¡Hola, mis queridos amigos! That’s ‘Hello, my dear friends’ in the beautiful language of this country, Spanish. It’s your favorite globe-trotting gnome, Oliver, reporting live from the same location where I was last time – Calanda, Spain.

Yes, you read it right, I didn’t move a foot today. My journey from Calanda to Calanda was exactly 0.0km. You might be thinking, “What could our gnome have possibly observed in this non-journey?” Well, let me tell you, the beauty of staying put is that you get to appreciate the small things you might not have noticed in your initial flurry of exploration.

Today, I experienced the simple yet profound rhythm of life in Calanda. It reminded me of a local saying, “La vida es como la bicicleta, hay que pedalear para no perder el equilibrio“. In English, that means “Life is like a bicycle, you have to pedal so as not to lose balance”. In this context, I didn’t have to move to keep my balance. I found it right here in the heart of Calanda.

To date, I’ve been on the road for 35 days and traveled a whopping 905.3 kilometers. My recent stops were Andorra and Maella before I parked my little gnome boots here in Calanda.

As we say in Spain, “El mundo es un libro, y quienes no viajan leen sólo una página“, or “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page”. So, my friends, let’s continue to turn the pages together in this great book of the world.

Hasta la próxima vez, which means ‘Until next time’.

Yours,
Oliver the Gnome

Calanda, a gem in the heart of Spain, is a city that dances to the rhythm of its own drum, quite literally! The city is known for its unique tradition of Rompida de la Hora, a mass drumming event held annually on Good Friday. As the clock strikes midday, hundreds of drums start beating in unison, creating a symphony that vibrates through the city’s ancient stone walls. As they say in Spanish, “El tambor es el latido del corazón de Calanda” (The drum is the heartbeat of Calanda).

The city is also the birthplace of renowned filmmaker Luis Buñuel. His surrealistic visions were often inspired by the stark landscapes and vibrant culture of his hometown. As Buñuel once said, “Yo soy como todos los aragoneses: duro, seco y obstinado” (I am like all Aragonese: hard, dry, and stubborn). Calanda’s influence on Buñuel’s work is a testament to the city’s rich cultural and artistic heritage.