Did you know that the kind of mutual Cultural Expedition to Spain and to Russia is going on (Dual Cultural Year)?

The Dual Year of the Spanish Language and Literature in Russia and of the Russian Language and Literature in Spain were launched in May 2015. Read here more , if interested. And I am sure you can find much more information through internet, if still interested...

And elsewhere in this blog of mine, I am having thoughts how the Spanish and Russian may be alike or different. They are, of course, only my thoughts as an outsider, as a foreigner and as coming from Finland. But anyway during the years I have been cooperating a lot with professionals coming from both countries, and also having an interest in cultural matters of these and many more countries. As I am introducing to you the popular music of these countries and some other cultural issues up to that. 

Welcome - Bienvenidos - Dobro požalovat!

Did you know that the Galician Food is among the best ones in Spain?

... But I begin with the drinks, so the Galician red wine and white wine. Admit me, as a foreigner you mostly think Rioja wines when talking about the Spanish wines. But there are good ones also in Galicia, as in general Ribeiro wines and wines from a Godello grape talking about the white wines or wines from the Mencia grape talking about the red wines.

And of course Albariño what the most people know when talking about the Galician wines.

I like more the wine from the Godello grape as the well known Albariño, but that is of course up to you... In Spain you can every now and then also find "cervezas naturales" or "cervezas artesanas"

 

and "Quiemada", of course, but please only in winter. So the the Queimada is a punch made from 

Galician aquardiente (Orujo).

I already talked about Pimientos de Padrón and Pulpo Gallego the other day. Which I liked also 

very much is  the "Chinchos" fish and fish like that...

and "Almejas marineras" of course

 

and "Empanada gallega" or "Galician pie".

And tomorrow we eat "Zamburiñas", my very favorites...

So go or come to Galicia to taste the Galician food! I do very often.

Harpfest Noia: Yes the Harps have a nice, relaxing Tone!

Harp, one of my favorit instruments. If you need a rest, listen to the Harpmusic. And up to that when the best of the harpists play they can rise a feeling of Heavy Metal too. When rasping their harps. Believe or not. I hope you get a possibility like that at least once in your life.

Harps you can find all over world too. In Celtic regions as Wales, Ireland, Galicia Northern Spain, in Latin America as Andean regions, Paraguay and so on...

I was yesterday in the Harp Fest Noia in Galicia Green Spain. It was organized for the second time. Nice Festival that of II Festival Internacional de Arpa Vila de Noia 4, 5 e 6 de Agosto. Enough small kind. Very nice concert in the small catedral of ancient times. You could listen there interesting harp music from Sondeseu and other Galician and international artists, as well as follow what happened in the harp work shops.

Nunca pensé así...

La verdad, que estoy visitando Galicia y la quinta vez! Mí primera visita 16 años atrás...

He dicho hoy que me siento muy bien. Pero tengo un sentimiento muy raro, en alguna manera rara... Es el segundo día que estoy yo aquí, pero pienso que ya desde hace una semana que estoy aquí. Oyes, así pudé realizar uno de mis sueños pequeños. Es decir visitar la fiesta de Pimientos de Padrón en Herbón. Y fue maravilloso, también gracias a mí amiga gallega...Pimientos de Padrón y Pulpo Gallego. Maravilloso!

Los sueños son cosas más importantes de tu vida. Si nos realizas, es una perdida verdadera. Es tiempo para Road-Movies, y tu estas participando en este viaje...

Travel to North-Spain, as do I during August

Well, I have been in North-Spain, "España verde" - "Green-Spain" more than 10 times. It is my very favorite destination in Spain. Because of the wonderful views - mountains, rivers, beaches....

 

...interesting architecture and atmosferic small cities...

...and because of the very tasty food, "pintxos" the famous basque tapas and the seefood of Galicia for example.

Not to forget the "Pimientos de Padrón", the green peppers and the Spanish "chorizo", cured pork sausage flavoured with paprika . Which you get everywhere in Spain.

By the way, I will visit the "Green Peppers Festival" in Galicia very soon...

In the northern part of Spain you have also the possibility to visit the games of  their famous football teams, "Celta Vigo" and "Athletic Bilbao" to mention some. And the "Peñas", fan club bars of these football teams...

I say to you, in the northern part of Spain you can find the best food in Spain and a very nice athmosphere...

But this is of course a very personal point of view. I suppose, it depends on various issues...

If you like, continue following this blog. In next few weeks I will write to you more about the food, music, sports, films of northern Spain - and about interesting happenings to visit in Galicia and Basque Country.


Do you know that they have there "Semanas"Grandes", in basque language "Aste nagusia" or in English "Great Weeks" with all kind of happenings? So maybe I step by in some of these happenings too. Here for you to taste some pictures about the "Great Week".

Retro and Nostalgia in Moscow: Troubadours, Soccer and Circus

What can one do in 3 intensive days in Moscow, if organized by people who know Russia well?

Bread and Circuses, of course...For me the bread of life is music and soccer, and the circus was that tasty filling of the Moscow trip. The one what you do not experience every day...

We visited the famous Nikulin Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, established in Moscow in the year 1880. 

Somebody says it the oldest circus in Russia, somebody says it is one of the oldest. Here some more pictures about the circus.

If you are interested in singer-songwriter music...

...you can visit the statues, graves (Vagankov Graveyard) and museums of 2 famous Russian troubadours, Vladimir Vysotsky...

...and Bulat Okudzhava (in Moscow and Peredelkino, near Moscow).

 

And up to that the soccer, and may be the graveyard too.

Connected to soccer may be the the Luzhniki stadium, one of the home grounds of the Russian soccer team...

...or the graves in the graveyard Novodevichy.

There you can find for example the famous Russian soccer goalkeeper, Lev Yashin - the "Black Spider". Well, in graveyard we all end...

To finish...some Russian champagne. Yes, you can get in the train from Helsinki to Moscow. If you wish so.

Kippis-Skål-God bless you!

And do not forget to walk along the "Old Arbat Street", if you visit Moscow!