New Year's resolutions: Jamie Cullum's "Next Year Baby"

Come the last few days of the aging year, we all start making resolutions for the new one: gonna do more exercise, start a diet, take up a new hobby, even quit smoking, blah, blah, blah. Then, one way or another, most of our good-will intentions gradually fall on stony ground, don't they? But it's always nice to kind of try and "mend our ways", isn't it?

That's why I thought I could sort of say a musical goodbye to 2010 on our blog and, at the same time, wish you all the best for 2011. And there's a delightful song by a fantastic artist who you know I was privileged enough to see live recently, Jamie Cullum. It's called "Next year baby" and I think it suits today perfectly. My favourite part is when Jamie sings: "But if there's one thing I must do / Despite my greatest fears / I'm gonna say to you / how I've felt all of these years!

I've chosen the longer live version because at the beginning of the rendition, before the actual song, you can watch Jamie deliver one of his renowned, physically-charged impromptus on stage. A great entertainer, he really is!

Anyway, my dear students, I do hope you all have well-meant resolutions for the new year, many of which, despite your greatest doubts, will be fulfilled to make you feel better, nicer, healthier people.

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE EVERYONE AND A BLISSFUL 2011!

San Silvestre: The end-of-year long distance race

Antonio (C1):

Hi everyone!
Well, even though I’m not physically with you, at least I am virtually (I hope I won't catch any of those viruses which screwed me up during my flu bout).

Thanks for remembering me, José Luis! Well, I did get over my flu, and what’s more, what I’m writing about today is an indication of how well I recovered. On today’s entry I would like to speak about sports, concretely athletics. You all know we have a renowned annual event, the “San Silvestre race”. How can I start talking about it?

The San Silvestre race in Salamanca was born 27 years ago when a bunch of pals made up their mind to have a stroll across the town’s streets. In time it engaged more and more people and became increasingly popular. The race is held on the last Sunday of the year, the date this year being 26th December, and runs over a distance of 8.4 kilometres at the longest version (there are another three smaller circuits for other ages). Nowadays, thousands of people have a sort of festive day apart from an exhibition of healthy habits.

Personally, I first ran it back in 2004. For whatever reason, I hadn’t cheered up enough to cover it for a second time, but this year I got up the nerve to try and accomplish it again.

How did I do it? Well, I enrolled in a gym (Multiusos) in August and I got healthier and healthier and with more stamina while running. I would do my push-ups and sit-ups, which were kind of helpful. Apart from all the exercising at the work-out room (though it wasn’t one of my priorities as I wanted to be trained in endurance) I ended my series in the swimming-pool within the “Multiusos” sports centre.

Well, apart from this, I’ve been several years working out on my bike as an amateur. For the day of the race, I got my best friend riding next to me on his bicycle, which had a mileometre to help us find out when the 8.4 kms were over. My race strategy? Always jogging gently, at a quiet pace, since my aim was “just get to the finishing line, Antonio”.

Well, I had several preparation races (running the real distance) throughout several days and I fulfilled them all (the work-out was really helpful). I confess athletics is one of my least favourite sports, but being encouraged by the spectators, competing with other runners and trying to achieve my goal made me go ahead.

After having a nasty last week “thanks” to my friend the flu and despite not having trained since then, I got ready for B-Day (Big Day). Though I wasn’t completely on my top form, I got out into the street, lined up within thousands of other sportsmen and ready to set off. As you can see in the photos (in the one above I'm the guy at the back of the second group) I was wearing a reflecting waistcoat so as to be spotted by my acquaintances and family. I turned on my 80’s music on my Mp3 player to keep my mind distracted of the inevitable “physical pain” and eventually ... I did it! In 45 minutes, 56 secs.

After the race we were given away some gifts (e.g. a T-shirt, a key ring, etc.) but that is not so important. The important thing is that I DID IT. Like learning English, the San Silvestre is a hard long distance race.

Happy New Year’s Eve everyone!

The Tudors: a television lesson in English history

Miguel (C1):

I had planned to write a bit about the TV series The Tudors, but until now I haven’t had time. Last Wednesday in class, we were speaking about Henry VIII and his wives when I thought: “What a wonderful occasion to review this serial!” And here you have it.

Henry VIII was a monarch of great importance in English history. Why? Well, like all the kings at that time, he considered himself God’s presence on earth. What is really shocking is that when the Pope denied him his divorce from his first wife, Katherine of Aragon, so that he could marry one of his mistresses, Ann Boleyn, he proclaimed himself the Head of the Church in England and founded a “new” religion: Anglicanism. All this just to marry Ann Boleyn! Whoever objected to accepting this new religion was beheaded, even one of his best friends, Thomas More.

Six were the wives of Henry VIII: Katherine of Aragon, Ann Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Katherine Parr. The most amazing thing was that two of them were beheaded accused of treason, two others died, and only two survived him. The serial faithfully reflects the reign of Henry VIII and his love story with Katherine of Aragon, a queen which he let die of cancer in the famous Tower of London, where whoever was punished got sent, just before they were beheaded. His marriage to Ann Boleyn was going well until but deteriorated because she couldn’t give birth to a son, only to Elizabeth. Besides, many advisors to the King lied and said that she had cheated on him with many men, even his brother, who was beheaded for that. Then Henry married Jane Seymour, the woman he really was in love with. Unfortunately, she died at labour when he gave birth to Henry’s only son, Edward. Some people think Henry let her die so that his son could be born. His fourth marriage to Anne of Cleves wouldn’t last long, because she despised her. As he said in the serial, “she looks like a horse”. Oliver Cromwell, one of his advisors, was beheaded for having advised him to marry her. As a result, Henry got the divorce. His fifth (and youngest) wife, Katherine Howard, was beheaded for cheating on him with one of his advisers, Thomas Culpepper, which is exactly what he did to all his women. His last wife, Katherine Parr, was fortunate enough to survive him.

Although this TV serial’s historical acuracy has been questioned, I hold the view that it perfectly reflects the way Henry VIII behaved: his cruelty, (he slaughtered all the rioters who disobeyed his orders), his pride, his morality, his lack of feelings, his obsession to have a male heir, which led him to abhor and reject some of his wives, and his unstoppable thirst for power, for conquering new places and expanding England’s territories overseas. Furthermore, the serial highlights most of his physical changes. The king evolves from a handsome, agile man who fought in wars to an unsightly, insane, aged, plump man (his overweight is not seen in the serial, though). However, Henry VIII is not the only evil in the story, given that he is surrounded by wicked advisors, as thirsty for power as himself. When he died, he was buried with his beloved Jane Seymour. In the end, he was “punished” in some way; as his only son reigned just for a few years and died young.

To sum up, The Tudors portrays the life of Henry VIII who, despite his cruelty, became the most hated but, at the same time, the most loved and respected king who deeply influenced the history of England.

Thanks a million, Miguel, for yet another fantastic contribution to our blog. Well done!

You know, I watched the series myself, and I loved it. Not the most accurate, as you say, in terms of historic rigour, but still a lovely depiction of the most despicable English King ever.

So I thought I should embed a clip of the serial and, because both of its picture quality and engaging content, I've selected this one:

How I really lost my heart in Firenze (Florence, Italy)

Luis (C1):

Have you heard of Stendhal Syndrome? According to psychiatrists, it is a psychosomatic illness that causes rapid heartbeat, dizziness, faint and confusion when an individual is exposed to art, usually when the art is particularly beautiful, or to a large amount of art in a single place.

This “illness” is associated with Florence, Italy, given that is is named after the French writer Stendhal, who visited the town in 1817. After a long day admiring its urbanization and appearance and walking along places like the Uffizi Gallery, the Cathedral or the Academia Museum, Stendhal went inside the Basilica of Santa Croce. He completely collapsed in a heap, confused and exhausted by such a magnificent accumulation of beauty. Romantic, isn’t it? Probably, this illness rises to the ocassion.

Florence is a medium-sized, ancient town, located in the region of Tuscany. Surrounded by green hills, Florence can be considered a proud aristocrat city, whose strategic situation has been coveted along history. In competition with Pisa and Siena, which are, most of all, medieval cities, Florence emerges as the Renaissance model under the rule of the Medici family. And the centre of Florence has stood out since then, an astonishing accumulation of palaces, cobbled streets, churches and museums as well as a ‘joy of life’ (due to the Renaissance’s confidence in the human being and his optimism).

If you visit Florence on a short trip (just one or two days), there are some must-go places to visit. Fortunately, Florence is not a sprawling town, but rather compact and walkable. The Duomo (Cathedral) and the Piazza Signoria are solemn, lavish places you can’t miss. The building of the dome in the Cathedral, named after Saint Mary of the Flowers (Santa Maria dei Fiori), is an architectural daring by Brunelleschi. In time, this enormous octagonal dome, undoubtedly Brunelleschi’s masterpiece, has become the symbol of Florence.

Opposite the Duomo’s façade, the Baptistery contains Ghiberti’s bronze doors. Their technical perfection, the use of perspective and the realism of the figures embellish the entrance to the Baptistery. Actually, Miguelangelo said they deserved to be the Doors of Paradise.

Piazza Signoria is continuosly walked by the tourists, given that you need to pass through this nice square to go everywhere. The Palazzo Vecchio is the most outstanding building in this square: elegant, superb and proud of itself. Also in this square is the Loggia dei Lanzi, displaying famous statues.


If you like visiting museums, Florence has two of the most recognized worldwide: The Uffizi Gallery and The Academia Museum. The former contains some of the most refined masterpieces of the Renaissance painting, such as Boticelli’s The Birth of Spring and Venus. Then, the Academia is one of Florence’s most visited museums, because it houses Micheangelo’s celebrated sculpture, David, which perfectly reflects the tension of the protagonist, about to slain Goliath. Art specialists say that the sculpture is not well finished, owing to the fact that it was carved from discarded marble. Who cares? It is probably one of the most recognized icons of male beauty (who does not want to have such a six-pack and dorsals?)

Other monumental places are the Palazzo Pitti, the Ponte Vecchio, Santa Croce and the Piazza Michelangelo. Palazzo Pitti was the residence of the Medici family, who were used to living in lavish environments. Hence, you can imagine the series of sculptures, paintings, architectural adornments and ornaments you can find there.

Ponte Vecchio is another symbol of the city, built in the 14th century, specially used by the Medici family to go from the Palazzo Vecchio (in Piazza Signoria) through the Uffizi Gallery towards the family residence (i.e. the Palazzo Pitti), without going out in the street. Santa Croce is an austere Franciscan church, which contains some of the most magnificint tombs in the world (Michelangelo, Macchiavelo, Galilei, etc.). And finally, Piazza Micheangelo, located on a hilltop opposite the Arno river, offers a breathtaking view of the city. No doubt, a place where couples go to kiss. Well, to be honest, the hypnotic views are postcard-worthy and really inspiring for painters.

If you like ice-creams, you can’t miss Grom, in Via Campanile, just off the cathedral. Their tasty, creamy ice-creams are really a delight to your senses. But if what you like is coffee, you know that the Italian way of making the beverage is famous worldwide; then, you should go to Café Rivoire, in Piazza Signoria, where you can breathe the same atmosphere and spirit as the likes of Goethe, Stendhal and Hemingway. Mind you: don’t drink a cup of coffee while sitting in a chair as it is prohibitive! You should take it at the counter instead. However, if you don’t mind the price and the weather is nice, the outdoor tables give you the best front-row seats in town for people-watching.

Finally, if you like going places off the beaten track, leave the city centre and head directly for the much less touristy Porta San Niccolo, where you can find a lot of budget restaurants (e.g. trattorias), pubs and lounge-bars and enjoy the typical ‘Aperittivo’ at 7 p.m. or thereabouts. At this kind of dinner you pay just for the drink (although it is rather expensive; for instance, a glass of wine costs 8 euro), but you can take food from a lot of trays full of pasta, pizza, meat, chicken and fish, so it is good value for money. Moreover, it is one of the most deeply-rooted Italian customs so if you want to adapt to Italy’s lifestyle, you should go and have an ‘Aperittivo’. Happy adaptation, my Godness!

Obviously, I have to omit many reference places in Florence, in order to be concise. For example, I have hardly written about its lively nightlife. Since Florence is packed with Erasmus students, you should go out and hit the town every night. All in all, Florence offers a lot of choice, so you won’t have a dull, predictable holiday. In this sense, the city is extremely rewarding.


If any of you has been an Erasmus student in the north of Italy, you will have noticed I have failed to mention other places. I assume that, as I firmly believe that my tips can be complemented by your suggestions and recommendations, so that we can praise the beauty and enthusiasm of this unique town called Florence.