I guess we should have spent more time in Madrid!

Spanish study shows cocaine in the air in 2 cities

By CIARAN GILES, Associated Press Writer

Thursday, May 14, 2009

(05-14) 08:52 PDT MADRID, Spain (AP) --Air pollution has long been a fact of life in Spanish cities, but scientists now say it is not just smog that chokes people as they walk to work or stroll through the park. A new study has found the air in Madrid and Barcelona is also laced with at least five drugs — most prominently cocaine.

The Superior Council of Scientific Investigations, a government scientific institute, said on its Web site Thursday that in addition to cocaine, they found trace amounts of amphetamines, opiates, cannabinoids and lysergic acid _a relative of LSD — in two air-quality control stations, one in each city.

The group said the findings would be published in the U.S. journal Analytical Chemistry.

Despite the findings, the council said there was no reason for alarm.

"Not even if we lived for a thousand years would we consume the equivalent of a dose of cocaine by breathing this air," scientist Miren Lopez de Alda said in a statement.

The scientific group stressed that "in no case should these levels be considered representative of the air in the two cities." It said the tests were done in areas where drugs were likely to be consumed.

In Madrid, the test site was close to a ruined building believed to be frequented by drug dealers. And in both Madrid and Barcelona, the studies were carried out close to universities.

The group said the study showed higher concentrations of the components on weekends, suggesting that drug consumption was up in these periods.

The research found cocaine in concentrations ranging between 29 and 850 picograms per cubic meter of air. A picogram is one-trillionth of a gram.

Mar Viana, another researcher who worked on the project, said the levels were far higher than those found in similar studies in Europe.

A similar study in Italy found traces of cocaine and cannabis in the air in Rome and Taranto in the south. Italy's National Research Council reported in May 2007 that the maximum concentration of cocaine in Rome was 100 picograms per cubic meter of air — it said that was a fifth the legal limit for toxic substances in air — but that even this small amount was reason for concern.

According to the U.S. State Department, Spain is Europe's largest consumer of cocaine and hashish. It is also a major transit point for narcotics shipments from South and Central America as well as Africa.

I guess it could explain the unusual architecture and painted buildings!

Plaza Mayor

This is the Plaza Mayor, about a 100' from our hotel room. Apparently it was the site of lots of executions and torture during the Inquisition and various other times. The day after this shot was taken they roped off most of the center and started constructing a stage for an opera performance the following Sunday. The staging was at least 3 stories tall the last we saw it.



This is a view out one of the arches in the direction of our hotel

More trip pics

This is the Atocha train station in Madrid. There was a terrorist bombing very near here of several trains, killings lots of people. There is a memorial sculpture.

Inside they have a rain forest which makes it very humid. They have misters running all the time.

At the bottom of the picture above there is a turtle pond with an unbelievable number of turtles. 

Jet Lagged musings

I took pictures of our first high speed train from Cordoba to Madrid. I wasn't THAT impressed with the trip. There were no speed indicators, but it just didn't seem THAT fast. Plus there were three stops. The ride was incredibly smooth. The only sound was from junctions where there would be a slight click. There was a bit of centrifugal force around curves but it was not like a train ride or anything else.

The train from Madrid to Barcelona was something entirely different. Even before I looked at the speed indicator, which this train DID have, I knew we were hauling. Anything within 20 yards was a blur, and you could not focus on things out to about 60 yards. The top speed was 301 Kmph (about 187 mph I believe) but mostly we cruised about 285. It rocked and clicked like a train should. Non stop Madrid to Barcelona.

The flight back was not as bad as I feared. It was 8.5 hrs Barcelona to JFK a 2.5 layover in a very warm and humid airport, then 6.5 hrs to SFO. All in all we were up for over 24 hours. I did ok until about the last 3 hours when I started to get antsy and counting the minutes. I was greatly helped by watching two movies "Doubt" and "The Wrestler" and by numerous games of 20 question trivia available on the back of the seat in front of me. I had the sixth highest overall score on the first leg, and the highest on the second. There were only 3 questions that I saw again on the 2nd leg and I knew two of them anyway.

Despite being unable to keep my eyes open and doing some head bobbing on the bus home from the airport, once home, I couldn't fall asleep, so I stayed up until about 1:30 am. I've been low energy all day, I'll do something, (shop, mow the lawn etc) then have a laydown.

Our casa en la Fuente Tojar

Casa en Madrid, Hotel Plaza de Mayor. (2nd floor from top)

R.I.P. Michaela

Got back from Spain late last night and came home to a two cat household and a note from the housesitter that Michaela had passed quietly several days ago. We had left instructions for that eventuality. She was 21 or 22 years old and will be missed.

I feel bad that I wasn't here with her, but she really liked the housesitter and apparently was purring when she passed.

Hola from Madrid!

Took the AVE high speed train from Cordoba to Madrid. Friday we take it to Barcelona.

Last Monday we did the Alhambra in Grenanda, a 2 hour drive from Fuente Tojar. Spectacular, might be one of those "must sees" ala ¨Bucket list¨

Tuesday we sampled Anise at a factory/museum

News flash from Fuente Tojar

Wed. morning it was reported that the power pole to the water treatment plant was broken and in danger of collapse. The Mayor, Maria (also our host for this segment of our trip) spent the morning dealing with it before picking us up and giving us a tour. The pole can be stabilized until permanent repairs can be made. Maria was quoted as saying, "It´s always something"

So we´re out of Barcelona and into the countryside of Andalucia. Olive trees EVERYWHERE! Millions! This is the Napa Valley of Olives, and that is important to olive us.

Posting this from Ubeda, road trip!

Update

The sand at the beach in Barcelona was trucked in for the ´92 Olympics. It stuck around and is very nice. The Sphinx sent a younger cousin here on vacation.

Found a decent Tapas bar, but it was Basque style where they put most of the items on bread. I´m not so sensitive to gluten that I can´t just take it off. We had REALLY good Tapas today in Tarragona. They had a a wider variety, and the bread was separate.

The world´s most romantic Fig tree. High on a rampart of an ancient Roman fortress in Tarragona. It just needed a little more privacy.

We had a minor scare when our credit card started getting refused. I had accidentally put it in an ATM and when the PIN didn´t work I kept trying, which caused the card to get suspended. A call to Capital One straightened it out. Minor panic

Uno problemo

Our picture taking pattern has always been to take enough pictures the first several days that you could flip them and make a movie. We´ve finally slowed down, but not before filling one 1G memory card and almost another. So this evening it was off to a computer store to buy two 2G cards. That ought to hold the little bastards!

This had me singing ¨We all live in a wooden submarine, a wooden submarine, a wooden submarine...¨

We found a health food store where we bought some gluten free stuff, cookies, oat meal etc so we should be good to go on that score.

We bought tickets for a guitar concert here Saturday night.

We visited a park that was made from a failed housing development designed by...wait for it... Gaudi. I only have one picture because this is where my memory card filled up and we switched to Kathy´s. I don´t have that camera because she is taking a cooking class this evening. This was the only house built, by and for Gaudi. Most of the other parts look like they are from Snow White and the 7 height challenged individuals.

Yesterday Monserrat, today Gaudi cathedral

An hours train ride north to Monserrat, a tram to the cathedral, a funicular up another 1000´ or so, then a hike another 100´ or so. The small chapel is a short hike from the funicular.

Wow, just Wow. My head hurts just trying to imagine having all this in your brain. Maybe that´s why Gaudi was hit by a bus.

Day Two

Saturday, traipsed around Montjuic, visited an art museum, the Olympic stadium (1992) and the Barecelona castle (great views)

Also this weekend they´re observing Earth Day. Spaniards are a bit different. Lots of smokers, lots of dogs. Booths included lots of sausages and meat products. Had some Arepas con pollo for dinner two nights running.

Our Apt

Our apt is an IKEA dream/nightmare

Weather has been VERY changeable. Bright sun to thunderstorms in a short time. It seems to rain anytime we go for a walk. Yesterday they had fairly large hail that actually stung. IT WAS SHAPED LIKE LITTLE RODS, 1/8TH INCH BY 1/4 INCH. Went for a walk on the Rambla this evening, thunderstorm of course, but it looked so nice when we left, I had no hat or jacket...

Had a tour of a large market and a tapas lunch there. Very nice.

I´m back!

This is A:) Invading Alien Spaceship B): Giant, well you know... C): Municiple Water Co admin offices.

Also part of our view.

Our view

Our Apt bldg

And for Mike who´s into cartoons

And finally, for MsCatcalls, we flew over Newcastle Upon Tyne at 8am Wednesday morning, we waved, but you probably weren´t looking up at that particular moment

Look Ma, I´m blogging from Spain!

OUR VIEW Well, actually, I´m running out of time here at the ol internet access, and I can´t get another picture to load, so more later.
Adios muchachos