Author Archives: johnkwhi

johnkwhi

About johnkwhi

John K. White is an Irish-Canadian physicist, writer, and educator. He is the editor of the energy news service E21NS and author of The Truth About Energy (Cambridge University Press, 2024) on the transition from fossil fuels to renewables, Do The Math! (Sage, 2013) on economics, statistics, and numeracy, and The House of Words (Tuttle House, 2013), a novel about the adventures of New York state Scrabble champ Suzy Quest and the search for her spy father. A former lecturer in the School of Physics, UCD Dublin, he has written for CounterPunch, various other publications, and blogs about his adventures in Spain in Caracolas.

Gijón: Paradise, you’re already there!

Posted on June 6, 2024 by johnkwhi

It’s been a while since my last Caracola, so I thought I’d put together a few basics for living and loving in the largest city in Asturias (pop. ~ 270,000) now that we are back in Spain and friends are … Continue reading →

Posted in Spain | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Bilbao: Modern Cathedral Town

Posted on August 26, 2015 by johnkwhi

Bilbao’s old cathedral is in the heart of its medieval pedestrian centre (Siete Calles or Seven Streets), mostly forgotten today amidst the bonhomie of pintxo bars, but fortunately there’s a new cathedral in town, the Guggenheim, a shiny titanium-clad museum … Continue reading →

Posted in Spain | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Adventures in Northern Spain – Part I: The Northwest (Asturias, Galicia, Porto, Zamora)

Posted on July 30, 2015 by johnkwhi

If you’re looking for a summer trip to knock your socks off, look no further than northern Spain – all the down-home charms of yesterday with all the modern conveniences of today. I recommend two, both by car starting and … Continue reading →

Posted in Spain | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

A Little Bit of Spain in Pictures

Posted on June 30, 2015 by johnkwhi

After almost 2 years and 50 caracolas, the semi-regular is becoming semi-irregular, and so it’s time for a Best Of. Like the Best of Bread or Frampton Comes Alive, hopefully the collection of greatest hits exceeds the originals, the proverbial … Continue reading →

Posted in Spain | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Pamplona – Not just bull runs and imagined worlds

Posted on May 31, 2015 by johnkwhi

A simple word association game with Pamplona likely brings up two – bulls and Hemingway. The running of the bulls (or encierro) is part of the Festival of San Fermín, held every July 6 to 14 in this historical capital … Continue reading →

Posted in Spain | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Paella Town – Fire and water in Valencia

Posted on April 8, 2015 by johnkwhi

Valencia is the third-largest city in Spain at almost 800,000 people, and one of the largest on the Mediterranean coast behind its Catalan cousin Barcelona. A country’s third-largest city usually has to try harder, but with the biggest old city … Continue reading →

Posted in Spain | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Science and Innovation in Spain: A wonderful work in progress

Posted on March 3, 2015 by johnkwhi

According to the just published Innovations Cities Forum, 8 Spanish cities are among the 445 most innovative in the world. Three Spanish cities made it to the top 100, including Barcelona (49), Bilbao (65), and Madrid (87). Surprisingly, the Asturian … Continue reading →

Posted in Spain | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Made in Spain: ArcelorMittal Steel

Posted on February 11, 2015 by johnkwhi

ArcelorMittal is the world’s largest steel making company in the world with almost 240,000 employees in 20 countries, including at six locations in Spain: Etxebarri, Lesaka, and Sestao in the Basque Country, Avilés and Gijón in Asturias, and Sagunto in … Continue reading →

Posted in Spain | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The best place to live in Spain!

Posted on January 22, 2015 by johnkwhi

I’ve been here a while, so I should know a few things by now. Hands down the best place to live in Spain is Asturias. Well, according to my list as weighted by my spreadsheet. Maybe your list as weighted … Continue reading →

Posted in Spain | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

The Canaries (Canarias)

Posted on December 18, 2014 by johnkwhi

At this time of the year, Spaniards like to go where it’s sunny. I know many people think Spain is sunny and warm all year round, but it’s just not so. In some places, it regularly gets to zero degrees … Continue reading →

Posted in Spain | Tagged | Leave a comment