The word “pagensis” is of Latin origin and literally means “inhabitant of a pagus,” where pagus is understood as a village, district, or rural area in the Roman Empire. The term “pagensis” referred to people who lived in these territories, that is, villagers or peasants, the “payeses” or “paisanos.” From this same origin comes the … Continue reading Landscape and its people
Those of us who have had the fortune to study will no doubt remember some mediocre, dull, and obscure teacher who would merely recite, with an almost infinite lack of enthusiasm, what was written in the textbook, managing to make students instantly detest the subject and want nothing more to do with it. Yet, surely, … Continue reading Climb to Peñalara
In the first guide to amphibians and reptiles I managed to get hold of to carry with me on my river excursions, the gallipato (Pleurodeles waltl) occupied a tiny space. The truth is that it was a very brief and humble guide, one you could get in the offices of certain agencies simply in exchange … Continue reading Of Gallipatos and Oxen
They have a preference for purple flowers in different shades, and it is very likely that at some point we have seen them quickly flying around bougainvilleas, blue plumbago, or buddleias in any garden, or among the abundant viper’s bugloss that can be found in open fields. We are talking about hummingbird moths, beautiful lepidopterans … Continue reading Hummingbird moths
I always feel a certain contained emotion before every dive. This time it was the Atlantic, in the area where continental Europe ends, the end of the earth: Finisterre. The underwater landscapes of Spain are as diverse as its terrestrial ones. The color, clarity, or murkiness of its waters, the light that filters to the … Continue reading Diving in Finisterre: where the land ends
The existence of living beings is directly related to the presence of water and an appropriate atmospheric condition such as temperature. The ranges in which most species survive are slightly above their freezing point of 0 degrees Celsius, up to a maximum temperature of approximately 50 degrees Celsius, well below the boiling point of water. … Continue reading Blue Thistles. Palencia
A visit to the archaeological site of a settlement that hasn’t been turned into a museum can be disappointing: piles of stones, remains of walls, vestiges of what were once streets and buildings… But we would be mistaken if we only saw this; we must complete our gaze with imagination, allowing our internal references and … Continue reading Cástulo, when stones speak of civilizations
The rugged and broken terrain that characterizes the interior of the Els Ports – Maestrat region in Castellón province provides this territory with numerous sites that are rarely visited or studied due to their difficult access. This circumstance—though attractive for curious hikers like myself—means that many areas remain scarcely researched in several fields, including archaeology. … Continue reading Rock Art in the Els Ports-Maestrat Region, Castellón
The Province of Guadalajara has a great diversity of geological landscapes, such as the slates, quartzites, and gneisses of the Sierra Norte, the large tectonized basin of the Iberian System filled with Mesozoic sandy, marly, and limestone materials, the Tertiary karstified limestones of La Alcarria, and the Quaternary fluvial valley and terraces of the Henares—all … Continue reading Mine Estrella. Pardos, Guadalajara
We have all dreamed of flying. Losing our connection to the ground and feeling weightless usually gives us such a profound, dreamlike pleasure that these dreams remain etched in our memory along with the pleasant sensation they produce. The Greek myth of Icarus is one of the earliest references to the human longing to soar … Continue reading Here I go flying
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