Cider

The cider is a drink that, in general, has a low alcoholic degree that oscillates between 4º and 6º and a clearly fresh character that makes it particularly desirable, especially in summer and autumn; however, in my opinion, any time of the year is perfect to drink a cider.

Its moderate consumption exerts a protective function of the vascular apparatus against arteriosclerosis and avoids the appearance of liver stones. Besides, it has been verified trough studies made by epidemiologists, that the number of deaths caused by myocardium infarct is clearly smaller in moderate cider drinkers that in abstemious ones. In addition, the cider helps the digestion process and corrects badly breath in those people who suffer gratrointestinal affections.

On the other hand, the cider elevates the vital and affective tone and creates corporal euphoria. The cognitive processes under these circumstances improve: imagination, association if ideas, empathy, loquacity, etc.

All of the above, the recommendation for this week is the moderate consumption of cider. 

Following, we show you the four types of cider that exist today:

1.- Sweet cider, is coming our directly to squeeze the apple. It is performed immediately after collecting apples in October and at this time, in many parts of Asturias is consumed with roasted chestnuts.

2.- Natural cider is fermented sweet cider. It is the cider par excellence which is regular drunk in cider bars and acquires all its properties when you pour it and drink it immediately. It has not gas.

3.- Sparkling cider is fermented in the bottle from a base drink produced by the traditional method. This cider is good companion of all kinds of desserts and it is usually drunk at Christmas time.

4.- Cider of New Expression is a product of recent creation that can be incorporated to those establishments for their facilities may not have the traditional drink, with low acidity and does not require pouring. Its aim is to subtract white wine market. It is an ideal accompaniment to appetizers, seafood and fishes.


Which is your favorite? 

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Ski

The first snow has already dropped and all skiers are hoping the opening of the ski resorts which are in full performance finishing the details on the preparation and conditioning of the ski hills.

All around the world there are 3.579 ski resorts spread in 67 countries. Following you will find a link (ski resorts) where you can locate the nearest ski resort to your place of residence and begin to organize the first trip to the snow.

One of my favorite ski resorts is "Aramón Cerler", located in the Aragonese Pyrenees which was awarded as the best season of Spain last November 22 in the "World Ski Awards" in Austria.

Skiing is a sport of wonderful sensations, where each descent is different from above. You can practice it alone, in pairs, in groups and the entire atmosphere is great, indescribable. For me, the best of all is the landscape. When you are on the ski lift going to the top of the mountain, you have the feeling of touching the ski with the hand.

Like many other sports, skiing requires do it safely. Although the use of helmet is not mandatory in adults (yes in children) my advice is to put it always. For any blow or fall, the head is protected and injuries will be minor.

And last but not least, my advice is to take some classes before start skiing both you are a beginner and amateur. For beginners, classes will help you to acquire the right position, lose the fear and especially enjoy with the progress. And in the case of amateurs, classes will help you to correct defects and improve the technique.

See you at the ski resort!

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National Tango Day

Tango is one of the music and dance genres more powerful of the world, and its Day is celebrated every December 11th, in honour of the birthday of Carlos Gardel and Julio Caro.

This genre was born in the late nineteenth century in Río de la Plata between Argentina and Uruguay, and since 2009 it is Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, when that was declared by UNESCO.

It is originated from the fusion of Afro-Argentines and Afro-Uruguayan cultural elements, as shown in UNESCO declaration the Tango arises "In this region, where European immigrants are mixed, the descendants of African slaves and native (Creole), there was an amalgam of customs, beliefs and rituals that became a specific cultural identity. "

Of course we encourage you to celebrate this day dancing tango, if you are so lucky to know how to dance it, and if not, the December 11th is certainly a great day to start your tango lessons.

Here you have a few videos of movies for you to begin to practice:


Take the lead - enlace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSsfP8nRvYg

Scent of a woman - enlace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIbJJi9GHms

Moulin Rouge - enlace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZgUl8fakRk&spfreload=10

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Castles

We propose you a time travel, following the steps of the history that castles and fortresses, distributed worldwide, relate us. These witnesses of the past narrate silently, through its stones, what happened inside and around them, and sometimes also they give us some legends and fables that take us to other times, some ones real and others mythical.

Plan a route visiting only castles during several days. Select the most emblematic ones, which move you to the medieval times where the events happened, immerse yourself in its history, reliving at each place his characters, events and customs, and see how you will feel like you've been part of the that. Do not forget to include the legends that are part of each location to give a magical touch to your trip.

To arrange it you can see the following link of wikipedia, which sorts the castles per country:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Castles_by_country

Then find them on Google maps, where, on the satellite view, you'll see photos of some travellers.

Finally, look for its history and legends, make your travel journal, many pictures and share it with everyone posting it on online travel forums.

We did several castles routes by different countries. Here you have some pictures to encourage you to live this experience:

Spain:

France:

Scotland:

Japan:

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4x4 Routes

This week we recommend you a unique and very fun experience: 4x4 routes. If you like nature and adventure sports, we encourage you to explore breathtaking landscapes with your own 4x4 vehicle or with a group arranged by your travel agency.

The main tips of this plan are: respect the nature, plan very well the route- if you and your friends go alone, there are many forums about routes that you can read, be adventurous and eager to have fun.

If this is the first time you carry out a route of this type, the best that you can do is to  use internet to inform you, e.g. in a forum where you will get recommendations and easy routes near where you live, and some tips for each route, for example, what is the best season to do it?, or even when a route is not passable?. Will also provide driving directions and warnings.

Basic Lessons are:

1. Arrange the route well in advance, and read opinions from people who have already made that route;
2. Check the weather;
3. Make ready your vehicle before the route;
4. Take a GPS;
5. Keep the radio or mobile with enough battery;
6. Comfortable clothing and shoes;
7. Some food and water;
8. Carry a small first aid kit;
9. Travel solely for paths, respecting the private property and avoiding, whenever possible, cross rivers;
10. Drive slowly without making noise;
11. And of course, enjoy the most the nature, people and traditions that you will know.

And to encourage you even more here we leave you some photos of our last 4x4 routes

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Triathlon

Our recommendation for this week is to practice, in a responsible way, the last sporty boom: the triathlon.

The triathlon was born in Hawaii in 1978 as a brutal competition to crown the Ironman; over time this new sport was reducing its distances to make it more accessible and in 2000 became Olympic.

Triathlon is a sport gaining adherents every day and with the running has experienced rapid growth in recent years. There is growing evidence and which are already massive. Registration will close immediately and it is normal that several cities are disputing while several races or triathlons.

Given the physical demands of a triathlon, training is essential. Many people are unaware of what awaits him and instead of enjoying the race and be a hobby becomes a torture or worse. It is also essential to get a general checkup that includes cardiac stress test and controls.

The triathlon combines three sports: swimming, cycling and running. Some experts say that swimming is the hardest part because there is nothing like what you find when you train and when you compete. In the circuit there are many people and physical contact is inevitable. According triathlete Mario Mola: "My recommendation is to try to train this sometimes, thought not with such a large group, then with 5 or 10 people it's a way to adjust to this and removing a little overwhelmed with which you are going to find. You are a little more psyched to test and thus have already experienced the difference between the sea and the pool".

So don´t lose time and go for training, see you at the finish line!

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Yoga

Yoga is more necessary than ever... the back from holiday make us experience again high levels of stress that added to the lack of exercise involves significant challenges for our health.  

Nowadays, the average of hours at work is of 8 to 10 hours sitting in front a computer, as a result the spine is subjected to tremendous pressure, leading to suffering from back pain. Yoga exercises help, among others, to prevent and alleviate back problems. Here we show you some of these exercises (called "asanas"):

The triangle 

This position favors dishing column stretching, contracting and relaxing simultaneously most of the muscles of the back. Consequently, the column is more flexible.

The dog 

The posture of the dog looking down improves circulation in the legs, relaxes the back and revitalises the whole body. We started up and inclined forward placing palms at the same distance from the shoulders up to support the palms on the floor. We formed a triangle with legs and arms, introducing the head among them and falling it relaxed looking at the floor.

The child 

It is a very common posture and very easy to do. Kneel on the floor, sit on your heels, bend forward and place your forehead on the floor. You can place your hands, palms up or extend forward along the ground and so they are in front of you.

Before practicing any of the above positions, I recommend that you do, as a warm-up exercise, the Sun Salutation. As it consists on a sequence of several exercises, here you are a video for a better understanding how to do it:

In yoga, besides practicing different positions, yo can also practice breathing and relaxation exercises (those are my favorite ...). 

Finally remark that in yoga there is a growing variety of special programs:

• Yoga for children, where they are taught through simple yoga poses, playful exercises and concentration to relax, focus and know your body and mind;

• Yoga for pregnant women, where it helps control excess weight, stretch marks, sciatica, back pain and also provides flexibility, mobility and balance to deal with all the vitality change occurring. Moreover, relaxation exercises helps manage stress and fatigue during pregnancy. And finally, concentration and meditation help strengthen pregnant before any fear of the birthing process;

• Yoga for seniors, where gentle exercises are performed, relaxation and breathing.

So you have no excuse to start practicing yoga from now! Of course, do not forget to bring a non-slip mat and blanket for the relaxation time.

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Be a fan of the Spanish Omelette !!!!!

We are absolute fans of this omelet in all versions:

Egg, potato, onion, oil and salt are enough to create a classic Spanish Omelette.

And if you are someone likes versions 2.0, these are our recommendations:

Asturian

Very thick, to which is added paprika and Asturian spicy sausage

Paisana 

With red and green peppers, carrots, peas and sausage or ham

Navarra 

With onion and green pepper

Sweet 

With caramelized onions

Half curdle 

The mixture was poured into a hot pan and when the outside is curdled it is removed so that the interior remains half curdle

With zucchini, garlic and parsley...

You can do it in the pan, in the microwave (this option has the advantage of containing less oil), or even in the Thermomix.

If you are in Spain do not hesitate to try some of which have won the championship of best Spanish Omelette. Here the list of winners these years:

1999: José Manuel Crespo, El Manjar, in A Coruña.

2000: Ciri González, La Encina, in Palencia.

2001: Josefina Sagardia, Kasino, in Lesaka (Navarra).

2002: Ciri González, La Encina, in Palencia.

2003: Carmen Castelo, Mesón O'Bo, in A Coruña.

2004: Bibiana Cardona Montoya, Las Cinco Puertas, in 

          Pontevedra. 

2005: Cesi Cabello, Mesón Patio Martín, 

          in Simancas (Valladolid).

2006: Casimiro Calleja “El Urogallo”, in Cosgalla 

          (Cantabria).

2007: Cesi Cabello “Mesón Patio Martín”, in Simancas 

          (Valladolid).

2008: Ciri Gonzalez “La Encina”, in Palencia.

2009: Itxaso Cisneros “Izaro”, in Bilbao.

2010: Senén González "Sagartoki", in Vitoria.

2011: Alberto García Ponte "O Pote", in Betanzos 

          (A Coruña).





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Bikes

With the arrival of good weather we recommend using the bike, not only for doing sports but also as a means of daily transportation. It is very comfortable, sustainable, efficient and in many cases it saves time, because with it we avoid traffic jams and find somewhere to park.

  

Many cities already have a system of public bikes. This is a great way to explore any city, so if you plan to travel you can consult if the city where you are going to go have this option, and if so, what you must do in order to rent it.

Additionally you can check the following link: http://bikes.oobrien.com/global.php

Here you can check the worldwide map of public bike rental. Its creator is Oliver O'Brien, and offers real-time data, but only from the main systems of public bike rental in the World.

If your city does not have this system and you do not have much space at home you can also use folding bikes, which are very comfortable, that open and close in less than a minute, and take up very little.

Cheer up, choose the option that you like, and enjoy the bike!

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