Zaragoza has been selected to host the International Exhibition in 2008 (from 14th June to 14th September 2008) under the Theme “Water and Sustainable Development”. Zaragoza is my city and I feel very proud of it. Currently, I am working in Belgium on environmental issues so the Expo theme is very much of my interest.When talking with non-spanish friends they are asking me all kind of questions regarding the Expo in Zaragoza. So I have decided to blog the some of the info I am providing my friends with.
In addition, while at work I meet with many foreigners. So far, when I talk with them about Zaragoza they usually are unable to put it ”on the map” often mentioning either Vasque Country or Catalunya as the region where Zaragoza is located. When I then mention Aragon it rings some bells but not that many…
But enough about myself. Let´s talk about the rules of the blog. Every now and then (ideally every month) I will be posting on different issues related to the Zaragoza Expo 2008 (see below some examples in not particular order) and I would do my best that debate grows around them, so the information flows smoothly from both sides of this blog.
Budget trip to the Expo & around from how to buy promotional entry tickets to which companies to flight in at low rates. And for those with extra holidays, you might want to know that Zaragoza is in a junction just around 1 hour from Madrid or Barcelona by high speed train or 3 hours drive from Bilbao or Valencia.
Virtual Expo for those who cannot come…or those who cannot wait, I will do my best to grant you all available resources for a virtual visit to the Zaragoza Expo 2008. To start with, you can already have a virtual “eagle view” of the Expo at http://www.expozaragoza2008.es/en/proyecto/proyecto.htm
Expo ceremonies & regional days, there are a lot of singular traditions in Spain and many regional days take place during summer. For example, in Aragon there are different ways of having “fiesta” and one of them involves a cow… and although some might think is not as artistic as the cow pictured here...
but it might be artistic in its own way….
Bridge Pavillion, this pavilion Bridge will pass obliquely over the River Ebro and its cross-section will be diamond-shaped. Hard to imagine? Well, this is the way Zaha Hadid is (http://www.zaha-hadid.com/ and see...
...a previous work by her in which something originally planned as a fire station, became a museum.
Post-Expo Zaragoza 2008 will be another topic to deal with. I visited the Dutch pavilion in the Hannover Expo in 2000 with a German friend and it was great. Sadly enough, if you can go now at http://www.dutchpavilion.nl/exponu/index.htm scroll down, you will see the struggles of time.
Waterscapes, being Water the main theme of the Expo I will post the diverse water & landscapes of Zaragoza and surroundings...that should be a good basis to discuss with you the influence of the Zaragoza Expo 2008 in the sustainability debate which is more a more at the center of international conferences. I leave you with Kiccoro (Forest Child ) and Morizo (Forest Grand Father) mascots for Aichi Exhibition and Fluvi (river of life), the Zaragoza expo mascot...
Greetings to all readers
11 comments:
Hola Ramonnnn, really nice thing you are doing to promote the Exibition...until heard about any public promotional effort...it is a shame...don't you think?
Ok. I will come now and then and check the blog...you might even convince me it is worth visiting Zaragoza in 2008
C’etait necesarie une page sur l’Expo dans une langue différente de l'espagnol. Le défi n'est pas simple, mais je crois que tout sera parfait en 2008. Je suis maintenant à Saragosse. Je veux remecier à l'auteur au nom de ma ville pour mettre à la disposition des gens qui parlent anglais l'illusion de notre projet. Pour les gens qui visite cette page, vous avez un rendez-vous en Espagne dans moins de deux années. (Je demande pardon par mon français écrit, que je l'ai déjà presque oublié...) Chesús
Thanks...good to hear some friendly voices in the dessert... upps desert...i am going to post more often as i understand every month is too little...anyway, lets way and see whether we start having comments from overseas people...anyone out there?
Pd. i have also changed the settings and from now on, comments wont need to be authorised.
Cheers
Hi all! My wife and I will be making the trip from the United States for the expo in August (yes, I know, August in Spain but being from central Florida we should be able to handle any sort of heat). This will be my second worlds fair (Vancouver in '86 was my first) and the first for my wife. Being of Spanish descent (my family hails from Burgos), this will be an opportunity to not only enjoy the Expo but also to reconnect with my roots. I'm hoping to see more details about the individual pavilions as time goes by. We're both very excited ad looking forward to seeing Rammon's beautiful home city next year!
Hola I have got my tickets for the the Expo it will be my third visit to Zaragoza and I can't wait. Don't just go for the Expo, plan to spend time in Zaragoza it is one of the unknown secret jewels of Spain.
I read about Expo 2008 in a local newspaper (Travel Section) and thank you for this fine blog.
I live in Vancouver, British Columbia, CANADA.
Zaragoza is of special interest to me because Bl. Fr. Wm Joseph Chaminade was inspired before the statue of Our Lady of the Pilar to found his relegious congregation-Marianists (NOT Marists). (I am a Marianist Affiliate and intend to visit your beautiful city.) Keep the blogs coming; you are providing a valuable service.
J. Cullina
Does anyone knows why the site is not working?
Hola!
It's a good idea to start this blog.
You mention "Budget trip". It would be very helpful if some information would follow.
I would be arriving from Cologne, Germany, using public transport.
The question is how to arrive at Zaragoza. There's an airport there, but when I visited the city in 2004, there was hardly any traffic at that airport.
Is there a train connection between Bilbao and Zaragoza, or do you have to take the bus?
There are hotels, sure. But like in other Spanish cities, there are also pensiones or residencias, where you can find accomodation from 15-25 €/night. It would be great to find a list of such places somewhere in the net, even more so if you could provide it. I'm sure that there are also others who are interested to come to Zaragoza (a city I enjoyed very much, by the way), but who simply don't have the money to spend 200-300 € a day.
Saludos,
John
Hi Ramon (or Moncho)...
I'm from Indonesia (South East Asia), and this has been two days since I moved my job in an exhibition company. I've so many things to catch up and my boss had instructed me to learn about the Zaragoza Expo. The official website is helping, but you making it more fun for me to know more. I might not able to go there, but I'm proud that Indonesia being a part of it. You should check our pavilion when the time comes, it should be fun too.
Thanks, Ramon ^o^
Hello,
friends of me will comme to the Expo in a camping car or camper; they do not know where to stay with their camper in Zaragoza and as they do not understand spanish...; i found out that public parkings close at 3 a.m.So...?
Can they overnight at the parking place for busses?
Who could inform them or are campers not welcome????
Thanks for a quick reply
BoB
I won't recommend anyone coming to Zaragoza in order to visit this Exposition. It has nothing to do with sustainable development; it has everything to do with unscrupulous businesses.
The experience of previous universal exhibitions (and that of Zaragoza is not: it is `international', ie, a second class exposition) and the most recent Forum in Barcelona, showed that these events are ruinous to the Treasury, but very profitable for construction companies and real state speculators.
Expo Zaragoza 2008 is unsustainable in terms of ecological, economic, social, environmental, legal and cultural. The Ebro river ecosystem is being destroyed: cutting down thousand of trees, irresponsible dredgings in order to allow ships sail, cutting the bottom of the Stone Bridge medieval archs, etc.
Politicians have been lying with a straight face for years, in order to get people's support for this project. However, people is increasingly aware that they've been cheated.
I could go on and on. Please visit http://www.expo-no.es , where there is a lot of information (mostly in Spanish, but there is also some in English).
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