Author: Alfredo Casuso

Cádiz, Cristóbal y Colón
— David Eugene Perry

9 de agosto de 2025: Hoy, Alfredo, sus padres y yo nos hemos dado un paseo tranquilo en coche desde Grazalema hasta Cádiz para comer con unos amigos. Son apenas hora y media de viaje, y sería menos si no fuera por esas carreteras de la Sierra, tan bonitas como retorcidas.

Protegido por el trío seco y pedregoso de Reloj, Simancón y Torreón, nuestro pueblo parece que está a años luz del mar. Pero en realidad “La Mar” está ahí mismo, a tiro de piedra, y a la vista de la montaña de los marineros, San Cristóbal. Ya os contaré más sobre eso.

Aparcamos y, nada más bajar del coche, me llegó mi olor favorito: ese aroma salino que siempre me recuerda a mis dos años trabajando a bordo de un barco. Es el perfume de la aventura. El olor de los descubrimientos antiguos.

En Cádiz, el presente siempre va de la mano del pasado: esta es la ciudad más antigua de Europa occidental que sigue habitada. Fenicios, romanos, visigodos y exploradores españoles miraron hacia poniente con la misma vista tentadora que tuve yo hoy: llamando, llamando, llamando.

Me viene a la cabeza que estos puertos cercanos fueron el punto de partida de cuatro viajes que cambiaron la historia. Un poco más al norte, Palos de la Frontera despidió a Colón en su primer viaje en 1492. Sanlúcar de Barrameda, no muy lejos, fue la salida tanto de su segundo viaje en 1493 como del tercero en 1498. Y aquí mismo, en Cádiz, zarpó el cuarto y último viaje en 1502… del que Colón ya no volvió, al menos no con vida.

Estando tan cerca de las playas donde se reunieron aquellas naves, casi puedo oír el crujir de las cuerdas, los gritos de los marineros, esa mezcla de emoción y respeto antes de lanzarse a lo desconocido.

Investigando sobre esta época me he metido de lleno en esas escenas: los carpinteros de ribera en Galicia, Moguer y Cantabria que construyeron las naos y carabelas; los capitanes y tripulantes; y el joven Juan Ponce de León, que se embarcó por primera vez hacia el Nuevo Mundo sin imaginar lo que le esperaba, como parte de la segunda —y mayor— expedición de Colón: 17 barcos y 1.500 hombres. Ese segundo viaje siempre me ha llamado mucho la atención. Es la razón de que tengamos café en América y pimientos en Europa; naranjas en Florida y patatas en Irlanda. Los estudiosos lo llaman “El Intercambio Colombino”.

El joven Juan es uno de los personajes de mi nuevo libro, Thorns of the 15 Roses. La novela se inspira en nuestra casa de verano, Grazalema, cuyo escudo oficial lleva los símbolos de su familia, en concreto de Rodrigo Ponce de León, a quien los Reyes Católicos le concedieron la zona por su ayuda en el último capítulo de la Reconquista: la caída de Granada. Alfredo y yo volveremos por allí en unas semanas: más material para el libro.

Para mí, venir aquí no es solo por curiosidad histórica: es el viento que empuja mi escritura, que llena las velas de personajes y tramas. Ya sea mezclando hechos con ficción o imaginando un nuevo capítulo para Adriano y Lee en Thorns of the 15 Roses, el lugar nunca es solo un telón de fondo. Es un protagonista más.

Miré el mar y pensé en todas las partidas desde estas costas: algunas con destino a la gloria, otras al olvido; todas formando parte de las mareas de la memoria que siguen bañando Cádiz. También imaginé a los marineros que volvían —incluido Ponce de León en 1514, muchos años después de marcharse en 1493— y que veían aparecer en el horizonte ibérico la montaña de San Cristóbal diciendo: “estoy en casa”.

En sitios así, pasado y presente se dan la mano a la orilla del mar, y siempre me voy con la inspiración a tope… y con unas ganas tremendas de volver a sentarme a escribir. Tengo mi propio viaje que contar.

Cádiz, Cristóbal and Colón
— David Eugene Perry

9 August 2025: Today, Alfredo, his parents, and I took a leisurely drive from Grazalema to Cádiz to have lunch with friends. It’s only a 90 minute trip and would be far less save for the torturously atmospheric roads of the Sierra. 

Guarded by the dry, rocky trio of Reloj, Simancòn and Torreón, our little town seems far from The Sea. In reality, “La Mar” is very close and in sight of the sailor’s mountain, San Cristóbal. More on that anon.

We parked and immediately I breathed in my favorite scent: that salty aroma never fails to take me back to my two years working aboard ship. It is the perfume of adventure. The ancient cologne of discovery. 

In Cádiz, the present is always touched by the past: this the oldest continuously inhabited city in western Europe. Phoenicians, Romans, Visigoths and Spanish explorers looked Westward with the same Siren’s view that I had today: calling, calling, calling.

I am reminded that these nearby ports were once the launching points of four odysseys that transformed humanity. Just up the coast, Palos de la Frontera sent Columbus on his first journey in 1492. Sanlúcar de Barrameda, not far from here, was the nativity for both his second voyage in 1493 and his third in 1498. And right here in Cádiz itself, the fourth and final — from which Columbus never returned, at least not alive — set sail in 1502.

Standing so close to the very shores where those vessels gathered, I can almost hear the creak of their rigging, the calls of the sailors, the hum of anticipation—and perhaps apprehension—before heading into the unknown. 

The research I’ve been doing into this period has brought me deep into those moments: the shipwrights in Galicia, Moguer, and Cantabria who built those naos and caravels; the commanders and crews; the young Juan Ponce de León, embarking on his first venture into the New World without yet knowing what history had in store for him as part of Columbus’ second — and largest — fleet: 17 ships and 1500 men. That second excursion has always fascinated me. It’s why we have coffee in the Americas and peppers in Europe; oranges in Florida and potatoes in Ireland. “The Columbian Exchange” academics call it. 

The young Juan is a character in my new book, Thorns of the 15 Roses. The novel is inspired by our summer home, Grazalema, whose official crest bears the emblems of his family, specifically Rodrigo Ponce de Leon, granted the region by the grateful royal couple Isabella and Ferdinand for his heroic assistance in the final chapter of the Reconquista: the fall of Granada. Alfredo and I will again be visiting there in a few weeks: more inspiration for the book.

For me, being here isn’t just a matter of historical curiosity—it’s the wind pushing forth my writing, filling the sails of character and plot. Whether I’m weaving fact into fiction or imagining a new chapter for Adriano and Lee in Thorns of the 15 Roses, the setting is never just backdrop. It’s a living participant in the story. 

I looked out over the waves and thought of all the departures from these shores: some bound for fame, others for obscurity; all part of the tides of memory that wash across Cádiz today. I also imagined the sailors returning— including Juan Ponce de Leon in 1514, so many years after setting off in 1493 — and seeing that mariner’s touchstone, the mountain of San Cristóbal, looming up on the Iberian horizon saying “estoy en casa.” I am home. 

In places like this, past and present meet at the water’s edge, and I always leave feeling inspired—and a little restless to get back to the page. I have my own voyage to write.

8:8:8: Beijing Olympics

The running of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Torch through our City on April 9, 2008 will live in San Francisco history as one of the most memorable live-TV experiences in many years. I personally was interviewed by more than two dozen media outlets, including foreign news and a one-on-one live interviews on CNN’s “The Situation Room” with Wolf Blitzer and various national/international TV / Radio outlets.  I would like to share with you a note I received from Robert Fasulo, Chief of International Relations for the U.S. Olympic Committee

— David Perry

Dear David, I’m sure our communications team will have already expressed our thanks and gratitude for your excellent work on the torch, but I just returned from the meetings of the National Olympic Committees in Beijing, where many Olympic leaders followed the developments of the torch on CNN, and I wanted to let you know how much your well-articulated statements on camera were appreciated.  Many Olympic officials approached me to congratulate us on the “city spokesperson” who spoke so well to CNN as the exciting events unfolded.  So I just wanted to say my own word of thanks for representing with such dignity and confidence the city and our country. 

In appreciation, Alfredo and were presented with an actual Olympic Torch: one of only a handful given in gratitude to members of the San Francisco team.

Daniel C. Berkowitz: March 24, 1959 — July 30, 2025

Daniel C. Berkowitz
March 24, 1959 — July 30, 2025

Daniel C. Berkowitz, a respected and beloved communications executive whose career spanned some of Silicon Valley’s most transformational decades, passed away on July 30, 2025. He died peacefully from a brain aneurysm secondary to a battle with sepsis at Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland, Oregon surrounded by loving family and friends. He was 66 years old.

Dan was born in New York City on March 24, 1959 and grew up in Willingboro, New Jersey. He graduated from Willingboro High School in 1977.  

A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in English Literature, Dan brought a storyteller’s instinct into every newsroom conversation, product launch, and PR war room. His ability to craft a compelling narrative was matched only by his talent for nurturing young professionals and giving them a chance—often their first—in a competitive industry.

Dan’s career in corporate communications and analyst relations saw him lead global strategies for some of the most dynamic companies in enterprise software and technology. Dan’s first big break was as Senior PR Manager at Gupta Technologies — later renamed Centura — (1989-1994). Following that, he served as Director of Corporate Communications at Oracle Corp. (1995–1999), Senior Director of Corporate Communications at Keynote Systems (1999–2014), and held leadership roles at AppDynamics, Instart Logic, and Mendix. At Mendix, Dan helped shape the company’s global narrative through its acquisition by Siemens and beyond.

Whether working with massive global corporations or nimble startups, Dan approached every project with passion and pragmatism. He believed in elevating understanding and appreciation for a company’s disruptive and transformative technology among stakeholders, the media, and the analyst community. His hands-on leadership, sharp wit, and unwavering integrity left a lasting impact on countless colleagues and friends.

Dan moved to San Francisco in September 1984, driving across country with his partner Danilo Eduardo Andrade. In the Bay Area, Dan quickly established himself as a media professional and a respected and proudly out member of the LGBT community. On April 20, 1994 Dan lost Danilo to AIDS. Living with HIV for many years himself, Dan became an outspoken advocate and contributed to numerous charities supporting the cause, including in 2012 biking from San Francisco to Los Angeles in the AIDS LifeCycle benefit ride: a commemoration in memory of Danilo’s passing 18 years previous, the number 18 — חי in Hebrew meaning “life” — of special significance in Judaism. Dan moved to Ashland, Oregon in 2018.

Dan was the son of the late Lawrence Berkowitz and the late Shirley Berkowitz.  He is survived by brother David, sister-in-law Laura, niece Abigail and nephew Benjamin, a host of beloved cousins and friends plus dozens of colleagues on both coasts and abroad.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the AIDS / HIV charity of one’s choice.

A celebration of Dan’s life will be held at Havurah Synagogue in Ashland, Oregon at 4pm (Pacific Time) August 6. 

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