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Explore the tiny biodegradable pacemaker for newbornsResearchers have created a pacemaker smaller than a grain of rice that does not require open surgery to implant. Why you might be younger than you think you areThere is a difference between our chronological and biological age, which we have the power to control. Malaysian trade minister on US tariffsMalaysia's minister Zafrul Aziz will be representing the ASEAN bloc in its negotiations with the US. Anderson Wise’s managing partner Darren Robinson brought Lucas the monkey on his trek along the Camino de Santiago (Way of St James) this summer. Pictured is Lucas in Padrón, getting ready to eat some Padrón peppers. Photo: Darren Robinson Darren Robinson tells us about the motivations behind his trek along the Camino de Santiago trail this summer, the books he enjoyed and the favourite part of his journey. Robinson (and Lucas the monkey) last year walked for 13 days. This year’s trip, he noted, was a bit shorter: 100km over five days. The two of them started in Vigo, continuing through Arcade to Pontevedra, Caldas de Reis and Padrón before arriving in Santiago de Compostela. It wasn’t as painful as last summer, said Robinson, who struggled with blisters during his past Camino trek, but “it’s still hard work!” Arriving in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Photo: Darren Robinson From Palma de Mallorca, Robinson and Lucas transferred to Vigo, where they started their journey. The walk from Vigo to Arcade (pictured) was 22km, Photo: Darren Robinson It was 17km from Arcade to Pontevedra (pictured). Photo: Darren Robinson Twenty-one kilometres from Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis. Photo: Darren Robinson The walk from Caldas de Reis to Padrón was 18.6km. Pictured is Lucas in Padrón, getting ready to eat some Padrón peppers. Photo: Darren Robinson The walk from Padron to Santiago de Compostela was 25km. Photo: Darren Robinson The finish line! Arriving in Santiago de Compostela. Photo: Darren Robinson Favourite moment? “Padrón was great,” replied Robinson, highlighting the famous Padrón peppers that he got to eat. “Lucas’ and my favourite.” As was the case last year, Robinson also enjoyed a few books during his Camino walk this time around: “Churchill’s D-Day: The British Bulldog’s Fateful Hours During the Normandy Invasion,” written by Allen George Packwood and Richard Dannatt, as well as “Listening to Joseph,” a book about someone moving to the grand duchy, by the author Susan Alexander (Alexander is also a member of the British-Luxembourg Society, of which Robinson is president). 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I tried to keep my mileage on the Camino to around 10-12 miles/16-20 kilometers a day I'm using the mileage as recorded on my Apple Watch — then converted to kilometers my currencies varied between Euro and USD since some of these places I booked through apps I've tried to be as accurate as possible but please keep in mind that — as the saying goes — your mileage and costs could vary I hope this at least gives you an idea of what I walked and spent to help you plan your own pilgrimage I had heard the walk out of Porto on the central route was a slog along busy roads, so I chose to follow the river from the Sé Cathedral and walk along the coast to Vila de Conde Where I stayed: Albergue São Tiago de Labruge (20€) It’s basically the town albergue (hostel) with lots of beds in open rooms/mixed dorm setting just walked in upon arrival because everything else was full in town I used my sleeping bag here as I found it more comfortable than the bedding provided I crossed over from the Coastal route to the Central route Where I stayed: Casa Anabela (35€) shared bath and breakfast along with bottled water and port wine I booked this the day prior to arriving via email Note: Across the street from the guest house I was able to get a pilgrim’s meal (which typically includes soup I chose a main course of chicken/rice/salad Must stop along the way: Michelin recommended restaurant Pedra Furada It was €11 for the lunchtime pilgrim’s meal of soup The meal was delicious and made me wish I could be there to experience their dinner menu used to also have an albergue here but it is currently being used to help house Ukrainian refugees Where I stayed: Casa da Ana Boutique Guest House (69€/$70.35) I almost cried when I arrived and realized I’d have to walk upstairs to get to the room had a rain shower (!) and included breakfast they own the pub below (where they also have breakfast in the morning) which also has tables on the small square Great location and the chef in the pub (after we’d been sitting there quite a while) asked if we wanted to try some authentic Portuguese food –then just started bringing us plates Note: If you’re looking for a rest day early in the trek If you do research on the best hostels on the Portuguese Way Casa Fernanda will pop up over and over again Fernanda runs an albergue along a section of the Camino where there are few other options but you wouldn’t want to pass it by anyway I hobbled in and she immediately brought an ice pack she whipped up appetizers of Padrón peppers and cod fritters served along with wine allowing all her guests to relax while talking to other travelers in the garden Dinner was held in the evening with plenty of wine port and singing followed by breakfast the next morning She charges €20 (to be dropped in the box in her kitchen by the window) but I think once you experience her generous hospitality you’ll understand why I urge you to drop in more voluntarily but Fernanda greets every visitor like they’re a long-lost friend finally visiting her home in Portugal Make a reservation well in advance by calling her landline +351 914 589 521 or emailing fernandarodrigues1970@hotmail.com Where I stayed: Old Village Hostel (25€/$25.49) I had a private room and a shared bath plus breakfast here This place was really nice but I wish I had stayed closer to the center of the city which is stunning and was having a monthly outdoor market the day I was leaving Note: I wish I had planned a rest day here as it would have given me a chance to rest/regroup after 4 days of walking Don’t let the low distance on this day fool you you get to see Cruz dos Franceses where people have left prayers and memorials to loved ones on the way to Rubiães It's really touching to see after the slog uphill Where I stayed: Pensão Repouso de Peregrino guest house (25 €) I had a private room/bath and a balcony plus breakfast and a shuttle to a restaurant for dinner You'll have to go to the garden or the main house for that Another option: A lot of people stayed at O Ninho Albergue (15 euro) but I booked late and couldn't get in Where I stayed: Parador de Tui (155.57€/$159.13) The Paradores are a collection of 4-star hotels run by the Spanish Government in old manors There are two of these splendid historic places along the Portuguese way This was my splurge to celebrate crossing into Spain something I highly recommend because I tried to extend the reservation another night You can also stay in nearby Valença, the fort just before the border A few people I met along the way were taking a rest day here spending one night in Valença before moving over to Tui for the second day (I regret not doing this to see more of both towns and also let my feet rest.) Note: As you’re leaving Tui, stop by Convento das Clarisas Encerradas: This convent of cloistered nuns does not speak to the outside world but they make almond cookies and bread to sell them through a rotary screen Where I stayed: Senda Sur (hostel/mixed dorm) (13€ /$13.25) This hostel has curtains to close off your bunk from the outside world and have a little privacy you can also get a little room of bunks with its own key card entry You'll need to pay extra for breakfast here but know there are lots of little bakeries nearby I reserved this a couple of days in advance A Conserveira (12€/$12.25) Hostel with a great location in town near lots of restaurants with a curtain to provide privacy for the pod but not individual bunks Pontevedra will feel like a large bustling town after a couple of days staying in small towns If you are looking for a rest day toward the end of the pilgrimage Where I stayed: Parador de Pontevedra (2 nights for €253.88/$259.70) No pool here but a beautiful garden to relax and have a glass of wine I reserved this room several weeks in advance Caldas de Reis is on a river and boasts natural hot springs but there are a couple of lovely restaurants along the river where you can pass an afternoon after you arrive Where I stayed: Albergue Albor (€19.55/$20) This hostel is run by a wonderful woman named Yolanda who is an artist with the wax stamp she awards her guests on their credentials (You must stay there to get the stamp.) The fee includes breakfast I reserved in advance and was glad I did as it booked up Note: If you don't want to stay in a hostel here, the four-star Hotel Pousada Real is across the street and has a pool I was getting up early in the morning to get to my next destination quickly Where I stayed: Cruces de Iria ($15) This hostel is just as you are leaving Padrón just outside the city which cuts down on your mileage for the final day The owner does a history lesson about the town Note if you're willing to walk a bit more: Herbon Albergue is a monastery where you can stay that also does dinner and a Mass A great option for contemplation before arriving in Santiago but there are no reservations It opens at 4 pm (16:00) with Mass at 8 pm (20:00) Where I stayed: At the end of the Camino, I treated myself to Hotel Palacio del Carmen a former convent turned Marriott Autograph collection When you arrive, you’ll need to go to the Pilgrim’s Office to get your Compostela. There’s a pilgrim’s mass at noon (12:00) and 7 pm (19:00) at the Cathedral swinging censer the Cathedral is famous for only swings on special occasions or if someone has arranged a donation in advance (it takes 8 men to help swing it) How I celebrated: My splurge dinner was at the Michelin-star Casa Marcelo It was a wonderful experience and I do not regret the €95 I dropped here You'll need to make a reservation in advance (I really enjoyed sitting at the bar area where I could enjoy watching the food prep.) Note: There’s another spot here that sells pastries. Visit Monasterio e Iglesia de San Pelayo for cloistered nun treats Here’s the breakdown of the range for each lodging type: Private room/shared bath: 2 nights (25-35 euro) Guest house private room/private bath: 3 nights (25-64 euro) Food expenses came in around €420/$429 (inclusive of my posh celebratory meal) and my added other expenses (from new socks to ibuprofen I’d say I spent about €1700/$1738 or about €100/$102 a day plus my airfare I’m a travel writer so I wanted to see the range of accommodations on the way but also have some comfortable rest days so my selections (and budget) represent that You could definitely do this on a smaller budget (think hostels all the way and buying food at the grocery store to prepare) or eliminate the hostel stays in favor of more comfortable private accommodations with a larger budget I met pilgrims on both ends of the budget spectrum along the way There’s a Tiktok out there from a guy on the Camino Frances who jokes that we pack our fears when we prepare for the Camino but what gear you decide to take is a very personal choice you might think is unnecessary – but I used everything I packed but one item (more on that in a bit) Everything weighed in at 18 pounds/8 kilograms I sent a large suitcase on to my hotel in Santiago de Compostela via Tuitrans ($70 USD) and carried a Deuter Futura Vario 45+10 liter bag that weighed about 18 pounds The backpack was truly the MVP of this trip – but it’s entirely due to advice I received that I’m going to pass on to you here The sales rep had me try on several different brands and packed it down with weight similar to what I’d carry on the Camino She adjusted the settings for my back and showed me how to adjust the straps each time I put them on She then had me walk around the store and up the stairs so I could see what was working and what didn’t it’s because it’s the exact right fit for me made me a bit slower but I never had any back issues on the Camino A fellow traveler actually remarked how I never complained about my back compared to everyone else You’re shelling out good money for a backpack This is the mistake I made – I bought some shoes I love but I tore through the insoles so quick on the cobblestone I was able to grab some new insoles at a Farmacía but it would have been awesome to have better insoles before the start (and save me some knee pain!) But I'd recommend being creative on what you might be able to bring that might serve dual purposes I also organized everything using repurposed cosmetic bags I had collected over the years -- though you could do the same with Ziplocks Clothes: I brought the equivalent of three outfits: One long shirt, one t-shirt, one tank top, one pair each of pants/leggings,/shorts, one hoodie, one raincoat. I had one pair of pajama shorts and a cotton tank dress that could be worn to dinner or as pajamas I did two socks/underwear/sports bras and on this point (I did end up buying more socks on the way.) I brought a swimsuit as well (which helped in a pinch when I was doing laundry) sample sizes of concealer/mascara/lipstick and an eye shadow crayon I used shampoo/conditioner in the hotels where I stayed Medicines included my daily routine along with Tylenol an heirloom prayer book from my great aunt/rosary bracelet travel-sized Tide laundry soap packets to wash clothes in the sink The only thing I packed that I did not use – but had no choice but to bring My 3 lb work computer that I needed to use on the other side of the Camino (I traveled through Spain and then checked into the LP Dublin office after the trek.) Tuitrans would not transport electronic devices like computers and my company would frown upon it even if I did have them transport it This was the only item I obviously didn’t use but unfortunately How to pack like a pro for a backpacking trip in 2022 I would have my bag transported between each destination so I could lighten my pack but also have more possible changes of clothes and footwear I would have consistently picked places that had bedding so I would have to carry a sleeping bag I’d make sure I had cushy shoe inserts before I started the trek especially around Ponte de Lima and Valença Both are beautiful places I wish I had had more time (and energy) to enjoy Which Camino de Santiago route is right for you in 2022? June 8: Progress - into Arcade Spain  Yesterday started as an easy 10-mile journey from Tui to O Porrino with a steady cool gentle rain For most of the day our path took us through a quiet wooded countryside; following ancient Roman paths. Unfortunately the last two or three miles traversed hard concrete sidewalks through an industrial area The hard hiking boots started feeling like upside down cleats digging into the soul my feet and most other muscles in my lower torso It’s moments like this that make me question why I am undertaking this trek As we near the end we are all growing tired yesterday’s evenings rest was welcome and provided a certain level of recovery there may be clarity of the underlying purpose of this journey Some may think I have quite an imagination about my spiritual encounters over the last couple of years But I am certain there is something out there but I still question the legitimacy of these moments (am I nuts?) Perhaps the calling of this journey is to understand how to move forward and what to do with these experiences Today we landed in Arcade a beautiful waterfront village The beauty of the planet never ceases to amaze me we see many more people making the pilgrimage to the final destination At the start of our walk yesterday the birds were singing and the fragrance of the earth was fresh after a night of rainfall This set the table yesterday for a cool 9-mile rolling path through the woods We were lucky to avoid the rain as it started with a steady drizzle as we arrived in Pontevedra Morgan has been struggling with a GI bug for the last few days this had a huge impact on her well being and her ability to walk with us on these days Today she shared her GI gift with me resulting in day of rest for yours truly. I hope to be back on the road with Jerry tomorrow rain and whatever Mother Nature can throw to them they go up and down hills and mountains along muddy paths cobblestone roads and along the asphalt highways I wonder  how many of them are looking for something bigger than themselves This day finally arrived: 400 miles completed for Jerry and me and 156 for Morgan This is the second Camino for all of us and for some reason we were called to travel this different route to Santiago This has been a huge lesson for me.This entire journey I kept trying to compare this Portuguese route to the Camino Francis route across northern Spain But this journey brought it’s own special gifts a closer relationship with my good friend and Lisbon walking partner Jerry Osteryoung It also brought back the wonder of this precious gift of life This was also a trek where my partner in life (Morgan) and I were given lessons of how to walk together with joy throughout the rest of our lives I am forever grateful for the support of my family attending the pilgrims mass at the Cathedral was quite emotional and a perfect close to this journey We all now have each completed over 1,000 miles walking across domestic and foreign lands seeking spiritual and inner growth Is now the time to put down our walking sticks If you asked me today the answer would be yes Contact Gregg Patterson at gregg.patterson@yahoo.com Spain's most popular orchestra will visit Valencia this 2024 on the only confirmed date for this summer: august 22 in Paterna The Panorama Orchestra is possibly the best and best known orchestra in Spain fills every summer squares and stadiums all over Spain with their show Panorama has been expanding its cast of artists and staging to the point of needing large stages and giving marathon shows at summer parties the staging and the large group of singers musicians and dancers that accompany it have launched it to the stardom of the verbenas the orchestra’s team is made up of 26 people Their constantly evolving repertoire is another of their strengths with adaptations of current songs and classics that unite all generations around their usual (and gigantic) stage With an average of more than 200 performances per year throughout Spain, this spectacular orchestra will visit Valencia again in 2024 as part of their iA Tour” tour a theme centered on artificial intelligence The only concert scheduled to date for this summer in Valencian lands will be in Paterna one of the 20 dates the band had scheduled before the official start of the summer The dates displayed for an article provide information on when various publication milestones were reached at the journal that has published the article activities on preceding journals at which the article was previously under consideration are not shown (for instance submission All content on this site: Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. Metrics details Wastewater treatment plants produce hundreds of million tons of sewage sludge every year all over the world Vermicomposting is well established worldwide and has been successful at processing sewage sludge which can contribute to alleviate the severe environmental problems caused by its disposal we utilized 16S and ITS rRNA high-throughput sequencing to characterize bacterial and fungal community composition and structure during the gut- and cast-associated processes (GAP and CAP respectively) of vermicomposting of sewage sludge Bacterial and fungal communities of earthworm casts were mainly composed of microbial taxa not found in the sewage sludge; thus most of the bacterial (96%) and fungal (91%) taxa in the sewage sludge were eliminated during vermicomposting modified microbial communities undergo a succession process leading to more diverse microbiotas than those found in sewage sludge bacterial and fungal community composition changed significantly during vermicomposting Vermicomposting of sewage resulted in a stable and rich microbial community with potential biostimulant properties that may aid plant growth Our results support the use of vermicompost derived from sewage sludge for sustainable agricultural practices if heavy metals or other pollutants are under legislation limits or adequately treated The amount of sewage sludge generated in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) keeps steadily increasing and hundreds of million tons are produced every year all over the world. In Europe, nearly 50% of this sludge is dumped in agriculture and forestry soils, with less than 25% being effectively composted or recycled (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat) The disposal of sewage biosolids may cause severe environmental problems particularly in terms of soil pollution by heavy metals European Union (EU) waste management policies promote recycling processes and discourage landfill disposal Council Directive 199/31/EC of 26 April 1999 on the landfill of waste and their later amendments stablish that Member States shall set up a national strategy for the implementation of the reduction of biodegradable waste going to landfills It also obliges Member States to reduce biodegradable municipal waste going to landfills to 35% of the total amount (by weight) of biodegradable municipal waste produced and directs them to different value-forming processes focused mainly on its use as organic fertilizers because of its nutrient content The EU Strategy for Circular Economy also endorses this policy and has set the limit of landfilling to 10% of the current volume of dumping into landfills by 2035 This EU strategy also considers recycled nutrients as an important category of secondary raw materials their treatment and further use in agriculture contribute to reduce the use of mineral-based fertilizers and consumption of limited non-renewable resources such as phosphate rocks these wastes must be free of hazardous substances in order to be safely used in agriculture Since vermicompost is an organic biofertilizer that is of interest not only for its chemical properties and nutrients but also for its biological properties in terms of microbial inoculums it is important to thoroughly characterize the structure and composition of its microbial content; particularly of the fungal communities which have been largely ignored in vermicomposting microbiome research here we have coupled 16S and ITS rRNA high-throughput sequencing and sophisticated metataxonomic analysis to assess the impact of earthworms on the composition and structure of bacterial and fungal communities (microbiomes) during vermicomposting of sewage sludge in relation to GAP and CAP processes Relative abundance of the main phyla and genera of bacteria in sewage sludge fresh earthworm casts and vermicompost (3 months old) during vermicomposting of sewage sludge Low abundance bacterial phyla and genera (< 1%) were grouped together (other) Relative abundance of the main phyla and genera of fungi in sewage sludge fungal composition of cast and vermicompost was radically different from those of sewage sludge Changes in α-diversity of bacterial and fungal communities during vermicomposting of sewage sludge denoted by observed ASV richness (top) and the Faith and inverse Simpson index (bottom for bacteria and fungi respectively) Different letters indicate significant differences between sewage sludge fresh earthworm casts and vermicompost (paired Wilcoxon test the starting material had not previously been processed by an animal gut a material already processed by the human gut and therefore more microbially rich reduced its bacterial diversity due to the earthworm gut-associated processes These findings indicate that microbial succession during vermicomposting is strongly influenced by the starting substrate and since sewage sludge is highly variable due to its heterogeneous nature and the different methodologies applied in wastewater treatment plants it would be necessary to verify the performance and magnitude of the vermicomposting process on different types of sludge and or biosolids Changes in β-diversity of bacterial and fungal communities during vermicomposting of sewage sludge Principal coordinate analysis with Bray–Curtis and Jaccard distances Different capital and lower-case letters indicate significant differences between sewage sludge fresh earthworm casts and vermicompost in PCoA 1 and PCoA 2 scores respectively (paired Wilcoxon test Changes in richness and diversity of bacteria and fungi during vermicomposting of sewage sludge Venn diagrams showing the absolute number of bacterial (a) and fungal (c) ASVs found in sewage sludge fresh earthworms casts and vermicompost (3 months old) Effect of GAP (gut-associated processes) on the richness and diversity of (b) bacteria and (d) fungi mainly during the gut-associated processes is a critical factor leading to the rapid reduction of pathogens during vermicomposting This underscores the critical importance of maintaining vermicomposting reactors at the highest possible stocking densities or at maximum charge capacity so optimal operation or performance of the vermicomposting process is ensured This study describes how vermicomposting drastically modifies bacterial and fungal communities of sewage sludge and stresses the critical effect of earthworms during that process Bacterial and fungal composition and structure changes significantly during gut-associated processes (GAP) and cast-associated processes (CAP) Most of the microbial taxa present in the sewage sludge were eliminated during vermicomposting Given that earthworms change drastically microbial communities of the organic wastes during vermicomposting and vermicompost microbiome resembles the microbial communities of the earthworm gut studying the effect of the starting material in the configuration of the earthworm gut microbiome is paramount the vermireactor contained a layer of vermicompost (12 cm height) as a bed for the earthworms (Eisenia andrei) Earthworm population density in the vermireactor was over 12,000 individuals per m2 We added fresh sewage sludge (120 kg fresh weight) to the bed in a 12 cm layer The vermicompost bedding was separated from fresh sewage sludge by a plastic mesh (5 mm mesh size) Use of the plastic mesh allows earthworm migration prevents mixing of the processed sludge and the vermicompost bedding and facilitates the sampling of sewage during vermicomposting The moisture content was maintained at around 85% throughout the duration of the experiment by covering the vermireactor with a shade cloth DNA was extracted from 0.25 g (fresh weight) of each sample (sewage sludge earthworm casts and vermicompost) using the MO-BIO PowerSoil kit following the manufacturer's protocols DNA quality and quantity were determined using BioTek’s Take3 Multi-Volume Plate All laboratory procedures were performed in a laminar flow hood to prevent contamination of the samples with microorganisms from the surrounding environment Differential abundances of ASVs and other bacterial and fungal taxa were determined according to Wald tests and p-values adjusted by false discovery rate (p-adj < 0.05) Because multiple pairwise Wald tests were conducted for each pairwise comparison between treatments we further adjusted “raw” P values using the Benjamini–Hochberg method to correct for multiple pairwise comparisons non-significant contrasts were considered to have an effect size (log2 fold change) of zero The impact of earthworm gut transit on both taxonomic and phylogenetic α-diversity of bacterial and fungal communities of sewage sludge was assessed using non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis tests We used paired Wilcoxon test for post-hoc comparisons with Benjamini–Hochberg FDR for multiple test correction we analyzed differences in β-diversity of bacterial and fungal communities using non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis tests We also used the paired Wilcoxon test for post-hoc comparisons We estimated the absolute number of bacterial and fungal ASVs present in sewage sludge fresh earthworm casts and vermicompost after removing ASVs shared among treatments; hence we consider native sludge ASVs those present only in sludge samples We estimated shared ASVs among treatments as those ASVs present in pairwise comparisons between treatments Permission was obtained from the wastewater treatment plant in Caldas de Reis for collection of the sample The sequence data generated in the current study are available in the National Center for Biotechnology Information Sequence Read Archive (SRA) under the SRA accession numbers PRJNA723448 for bacteria and PRJNA723452 for fungi State of the art and new perspectives on vermicomposting research Vermicomposting: earthworms enhance the work of microbes In Microbes at Work: From Wastes to Resources (eds Insam Relationships between composting and vermicompong Vermicomposting: composting with earthworms to recycle organic wastes Vermicomposting of sewage sludge: effect of bulking materials on the growth and reproduction of the earthworm Eisenia andrei The influence of earthworms on nutrient dynamics during the process of vermicomposting Vermistabilization of primary sewage sludge Effect of vermicomposting on concentration and speciation of heavy metals in sewage sludge with additive materials Changes in bacterial numbers and microbial activity of pig slurry during gut transit of epigeic and anecic earthworms Feeding on microbiomes: effects of detritivory on the taxonomic and phylogenetic bacterial composition of animal manures Changes in microbial community structure and function during vermicomposting of pig slurry Bacterial succession and functional diversity during vermicomposting of the white grape marc Vitis vinifera v Microbial biomass governs enzyme activity decay during aging of worm-worked substrates through vermicomposting Microbiome dynamics during cast ageing in the earthworm Aporrectodea caliginosa Human pathogen reduction during vermicomposting Changes of microbial communities during the vermicomposting process and after application to the soil The use of vermicompost in sustainable agriculture: impact on plant growth and soil fertility Temporal dynamics of bacterial communities in a pilot-scale vermireactor fed with distilled grape marc Changes in the composition and function of bacterial communities during vermicomposting may explain beneficial properties of vermicompost Rapid bacterial community changes during vermicomposting of grape marc derived from red winemaking Characterization of fungal biodiversity in compost and vermicompost Gut digestion of earthworms significantly attenuates cell-free and-associated antibiotic resistance genes in excess activated sludge by affecting bacterial profiles Elimination of antibiotic resistance genes and human pathogenic bacteria by earthworms during vermicomposting of dewatered sludge by metagenomic analysis Elimination of antibiotic resistance genes from excess activated sludge added for effective treatment of fruit and vegetable waste in a novel vermireactor Comparison of chemical and microbiological changes during the aerobic composting and vermicomposting of green waste Pathogen reduction in septic tank sludge through vermicomposting using Eisenia fetida Persistence of Escherichia coli in batch and continuous vermicomposting systems Exploring the effects of earthworms on bacterial profiles during vermicomposting process of sewage sludge and cattle dung with high-throughput sequencing Reduction of total coliform numbers during vermicomposting is caused by short-term direct effects of earthworms on microorganisms and depends on the dose of application of pig slurry Selective reduction of the pathogenic load of cow manure in an industrial-scale continuous-feeding vermireactor DADA2: High-resolution sample inference from Illumina amplicon data Exact sequence variants should replace operational taxonomic units in marker-gene data analysis The SILVA ribosomal RNA gene database project: Improved data processing and web-based tools Naive Bayesian classifier for rapid assignment of rRNA sequences into the new bacterial taxonomy phyloseq: An R package for reproducible interactive analysis and graphics of microbiome census data ggplot2: Elegant Graphics For Data Analysis (Springer R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing (R Foundation for Statistical Computing Moderated estimation of fold change and dispersion for RNA-seq data with DESeq2 Conservation evaluation and phylogenetic diversity Quantitative and qualitative β diversity measures lead to different insights into factors that structure microbial communities Download references The authors would like to thank Hugo Martínez and Alberto Da Silva for help with the vermicomposting process This study was supported by the Xunta de Galicia (ED431B 2019/38) and the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (AGL2017-86813-R) Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos performed research and wrote the main manuscript text All authors edited and reviewed the manuscript The authors declare no competing interests Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-95099-z Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Microbiology newsletter — what matters in microbiology research A woman who took on 65 miles of the Camino de Santiago a popular network of pilgrimage routes in Europe said she was “thrilled” to have completed the challenge walked in ten to 15-mile stages to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is the final point for many pilgrims walking or cycling the voyage in the north west region of Spain The women made the trip between April 22 and 26 as part of Ms Oatley’s 60th birthday celebrations Terra Harper and Caroline Fraley from California Ms De Couto said there were specific conditions that must be met to become certified pilgrims She explained: “We had to complete at least 100 kilometres or 62 miles and get two passport stamps each day from various sources such as hotels She added: “I feel proud and very thrilled that I was able to complete it You finish it with a sense of accomplishment.” Ms De Couto said: “The hills were definitely challenging We did have a walk plan beforehand and did many walks starting about four weeks before we left.” She added: “Another challenge is you do not get a break “If we ever do it again we will consider having a break in between.” the group started the journey along a route called the Portuguese Way in the city of Vigo Spain — the first leg being a 15-mile hike Ms De Couto described that stretch as “one of the longest and the highest point up a mountain” She said: “The hills were steep and took our breath away since there were not many signs on the route Ms De Couto explained: “Throughout the walk there were stone pillars with the Camino logo telling us where to go and how far to go until the finish there were not many signs on this particular leg.” The group’s first stop was at the village of Arcade where they spent the night before they headed to the town of Pontevedra on an 11-mile walk many locals were selling their handmade jewellery “The locals were welcoming along the route and it felt like going back in time in some places.” The group arrived at Pontevedra earlier than expected and learnt more about the area Ms De Couto said: “One of the local dishes was octopus and it was fascinating to watch how they were made “The other interesting thing to learn was that soda was more expensive than wine they would offer local olives and fresh bread.” the group walked 13 miles to the city of Caldas de Reis the smell of roses was gorgeous scattered among all the flora and fauna.” Ms De Couto explained: “We found out that it was 12 miles to the village and our bed and breakfast was another three miles outside the village.” but dinner was another highlight as the owner of the restaurant picked us up and then dropped us off at the end of our meal” Ms De Couto said the last leg of the journey — 15 miles — was “the most exhilarating and spiritual part of the whole walk” She added: “Watching the city and the cathedral come closer and closer while walking just builds your excitement.” That stretch was “the most populated as there were lots of folks not just on foot we would run into people from around the world speaking many different languages.” The group grew accustomed to the greeting “Buen Camino” Ms De Couto said: “It can also mean good path and bicyclers and with local people who wish you well along your route.” The women set their sights on another adventure in Nashville when they plan to attempt a Spartan obstacle course race You must be Registered or to post comment or to vote Which of the Throne Speech promises is the Government best equipped to deliver on View Results �A couple of months ago I was diagnosed with a heart problem I was told that I needed an operation and that I had to take it easy I’m three stages in and I feel great,� says Isha Imelda Miranda She set off from Triacastela last Wednesday as part of a group of 45 pilgrims from Mexico and while she considers herself a senior citizen she arrived in Palas de Rei on Friday without any trouble other than the need to take her medicine and go easy there are many other older pilgrims who want to make their way to Santiago de Compostela more than half of the pilgrims in her group �are also getting on in years� what matters is your physical and mental condition,� remarks physiotherapist Vanesa L�pez Miguens offers some excellent tips and advice on how to enjoy the experience without worrying about when you were born �An active 70-year-old is more likely to succeed than a 40-year-old who sits at home all day,� explains Vanesa L�pez it’s reassuring to know that even if you’re not very physically active it is always a good idea to start exercising scientific studies have shown that you’ll make huge improvements no matter your level even if you start exercising at the age of 80,� she adds we have the women accompanying Isha Imelda towards the end of the stage Modesta Olivares and sisters Manuela and Diana Barrionuevo are four of the oldest pilgrims in the group yet in the words of Diana they’ve been enjoying �the magic of the Camino� as much as anyone else She decided to do the stage between Portomar�n and Palas de Rei alone which caused no problems whatsoever for the group as one of the keys to having completed three stages without any injuries is that �everyone absolutely has to go at their own pace� While age is not necessarily a determining factor Vanesa L�pez warns that there are certain physiological changes to bear in mind �Exercise should be adapted to the needs of each individual and their state of health It should also take into account factors such as the type frequency and intensity of the physical activity to be performed,� she explains it is essential that each individual knows and listens to his or her body heart rate and sense of fatigue in order to set realistic goals and expectations during the Camino,� she explains She also recommends consulting a doctor if you have any existing health issues both to find out your state of health and just in case it proves necessary to follow their instructions or even change your medication she suggests visiting a physiotherapist two to three months ahead of the trip �to be able to assess whether there could be any musculoskeletal interference and to have enough time to make changes or improvements in your life so that you can safely complete the Camino and enjoy yourself in the process.� That’s exactly what Manuela Barrionuevo did now aged 64 and having already completed two other Caminos �I have stage four osteoarthritis and I thought about not coming but I had some injections done to my knees and that’s then my Camino got started that I didn’t feel able because of my age.. Proper physical preparation is essential ahead of the Camino and this is even more important for older pilgrims �If you’re not used to walking long distances head out into the mountains to get used to all the ascents and descents,� says Vanesa L�pez rolling at first and then alternating flat areas with climbs and switching gears as you get better,� she adds Aside from strengthening the muscles in your legs the aim of these exercises is to master the distance planned for each stage Proper planning is another absolute must for the physiotherapist �Doing the Camino from Roncesvalles (much further away from Santiago) is not the same as doing it from Tui (much closer) but broadly speaking it’s advisable for older people to walk stages of 15 or 17 kilometres or cycle 40 or 50 kilometres,� she explains she warns that some sections and routes are more difficult than others There are as many opinions as there are pilgrims on what the best route is but at SantiagoWays they offer the French Way from Sarria: �It has a long tradition and it’s also relatively flat.� The agency is often asked to personalise the experience and they might split up or shorten the stages if asked to do so by the customer �Older pilgrims usually request hotel lodging so that they can enjoy the Camino in comfort although as always it depends on the person,� they explain Another service they recommend for older people is rucksack transfer Both SantiagoWays and most of the other agencies have a 24-hour customer service �Knowing that you have a support telephone number and an emergency vehicle is very reassuring For people who are not used to dealing with the internet being just a phone call away is very important,� they explain Once the route has been planned and you’ve got enough training in it’s time to put on your boots and set off Both Vanesa L�pez and SantiagoWays remind all pilgrims that you should never wear new shoes on the Camino the physiotherapist recommends cooling your feet from time to time in a fountain this is something that Manuela used to do without having to be told and has the photos to prove it on her mobile phone The back is another part of the body you need to take good care of For those who decide to dispense with the rucksack transfer service it’s important to make sure that your backpack is well-fitted �and follows the contours of your back without too much slack but also not being too tight” and with the weight “close to the axis of the body and its centre of gravity,� explains Vanesa L�pez The physiotherapist also recommends poles or walking sticks to help with stability and uneven footing they recommend �trying out different sizes of walking stick beforehand to see which one’s right for your body,� as a stick that’s cumbersome to walk with is worse than no stick at all Breaks are another important aspect of any stage �We all need to rest before we get too tired if we want to recover properly; if we become exhausted the recovery process will be much slower and can cause problems,� explains Vanesa L�pez who goes so far as to recommend one full day of rest a week on long journeys including an energy drink every now and then to replenish lost mineral salts,� she adds staying hydrated is hugely important �before you should consume around two litres of water a day Drinking the equivalent of a glass of water every 40 minutes �even before you feel thirsty� is a good way to pace yourself and stay hydrated But if there is one thing the five Mexican pilgrims agree on it’s that the Camino is �more mental than physical� the best way to cope with fatigue is not to look ahead at the road but to focus �on nature and the landscape.� For Modesta it’s about listening to the sound of the wind and the birds sprains and traumatic arthritis are the most common afflictions Vanesa L�pez explains how to prevent them and what to do should they appear the expert recommends �applying localised cold to ease the inflammation and pain remembering that if we apply ice we should never do so directly on the skin but wrap it in paper or cloth to avoid ice burns.� In pilgrims tendinitis most commonly affects the Achilles tendon so it’s always best to stretch before setting off and not to tighten the boots too much if the height of the boot reaches the ankle applying ice where it hurts and getting one or two days of rest is usually enough to be able to press on� try to keep your rucksack as light as possible and make sure that your choice of boot includes ankle support is minor trauma to the joints (mainly the knees) As it often flares up after long descents with the rucksack weighing down on tired legs In any case, if any problem or injury arises, �the best thing to do is to head to the nearest physiotherapist,� adds Vanesa. The Official College of Physiotherapists of Galicia offers a guide to physiotherapy centres along the Camino de Santiago. In a nutshell, �It’s a great opportunity to release spent-up tension, disconnect from the routine, socialise, exercise and get close to nature, which brings great benefits and ensures pulmonary and mental oxygenation.� Reina Crist�bal, her eyes full of emotion, confirms this: �It’s the first time I’ve travelled by plane and the first time I’ve been to another country. It’s all wonderful. The Camino is pure magic.� Techniques for walking, by Vanesa L�pez Miguens Jan BuchczikSeptember 16, 2021 ShareSave “How to Build a Life” is a weekly column by Arthur Brooks tackling questions of meaning and happiness Some would-be adventurers simply found ways to do the exotic things they’d planned to do overseas in less exotic places went bungee jumping in North Carolina instead of Costa Rica I did the opposite: I went with my family to a fairly exotic place to do a distinctly unexotic thing I went to Spain and took a very quiet 100-mile walk Many religious traditions involve pilgrimages, which are, according to the scholar Surinder Mohan Bhardwaj “the physical traversing of some distance from home to the holy place,” motivated by sentiment or belief and undertaken as an act of devotion tens of thousands of Hindu pilgrims (yatri in Sanskrit) walk from their homes to the holy city of Mathura each year people walk the 70-kilometer Kumano Kodō across the Kii Peninsula to three sacred Shinto temples Want to stay current with Arthur's writing? Sign up to get an email every time a new column comes out Read: Walking for a better brain But this hardly justifies a trip halfway around the world—one can go for a walk nearly anywhere. Travel agencies aggressively market the Camino as an adventure which perhaps convinces some far-flung wayfarers to make the journey unless your idea of thrill seeking involves a monotonous repetitive act carried out for hours a day There is no danger besides the occasional village dog and no huge challenge beyond the sore muscles and blisters that come with walking 20 kilometers a day The secret of the Camino is really its utter lack of thrills The quiet monotony is initially hard to deal with interior shouting torments the modern pilgrim who is generally unaccustomed to being understimulated A thousand thoughts about life’s exigencies bite at the ankles; one is tempted to stop at every roadside café offering Wi-Fi to check in on the outside world these torments begin to subside as the walk begins to slow the mind to the speed of the body at a pace that is natural and unforced The walk becomes a long piece of music—andante Read: How walking in nature prevents depression writing that the speed at which humans walk “is the speed the love of God walks.” the most transcendent effects of pilgrimage appeared after a few days which forces one to live in the moment and (at least temporarily) to abandon the fruitless chase for lasting satisfaction through bigger accomplishments and better rewards one realizes that fulfillment cannot come when the present moment is merely a struggle to bear in service of the future because that future is destined to become nothing more than the struggle of a new present we must instead focus on the walk that is life Read: What 10,000 steps will really get you he does not mean that you are insignificant or just like everyone else he encourages all of us to zoom out from our narrow This is difficult ordinarily; it is easy on the Camino I envisioned myself as one of 7 billion people existing briefly on a timeline lasting millions of years I considered the insignificance not of my life but of the worldly details with which I usually distract myself from metaphysical truths how truly trivial it would be in the broad scheme of things if I lost my smartphone or dented my car Read: The subtle mindset shift that could radically change the way you see the world an uninterrupted day of walking offers a different sort of rightsizing One day is the perfect span of time to focus in prayer or meditation on the good of another it was global: the people of the world suffering from poverty and conflict This focus created a sense of love and compassion for the objects of each of my intentions and I finished with a concrete resolution to act accordingly Meditation is far from the only transcendent purpose that walking can serve. Many have written about the so-called savoring walk, the practice of focusing on the positive events in your life while walking, which helps you savor happiness I practiced this all throughout the coronavirus shutdowns in my city circling my neighborhood nightly after dinner Those walks are some of the sweetest memories I have of that period my gratitude began to bubble up—for my family Read: Does ‘counting your blessings’ work? Ibérica de Esponjas Vegetales (Pontevedra) is working on the development of natural products as an alternative to the consumption of polluting goods Plastic has flooded our lives, it’s obvious. It appears in food packagings, cosmetic products, clothes or building materials, among other areas. According to Greenpeace figures consumption will rise to 500 million tonnes a year Faced with this paradigm, new substitute products emerge, made with alternative materials to plastic that are less (or even nothing) harmful to the environment. Under this premise Ibérica de Esponjas Vegetales was born in 2013 directed by forest technician Juan Carlos Mascato This is a pioneering agroforestry company in the growing of pumpkin sponges for cosmetic use which was born as a search for alternatives to other agricultural systems in Galicia It uses a raw material that replaces synthetic products: the luffa a kind of pumpkin belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family In order to adapt it to market’s needs a plant with softer fibers and standard sizes so that they would allow certain logistics the genetic base of the plant and its crosses are selected and then the product is developed” Different fibre intensities are obtained through this process There is even a “super soft fibre” specific for sensitive skins or those with some type of disease This work of elaboration of the genetic base is key since it is the differentiation point of Ibérica de Esponjas Vegetales Juan Carlos says that this Cucurbitaceae plant with cross-pollination is a very complex species and is the basis of the whole company: “Without the plant there is no product Although they have a very powerful seed bank every year it is necessary to carry out the whole process of development and stabilisation of new species and variants Mascato explains that they introduced a change in the business structure; in Galicia the genetic base is carried out while the crops are in Portugal: “We cannot devote ourselves directly to the crop because it is protocolised so we decided to develop the cultivation systems so that they would be independent” implements its own protocol and monitors the plots the company has achieved one of its greatest goals of its entire trajectory: the “very powerful” world patent for the compostable kitchen pad made with a more resistant and elastic fibre Moscato defines it as “an absolute milestone possibly one of the most important products that have existed in Europe in recent years” “The compostable kitchen scouring pad is probably one of the most important products in Europe in recent years” This alternative solves important problems of pollution with microplastics at home Mascato affirms that it is the only possible solution on a large scale on a material level: “All European homes have a scouring pad in the kitchen; in 2022 EU wants to ban synthetics and the only way to do it is with our fibre” The raw material they work with is 100% biodegradable and does not cause pollution during processing which come from a chemical company that decomposes wood come from an extremely polluting process,” explains Juan Carlos The company had a clear roadmap from the zero minute: a business model with sustainable crops non-polluting production processes and 100% natural products This combination of factors is the key to the company’s profitability and success which is the differentiation of its merchandise through social responsibility the environmental impact is zero; moreover which means that the life cycle of the sponge is closed when it returns to the soil in the form of fertilizer so that it does not produce waste or leave any trace in nature With the elaboration of these vegetable products thousands of tons of plastic residues are avoided “If we talk about tons of plastic waste that we eliminate with this activity the figure rises to thousands,” says Juan Carlos: “There is no marine pollution A water treatment plant does not filter out the microscopic polymers left by the classic yellow synthetic scrubbers nor the silicone microplastic that carries common cosmetics; all this goes to the water tap” the company has 50,000 plants in production between Spain and Portugal Mascato has acquired a company in Colombia with the aim of expanding its product in the American and Canadian markets they are already consolidated in Europe and Australia; the next targets are China and Russia Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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GCiencia é unha publicación de © Ciencia Galega Industrias Creativas S.L GCiencia realiza unha reserva expresa das reproducións e usos das obras e outras prestacións accesibles desde este sitio web a medios de lectura mecánica ou outros medios que resulten adecuados a tal fin de conformidade co artigo 67.3 da Real Decreto - lei 24/2021     Medio colaborador da FECYT Essentials visit this great museum and enjoy a drink or a meal at any of its squares Views with the Cíes Islands in the background Visit the old towns of Vigo and Baiona and immerse yourself in their fascinating history Enjoy the thermal springs of Mondariz and discover the wines from O Condado de Tea The province of Pontevedra gets decked out to live an unforgettable holiday season markets and all kinds of activities will take place in all the municipalities of the province of Pontevedra until 6th January Check out our guide to make the most of this Christmas season Christmas lights in Vigo Belén of Valga Frozen street Food and Wine  Taste As Rías Baixas  which are attracting tens of thousands of people and have become a benchmark in Spain The city of Pontevedra will turn on its lights on 5th December with a great party in A Ferrería Square One month and a half of family fun and activities lie ahead. Among them, the opening to the public of the artisanal moving nativity scene of Valga This event has been declared as a Festival of Tourist Interest of Galicia traditional markets and musical performances will take place in the centre of the towns of the province until Epiphany Day because the number of activities keeps growing it will be the turn of the municipalities of Caldas de Reis and Soutomaior both of which are pending on the weather forecast The municipality of Gondomar will turn on the switch on Saturday the same date chosen by Ribadumia and by Ponte Caldelas where petroglyph-shaped lights have already been set up Tui wants this year a sustainable Christmas His decoration is created with ecological and reusable materials The christmas lights starts on 1 December to the 19:30 hours with the performance of the Rondalla of Pexegueiro.  the municipality of Valga will light up its Christmas and open its artisanal moving nativity scene; the very same day festivities will also come to Vilagarcía de Arousa town centre Pontevedra will have to wait until the 5th December to celebrate the lighting in A Ferrería Marín will do it on the same day at 6.30 pm in the Alameda public park The Christmas tree will be located in Eguren Park and the Alameda will feature a huge present box that people can go in and a carousel will be unveiled with the carols of Máis Cantos A handful of municipalities in Pontevedra will also join the Christmas festivities on Thursday It covers 120 m2 and consists of 200 clay figurines modelled by the sculptor José Luis Mayo Lebrija from the nativity scene association Agrupación Belenista La Morana One of the main novelties in Vigo’s Christmas celebrations this year is the traditional market set up in the Alameda park comprised of 58 handicrafts It will also feature a LED lights tunnel and 50 artificial snow cannons that will work every hour This new attraction joins the two markets from previous years -With the intention to promote proximity commerce, Tui will organise this year a typically  christmas market It will open from the Thursday 5 to the Sunday 8 December in the Corredoira Walk It will have 40 wooden places with illumination and natural decoration famous for its rosquillas (ring-shaped pastries) will also host a Christmas market this year in A Paradela Square It is expected to feature 20 wooden stalls selling typical Christmas products The capital city of the coastal inlet Ría de Arousa will also join the traditional Christmas market trend this year This municipality in the region of O Salnés will host a local merchants and artisans market that will be open to the public from 20th December to 5th January so that people can do their Christmas shopping The capital city of province will set up again a giant slide in España Square and there will be activities for children every day at the Alameda gardens the exhibition centre will host the Mundo Nadal Fair a leisure and cultural event in which children and adults will have the chance to skate on an ice rink The Christmas train Tren do Nadal has already been set up in O Progreso Street This year it is decorated with figures shaped as Christmas cookies and it will work from 5.oo pm to 9.30 from Monday to Friday and from noon to 2.30 pm and 4.30 pm to 10 pm on Saturdays an ice rink and a snow slope for the most adventurous visitors The area of Samil will set up another ice rink and a kart circuit The special Christmas bus NadalBus will run five different routes through the city with six trips departing from Policarpo Sanz Street from Monday to Friday the number of trips will go up to eight to cover the demand The epicentre of the children’s activities will be the tent located in Os Barcos Square It will be open from 21st December to 6th January and will host music bands performances the Town Council will set up two tents where daily activities will take place The one from Eguren Park will be for teenagers while the one located in the Alameda park will be aimed at younger children Christimas decorations in Urzáiz The monumentality of these symbols of the economic strength in As Rías Baixas helps to keep alive the recent history of the province of Pontevedra The province of Pontevedra preserves a significant industrial heritage It keeps alive the memory of the years of greatest development of the cannery and naval sectors activities like the extraction of tungsten at the mining town of Fontao They are majestic buildings that were turned into multifunctional spaces or exhibition centres the ones that were not restored have kept their historical and ethnographical value intact despite their ruinous appearance on the outside is one of the meccas of industrial tourism in the province of Pontevedra it gathers the hectic activity of its docks the big fishing and naval factories that remain active and the vestiges of their predecessors whose more prominent pieces are being exhibited in the Anfaco Museum The remnants of La Artística factory and La Panificadora, which is in the process of being recovered for public use Getting to know the industrial heritage of As Rías Baixas entails a must visit to the Massó Museum in Bueu which hosts the most important whaling ship collection in Spain are situated the old canning factory of the Massó family and the remains of the whaling ship company with the same name A Seca is a tide mill placed in the coastal inlet Ría de Arousa, in the parish of Corbillón, in Cambados, between the Tragove and Fefiñáns coastal points. It is called “A Seca” (which means ‘dry’) because the inner area stays dry when tide is low and refills again during high tide It made use of the tidal currents of the sea to keep its four grindstones in movement Each grindstone was able to mill up to 200 kilograms in two working shifts The building was restored keeping the mill intact and conditioned as a museum to display the popular heritage of As Rías Baixas. the chimney of the sugar factory of Portas serves as an excellent panoramic viewpoint over all the valley of O Salnés” Less well known is the former sugar factory of Portas restored several years ago and whose 60 metres chimney was turned into a panoramic viewpoint over the valley of O Salnés which produced the calcium carbide needed to illuminate the lamps of the canning factories The one that is still waiting the opportunity to be visited is the Fábrica da Luz (‘light factory’) of Segade Another singular piece of Pontevedra’s industrial heritage is the Muíño de Covián a very distinct mill due to its dimensions and characteristics Located in a place with a great scenic value the construction was built in 1810 and restored in 2008 Heritage, settlements Castros Old towns Viewpoints Sintra was selected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Cultural Landscape category The exhibition No Reino das Nuvens: Os Artistas e a Invenção de Sintra organised to commemorate the twenty-five years of a political and cultural event given the atypical situation we have shared as human beings as the curator Victor dos Reis says in the catalogue presentation this is “demonstrative of the unpredictability of life” But the unpredictable also provides good surprises Commemorative exhibitions always run the risk of responding only to protocol demands the rooms of Museu das Artes de Sintra are as vertiginous and open as the landscape that precedes our entrance This poetic vibe is in the titles of the nuclei Clinging to landscape or nature to construct meanings and concepts they establish relationships with themselves even if we can’t get our feet off the ground to walk we always seem to be a little closer to the earth descending slowly from the skies of the first moment where looking ahead shows us that the last nucleus has the fragility of a mist or moisture is like an epigraph: the sculpture by Rui Chafes and the painting by Michael Biberstein mark the verticality and the gravitational challenge where the exhibition’s imagination is associated with the concept of the sublime as stated by historian Maria de Aires Silveira in the first text of the exhibition catalogue recovers the wonder and mystery that always fascinated the artists who passed through the region it is interesting how two other efforts of his In this enchanting circuit of the exhibition there is something important: making works from different times dialogue without hierarchising any technique or language This allows even archaeological objects to have a different status in the dialogue Watching Christopher Schissler’s Globo Celeste from the 16th century and immediately afterwards a cyanotype by Ana Caria Pereira from 2019 updates the mythology engraved on the globe while the more recent images acquire a historical impact Also profound is the parallel between an oil painting by Alfredo Keil from 1879 and Nuno Teixeira Maya’s photographs from 2009 where the photographic and modern side of painting is ultimately highlighted Or the fallen Roman column next to the work One Million (2019-2020) by Fábio Colaço which makes us apprehensive and raises the question about what we give importance to Some decisions about the use of space and the positioning of works are important I may be being unfair to other points in this exhibition but I would like to highlight two rigorous moments One of them is the room in the penultimate section particularly the almost six-metre painting close to the light entrance without us being able to observe the shift The exhibition text refers to the intoxicating green of the Sintra landscape a toxicity like that of the spell in Reis’s painting which demands attention and which deceives us Another important and exciting moment is the passage from the first to the second nucleus with the work of Ângela Ferreira Hotel da Praia Grande (O Estado das Coisas) from 2003 Whoever looks at the image may not realise that is the Atlantic Ocean (a hidden path of this labyrinth) The clue to the enigma is the wall that emerges after Ferreira’s work the photograph Cabo da Roca by Thomas Joshua Cooper But this reference to what is outside the image also points to what is outside the exhibition’s narrative the mistrust felt by the Romantics towards what we call civilised The hotel in Ângela Ferreira’s photograph (a photograph with symbolic references to the Carnation Revolution) hosted part of the ‘returnees’ after the Portuguese decolonisation of Africa The image affects the notions of utopia associated with Sintra’s eerie universe This is a warning for those who get lost in the dark woods Given what an image or exhibition demands of its viewer we must be attentive to that which is not evident but which is nevertheless connected to the discourse unease resurfaces and helps us to better reflect on our role in the face of the most urgent uncertainties every day and what we may lose it is important to underline that the curatorship No Reino das Nuvens: Os Artistas e a Invenção de Sintra is on view at Museu das Artes de Sintra until October 17 [1] Eco, Umberto. (1994). Seis passeios pelos bosques da ficção. São Paulo: Companhia das Letras. p .12. Master in Letters from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) he is currently pursuing a PhD in Contemporary Art at Colégio das Artes At the National Museum of Fine Arts in Rio de Janeiro as well as being involved in various curatorial projects Subscribe to the Newsletter (EN Version)! I accept the Privacy Policy Subscribe Umbigo Emilia Mernes tour is scheduled from August 23 The tour will be the singer's first US tour and will be held between her shows in Mexico The tour will be preceded by the singer's shows in Spain and South America The presale for the three shows of the tour starts on May 7 Registration for the presale is currently ongoing via the official Ticketmaster signup page for the tour A Live Nation presale will follow on May 8 local time and can be accessed with the code FREESTYLE Emilia Mernes announced her new tour via a post on her official Instagram page on May 2 She then posted about the tour in another post on May 4 Emilia Mernes US tour dates and venues are as follows: The dates and venues for Emilia Mernes's other 2025 tour shows are also listed below: The singer talked about the album in an exclusive interview with Euphoria Magazine in November 2023: The singer also talked about how the album differs from her debut album Emilia Mernes has also starred in the Argentine comedy-drama Entrelazados as the show's main character Sofía Lasso Mernes also was the coach for La Voz Argentina 3 Your perspective matters!Start the conversation