A GUIDEPOST REPRINT: A Wine Well Worth Trying, 26 January 1990

The first wine to be drunk in the New World was the very same that came from the Condado vineyards + The Condado wines and how to serve + Elaboration and maturity + The art of tasting + The home cellar how-to.

TOWARD THE NEW NORMAL, CORONAVIRUS UPDATE IN SPAIN:  (2) The Post-State of Emergency & the EU

At a minimum, there seems to be a willingness among business and labor to work together in order to overcome the extreme social and economic difficulties brought about by the coronavirus pandemic in Spain and in the Eropean Union.

TOWARD THE NEW NORMAL, CORONAVIRUS UPDATE IN SPAIN: (1) The Extension of the State of Emergency, and the Social Pact on Employment Regulation

Extension of the State of Emergency ~ Desescalada, the gradual easing of Lockdown ~ Social Pact ~ Transition Plan Toward the New Normality ~ ERTEs, the regulation of Temporary Layoffs

Noche Flamenca’s “Antigona” in the Time of Corona: At Home with Soledad Barrio and Martín Santangelo 

Bessie Award-winning bailaora/choreographer Soledad Barrio is an intuitive and internal performer who possesses a preternatural connection to her character. She identifies with Antigona, “one of [whose] character traits is to love more than herself. She’s very passionate, and her objective is to take care of her family. It’s related to my life to be connected with family. One part of flamenco is love, passion and concern about the family unit. I connect with that a lot, too.” Noche Flamenca’s production of “Antigona” at La MaMa in Manhattan, scheduled for March 19-April 5, was cancelled due to the corona virus travel restrictions from Europe in March. Then all of New York went into lockdown. Shut in with husband choreographer/producer Martín Santangelo, Barios says “I’m diving into the abyss so I can resuscitate when this is over.”

THE DESESCALADA: WE HAVE A FRACTION OF OUR FREEDOM BACK!

On 2 May, the Government of Spain has given us back a small fraction of our pre-COVID19 freedom. We were let out of our homes for a few hours. It was the beginning of the desescalada. The beginning of something that we don’t know for sure what. But it’s something that feels precious because somehow it smacks of rebirth. In the middle of all the uncertainty, there was one thing unequivocal: a deep sense of gratitude. We wouldn’t be here now, out on our first true taste of sunshine and the soft breeze of spring, without the healthcare workers who have put their own lives on the line so we could live. Their heroism is breathtaking. We’ve lived by the rules so that we all could live even though some of us hadn’t been able to make it. And we grieve for them.

The Pursuit of “Happyness” in Barcelona

Andrew Funk: his stubbornness helped him achieve more than just overcoming a year-and-a-half spent in homelessness. His life's mission? To help homeless people become active citizens again via Homeless Entrepreneur.

EUROPE’S “HEARTFELT APOLOGY” TO ITALY

Too many were not there on time when Italy needed a helping hand. For that, it is right that Europe as a whole offers a heartfelt apology. But now the real Europe is standing up, the one that is there for each other when it is needed the most. Now Europe is where paramedics from Poland and doctors from Romania save lives in Italy. Where ventilators from Germany provide a lifeline in Spain. Where hospitals in Czechia treat the sick from France. And where patients from Bergamo are flown to clinics in Bonn. . .

THE CORONA CRISIS: MY TRANSOCEANIC ODYSSEY

‘Should I Stay or Should I Go’ is the theme song of my life. It was the few days before lockdown began in Spain that Monday in mid March. I knew I would enjoy the time for solitude that the lockdown would provide. I would have plenty of time to read, write and meditate upon what I want to do with my life as a 23-year-old recent college grad. But my parents preferred me to come home. Dear Spain, muchas gracias for the short time we had together. We’ll see each other soon, once the gods permit.

THE WORLD BANK’S CONCLUSION ON THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19 IN EUROPE & CENTRAL ASIA

The more successful the containment policies are, and the flatter the infection curve is, the deeper the economic recession becomes. The positive note: there may even be long-term benefits from the lifestyle changes brought on by the coronavirus pandemic which are bound to generate innovation and productivity increases; they will be there long after the crisis has passed.

A Second Opinion: Coronavirus Takes its Toll!

Be kind to each other while you can. You never know when it will be your last chance.