A few days ago I got an email from a journalist at The Guardian, as they´ve found somehow my postings on La Casona in Casco Viejo. It was quite exciting, this is my first collaboration with international press! Here is the article:

Casco Viejo will host a very special event in September. The United Nation´s agency for the Environment (known in Spanish as PNUMA) will present an art festival featuring artists from different disciplines, from poetry to street painting. Check out the event calendar here!

Travel like a local with The Guardian. Surfing the web as I usually do, I found this article on Panama´s nightlife at The Guardian, featuring Casco Viejo. And not only Casco Viejo, but my favorite spots: Baños Publicos and La Casona! Check it out here!

Multiple websites and adds mention Panama as Paradise. Is it really? what about Casco Viejo?

Flash news: Puertas al Mundo or Doors to the World is an art show featuring cuban artists. It inaugurates August 8th at Plaza Francia and will be there until August 20th.

Last Saturday a nice article came out about Casco Viejo (which in Panama is known as San Felipe, Catedral, la Ciudad... so many names!). I looked for it in the electronic version of La Prensa, but couldn´t find it. So here is my translation and the original piece scanned at the bottom. It talks about speculation, restoration, patrimony (human and architectural) and what has been done in the past 10 years.

La Casona has a new home! wonderful (and huge) Citi Bank, just at the corner of Plaza Herrera. Welcome!

While everybody is excited today about Beijing´s dramatic opening for the Olimpics (which, by the way, where simply amazing! wao), another bright sun shined this morning over the newspaper as they announced

Panama, Casco Viejo
Casco Antiguo, Plaza Herrera

The oldest inside joke in Casco Viejo is that it isn´t a colonial city at all. As a matter of fact,

For the last two years, La Casona de las Brujas has been the center of the Panamanian bohemian scene. The space located at the old Maria Imaculada School near Plaza Herrera served as art gallery, concert hall, disco, art school for local children and just the favorite afterhours neighborhood hang out.

Panama´s National Theatre was literally born with the Republic. The need to build it was at the first Gacetas Oficiales in 1903 - 1904 along with main stuff like a Presidential Palace and public bathrooms. It was the heart of social life and culture. Today, we celebrate its 100 year anniversary with a bit of history and wonderful events in August and October.

We received a flash note from Quintessentially announcing the next "Silent Auction" of Fundacion San Felipe. This year, it will be held at the Marriott hotel, and all proceeds will go to their various programs ranging from art to photography for kids.

The best of the Casco Viejo and the French Expats gathered yesterday to celebrate France´s most important holiday. The party was at Plaza Francia (of course!). Check out photos of the celebration, along with historic photos as far as 1923 of other celebrations, including the inauguration itself of Plaza de Francia.

It isn´t summer, but somehow Casco Viejo hasn´t slowed down too much regarding cultural events. August 8th will have a special presentation of a German Jazz Duet where all profits will go to social work in Darien. July still gets a Contemporary Dance Encounter and an Art Auction from the Museum of Contemporary Art at Casa Cor. Learn when and who to contact here!

This is not "body painting", claims the artist Ramon Almanza. Throughout my work I always ended up representing the female form and at some point I thought, it would be great to transfer my vision directly to a female body! Today, at Casa Gongora, his art show will feature...

Flash news! new music festival. This one blending art and fashion. Also, don´t forget to visit the Central America Photo Bienale at Las Bovedas.

Passionate, skillful and thoughful. Samantha, our Casco Viejo female surf champion fired up in Cambutal last weekend at Cambutal and took home a very good prize. She has become a national pride and a local roll model.

Often your best memories of places where you have been are actually from people you have met. In Casco Antiguo we are lucky to still have with us "antique" residents that are very much part of the different textures of this neighborhood. Miss Daisy is one of them...

I had a literature teacher that used to say: taking out the obvious great masters, at the end of the day, the line between art and non art these days is very fine. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There used to be a clear difference between folk, handcraft and art. Today, it is all fusion, pieces dancing from one concept to the other, depending on the latest critic review. However, she said, don´t be ashamed if you feel confused. Think about this: if YOU enjoy it, it is art to you. And if the artist brings love to its work, then it is in it´s purest form.

Sometimes the world´s problems overwhealm you: politicians are doing their best to make your life worst, news of contamination, low education in the new generations, Dooms Day. But sometimes we are reminded that we do have the power to change things around. We actually excersice that power every day... That is one of the many things I like about Casco Viejo. Small projects have a huge impact... check this out and get inspired.

A wonderful vacation on Europe gave me a refreshing view of what life and lifestyle is in the old continent. There is so much to learn! Starting to get my thoughts organized...

A wonderful vacation on Europe gave me a refreshing view of what life and lifestyle is in the old continent. There is so much to learn! Starting to get my thoughts organized...

There are advantages to living in Casco Viejo when a major event is being held there...

As many times as I have walked the Calles of Casco Antiguo, the un-restored buildings in their dilapidated condition are endlessly fascinating...

All over Panama City, the one thing that is rarely missing on the streets where there is parking is a bien cuidao...

At the foot of Casco Viejo is a beautiful pocket park called "Baluarte de las Mojas"

This might be Friday the Thirteenth, but it not to worry, there is far too much excitement in Casco Viejo...

One of these days, the headline in La Prensa might read, “Tram Service in Casco Antiguo Returns”.

For those of you who might like to keep up with Panama news ...

When Patrizia and Casey planned their recent wedding ceremony...

Most buildings are transformed in Casco Antiguo after two or more years...

The advantage of living in Casco Viejo is the variety of small shops within a couple of blocks of my home in Casco Viejo.

Casco Viejo, the jewel of Panama is also a UNESCO Heritage Trust site.