There are two polar views on the new biggest film of all time, James Cameron’s Avatar. The most popular is that it’s a life changing movie, with beautiful visuals, incredible special effects and a moving and inspiring story. Some people leave the cinema feeling depressed that life isn’t as beautiful as the movie.
Another point of view is that it’s an impressive technological achievement, but… And I am in this camp. Sure, the CGI effects are surprisingly convincing and the modeling of the aliens is probably better than we’ve seen before. …

Now in it’s six consecutive year, the Caprichos del Apolo, a discreet but no less admired series of concerts has begun in Barcelona. As always, the line up is diverse and challenging enough to satisfy the curiosity of the most restless and demanding music fan. This year brings a range of artists from different generations, styles and backgrounds – a choice that is as risky as the music is excellent.
The cycle began on January 3 and runs until March 16 with New Yorkers Yeasayer, who promise an interesting mix of …

Autumn is the best time of year to visit the Irati Forest, and so when the weather forecast was good, I began my journey. I settled on the town of Abaurrea Baja, located midway between Ochagavia and Orbaiceta, to be the headquarters for my trips into Irati.
From reference and intuition, I had thought that the landscape there would be enjoyable but to my surprise I found it to be overwhelmingly beautiful and exuberant. My eyes, metaphorically, were blinded by a huge explosion of a mixture of colors that flooded the …

If you’re looking for a different side to California, away from the shine of Hollywood and the perfect bodies of Venice Beach, venture inland into the Desert.
We traveled from LA to Joshua Tree national park, taking highway 10 out of the city for almost three hours, turning off just before we hit Palm Springs. Here we found a harsh environment, scattered with the eponymous trees, and some interesting towns.

On Route 62 you’ll find the town of Joshua Tree, and it’s worth stopping just to grab some food at the excellent …

The East Midlands of the United Kingdom have gained a new art gallery, in the shape of the new Nottingham Contemporary. It’s opening exhibition features both David Hockney, ‘England’s favorite painter’, and Frances Stark from Los Angeles.