floodplain where 1.5 million people work and live.

A major maritime route is formed for much of its length for shipping and supplies: through the Port of London for international trade, internally along its length and by its connection to the British canal system. The river's position has put it at the centre of many events in British history, leading to it being described by John Burns as liquid history.

Rowing and sailing clubs are common along the Thames, which is navigable to such vessels. Kayaking and canoeing also take place. Major annual events include the Henley Royal Regatta and the Boat Race, while the Thames has been used during two Summer Olympic Games: 1908 (rowing) and 1948 (rowing and canoeing). Safe headwaters and reaches are a summer venue for organised swimming, which is prohibited on safety grounds in a stretch centred on Central London.

More information: Visit London

About 450,000 years ago, in the most extreme Ice Age of the Pleistocene, the Anglian, the furthest southern extent of the ice sheet reached Hornchurch in east London, the Vale of St Albans, and the Finchley Gap.

The Anglian ice advance resulted in a new course for the Thames through Berkshire and on into London, after which the river rejoined its original course in southern Essex, near the present River Blackwater estuary. Here it entered a substantial freshwater lake in the southern North Sea basin, south of what is called Doggerland. The overspill of this lake caused the formation of the Channel River and later the Dover Strait gap between present-day Britain and France. Subsequent development led to the continuation of the course that the river follows at the present day.

At the height of the last ice age, around 20,000 BC, Britain was connected to mainland Europe by a large expanse of land known as Doggerland in the southern North Sea Basin. At this time, the Thames' course did not continue to Doggerland but flowed southwards from the eastern Essex coast where it met the waters of the proto-Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta flowing from what are now the Netherlands and Belgium. These rivers formed a single river  -the Channel River (Fleuve Manche)- that passed through the Dover Strait and drained into the Atlantic Ocean in the western English Channel.

Upon the valley sides of the Thames and some of its tributaries can be seen other terraces of brickearth, laid over and sometimes interlayered with the clays. These deposits were brought in by the winds during the periglacial periods, suggesting that wide, flat marshes were then part of the landscape, which the new rivers proceeded to cut into. The steepness of some valley sides indicates very much lower mean sea levels caused by the glaciation locking up so much water upon the land masses, thus causing the river water to flow rapidly seaward and so erode its bed quickly downwards.

The original land surface was around 110 to 120 m above the current sea-level. The surface had sandy deposits from an ancient sea, laid over sedimentary clay (this is the blue London Clay). All the erosion down from this higher land surface, and the sorting action by these changes of water flow and direction, formed what is known as the Thames River Gravel Terraces.

Since Roman times and perhaps earlier, the isostatic rebound from the weight of previous ice sheets, and its interplay with the eustatic change in sea level, have resulted in the old valley of the River Brent, together with that of the Thames, silting up again. Thus, along much of the Brent's present-day course, one can make out the water-meadows of rich alluvium, which is augmented by frequent floods.

More information: Thames River Sighseeing

 The Thames is liquid history.

John Burns

WELCOME TO LONDON, THE GREAT CUMBERLAND HOTEL

Today, The Morgans & The Grandma have just arrived to London to stay some weeks in the English capital. They are staying at the Cumberland Hotel, an important place for recent British history that joins London with Sant Boi and Barcelona, and England with Catalonia.

The family has been studying how to compose new nouns using infinitives and -ing or -er, and they have been talking about the origin of the name of Sant Boi.

They have started a new reading and have worked with the W- Pronouns to extract the most important information: Who? What? Where? When? 

More information: Gerunds as Nouns

More information: The Article A/An

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Great Cumberland Place is a street in the City of Westminster, part of Greater London, England. There is also a hotel bearing the same name on the street.

The street runs from Oxford Street at Marble Arch to George Street at Bryanston Square.

It contains the Western Marble Arch Synagogue, near which stands a statue of Raoul Wallenberg.

Great Cumberland Place is home to The Cumberland Hotel.

The street was the home of Thomas Pinckney while he was the United States ambassador to the Court of St James's.

Sir James Mackintosh lived in Great Cumberland Street, which was later re-numbered as part of Great Cumberland Place.

The residents listed in 1833 were: "Hans Busk, Esq.; Sir Clifford Constable; Sir Frederick Hamilton; Lady C. Underwood; Sir G. Ivison Tapps; Baron Bülow (the Prussian Minister); General Sir R. M'Farlane; Leonard Currie, Esq.; Sir S. B. Fludyer, Bart.; Lady Trollope; Earl of Leitrim; Sir Alexander Johnston; and the Hon. and Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Norwich", and in Great Cumberland Street "Lord Saltoun; Mrs. Portman; John Wells, Esq.; Colonel Sherwood; Captain Richard Manby; John Lodge, Esq.; Major Murray; Robert Cutlar Fergusson, Esq.; John N. McLeod, Esq.; and Lord Bagot".

The explorers James Theodore Bent and Mabel Bent lived first at Number 43 and then Number 13 Great Cumberland Place from the early 1880s until Mabel Bent's death in 1929.

More information: The Cumberland Hotel

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874-24 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1951 to 1955. 

Apart from two years between 1922 and 1924, he was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1900 to 1964 and represented a total of five constituencies. Ideologically an economic liberal and imperialist, he was for most of his career a member of the Conservative Party, which he led from 1940 to 1955. He was a member of the Liberal Party from 1904 to 1924.

Of mixed English and American parentage, Churchill was born in Oxfordshire to the wealthy Spencer aristocratic family. He joined the British Army in 1895 and saw action in British India, the Anglo-Sudan War, and the Second Boer War, later gaining fame as a war correspondent and writing books about his campaigns. Elected a Conservative MP in 1900, he defected to the Liberals in 1904. In H. H. Asquith's Liberal government, Churchill served as President of the Board of Trade and Home Secretary, championing prison reform and workers' social security.

As First Lord of the Admiralty during the First World War, he oversaw the Gallipoli Campaign but, after it proved a disaster, he was demoted to Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. He resigned in November 1915 and joined the Royal Scots Fusiliers on the Western Front for six months.

In 1917, he returned to government under David Lloyd George and served successively as Minister of Munitions, Secretary of State for War, Secretary of State for Air, and Secretary of State for the Colonies, overseeing the Anglo-Irish Treaty and British foreign policy in the Middle East. After two years out of Parliament, he served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in Stanley Baldwin's Conservative government, returning the pound sterling in 1925 to the gold standard at its pre-war parity, a move widely seen as creating deflationary pressure and depressing the UK economy.

Out of government during his so-called wilderness years in the 1930s, Churchill took the lead in calling for British rearmament to counter the growing threat of militarism in Nazi Germany. 

At the outbreak of the Second World War he was re-appointed First Lord of the Admiralty. In May 1940, he became Prime Minister, succeeding Neville Chamberlain.

Churchill formed a national government and oversaw British involvement in the Allied war effort against the Axis powers, resulting in victory in 1945. After the Conservatives' defeat in the 1945 general election, he became Leader of the Opposition. Amid the developing Cold War with the Soviet Union, he publicly warned of an iron curtain of Soviet influence in Europe and promoted European unity. Between his terms as Prime Minister, he wrote several books recounting his experience during the war. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953.

He lost the 1950 election, but was returned to office in 1951. His second term was preoccupied with foreign affairs, especially Anglo-American relations and preservation of what remained of the British Empire with India now no longer part of it. Domestically, his government emphasised housebuilding and completed the development of a nuclear weapon (begun by his predecessor). 

In declining health, Churchill resigned as Prime Minister in 1955, remaining an MP until 1964. Upon his death in 1965, he was given a state funeral.

Widely considered one of the 20th century's most significant figures, Churchill remains popular in the Anglosphere, where he is seen as a victorious wartime leader who played an important role in defending Europe's liberal democracy against the spread of fascism; historians often rank Churchill as the greatest prime minister. His second term received more mixed responses, and he is criticized for some wartime events and also for his imperialist views.

More information: Winston Churchill

 

 I do not at all underrate the severity of the ordeal
which lies before us;
but I believe our countrymen will show themselves
capable of standing up to it,
like the brave men of Barcelona,
and will be able to stand up to it,
and carry on in spite of it,
at least as well as any other people in the world.

Winston Churchill

THE MORGANS & THE GRANDMA, ADVENTURE IS COMING

Today, The Grandma has started a new work and educational project in Sant Boi de Llobregat. MJ has called her to start to work with another family, The Morgans.

MJ and The Grandma have received the new members of this new family in this amazing place and after a long session of bureaucracy The Grandma has been able to start to know her new family. 

Tomorrow, they are going to start with their new manuals and they are going to share lots of hours of effort, knowledge and hard work with the goal of improving their English, having the chance of passing an important exam, and finding a job.

More information: The ABC

English is a West Germanic language that was first spoken in early medieval England and eventually became a global lingua franca.

It is named after the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes that migrated to the area of Great Britain that later took their name, as England.

Both names derive from Anglia, a peninsula in the Baltic Sea. The language is closely related to Frisian and Low Saxon, and its vocabulary has been significantly influenced by other Germanic languages, particularly Norse (a North Germanic language), and to a greater extent by Latin and French.

English has developed over the course of more than 1,400 years. The earliest forms of English, a group of West Germanic (Ingvaeonic) dialects brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the 5th century, are collectively called Old English.

Middle English began in the late 11th century with the Norman conquest of England; this was a period in which the language was influenced by French.

Early Modern English began in the late 15th century with the introduction of the printing press to London, the printing of the King James Bible and the start of the Great Vowel Shift.

Modern English has been spreading around the world since the 17th century by the worldwide influence of the British Empire and the United States.

Through all types of printed and electronic media of these countries, English has become the leading language of international discourse and the lingua franca in many regions and professional contexts such as science, navigation and law.

English is the largest language by number of speakers, and the third most-spoken native language in the world, after Standard Chinese and Spanish. It is the most widely learned second language and is either the official language or one of the official languages in almost 60 sovereign states.

There are more people who have learned it as a second language than there are native speakers. It is estimated that there are over 2 billion speakers of English. English is the majority native language in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Republic of Ireland, and it is widely spoken in some areas of the Caribbean, Africa and South Asia.

More information:  English Club

It is a co-official language of the United Nations, the European Union and many other world and regional international organisations. It is the most widely spoken Germanic language, accounting for at least 70% of speakers of this Indo-European branch. English has a vast vocabulary, though counting how many words any language has is impossible. English speakers are called Anglophones.

Modern English grammar is the result of a gradual change from a typical Indo-European dependent marking pattern, with a rich inflectional morphology and relatively free word order, to a mostly analytic pattern with little inflection, a fairly fixed subject–verb–object word order and a complex syntax.

Modern English relies more on auxiliary verbs and word order for the expression of complex tenses, aspect and mood, as well as passive constructions, interrogatives and some negation. The variation among the accents and dialects of English used in different countries and regions -in terms of phonetics and phonology, and sometimes also vocabulary, idioms, grammar, and spelling-can often be understood by speakers of different dialects, but in extreme cases can lead to confusion or even mutual unintelligibility between English speakers.

The earliest form of English is called Old English or Anglo-Saxon (c. 550–1066 CE). Old English developed from a set of North Sea Germanic dialects originally spoken along the coasts of Frisia, Lower Saxony, Jutland, and Southern Sweden by Germanic tribes known as the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes.

From the 5th century CE, the Anglo-Saxons settled Britain as the Roman economy and administration collapsed. By the 7th century, the Germanic language of the Anglo-Saxons became dominant in Britain, replacing the languages of Roman Britain, a Celtic language, and Latin, brought to Britain by the Roman occupation. England and English (originally Ænglaland and Ænglisc) are named after the Angles.

Old English was divided into four dialects: the Anglian dialects (Mercian and Northumbrian) and the Saxon dialects, Kentish and West Saxon. Through the educational reforms of King Alfred in the 9th century and the influence of the kingdom of Wessex, the West Saxon dialect became the standard written variety.

The epic poem Beowulf is written in West Saxon, and the earliest English poem, Cædmon's Hymn, is written in Northumbrian. Modern English developed mainly from Mercian, but the Scots language developed from Northumbrian. A few short inscriptions from the early period of Old English were written using a runic script. By the 6th century, a Latin alphabet was adopted, written with half-uncial letterforms.

Old English is essentially a distinct language from Modern English and is virtually impossible for 21st-century unstudied English speakers to understand. Its grammar was similar to that of modern German, and its closest relative is Old Frisian.

More information: BBC

Nouns, adjectives, pronouns, and verbs had many more inflectional endings and forms, and word order was much freer than in Modern English. Modern English has case forms in pronouns (he, him, his) and has a few verb inflections (speak, speaks, speaking, spoke, spoken), but Old English had case endings in nouns as well, and verbs had more person and number endings.

From the 8th to the 12th century, Old English gradually transformed through language contact into Middle English. Middle English is often arbitrarily defined as beginning with the conquest of England by William the Conqueror in 1066, but it developed further in the period from 1200–1450.

The next period in the history of English was Early Modern English (1500–1700). Early Modern English was characterised by the Great Vowel Shift (1350–1700), inflectional simplification, and linguistic standardisation.

By the late 18th century, the British Empire had spread English through its colonies and geopolitical dominance. Commerce, science and technology, diplomacy, art, and formal education all contributed to English becoming the first truly global language. English also facilitated worldwide international communication.

More information: Mental Floss

 

 

 Viewed freely, the English language is the accretion

and growth of every dialect, race, and range of time,

and is both the free and compacted composition of all.

Walt Whitman

SOUS LE CIEL DE PARIS JUSQU'AU SOIR VONT CHANTER...

After an intense week between Lyon, Paris and Fleury-Mérogis, where winter has gone and spring has arrived, today, The Grandma says goodbye to her friends and takes a flight to Barcelona where tomorrow a new training begins that will keep her busy for almost three months.

One of the advantages of online training is that it allows you to do your work from anywhere and gives you great freedom of movement, but this new training is face-to-face, so, during the working days, The Grandma will have to be present in Sant Boi de Llobregat, where from Monday she will share her ideas with some new colleagues with the ultimate goal of improving their knowledge and skills to be able to find a job.

It is for this reason that this blog will now become the communication tool for the Morgans, this new family with whom The Grandma will share fictional stories with the aim not only of them learning but also of them disconnecting from reality to be able to first recover as a person, before preparing themselves formatively to return to the world of work as soon as possible with confidence and real possibilities of stabilization.

Occupational training has as its first objective to recover the person and then to offer them a personal training itinerary that helps them in the search for a new job, which is why it is so linked to mental health, because in many cases the loss of a job is such a great emotional shock that it affects the deepest part of the person.

So, starting next Monday, The Grandma's blog will go from being personal and telling her adventures to being professional and telling the fictional adventures with the Morgans, and for this, it will be necessary to use a lot of digital tools, to create a parallel and imaginary world that helps the Morgans escape their real problems and let themselves be carried away by the world of training from imagination, creativity, solidarity, empathy and daily work.

So, this early morning, The Grandma will fly back to Barcelona while Joseph de Ca'th Lon and Claire Fontaine will fly to Hannover from where they will drive to Wolfsburg where on Tuesday the Northern Star has a very special match that the two friends do not want to miss.

They have had an intense few days where they have been able to attend in Lyon and Paris one of the best musical shows of the moment (Lux); they have visited Paris, a beautiful city that they know well, but where they always do the same rituals (visiting the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, sailing the Seine and getting lost in the city while savouring the local cuisine); they have seen the Northern Star shine again in Fleury-Mérogis, and they have met up with friends they haven't seen in a while, because this is always the most fascinating thing about travelling: meeting up with the people you love.  

Before taking the plane, The Grandma has made an interesting cheese supply, because being in Gaul means being able to enjoy the pleasure of eating great cheeses (with permission from the Swiss and Norwegians). If there are no delays, she will arrive in enough time to go to the Camp Nou, where there is an interesting match against Rayo Vallecano.

No one sings Paris better than Edith Piaf, and although times change and we have new sounds and rhythms, the essence, the word, the message, the spirit, the soul... remains the same.

 

Sous le ciel de Paris
S'envole une chanson
Elle est née d'aujourd'hui
Dans le coeur d'un garçon
Sous le ciel de Paris
Marchent des amoureux
Leur bonheur se construit
Sur une air fait pour eux

Sous le pont de Bercy
Un philosophe assis
Deux musiciens, quelques badauds
Puis des gens par milliers

Sous le ciel de Paris
Jusqu'au soir vont chanter
L'hymne d'un peuple épris
De sa vieille cité
Prés de Notre-Dame
Parfois couve un drame
Oui, mais à Paname
Tout peut s'arranger
Quelques rayons du ciel d'été
L'accordéon d'un marinier
L'espoir fleurit
Au ciel de Paris

Sous le ciel de Paris
Coule un fleuve joyeux
Il endort dans la nuit
Les clochards et les gueux
Sous le ciel de Paris
Les oiseaux du bon Dieu
Viennent du monde entier
Pour bavarder entre eux
Et le ciel de Paris
A son secret pour lui
Depuis vingt siècles il est épris
De notre île Saint Louis

Quand elle lui sourit
Il met son habit bleu
Quand il pleut sur Paris
C'est qu'il est malheureux
Quand il est trop jaloux
De ses millions d'amants
Il fait gronder sur eux
Son tonnerre éclatant
Mais le ciel de Paris n'est pas longtemps cruel
Pour se faire pardonner, il offre un arc-en-ciel

 

Under the Paris sky
A song takes flight
It was born today
In the heart of a boy

Under the Paris sky
Lovers walk
Their happiness is built
On a tune made for them

Under Bercy bridge
A philosopher sits
Two musicians, some onlookers
Then thousands of people

Under the Paris sky
They'll sing until dusk
The hymn of people in love
With this old city

Near Notre Dame
Sometimes drama broods
But at Paname
Everything comes together

Rays from the summer sky
A sailor's accordion
Hope blooms
In Paris' sky

And the Paris sky
Has a secret of its own
For twenty year's he's been in love
With our Saint Louis island
When she smiles at him
He dresses in blue

When it rains on Paris
It's because he's unhappy
When he grows jealous
Of her millions of lovers

He comes down on us
With his flashing thunder
But the Paris sky
Isn't cruel for long

To ask our forgiveness
He offers up a rainbow

 

More information: French Moments

Singing is a way of escaping. 
It's another world. 
I'm no longer on earth.

Edith Piaf

READING 'ASTÉRIX IN SWITZERLAND' IN FLEURY-MÉROGIS

The Grandma is enjoying her last days off before starting a new formation of almost three months in Sant Boi de Llobregat.

Last Monday, she enjoyed with Claire Fontaine and Joseph de Ca'th Lon the start of the Lux tour at the LDLC Arena in Décines-Charpieu, a place they know well and visit often because it is a few metres from the Groupama Stadium.

On Wednesday, all three friends flew to Paris where they saw the Catalan artist again, this time at the Accor Arena, in a first concert and yesterday, Friday, in a second one. They have been three wonderful concerts, although the three friends are still waiting to hear Memória live, because they are lovers of fado and it reminds them a lot of the much-loved Mísia, the Catalan-Portuguese artist, whom they followed throughout her career.

And because they are still in Paris today, they have bought some Fleury 91-OL tickets this morning and they will drive to Fleury-Mérogis, a city located 30 km south of the French capital to attend an interesting match of the Northern Star's team. They are not very sure that she will play the match because next week she has a very important European commitment, but it is 30 km and it is worth going there.

They have brought their faithful travel companion when they are in Gaul, Astérix, this time with his adventure in Switzerland, to read it during the short trip.

Astérix chez les Helvètes, in English Astérix in Switzerland, is the sixteenth volume of the Astérix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It was originally serialized in Pilote magazine issues 557-578 in 1970 and translated into English in 1973.

Following the protests of May 1968, Goscinny started introducing more adult themes such as the opening orgy scene which parodies Federico Fellini's debauched Roman film, Fellini Satyricon. The painted faces, feeling of ennui, mechanical gorging of elaborate food, and sado-masochistic punishments are balanced (in Helvetia) by the fastidiousness of the Swiss servants who keep cleaning up messes and washing whips.

The idea to send Astérix and Obélix to Switzerland was proposed by future French president Georges Pompidou. A handwritten note from Pompidou, when he was prime minister, urging the authors to write about Astérix among the Helvetians, was displayed in an Asterix exhibition at the National Library of France in 2013.

This album features a rare dark overtone in that the plot involves a victim of attempted murder. The added element of potential death offers a startling but refreshing moment of drama in the otherwise whimsical series. Other stories that share a dramatic turn include Astérix and Son (where the village is destroyed) and Astérix and the Magic Carpet.

The comic contains several puns on typical Swiss features, such as the confidentiality and high level of security of Swiss banks, fondue, Swiss clocks (especially cuckoo clocks), the Helvetians' insistence on neutrality, yodeling, punctuality, alphorns (as an alternative form of carnyx), and -in one notable scene- the Swiss Federal Assembly.

The comic suggests that modern mountain climbing was introduced when Astérix has the idea of him, Obélix and their Helvetian aides securing themselves with ropes, and sledding when Astérix accidentally rides Obélix down the mountainside.

One scene with Astérix shooting a bow while a boy with an apple on his head fixes a target is a nod to the Swiss folk hero William Tell.

In one panel, avalanches in the Alps are satirized when the Roman legionaire hanging on to Obélix cautions, Stop shouting, you could easily start something off.

Like always, this issue concludes with the celebrational village feast with Cacophonix being tied to the tree. However in this case he's not gagged. Nothing prevents his awful singing during the affair.

Bibendum (the Michelin logo) makes a brief guest appearance as the chariot wheel dealer in the original English translation; whereas the original French version used the Gaulish-warrior-like mascot of the French service station company Antar. The 2004 English re-print from Orion Books uses the French illustrations, thus rendering Obélix's joke about Bibendum's weight in the next panel nonsensical. Call me fat! Did you see his spare tire?

The book's storyline is rife with clever wordplay, delightful caricatures, and hilarious situations as Astérix and Obélix find themselves embroiled in comical confrontations with the Romans while showcasing the determination and perseverance of the Swiss people. The authors skillfully blend history, satire, and humor throughout the narrative, making Astérix in Switzerland an entertaining and educational read for all ages.

As with all Astérix books, the illustrations by Albert Uderzo are a visual feast, capturing the charm and whimsy of the Gaulish village, the grandeur of the Swiss landscape, and the amusing antics of the characters. Uderzo's dynamic artwork, vibrant colors, and attention to detail bring the story to life, making it a visual treat for readers.

Astérix in Switzerland not only entertains readers with its engaging story and delightful illustrations but also serves as a commentary on the themes of resistance, cultural identity, and the strength of community. The book showcases the power of unity, determination, and the ability to overcome adversity, echoing timeless values that continue to resonate with readers today.

In conclusion, Astérix in Switzerland is a captivating addition to the Astérix series, offering a delightful blend of history, satire, adventure, and humor. With its lovable characters, clever wordplay, and beautiful artwork, this book is sure to charm readers of all ages, transporting them on a grand escapade through the enchanting world of Astérix and Obélix.

Key Lessons From Astérix In Switzerland

-Unity is strength. One of the central themes of the book is the power of unity. The Gauls, led by Astérix and Obélix, join forces with the Swiss to not only protect their village from the Roman invaders but also to help the Swiss regain their independence. The book demonstrates that when people come together and work towards a common goal, they can achieve great things.

-The importance of cultural identity. Astérix in Switzerland celebrates the unique cultural identity of the Swiss. The Swiss characters are portrayed as having their own distinct language, traditions, and values. The book emphasizes the importance of preserving one's cultural heritage and not succumbing to external influences. It teaches the readers to appreciate and embrace their own cultural identity.

-Cultural stereotypes. The book playfully highlights various cultural stereotypes associated with both the Swiss and the Gauls. It shows the Swiss as being disciplined, precise, and punctual, while the Gauls are depicted as unconventionally brave and fiercely loyal. However, the book also challenges these stereotypes by showing that individuals from both cultures can defy expectations and exhibit traits not typically associated with them.

-Satire and humor. Astérix in Switzerland uses satire and humor to comment on various aspects of society. It humorously pokes fun at bureaucracy and politics, specifically in the scene where the Swiss decide on their new leader through a contest of yodeling. The puns and wordplay throughout the book add to the light-hearted and comedic tone.

-Loyalty and friendship. The book emphasizes the importance of loyalty and friendship through the relationship between Astérix and Obélix. Despite their differences, the two characters demonstrate unwavering loyalty and support for each other. The book also highlights the theme of loyalty to one's homeland, as both the Gauls and the Swiss are willing to fight for their respective countries and protect their way of life.

 Download Astérix in Switzerland by René Goscinny & Albert Uderzo

Switzerland: the land of yodelling, cuckoo clocks, 
and the extraordinary power of cheese!

 

Astérix

20 DE MARÇ DE 2026, VAGA ALS CENTRES EDUCATIUS

 

19 DE MARÇ DE 2026, VAGA ALS CENTRES EDUCATIUS

18 DE MARÇ DE 2026, VAGA ALS CENTRES EDUCATIUS

17 DE MARÇ DE 2026, VAGA ALS CENTRES EDUCATIUS

 

16 DE MARÇ DE 2026, VAGA ALS CENTRES EDUCATIUS

I AM THE CHAMPION... I DID IT FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

 I'll be the last one standing
Two hands in the air, I'm a champion
You'll be looking up at me when it's over
I live for the battle, I'm a soldier, yeah
I'm a fighter like Rocky
Put your flag on your back like Ali
Yeah, I'm the greatest, I'm stronger
Paid my dues, can't lose, I'ma own ya, ay

I've been working my whole life
And now it's do or die

I am invincible, unbreakable
Unstoppable, unshakable
They knock me down, I get up again
I am the champion, you're gon' know my name
You can't hurt me now, I can't feel the pain
I was made for this, yeah, I was born to win
I am the champion

When they write my story
They gonna say that I did it for the glory
But don't think that I did it for the fame, yeah
I did it for the love of the game, yeah
And this is my chance I'm taking
All them old records, I'm breaking
All you people watching on the TV
You go ahead and put your bets on me, ay

I've been waiting my whole life
To see my name in lights

I am invincible, unbreakable
Unstoppable, unshakable
They knock me down, I get up again
I am the champion, you're gon' know my name
You can't hurt me now, I can't feel the pain
I was made for this, yeah, I was born to win
I am the champion, oh-oh

Born champion, Luda
The C is for the courage I possess through the trauma (yeah)
H is for the hurt, but it's all for the honor
A is for my attitude working through the patience (hey)
Money comes and goes, so the M is for motivation

Gotta stay consistent, the P is for persevere
The I is for integrity, innovative career (career)
The O is optimistic, open and never shut
And the N is necessary 'cause I'm never givin' up

See, they ask me how I did it, I just did it from the heart
Crushin' the competition, been doing it from the start
They say that every champion is all about his principles
Carrie

I am invincible, unbreakable
Unstoppable, unshakable
They knock me down, I get up again
I am the champion, you're gon' know my name
You can't hurt me now, I can't feel the pain
I was made for this, yeah, I was born to win
I am the champion

I'm the champion, yeah, surpassed all rivals
It's all about who wants it the most
I am the champion
Fight for what we believe in
That's what champions are made of
I am the champion (yeah, champion)

 

 I've learned it's really important to work hard 
and keep your family and friends close. 
You've got to let them know how much 
you appreciate them for sticking by you.

Carrie Underwood

CORTO MALTESE & THE CELTS, ENJOYING A SPECIAL DAY

Today is The Grandma's birthday and the weather has wanted to give her a lovely rainy day, perhaps because it knows that The Grandma really likes these rainy and introspective days, fantastic for a good read and good company.

She will have the best company this afternoon when Claire Fontaine and Joseph de Ca'th Lon, who is some days in Barcelona, come to see her and all together enjoy the French football cup final, a very important match for the Northern Star, and she will have a good read before and after accompanied by Corto Maltese and his Celtic adventures.

Celtic Tales (or The Celts) is a volume of comics that brings together six adventures of Corto Maltese, a Maltese sailor. These stories were written and drawn by the Italian comic book creator Hugo Pratt, and published for the first time between 1971 and 1972 in the French comic magazine Pif Gadget. They take place in Europe, during World War I, between 1917 and 1918. The stories are:

-The Angel in the Window to the Orient

-Under the Flag of Gold

-Concerto in O Minor for Harp and Nitroglycerin

-A Midwinter Morning’s Dream -Côtes de Nuit and Picardy Roses

-Burlesque Between Zuydcoote and Bray-Dunes

Hugo Pratt has produced numerous additional drawings of the characters and places relating to the stories in this album, as he did with other episodes of the series. Here, for example, he drew different places in Ireland and historical or legendary characters.

Among the many covers existing for Celtic Tales, one of them shows a poem in which Corto Maltese thanks different characters, mostly from Celtic legends:

-Merlin, the enchanter or wizard featured in Arthurian legend (like the followings three characters);

-Morgan le Fay and Viviane the Lady of the Lake;

-King Arthur; 

-Oberon (king of the fairies) and Puck;

-The Irish leprechauns; 

-The Cornish Pixies;

-The Scottish boggles;

-The Breton Korrigans; 

-The Welsh miners, Wales being renowned for its coal industry;

-The French elves;

-The Druids of Folle Pensée (name of a locality in the Paimpont forest);

-The little folk of the forest of Brocéliande;

-The royal ravens of Stonehenge;

-W. B. Yeats, the Irish poet; 

-And the harp of the wind somewhere to the north.

Hugo Pratt won the Prix Saint-Michel, for "Best Realistic Writing" in 1977, for the story A Midwinter Morning's Dream.

Twenty years after the death of Hugo Pratt, his ex-assistant Lele Vianello, another Italian comic book creator, gave him a tribute album. Entitled Twenty after... Homage to Hugo Pratt, it includes drawings inspired by the story A Midwinter Morning’s Dream, where Corto and characters from Celtic legends await Pratt on the day of his death to welcome him into their world.

More information: The Slings & Arrows

I haven't decided the date of my death yet.

Corto Maltese

ENJOY LA CASA PROVINCIAL DE LA MATERNITAT GARDENS

Yesterday was a day of a lot of technical and bureaucratic work for The Grandma, exactly the type of work she likes least and that they are increasingly trying to make more extensive and useless.

So, after catching up on posts and correcting dozens of activities, today, she has decided that she would have a more relaxed day, so she has gone down to have breakfast with Claire Fontaine in one of the most beautiful places she has near her home, La Maternitat, the old hospital and orphanage that has now become a reference hospital surrounded by beautiful Modernist public buildings, with gardens with a variety of very interesting vegetation, and, most importantly, Claire's workplace, with whom she has shared a good coffee, an interesting chat and a fantastic time.

And, as it could not be otherwise, The Grandma has spent a good while contemplating the construction work on the Camp Nou, a stadium that the popular saying has always said is located between life (Maternitat Hospital) and death (Les Corts Cemetery). 

Since the 16th century, the Hospital de la Santa Creu was responsible for welcoming foundlings from all over Catalunya. The exposure of children in the 16th century articulated a discourse around sin and illegitimacy, which led this institution to dedicate itself to maintaining secret maternity and raising children of sin. The quality of treatment was very low, with a mortality rate of more than 70% of the asylum seekers.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the exposure rate increased to a point where the institution collapsed. The lack of space and resources, overcrowding and the lack of sanitary conditions in the cities before the demolition of the walls in the mid-19th century caused the mortality rate to increase to 80%. The unsustainable situation of the institution, as well as the political, social and economic transformations derived from the Liberal Revolution, gave the only possible solution the creation of a unique institution dedicated to maternity and childhood.

Thus, on 23 November 1853, the Provincial Maternity and Foundling Home of Barcelona was inaugurated, based at the Casa de la Misericòrdia on Carrer de Ramelleres, 17, receiving 32 children from the Hospital de la Santa Creu. By virtue of the Charity Law of 23 January 1822, the General Charity Law of 26/6/1849 and the subsequent regulation published on 14 May 1852, it was decreed that these institutions were to be run by Boards of Ladies, thus establishing the association of the well-to-do woman's neighbour in the world of childcare, as was customary in 19th-century Europe.

Barcelona Zone writes about La Maternitat that:

In its past life, the grounds of today's tranquil park bore witness to a pioneering healthcare institution -La Maternitat i Sant Ramon hospital. This complex, which still serves various public functions, exhibits a collection of Modernist pavilions that have earned it a special place in Barcelona's rich architectural tapestry.

Originally built on the Can Cavaller estate in the late 19th century, the hospital La Maternitat de Barcelona began as the vision of Camil Oliveres i Cansaran, the then Provincial Council architect. His ambitious project aimed to integrate healthcare and aesthetics, delivering functionality adorned with artistic detailing. This approach resonated deeply with the Modernist movement sweeping the city at the time.

The death of Oliveres saw other architects take the reins, each contributing to the site's evolution while maintaining the founding principles of beauty intertwined with purpose. The pavilions, constructed of exposed brick and accented by dazzling polychrome ceramics, stand today as a testament to Modernist design -a symphony of form and function.

The complex’s signature buildings, the blue pavilion and the pink pavilion, catch the eye with their vivid colors and intricate design. Yet, the site's enchantment does not end with its buildings. Open to the public, the gardens of La Maternitat are where nature and architecture dance in harmonious balance. Amidst the foliage stands the statue 'La maternitat' by sculptor Lluïsa Granero, further emphasizing the theme of nurturing and care inherent to the site's history.

Designed to provide solace to recovering patients, the gardens now offer visitors the chance to lose themselves among diverse flora, including towering date palms and an impressive magnolia tree that claims the title of the tallest in Barcelona. In these gardens, nature performs its restorative magic, just as the architects intended decades ago.

Beyond its architectural splendor, La Maternitat hospital holds a profound social significance. Founded to aid the most vulnerable -abandoned children and mothers in need of discretion- the institution became a symbol of solidarity and care for the disadvantaged. This historical narrative echoes throughout the complex, adding depth to the visitor's experience.

The gardens, purposefully designed to offer comfort and peace to those healing within the hospital's walls, continue to provide solace to residents and tourists alike. Now, as you wander the footpaths of La Maternitat, you engage with a living history narrative that whispers tales of compassion from the leafy shade.

A trip to La Maternitat Barcelona extends far beyond mere sightseeing it's an encounter with a facet of the city's past that played a pivotal role in its social development. Whether you're an architecture enthusiast eager to explore Rationalist design or a traveler seeking a moment of tranquility away from the city’s more frenetic attractions, La Maternitat beckons with its unique charm.

The shade of the trees in the historic gardens of La Maternitat promises a welcoming escape. Indulge in the serene atmosphere and contemplate the history, beauty, and altruism that this remarkable site signifies. 

In the bustle of urban life, La Maternitat offers a serene vantage point to reflect on the city's legacy of caring for the well-being of its people both physically and architecturally.

As you leave the park, the harmonious blend of nature and architectural rationalism lingers in your mind -a reminder of Barcelona's lesser-known, but equally important, heritage.  

La Maternitat is more than just a place; it is a celebration of life, history, and the enduring spirit of Barcelona.

More information: Barcelona Travel Hacks

We learn from our gardens to deal 
with the most urgent question of the time: 
How much is enough?

Wendell Berry

'DIARIO DI VIAGGIO' & 'UNA BALLATA DEL MARE SALATO'

The Grandma has had a few days of introspection and reflection. These days she never lacks the company of her beloved Corto Maltese to whom she turns in search of peace, tranquility and spirituality.

Joseph de Ca'th Lon sent her a fantastic Panini collection entitled Corto Maltese: Diario di Viaggio and she has been reading it, sticking the stickers and placing the cards until she has had the complete collection. Then, she has reread The Ballad of the Salty Sea, the first episode of the adventures of Corto Maltese, her admired adventurer.

As she always turns to Corto, it has been a great pleasure to share these days with him, to recharge and to get up again to continue forward, because we really have to continue forward on this beautiful but complicated journey that is life.

Una ballata del mare salato, in English The Ballad of the Salty Sea, is a graphic novel, the first episode of the adventures of Corto Maltese, a Maltese sailor.

This story was written and drawn by the Italian comic book creator Hugo Pratt. 

It was published for the first time between 1967 and 1969, in the magazine Il Sergente Kirk. It takes place in Melanesia (Western Oceania), shortly before World War I, between 1913 and 1915. It introduces many future important characters from the series, such as the romantic Corto, the crazy Russian sailor Rasputin, and the young cousins Pandora and Cain.

Although the story introduces a new comic book character destined to become famous, Corto Maltese is not the main character. According to Pratt, Pandora Groovesnore is the central character. He explains that everyone is in love with her, and that she is a kind and beautiful girl who becomes an adult. Corto is just a secondary character, like so many others in this story. The cartoonist did not suspect that he would reuse the Corto Maltese character for a whole series.

To pretend that this story is true, Pratt published, in addition, a fake letter from Cain's nephew, Obregan Carrenza, which he had to give to the cartoonist himself. This process is also often used in adventure novels. This document, dating from the middle of the 20th century évokes Corto's old age and his sadness following the death of his friend Tarao. This letter is missing from many editions of this story, probably because some publishers refuse to let the reader imagine the aging hero.

Hugo Pratt will reuse Corto Maltese for news adventures taking place in America, published for the first time in 1970 and collected in the volume Under the Sign of Capricorn. This is the start of his Corto Maltese series, comprising twelve episodes. One of which takes place eight years before the first episode, in 1905 in Manchuria (China), relating the meeting between Corto and Rasputin: Corto Maltese: The Early Years. After Pratt's death, the series was resumed by Ruben Pellejero and Juan Diaz Canales. They have currently made three additional episodes. In the last one, they imagined a prequel to The Ballad of the Salty Sea, All Saints Day, to explain why Corto was attached to the raft and how he worked for the Monk.

Escondida is a fictional island located in Western Oceania, the scene of an important part of this story. Its coordinates are 169° west longitude, 19° south latitude. Which corresponds to the location of the Tanna Island, in Vanuatu, near New Caledonia. However, Pratt claimed that his model was Abaiang (Gilbert Islands, Kiribati).

The story abounds in literary references. For example, at the start, Rasputin is reading Voyage autour du monde, Louis Antoine de Bougainville's travel diary. This French explorer indeed sailed in the same zone where he was at that time. Cain, on several occasions, spreads his culture through various allusions. Thus, when he failed on a beach with Tarao, he compares themself to Robinson Crusoe and Friday (characters created by Daniel Defoe). Then, when they escape from the cannibals with the others, he tells him about Moby Dick (from the novel Moby-Dick by Herman Melville). Later, in Slütter's submarine, he is reading The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, the long poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Finally, when he leaves Escondida with Pandora, he evokes the ship Argo and the character Jason, from Greek mythology.

Twenty years after the creation of this story, Pratt slipped a dedication into it. It pays homage to the Irish writer Henry De Vere Stacpoole, who piqued Pratt's interest in the South Seas.

Hugo Pratt discreetly slides into his story various allusions to cultural elements of the different Oceanian peoples encountered, whether through their songs or their conversations. They allude for example to gods, creatures or illustrious people, like Kanaloa, Tāne, Tū, Rongo, Tangaroa, Māui, Kupe, Tamatea (explorer), Pehee Nuee Nuee. They also speak of mythical places like Hawaiki. Finally, they evoke several of the many Pacific islands: Mangareva, Hawaii, Tahiti, Heragi (Māori name for Pitcairn Island, in Pitcairn Islands), Aotearoa (Māori name for New Zealand), Tubuai. The decor of the comic is punctuated by various Oceanian masks. Several of them are thus visible on the house where Cain is a prisoner. These items resemble those made by Baining people, they live in Papua New Guinea.

Despite this realism, Pratt allows himself touches of fantasy, sometimes making his Oceanian characters speak in Venetian language (an element that translators leave as is).

The album won the award for the best foreign realistic work at the 1976 Angoulême Festival.

This story was classified in 2012 at the 3rd place of the classification of 50 essential BD established by the French magazine Lire.

Umberto Eco, Italian novelist and literary critic, wrote a preface to this story (found in the 1989 edition) on the geographic and cultural references of this story.

More information: The Slings and Arrows

For me, my travels have been the chance 
to go to a place that already exists in my imagination.
 

Hugo Pratt

YOU’LL HAVE UNDERSTOOD WHAT THESE ITHAKAS MEAN

Σα βγεις στον πηγαιμό για την Ιθάκη,
να εύχεσαι νάναι μακρύς ο δρόμος,
γεμάτος περιπέτειες, γεμάτος γνώσεις.
Τους Λαιστρυγόνας και τους Κύκλωπας,
τον θυμωμένο Ποσειδώνα μη φοβάσαι,
τέτοια στον δρόμο σου ποτέ σου δεν θα βρεις,
αν μέν’ η σκέψις σου υψηλή, αν εκλεκτή
συγκίνησις το πνεύμα και το σώμα σου αγγίζει.
Τους Λαιστρυγόνας και τους Κύκλωπας,
τον άγριο Ποσειδώνα δεν θα συναντήσεις,
αν δεν τους κουβανείς μες στην ψυχή σου,
αν η ψυχή σου δεν τους στήνει εμπρός σου.

Να εύχεσαι νάναι μακρύς ο δρόμος.
Πολλά τα καλοκαιρινά πρωιά να είναι
που με τι ευχαρίστησι, με τι χαρά
θα μπαίνεις σε λιμένας πρωτοειδωμένους·
να σταματήσεις σ’ εμπορεία Φοινικικά,
και τες καλές πραγμάτειες ν’ αποκτήσεις,
σεντέφια και κοράλλια, κεχριμπάρια κ’ έβενους,
και ηδονικά μυρωδικά κάθε λογής,
όσο μπορείς πιο άφθονα ηδονικά μυρωδικά·
σε πόλεις Aιγυπτιακές πολλές να πας,
να μάθεις και να μάθεις απ’ τους σπουδασμένους.

Πάντα στον νου σου νάχεις την Ιθάκη.
Το φθάσιμον εκεί είν’ ο προορισμός σου.
Aλλά μη βιάζεις το ταξείδι διόλου.
Καλλίτερα χρόνια πολλά να διαρκέσει·
και γέρος πια ν’ αράξεις στο νησί,
πλούσιος με όσα κέρδισες στον δρόμο,
μη προσδοκώντας πλούτη να σε δώσει η Ιθάκη.

Η Ιθάκη σ’ έδωσε τ’ ωραίο ταξείδι.
Χωρίς αυτήν δεν θάβγαινες στον δρόμο.
Άλλα δεν έχει να σε δώσει πια.

Κι αν πτωχική την βρεις, η Ιθάκη δεν σε γέλασε.
Έτσι σοφός που έγινες, με τόση πείρα,
ήδη θα το κατάλαβες η Ιθάκες τι σημαίνουν. 

 

As you set out for Ithaka
hope your road is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
angry Poseidon -don’t be afraid of them:
you’ll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and your body.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
wild Poseidon -you won’t encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.

Hope your road is a long one.
May there be many summer mornings when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you enter harbors you’re seeing for the first time;
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind-
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to learn and go on learning from their scholars.

Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you’re destined for.
But don’t hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you’re old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you’ve gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.

Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you wouldn't have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.

And if you find her poor, Ithaka won’t have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you’ll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.

More information: Archive

Τουλάχιστον άσε με τώρα να ξεγελάω τον εαυτό 

μου με ψευδαισθήσεις 
για να μην νιώθω την άδεια ζωή μου.

 

At least let me now deceive 

myself with illusions
so as not to feel my empty life.

 

 Konstantinos Petru Kavafis