Party: Ecotopia Biketour

Summer 2012: two and half month on the road, 120 people joined to peddle more than 3000 kilometer between Barcelona and Venezia and visited more than 40 different projects and campaigns related to Degrowth. Want to find out about what happened on the Biketour this summer? Want to meet with fellow bike-crazy people? Want to be reunited with people that you shared part of the journey of over 3000km? Want to find out about amazing degrowth projects on our trail from Barcelona to Venice? Want to join an evening of full-hearted celebrations? Come to the RAI in Barcelona next Friday…

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The biketour in food form

‘It fills my heart when people can just eat what they want to and there is still food left at the end’ – João Taborda 2012 Cycling up a hill towards Valli Unite this evening, just after my first ripe fig which I have been waiting for for months, I realised that it’s been a while since I wrote something and I thought that I would spend a little time collecting my biketour memories so far, using our encounters with a vast variety of foods of all shapes and sizes to help me. Apples – We woke up one morning…

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Ecotopia Biketour visits Biciclot

Video of the first saturday on our tour, when we visited Biciclot. thanks to Daniel Torrico and Xavier Guinot (por el video) and Pere Serrasolses for opening the workshop for us and a presentation on basic bike-mantainance. ECOTOPIA 2012 from daniel torrico.

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An introduction to Kan Pasqual

Kan Pascual was originally occupied by a group of students and young people who were occupying various places in the late 90’s. They were interested in primitivism and the zapatista movement, and they began living basic with wood fires. They use solar energy complimented by wind energy – a combination which serves them well. They have experimented with biogas from the manure of their neighbour’s horses. They could produce 2 hours of gas per day. however, they had trouble controlling the gas and have stopped for the moment. They use water from the well and rainwater from the roof of…

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An introduction to Can Masdeu

Can Masdeu is an abandoned leprosy hospital in a nature reserve on the outskirts of barcelona. Building and surrounding land was occupied in 2001 by a group of 7 people and slowly transformed into a social centre, allotments and a home. The building itself is owned by ‘hospital de la pau’ – a combination of public and private bodies including the council, the hospital and the church. They planned to make money from the building by turning it into luxury flats for the rich – not a popular plan amongst local people! In catalunya it is both a civil and…

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The biketour has finally started

The first people were meeting on friday, preparing the camp at Can Masdeu and later joined the biggest Critical Mass ever in Barcelona. On saturday more people arrived constantly. For about three hours, Biciclot offered us their workshop, tools, spare parts and knowledge in order to prepare our bicycles for the tour. Since there is a water shortage (it’s summer and it’s the mediterranean!) and the campsite didn’t gave us the possibility to shower, a short detour to the beach on the way back was a welcome refreshment. We attempted to form our first circle in the evening but ended…

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Celebrate the start of the biketour, 8th July at Can Masdeu 10.30h-19.00h

Come and meet Ecotopia Biketour, find out about Degrowth and help us celebrate the start of our 2,000km journey by bike from Barcelona to Venice, which leaves the next day! Ecotopia Biketour is an eco-mobile do-it-yourself activist community which cycles through Europe each summer. This year our journey takes us through Catalonia, the South of France and Northern Italy and our theme is degrowth, challenging the damaging mentality of growth which overlooks real social and environmental values. We will visit projects, collectives and people who are experimenting with alternatives to growth, learn from each other and live sustainably! And we…

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