I love a good love story and Nieves Herrero, a Spanish journalist and writer, has certainly given me a few good ones, but her latest book “Esos días azules” (“Those blue days”, in English) has touched my heart in a very special way. A meeting of souls As her other novels, it is based on a true love story, that of the famous Spanish poet Antonio Machado and his muse, whom he called Guiomar. Long after his death (in …
Category: Impressions
Yesterday we had elections for the European Parliament. As I returned from my polling place, I could not help wondering at how little interest this election arises. It is true that the EU has been through very difficult, unmotivating moments in the last few years, but if we look for options, they’re not really there, so I’m one of those who believe we should not give up on building a strong, united, focused, European Union with a strong currency …
This spring we have been feeling “the winds of winter”. All over the world the huge group of fans of “Game of Thrones” (in which I am included) has been exchanging some particular words, in addition to shocked impressions on the day that follows each episode: ”Winter is coming”, the motto of House Stark, the “heroes” of the saga. At first sight the word “winter” in this series means a long winter that lasts for years after a similarly long …
I was interviewing a doctor, a scientist who is an expert in precision medicine – a new way of doing medicine that identifies the causes of disease with much more precision than before, using medication which will bring about a genetic change that will ultimately lead to cure – and it was a fascinating talk. She told me about how the medical community sees the future of mankind and how it is widely believed that during this millennium mankind will …
A friend has written “The book of the corporate jungle: the ten commandments of survival” (sorry, only available in Portuguese) and she has just sent me a copy. This week’s newspaper “Expresso” features a very complete report on the forthcoming season of “Game of Thrones” that will go on air on the 15th of April for the absolute delight of its millions of fans – in which I am of course included, as well as my sons- and I cannot help …
Some people you have never met somehow touch your life in a very special way – it is as if you really know them. In fact you do, because they reach to you through their words, or their work; in one way or another they change your life and you feel truly grateful to them. They become special to you. Mercedes was one of such persons, and last week I was sad to learn about her passing, for she …
Madrid, on a cold January morning. I come out of my hotel, superbly located in the fashionable Salamanca quarter. I cross the street and enter the coffee shop. Sitting at table in a corner I see my friend Bea and her husband, Arturo Fuentes the writer, whom I’m meeting today for the first time even if I’m already his reader and follower on Facebook. An unexpected writer Bea and I have been friends for years. We met professionally but …
An avid reader all my life, at this point I’m quite selective about what I read – I mostly enjoy historical books or novels, some thrillers and the occasional biography or autobiography, in which case I enjoy reading stories of prominent women. One of my favourites was Benazir Bhutto’s autobiography that she wrote a few years before her tragic death. I was already a fan and became even more so – suffice to say that Benazir was the first woman …
Forbes magazine called it “the best technology conference in the planet”. I can’t confirm this, as I don’t usually go to technology events, but I can say without any doubt Web Summit is a very, very good event. It was held in Lisbon last week for the second time; I had registered many months ago so I found myself one more of the crowd heading to Altice Arena and the FIL Pavilions in the Lisbon quarter of Parque das …
I have just finished reading Barbara Erskine’s latest book The Ghost Tree and as always I am left with the feeling that I would never want it to end; I would have gone on and on. When you have one of Barbara’s books in your hands you feel as if you’re holding something precious; at first, when you receive it – and you have really been looking forward to getting that box from Amazon! – It contains all the …