Flora in the Central Pyrenees

By Ignatius de Bidegain

The Central Pyrenees host a diverse flora including a wide variety of trees, shrubs and plants, and as one rises in altitude the vegetation changes together with the climate in a gradual transition towards the top, where the famous snow flower Edelweiss grows.

Amongst the most typical trees we should list the black pine, the beech and the fir tree. Mountain elms, holly bushes and others complete the picture, including some more “productive” species like hazelnut trees and the occasional walnut tree.

The blackthorn or sloe is typical of the Pyrenees and also grows in different parts of Europe and the rest of the world. As the Pyrenees move west, in Navarra, the deep blue berries of the sloe are used to produce a traditional liqueur called Pacharan (sloe gin) which is very popular in the area.

In the middle of the abundant vegetation of a temperate forest, getting lost and running out of food may not seem like such a predicament, since a basic nutritional intake can always be sourced from the environment. However, one must be cautious.

Monkshood is a herbaceous perennial plant with striking dark purple flowers. It grows wild in the area and is often used to embellish private gardens. Though it may look harmless, it contains several poisonous compounds, including enough cardiac poison that it was used on spears and arrows for hunting and battle in ancient times.

Yew trees must also be treated with caution. All parts of the tree contain toxins, with the sole exception of the flesh from the rich bright-red berries. The seeds contained within are also poisonous, so make sure you extract this part of the berry if you wish to eat it. The Ancient Cantabrians and Celts used yew poison to commit suicide if they faced capture by their enemies, so watch out or you will get more than an unsettled stomach!

About Cabernet Sauvignon

By Alexander Turcan

The "king" of the world’s red wine grapes, cabernet sauvignon originated in the Bordeaux region of France, but also produces superlative wines around the globe, including California, Washington State, South America, Eastern Europe, and Australia. In California, the finest renditions generally come from the Napa Valley.

Cabernet Sauvignon is a late-ripening variety, with small, deeply colored, thick-skinned berries that yield dark, intensely flavored, tannic, long-lived wines that often require years of aging to soften and become drinkable.

Like chardonnay, the grape can be grown in a multitude of different growing regions and conditions (although it prefers warmer climates) and yet reliably impart characteristic varietal aromas and flavors, which most often are compared to black currant, cherry, bell pepper and green olive.

Despite its prominence in the industry, the grape is a relatively new variety, the product of a chance crossing between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon blanc during the 17^th century in southwestern France. Its popularity is often attributed to its ease of cultivation—the grapes have thick skins and the vines are hardy and naturally low yielding, budding late to avoid frost and resistant to viticultural hazards such as rot and insects — and to its consistent presentation of structure and flavours which express the typical character of the variety.

Cabernet Sauvignon profits from blending with other complementary grape types, such as the softer, fruitier merlot and the highly perfumed cabernet franc (with which it is customarily blended in Bordeaux), and also from extended wood aging, most notably in French oak barrels. Often hard and monochromatic when young, cabernet sauvignon, with extended bottle aging, can develop fine, complex aromas and flavors.

The widespread popularity of Bordeaux has contributed to criticism of the grape variety for its role as a "colonizer" grape, being planted in new and emerging wine regions at the expense of focus on the unique local grape varieties. Some regions, such as Portugal with its abundance of native grape varieties, have largely ignored Cabernet Sauvignon as it seeks to rejuvenate its wine industry.

Cabernet is an excellent accompaniment to red meats, especially steak and roast beef.  

How to deal with a Charging Bull

Image provided By Alastair

Our Charging Bull Correspondent.

Donetsk is British? Ukrainians vote in mock referendum to join UK

Sourced by Alexander Turcan

Ukrainians in the eastern city of Donetsk have voted in an online spoof referendum to secede from Ukraine and join the UK. Residents wrote that their hometown was founded by a Briton, so the UK should seize this “decisive moment” and take them in.

"Donetsk is a British city! God Save the Queen," they wrote on social networks in an appeal to “reunite” their hometown with Britain, local media reported. The mock appeal follows the March 16 Crimean referendum that resulted in Crimea seceding Ukraine and joining Russia.

The link with Britain comes from the first ironworks in Donetsk, which were founded by a Welshman, John Hughes, at the end in the 19^th century. The town was subsequently named Yuzovka, or Hughesovka.

According to local media, the online poll attracted about 7,000 people, while over 950,000 call Donetsk their home, according to a 2012 census.

A some point, the poll showed that 61 percent of respondents favored joining Britain, while another 16 percent favored "broad regional autonomy" with English as an official language. 

Linguistic Imperialism: The New World According to Putin

Sourced by Alexander Turcan from: http://www.economist.com/

Why should the Russian president’s innovative attitude towards borders be restricted to Eastern Europe?

When Vladimir Putin justified his annexation of Crimea on the ground that he owed protection to Russian speakers everywhere, the Economist had redrawn the world’s boundaries according to Mr Putin’s principles, and suggests that the resulting map has considerable appeal.

Under Mr Putin’s dispensation, things look up for the old colonial powers.

·      Portugal gets to reclaim Brazil.

·      Spain most of the rest of Central and South America.

·      France – most of west Africa, which would probably be fine by the locals, since many of their current governments are not much cop.

·      A mighty Scandinavian kingdom comes into being—including Finland, although Finnish is very different from the Scandinavian tongues. Since Swedish is Finland’s second language, the Vikings would have strong grounds for bringing about the sort of peaceful merger based on shared cultural values for which they are famous.

·      A unified Arabia would stretch from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean. There might be the odd squabble between Sunnis, Shias, Christians and adherents of archaic notions of nation; but united by a common tongue, the Arabs would be sure to get along fine, especially if they teamed up to smite the Persian-speakers on the other side of the Gulf. The two Koreas would become one, which might be a good thing—or not, depending on which system prevailed.

·      Since Hindi and Urdu are both a mutually intelligible mixture of Sanskrit and Persian, India could make a claim for Pakistan—and vice versa. The existence of nuclear weapons on either side would bring added spark to the debate over linguistic precedence.

·      Best of all, Britain would regain its empire, including—since it spoke English first—the United States. It would, obviously, give Barack Obama a prestigious position—Keeper of the Woolsack, say—and a nice uniform. Britain might, however, have to surrender some of London’s oligarch-dominated streets, as well as Chelsea Football Club, to Russia. A sizeable minority of The Economist’s staff also speaks Russian and would like to claim Mr Putin’s protection in advance of the next pay negotiations.

There is, however a hitch. Consolidation would be undermined by linguistic independence movements:

·      Dozens of segments would peel away from Mandarin-speaking China.

·      Mayaland would agitate for autonomy in Central America.

·      Swahililand would demand independence in Africa.

The world’s 7 billion people speak more than 7,000 languages; in Russia alone there are more than 100. Perhaps, on second thoughts, Mr Putin should quit while he is ahead.