While most European Union member states are flummoxed in trying to reach that 20% renewables goal by 2020, Spain is quietly a leader in the race.  The country aims to have 30% of its electricity needs met by renewables by the end of 2010.  Spain is only second behind Germany in sourcing wind energy, and is the leader in solar thermal technology.  Your first impression may be that such a policy is the result of a strong central government policy.  But since 1978, Madrid has granted many regions in the country wide autonomy, and while relations within Spain's borders are often tenuous, there is one encouraging result:  some of these autonomous regions have the highest usage of renewable energy sources in all of Europe.  One region is Navarre (in Spanish, Navarra; Basque, Nafarroa), located in the Basque region bordering France. (more...)

The country in Eastern Europe to which I'd move in a heartbeat is Slovenia.  I've never seen so many shades of green, and for a nation smaller than New Jersey, Slovenia offers much for the visitor:  countless hiking opportunities, enchanting lakes such as Bled, a slice of the Adriatic coastline, and once you learn how to pronounce it, Ljubljana, its capital, is a charming city full of Baroque and Art Nouveau architecture. 

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I'm a huge fan of Ingmar Bergman.  How could you not be smitten by his searing examinations of the human psyche?  His films' direction, often featuring one of his favorite actresses, Liv Ullmann, are a must for any film fanatic.  One of my favorite Bergman projects was his epic Scenes of a Marriage, where Bergman paired Ullmann with Erland Josephson.  The 300 minute mini-series follows the fragile relationship between Johan and Marianne, beginning with a painful magazine interview, the highs and lows of their marriage, eventual divorce, and in the end, a tentative reconciliation.  What has stayed with me, however, were the assuring ending scenes showcasing Fårö, a small Swedish island in the Baltic Sea. (more...)