garyartista

[garyartista]

At last! Our narrated video "From Amsterdam to the France 2024"

Filming and narration by Peg Kirkpatrick, editing and production by Gary Kirkpatrick. Copyright 2024

[garyartista]

Plovdiv

About 350,000 people live in Plovdiv making it the second largest city in Bulgaria. It was founded on the Marista River. People support themselves here on tobacco production, food processing, textiles and brewing, as well as high tech, festivals and tourism. There are six universities in this small city. It is known for its Roman era theater, still in use, and centrally located. There are old…

[garyartista]

Flood stories from Picanya

It was getting dark when we boarded the Picanya metro replacement bus, but there was enough light to see the fields of cars piled 4 and 5 high in fields near Paiporta. You can still see white bits of clothing and paper scattered about, sticking onto small trees and broken branches, left there by the raging waters. Unfortunately the bus was going too fast for shooting photos. On the walk into the…

[garyartista]

Family History Part 2: Who was Tony, really?

Tony This is another atypical post as it treats my family history, whereas I normally write about travel related matters. Nonetheless this may have some general interest for the twists and turns it brings. In my experience it was a mystery-like in slow motion. My motherś sister Anna aka Annette was married twice, first to a fellow named Mike Rini on March 17,1928. All I know about him is that…

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A flood survivor's story

We have friends in Picanya. We saw yesterday them for the first time since the flood. I sat with ‘M,’ whose house is located on the Rambla del Poyo, the normally empty gully that serves as drainage for the hills to the west. The Rambla is about 75 meters wide by about 15 meters deep and looks quite capable of holding a substantial amount of flood water as it almost always dry except for a little…

[garyartista]

Face from side and below, tilted, Conte pencil

Face from side and below, tilted, Conte pencil, unsigned

[garyartista]

Volunteers providing meals

We joined a hundred or so volunteers are helping at Valencia’s World Central Kitchen to provide hot meals for people in locations effected by the floods of a month ago. They are very well organized. When we arrived, we first had to check in. I was not registered so they took my name and phone number. You can register on Telegram if you have the group link. Then we visited the assignment board.…

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Bulgaria's Complexities

I have long seen Bulgaria as just a small, insignificant, and now former communist country in Eastern Europe. We went there primarily because it is one of the two EU countries we had not visited. Now that I have been there, my curiosity has been aroused, and I have learned more about this country and the forces that complicate its functioning. The following complicating factors are in no…

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Bulgarian Traditional Folk Dance

In days gone by we did international folk dancing with groups in Florida and Pennsylvania. I led the group in Pennsylvania for several years. Among our favorite dances were those that came from Bulgaria. While in Sofia we found a performance at a restaurant and walked the 1.8 kilometers for the performance starting at 8 pm. It was dark and pretty cold but the trip was worthwhile. I shot the…

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Bulgaria and the fall of the Bloc

We visited the Socialist Art Museum and the Museum of National History in Sofia, both small museums. They are on opposite sides of the city, about 7 kilometers apart. We traversed the distance by city bus, scanning our credit cards to pay the fare. The Sofia we saw on the route is not pretty, unlike the city center where we are staying with its some sparkling monumental buildings, parks and…

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November 23, the state of things in the Valencia area

There is still a lot of clean up left to do. This photo shows this location unchanged since the flood. This does not signify a lack of effort but more likely insufficient resources despite nation-wide efforts. Valencia rejected offers from abroad which may have helped, coordination difficulties aside. From Las Provincias There are many volunteering at the Feria, a site nomrally used for…

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Sofia

November 23, 2024 Sofia is situated on a plane set between hills and mountains, including ski areas within thirty minutes. This can make for a swinging descent all the way to the runway. This caused the young, brightly lipsticked English fluent Bulgarian woman seated between us to do the Bulgarian-Orthodox double cross as if this were her last, yet she does this trip frequently. We were told…

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Mazon closed Valencia's Emergency Unit

Shortly after taking power Mazón closed Valencia’s Emergency Unit, the main body tasked with natural disasters. However, he took €17 million to bullfighting, a widely unpopular sport. When Aemet, Spain’s weather agency, issued multiple severe weather warnings starting early morning on October 29, and issued a red level alert, the highest category, there was warning was issued by Mazon’s…

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November 9th, the recovery continues

The death total has reached 212. Five children are confirmed died in the flood. Two are missing per the latest reports. . Policía Nacional y la Guardia Civil have 28 cases of missing persons as of November 12, down from 50 the day before. No victims were found in the parking lot at the MN4 mall in Alfafar. Debris and vehicle removal continues but there are mountains to move. The first step is…

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Update early morning November 7, 2024

Latest stats: some 1 million were effected by flood waters in 78 municipalities. A husband and wife were found in an isolated house. He is ill and has been taken to hospital, with search operations continuing. Donations to the Spanish Red Cross can be made here Cruzroja. Spanish television station reporting – Headline reads, “There is still a lot to do.” No…

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Developments in the last few hours, November 5, 2024

Some statistics: 44000+ vehicles, 21,400+ houses and 2200+ commercial properties destroyed. Endless quantities of perishable goods have been ruined: 800,000 kilos in 32 locations, mostly fresh meat and fish shops as well as restaurants. Authorities have removed almost 3000 farm animal cadavers. Family Cash y MasyMas supermarket chains are donating food, hygiene and cleaning products. Amazon has…

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Brief update

Some miscellaneous updates: The Metro in Valencia is not running. It will be opening line by line in the coming days. The regional trains running north are in service, but not to the south, which is where the flooding occurred. There are efforts underway to take care of cats and dogs. Pet stores are collecting donations. Some 15000 military personnel are in or on the way to effected areas. I can…