Associate Professor Justine Tigno-Aranjuez will use a five-year grant of more than $1 million to study how influences on the production of lipid mediators to better understand impacts on inflammation A College of Medicine researcher has received a prestigious U.S National Science Foundation CAREER Award to support her research into the cellular causes of inflammation discoveries that could be pivotal for treating conditions like Crohn’s disease and arthritis Justine Tigno-Aranjuez’s lab has been researching lipid mediators — bioactive lipids the body produces in response to stimuli such as microorganisms or microbial products Scientists have long known that lipid mediators can influence both the initiation and resolution of inflammation the exact mechanisms by which this happens are still not completely understood She will use her five-year grant of more than $1 million to study how a specific receptor and cellular signaling pathway influences the production of lipid mediators with the goal of better understanding its impact on inflammation because of its well-known genetic links with inflammatory diseases like Crohn’s Disease and Early Onset Sarcoidosis,” Tigno-Aranjuez says “Most of the focus has been on the events which promote the production of inflammatory cytokines another type of protein-based signaling molecule There are very few studies looking into how exactly activation of the NOD2 pathway can lead to the production of lipid mediators Our hope is that by understanding the molecular events important for the production of such lipid mediators we can guide therapies in the future that either prevent inflammation or promote its resolution.” nearly 35% of US adults suffer from chronic inflammatory disease Inflammation occurs as a part of the body’s natural immune response When a foreign substance like a virus or bacterium enters your body it cues production of cytokines and lipid mediators that recruit inflammatory cells to control the infection the body produces other to promote healing and the clearance of dead cells if the body incorrectly starts inflammation when no foreign object is present or doesn’t stop the inflammatory process once the danger is over researchers believed that when something caused inflammation let’s say you get poked with something or infected with a microbe everything will go back to normal,” Tigno-Aranjuez says “But what researchers have found out is there are  a lot of factors that go into bringing us back to baseline including the active production of certain classes of lipid mediators and that’s why it’s important that we understand how they are produced.” hundreds of researchers apply for the NSF’s CAREER Award which support early-career faculty who they see as potential role models in education and research Tigno-Aranjuez says she was honored and grateful for the award “This was one of my long-standing pet projects It wasn’t the original focus of the lab when I started but it was something that I was really interested in pursuing and taking further to see it now funded and recognized is really important.” she says This grant will also offer UCF undergraduates a sustained research experience to prepare them for future careers in the sciences and in medicine “The grant will support a Sustained Research Initiative which I am hoping will open up a lot of opportunities for undergraduates to get hands-on research in a controlled setting.” she says “Students will be working both as individuals and as a team in research labs will have the opportunity to serve as an instructor for future students.” Tigno-Aranjuez immigrated to the United States from the Philippines to conduct her graduate and postdoctoral training at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland She joined UCF in 2015 and focuses her research on innate immune signaling pathways involved in chronic inflammatory diseases this concert promises an inspiring musical journey embraced by orchestras across the United States for over half a century Premiered in 1955 by the legendary conductor Leopold Stokowski the symphony showcases Hovhaness’s unique blend of Eastern and Western musical influences drawing inspiration from nature and spirituality Stokowski commissioned this three-movement work for his debut with the Houston Symphony leading to a nationwide broadcast that solidified Hovhaness’s reputation suggested by Stokowski after the music’s completion reflects the symphony’s expansive soundscapes that evoke the grandeur of mountains Hovhaness described mountains as symbols of humanity’s quest to understand the divine a theme that resonates deeply in this symphony Mysterious Mountain captures the essence of New England Transcendentalism featuring crescendos and expansive melodic arcs that mirror the heights of mountains Hovhaness’s signature blend of church modes and cyclical rhythmic patterns creates a transcendental sound world exploring the connections between the earthly and the spiritual Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez is a cornerstone of the classical guitar repertoire recognized worldwide for its lyrical beauty and emotional depth it draws inspiration from the picturesque gardens of the Royal Palace of Aranjuez in Spain This work is not just a showcase for the guitar; it allows the instrument to shine alongside the orchestra as an equal partner The concerto’s structure features three movements: an energetic Allegro con spirito often considered the heart of the concerto has been shrouded in mystery regarding its emotional origins While initially thought to reflect the devastation of the bombing of Guernica Rodrigo later revealed that it was inspired by his honeymoon and his sorrow over a miscarriage has garnered acclaim for his interpretation of this iconic work bringing a vibrant energy that captures its Spanish essence With influences from flamenco and rich melodic lines Concierto de Aranjuez is a vibrant exploration of Rodrigo’s musical heritage Sáinz-Villegas shared this about the work: “First time I played the Concierto de Aranjuez was probably 1997 And it was in Barcelona at the Palau de la Musique since then it’s been part of my journey as a musician And that’s the beautiful thing about good music but I feel I know him every time I’m playing the piece because it’s it’s already part of who I am as an artist as a human being—and that creates a very special place to invite the audience to participate Living with the piece for that long is a luxury the more you can go into the subtleties and different depths that the piece has to offer And that’s what makes music so exciting And then you realize that every time I play the piece All these three different elements are part of the creation of the music as well Every time I play this with other wonderful musicians And they also invite me to explore some different horizons in every interpretation is my final purpose of as a musician—everything I do is for them that magic and that interaction is what brings in a special meaning to all these years of dedication to music 5 premiered in 1915 to celebrate the composer’s 50th birthday This symphony stands as a testament to Sibelius’s evolution as a composer marked by a newfound clarity and monumental quality The work was inspired by a transformative experience Sibelius had while observing swans in flight which led him to create a theme representing their graceful movement The symphony’s three movements reflect a deep introspection with the second movement showcasing a theme with variations that flows seamlessly Sibelius sought to embody a more “human” and “down-to-earth” quality in this work departing from classical formalism to embrace organic development brings a fresh perspective to Sibelius’s music known for his engaging performances that resonate with audiences His thoughtful interpretations promise to highlight the intricate beauty of Sibelius’s orchestration and thematic development This Monday at 7 PM on Arizona PBS’s Classical 89.5 KBACH and KNAU Arizona Public Radio immerse yourself in the world of orchestral music with the Phoenix Symphony this concert promises to be a celebration of musical artistry and cultural heritage Pablo Sáinz-Villegas’s vibrant guitar performances alongside the symphonic power of Hovhaness and Sibelius create an evening of rich emotional resonance and artistic exploration Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the beauty of classical music in a new light Tune in and let the symphonic journey begin “Mysterious Mountain” – The Phoenix Symphony; Ankush Kumar Bahl Rodrigo – Concierto de Aranjuez – The Phoenix Symphony; Ankush Kumar Bahl Tarrega – Gran Jota – Pablo Sainz Villegas 5 – The Phoenix Symphony; Ankush Kumar Bahl 1 – mov 4 – The Phoenix Symphony; Tito Munoz A community service of Arizona State University and an affiliate of ASU Media Enterprise, Arizona PBS is one of the nation’s leading public media organizations reaching viewers across five broadcast channels and an array of digital platforms Copyright © Arizona Board of Regents The pair re-enacted Beck's 2020 performance of En Aranjuez Con Tu Amo complete with a recording of the virtuoso's parts Actor-turned-rockstar Johnny Depp has taken to the stage in Italy to pay tribute to Jeff Beck during an Andrea Bocelli concert Depp and Beck’s relationship ran deep with the pair releasing and touring the album 18 together in 2022 in what proved to be Beck’s final LP has been performing a three-day concert series in his hometown of Lajatico to celebrate his storied career.  Depp joined Bocelli on stage on one of those nights a track the pair performed with Beck in 2020 Beck’s playing from that night four years ago played over the PA for a faux trio that paid tribute to Beck’s legacy.  Depp dons a nylon acoustic for the performance up-picking his way through the song’s reserved rhythms with his fingers Depp may be more widely known for his acting skills having charmed and thrilled on the big screen as everything from a Keith Richards-inspired pirate to depicting Willy Wonka and Edward Scissorhands.  Johnny Depp and Andrea Bocelli performing together is everything to me pic.twitter.com/8y5wqboIhsJuly 17, 2024 All this despite the fact that A&R rep Tom Zutaut, better known as the man who discovered Guns N' Roses and Mötley Crüe, called Depp “the worst guitarist” he'd ever seen – although he admitted that his star power ✨️ Johnny Depp and Andrea Bocelli.Beautiful moment ❤️ pic.twitter.com/L3stPRjxQPJuly 17, 2024 in which he slings an 8-string Strandberg Boden Original churning that low string through a variety of tunings He's also a published author and is currently penning his debut novel which chucks fantasy mythology and humanity into a great big melting pot but essentially it’s an instrument that belongs to the 20th century in many ways what can you do to try to reinvent that vocabulary to make it seem relevant?”: Steven Wilson on the making of a cosmic prog epic I think Billy Corgan saw that in me”: From Veruca Salt to the Smashing Pumpkins and Garbage Nicole Fiorentino has become alt-rock's go-to bassist “I remember there was a video of Gary Moore and he played Red House on this Fiesta Red Strat and I thought it was just the most incredible thing”: Is Toby Lee Britain’s next blues-rock superstar The World Heritage Centre is at the forefront of the international community’s efforts to protect and preserve World Heritage partnerships for conservation Ensuring that World Heritage sites sustain their outstanding universal value is an increasingly challenging mission in today’s complex world where sites are vulnerable to the effects of uncontrolled urban development Our Partners Donate Take advantage of the search to browse through the World Heritage Centre information The Aranjuez cultural landscape is an entity of complex relationships: between nature and human activity between sinuous watercourses and geometric landscape design between forest landscape and the delicately modulated architecture of its palatial buildings Three hundred years of royal attention to the development and care of this landscape have seen it express an evolution of concepts from humanism and political centralization to characteristics such as those found in its 18th century French-style Baroque garden to the urban lifestyle which developed alongside the sciences of plant acclimatization and stock-breeding during the Age of Enlightenment Avec ses voies d'eau sinueuses qui s'opposent aux lignes droites d'un paysage géométrique ses paysages arboricoles et l'architecture délicatement modulée de ses édifices palatiaux le paysage culturel d'Aranjuez témoigne des relations complexes qui se tissent entre l'homme et la nature la famille royale s'est attachée à développer et à entretenir ce paysage qui a réussi à intégrer les caractéristiques du jardin baroque de style français du XVIIIe siècle mais aussi celles d'un mode de vie urbain allant de pair avec la pratique scientifique de l'acclimatation botanique et de l'élevage au siècle des Lumières L'apparition de concepts tels que l'humanisme et la centralisation politique ont également influencé à leur façon ce paysage يشكّل منظر أرنخويث الثقافي كتلةً من العلاقات المعقّدة: بين الإنسان والطبيعة، بين مسالك المياه المتعرّجة وتصاميم المناظر الطبيعيّة الهندسيّة، بين المناظر الريفية والحضرية، وبين غابات الأشجار والهندسة منحوتة المعالم لمبانيه الفخمة وعلى مرّ ثلاثمائة عام من الاهتمام الملكي في تطوّر هذا المنظر الطبيعي ورعايته، تجلّى تطوّر المفاهيم من النواحي الإنسانيّة والمركزيّة السياسيّة إلى الصفات مثل تلك الموجودة في حديقة فرنسيّة الطراز الباروكي التي ترقى إلى القرن الثامن عشر وإلى نمط حياةٍ حضريّ نما إلى جانب خبرات زراعة وعناية النبات وتربية الماشية في خلال عصر الأنوار 阿兰胡埃斯文化景观体现了许多复杂的关系，例如人类活动与自然的关系、蜿蜒水道与呈现几何形态的景观设计之间的关系、乡村和城市之间的关系，以及森林环境和当地富丽堂皇的精美建筑之间的关系。300年来，西班牙王室对于阿兰胡埃斯文化景观倾注了许多精力，使得它向世人展示着奇妙的变化。我们不仅能看到人道主义和政治集权的观念，而且可以领略到公元18世纪建造的法国式巴洛克花园所体现出来的特色，以及启蒙运动时期伴随着植物种植和牲畜饲养所发展起来的城市生活方式。 где в течение 300 лет размещалась королевская резиденция демонстрирует целый комплекс взаимосвязей: между природой и деятельностью человека между извилистыми естественными водотоками и геометрически спланированным парковым ландшафтом между лесным ландшафтом и тщательно разработанной архитектурой дворцовых зданий que contrastan con las líneas rectas del paisaje rural y urbano sus jardines arbolados y la arquitectura delicadamente modulada de sus edificios palaciales el paisaje cultural de Aranjuez es un ejemplo de la compleja relación entre el hombre y la naturaleza los monarcas españoles se dedicaron a diseñar y cuidar este sitio haciendo de él una muestra de la evolución de los conceptos de humanismo y centralización política así como un paisaje en el que confluyen las características del jardín barroco francés del siglo XVIII con las del modo de vida urbano propio del Siglo de Luces en el que también están presentes las prácticas científicas en materia de aclimatación botánica y cría del ganado The Aranjuez Cultural Landscape is a singular entity of complex and historic relationships between nature and human activity the sinuous watercourses of the rivers and the geometrical design of the landscape and between the forest wildlife and the refined architecture The Tagus and Jarama rivers are the two main arteries of the Aranjuez Cultural Landscape an extensive area (2,047.56 ha) in the south of the Autonomous Community of Madrid The surrounding buffer zone is located within the municipal boundaries of Aranjuez (16,604.56 ha) Aranjuez bears witness to various cultural exchanges over a span of time that had a significant influence in the development of its landmarks and the creation of its landscape thereby becoming a model for its culture's use of its territory The process of transformation dates back to the reign of Philip II when with the influence of the Crown and the wealth of nature as the determining elements Aranjuez was established as a Real Sitio (Royal Site) in the sixteenth century and Isabella II marked its evolution in the 18th and 19th centuries This landscape survived during the 20th century when it was opened for the enjoyment of the public The property comprises diverse elements that make up the different zones: historic vegetable gardens the Palace and ornamental gardens (the Prince’s the King’s and Isabella II’s gardens) and the 18th century historic town centre The conceptual combination of these zones creates a series of landscapes that the agricultural landscape (orchards and nurseries the delectable landscape for leisure (ornamental gardens) the ordered landscape (the geometry of the streets and squares that shape the natural terrain) Criterion (ii): Aranjuez represents the coming together of diverse cultural influences to create a cultural landscape that had a formative influence on further developments in this field Criterion (iv): The complex designed cultural landscape of Aranjuez marks a seminal stage in the development of landscape design The Aranjuez Cultural Landscape contains all its elements and attributes: the irrigation and hydraulic systems Both the natural and geometric components of the property as a whole have survived remarkably well with relatively little loss and effectively no inappropriate intrusion other than modern communication routes Major buildings as well as the city's layout and tree-lined avenues have been preserved as characteristics of an urban community among orchards and groves living on a ground plan that mirrors those of ornamental gardens across the river The measures in place for the conservation of its elements and attributes guarantee the integrity of the property which is favoured by the fact that most elements are still used for their original purpose The hydraulic and irrigation systems are still in use The historic vegetable gardens are still cultivated and the tree-lined streets and squares are conserved and renewed The ornamental gardens are still visited for leisure and for cultural events The Royal Palace is used for cultural and institutional acts The 18th-century town combines its function as a residential centre with the aesthetics and cultural aspects of its urban layout its architectural features and outstanding buildings The conservation of the site is not a contemporary phenomenon but goes back to the patronage of the Spanish Crown The property confiscations that were carried out in the 19th century and the aggressive development during some years of the 20th century have not had any significant negative effect The property is not under any significant threat and the measures taken to address the threats posed by industrial development or demographic growth including those that might impact its wider setting guarantee a good state of conservation for all attributes of the property The Aranjuez Cultural Landscape is remarkable from a historical Aranjuez has been a reflection of the patronage and splendour of the Spanish Crown personified by two of the most important monarchs in universal history and science at different times throughout history a reference point and place of influence since its formation Although it has lost its role as a royal residence the property has retained its authenticity to a considerable degree in terms of place and design hydrology and to a remarkable extent in function. Though some of the garden areas require restoration the overall state of conservation is such that the site is able to demonstrate clearly the stages of its development from the mid-16th to the mid-19th century The Aranjuez Cultural Landscape has an adequate system of protection and management with a solid legal base that guarantees and safeguards its singular elements Aranjuez was declared to be of Historic Value in 1983 a legal measure that guarantees the conservation of the historic centre The 1996 Town Planning Act provides guidelines for future developments that need to be harmonious and respectful of the conservation of the values of Aranjuez and local public administrations oversee its conservation Notwithstanding the loss of the Crown’s influence on the current development of Aranjuez some of the elements of the property are administered by Patrimonio Nacional (Spanish National Heritage Board) The management plan prescribes different management levels for the implementation of the technical part of the plan: regulations ownership and the responsibilities of each of the institutions that manage the conservation of the site (Aranjuez town council The property has additional planning tools that are comprehensive and responsive to specific issues such as town planning tourist facilities and the renovation and recovery of buildings and natural landscapes These plans are supported by corresponding sources of funding and revenue allocation Monitoring of the property is statistically based on issues such as the impact of traffic or tourism the management plan identifies the attributes that comprise the Cultural Landscape and defines provisions on which uses and activities are compatible so as to maintain the integrity and authenticity of the property it defines the tools deemed necessary to manage the site efficiently and coherently It is essential that a management structure which includes all the entities involved in the supervision and conservation of the Aranjuez Cultural Landscape is fully operational and that the management systems promote the implementation of the Plan with the participation and agreement of the different stakeholders The Tren de la Fresa ('strawberry train') that connects Spain's capital Madrid and the Royal Palace of Aranjuez returns on 22 March many visitors have taken a journey through time to experience the route of the first railways built in the region in 1851 The 'strawberry train' celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2024 breaking passenger records: in 36 trips and 12,517 passengers bringing the total to 330,000 tourists who have enjoyed this trip over four decades the train will run not only on the usual Saturday and Sunday such as Good Friday (18 April) and the Day of Madrid (2 May) where it also completes the final return route at 7.45pm tourists are welcomed by a group of actors who accompany them on the journey passengers get the chance to taste the famous Aranjuez strawberry A new feature this year is the 'Fresas entre piraguas' ('strawberries between canoes') which takes visitors to the navigable stretch of the Tagus river Passengers will go directly from the train to the wharf where they will receive a brief lesson on how to paddle their boat after which they will go up a stretch of the river along the banks of the Jardín del Príncipe Each canoe will hold a maximum of 30 people visitors will have the option to take a guided tour of the historic gardens of Aranjuez There are several possible routes offered on the 'strawberry train' If you prefer to tour Aranjuez on your own which includes only the return journey on the train this one is dog-friendly (as long as your pup is no more than 40kg) - 'Fresas con nata': Tour on the Chiquitrén (Aranjuez's tourist train) and guided tour of the historic gardens of the Parterre and the Isla - 'Fresas del tajo': Tour of the Tagus river on a tourist boat and guided tour of the historic gardens of the Parterre - 'Fresas reales': Guided tour of the Royal Palace of Aranjuez and the Jardín del Príncipe Also included is a visit to the Museo de las Falúas Reales - 'Fresas ciclistas': Electric bicycle tour of the orchards and copses of Aranjuez and guided walking tour of the historic gardens of the Parterre and the Isla - 'Fresas con música': Combines the architectural and natural heritage of Aranjuez with special performances of the XXXI Festival de Música Antigua de Aranjuez - 'Fresas de la huerta': A special route that includes a guided tour of the historic orchards It also includes a guided walking tour of the historic gardens of the Parterre and the Isla -'Fresas entre piraguas': A two-hour canoe trip along the navigable stretch of the Tagus river and a guided tour of the historic gardens of Aranjuez - Combined route 'Nata del tajo': Visit to the centre of Aranjuez in the Chiquitrén and boat trip on the Tagus - Combined route 'Nata real': Tour of the Chiquitrén plus a detailed visit to the Royal Palace - Combined route 'Tajo Real': River trip and guided visit to the Royal Palace Tickets are already on sale through the Strawberry Train website The rest of the passengers will have to buy their tickets at a price ranging from 23 euros to 46 euros The project that gave rise to this journey into the past which has been well-received by the public was a joint initiative of the Railway Museum the city council of Aranjuez and Patrimonio Nacional The Tren de la Fresa is part of the Trenes Patrimonio Mundial de la Comunidad de Madrid (part of the World Heritage Sites by Unesco) - an organisation that connects the capital to other cities in the region Comentar es una ventaja exclusiva para registrados The Goyesco Market of Aranjuez changes its dates due to the weather forecast for this weekend Latest UpdatesCountries Why Join?IL MagazineFree Daily E-LetterVideoOur ExpertsTestimonialsFAQsTopics With its international airport and internationally connected rail system Madrid is an ideal location for travelers and explorers The food and entertainment have a flair that is unique to the region and Madrid offers a level of diversity that can be difficult to find anywhere else in Spain the best place to live in the region might be a medium-sized town on the southern border named Aranjuez and that’s why it’s still the perfect place to move if you’re relocating to Spain Aranjuez is 45 minutes south of central Madrid and you can get there by bus or train for $5 There is indirect access to Madrid’s airport as it is a two-hour train ride from Aranjuez and one hour by car The biggest concern people have about Aranjuez is that it’s not in the center of the action but it’s close enough that you can still enjoy the best of what Madrid has to offer train service between Aranjuez and central Madrid stops at 11.30 p.m. but there is a night-bus that runs between Aranjuez and central Madrid after train service ends so you’ll never have to worry about being stranded you can expect to pay upwards of $1,050 per month for a shoebox apartment “Bargain” apartments cost around $750 monthly but that’s usually a single room in a shared space You wouldn´t have that problem in Aranjuez I currently rent a three-bedroom apartment in Aranjuez with my fiancé and we pay $488 per month between the two of us we don’t have to share our space with strangers The cost of food is considerably less in Aranjuez than in many other parts of Spain I do the bulk of my grocery shopping at the Saturday farmer’s market where they sell everything by the kilo They charge $1 or $2 per kilo of a given item and I typically get a week’s worth of food for about $9 I get my household items in the supermarket or bazaar I spend just under $6.50 for a month’s supply of toilet paper and around $7.50 for other toiletry items Restaurants are also more affordable in Aranjuez You can find a menú del día for $7.50 to $11 You’ll understand how much of a bargain that is after you’ve gone out to eat in Madrid General medical care in Spain is free You do have to pay for certain specialists like dentists but the cost isn’t anywhere near what you’d expect to pay back in the U.S Aranjuez has one major medical clinic and a hospital in its La Montaña suburb The hospital is accessible to Spanish citizens and foreigners regardless of their insurance status but you will need insurance for the medical clinic You can also purchase insurance that gives you access to private doctors around Aranjuez The only problem I’ve encountered with medical services in Spain is the abnormally long waiting time between initial appointments I had to wait another month for my follow-up appointment with the specialist I’ve been satisfied with the medical coverage here in Aranjuez I have coverage through my job (language assistant) but I did look into it for research purposes and I was quoted between $55 and $110 per month by various companies I recommend getting health insurance because the waiting time in the hospital can be extremely long—especially in Aranjuez and I haven’t paid more than $16 for brand name prescription medication The only drawback to buying medicine in Spain is that you have to get everything in the pharmacy—that includes something as common as aspirin But every town has at least one 24-hour pharmacy Aranjuez doesn’t have much of an expat community a new crop of language assistants come and go from Aranjuez but the options are limited outside of the education and the hospitality industry The good news is that one of Aranjuez’s greatest weaknesses is also one of its greatest strengths You’ll meet lots of curious locals who’ll befriend you due to your status as a native English speaker As long as you’re willing to be open and converse you shouldn’t have much trouble meeting people Aranjuez does provide opportunities for you to learn Spanish You can pay for classes at the local school of languages La Fundación de Juanjo Torrejón gives leveled Spanish classes for free during the week I attended their classes when I first arrived in Spain three years ago and they helped me expand my vocabulary immensely It hasn’t been overrun by corporations or tourists so you can still experience authentic Spanish culture It’s also big enough that you won’t go stir-crazy like you would in a tiny pueblo located in the middle of nowhere Aranjuez has grown to the point that it hosts a minimum of one major concert every summer People travel from every corner of Madrid to descend upon this border-town and enjoy its festivals Numerous events take place throughout the year and provide opportunities to familiarize yourself with the local culture Aranjuez is on the verge of becoming a boomtown It was hit particularly hard by the global economic crisis and it’s commercial and residential expansion was halted there is an entire community of luxury housing that sits unoccupied As more and more expats and financially capable Spaniards begin to discover its existence There is also a mega-mall construction project that was interrupted during the economic downturn Once they have found enough investors to resume construction of the mall the cost of those luxury homes will surely climb in price It might be the perfect time to invest in property there The situation at least warrants investigating As more and more foreigners flock to central Madrid locals and retirees are being priced out of the area Aranjuez will ultimately benefit from this mass exodus due to its plethora of untapped residential and commercial resources There is even more opportunity for expats with an entrepreneurial mindset Aranjuez lacks a movie theater and many other basic entertainment facilities like bowling alleys and arcades Parents in Aranjuez are forced to commute to other towns to entertain their kids I speak with many of these kids and parents frequently and it’s a common complaint amongst both parties Aranjuez is a great place to enjoy your golden years but there are also economic opportunities waiting to be seized by anyone who wants them My 5 Favorite Seaside Towns in Spain Things To Do In Girona, Spain 10 Things to do in Sitges, Spain The most-loved of all guitar concertos has at its heart music of great beauty and haunting emotions; sadness regret and resignation are at the core of the second movement of the Concierto de Aranjuez of Spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo the emotional impact of the Adagio is all the greater in this magnificent work for guitar and orchestra from 1939 Powerful human emotions are at the heart of much great music, and that's certainly the case in this wonderful concerto for guitar and orchestra.  You can hear the Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquin Rodrigo on the next Fretworks on Classical 101 Wednesday at 7:00 PM.  I'm your host every Saturday and Wednesday evening on Fretworks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4QrJc3VQDo because the summer music season is here in Colorado Grab your 25% discount code and join us at the Gerald R Vail debut of Sinfónica de Minería from Mexico City Conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto will lead the Grammy Award-winning ensemble The evening begins with Maurice Ravel's graceful homage to an earlier time in "Le Tombeau de Couperin." Then the Spaniards take over as Guitarist Pablo Sáinz-Villegas joins the orchestra for Joaquín Rodrigo's beloved "Concierto de Aranjuez." Flamenco singer Esperanza Fernández and flamenco dancer Isaac Tovar spice up Manuel de Falla's "El amor brujo" (Love Bewitched) for an evening to remember CPR Classical hosts Karla Walker and Jessie Jacobs will be on hand before the concert and during intermission to welcome you to the first-ever CPR Classical night at Bravo Bravo! Vail is extending a 25% discount to CPR Classical listeners for all three concerts with Sinfónica de Minería. Use code CPR24 to unlock 25% off pavilion seating or lawn seating tickets to select Sinfónica de Minería Bravo To redeem: Click the link to your desired concert. Apply promo code CPR24. Select your seats in the permitted zones in desired section that has availability and add to your cart. Your discount will be applied at checkout. You may also call the Bravo! Vail box office during regular business hours and use promotional code CPR24 to redeem offer Tune in for Summerfest 2024There are a variety of ways to hear great performances by today’s top artists as well as legendary singers from the Metropolitan Opera’s history. Download the Colorado Public Radio app, tune in at radio signals around Colorado or you can tell your smart speaker to “Play CPR Classical." Stay in touch with our hosting team at CPR Classical and learn more about the classical events occurring in the community Colorado Postcards are snapshots of our colorful state in sound. They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado. Listen now. © 2025 Colorado Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy User login 2025 season: from 22 March to 9 November. Tickets on sale In 2023, the Strawberry Train is made up of a locomotive and a 1960s carriage a 1950s metal carriage with a side corridor and two 1920s restaurant cars Fresas de la Huerta (Strawberries from the Orchard): a special new route that includes a guided tour of the historic orchards and the Interpretation Center of the Aranjuez Orchard as well as a guided walk through the historical gardens of the Parterre and the Island A unique way of travelling to and discovering Alcalá de Henares With entertainment and treats along the way this is a really unique and wonderful way of visiting a town steeped in history Hop onto a train or bus and leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind Hop on board one the region's tourist trains and discover some magical places The city’s new official sightseeing and tourist travel pass Our online store (in Spanish) sells artisan souvenirs National Heritage, Projects, and Renovations Kalam and the Engineering Mechanism have entrusted CIMSA with the restoration of the Casa del Labrador after detecting deterioration in its structure which was aggravated as a result of the storm “Filomena.” This Site of Cultural Interest is an original structure from 1790 located in the Royal Location of Aranjuez It was conceived as a country house for the monarch Carlos IV and is one of the best neoclassical complexes in Spain It was declared a National Monument in 1931 and it is located in the Prince’s Garden a natural area that was declared a World Heritage Cultural Landscape by UNESCO in 2001 The work began with remote monitoring through a website to control possible cracks The most complex phase in the entire process was the consolidation and strengthening of the building’s foundation 150 mm diameter micropiles reinforced with steel pipe injected with an IR injection system and measuring 15 meters long crossing the existing foundation with a diamond drill bit to prevent movements and vibrations in the building In the areas that were inaccessible to machinery and equipment such as the two staircases leading to the upper floor cement and microcement injections were carried out through a TAM hose pipe with instrumented low-flow pumps and parameter control the ELEMEX system was used for compressed air with absolute safety for the building; it wasn’t possible to use water for drilling due to the structure’s delicate situation The use of compressed air for underpinnings can increase the risk of cracking and movements in the structure; the use of the Elemex system eliminated this risk making it possible to drill safely More information at Revista De Arte HEAD OF EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION AND INSTITUTIONAL RELATIONS EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA RELATIONS HEAD OF US CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS AND BRAND The 133 9 million State Loop 335 project in Amarillo will consist of 5 6 miles of main lane and frontage road construction The works for this project will include.. Construction is scheduled to begin late 2023 with substantial completion estimated by August 2025 The 79 million design build improvement project will help reduce crash frequency and congestion at the.. Can try another term or browse the main menu to find what you are looking for We have been writing about classical music for our dedicated and knowledgeable readers since 1923 and we would love you to join them Subscribing to Gramophone is easy you can choose how you want to enjoy each new issue (our beautifully produced printed magazine or the digital edition or both) and also whether you would like access to our complete digital archive (stretching back to our very first issue in April 1923) and unparalleled Reviews Database covering 50,000 albums and written by leading experts in their field To find the perfect subscription for you, simply visit: gramophone.co.uk/subscribe Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez is arguably one of the most popular concertos of all time thanks in no small measure to the extraordinary beauty of its central Adagio which has been arranged for everything from mouth organ to brass band This popularity has perhaps obscured the fact that the concerto is also one of the most original masterpieces of the 20th century despite its rather conservative musical language was the summer residence of both the Habsburgs and the Bourbons whose former presence is remembered by the magnificent Royal Palace and gardens Spain’s past is remembered by the musical garden that is the Concierto de Aranjuez: Rodrigo compels the Spanish national instrument to articulate a fundamentally neo-classical nationalist aesthetic by allowing its character to be refined and amplified by the orchestra – but not tamed The Spain of the Concierto de Aranjuez is the guitar’s dream just as much as it is Rodrigo’s Out of the multitude of available recordings I’ve chosen to focus on six that I believe manage to capture the essence of the Concierto and yet are sufficiently diverse in their approaches to warrant detailed comparison I thought it might be useful to concentrate on one movement at a time given the varying success with which the players come to terms with the very distinct character of each We can then move on to look at some other recordings which should by no means be considered also-rans this is the most consciously constructed of the Concierto de Aranjuez’s three movements bursts of rasgueado (strumming) and rapid scale passages seem to flash almost spontaneously across the typical sonata-form structure like lights over the ruins of some classical temple powerfully evoking both Spain’s flamenco tradition and her imperial past yet the orchestration is wonderfully transparent almost severe – no doubt a legacy of Rodrigo’s years studying with Paul Dukas in Paris Craig Ogden and the BBC Philharmonic under Sachio Fujioka are slightly quicker natural musicality that shines through Ogden’s playing that’s hard to resist Ogden’s natural fluency approaches Pepe Romero’s whose 1992 recording with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields under Sir Neville Marriner is as near-perfect as you’re likely to get his scale passages particularly beautiful and his phrasing utterly idiomatic the electric by-product carried over into the recapitulation before being gently drained away in the concluding bars of the coda Manuel Barrueco brings a slightly harder edge to this movement which is counterbalanced by the lush sound of the Philharmonia Orchestra under Plácido Domingo Regardless of what you might think of his conducting Domingo always ensures that any solo contributions from the principals really 'sing' – listen to Andrew Shulman’s cello I recall disliking Roland Dyens’s recording with the Serenata Orchestra under Alexandre Siranossian the first time I heard it but have since learnt to appreciate its many fine qualities Dyens immediately grabs your attention with a startlingly curious approach to the introduction; the remainder of the performance of this movement is characterised by a combination of real freedom and rhythmic precision that comes close to Paco de Lucia’s flamenco version The guitar sound is perhaps a little too far forward but the incisive playing more than compensates Quite the opposite for David Russell’s super-slick performance with the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra under Erich Kunzel And yet there’s ne’er a whiff of the clinical here – even in the development which is perhaps not as exciting as Bream’s or Romero’s there are a clarity and depth that generate their own tensions Clarity there is too from Kunzel and the orchestra with some of the less salient lines given extra definition to enrich the overall texture of the sound A couple of months after Rodrigo’s meeting with Spanish musician Regino Sáinz de la Maza the haunting theme of what was to be the second movement of the Concierto de Aranjuez arose in his imagination the Andalusian cante hondo sung during the processions of Holy Week and Corpus Christi the plaintive song of a cor anglais and its elaboration by the guitar are echoed by the latter instrument’s two cadenzas the guitar taking up the main theme again but in the lower register and setting it against its own chordal accompaniment; the second sees an increasingly frenzied recitative that erupts into an orchestral tutti before a gentle coda faced with sailing between the Scylla of stubborn refinement and the Charybdis of sickly sentimentality lose their nerve and are unable to pass through into the safe waters of purposeful propriety Bream again proves himself a master colourist his changes in tone lending weight to subtle variations of rhythm in the florid ornamentation of the thematic material while he builds the tension nicely in the second through quite precise changes in tone Ogden is more reticent but there’s still lots of colour and the second cadenza is very brisk and intense Fujioka makes sure the orchestral tutti packs a real punch but there’s a subtle weighting at significant points along the way that sounds peculiarly Spanish His cadenzas speak to the silent orchestra to such an extent that when Marriner does bring it in again it’s as though the contents of the guitar’s soul have been emptied and taken up by a fragrant breeze Barrueco can’t compete here; nevertheless the crispness of his articulation brings a compelling corporeality to his line Domingo really brings something special to the principals’ solos Jane Marshall’s cor anglais is especially beautiful Dyens is surprisingly languid and sensual; his tone now softened he allows more room for variation of touch This is especially apparent in the first cadenza while the second cadenza is appropriately improvisatory If Russell’s approach at first sounds almost prosaic by comparison His is a more subtle intelligence; never one to wear his heart on his sleeve he uses his sublime technique to speak plainly and openly The results are just as moving as Bream’s or Dyens’s more demonstrative contributions The theme of this rondo apparently came to Rodrigo soon after that of the Adagio The constant shifts between duple and triple metre and the dance-like character of the theme explicitly refer to the music of the past – an idea Rodrigo was to develop to a much greater extent in his Fantasía para un gentilhombre written for Andrés Segovia (who was apparently a little miffed that the Concierto de Aranjuez wasn’t dedicated to him and consequently never performed it) The theme of this movement has also been compared with a Spanish children’s song So there’s plenty of wit and charm to be found here Bream is suitably jaunty and captures the humour in the writing to perfection while Gardiner manages to inject a real cheekiness into the orchestral playing Ogden initially comes across as rather earnest but you soon realise that it’s all tongue-in-cheek the playing is technically assured and there’s plenty of tonal variation though the BBC Philharmonic is not as light on its feet as it ought to be Both Romero and the ASMF are very sprightly indeed the rhythmic character of the movement precisely captured Romero’s percussive strumming contrasts nicely with his sweet-toned scales and rapid arpeggios while Marriner drolly pinpoints the many humorous asides in the score Barrueco skips gracefully through his part with an attractive cohesiveness that’s lacking in some of the other recordings while again Domingo seems to find a tenor hidden under every note on the page Dyens emphasises the fanfare quality of the opening with a staccato The following episodes and the return of the theme are deliberate and sharply etched Dyens is an orchestra unto himself – his tonal palette seems inexhaustible do tend to stutter a little in the search for definition his strumming can be almost aggressive at times and the wit and lightness in the writing tend to elude him But there’s a spontaneity here that is hard to resist is again more understated – his humour is gentle The emphasis is still on tone quality and getting the sense of the music just right without too much fuss – the master-craftsman at work Many will possibly disagree with my final selection and indeed there are so many fine recordings of this popular concerto that in the final analysis it must come down to personal preference But as far as the others are concerned: near the top of the list must surely be Paco de Lucía’s stunning flamenco version from 1991 but it’s so full of vitality that it makes an otherwise excellent performance like that of Göran Söllscher’s sound a little too chilly by half There’s no shortage of excitement in Angelo Romero’s 1967 recording This is very much a young man’s reading – extrovert impetuous and yet still full of tonal variety is the premiere recording by its dedicatee Regino Sáinz de la Maza the idea for this concerto was prompted by a meeting between Rodrigo and Sáinz de la Maza in 1938; by the spring of the following year the Concierto de Aranjuez was completed together with the Barcelona Philharmonic under César Mendoza Lasalle at the Palacio de la Música in Barcelona; around eight years later de la Maza made his recording with the Spanish National Orchestra conducted by Ataulfo Argenta I was taken aback by just how good de la Maza’s playing was His rhythmic control and facility in the faster passages is astounding He might have slowed down a little at the Adagio though – eight minutes is more allegretto Narciso Yepes was another early champion of the work (he gave the official Paris premiere in 1950); his 1969 recording is probably his best for Siegfried Behrend’s recording from 1960 with the Berlin Philharmonic It’s very fast but Behrend still finds time to indulge in some extra ornamentation in the first movement Norbert Kraft and Ricardo Gallén in particular with less emphasis on colour and more on integration through smoothness of execution; the latter’s technique is equally impressive the Asturias Symphony Orchestra under Maximiano Valdés Carlos Bonnell’s excellent 1989 reading for Collins Classics even if the playing can seem overly cautious Another budget contender of some merit is Ernesto Bitetti’s on EMI despite a slightly stodgy Philharmonia Orchestra Also of interest is Marco Socías’s recording for French Harmonia Mundi which features some attractive playing and excellent support from the Orquesta Ciudad de Granada under Josep Pons In much the same vein is Alvaro Pierri on Analekta though his palette is richer and he can’t resist adding the occasional ornament if I had to pick one recording of the Concierto de Aranjuez as a vade mecum it would be Pepe Romero’s 1992 account with the ASMF and Marriner Romero’s profound yet smiling interpretation beautifully amplified by Marriner and the orchestra and coupled with a technique to die for is more consistently satisfying than any I’ve heard It may lack something of the fraught intensity of Bream’s or the spontaneity of Dyens’s but for some those qualities perhaps more properly belong to the concert hall and will tend to grate with repeated listening 'the pleasures of sudden wonder are soon exhausted and the mind can only repose on the stability of truth' The Historical Choice: Regino Sáinz de la Maza; Spanish National Orchestra / Ataulfo Argenta (Chanterelle CHR004 - nla)  This is the premiere recording of Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez by the guitarist to whom the work is dedicated Sáinz de la Maza’s superb playing overrides any concerns about sound quality The Flamenco Choice: Paco de Lucía; Orquesta de Cadaqués / Edmon Colomer (Philips 510 301-2)  Paco de Lucía may be a little fast and loose with the letter of Rodrigo’s masterpiece but captures its spirit like no other The Top Choice: Pepe Romero; Academy of St Martin in the Fields / Sir Neville Marriner (Philips 438 016-2)  Capturing the work’s poise and poetry, this recording has it all. Romero’s taste and execution are flawless, while Marriner and the ASMF provide a richly detailed aural landscape through which the guitar freely flies. Also available on DVD with a documentary, 'Shadows and Light – Rodrigo at 90'. Buy from Amazon Date / Artists / Record company (review date) 1948 Sáinz de la Maza; Spanish Nat Orch / Argenta / Chanterelle CHR004 1960 Behrend; BPO / Peters / Belart 450 028-2 1965 Williams; Philadelphia Orch / Ormandy / Sony MK44791 1967 A Romero; San Antonio SO / Alessandro / Mercury 475 6184MSA 1969 Yepes; Spanish Rad & TV SO / Alonso / DG 439 458-2GCL; 439 526-2GGA; 469 629-2GEQ 1974 Bream; Monteverdi Orch / Gardiner / RCA 09026 61605-2 1974 Williams; ECO / Barenboim / Sony SMK89753 1977 P Romero; LSO / Previn / EMI 747693-2; 585063-2 1978 P Romero; ASMF / Marriner / Philips 432 828-2PM (7/92); 462 296-2PM2 1979 Yepes; Philh / Navarro / DG 415 349-2GH (3/86); 469 190-2GP2 1982 Bream; COE / Gardiner / RCA 09026 61611-2 (2/94); 82876 60870-2 1983 Williams; Philh / Frémaux / Sony / SK37848 (7/85) 1989 Bonell; ECO / Bedford / Regis RRC1090 1989 Söllscher; Orpheus CO / DG 429 232-2GH (6/90) 1990 Bream; CBSO / Rattle / EMI 754661-2 (7/93) 1991 De Lucía; Orch de Cadaqués / Colomer / Philips 510 301-2 1992 Kraft; Northern CO / Ward / Naxos 8 550729 (4/94) 1992 Parkening; RPO / Litton / EMI 754665-2 (9/93) 1992 P Romero; ASMF / Marriner / Philips 438 016-2PH (8/94) 1995 Barrueco; Philh / Domingo / EMI 556175-2 (4/98) 1996 Pierri; Amati Ens / Dessaints / Analekta FL2 3082 1997 Ogden; BBC PO / Fujioka / Chandos CHAN9604 (1/99) 1997 Russell; Naples PO / Kunzel / Telarc CD80459 (4/98) 1999 Bitetti; Philh / Ros Marbà / EMI 569577-2 1997 Dyens; Serenata Orch / Siranossian / L’Empreinte Digital ED13074; ED13191 (2/04) 2001 Gallén; Asturias SO / Valdés / Naxos 8 555841 (3/03) 2001 Socías; Granada City Orch / Pons / Harmonia Mundi HMC90 1764 (5/03) 2004 Isbin; NYPO / Serebrier / Warner Classics 2564 60296-2 (4/05) If you are a library, university or other organisation that would be interested in an institutional subscription to Gramophone please click here for further information Victor Manuel Lozano spends his days like most two-year-olds Welcome to a prison Spanish officials say is the only the one in the world with cells for families The spacious units dubbed "five-star cells" come replete with cribs and Disney characters on the walls Outside there's even a prison playground for the kids The idea is for children to bond with their imprisoned parents while young enough not to fully grasp the reality of incarceration and for inmates seeking rehabilitation to learn parenting skills No one thinks it is an ideal situation -- not the prison psychologist But the arrangement beats the pain of separation and having my child and husband with me makes me very happy," said Carmen Garcia "But this is not the best place to bring up a child In some ways they are imprisoned too," she said Garcia was sentenced to a minimum 10 years in prison for murdering her boyfriend She met her husband Victor Lozano in prison They got married behind bars and she gave birth to Victor Manuel At dawn a guard wakes the family up for roll call after a day playing with other inmates' children in a yard Sometimes he stands outside the cell crying because he does not want to go back behind the bars "For him it's the saddest part of the day," Garcia said The prison in this town 40km south of Madrid has 36 cell units for families The children can only stay until age three After that they are taken away and put with relatives or with social services and their parents go back to regular cells but in this section you completely forget you are in a prison," said Ramona Montoya a lively Gypsy woman who is serving an 11-year sentence for drug trafficking who was also convicted of drug trafficking asked a judge to be able to serve their time in Aranjuez They had read about the family cells on the Internet and wanted to raise their fourth child together Montoya takes her one-year-old daughter Marina to nursery school every morning while her husband works at the prison's supermarket "This is heaven compared to other cells where I have been," Montoya said while showing off the place she calls home its walls crowded with pictures of Mickey Mouse a small bathroom and windows facing outside prison the doctor comes twice a week and the rooms are beautiful," Montoya said "The only thing that reminds me I'm in jail is the roll call three times a day," she said Many women with a child about to turn three try to get pregnant to be able to stay in the family cells International experts on penal policy said they had heard of no other prison in the world with family cells many prisons around the world with nurseries and cells where children can stay with their mothers In Denmark there is a mixed sex jail where couples -- with and without children -- spend the day together in a special wing but then are locked up at night in separate cells with the child spending the night with the mother the idea of family cells would be very challenging because all of them are segregated," said Denise Johnson of the Center for Children of Incarcerated Parents in Los Angeles Not all inmates are eligible for the family cells Pedophiles and other convicted sex offenders are ruled out All candidates have to pass a two-month observation period to prove they are prepared to live together as couples and raise a child Some experts believe it is not appropriate for infants to spend their first years behind bars prisons are the wrong place for children," said Frances Crook director of the London-based Howards League for Penal Reform "There is a lot of evidence that show that they will be affected in the long term they don't have the stimulation that is needed to grow as a healthy child," she said Spanish authorities say the family cells have been a success but acknowledge emotional problems may arise when the child is separated from parents There are currently no plans for more prisons of the Aranjuez-type had her doubts about whether life in prison is healthy for kids but she said the most important thing was for the family to be together "The bond has to be established between the child and their parents," she said Acclaimed Spanish flamenco jazz pianist Andrés Barrios and Palestinian vocalist Nai Barghouti have recorded a magnificent version of the popular classical music piece El Concierto de Aranjuez titled Li Beirut Nai Barghouti is a talented 22 year world music artist with an increasing reputation in the Middle East and Europe The new version of Concierto de Aranjuez combines Arabic music and flamenco Please enter an answer in digits:17 − 2 = After last year's hiatus Alfaranjuez returns this weekend with a different location and a program for all audiences The month of April ends with the return of one of the most specialized street markets in the Community of Madrid Alfaranjuez returns after last year’s hiatus with a new location and a broader program This new edition of the Aranjuez Clay Fair will take place in the Plaza de la Constitución, where pottery and ceramics stalls will be located throughout the weekend This year will also add workshops for children and adults taught by the Popular University of Aranjuez musical performances and an open micro poetry at 12 pm The official opening hours of Alfaranjuez will be Friday from 7 pm to 10 pm Saturday from 11 am to 10 pm and Sunday from 11 am to 8 pm This pottery market will be joined by a parallel event dedicated to vermouth and music Also in the Plaza de la Constitución in Aranjuez there will be two free concert sessions together with María Al-Lergiques al pol-len TEO Lucadamo and Chill Chicos will take the stage Both events can be reached by public transport by bus 423 and Cercanías line C3 The Mercado de las Conchas in its spring 2025 edition will be held on April 26 and 27 at the Casa Verde in Torrelodones bringing together some thirty artisans and emerging brands of fashion The event is free admission and has a schedule from 11 am to 8 pm plus foodtrucks of paellas and burgers of meat D.O this year there will be creative workshops both days such as Easter hares of felted wool and felted soaps It can be easily reached by car (exit 33 of the A-6) or by public transport (buses 611 Torrelodones (Avenida de Rosario Manzaneque Placido Domingo turned 75 today and is rightly regarded as one of the greatest operatic tenors of our time  In recent years he's switched to singing baritone roles in an amazingly long career to be performing at such a high artistic level Domingo said he took up conducting partly so that he would have something to fall back on when he could no longer sing but he continues to conduct anyway and directs opera companies to boot I'll have a 1997 EMI recording of the most popular of all 20th century concertos the Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquin Rodrigo featuring a couple of devotees of the Spanish composer's works Cuban born guitarist Manuel Barrueco as soloist with Placido Domingo conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra at the end of the hour I'll also have one of the short Spanish songs for tenor on the same recording I'll have a new recording from the enterprising Naxos label of an early 19th century Swedish Symphony from Joachim Nikolas Eggert music director and member of the Royal Swedish Music Academy and might have become better known had he not died at the age of 34 in 1813  He introduced Beethoven's works and was the first to direct Mozart's The Magic Flute for Swedish audiences 4 in C Minor by Eggert is from around 1810 and is believed to be the one of his four symphonies to which the title "War and Peace" belongs  The dramatic name of the symphony reflects the military backdrop and political unrest of recent events in Swedish history  A disastrous war with the abdication of Gustav IV Adolf and a new regime under Carl XIII may have provided some inspiration for this exciting Join me this evening for Symphony @ 7 on Classical 101  For more music featuring the classical guitar you can listen to Fretworks Saturday and Wednesday evenings at 7 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=107UnepjWFo Commonly prescribed drugs work after a patient’s airway inflammation is well underway — but Justine Tigno-Aranjuez’s  method keeps allergen receptors from reacting in the first place UCF researcher Justine Tigno-Aranjuez is making breakthroughs that could one day make many common allergies a thing of the past research and therapies for allergic asthma have been focused largely on targeting the inflammatory cytokines in the body that react to allergens and cause overproduction of mucus Mepolizumab and Reslizumab lower or block the various cytokines and antibodies responsible for the asthmatic response but they work after a patient’s airway inflammation is well underway Tigno-Aranjuez wanted to find a new approach to keep allergen receptors from reacting in the first place So she utilized a technique called LRC-TriCEPS — which identifies receptors in cells — for a common allergen  The technology showed a cell protein called LMAN1 that had never before been recognized for having a role in the body’s allergen response Her findings were recently published in Cell Reports What is already known about LMAN1 as an allergen receptor?’ and the interesting thing was that people had not been paying much attention to this protein in the context of allergy or allergic asthma,” she says LMAN1 was generally known as a cargo receptor — a protein that transports other proteins inside and outside the cell Tigno-Aranjuez demonstrated that house dust mite allergens and LMAN1 can bind together on the cell surface to cause the inflammatory or allergic reaction  Her research further showed that the binding depended on specific mannose sugar structures on the house dust mite allergens This discovery has tremendous potential since many other common allergens or modified by the addition of mannose sugars “Our thinking is that this could potentially not just be restricted to dust mites because many other allergens are mannosylated this could be a very broad receptor that recognizes many different allergens,” she says “If you are thinking in terms of potential therapy by understanding how LMAN1 recognizes dust mites and the consequences of such recognition you could apply this to many other settings and that is what we are currently trying to explore.” The National Institutes of Health also saw potential with the UCF research having just awarded Tigno-Aranjuez a $1.5M R01 grant to see if LMAN1 has a role in the expression of other mannosylated allergens Tigno-Aranjuez’s research on LMAN1 is performed in collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic associate professor at the Lerner Research Institute “LMAN 1 has been largely known as a protein that is involved in transporting proteins from inside cells to the outside of cells,” Zhang says “This research is the first one to show an entirely new function of LMAN1 This could open up a new pathway for treatment.” With hundreds of thousands of allergic asthma cases in the United States every year this research represents a step forward toward helping these patients we’ve got it covered.’ The reality is that we could always use more options we could always improve upon existing treatments,” Tigno-Aranjuez says “Many treatments can only be prescribed if you meet certain clinical criteria So any new treatment we can put forth that could potentially be a more universal treatment would always be an advance.” Tigno-Aranjuez and her team are now conducting research to confirm their hypothesis that other mannosylated allergens this could have broad implications in future therapies for many of the most common allergens Tigno-Aranjuez immigrated to the United States from the Philippines to conduct her graduate and postdoctoral training at Case Western University in Cleveland She joined UCF in 2015 and focuses her research on immune signaling pathways involved in chronic inflammatory diseases such as asthma and Crohn’s disease Leading the way to greener and smarter mobility Our ambition is to accompany all transportation stakeholders in meeting tomorrow’s mobility challenges We strive to provide them with the most efficient and digital mobility systems while further improving the environmental friendliness of our solutions We offer products from the broadest portfolio range in the rail industry Our innovation focus is on green and smart solutions Our state-of-the-art signalling solutions allow operators to ensure the highest standards in safe seamless travel with urban and mainline solutions that meet the specific needs of each operation environment With the widest components portfolio in the rail industry Alstom offers the best solution available to original equipment manufacturers for increasingly safe and environmentally-friendly travel We offer a complete range of sustainable solutions for tracklaying electrification and the supply and installation of electromechanical material along the entire track We provide solutions to deliver security 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where diverse people are offered opportunities to learn with options across functions and geographies 9 February  2021 – The Aranjuez city local operator AISA jointly with Consorcio Regional de Transportes de la Comunidad de Madrid (Madrid Regional mobility services Consortium) has incorporated the innovative Alstom Aptis ebus into its urban vehicles fleet This new vehicle has started commercial services on the line 2 that runs across the centre of the historical and world heritage city Aranjuez thus becomes the first municipality in the Community of Madrid (not considering the capital) to incorporate a 100% high capacity electric vehicle into the Regional Mobility Services Consortium the ebus has already demonstrated its adaptability both with the urban environment of the municipality and with the rest of the operator's fleet “After numerous tests carried out in Spain and Europe this is the first Aptis series vehicle to operate in Spain We hope to present this innovative model to the electric bus tenders that will take place in the main Spanish cities Aptis has generated great expectation both among operators and among users” Alstom Business Development Director in Spain Aptis offers an unparalleled passenger experience Its berthing system for perfect alignment with the pavement completely flat floor and wide double doors allow easy movement and convenient boarding for people with reduced mobility and prams Equipped with large bay windows along its entire length Aptis offers 25% more glass surface area than a standard bus and a rear seating area with panoramic views of the city With a length of 12 metres and equipped with 3 doors Aptis has capacity for close to 100 passengers so in addition to decarbonising and protecting the environment it takes care of the architecture and monuments of Aranjuez the vehicle requested by AISA is designed for charging at night at the depot with a innovative charging system provided by Endesa X Aptis was designed to have an optimised total cost This is possible thanks to reduced maintenance and operating costs and a longer service life compared to standard buses this low total cost per seat is a great help in their effort to decarbonise urban transport self-conscious two-hander about life and love is saved from insufferable dullness by some Nick Cave songs and one joke tricked out in a 3D presentation that adds nothing to its dull stereoscopic tableaux of an idealised French garden outside Paris it does come briefly to life with its cameo: Nick Cave appears at the piano The movie is based on a theatre piece by Wenders’ veteran collaborator Peter Handke (the co-writer of Wings of Desire) and Handke himself has a fleeting walk-on as a gardener a writer is trying to get some work done on an old-fashioned typewriter (As a nod to the actual modern-day lives of working writers turned off.) He is creating an extended dialogue for two characters a man and a woman (played by Reda Kateb and Sophie Semin) They appear to be eternal figures of man and woman The presence of an apple on the table might hint at the first man and woman in Eden dullest and most insufferable way of life and love in all its forms the man asks questions and the woman replies where he had the leisure to contemplate beauty and the drone of the flabby sub-poetic language is almost impossible to listen to without zoning out It is unfortunate that the startling image of a pile of dried faeces occurs twice Finally the rotor blades of an unseen helicopter disturb the dull proceedings and the man shouts: “No action! Only dialogue!” But this self-aware joke is too little, too late. Nick Cave does well the only Spanish site declared a Cultural Landscape in UNESCO´s World Heritage List is hosting the 2nd World Heritage Ibero-American Youth Forum from 20 to June 30 The event comes in the wake of the 1st Ibero-American Youth Forum on World Heritage during the 33rd session of the World Heritage Committee This event gathers together young people between the of 12 and 15 Spain and Venezuela whose participation is linked to a particular site in the World Heritage List or in the Tentative Lists of their respective countries https://whc.unesco.org/en/activities/627/ we're lucky that so many great guests are willing to return to speak with us - and you You might remember the last time Miloš ("mee-lohsh," for the uninitiated) was here to tell us about his then-latest Deutsche Grammophon CD he let the cat out of the bag about a new CD he'd soon be recording with the London Symphony Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin Music of Rodrigo and Falla would be the subject matter and the disc would include the ultra-popular Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquin Rodrigo simply titled, Miloš: Aranjuez, has been out for a few months now and we decided to check up on Miloš and find out how the CD is doing and why he felt he needed to record the Aranjuez Every classical guitarist eventually records it conductor and performer that hasn't been heard in quite awhile and the rest of the CD is spellbindingly beautiful Miloš credits that melding for the sound of the CD Listen and hear for yourself as Miloš returns to Crossover with Jill Pasternak with an encore the following Friday at 7 pm on WRTI-HD2  Both airings are available on the All-Classical web stream at wrti.org Pick your pumpkin from the bush and decorate it This is the latest family activity to come out of the Halloween celebration that every autumn when Halloween approaches Here in addition to choosing your pumpkin you can decorate it participate in activities and have a snack Location: Carretera de Cádiz, 69 (Aranjuez) View this post on Instagram In Viveros Monjarama pumpkin picking is extended until November 20 They offer workshops that include an explanation of the varieties of pumpkins and family activities such as tractor rides You can choose between going on your own to harvest your pumpkins, paying 4 euros/kg, or participating in the family workshops. Children must be accompanied by an adult, and children under 2 years old are free. Location: camino Viejo de Barajas, 4 (San Sebastián de los Reyes) The rest of the year we also have direct sales of seasonal products. Location: polígono, 4; parcela, 86 (Quijorna) View this post on Instagram Although pumpkins cannot be harvested at the Royal Botanical Garden it does offer until November 30 an exhibition showing various species and cultivars of pumpkins This exhibition is educational and allows visitors to learn about different types of pumpkins including the classic ones for Halloween and other more exotic varieties The Aranjuez city local operator AISA has signed a contract with Alstom to incorporate the innovative Alstom Aptis e-bus (first serial vehicle displayed in October 2019 at Busworld) into its urban vehicles fleet The bus was sent in a Spanish roadshow in early 2019 the historical and world heritage city of Aranjuez will become the first municipality in the Community of Madrid (not considering the capital) to incorporate a 100% high capacity electric vehicle into the Consorcio Regional de Tramportes de la Comunidad de Madrid (Madrid Regional mobility services Consortium) Contract signature follows a several-days-test in which the bus efficiency and perfect integration in the urban environment and within the rest of the operator’s fleet The Madrid regional operator CRT (Consorcio Regional de Transportes) expects Aptis to enter into service on one of the lines running through the historic centre of the town before the end of the year Aptis features a berthing system for perfect alignment with the pavement (thanks to 4-wheel steering) the vehicles requested by AISA is designed for charging at night at the depot Aptis is also available for occasional recharging at the end of each line using either ground-based charging solutions (SRS) or pantograph charging Aptis is also referenced by the CATP for public purchasing by local authorities This referencing allows member authorities to order Aptis vehicles directly and simply from the CATP without having to embark on long and costly procedures Recently, it started operations in Strasbourg featuring a green iconic livery “This is the first commercial success of Aptis in Spain which we hope to be followed by others throughout this year During the tests carried out in different Spanish cities our innovative electric bus has generated great expectation both among operators and among users This contract constitutes a major new step for Alstom which aims to be the most innovative world actor for sustainable “Mobility in the 21st century is sustainable That is why I am convinced that this first experience will continue because it is a real opportunity to evolve towards a more efficient comfortable and attractive public transport that contributes to decongesting streets and roads said the Minister of Transportation Mobility and Infrastructures of the Community of Madrid © Copyright 2012 - 2025 | Vado e Torno Edizioni | All rights reserved | P.I By 2016-09-01T17:07:00+01:00 based on a play by his longtime script collaborator pushes the genre into a whole new territory of pretentious intellectual sterility Wenders’ 2011 homage to dance guru Pina Bausch and his compatriot Werner Herzog’s prehistoric art documentary Cave of Forgotten Dreams both showed that a technology we associate with the multiplex could be proudly reclaimed and refined by the arthouse – unlike this static theatrical four-hander conversation about one woman’s love life Both actors do their best to animate the glaringly un-filmic dialogue but it’s difficult to see how this arid slab of sex-laced emotional metaphysics could emerge in more than a handful of 3-D-equipped cinemas; even more than those two predecessors it could become a victim of the paradox that theatres that have invested in the technology will be unlikely to invest in the film with the addition of a post-modern narrative frame in which a writer (played by Jens Harzer) is imagined seated at a typewriter creating the lines and lives that are played out in the garden of the bookish old country house with its distant view of Paris that is his privileged workspace The brunt of the ‘action’ is a dramatic dialogue between a nameless middle-aged man (Reda Kateb) and woman (Sophie Semin) seated at a rustic-bourgeois garden table at the height of summer We know nothing about them at the beginning just before we join them in their first-world arbour they have reached some kind of agreement whereby the man will be allowed to ask questions and the woman to respond according to certain rules – one of which is that she cannot simply answer yes or no There’s an affectionate wariness in the way Kateb’s questioner probes Semin’s character without quite prying and she offers information and revelations without ever But as the woman details her pre-sexual sexual awakening and moves on to her first proper carnal encounter with a stranger in a salt pan on a pile of dried human excrement there’s more movement in the foliage around the pair than there is in the relationship between the two The erotic bildungsroman spun by Semin’s character moves on from her sexual salad days to her main-course adult wander through a wilderness of partners (or “man-accomplices” straying at times into an uncomfortable netherland between feminist empowerment and male scorn Kateb’s gently sardonic flaneur butts in with off-message philosophical-botanical observations about sparrows apples and gooseberry bushes (the latter arises from a story he tells about the royal palace in Aranjuez Spain – setting of Schiller’s play Don Carlos a line from which provides the film’s title) The script’s otherwise imperceptible three-act structure is marked only by Semin’s character’s change of light summer dress – from vermilion to blue and back again Occasionally we cut to Harzer’s writer figure tapping away on his analogue typewriter inside the big old house occasionally lifting his head to observe his characters in the sunlit garden outside as if searching for inspiration for their next lines he gets up and puts another song on the vintage Wurlitzer he keeps in the hall – one of which translates into an entirely gratuitous cameo by the Australian musician himself seated at a piano performing the song inside the house Some moments of poetry and emotional truth lurk in among the pretentious high grass But the sometimes baffling dialogue is a serious subtitle endurance test ­for non French-speaking audiences and the woman’s intellectualised erotic confessions feel bloodless making us yearn for the explosive power of Bibi Andersson’s equally ‘narrated’ but far more unsettling sexual monologue in Ingmar Bergman’s Persona Even the 3-D fails to rise to the occasion: in the garden scenes especially there’s a distracting ‘cut-out’ halo of rippling foliage around the two characters with layers that are supposed to be in the background seeming to leap to the front International sales: Alfama Films, andrea.alfamafilms@orange.fr EXCLUSIVE: The film will be released theatrically in June Lutz Rippe take over as co-CEOs of Studiocanal Germany EXCLUSIVE: The Japanese feature is directed by Lee Sang-il and has a cast that includes Ken Watanabe Florence Pugh takes centre stage for this mighty tussle in a post-Avengers world Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong reunite to tell their own story Pleasingly complex murder mystery opened the Hong Kong International Film Festival Screen International is the essential resource for the international film industry access to the Screen International archive and supplements including Stars of Tomorrow and World of Locations Site powered by Webvision Cloud The historic Strawberry Train will run again starting March 30 and will debut the route "Fresas de la Huerta" (Strawberries from the Orchard) to get to know the historic orchards of Aranjuez It has been 173 years since the first railway line in Madrid was inaugurated and since the (now called) historic Strawberry Train was put into operation for the first time: a convoy that travels the Madrid-Aranjuez route and that in 1984 was recovered by the Spanish Railway Foundation the City Council of Aranjuez and National Heritage to return to run on the tracks 133 years after its inauguration the train has been running again and this 2024 it will run from March 30 to November 10 The train departs from the Railway Museum of Madrid (Paseo de las Delicias this year it celebrates its 40th anniversary and for this reason a new route has been added to its repertoire in Primavera: ‘Fresas de la Huerta’ (Strawberries from the Orchard) travelers are given a taste of Aranjuez strawberry Tourism and Sport of the Community of Madrid presented this new route yesterday and indicated that: “This original means of transport offers a journey through space and time that invites you to get to know Aranjuez an enclave declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001 three other combined routes have been established: As for prices, tickets range from €21 to €53 depending on the chosen itinerary and fare. All the information about the Strawberry Train and the purchase of the tickets can be consulted at this website That's not the case in all countries around the world where many prisons are built to rehabilitate even the most violent offenders or sometimes house people who haven't committed any crimes The amenities in these places can get pretty swanky — relatively speaking. Think pristine basketball gyms in Norway or pool tables in Wales Here are a dozen prisons around the world that redefine what it means to be locked up Source: This is Finland Source: The New York Times Source: Otago Daily Times Source: The Daily Beast Source: Business Insider Source: Mimoa Source: Associated Press Source: Al Jazeera Source: HMP Parc Source: RtoZ Source: iTimes Source: CNN PlayListenSharon Isbin reveals the Spanish soulGo Deeper.CloseCreate an account or log in to save stories We have added it to a list of your favorite stories Isbin is playing JoaquinRod Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez.Photo courtesy of WarnerThe signature section of Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez" is the highly emotional second movement entitled "Adagio." Rodrigo wrote it after his wife had a miscarriage and almost died Isbin has performed the piece in the aftermath of other tragic events She says the movement captures the essence of the Spanish soul "One of the most challenging experiences I ever had was when I was asked to play at the first memorial service of 9/11 at Ground Zero during the live reading of the names," she said "I thought 'how am I gonna be able to pull this off,' having experienced the whole thing as a New Yorker and it was very traumatic for all of us as a nation but I just wondered how I was going to keep it together." "It wasn't until I put my first foot out on the stage and looked out onto the faces of 24-thousand family members and survivors who were right up against the stage many of them holding up posters of their loved ones," she said "I could actually have eye contact with people I realized this why I'm on the planet to serve the purpose of healing and communication and sharing and all of that and any questions or qualms that I had about how I would be able to manage evaporated "It wasn't until later when I watched the broadcast that I completely fell apart "So I think as a performer you get to the edge where you really touch the emotions that you're communicating but you don't go to the other side." Guitar virtuoso and Minneapolis native Sharon Isbin who is helping the Minnesota Orchestra open its 2008-2009 season with a performance of Joaquin Rodrigo's "Concerto de Aranjuez." Concerts are tonight and Saturday night at Orchestra Hall at 8:00 Fullscreen SlideshowPrevious Slide1 of 1.css-1le8xi7-Slide-Slide > img{max-height:0px;width:auto;}Guitarist Sharon Isbin performs this weekend with the Minnesota Orchestra Isbin is playing JoaquinRod Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez.Photo courtesy of WarnerNext SlideTurn Up Your SupportMPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all readings and performances were among the activities held in observation of World Hindi Day by the Bharatiya Vidya Sansthhaan (BVS) at the Shree Adesh Ashram and other areas participated in events that showcased the multifaceted nature of the Hindi language Participants representing various states in India join in the observation of World Hindi Day at the Shree Adesh Ashram The programme started with the lighting of the deya with the mantras In attendance were were BVS director general Guruji Dr Vivek S Adesh associate president Shri Tensing Ramlakhan Literary works composed by the institution's founder paying homage to his legacy and major contributions to Hindi and Indian culture The children represented various devis (goddesses) and devtas (gods) and other participants represented the various states of India The Bharatiya Vidya Sansthhaan team: Shri Ramhit Bhimsingh Gurumaataaji Kadambari Adeshji and pundit Rickie Maharaj The highlight of the evening was the reciting of Hindi poems by Kadambari Adesh He emphasised the importance of Hindi and encouraged all to continue to preserve and propagate Indian culture and Hindi The event showcased the Hindi language's role in fostering unity and preserving cultural heritage within the Indian diaspora Param Gurudev Sangeetaachaaryaa Mahakavi Prof Hari Shanker Adeshji arrived in TT in 1966 with a mission to promote the Hindi language extended far beyond mere language instruction Recognising the interest in Indian culture amongst the local Indian diaspora established the Bharatiya Vidya Sansthhaan (BVS) on November 21 to promote authentic Indian languages and culture Gurumaataaji Kadambari Adeshji recites Hindi poetry on World Hindi Day - BVS's influence has transcended national borders BVS stands as a testament to Adesh's visionary leadership and the enduring appeal of Indian culture The institution's legacy continues to flourish under the guidance of Vivek Shanker Adeshji BVS said it runs a comprehensive network of educational and cultural centres across Trinidad and Tobago dedicated to preserving and promoting Indian values and traditions Miloš' first full concerto recording is an energising experience sounds vibrant and well-drilled under the electrifying baton of Yannick Nezet-Seguin.  See more Rodrigo Music See more Rodrigo Guides Festivals & Awards To read the rest of Glenn Kenny’s coverage from the 2016 Venice Film Festival, click here.  Glenn Kenny was the chief film critic of Premiere magazine for almost half of its existence. He has written for a host of other publications and resides in Brooklyn. Read his answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here Riley Stoeckmann won't turn 3 until Christmas Eve but when she went to Fillmore School one day recently with her mom to pick up 4-year-old brother Micah Stoeckmann from preschool Inside was her copy of "The Little Engine That Could." "It's about a choo-choo train and a doggie and a girl and a boy," Riley said The 2-year-old recommends it for other readers she serves as an endorsement for Read to Me the literacy program Mayor Ann Johnston launched in 2011 and continues to lead The program that provides free books every month to children from birth to age 5 was offered to families living in the 95205 ZIP code in August 2011 families in the 95206 ZIP code could enroll their children and since July 1 residents of the 95202 and 95210 ZIP codes have been eligible "We had the money to expand it and the need there was huge," said Johnston voted out of office last November but still devoted to the reading program Some 750 children have turned 5 and graduated from the 2-year-old program and 1,946 children are receiving a book in the mail every month beginning with "The Little Engine that Could." has come largely from Kaiser Permanente and Downtown Stockton Rotary PG&E contributed early and organizations and individuals have helped cover the cost The United Way includes it as a potential designation is to see every preschool child in the city getting a book every month," Johnston said It would take half a million dollars a year to sustain it citywide The program to combat the fallout of Stockton's illiteracy which came from a committee recommendation "I see it during circle time when I do my story time The kids that are read to at home (are) more engaged more attentive to the story," said Irene Refuerzo who has taught preschool for 13 years and whose students at Tyler Elementary School live in the 95206 ZIP code it just gives them that starting point that's going to help them throughout kindergarten Other preschool teachers also say they can spot children immediately who have been read to "There's absolutely more engagement," said Sandy Kosta a 12th year preschool teacher now at Pittman Elementary which is part of the recently added 95202 ZIP code Kosta has invited children in her class who are receiving books to bring them for her to read to the class they take such pride in it that they won't let their younger siblings touch the books," Kosta said "There is that personal pride and ownership of having that book Maria Sandoval has read to her 4-year-old daughter but the books that come addressed to Samantha are different because she receives her books in the mail and she gets so excited," Sandoval said 'Sit down and read to me.' Even though she has (other) books at home Sandoval learned of the program when she signed up Samantha for preschool who has read to her children since they were born building a library from thrift store purchases found books arriving in the mail are the favorites "It's exciting for them when they get new books," Aranjuez said He has a big imagination and loves to tell stories that he gets in the mail with his name on it." Exposure to books has only fired the imagination of the 4-year-old Micah who said Micah is forever telling her stories "His hands are going and you can just see the wheels turning in his mind," Brodie said Micah also remembers vivid details from books that have been read to him teachers say children being read to pick up letters and eventually "She'll ask for me to read a book over and over," Maria Sandoval said "I realize she remembers some of the sentences You sit down,' and she'll be the teacher and read to me Kosta encourages parents to point to the sentences word by word as their children recite them from memory or speak a language other than English and Spanish "It's about the engagement in handling the book 'Don't worry about reading the words in the book Focus on the illustrations and create a story all your own with your child What you're doing is letting them know books are important.' " is some non-English speaking parents have signed up for English as a second language courses and other parents have studied to earn their highs school equivalency certificate "Over 200 parents have attended classes to learn about early literacy and the importance of reading to children and creating reading routines in the home with the books they receive," said Debra Keller administrator of Stockton Unified School District's early education program The district is just starting to compile data on the impact of the program but expectations are high "We're hoping to see that all children are ready when entering into kindergarten that they're better prepared for kindergarten," Keller said We're hoping to see our children have increased exposure to print and that they're increasing their reading routines in the home before entering kindergarten." Contributions to the program can be sent to Stockton Downtown Rotary Contact reporter Lori Gilbert at (209) 546-8284 or lgilbert@recordnet.com exclusive experiences and our expertly curated destination guides reviews of rare spirits and delicious cocktail recipes pioneering yacht builds and boundary-pushing private jets Explore the worlds of haute horology and fine jewelry as well as carefully selected style guides Explore the finest properties on the market standout interior styling and architectural wonders From science-backed retreats to traditional spas Be inspired by our conversations with Leaders in Luxury Elite Collections is a trusted distinction of excellence Get insider access to luxury’s best-kept secrets and exclusive offers Elevate your inbox with the best in refined living Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.You will recieve a confirmation shortly Sponsored: From summer palaces to water gardens discover the royal sites to visit on your next Spanish vacation While the British royal family is undoubtedly the most world-famous monarchy Spain is another European country with a long line of royal family members – and host of impressive must-see royal sites – with a lineage that dates back to the 8th century The majority of Spain’s significant royal sites are in close proximity to Madrid making the capital city a perfect base for visitors hoping to enjoy a royal tour of the country those venturing to the south of Spain will also be pleased to find that they can visit one of Spain’s most intriguing royal sites in Seville From summer palaces and official residences to water gardens and hunting lodges discover the royal sites you need to visit on your next trip to Spain below all of which welcome visitors to step inside their magical royal world [See also: An Art Trail Through Spain] The Royal Palace of Madrid is considered to be the largest of Europe’s palaces / ©Shutterstock Named as the Royal family of Spain’s official residence the Royal Palace of Madrid is a must-see royal site for anyone hoping to immerse themselves in the country’s history and is one of Madrid’s most visited destinations Despite its title of official royal residence the reigning monarch does not actually live at the Palace of Madrid The monarch uses Zarzuela Palace as the family home with the Madrid place being used primarily for state dinners and receptions the Royal Palace of Madrid welcomes visitors to explore its vast halls The existing palace was completed in 1755 under the guidance of King Philip V after a fire destroyed the previous palace that sat on the site the palace has received numerous expansions and redecorations but still remains one of Spain’s finest examples of Baroque architecture The palace’s interiors are all that you would expect of such a significant royal site glittering crystal chandeliers and rich tapestries littered throughout the adjoining perfectly manicured Sabatini Gardens are also well worth a visit You may be surprised to learn that the Royal Palace of Madrid is considered to be the largest of Europe’s palaces; covering an impressive 1,453,122 sq ft of floor space with some 3000 rooms the Spanish royal residence dwarfs the likes of England’s Buckingham Palace and France’s Palace of Versailles The Royal Palace of Madrid is open to visitors seven days a week See website for seasonal opening times and holiday closures patrimonionacional.es/palacio-real-de-madrid The Royal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial’s exterior is a fine example of classic Spanish renaissance architecture / ©Shutterstock Found in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial some 28 miles northwest of Madrid the eponymous Royal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial was commissioned by King Phillip II for multiple purposes: the reigning king intended it to be a final resting place for his late father a monastery and a royal palace – although Phillip II is the only monarch who ever resided there El Escorial has served numerous purposes in addition to its intended three It also became a burial site for the majority of the county’s monarchs in the past five centuries cementing its status as a must-see royal site in Spain the vast building complex is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site The building’s exterior is a fine example of classic Spanish renaissance architecture with its austere and perfectly symmetrical structure visible from miles around with the frescoed vaulted ceilings in the monastery’s library drawing plenty of attention El Escorial is open Tuesday through Sunday year-round with holiday exceptions; see website for summer/winter opening hours patrimonionacional.es/san-lorenzo-del-escorial Until the 19th century many reigning monarchs chose to hold court in the Royal Palace of Aranjuez during spring and summer / ©Shutterstock the Spanish royal family traditionally use one of their many properties as a summer residence; up until the 19th century many reigning Spanish monarchs chose to hold court in the Royal Palace of Aranjuez during the warmer months of the year Although formally established in the 16th century under King Philip II Arunjuez’s site had been used by the royal family to house a hunting lodge for almost a hundred years prior The Italian-inspired palace holds boundless beauty behind its equally impressive exterior as visitors are banned from taking photographs inside the palace walls Although much of the building is open to the public – including the throne room king and queen’s bedroom and dressing rooms and the ballroom – it is the famous Porcelain Room that stands out the Porcelain Room’s ceiling and walls are adorned with intricate Chinese-inspired porcelain figures and motifs all of which are open for visitors to explore with the sprawling Prince’s Garden being the largest which has been declared as a UNESCO Cultural Landscape World Heritage Site the town holds many architectural gems throughout its streets with the old quarter a particular favorite among visitors The Royal Palace of Aranjuez and surrounding gardens are open Tuesday through Sunday year-round patrimonionacional.es/royal-palace-aranjuez The gardens at the Royal Palace of La Granja are considered to be one of the finest examples of an 18th century French formal garden in Spain / ©Shutterstock Found in the small hillside town of San Ildefonso the Royal Palace of La Granja was initially commissioned as a royal residence in the early 1700s by King Philip V having recently fallen in love with the surrounding landscape Despite Philip’s intention to retire to the palace when he abdicated in 1724 the death of his heir meant that La Granja had to be used as an official royal residence During its time as one of the court’s summer residences the splendid palace played host to a large number of grand events formal burials and political meetings all having taken place inside its walls the Royal Palace of La Granja’s architecture is jaw-droppingly ornate approaching visitors are welcomed by a columned façade that draws inspiration from both French and Italian architecture; inside Carrara marble sculptures sit underneath mesmerizing frescoes lining the vaulted ceilings While the palace itself is a beautiful structure Philip V was concerned with ensuring the surrounding gardens were of equal beauty the gardens at the Royal Palace of La Granja are considered to be one of the finest examples of an 18th century French formal garden in Spain with the abundance of sculptural fountains and water features opening it up to many comparisons to Versailles (which was built by Philip V’s grandfather) Although in the current day it is unusual for all fountains to be flowing together (such excitement is reserved for special events) the gardens still make for a wonderful tour Royal Palace of La Granja and gardens is open Tuesday through Sunday and is closed on certain holidays; see website for seasonal opening hours and ‘Extraordinary Openings.’ patrimonionacional.es/royal-palace-la-granja The majestic inner courtyard is encompassed by four striking pink façades / ©Shutterstock Drive just twenty minutes west of the Royal Palace of La Granja and you will stumble upon a lesser-known example of Spain’s most significant royal sites: the Royal Palace of Riofrío The complex was initially commissioned to become the home of Queen Elisabeth Farnese following the death of her husband King Philip V in 1746; however it is thought that she never actually lived there and the place was left empty for over a hundred years The palace was designed to reflect the former queen’s Italian heritage with architect Virgilio Rabaglio adopting the country’s signature square floor plan and orderly appearance that is reminiscent of Roman architecture The majestic inner courtyard is encompassed by four striking pink façades which are thrown into stark contrast against the greenery of the surrounding Riofrío Forest Although the Palace of Riofrío never became a permanent royal residence the surrounding forest made it a popular spot for royal hunting expeditions; in modern times the forest is a protected ecological and biological reserve Thanks to a nationwide program dedicated to restoring and maintaining Spain’s royal sites for visitor use including the recovery of much of the original décor from its mid-19th century decoration at the hands of king consort Francisco de Asis The palace has also received some 500 artworks from other Spanish royal sites Both Royal Palace of Riofrío and Riofrío Forest welcome visitors throughout the year Tuesday through Sunday; see website for specific opening hours patrimonionacional.es/royal-palace-riofrio [See also: The Best Alternative City Breaks in Spain] It is thought that the Alcázar no longer bears any of its original build / ©Shutterstock With origins tracing back as far as the Moorish rule the Royal Alcázar of Seville is considered to be one of Europe’s oldest royal palaces the Alcázar has been home to a number of significant figures the upper quarters of the Alcázar still act as the royal family’s official residence when in Seville It is thought that the Alcázar no longer bears any of its original build; instead it has become a melting pot of architectural styles as residents throughout the years refurbished and redecorated from ornate Mudéjar decoration to striking Gothic designs Since 1987 Alcázar has been noted as a UNESCO World Heritage site with visitors welcomed to visit the palace Thanks to its completely unique jumble of historical design the site has been used as the backdrop for many a film and TV show; you’re likely to spot a backdrop you recognize on your visit The Royal Alcázar of Seville is open daily throughout the year; see website for tickets patrimonionacional.es/upper-chambers-royal-alcazars-seville He says the first movement could easily be a 'bulería' and the second is written in tonalities which are often used in flamenco the more Daniel Casares becomes convinced that Rodrigo wrote his famous Concierto de Aranjuez "for a flamenco guitarist or from a very Spanish point of view" He has just released a record with the Malaga Philharmonic Orchestra (OFM) playing this piece and also his own first symphonic work The launch coincided with the 80th anniversary of the creation of the Concierto Casares has incorporated certain dynamics to make this work his own even though it has been interpreted a thousand times in the classical music world "This disc is special because a flamenco artist has dared to do it," he says This is because it is daunting for any musician "It is a work which demands a great deal from you," he says where the "rigour" of a classical language which demands perfect execution meets the "flexibility" of the world of flamenco This is a new language for Casares; he has spent hours studying it which gave him backache but taught him a great deal "You realise what the formulas are to combine the instrument with the orchestra and what you have to do so that everything makes sense," he explains After having "matured" his Concierto de Aranjuez for a year and a half through dozens of performances and retouching some passages of La Luna de Alejandra Daniel Casares has recorded it with the OFM as proof of a job well done "Every guitarist should play this once in their life," he says and by doing so he has put himself on the map of classical music "I have had letters from people who have never written to me before It is an important work and it affects you in some way," he admits On 9 February he will be performing it live at the Edgar Neville Auditorium in the provincial government headquarters in Spain "it is still very hard to fill a theatre for a guitar performance" "and flamenco guitar worked in all of them" In 2016 he was asked to play for US president Barack Obama's visit to Seville which was cancelled due to a shooting and the deaths of five police officers in Dallas He suddenly started to receive calls from American media and Spanish programmes which had never featured guitars before Casares describes the guitar as "spinal cord" of flamenco but points out that it receives the least support From the sultry Spanish sounds of the Concierto de Aranjuez to modern adaptations of 17th-century lute music some of the greatest classical music sounds absolutely stunning on guitar For a work as Spanish as Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, it might seem bizarre that many people’s first encounter with it linked to Yorkshire. But the concerto’s use in the 1996 film Brassed Off! ensured that the popularity of this work sky-rocketed The miners affectionately referred to it as ‘Orange Juice’ after finding it rather challenging to pronounce ‘Aranjuez’ © Concierto de Aranjuez (1939) - Joaquín Rodrigo - DRSO - Pepe Romero - Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos This wonderfully playful Baroque concerto was originally composed for a lute, but the modern transposition for classical guitar is just lovely. Although Vivaldi spent the majority of his life in Venice this concerto comes from his globe-trotting period although its three short movements were never published in his lifetime Concerto for Guitar in D Major (~1730) Antonio Vivaldi - Soloist Peter Varga Walton’s technically fiendish ‘Five Bagatelles’ (1971) is a minefield of quirky rhythms the classical guitar was enjoying immense popularity – but the lack of Spanish/Latin associations in the Five Bagatelles meant it never achieved great prominence in 20th-century guitar repertoire beautifully shaped – and they might just be classical guitar music at its best Five Bagatelles - William Walton played by Sanel Redzic this sultry tango marks a change in style for composer Astor Piazzolla from classical tango to nuevo tango Spicy rhythms and a fiendish melody have kept this one at the forefront of modern Tango with countless brilliant interpretations to explore The original score even features an accordion Libertango by Astor Piazzolla - Joe Miller Despite the seeming simplicity of its enchanting melody Recuerdos de la Alhambra really stretches the soloist to the limit with this piece The left-hand positions required of the guitarist are rather awkward involving all sorts of unusual stretches – plus the use of tremolo is a technical challenge for any performer which implies a link to the northern-Spanish region of Asturias Albéniz’s work for guitar is a clear nod to Andalusian flamenco traditions intricate melody make it a fiendish piece to master on guitar You can almost feel the dusty heat of a Spanish marketplace as you listen to the speedy strumming Ana Vidovic plays Asturias by Isaac Albéniz One of the most famous pieces among guitarists, Bach’s popular ‘Bourrée’ was originally written for lute Although it owes its name to a French dance Bach by no means intended his Bourrée to be for dancing its slick tempo and its switch from minor to major in the last chord of each verse gives it a wonderfully jaunty feel the Bourrée was apparently Sir Paul McCartney’s inspiration for ‘Blackbird’… The galliard was a form of Renaissance dance But what’s unusual about this galliard is its persistent trochaic rhythm – a stressed note followed by an unstressed one – which was an unusual feature for English composers No one is quite sure how John Dowland’s galliard for lute earned its animalistic name – but rumour has it it had something to do with one of Queen Elizabeth I’s suitors whom she affectionately referred to as her ‘frog’ Christoph Denoth - Frog Galliard (John Dowland) yearning opening that Heitor Villa-Lobos really finds his niche The Brazilian composer was one of the most successful Latin American composers of the 20th century his works successfully combining Brazilian folk melodies and rhythms with Western classical music It’s surely the unique combination of the two genres that makes section A of the Prelude No Nicholas Petrou - Villa-Lobos - Prelude No It seems fair to crown Stanley Myers’ well-loved theme from the movie The Deer Hunter the most popular piece of modern classical guitar music. It was written specially for guitarist John Williams (not to be confused with the film composer) when composer Myers expanded a short piano phrase into a full piece in 1970 Cavatina John Williams best-ever performance (live on TV) Ravel Einaudi Events Paderewski See more Best classical music See more More instruments After the chaos of the 71-year-old German's first Venice experience these days he can enjoy a more comfortable festival I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Wim Wenders’ relationship with the Venice Film Festival began in very inauspicious circumstances. The German director (the director of such classics as Paris, Texas and Wings Of Desire and whose latest feature Les Beaux Jours d’Aranjuez premiered in Venice this week) first came to the festival over 40 years ago. His movie The Goalkeeper’s Fear Of The Penalty (1971) was playing but Wenders didn’t make it to Venice in time for the screening. The next day, Wenders left the festival. Neither he nor his cast had done a single interview. His most vivid memory of the trip was being woken up at 5am by the police. They wanted him to come down to the station to confirm that the German man who had been arrested for being drunk and disorderly the previous evening (and who had beaten up the bar keeper at the Excelsior Hotel) really was the actor in his movie. Wenders departed with his tail between his legs. Several months passed. A strange looking package that had been re-addressed many times was delivered through the post. It was the international critics’ award from Venice. He’d won it without even knowing and the prize had finally reached him. Interviewed on a broiling afternoon in the shade in an upmarket Venice hotel, Wenders, now 71, is treated with a deference that he could have dreamed of in the early 1970s. Publicists scurry around him, making sure that he is comfortable. James Cameron’s Avatar this is not but Wenders has still shot it in 3D. I ask him why. “In my conviction, 3D is the most tender, gentle and friendly language the cinema has ever invented,” Wenders declares, speaking very fervently in spite of his otherwise mild-mannered demeanour. “Unfortunately, it is never used to that purpose but always for the opposite. It is a cold, violent medium, used for kids and not adults. It is always being used and abused.” It is Wenders’ conviction that 3D is the filmmakers’ best tool for representing nature and that it has an intimacy that 2D lacks. “Your eye is more guided, you’re more concentrated, you’re more looking at the faces of the actors. The 3D makes you follow the conversation more immersively…in 3D, other parts of your brain are involved. You are participating in different ways and parts of your brain that are completely dead when you watch a flat movie are also active.” Not that Wenders is forsaking conventional 2D storytelling altogether. His next film, Submergence, due to come out next year and starring Alicia Vikander and James McAvoy, is in 2D. This is a dark romantic thriller about a water engineer in Somalia kidnapped by Islamic jihadists. “We try to understand these people – of who they are and why they think like they do,” he says of the intentions in making the movie. New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled. ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Wenders describes the jukebox as “almost another character” in the film. When he was a young filmmaker, before he was able to store 18,000 songs on his smartphone, he used to haunt bars which had jukeboxes. That was sometimes the only way to listen to music. “I called it [the jukebox] a life-saving machine. I still have an emotional relationship to this old machine.” The German director describes himself as “the opposite of nostalgic”. For all of his use of devices like a typewriter and a jukebox in Les Beaux Jours, he has fully embraced the possibilities of digital filmmaking. A proud European, he also clearly has a very ambivalent relationship with US culture in general and with Hollywood in particular. In one of his 1970s films, Kings Of The Road, there is a famous line, “the yankees have colonised our subconscious”. I ask him if, 40 years on, he is still distrustful of US cultural hegemony. “To reduce the yankees to Hollywood is maybe totally appropriate today,” Wenders mulls the question. “A lot of opinions that people have today, American opinions, are formed by movies. Even the American way of life is an invention by the movies.” Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies ‘Caine’: Rina Sawayama Returns As Badass Akira In ‘John Wick’ Spinoff Directed By Donnie Yen Rian Johnson Counters Netflix CEO’s Comments On “Outdated” Theatrical Model: “Theatrical Is Not Going Anywhere” ‘Together’ Trailer: NEON’s Buzzy Horror Flick Heads To Theaters July 30 Marvel Officially Announces ‘Thunderbolts*’ Real Title Is ‘The New Avengers’ ‘American Psycho’: Chloë Sevigny & Patrick Schwarzenegger Want In On Luca Guadagnino Remake 16 Must-See Films To Watch In May:  ‘Thunderbolts*,’ ‘Phoenician Scheme,’ ‘Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning’ & More 10 Must-Watch TV Shows In May: ‘Poker Face,’ ‘Dept. Q,’ ‘Murderbot’ & More ‘Thunderbolts*’ Review: Marvel’s Shamed Misfits Defeat Self-Doubt & Find Their Heroic Purpose ‘Andor’ Season 2: Tony Gilroy Talks Emotional Consequences, Expanding Rebellion & Why He’s Done With ‘Star Wars’ [The Rogue Ones Podcast] ‘The Pitt’ Review: Max’s Engrossing Medical Drama Is ‘ER’ Meets ‘24’ With A Little ‘Industry’ ‘Poker Face’ Season 2 Review: Natasha Lyonne’s Detective Series Takes Big Swings With Absurdist Mysteries ‘The Gilded Age’ Trailer: Love Conquers All or Costs Everything In Season 3 ‘Shogun,’ ‘Baby Reindeer,’ ‘Fantasmas’ Top 2025 Peabody Awards Winners Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo Will Start The ‘Wicked For Good’ Promo Campaign On ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ ‘Havoc’: Gareth Evans Talks Tom Hardy, Virtual Cameras, Christmas Violence & The Possibility Of ‘The Raid 3’ [The Discourse Podcast] Patti LuPone Revisits An Emotional ‘Agatha All Along’ Journey And, Yes, She Really Does Love The New ‘Sunset Boulevard’ Exclusive: Lydia B. Kollins On Her “Automatic Yes” To ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ ‘Salvable’ Review: Toby Kebbell & Shia LaBeouf Can’t Help This Boxing Drama To Feel Original ‘Electra’ ‘Review: Maria Bakalova, Daryl Wein Star In A Genre-Confused Romp With Little To Say ‘Havoc’ Review: Tom Hardy & Director Gareth Evans Deliver Maximum Sicko Mode Chaos In Slight, But Entertaining Cop Thriller ‘MobLand’: Tom Hardy On Shakespearean Gangsters, ‘Havoc,’ & Why The Spider-Man/Venom Team-Up Never Happened [Bingeworthy Podcast] ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ Teaser Trailer: Spike Lee’s A24 Cannes-Bound Ransom Thriller Stars Denzel Washington ‘Sally’ Trailer: Acclaimed Sundance Doc About Trailblazing First Woman To Blast Into Space [Ned] ‘Everything’s Going To Be Great’ Trailer: Bryan Cranston & Allison Janney Star In A Show Business Dramedy Premiering At Tribeca Tony Awards 2025: George Clooney, Cole Escola, Sarah Snook, Nicole Scherzinger, Sadie Sink Land Nominations ‘Adolescence,’ ‘The Pitt’ & ‘Dying For Sex’ Top 2025 Gotham Television Awards Nominations Halle Berry, Jeremy Strong, Alba Rohrwacher Join 2025 Cannes Film Festival Jury his narrative output has disappointing for years now that hasn’t changed with his latest “The Beautiful Days Of Aranjuez.” Premiering at the Venice Film Festival the verdict on the movie — which once again finds the filmmaker playing with 3D — seems to be is that it’s a talky non-starter Wenders is a master craftsman and that talent looks like it’s on ample display in the new trailer and clips from the movie READ MORE: The Essentials: The 10 Best Wim Wenders Films as author contemplates the conversations between the characters he’s writing about Setting the film in a bucolic countryside with the towers of Paris barely visible in the far distance Wenders again employs 3D to place his characters The sounds of the breeze and rustling leaves provide their own interludes to the intense conversation taking place on a garden patio under a leafy bower his characters engage in conversations he is writing from her first sexual experience to her later disillusionments as her male companion (Reda Kateb) interjects and asks probing questions He often moves the talk from intense self-examination to the subject of the more prosaic beauties that surround them while the author finds relief in the magnificent Wurlitzer from which songs by Nick Cave regularly play The Playlist is a leading film and television website critical takes and more for the film community at large from moviegoers to entertainment industry players to the modern-day binge-happy viewer Growing in reach over the last eight years in all forms of destination traffic and social media our loyal audience looks to The Playlist as an ahead-of-the-curve tastemaker for celebrating both contemporary and new cinematic voices Contact us: [email protected] © Copyright - ThePlaylist.net All Rights Reserved 12 March 2020 - The Aranjuez city local operator AISA has signed a contract with Alstom to incorporate the innovative Alstom Aptis ebus into its urban vehicles fleet the historical and world heritage city of Aranjuez will become the first municipality in the Community of Madrid (not considering the capital) to incorporate a 100% high capacity electric vehicle into the Consorcio Regional de Tramportes de la Comunidad de Madrid (Madrid Regional mobility services Consortium) efficiency and perfect integration in the urban environment and within the rest of the operator's fleet Aptis has capacity for over 100 passengers This is possible thanks to reduced maintenance and operating costs and a longer service life than that of standard buses is to have a total cost equivalent to that of existing standard diesel buses are currently entering in commercial operation in Strasburg Aptis has been also chosen by RATP and Île-de-France Mobilités where commercial operations are due this year Joaquin Rodrigo is often written off as a one-hit wonder the mega-popularity of his Concierto de Aranjuez pushing the rest of his music firmly into the farthest corner of the hacienda It is a callous dismissal of a career that spanned much of the last century (Rodrigo lived from 1901-1999) this 1939 work has become the composer's calling card and the concerto of choice when guitarists are invited on an orchestral date This piece provides the title for the first orchestral outing by Milos Karadaglic with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Yannick Nezet-Seguin in what must have been an extensive photo-shoot for the CD booklet drawing listeners into his world with an intimacy that few other instrumentalists could rival Karadaglic's cool flamenco and satiny scales are an instant revival kit The central Adagio is faultless in its sheen introduced by a cor anglais solo that deserves full accreditation and Rodrigo's later Fantasia para un Gentilhombre conductor Nezet-Seguin makes his presence very much felt working with our NZSO National Youth Orchestra in 2007 The massive range of colours extracted from Rodrigo's scores reminded me of the NZSO NYO's La Mer seven years ago in which the Canadian's baton seemed to catch every ripple and wave in Debussy's sea In the much weaker Fantasia para un Gentilhombre which can come across like a succession of arrangements Nezet-Seguin's shaping of its structure is unfailingly brilliant Karadaglic has already released three solo albums since Mediterraneo and the present CD offers three more opportunities to hear him by himself putting Rodrigo's 1962 homage to Manuel de Falla just a track away from Falla's own 1920 homage to Debussy is perhaps more revealing than intended Both are exquisitely delivered but the Falla 'No one was meant to hear it,' Moller said while discussing his life the Children's Meeting of the Central Zone of the Salesian Province "St James the Greater" (SSM) was held in Aranjuez 480 children from 3rd to 6th grade of elementary school participated in this initiative the youngest of the 22 Salesian youth centers in the area experienced two intense days of conviviality reflection and friendship under the motto "Meeting Point." Participants reflected on the fact that everyone can be a true meeting point for so many other people whom he or she is called to help: in the family in the same way Jesus did with all those He met Saturday morning served to settle in and get to know each other followed by a session of games around the Palacio de Aranjuez In the evening there was singing and dancing SSM Provincial Delegate for Youth Ministry The meeting is part of the Provincial proposals of the Itinerary of Faith Education (IEF) "This meeting continues to have a lot of force because the animators continue to believe in Don Bosco's dream and give their time and energy to the youngsters." ANS - “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana” is a on-line almost daily publication the communication agency of the Salesian Congregation enrolled in the Press Register of the Tibunal of Rome as n 153/2007 This site also uses third-party cookies to improve user experience and for statistical purposes By scrolling through this page or by clicking on any of its elements Costa Rica is replete with farmers markets Dozens of towns across Costa Rica have weekend farmers markets, or ferias del agricultor, where farmers sell fresh fruit and vegetables at bargain prices. They’re a traditional way to go grocery shopping in Costa Rica and are well worth a visit If you’re looking for something a little more upscale Feria Verde is organized by the Asociación de Amantes de lo Orgánico (AAMOR) and first kicked off at the Polideportivo in Barrio Aranjuez A Ciudad Colón edition was inaugurated in 2015 Feria Verde is more than just a one-stop destination for fruits and veggies — and frankly perhaps a bit too expensive for weekly shopping it’s more of an event. It has live music and vendors offering everything from fresh cheese “Feria Verde works to promote the long-term health sustainability and care of our food systems and communities in Costa Rica The fair aims to be an inclusive meeting point so that people of all backgrounds can create new connections and develop in a healthy and friendly environment.”  Feria Verde is held each Saturday from 7 a.m There’s also a Tuesday fair in Ciudad Colón SXS's season opener with Slava Grigoryan proved an amiable enjoyable concert with a fascinating new work for guitar and chamber orchestra by Natalie Nicolas This concert was originally planned to be performed in 2020 Guitarist Slava Grigoryan has played with the Southern Cross Soloists many times before so this afternoon performance was a chance for a convivial catching-up of friends through music Alex Raineri and Slava Grigoryan in SXS’s Souvenirs de Aranjuez concert The concert opened with a set of works labelled as being from the Spanish Baroque although they were rather different to the pieces mentioned in their promo online and wound up with two de Murcia pieces and a piece by the (very definitely not Baroque) Mudarra although the Mudarra’s F# tuning made for a slightly awkward wait while Grigoryan retuned if seemingly almost unrelated to the concert proper Next was a trio of Debussy Préludes played by violinist Alan Smith and pianist Alex Raineri which made a charming introduction to the more jazz-inflected side of harmonies for the rest of the program Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Contribute to Limelight and support independent arts journalism and the winner of a notorious song contest (hint: it isn’t Eurovision) New Fab Four Australian Guitar Quartet launches with a spectacular lift-off Cameron Lam collects the latest releases across Classical and Sound Art in this month’s Australian Art Music playlist It’s a family affair as TAV celebrates 30 years of excellence We probably have the Muzak corporation to thank for associating bossa with 'background music' Check out our playlists from our latest issue Our free Weekly Newsletter delivers the latest arts news reviews and features to your inbox each Saturday Spain - Victor Manuel Lozano spends his days like most 2-year-olds is the only the one in the world with cells for families Disney characters on the walls and access to a prison playground The idea is for children to bond with their jailed parents while young enough not to fully grasp the reality of prison and to teach parenting skills to inmates seeking rehabilitation Some parents have two toddlers in the prison Neither the prison psychologist nor the parents themselves think it is an ideal situation But they say it beats the pain of separation Garcia was jailed in 1998 for 10 years for murdering her boyfriend Victor Lozano entered the jail the following year for an 11-year term were married behind bars and had Victor Manuel prison is the only world the toddler knows he will have to leave the prison and be looked after by relatives unless his parents can win a reduction of sentence for good behavior who has spent the day playing with the other children of inmates sometimes stands outside the cell crying because he does not want to go back behind the bars The prison in this town 25 miles south of Madrid began operating family cells in 1998 and now has 36 most with Latin American immigrants who have no one to look after their children Their other three are living with Montoya's grandmother Montoya takes her 1-year-old daughter Marina to the prison's nursery school every morning while her husband works at the prison supermarket "This is heaven compared with other cells where I have been," Montoya said while showing off Cell 113 a small bathroom and windows facing outside the prison "The only thing that reminds me I'm in jail is the roll call three times a day." encourages some women with a child about to turn 3 to try to get pregnant and stay in a family cell Many prisons around the world have nurseries and cells for children and mothers but experts say they know of none with two-parent family cells "family cells would be very challenging" because prisons there are sexually segregated said Denise Johnson of the Center for Children of Incarcerated Parents in Los Angeles Some experts think infants shouldn't be behind bars in any circumstances Prisons are the wrong place for children," said Frances Crook director of the London-based Howard League for Penal Reform Spanish authorities say the family cells have been a success but acknowledge a child may suffer emotionally when separated from his or her parents but says the most important thing is for the family to be together "The bond has to be established between the child and their parents," she said.