contravoz

Libros 2009 - Books 2009

2010-01-18T00:49:00.003+01:00

Se me olvidò poner aqui los libros que me dieron la vuelta en la cabeza en 2009.
Ahh the books of 2009!
Cold - Bill Streever : all you ever wanted to know about the cold temperatures!
Justice - Michael Sandel : a lucid challenge to our thoughts about what is and what is not just.
Born to run - Christopher McDougall - a crazy account of going down to mexico to run an ultramarathon with the Tarahumara indians

Guatemala - Happy New Year 2010

2010-01-06T01:06:00.001+01:00

Guatemala y el caballo Bacilòn

2010-01-05T21:35:00.005+01:00

Back from 10 days of pleasure combined with some hunger and bed bugs.
The contravocitos, with the help of Bacilòn, crossed the Cuchumatan mountains, the 3000 meter altiplano. Like the arch of Noah, animals of all sorts, as well as lots of children, and many potatoes.

Cooling - ready to warm up

2009-12-23T02:47:00.008+01:00

Vacation approaches and two images illustrate the last few days: the cold and the fashion style to cycle to work at -12°C. Then the snow makes the final presence and the cardinals fly around in search for the food.

Next stop : Todos Santos Cuchumatan - Guatemala
Will arrive there walking the altiplano on th 28th December!

Agrandir le plan

Amarcord - El Palladium

2009-12-12T23:18:00.004+01:00

I guess I was 16 or 17 years old, and not allowed to see these films (las peliculas de Arte y Ensayo).

Amarcord of Fellini was one of the great moments, and now more than 30 years later still pops up in my imagination - not only because of the scene of the Tabacalera.

Walden

2009-11-23T01:26:00.006+01:00

Some 25 years ago in Rochester, I bought the book of Thoreau. I do not know why, but I know that it was revealing to me.

Now, finally, I visit the place, and I can live for some hours the impressions that he must have had those days.

Thoreau was 27 when he moved to Walden Pond, he died at 44 of tubrculosis.

50

2009-10-13T02:12:00.006+02:00

The time has come.

It is possible that the most creative and lively part be over
It is also possible that worthy things lie ahead
For now, an encounter with 50 at

Agrandir le plan

And photos of love!

Holworthy times 2

2009-10-05T01:08:00.003+02:00

Anything to report from these last six weeks?
Just to say that the new food for thought is cooking (sometimes boiling) in my fragmented brain.
But, spectacularly, the contravocitos continue their very easy entry into a foreign systems without signs of particular effort or strain. Yesterday climing up on in-door walls, today a visit to the museum of fine arts (some protests here, given the choice).
I have some doubt on the relative interest of routine (yes, so soon, so present) invading the new existance, or keeping up with the exceptionality (much more work!).

He has always been complete

2009-09-17T23:58:00.004+02:00

The challenge here in Boston, is contemplating a sea of possibility. Measuring the possibility against the background of capability. That brings me to a phrase in the lucid book by Aleksandar Hemon:

"...he had always been complete. He had finished the work of becoming himself long before any one of us would imagine such as feat was possible"

New York excitement

2009-09-07T02:57:00.003+02:00

In a weekend of sabbatical within the sabbatical, the contravoces approached NY. The first photo of the travellers is here posted.
There is not much that should be said about the otherworldly hyperactivity, noise, smells and excitement of the place. I can barely survive it.
The arrival back to Boston seemed a transfer through the "Tunel del tiempo" (The time tunel) to another era.

Holworthy times

2009-08-20T00:53:00.003+02:00

Here they are, they enter the yellow school buses. Happy to be there. What about the language barrier?

Holworthy - the street address where the year will unfold.....

Obelix in Baule

2009-08-10T21:40:00.006+02:00

The time arrives to say bye to Baule and to friends. And it was in the best spirit of the invincible people - eating a wild hog - javalì - sanglier. Early morning the cooking device is installed by the art of Gaston.com. The young crowd contemplate the result 4 hours later. And it is time to eat!

South Africa - 3 photos a day - The end

2009-08-04T21:53:00.003+02:00

South Africa is another Africa to that of Niger, Kenya...And the last day arrived, for (i) Contravocita to see her Giraffe, (ii) for the bye to the superb guide, and to(ii) the faithful companion of these days - the Red-billed hornbill.

South Africa - 3 photos a day 8

2009-08-04T21:48:00.005+02:00

The surprise that the rarest animals are not those that we think: (i) the wild dog in danger. (ii) Who is afraid?. (iii) The bird of the day,Brown-hooded kingfisher.

South Africa - 3 photos a day 7

2009-08-03T22:05:00.004+02:00

The bush twice a day, dawn and sunset. (i) maybe hippos are more Africa than others?, (ii) Dyke and Contravoz discuss hunting antilopes by packs of ultramarathon runners (Christopher McDougall: Born to run : a hidden tribe, superathletes, and the greatest race the world has never seen. (iii) The bird of the day: Blue waxbill.

South Africa - 3 photos a day 6

2009-07-26T22:30:00.004+02:00

From urban to bush. (i) The encounter with the lions at Kruger, (ii) Elvis the tracker searching for eyes in the night bush, (iii) the Lilac breasted roller . the Carraca.

South Africa - 3 photos a day 5

2009-07-26T22:23:00.004+02:00

From the very top of Lion's head, we see (i) a rock an a whale....we sow the whale because we beleived the rock was one. We also see (ii) Robben Island behind the very free Contravocita. And also on the top (iii) the bird of the day: Familiar Chat.

South Africa - 3 photos a day 4

2009-07-26T22:13:00.005+02:00

We rarely associate Africa to urban life. It is there with the (i) shipyards repairing and giving life back to the African Queen, (ii) the street performers, and (iii the humble house sparrow in its local version: the Cape Sparrow.

South Africa - 3 photos a day 3

2009-07-19T22:26:00.001+02:00

Just some 100 km from Cape and we hit wilderness. Kogelberg reserve to Cape Hangklip.
Tarahumara Jacques breaking a sweat on the dirt road.
Sand and warmth on a "winter" day.
The photos: (i) In Pringle Bay. (ii) Contravocito against the range of Cape of Good Hope. (iii) the bird of the day: Egyptian goose.

South Africa - 3 photos a day 2

2009-07-18T20:06:00.005+02:00

(i) That's it. End of Africa - the shade projecting South. (ii) 34° 21' 24'' South. (iii) A bird a day keeps the....(Jackass penguin).

South Africa - 3 photos a day

2009-07-17T19:19:00.007+02:00

Vertical descent along the meridian. And the next few days I will hope to pin up three photos that capture the moments. (i) Flying to Cape, (ii) walking towards the end of Africa, (iii) The local fellow (Red-winged starling).

Aletsch - 2

2009-06-30T23:00:00.003+02:00

Here it was - the Two Phillipes (L and S) as good team (21K, 1050m altitude, 2:44h). Impeccable day for a smooth effort.

And talking of efforts: the reading of the biography of H. Varmus: a clear description of the ins and outs of research: politics, and a constant battle against self? As explained to Philippe L, this is a profession of failure, or doubt, and of prevailing feeling of idiocy: the price to pay for trying to understand the unknown.

Baobab

2009-06-22T17:34:00.003+02:00

From the overgrown hotel of Gaylord in Washington - aspiring to become a little las Vegas, I escape to another esprit through the music of Orchestra Baobab. I could not find "Aline" - but there are other pieces of them on Youtube.

Combioula

2009-06-02T22:57:00.003+02:00

La Borgne - the river that transects Val d'Hérens.
In its bottom the cold water of glaciers melt touches the warm source of Combioula.
Cold and high, warm and deep - an easy scenario for a metaphore on mores.

Murakami running

2009-05-17T18:29:00.006+02:00

Haruki Murakami - best known for his writting - has been running for the last 23 years. His book "What I talk about when I talk about running" describes a parallel life where there is not much to talk about. The purpose of running is running. Running helps thinking about running. There is however some lively conversation with the muscles and joints.

I should probably not recommend this book - except if you run and wish to think about running when you are running.

Next rendez-vous: Aletsch Halbmarathon, June 28th

Ubiquitous

2009-04-30T21:36:00.004+02:00

Round the world in one song
http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2539741

Yucatan Times

2009-04-17T22:43:00.015+02:00

Hard to chose - what makes a trip memorable when people, place and time compete for the main award. The photos support the contest. The film shows the mood. Life is good.

Nuberu - 30 years later

2009-03-29T11:40:00.003+02:00

I have to say that may heart skipped a couple of beats when I came upon these images. Those were times when photos, and even least films - were not common. We lived in an undocumented era.

Gurrumul - the musical surprise

2009-02-25T21:37:00.002+01:00

In the abandon of the plane to Washington....a BIG surprise...Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu

Yes, in the world of bliss

2009-02-22T22:29:00.001+01:00

In a world of bliss, some thoughts for the enemies

2009-02-22T22:14:00.002+01:00

By now, you are used to find a world of peace in this blog. I will not break this tradition, and so I will place some photos of the contravocitos in action; however, I cannot avoid transcribing these words that reminds us about the occasional trouble, the enemy-in-the-box, ready to sneak out on us from time to time.

"..do not get into confrontation (with your enemy) when you are weak. However, do not let the one who offended get away with it. Wait for the good timing, when you are in the strong position; then , hit back - even if it is no longer needed."

"...nunca entres en la batalla (con el enemigo) cuando tienes todas las de perder. Sin embargo, jamas dejes que una persona que te ha insultado se salga con la suya. Espera tu momento, y cuando estes en una posicion fuerte, devuelve el golpe, aunque ya no sea necesarion hacerlo".
Stieg Larsson - Milenium

It is, lets put it this way, an economic way of dealing with conflict.

A prologue to a new life

2009-01-24T13:00:00.003+01:00

Today, I find he following text in a sheet of paper inserted between the pages of "El rio del olvido" de Julio Llamazares - a present from Don Jose Luis on July 27th, 1990.

"A Prologue to a New Life. Memories from a Trip East"
"Leaving is not easy, not easy. I did not look back to see those just orphaned, and those that felt their emotional investment useless. Travelling east represented a personal defeat...I came from there once, and I am returning with little.
I leave the open skies, the simplicity of a life that was never too demanding, and I drive to days of rain, just like those of my youth, and to older friends."
Rochester, Minn 1990

On this year we will move West, and 20 years later from that note above...we will swing back East once again.

Feliz Año - Happy New Year - Bonne Année 2009

2009-01-05T22:37:00.003+01:00

Getting ready for the new year. And, as in previous transitions, here are the books that took my attention in 2008:

- Millàs - El Mundo
- Paasilinna - Le Cantique de l'apocalypse joyeuse
- MacFarlane - The Wild Places (Thanks Kate!)
- McEwan - On Chesil Beach
- Klein - The Shock Doctrine (Thanks Clark!)

Y la pelìcula para felicitaros el nuevo año

The cold months

2008-12-07T23:35:00.005+01:00

We are so worried about warming up the world that we are becoming actually surprised when there is true winter, as if we were thinking that the cold weather will never come back.
And as the day ends, the return to the warmth.

Lovegno 2008

2008-11-30T22:30:00.003+01:00

You cannot step twice into the same river.

One year ago I went up to Lovegno for the first ski of the year. And despite of Heraclitus, I believe to state that the river looks just fine and that continuity prevails.

La normalidad es un delirio

2008-11-26T22:11:00.002+01:00

En Burgistein, hace 14 años, Yo escuche a Manferro referirse al delirio.
Esa conversacion vuelve a mi memoria al leer lo siguiente en El Pais:

"Como los seres humanos no podemos soportar el caos, nos esforzamos por inventar una vida oficial mas o menos sensata.........Pero luego, por debajo, empuja la vida real, confusa, fantasmagorica, inefable. Una vida tan absurda que produce vertigo. La mayor falacia de la modernidad es creer que sabemos y controlamos algo. La normalidad es el delirio"

Asturias

2008-11-16T23:21:00.002+01:00

En preparacion de una cena con participacion espanola, he desplegado la bandera Asturiana en los Alpes. Los locales, usuarios de la bandera roja con la cruz blanca quedaron un algo perplejos.

One more cycle

2008-11-09T22:11:00.004+01:00

There are many cycles and rythms. Seasons are, despite of their predictibility, striking in their capacity to surprise. I am astonish to see winter come back to Baule. One more cycle.

I am under the avalanche of historical data. Reading details of the 1939-1955 life in Spain. Somehow, like seasons, we forget how easier life can be, how harsh it may become.

Washington>Boston

2008-11-02T15:56:00.003+01:00

From the impersonal to the personal. One week to experience two aspects of the difficulty to grasp the real -from the very large massess at a conference, to the encounters with the distant past (Stewart, Rochester 1987-1990). All this while looking at the next future- the one that may start in Boston soon.

Extremadura

2008-10-20T23:48:00.006+02:00

Ir a Castilla - o a Extremadura- es como cualquier otro peregrinaje. Rito y mito...y casi esperanza de redencion.

Esta vez Montfragüe, Guadalupe, Galisteo, Puente del Arzobispo, Oropesa, Candeleda. Unas fotos para recordarlo, y una pelicula.

Contravocito @ 8 years old

2008-10-06T22:03:00.003+02:00

This, one more cumpleaños, accompanied by some scientific experimentation: Bicarbonate + Water + Color +.........Vinegar.

Prafleuri

2008-09-23T20:53:00.002+02:00

The contravocitos had their first ever sleep in a mountain hut. Dinner was various types of wild animals - missed the special: marmot! (out of stock).

On our way back to routine, and emails, a message form Peter U. Long time.....For him this quote from "The Wild Places":

"I want all my friends to come up like weeds, and I want to be a weed myself, spontaneous and unstoppable. I do not want the kind of friends one has to cultivate"

La escuela de Bremblens

2008-09-12T20:50:00.002+02:00

Hoy se celebraron los 70 años de la escuela de Nico. Con el estaba nuestro vecino George, granjero de 73 años de edad, y tambien alumno de la misma escuela...en 1942. Los ninos de hoy sonrien mas y en color, y quizas los apellidos son mas variados, cosmopolitas, de aquellas generaciones de resonancias Vaudois.

Done! / Jungfrau

2008-09-07T22:52:00.003+02:00

Followers of the Jungfrau roll. D-dau and I finished the marathon.

Well....I would not say that it went without misery (see the Contravoz hell region on the map in the film - terraced by an amazing vagal syndrom that got me done for about 30 min). But it was great!

Itaca / Jungfrau-2

2008-09-01T00:19:00.004+02:00

Llegue en esa cuenta atras a los esperados kilometros (750k) y desnivel (30000m). Y a una semana de la carrera, solo queda la tranquilidad y algun trote.Y como en Itaca - incluso si carrera es pobre...me ha dado varios meses de vitalidad.

Y os dejo con esta imagen del Cervino con los contravocitos/cita en primera linea.

ÍTACA
Cuando empieces tu ida hacia Ítaca,
desea que el camino sea largo,
lleno de peripecias, lleno de conocimientos.
A los Lestrígones y a los Cíclopes,
al encolerizado Poseidón no temas,
tales cosas en tu camino nunca las encontrarás,
si tu mirada permanece alta, si una escogida
emoción a tu alma y a tu cuerpo les guía.
A los Lestrígones y a los Cíclopes,
al fiero Poseidón no los encontrarás,
si no los llevas dentro de tu alma,
si tu alma no los coloca delante de ti.
Desea que el camino sea largo.
Que muchas sean las mañanas estivales
en que con cuánta satisfacción, con qué alegría
entrarás en puertos por primera vez vistos.
Haz un alto en los mercados fenicios,
y adquiere hermosas cosas,
nácares y corales, ámbares y ébanos,
y sensuales perfumes de todas clases,
los más abundantes y sensuales perfumes que puedas.
Visita muchas ciudades egipcias,
aprende y aprende de los instruidos.
Siempre en tu mente ten a Itaca.
La llegada a allí es tu destino.
Pero no precipites el viaje en absoluto.
Es mejor que muchos años dure.
Y que, ya anciano, arribes a la isla,
rico con cuanto obtuviste en el camino,
sin esperar que riquezas te dé Itaca.
Itaca te dio el hermoso viaje.
Sin ella no hubieras emprendido el camino.
No puede darte nada más.
Aunque la encuentres pobre, Ítaca no te engañó.
Tan sabio como te has hecho, con tanta experiencia,
ahora ya habrás comprendido qué significan las Itacas.

Portbou-Cadaques - el dia mas largo

2008-08-25T20:58:00.004+02:00

The END is near...and this weekEND was the test of ENDurance.

With D-Dau I returned to the coastal trail Portbou-Cadaques. Mythical because of one day, long ago, Anen and I stepped out of the train at 5:30 AM to follow this trail.

Now, some 30k trail with a couple of heights to master. At the end Cadaques, in the middle a wonderful run.

Liquids immediately before, during and rigth after:
1 Coke
2 Coffees
3 Isotonics
3 Ice-teas
1 Beer+Sprite
and being in Spain: 1 horchata and 1 Gazpacho

Rannoch Moor / Jungfrau-4

2008-08-17T23:37:00.003+02:00

Kate,

The book you sent us, "The Wild Places" by Robert MacFarlane left me speechless (not easy to do!). It descibes, with amazing insight, why nature strikes a cord in some people - and how it becomes central to life and to their life-long esthetics and passion.

It was a double impression becuase it brought back the word moor (Pàramo in Spanish) - a word that I've learned while reading my first English language books. It is in chapter four that the author crosses Rannoch Moor - and above I inclue a representative photo of the place.

An some extracts:

"A long ... tradition exists that considers all individuals as peregrini, in that all human life is seen as an exile"

"Ideas. like waves, hace fetches. They arrive with us having travelled vast distances, and their pasts are often invisible, or barely imaginable"

Camping/Jungfrau-5

2008-08-11T21:25:00.003+02:00

Some 20 years ago my friend Clark saw me agonizing about the expense of a camping tent. This one was mounted for the first time ever on the roof of MayoPark drive.
20 years later, the tent exists, and was used to accomodate the first time ever camping trip of the contravocitos. Some instruction was needed to have them get it up!

Tarna-Dixence et al./Jungfrau-6

2008-08-04T00:24:00.004+02:00

Gone are the vacations - and among the many encounters, and the late meals (compliment of the Spanish spirit), a bag of memories for the next months (years?).

Yes, I kept running and you can see the connexion Puerto de Tarna (Asturias - con Liki Fumei) and the Dixence Dam (Valais) as high points of the last few days. Reached by foot motion.

Many brothers

2008-07-20T13:15:00.006+02:00

This has been a week of encounters. Across time.

The week revived the past, and created a new series of mythical adventures - a new past for future encounters. And all in the best tradîtion of pain and pleasure.

Above, the visit of Ma(ri/no)lito, and the encounter of the Priest of Pahas' Brothers. With the new generation, and in full harmony. The ultimate test of the week was accomplished by Nico Contravoz and Anna Von Rollie.

Major happiness.

Under water/ Jungfrau -10

2008-07-06T18:08:00.004+02:00

In a moment of confusion, I convinced Ms Contravoz that we should join the mini-triathlon of Préverenges (500m swim/20k bike/5k run). The convincing part was that the parcour passes by our own village.

Well, it rained, we joined the wrong group (serious looking fellows with black swim caps - we had a yellow cap from another group). And we wanted to exit with the bikes on the wrong direction. And it kept raining, sometimes straight into the eyes. Our delay grew so much that on the first tour on bike we were caught up by the people already on their second tour. We were kindly indicated to head towards the end, thus avoiding the second turn altogether. Alas! honest fellows are we are, we continued on our second 10k bike tour while the crowd was heading for the foot run. Still it was fun!!!

Washington/Jungfrau -11

2008-06-29T21:37:00.005+02:00

It is now half the way to Jungfrau, and 10+5 km were added running on the National Mall in Washington. Hot, very hot.

And a discovery of a lucid view on the bilateral asymetry of love in the pages of On Chesil Beach of Ian McEwan.

El dia mas largo / Jungfrau -12

2008-06-24T22:14:00.004+02:00

El dia mas largo con una cena lenta. El verano subito.

Y en el dia mas largo, carreras largas por las crestas del Vallon de Réchy, y alrededor de La Maya. Y todo con la participacion estelar de D-Dau - coéquipier cum laude.

Hiver à Recife / Jungfrau -13

2008-06-15T21:47:00.003+02:00

Aujourd'hui, il neigé à Lovegno. Ainsi, ce texte de Rufin, qui explique la vie sans hiver .....

"Depuis que j'étais au Brésil, l'attendais l'hiver.....Un matin, cependant, ma femme de ménage arriva, la mine grise, un méchant pull-over sur les épaules."Vous avez vu, me dit elle. C'est l'hiver!". Je me précipitai sur le balcon. L'air était toujours chaud et moite. Mais un vent inhabituel charriait une humidité végétale, venue des terres. Il faisait 28° au lieu des 33° habituels."

One third down/ Jungfrau -14

2008-06-08T19:18:00.002+02:00

250 k - so far so good - nothing hurting.

Walter, bifurcations, 42 years later

2008-06-06T20:28:00.003+02:00

I was 6 years old when WR Wilson visited Oviedo. This was in many ways a turning point for several of us, one of those bifurcations, distinct bifurcations that determine to a large extent events over decades. In my case, most could be brought to this: where I trained and worked, emigration, and whatever else that followed.

Today, I was called to tell me that somebody I would probably like to see was here - in the building. And it was him, and after hugging, I could not avoid taking a photo - of this private momentous event. A photo that covers decades.

The photo can now, modestly, join this other photo of another time, another place (Pedraza?).

Life of encounters, life in circles.

Eison / Jungfrau -15

2008-06-02T21:24:00.005+02:00

Dear Jacques,

You are right that the points were losing altitude. Some measure of correction has been provided. I place the red line to support your statistical assumptions.

And to accompany your thoughts of long-distance running, a text on the two worlds of medicine:

"..à travers mon grand-père, je rejoignais la médecine dans ce qu'elle avait de plus ancien et de plus traditionnel, une branche des humanités, un métier de culture, proche des lettres, de la philosophie, nourrie de sagesse. De l'autre, avec [Christian] Barnard, j'étais attiré par la médecine pionnière, à la pointe d'une révolution qui débutait à peine. Son langage était celui des sciences plus que des lettres; elle s'écartait de tous les préceptes de la sagesse et du sens commun, refusait la fatalité de la maladie et même de la mort jusqu'à concevoir l'inconcevable, comme de greffer à un homme le coeur d'un autre."

Un léopard sur le garrot - J-Ch Rufin

Mollendruz / Jungfrau - 16

2008-05-25T20:19:00.003+02:00

Nothing better than an obsession to be kept awake. Km accumulate, as some beautiful scenery passes by. This weekend the Marchairuz-Mollendruz run (16k trail) did wonders. And then, a jovial evening with the expatriates of Bremblens to top it.

Y para los hispano y castellanoparlantes: sorpresa con el libro El Mundo de Millàs.

Eiffel, Jungfrau -17

2008-05-18T20:12:00.003+02:00

Paris contributed to the training - running the Champs Elysées, turn around the Tour Eiffel, and walking up some of it with the contravocitos.

Jungfrau -18 weeks

2008-05-12T20:09:00.003+02:00

Over with my humerous impass, the training started. For you to judge if I can keep up with the plan: 20 weeks, 750 km, 30000 m cumulative altitude.

Below the graphic on the first three weeks. Each blue dot reflects the cumulative km x altitude.

Los contravocitos corren

2008-04-27T22:39:00.004+02:00

En la carrera mas popular de Lausanne, los contravocitos hicieron sus esfuerzos.

A humorous humerus

2008-04-20T21:58:00.004+02:00

During the last 5 weeks, I I have been taking care of my temporary status as individual with limited use of the right arm (a secondary effect of a well targeted impact to the head of the humerus). I have learned to point with the mouse with my left hand - with great precision. Now that I regain use of both hands for typing, I can think about telling you about something.

This occasion should precipitate a philosophical re-positioning. Well, not quite, and I am afraid to have failed at this. I just want to go back to exactly what I was doing before - whatever this was.
The injured humerus deserves an intact humor. All I could find handy (here comes again the issue of using hands), is a cartoon that somehow got stored in my computer.

The meaning of life

2008-04-05T18:41:00.004+02:00

On a certain proportion of awake days, I ask myself about the meaning of life. Some, more combative than me, question about the purpose of life.
I asked Google for more information:
The meaning of life: 17.100.000 entries (cartoons: 317.000)
The purpose of life: 19.900.000 entries (cartoons: 265.000)

To illustrate my research, I am including one example.

Wish you the best on your search!

South from Granada - Al sur de Granada

2008-03-29T20:11:00.006+01:00

Hay viajes fundadores, que definen para siempre la razon del viajar mismo. Eso fueron los viajes a pie a traves de las Alpujarras en 1979 y 1981. Ahora vuelvo e hilvano recuerdos tenues en lo concreto, y a pesar de ello, afirmados en su relevancia.

El trayecto de Yegen a Jorairatar conmueve por su silencio. Y ya en Jorairatar, muy solitario, veo la gran casa en venta, y me pregunto si este seria un sitio donde se podria vivir.

Arriba en la sierra, en la pista al Mulhacen, me detengo alli donde posiblemente comimos aquel dia, y donde yo se que leia el libro de Brennan. El si salio de su sociedad! - gran desafio.

Y el resto, la costa ya no es, ya no consiste en lo que fue, y no se llega ni a hilar vestigios de el viaje en tren atravesando el desierto de Almeria al anochecer.

Living in perpetual equinox

2008-03-18T21:09:00.003+01:00

I transcribe, word by word, a jewel of letter to the editor - published on The Economist on march 15th, 2008. The underlying is mine.

"SIR, I refer to the cartoon accompanying Charlemagne's discussion of globalization (March 1st). The drawing shows the correct 23'' tilt of Earth's rotation axis, but the edge of the shadow cast by the sun is incorrectly drawn along a meridian. The shadow should have been drawn vertically, otherwise we would be in perpetual equinox. Readers need a more realistic perspective of the world." - Dennis Engel, New York.

Challenge - or how to get life exciting

2008-03-10T22:01:00.006+01:00

In a supreme effort of annhiliation, I will commit myself to the cause of simple breathing. You, my dear blog-tourist, will follow my devoted preparation to accomplish (if that's the case here) the Jungfrau marathon. This idea originated from the Sierre-Zinal experience with my dear Pecador. I have this time the fortune of getting my companion DD-mau to pair up with me. The blog will, after the 6th of September, provide faithful accounting of success or failure in the enterprise.

Tomo nota - transcribo

2008-03-01T10:55:00.002+01:00

Poco afin a los largos textos, me rindo ante la lucidez de Juan Jose Millas en El Pais:

"Creci en la cultura de las verdades reveladas (yo soy el que soy y todo eso), por lo que me he pasado la vida esperando una carta, un telegrama, una llamada de telefono. No se trataba de una espera consciente, desde luego. Me he dado cuenta ahora, de mayor, al reflexionar sobre mi existencia y advertir que siempre he atendido de forma un poco ansiosa el telefono, que nunca he dejado de revisar la correspondencia (aunque fuera del banco), que he abierto la puerta de mi casa a todos, fueran testigos de Jehova o vendedores de aspiradoras. Incluso he invitado a los segundos a merendar, por si fueran portadores de un mensaje. He sufrido tambien la variante mas cruel de esa espera: la de creer que podria serme revelada una novela genial, un poema unio, una teoria cientifica definitiva. Pero jamas he tenido la suerte de escribir al dictado. Todo ha salido de mi pluma, a veces de manera harto dolorosa. Ocasionalmente, he sufrido destellos significativos, pero apenas dos o tres segundos, y me cogian siempre fuera de la mesa de trabajo. Nada comparable a la alucinacion continuada que permitio a Dante escribir La Divina Comedia, o el Quijote a Cervantes. No he escuchado voces ni he visto apariciones. No he intuido nada que haya ocurrido dias o semanas despues. Ese silencio cosmico me ha hecho entirme como una persona poco querida por los dioses. Visto sin embargo con la perspectiva que dan los agnos, casi es una benedicion. No debe ser facil estar a la altura de la Teoria de la Relatividad, de La Odisea, de la Interpretacion de los Suenos. Es un alivio saber que puedes dejar de atender al telefono, de leer la correspondencia del banco, o de abrir la puerta a los vendedores ambulantes sin que se pierda nada transcendental para la humanidad. Quias he recibido la revelacion de que no hay revelacion, de la que tomo nota."

Contravoz Snow News - Fabulas de la Nieve

2008-02-17T17:23:00.004+01:00

En un alarde de inutilidad publica, vuelvo al trabajo despues de una semana en Boston y otra en la nieve - lo apropiado mientras el planeta tenga nieve.

Dos videoclips para mostraros la evolucion skiadora de los contravocitos, y el momento historico de subir a Lovegno con Contravoza. Con sus ajustadas musicas.

Ejercita tu decodificador

2008-01-30T21:25:00.000+01:00

SI CONSIGUES LEER LAS PRIMERAS PALABRAS, EL CEREBRO DESCIFRARA LAS OTRAS. Cuanto mas rapido pases, mejor leeras.

C13R70 D14 D3 V3R4N0 3574B4 3N L4 PL4Y4 0853RV4ND0 A D05 CH1C45 8R1NC4ND0 3N 14 4R3N4, 357484N 7R484J484ND0 MUCH0 C0N57RUY3ND0 UN C4571LL0 D3 4R3N4 C0N 70RR35, P454D1Z05 0CUL705 Y PU3N735. CU4ND0 357484N 4C484ND0 V1N0 UN4 0L4 D357RUY3ND0 70D0 R3DUC13ND0 3L C4571LL0 4 UN M0N70N D3 4R3N4 Y 35PUM4... P3N53 9U3 D35PU35 DE 74N70 35FU3RZ0 L45 CH1C45 C0M3NZ4R14N 4 L10R4R, P3R0 3N V3Z D3 350, C0RR13R0N P0R L4 P14Y4 R13ND0 Y JU64ND0 Y C0M3NZ4R0N 4 C0N57RU1R 07R0 C4571LL0; C0MPR3ND1 9U3 H4814 4PR3ND1D0 UN4 6R4N L3CC10N; 64574M05 MUCH0 713MP0 D3 NU357R4 V1D4 C0N57RUY3ND0 4L6UN4 C054 P3R0 CU4ND0 M45 74RD3 UN4 0L4 L1364 4 D357RU1R 70D0, S010 P3RM4N3C3 L4 4M1574D, 3L 4M0R Y 3L C4R1Ã'0, Y L45 M4N05 D3 49U3LL05 9U3 50N C4P4C35 D3 H4C3RN05 50NRR31R.

Solastalgie

2008-01-23T21:03:00.000+01:00

Un philosophe australien du nom de Glenn Albrecht assure avoir identifié une nouvelle forme de tristesse qu'il a baptisée la "solastalgie" (solacium+algos).

Le motif de la solastalgie est le manque de réconfort - la perte de l'identification à un lieu, de la construction de l'identité autour de son confort et de sa permanence. La disparition d'un décor familier et rassurant (example: par la dégradation de l'environnement) serait aussi traumatisante que l'exil ou la déportation.

(Etienne Dubuis)

Je peux réfléchir à ce sujet, lorsque j'entre dans la nature de Saanen - avec Tschäbi, Urs, Andri. La nature, la neige qui ne peut pas durer.

Through the telescope

2008-01-13T23:34:00.000+01:00

Somebody told me that it is possible to take a photo through a telescope. So I did a day after much snow and meditation

What is this?

May be the Grand Muveran?

Looking in the opposite direction; Dent d'Hérens

And in front of my eyes, the Mayens de Sion, with all that new snow.

And as I said snow and meditation, a couple of messages:

"los seres humanos son capaces de inventar fòrmulas brillantes para pasar le tiempo sin crear nada en absoluto"

("Humans a capable of great brilliant explanations to spend time without creating a single thing")

"Yo creo mucho en la suerte, y pienso que cuanto màs trabajo, màs suerte tengo"

("I believe in luck, and more I work, the luckier I am")

Both quotations, from Garry Kasparov (How life Imitates Chess).

It is late - but I'm back

2008-01-07T22:14:00.000+01:00

2008 found Contravoz in its refuge at Baule.

2008 was received in a dignified manner, at the main square of the "Hameau" (Hamlet) by a large representation of the villagers.

Hours later, Contravoz skied up the mountains to see 2008 from the vintage point.

And no festivity could be complete without the BillyBoy* and Lala visit.

Taking off - Nos vamos!

2007-12-24T09:12:00.001+01:00

This blog is like a geranium, one should feed it from time to time.

In preparation for the end of the year, two quotations and two books:

Quotation 1 - For optimists:
An affable idiot asks a beautiful woman the chances of "a girl like you and a guy like me" ending up together.
- "Not good"
-"not good like one in a hundred?", he asks.
- "more like one out of a million", she replies.
The idiot pauses for a moment, then shoots back:
-"so, you're telling me there's a chance?"
From "Dumb and Dunber"

Quotation 2 - For those in conflict:
"Heat does not always produce light
and noise does not always produce locomotion"
Julian Barnes

And now, my two books of 2007:

L'Elégance du hérisson de Muriel Barbery
La foret des renard pendus de Arto Paasilinna

If I do not write anymore this year...happy 2008

Alpage de Lovegno

2007-12-09T18:59:00.000+01:00

Hoy saque los esquis por primera vez este invierno.

Nieve nueva para subir al alpe de Lovegno - 2100m.

En camino, un SMS de David y Mireia que coronan el Kilimanjaro (hay antenas alli??)

Yo tambine hago cumbre en Lovegno, ni un alma - cafe del termo y el cosquilleo de un descenso excepcional. Y el placer de llegar hasta casa esquiando.

Animal intelligence

2007-12-06T23:04:00.000+01:00

The previous post reflected on artificial intelligence. Now check these two examples of natural performance:

Suboptimal:
http://download.current-biology.com/supplementarydata/curbio/17/23/r1004/DC1/mmc6.mpg

Optimal
http://download.current-biology.com/supplementarydata/curbio/17/23/r1004/DC1/mmc3.mpg

Many reunions

2007-12-02T22:30:00.000+01:00

I am a reunologist. I organize, or participate to dozens of reunions. I value them on the basis of simple tools: do they offer coffee?, do they last more than 2 hours?, do I meet friends, so that I can giggle in the back?, is there wifi, so that I can surf and avoid listening?

The other day I did have a good reunion: 5 people from different backgrounds and not fully aligned languages (technical, I mean). A true challenge....

25 años

2007-11-27T22:50:00.000+01:00

A las 5:45 quise dormir, el despertador a las 10:45 para ir al aeropuerto. No pude dormir porque estaba devastado por una alegria melancolica. 25 años divididos en casi 12 horas de rafaga; cada año relatado en 30 min.

NicolasTC quere saber para que sirve un blog - sirve para esto: para registrar en breves palabras, en pocos trazos, los eventos . Lo que acaecio el sabado fue un evento que marca; por el tiempo que pasé, por lo que pude escuchar de, entre otros, los que estais en estas fotos.

The first book that entered the Mayen in Baule....

2007-11-18T23:20:00.000+01:00

The first book that entered the Mayen in Baule was the complete works of Borges (in Spanish - of course).

……. all men are born Aristotelians or Platonists. The latter feel that classes, orders, and genres are realities; the former, that they are generalizations. For the latter, language is nothing but an approximative set of symbols; for the former, it is the map of the universe. The Platonist knows that the universe is somehow a cosmos, an order; that order, for the Aristotelian, can be an error or a fiction of our partial knowledge.
Jorge Luis Borges

And against this seriousness of thought, the easy ride of a sledge down to Baule with Frank and Nico. Enjoy the music too.......

Baule - nieve

2007-11-10T20:01:00.000+01:00

Hoy el rey se pone un "Por que no te callas?" de peineta. Sonrio, pero la diplomacia quiza funcione mejor que el puño golpeando la mesa.Contravoz prefiere el silencio en Baule en la primera nevada de la temporada.

Creo...creo que la semana proxima Baule estara finalizado: estais invitados a cenar el proximo viernes.....

Tiempo en el sol

2007-11-03T22:01:00.000+01:00

Algunos dias hay tiempo. Y en ese tiempo no pasan acontecimientos. Pueden haber sorpresas - el hielo escondido en los ultimos dias de calor. Tampoco hay sucesos (unos acontecen, otros suceden), ni eventos. El tiempo, quizas sea el acontecimiento, el suceso, y sobre todo el evento placentero.
Some days there is time.

Baule - Decima etapa - escalers, puertas, pandillas

2007-10-28T20:37:00.000+01:00

Recta final en Baule.

Ademas de la construccion senso stricto, se construyen las relaciones - y la mas notable es la pandilla.

Y hoy una vez mas contravoz acabo un libro de Arto Paasilinna (El bosque de los zorros ahorcados), con la certeza de conseguir leer todo lo que Paasilina haya escrito y publicado.

MaVacheaMoi

2007-10-27T12:23:00.000+02:00

Ma Vache à Moi . Mi vaca es mia - my cow is mine

I do not know if this entry will help explain the recent political events in Switzerland. But when you click on the hypelink below you may get closer to the complex roots of rural conservatism. Political ideology is after all an expression of one's imagerie.....ma vache à moi.

Do not forget to put the sound on when looking at the web site below.

http://www.lecherette.ch/index.php?option=com_xegallerypro&Itemid=43

Lausanne running

2007-10-21T21:15:00.000+02:00

Today took place the rendez-vous at the Lausanne Marathon (modestly, a half-marathon for this living protoplasm). Two novelties: Nicolas running his 4k; Contravoz chasing a yellow balloon that marked 1:45. Amazing loss of power at 19k, that saw the yellow ballon float away to gain 1:30 min. Great day.

Cinque Terre

2007-10-14T20:47:00.000+02:00

Three days to walk and eat pizza in Cinque Terre. I wonder why we did not know about this before. No cars, vertiginous trails, and back to summer days..

Arrival to Vernazza from Trail #2.

Baule - Novena etapa - mas puertas

2007-10-06T20:27:00.000+02:00

Baule bajo nueva luz - el nuevo techo de lajas es el beneficiario directo.

La puerta floreada llega a su siguiente posada, desde algun lugar en los alpes Berneses.

Y mas lugares en la vecindad de Baule - la poza de Combioula - aguas sulfurosas pero menos calientes de lo que se podria esperar. Deben llegar de algun infierno con averia en los hornos.

Miracles@Duke

2007-10-04T20:41:00.000+02:00

Do miracles occur more than once?

Are repetitive miracles still considered miraculous?

Are chance and miracle interchangeable terms?

Are there statistical interactions between luck and miracle?

With these and other solemn thoughts I've spent three days in my American exile....again. And in an effort to fix these moments to a tangible vehicle of memory, I adventure myself to publish this "road film" with the newly discovered music of Yehuda Poliker "Hurts but Less".

Enjoy the timbre of Hebrew lyrics, as much as it was enjoyed every morning on the way to work at Duke (if work is what we actually do .....).

Baule - Octava etapa - Mas madera

2007-09-22T22:31:00.000+02:00

Wood returns to its place, and it is good to see its rough texture

The kitchen too is occupied by future clients

And from the kitchen, the amazing, amazing view....

And this place merits some philosophical thinking:

"For a scientist, the goal of a theory is to convey "truth for now" - to replace an old truth, while accepting that someday this theory, too, will be replaced by a new "truth", because that is the way science advances."

D. J. Levitin

Inmense Chicago

2007-09-19T01:09:00.000+02:00

Today, I am resident of the first ever Hilton hotel (Formerly: The Stevens Hotel, Designed by: Holabird & Roche, Construction Completed: 1927). One of these mammouth buldings that characterize this city.

The lake, a see, in front of me. The little walks that bring you nowhere...so large this place is.

Baule -Séptima etapa - El techo de piedra

2007-09-09T17:43:00.001+02:00

El techo de piedra y una otra piedra filosofal:
"La vérité d'un homme, c'est ce qu'il cache"
(The truth about a man lies first and foremost in what he hides)

André Malraux

Les discours de Cicéron

2007-09-09T12:10:00.000+02:00

Il y a quelques mois Contravoz avait invité Cicéron au Blog (http://contravoz.blogspot.com/2007/02/tertulias.html). Maintenant Cicéron revient pour nous montrer les étapes du plaidoirie, l'aboutissement de longues heures de réflexion, de recherche, et d’écriture.

"Construire une plaidoirie, c'est toujours passer mentalement par les quatre étapes de la rhétorique classique:
L'inventio: pour un sujet donné, je commence par rassembler toutes les idées que me viennent.
La dispositio: dans un deuxième temps, je les organise - c'est l'étape où je taille dans la matière.
L'elocutio: la manière dont je vais prononcer mon discours, lui donner ses couleurs. la fureur ici, la peine simulée quand il faut.
L'actio: le jeu de l'acteur, son corps dans le feu de la parlole"

Marc Bonnant - la passion de plaider

Jacques Genome: think about Cicero for your next talks!

Will global warming influence heaven?

2007-09-02T16:00:00.000+02:00

Oohh boy, this is beginning to worry me. I thought that global warming was a problem restricted to this "valle de lagrimas" (whatever the English translation may be).
We better take action before the cardinals' hat turns green too.

The vatican turns ecologist, Loreto 02.09.2007

Baule -Sexta etapa - Seattle Salmon

2007-08-26T18:40:00.001+02:00

The internal structures start at Baule-
The external appendixes - such as the chimney too.

And while the house grows, we eat the famous Salmon from Seattle (thanks Clark!!). Perhaps not in the most elegant fashion, but in keeping with the Contravoz tradition that were not for this Salmon, starving would have been likely.

And the night arrives with a taste of camp fire for the Contravozitos, who fell asleep before the moonrise.

Heathrow

2007-08-21T15:22:00.000+02:00

Like a migratory bird, the season of flights is about to start. And here I am like a sitting duck looking through the fog at the bellies of the BA planes. Cheer up...only 12 hours to Seattle. Three books for 18 pounds (Sansom's Winter in Madrid, Crichton's Next, Barnes' Arthur & George). At 6PM (+9 in Europe), I'll be meeting Clark for a good dinner.

Dubos and his time - some more thoughts

2007-08-19T16:07:00.000+02:00

This will be the third and probably last time that I will entertain you with Dubos. For this last entry, I have recovered some phrases that illuminate the nature of science and the basics of existing.

Herbert Gasser as new director of Rockefeller:

"There are two times for working on a problem - before anyone has thought of it and after everyone has left it"

Dubos on well being in an imperfect world:

"The earth is not a resting place. Human life is a dynamic process, so that to renounce adventure, abandon risk, or avoid the world would result in a static paradise"

A fable of three men transporting materials on the road to Chartres:

"One man says he is carrying stones, another says he is working on a wall, and the third says he is building a cathedral"

Dubos on scientific insight:

"Be aware of what one does not see, instead of being satisfied with what one sees"

And finally, to your surprise, the most famous quote of Dubos (also attributed to David Brower)!

"Think globally, act locally"

Running on the Montagnettes

2007-08-13T08:14:00.000+02:00

With the valuable participation of Liki Fumei, we succesfully completed the Sierre to Zinal mountain course. Remarkable!

The Profile

Hotel Weisshorn and, at the end the Cervino/Matterhorn...source of great confusion for Liki Fumei

Arrival to Zinal: the Alpenhorn

Dubos, Avery and failure

2007-08-08T21:41:00.000+02:00

I insist on Dubos to celebrate the difficulties of research:

"Every culture that I put in the incubator is a test of myself against nature, and every morning I verify the results. I know the emotion of the gambler who returns to his dice but I often have the impression that my activity is as futile as the on eof the gambler"

A typical reaction from Avery when experiments failed was to end discouragement with the admonition:

"Now boys, whenever you fall, pick up something"

René Dubos - The Rockefeller Institute

2007-08-06T21:15:00.000+02:00

I only knew of the Dubos growth media used in the labs. Now in a dedicated biography I understand the size of the man, and his time during the pre-antibiotic era. Below are some quotes that show that what we see as innovation today, existed before:

"Frederick Gates, adviser to Rockefeller, read Osler's Principles and Practice of Medecine, and understood that medecine did not cure more of four or five diseases. He realised that the causes of diseases as well as remedies could be found if facilities existed for intensive research. The Rockefeller Institute was founded free of university, government, or commercial control"

"Gates advised that medecine could hardly hope to become a science until qualified men could give themselves to uninterrupted study and investigation, on ample salary, entirely independent of practice - freed from clinical duties, teaching, examinations, and administrative responsabilities""

"Intially, microbiology and pathology were the predominant sciences at the Institute. The focus changed rapidly to a more biochemical outlook, and bacteriologists were then joined by chemists, physiologists, and biophysicists"

Moberg - Dubos, Friend of the good Earth

Baule -Quinta etapa - Las ventanas

2007-08-01T22:10:00.000+02:00

Llegan las ventanas

Las paredes

..y las primeras excursiones al Pas de Lovégno - 1000 metros por detras del chalet de Baule

Tambien hay montagnettes en Suiza.

Bulnes-Amuesa-JouCabrones-Urriellu--Bulnes

2007-07-31T22:04:00.001+02:00

PICOS DE EUROPA - ASTURIAS

Amuesa desde Bulnes

Bulnes desde Amuesa

La brana de Amuesa

Vista hacia el Trave

Despues de la primera noche

Llegada al refugio de Jou de los Cabrones

Esto no es la bandera Suiza

Esto no es la Fondue

A la Pardida

La Pardida

El juego de la bruma de Picos

Despues de la Segunda noche

Salida por Horcadas Areneras

Por ahi a Urriellu

Las Horcadas

Omnipresente Naranjo

Bulnes al fondo

Bajada de la Tenerosa

Los tejados de Bulnes

Jacques et les Montagnettes

2007-07-31T16:34:00.000+02:00

Cher Jacques, en Espagne nous nous référons à des grandes montagnes comme Montañotas. Ton utilisation du mot Montagnettes pour décrire Picos de Europa n'est pas précise, et je serai heureux d'y aller avec toi, n'importe quand. Jette un coup d'oeil à la vue 360° depuis La Pardida, la semaine dernière….c'est paradis sur terre !