Some of my hobbies and interests

I really like to travel around and see new places whenever I get the chance. During my time as a Ph.D. student in the US I have had the opportunity to visit most of the major cities and some other really amazing places such as Yosemite, Niagara Falls, Big Sur, Napa Valley, The Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Yellowstone, Shenadoah National Park and Maryland's Eastern Shore.

I loved watching The Wire, arguably one of the best tv-series ever. It was filmed in Baltimore and it provides a complex, beautiful portrait of life in this city. Highly recommended. I also thoroughly enjoyed watching The Sopranos, where the action moves a bit to the north. Complex, thrilling and entertaining: an excellent tv-series as well.

I am currently reading "The Emperor of All Maladies" a book by Siddartha Mukherjee wich provides a fascinating exploration of the history of cancer. I am only half-way through, but so far I am enjoying it a lot.

When it comes to music, there is only one "boss" that I listen to... and, of course, he comes from the great state of New Jersey! When it comes to art, I feel a special fascination by the works of Picasso, Dali, Miro (hardly suprising for a Spaniard, isn't it? ;-), Kandinsky and some of the other geniuses from the 20th century. When it comes to sports, I am an avid supporter of Real Madrid, which is widely recognized as the best soccer team in history.

Finally, during the last few years, I have become a fan of the many microbreweries that can be found around the US. Dogfish, Flying Dog, Brooklyn, Magic Hat... they all bring me nice memories. In Baltimore, Brewer's Art is the place to go if you are looking for good beer.

Some of my favorite quotations

  • "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars" (Oscar Wilde)
  • "Fais de ta vie un rêve et de ton rêve une réalité." (Saint-Exupéry)
  • "Podrán cortar todas las flores, pero no podrán detener la primavera" (Pablo Neruda)
  • "What is to give light must endure burning" (Viktor Frankl)
  • “Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot; others transform a yellow spot into the sun.” (Pablo Picasso)