TURKEY - ISTANBUL: SULTANAHMET AND EMINÖNÜ

After nine days in Turkey, six of them in Istanbul, I must admit that Istanbul has surprised me. Istanbul is a really lively and warm city with an special charm. There are always a lot of people walking along its streets, which made me feel quite comfortable.

And the other 3 days we visited Cappadocia, a region of central Anatolia, where nature has created really amazing shapes. It's really worth walking between this strange shapes and enjoying the other secrets this region hides.

After our first evening in Istanbul, we decided to spend our first morning in Istanbul in Sultanahmet, a really beautiful area around Haghia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. This two buildings are amazing, truly impressive. After enjoying a lot visiting this two monuments, we went for a walk in Gülhane Park and Eminönü, where we could admire fantastic views from Galata bridge.

Visits of the day

• Haghia Sophia *
• Küçük Ayasofya Camii
• Blue Mosque *
• Gülhane Park
• Eminönü *
• Spice Bazaar *
• New Mosque
• Galata Bridge *
• Restaurant Artiste Terrasse *

* Strongly recommended

Sultanahmet

Haghia Sophia

Haghia Sophia is one of the monuments of Istanbul I remember with more affection. It's a wonder of architecture which has survived some earthquakes

Inside this treasure byzantine of Istanbul I got a wonderful feeling of peace. The faint light and the warm colours of its walls made me feel really comfortable

The impressive dome of Haghia Sophia reaching to a height of 56 meters

The minber, or pulpit, was installed in Haghia Sophia by Murat III (1574-95)

Mosaic of the Virgin with Empeor John II Comnenus and Empress Irene inside Haghia Sophia. Unfortunately there aren't much mosaics preserved. I can assure that Haghia Sophia must have been really beautiful with all its walls decorated with mosaics

From the second floor there is a fantastic overall view of Haghia Sophia and, especially, of the calligraphic roundels

There are some calligraphic roundels inside Haghia Sophia. I really liked this roundels and I think that they give a mystic look to this wonderful byzantine church of Istanbul

A detail of a lamp inside Haghia Sophia

A detail of a calligraphic roundel

In the background, on the first floor and under one of the roundels, there is the sultan's lodge, The lodge was used by Sultan to join the rituals without being seen by public and it was also to protect the Sultan from possible assassins

In this picture it can be seen the impressive heigh of Haghia Sophia and the many windows this church has

Going to the Blue Mosque I couldn't help taking a picture of  Haghia Sophia and its fantastic surrounding area of SultanahmetAnd in front of Haghia Sophia, beyond Sultanahmet Square, we could admire the Blue Mosque, with its six minarets, which gives an oriental look to this splendid area of Istanbul

Walking to the Bosphorus

Going to Küçük Ayasofya we saw this view: ships waiting for crossing the Bosphorus

Ablutions fountain in Sokollu Mehmet Pasa Camii, a small and beautiful mosque near Küçük Ayasofya Camii. We enter this mosque because we thought this mosque was Küçük Ayasofya but, luckily, our mistake let us visit this nice mosque

Küçük Ayasofya Camii, or the Little Haghia Sophia as it's also known, is a Byzantine Church and one of the most charming of all the city's architectural treasures of Istanbul. It's located in a humble quarter near Sultanahmet. It was one of the first contrast we saw in Istanbul: a humble quarter next to a truly beautiful area such sultanahmet

Inside, an irregular octagon of columns of two floors supports a broad central dome. This structure remains a bit Haghia Sophia. As you can see, it's highly decorative. Of course, these little mosques are cozier than the bigger ones

This was one of the obelisks which adorned the central line of the Hippodrome which once stood at the heart of the Byzantine city of Constantinople

The huge stadium, it's thought that it held up up to 100000 people, is now an elongated public garden, At Meydani, the Square of the Horses. This garden, next to Haghia Sophia (it can be seen its minarets on the right), is perfect to walk and it was crowded with young people

Fantastic view of Sultanahmet square and the Bosphorus in the background from the terrace roof where we had lunch

Blue Mosque

After having lunch we came back to the Blue Mosque

Inside the courtyard of the Blue Mosque

In the background on the left, the mihrab, a niche in the wall which marks the direction of Mecca

The impressive dome of the Blue Mosque, inspired by the one of Haghia Sophia

Here we can see the blue tiles which gives name to this mosque

Carpets, faint lights and silence made me feel really comfortable and relaxed in mosques

After visiting the Blue Mosque we spent a good time taking some photos and enjoying the lively environment of Sultanahmet. We could also heard the call to prayer, as the following video shows

The call to prayer in Sultanahmet

Tulips in Sultanahmet

Sultanahmet is always truly crowded. It doesn't surprise me because sultanahmet is a lovely green area of Istanbul perfect to spend a sunny day

View from Gülhane

Gülhane Park in Istanbul is quite large. We did a long walk which led us to the Bosphorus where we enjoyed a fantastic view

Eminönü

A typical trolley of roast chestnuts in front of the New Mosque in Istanbul

Spice Bazaar

Colourful spices which gives an oriental smell to the Spice bazaar in Istanbul

In this shop of the Spice Bazaar you can find a lot of typical oriental products, like shawls, pottey, tiles etc

Views from Eminönü

From Eminönü there is great view of the Golden Horn, the Galata tower and the fishermen on the always crowed Galata bridge

And this is the view we enjoyed of the Sülemaniye Mosque from the Galata bridge

Having dinner in Restaurant Artiste Terrasse

The view of Topkapi, Haghia Sophia and the Blue Mosque was really breathtaking from the terrasse of this restaurant

Taking some creative pictures after having dinner

Here the two tripods I used to take one of the previous picture. The smaller one is mine and the waiter, who were really kind yo us, lent me the bigger one because he thought rightly that mine was too small for a Canon EOS 450D

After our fantastic first day in Istanbul, we did a break and flew to Cappadocia, where we spent the following three days. Clicking on the next link, the fabulous secrets of Cappadocia. Besides, clicking on the next link you will find the most interesting places in Istanbul we visited during this trip.

You can see more pictures of these days I spent in Istanbul and Cappadocia clicking on the links below:

- First day in Istanbul

- Second day in Istanbul

- The three days we spent in Cappadocia

- Third day in Istanbul

- Fourth day in Istanbul

- Last day in Istanbul

Finally, other great cities I have already visited are:

• Barcelona
• Berlin
• New York and Washington
• London
• Dublin in Irleland
• Saint Petersburg
• Rome and The Vatican
• Paris
• Florence in Tuscany
• Lisboa in Portugal
• Madrid
• Venezia
• Dubrovnik in Croatia

• The Greek Islands and Athens
• Bruges, Ghent and Brussels in Belgium

• Helsinki and Lapland in Finland

• Tallinn in Estonia

• Tortuguero, Caribe, Arenal, Monteverde and San José in Costa Rica

• Marrakech in Morocco

TURKEY - ISTANBUL: ISTIKLAL CADDESI

After nine days in Turkey, six of them in Istanbul, I must admit that Istanbul has surprised me. Istanbul is a really lively and warm city with an special charm. There are always a lot of people walking along its streets, which made me feel quite comfortable.

And the other 3 days we visited Cappadocia, a region of central Anatolia, where nature has created really amazing shapes. It's really worth walking between this strange shapes and enjoying the other secrets this region hides.

I will try to show you this charm and beauty of Istanbul and Cappadocia in the following posts with some photos I took throughout this trip. In this post, some photos of our first day in Istanbul (in fact, our first evening and night in Istanbul because we arrived at 6pm).

This postcard summarizes quite accurately how I remember Istanbul: a warm city, really occidental but with an oriental charm present in every corner of the city

Visits of the day

• Istiklal Caddesi *
• Galata tower
• Pub Hayal Kahvesi

* Strongly recommended

Our first walk in Istanbul was in Istiklal Caddesi. A really crowded boulevard ideal for shopping, where people share this avenue with an old fashioned tram. This tram can take you from Tünel Square to Taksim Square

Galata tower in Istanbul, built by the Genoese in the 6th century to monitor shipping, is 60 meters high

Walking along Istiklal Caddesi we reached Tünel Square, where the tram has its first stop (photo taken by Elena Senao - http://elenasenao.com -, a freelance photographer friend of us)

After this first contact with Istanbul we went to a restaurant where we could enjoy a really delicious soup and other typical dishes of turkish gastronomy

Elena, our friend who lives in Istanbul, suggested this restaurant and other ones in the following days where we really enjoyed our meals

And after having dinner, we went to Hayal, a pub near Istiklal Caddesi and Taksim where there is always good live music

Clicking on the next link, our first day in Istanbul visiting Sultanahmet. Besides, clicking on the next link you will find links to the most beautiful places in Istanbul and Cappadocia we visited during this trip.

You can see more pictures of these days I spent in Istanbul and Cappadocia clicking on the links below:

- First day in Istanbul

- Second day in Istanbul

- The three days we spent in Cappadocia

- Third day in Istanbul

- Fourth day in Istanbul

- Last day in Istanbul

Finally, other great cities I have already visited are:

• Barcelona
• Berlin
• New York and Washington
• London
• Dublin in Irleland
• Saint Petersburg
• Rome and The Vatican
• Paris
• Florence in Tuscany
• Lisboa in Portugal
• Madrid
• Venezia
• Dubrovnik in Croatia

• The Greek Islands and Athens
• Bruges, Ghent and Brussels in Belgium

• Helsinki and Lapland in Finland

• Tallinn in Estonia

• Tortuguero, Caribe, Arenal, Monteverde and San José in Costa Rica

• Marrakech in Morocco

CATALONIA MEDIEVAL: POBLET I MONTBLANC

Luckily and despite the weather forecast, we could enjoy a sunny saturday visiting the Monastery of Poblet, one of the most important monasteries in Catalonia, and the old city of Montblanc. Poblet is a really well preserved building and, about the medieval walls of Montblanc, they look like as if they were built yesterday.

Main entrance to the Monastery of Poblet

Monastery of Poblet

Main entrance to the church of Poblet Monastery

In this picture two towers of the wall which protect the Poblet Monastery appear

Gothic arches of the cloister of Poblet Monastery

Chapter room of Poblet Monastery

The church of Poblet Monastery is rather romanesque than gothic, but it has elements of both styles

The dormitory of Poblet Monastery

Cloister of Poblet Monastery

Gothic arches of the cloister of Poblet Monastery

There were many people enjoying with us the visit we did to Poblet Monastery

Another room of Poblet Monastery

This dragon is the handrail of a staircase inside Poblet Monastery

Another view of this dragon

The church of Poblet Monastery with the altarpiece in the background

Overview of Poblet Monastery between grapevine fields

Montblanc

Montblanc city walls

A small church in Montblanc

Main facade of Montblanc church

A typical street of the medieval village of Montblanc

The city walls of Montblanc are really well preserved, as it can be seen in this picture

Streets in Montblanc are narrow and cobbled, as typical in medieval villages

Next I would like to give you some useful information:

• Clicking on the next link, you will get the location of Poblet Monastery and Montblanc in a map.
• How to arrive by car: AP-2 Motorway, exit 9 (Montblanc).
• Clicking on the next link, Tours, timetables and prices.

If you liked Poblet Monastery, maybe you would be interested in visiting the nearby Santes Creus and Vallbona de les Monges monasteries. Other interesting monasteries in Catalunya are: 

• Santes Creus Monastery
• Pedralbes Monastery in Barcelona
• Montserrat Abbey
• Sant Joan de les Abadesses Monastery
• Santa Maria de Ripoll Monastery
• Sant Pere de Rodes Monastery
• Sant Miquel del Fai

Besides, there are other medieval villages in Catalonia as beautiful as Montblanc, like:

• Besalú
• Siurana
• Rupit and Tavertet
• Pals and Peratallada
• Guimerà
• Miravet
• Beget
• Santa Pau
• Castellar de N'Hug
• Medieval Villages of La Vall de Boí

Finally, clicking on the next link, you will find links to other beautiful villages and places of Catalonia.

LEARNING WITH MY CANON EOS 450D :)

20th March 2010

This time I did some practice in a visit to El Liceu and walking in La Rambla, La Plaça Reial and El Parc de la Ciutadella. Afterwards we went to a classic cars meeting in Lluis Companys boulevard.

Hall of Mirrors inside the Gran Teatre del Liceu

(EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, focal 46,0 mm, ISO 400, Av F5.0, Tv 1/8Seg)

An actor in La Rambla
(EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, focal 45,0 mm, ISO 100, Av F5.0, Tv 1/100Seg)

Drops of water in La Plaça Reial

(EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, focal 30,0 mm, ISO 100, Av F5.0, Tv 1/250Seg)

Fountain in Ciutadella Park
(EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, focal 18,0 mm, ISO 100, Av F3.5, Tv 1/1000Seg)

Classic car in Lluis Companys boulevard (Barcelona)
(EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, focal 43,0 mm, ISO 100, Av F5.0, Tv 1/320Seg)

7th March 2010

Here some of the first photos taken with this wonderful camera. They're portraits in Sitges, a coastal and beautiful small town which is 35km away from Barcelona.

Portrait in Sitges with the beach and its well-known church in the background
(EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, focal 48,0 mm, ISO 100, Av F5.6, Tv 1/400Seg)

Portrait in the seafront of Sitges

(EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, focal 36,0 mm, ISO 100, Av F4.5, Tv 1/640Seg)

A portrait in Sitges with the Mediterranean Sea in the background
(EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, focal 55,0 mm, ISO 100, F5.6, Tv 1/400s)

I ALREADY HAVE MY NEW CANON EOS 450D!!

This week I have bought a dslr camera!! My new Canon EOS 450D with an 18-55 mm 3.5-5.6 IS is here with me and I have already taken my first photos. In the next posts the photos will have been taken with this new camera :) I'm sure I will enjoy this camera a lot!

Me with my new camera

THE ART OF LOVING (Erich Fromm) (English)

Lea la versión en Castellano


THE ESSENCE OF MAN AND ITS NEED OF COMMUNICATION

Man is blessed with reason, is life conscious of itself; Man is aware of himself, of his fellow men, of his past and of the possibilities of his future. This awareness of himself as an isolated being, the awareness of the brevity of his life, of the fact that Man is born without the participation of his will and that Man has to die against his will. The awareness that Man will die before those he love, or those he love before him, the awareness of his solitude, his vulnerability and his isolation makes of his isolated existence an distressing prison. Man would become mad if he couldn't escape of this prison to hold out his hand to join the rest of Men and the outside world.

Cover of the book The Art of Loving (Erich Fromm)

LOVE AS A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF MAN

Love is this hand held out to the outside world. Love is what let Man join another person or join his fellow Men. This desire of fusion with other human beings, with the outside life is the most powerful instinct of Man. It's his most fundamental passion, the most powerful driving force of his will, the force which holds the human race and the whole society.

But the genuine love is only possible when two people speak each other from the center of their hearts, from the human essence itself. Only there life exists, only there the essence of love is. Pure love, like life itself, is a permanent challenge instead of something static. Pure love is to grow together, to work together for a better common life.

LOVE AS AN ACTIVE POWER OF MAN: LOVE IS WILL


But this union with the loved person can never be at any price. It can't be achieved by renouncing the own liberty and the own essence. Mature love means union providing that the own integrity, individuality and liberty were preserved. Love is an active power of Man, a power which go through barriers which isolate Man of his fellow Men to link him to them. Love is an activity. Love isn't a passive affection because loving is to give instead of getting.

When I love, I feel alive, I feel my force and will, my richness, my immense power. Such feeling of vitality and power revitalize me and makes me feel absolutely alive.

As I give something of myself, I give my will, my capacity to make happy, my capacity to love. I give of myself, of what is more precious on me, of my life itself. I give what is alive on me - my happiness, my comprehension, my knowledge, my sadness- I give of whatever is alive on me. Giving of my life, this way, human being enrich his fellow Men, enhance the feeling of life of the other person at the same time he enhances his own feeling of life.

And, just when I give, something alive is born inside of me because I'm really grateful to the other person for letting fulfill myself, for letting me feel alive, for increasing all the life inside of me and for letting me know the beauty of generosity.


LOVE AS A RESULT OF THE BEAUTY OF LIFE

Loving is only possible from maturity. Only from maturity it's possible to develop the own capacity to generate love and to assume that to be loved involve the previous effort of loving. A person matures when he/she becomes humble and understands that loving is only possible from humility. When we love, we see in the loved person the beauty of his/her life and the beauty of all that is alive in him/her. Loving is to see that his/her life is more (or so) beautiful than the own life. Humility let us see what is beautiful in the other people. Without humility we are blind and absolutely unable to love.

Loving also makes us to evolve and to increase humanity because love powers our humility as a result of the beauty that love give us of the loved person. This need of improvement is a consequence of the own will of achieving the beauty and vitality seen in the loved person.

ACTIVE ELEMENTS OF LOVE: CARE, RESPONSABILITY, RESPECT AND KNOWLEDGE

Love is the active worry about the life and the growth of what we love. If there isn't this active worry, there is no love. This worry leads to a responsability of acting before the needs of the other human being. The person who loves, responds voluntarily.

But the worry about the loved person must never cross the barrier of respect, the barrier of respecting the other person as he/she is, the barrier of respecting his/her liberty and being aware of its unique individuality. Respect means to worry and to struggle for the happiness of the loved person, for his/her growth, so as to he/she achieve his/her dreams and he/she grows like he/she is. For that you must have faith in the other person, you must be sure of his/her fundamental attitudes and you must trust his/her love.

If we don't trust the loved person, if we are afraid of not being loved, the real fear, although often unconscious, is to love. The real concern is the fear of not being able to generate love in the other person, is the fear of having to accept the own inability of committing oneself without guarantees. Loving is an act of faith and generosity and who hasn't much faith and generosity, also hasn't much love.

However, It's not possible to respect a person if we don't know him/her. Only if I know deeply the other person, I can know the reasons of his/her worries although he/she don't tell me anything. I must be sensitive to the other person, I must concentrate my energy on knowing objectively the other person to be able to see his/her reality. This way I will be aware of his/her needs. Who has not much ability for concentration, is unable to love.

Besides, Knowledge is also connected to a more fundamental issue, which is the matter of love. Loving is also a consequence of the need of Man of knowing the "secret of Man". Love makes grow inside me a need of knowing the loved person to find out all the beauty and life which, I think, exists inside him/her. Love is the one feeling that has, as a result, this need. Therefore, love let me know the other person and, at the same time, let me know myself because only when you love, you can know what you really are and how you really are.


KINDS OF LOVE

BROTHERLY LOVE

The most fundamental kind of love, also essential in all kinds of love, is brotherly love. This kind of love is the desire of promoting, enhancing, intensifying, strengthen the life of any other human being. I have developped the capacity to love only if I able to love my fellow men. When I love my peers, I feel an experience of union with all of my fellow men, an experience of human solidarity.

Brotherly love is based on the experience that all of us are only one. Differences in talent, intelligence, knowledge, wisdom, are insignificant when compared with the human esence, common to every Man. If I perceive nothing but the superficial in the other person, I notice mainly the differences, what separates us. If I go through until the core, I perceive our identity, our humanity, the beauty of the life which exists inside all of us. Brotherly love is to love the life which exists inside the other person, is to love every human being, is to love the whole mankind.

EROTIC LOVE

The erotic love is the desire of total fusion , of union with only one person. But loving is not to fall in love. Falling in love is something physiological whereas loving is something spiritual. The effect of falling in love can evaporate because of the routine when we get to know the other person completely and there is nothing new to find out. If the knowledge of the other person was deeper, if I could experience the infinity of its personality, the other person would never be so familiar and the miracle of crossing barriers could be revitalized every day.

Sexual desire, which is what drives us to fall in love, can be stimulated by the anguish of solitude, by the desire of seducing or being seduced, by vanity,so much as by love. It would seem that any intense emotion, such as love, can stimulate the sexual desire. But sometimes people think that they love when they only desire physically. If the desire of physical union is not stimulated by love, if the erotic love is not at the same time brotherly love, this love never leads to an union except in a transitory sense. Sexual appeal generates, for a moment, the illusion of union but, without love, such union leave the two unknown as isolated as before.

Erotic love is exclusive, but it loves in the other person the whole mankind, all what is alive. It's exclusive only in the sense that I can join fully and intensely only with one person.

-->SELF-LOVE

If loving one's neighbor so much as one-self is a virtue, loving one-self must be also a virtue because I'm also a human being.

Self-love is linked to the love of any living being. In any human being able to love the rest, we will find an attitude of self-love. Only if you love yourself, you are able to appreciate the miracle of life and to realize the beauty of what is alive. As a result, you love everybody so much as yourself, you love the life inside the other living beings so much as your own life, you love Man and the whole human race.

CONCLUSION AND PERSONAL OPINION

This book is one of the most beautiful and interesting books I have ever read. I absolutely agree with the author that love is the only bridge which lead human beings to happiness. Love is also an inner active power which has the capacity to make other people happy. Specially I will always remember the following ideas of this book: Love is will and what we really love when we love someone is the beauty of the live existing inside the loved person.

Finally, next you have links of other interesting book I have read:

• The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)
• Playing the Enemy (John Carlin)
• The Alchemist (Pablo Coelho)
• The Physician (Noah Gordon)
• The Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien)
• The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkien)
• The Cathedral of the Sea (Ildefonso Falcones)
• Ninja Crisis (Leopoldo Abadía)
• Annoyomics (Risto Mejide)
• The Shadow of the Wind (Carlos Ruiz Zafón)
• The Afghan (Frederick Forsyth)
• The Eight (Katherine Neville)
• The Fire (Katherine Neville)
• The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
• Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
• Dante's Equation (Jane Jensen)
• Wecome to the Real World (Sandro Rosell)
• The Physician (Noah Gordon)
• The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
• Le Petit Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) 
• El Quijote (Miguel de Cervantes)
• Victus (Albert Sánchez Piñol)

EL ARTE DE AMAR (Erich Fromm)

Read the english versión


LA ESENCIA DEL HOMBRE Y SU NECESIDAD DE COMUNICACION

El hombre está dotado de razón, es vida consciente de sí misma; tiene conciencia de sí mismo, de sus semejantes, de su pasado y de las posibilidades de su futuro.

Esa conciencia de sí mismo como una entidad separada, la conciencia de su breve lapso de vida, del hecho de que nace sin que intervenga su vo­luntad y ha de morir contra su voluntad, de que morirá antes que los que ama, o éstos antes que él, la conciencia de su sole­dad y su «separatidad» *, de su desvalidez frente a las fuerzas de la naturaleza y de la sociedad, todo ello hace de su existen­cia separada y desunida una insoportable prisión. Se volvería loco si no pudiera liberarse de su prisión y extender la mano para unirse en una u otra forma con los demás hombres, con el mundo exterior.

Portada del libro El arte de Amar, de Erich Fromm

EL AMOR COMO SOLUCION AL PROBLEMA DEL HOMBRE

Esta mano extendida a su exterior, a sus semejantes, es el amor. El amor es lo que permite al hombre comunicarse, lograr la unión interpersonal, la fusión con otra persona. Ese deseo de fusión interpersonal es el impulso más pode­roso que existe en el hombre. Constituye su pasión más funda­mental, el motor más poderoso de su voluntad, la fuerza que sostiene a la raza humana y a la sociedad.

Pero el amor auténtico sólo es posible cuando dos personas se comunican entre sí desde el centro de sus existencias, desde la propia esencia humana. Sólo allí hay vida, sólo allí está la base del amor. Experimentado en esa forma, el amor, como la propia vida, es un desafío constante; no un lugar de reposo, sino un moverse, crecer, trabajar juntos.

EL AMOR COMO PODER ACTIVO DEL HOMBRE

Pero esta únion con la persona amada nunca puede ser a cualquier precio, no puede ser renunciando a la propia esencia del hombre. El amor maduro sig­nifica unión a condición de preservar la propia integridad, la propia individualidad, la propia libertad. El amor es un poder activo en el hom­bre; un poder que atraviesa las barreras que separan al hombre de sus semejantes y lo une a los demás. El amor es una actividad, no un afecto pasivo porque amar es fundamentalmente dar, no recibir.

En el acto mismo de dar me siento vivo, experimento mi fuerza, mi riqueza, mi poder. Tal experiencia de vitalidad y potencia exaltadas me revitaliza. Me experimento a mí mismo plenamente vivo.

Porque doy una parte de mí, doy mi voluntad, mi capacidad de hacer feliz, mi capacidad de amar. Doy de mi mismo, de lo más precioso que tengo, de mi propia vida. Doy lo que está vivo en mi -mi alegría, mi interés, mi com­prensión, mi conocimiento, mi humor, mi tristeza-, doy de todas las expresiones y manifestaciones de lo que está vivo mi. Al dar así de su vida, el ser humano enriquece a la otra persona, realza el sentimiento de vida de la otra al exaltar el suyo propio.

Y, en el acto de dar, algo vivo nace en el interior pues siento agradecimiento hacía la otra persona por permitirme realizarme a mi mismo, por permitir sentirme vivo, por aumentar la vida que hay en mí y descubrir la belleza de la generosidad.

Amar solo es posible desde la madurez. Solo desde la madurez se es capaz de desarrollar productivamente la propia capacidad de generar amor y de asumir que ser amado implica el esfuerzo previo de amar. La persona madura cuando se vuelve humilde y entiende que unicamente desde la humildad se puede amar. Amar implica ver en la otra persona la belleza de su vida y de todo lo vivo que han en ella y percibir esa vida como tanto o más bella que la propia. La humildad son los ojos que nos permiten ver lo bello de los demas. Sin humildad somos ciegos y estériles a la hora de que el amor pueda nacer en nuestro interior.

El amor te hace evolucionar y mejorar como persona al potenciar tu humildad ante la vision de belleza que el amor te proporciona de la persona amada. Esta necesidad de mejora responde a la propia voluntad de alcanzar la belleza y vitalidad interior percibida en la persona amada.

ELEMENTOS DEL AMOR: CUIDADO, RESPONSABILIDAD, RESPETO Y CONOCIMIENTO

Además del elemento de dar, el carácter activo del amor se vuelve evidente en el hecho de que implica ciertos elementos activos básicos, comunes a todas las formas del amor. Esos elementos son: cuidado, responsabilidad, respeto y conocimiento.

El amor es la preocupación activa por la vida y el crecimiento de lo que amamos. Cuando falta tal preocupación activa, no hay amor. Esta preocupación implica la responsabilidad de responder ante las necesidades del otro ser humano. La persona que ama, responde voluntariamente.

Pero la preocupación por la persona amada no debe jamás atravesar la barrera del respeto, de respetar a la otra persona como es, de respetar su libertad y tener conciencia de su individualidad única. Respetar significa preo­cuparse y esforzarse por la felicidad de la persona amada, por su crecimiento, por que se desarrolle tal como es y llegue a cumplir sus sueños. Y para ello hay que tener fe en la otra persona, hay que estar seguro de la confianza e inmutabilidad de sus actitudes fundamentales, de la esencia de su personalidad y de su amor.

Si no confiamos en el amor del ser amado, si tememos no ser amados, el temor real, aunque habitualmente inconsciente, es el de amar, es el temor de no ser capaz de generar amor en la persona amada, es el temor de tener que aceptar la propia incapacidad de comprometerse sin garantías, de entregarse totalmente con la esperanza de producir amor en la persona amada. El amor es un acto de fe y generosidad y quien tenga poca fe y generosidad, también tiene poco amor.

Pero respetar a una persona sin conocerla, no es posible. Solo si conozco a la otra persona profundamente puedo llegar a saber las causas de sus preocupaciones sin que me lo diga y ayudarla en lo que necesita. Tengo que ser sensible a la otra persona, tengo que concentrar mi energía en conocer a la otra persona objetivamente para poder ver su realidad y así llegar a ser consciente de sus necesidades. Quien tiene poca capacidad de concentración, no es capaz de amar.

Pero el conocimiento tiene otra relación, más fundamental, con el problema del amor. Amar responde también a la necesidad del hombre de conocer el «secreto del hombre». El amor es la penetración activa en la otra persona, en la que la unión satisface mi deseo de conocer. En el acto de fusión, te conozco y ello me permite conocerme a mí mismo. La única forma de alcanzar el conocimiento total consiste en el acto de amar porque solo se puede descubrir la esencia humana mirando en el interior del projimo, ya que la propia exploracion del interior de uno mismo esta condicionada por la subjetividad.

TIPOS DE AMOR


AMOR FRATERNAL

La clase más fundamental de amor, básica en todos los tipos de amor, es el amor fraternal. Por él se entiende el sentido de responsabilidad, cuidado, respeto y conocimiento con respecto a cualquier otro ser humano, el deseo de promover su vida. Si he desarrollado la capacidad de amar, no puedo dejar de amar a mis hermanos. En el amor fraternal se realiza la experiencia de unión con todos los hombres, de solidaridad humana, de reparación humana.

El amor fraternal se basa en la experiencia de que todos somos uno. Las diferencias en talento, inteligencia, conocimiento, son despreciables en comparación con la identidad de la esencia humana común a todos los hombres. Si percibo en otra persona nada más que lo superficial, percibo principalmente las diferencias, lo que nos separa. Si penetro hasta el núcleo, percibo nuestra identidad, el hecho de nuestra humanidad, la belleza de la vida que hay en cada uno de nosotros. El amor fraterno consiste en amar la vida que hay en la otra persona, en amar a todos los seres humanos.


EL AMOR EROTICO


El amor erótico es el anhelo de fusión completa, de unión con una única otra persona. Pero amar no es "enamorarse",. Enamorarse es algo fisiológico mientras que amar es espiritual. El efecto de enamorarse puede esfumarse víctima de la rutina cuando llegamos a conocer completamente a la otra persona y ya no hay nada nuevo que descubrir.

Si la experiencia de la otra persona fuera más profunda, si se pudiera experimentar la infinitud de su personalidad, nunca nos resultaría tan familiar y el milagro de salvar las barreras podría renovarse a diario. El deseo sexual, que es lo que nos lleva a "enamorarnos" puede ser estimulado por la angustia de la soledad, por el deseo de conquistar o de ser conquistado, por la vanidad, tanto como por el amor.

Parecería que cualquier emoción intensa, el amor entre otras, puede estimular y fundirse con el deseo sexual. Con facilidad se incurre en el error de creer que se ama cuando se desea físicamente. Si el deseo de unión física no está estimulado por el amor, si el amor erótico no es a la vez amor fraterno, jamás conduce a la unión salvo en un sentido orgiástico y transitorio. La atracción sexual crea, por un momento, la ilusión de la unión, pero, sin amor, tal "unión" deja a los desconocidos tan separados como antes.

El amor erótico es exclusivo, pero ama en la otra persona a toda la humanidad, a todo lo que vive. Es exclusivo sólo en el sentido de que puedo fundirme plena e intensamente con una sola persona. Amar a alguien no es meramente un sentimiento poderoso, es voluntad.

EL AMOR A UNO MISMO

Si es una vir­tud amar al prójimo como a uno mismo, debe serlo también -y no un vicio- que me ame a mí mismo, puesto que también yo soy un ser humano.

El amor a uno mismo está inseparablemente ligado al amor a cualquier otro ser, en todo indi­viduo capaz de amar a los demás se encontrará una actitud de amor a sí mismo. Solo si te amas a ti mismo, entonces eres capaz de valorar el milagro de la vida, percibes la belleza de lo vivo y, en consecuencia, amas a todos los demás como a ti mismo, amas la vida que hay en los demás, amas el hombre o la totalidad de la raza humana.


CONCLUSION Y OPINION PERSONAL

Este libro es uno de los libros más bonitos e interesantes que he leído hasta ahora. Estoy totalmente de acuerdo con el autor que el amor es el único puente que lleva a los Seres Humanos a la felicidad. El amor es también un poder activo e inherente que tiene la capacidad de hacer feliz al resto de gente.

Finalmente, a continuación tienes links the otros libros interesantes que he leído:

• Los Juegos del Hambre (Suzanne Collins)
• El Factor Humano (John Carlin)
• El Alquimista (Pablo Coelho)
• El Señor de los Anillos (J.R.R. Tolkien)
• El Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkien)
• La Catedral del Mar (Ildefonso Falcones)
• El Arte de Amar (Erich Fromm)
• Annoyomics (Risto Mejide)
• La Crisis Ninja (Leopoldo Abadía)
• La Sombra del Viento (Carlos Ruiz Zafón)
• El Agfano (Frederick Forsyth)
• El Ocho (Katherine Neville)
• El Fuego (Katherine Neville)
• El Código da Vinci (Dan Brown)
• Ángeles y Demonios (Dan Brown)
• La Ecuación Dante (Jane Jensen)
• Bienvenidos al Mundo Real (Sandro Rosell)
• El Médico (Noah Gordon)
• Los Pilares de la Tierra (Ken Follett)
• El Principito (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) 
• El Quijote (Miguel de Cervantes)
• Victus (Albert Sánchez Piñol)