#Fort Point National Historic Site

[rabbitcruiser]

Fort Point National Historic Site was dedicated as a national historic site on April 14, 1971.    

[wutheringheightsfilm]

How do we support Cubans and their resistance to western imperialism

I'm so glad you asked anon! A great way to start is to by actually listening to Cubans and their own stories and news. There are some really good organizations and accounts on Instagram (and many of them have their own publications outside of Instagram, so if you don't have the app, you can still follow what's going on)

Here are the ones I recommend:

@ bellyofthebeastcuba < news outlet that focuses on cuba

@ nationalnetworkoncuba < this is a coalition of many different orgs that are actively working to get the US gov to lift the blockade, etc; they post a lot of actionable things you can do to get involved physically, as well as opportunities for stuff like webinars! here is their website.

@ ratbcuba < this is a british org dedicated to solidarity with cuba

@ caribbeansolidaritynetwork < not strictly cuba oriented, but a network committed to the liberation of all of the caribbean! they also have events like study circles (and you can access their readings online if you can't go in person)

@ ghpartners < this is a nonprofit actively working to get donations in order to send medical supplies to cuba, right now they are working on delivering pacemakers to the island! here is their website.

Other than that, I really, really encourage you to start learning as much as you can on Cuban history and the history of their resistance, as well as their history of working alongside other resistance movements. Cuba worked in solidarity with the Black Panthers, with numerous African countries fighting for their own liberation, with Vietnam, and even more. National Network on Cuba has a really good political education page where you can start that includes a book list and articles list, as well as youtube videos of documentaries. This is a Google drive from NNOC that introduces the concept and history of Guantanamo Bay. There's going to be an Afro-Cuban reading list released on the NNOC site soon, so definitely check back for it.

This is a timeline of the Embargo to help you get introduced to that. This is an article about Afro-Cuban resistance fighters during the revolution. This is an article that discusses the atrocities committed by the Batista regime.

Before you read any of Fidel Castro's work (particularly his famous speech, History Will Absolve Me), read this page first on the history of the attack on the Moncada Fort on July 26, 1953, a year after Batista’s US backed coup d’état. It gives the historical context necessary to read Castro's History Will Absolve Me speech.

This is a PDF of some of Che Guevara's speeches in a collection called Che Guevara Talks to Young People. While the Introduction insists this is not "Che Guevara for beginners" I still think it's a good jumping off point. Here is an interview with Assata Shakur talking about her experiences in Cuba.

I hope this list helps, and of course, it's not exhaustive. I just hope I gave a good enough foundation for anyone who wants to start learning!

[southeastasianists]

Singapore’s prosperity has long set it apart from many other former British colonies. There is another difference, too: Singapore has clung to honouring its former colonial ruler — and it wants to keep doing so.

Special accolade has gone to Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, who is considered to have founded modern Singapore in the early 1800s. For decades, Singapore’s textbooks credited Raffles with transforming the island from a “sleepy fishing village” into a thriving seaport. He has been the central character in a larger official narrative that says imperial Britain had set up Singapore for success as an independent nation.

Dedications to Raffles dot the landscape of Singapore. A business district, schools and dozens of other buildings bear his name. Two 2.5-metre likenesses of the man loom large in downtown Singapore.

But a new statue of Raffles, installed in a park in May, has revived a debate about the legacy of colonialism in Singapore. On one side is the broader establishment, which has held up British colonial rule positively. On the other are those who want a closer inspection of the empire that Raffles represented and the racial inequity he left behind, even as Singapore became wealthy.

This divide has surfaced before, perhaps most prominently a few years ago when Singapore celebrated the bicentennial of Raffles’ arrival on the island. Now, the new statue has set off a fresh debate, with critics pointing out that other countries have for years been taking down monuments to historical figures associated with slavery or imperialism, or both.

“The thing about Raffles is that, unfortunately I think, it has been delivered as a hagiography rather than just history,” said Alfian Sa’at, a playwright who wants to see the Raffles statues destroyed. “It’s so strange — the idea that one would defend colonial practice. It goes against the grain on what’s happening in many parts of the world.”

The new statue of Raffles stands next to one of his friend Nathaniel Wallich, a Danish botanist, at Fort Canning Park. Tan Kee Wee, an economist who pooled $330,000 with his siblings to commission the statues, said he wanted to commemorate the pair’s role in founding Singapore’s first botanic gardens, which were his frequent childhood haunt. He donated the sculptures in his parents’ name to the National Parks Board.

Opponents have also criticised the government for allowing the statue to go up at the park because it was the site of the tomb of precolonial Malay kings. The parks board said it considered historical relevance in the installation of the sculptures.

Questions about the statue have even been raised in Singapore’s parliament. In June, Desmond Lee, the minister for national development, responded to one by saying that Singapore did not glorify its colonial history. At the same time, Lee added, “We need not be afraid of the past.”

The plaque for the Raffles statue explains how Singapore’s first botanic gardens “cultivated plants of economic importance, particularly spices”. That, critics said, was a euphemism for their actual purpose: cash crops for the British Empire.

Tan defended the legacy of British colonialists in Singapore, saying they “didn’t come and kill Singaporeans”.

He added: “Singapore was treated well by the British. So why all this bitterness?”

Far from benign

But colonial Britain was far from benign. For instance, it treated nonwhite residents of Singapore as second-class citizens. Raffles created a town plan for Singapore that segregated people into different racial enclaves. And he did not interact with the locals, said Kwa Chong Guan, a historian.

“He was very much a corporate company man, just concerned with what he assumed to be the English East India Co’s interests,” Kwa said.

Raffles landed in Singapore in 1819 as Britain was looking to compete with the Dutch in the Malacca Strait, a crucial waterway to China. At the time, Singapore was under the sway of the kingdom of Johor in present-day Malaysia. Raffles exploited a succession dispute in Johor to secure a treaty that allowed the East India Company to set up a trading post in Singapore.

Within a handful of years, Singapore was officially a British territory. Convict labour, largely from the Indian subcontinent, was crucial to its economic development. So, too, were Chinese immigrants, which included wealthy traders and poor labourers.

Singapore achieved self-governance in 1959, then briefly joined Malaysia before becoming an independent republic in 1965. It has since built one of the world’s most open economies and among its busiest ports, as well as a bustling regional financial hub.

In recent years, the government has acknowledged, in small ways, the need to expand the narrative of Singapore’s founding beyond Raffles. Its textbooks now reflect that the island was a thriving centre of regional trade for hundreds of years before Raffles arrived.

In 2019, officials cast the commemoration of Raffles’ arrival as also a celebration of others who built Singapore. A Raffles statue was painted over as if to disappear into the backdrop. Placed next to it, though only for the duration of the event, were four other sculptures of early settlers, including that of Sang Nila Utama, a Malay prince who founded what was called Singapura in 1299.

To some historians and intellectuals, such gestures are merely symbolic and ignore the reckoning Singapore needs to have with its colonial past. British rule introduced racist stereotypes about nonwhites, such as that of the “lazy” Malay, an Indigenous group in Singapore, that has had a lasting effect on public attitudes. Colonialism led to racial divisions that, in many ways, persist to this day in the city-state that is now dominated by ethnic Chinese.

“If you only focus on one man and the so-called benevolent aspect of colonialism, and you don’t try to associate or think about the negative part too much, isn’t that a kind of blindness, or deliberate amnesia?” said Sai Siew Min, an independent historian. (Story continues below)

Role of race

Race relations played a role in Raffles’ ascension in Singaporean lore. Soon after Singapore became independent, the governing People’s Action Party — which remains in power decades later — decided to officially declare Raffles the founder of Singapore. Years later, S Rajaratnam, who was then the foreign minister, said that anointing a Malay, Chinese or Indian as its founder would have been fraught.

“So we put up an Englishman — a neutral, so there will be no dissension,” Rajaratnam said.

The decision was also meant to indicate that Singapore remained open to the West and free markets.

In a 1983 speech, Rajaratnam acknowledged that Raffles’ attitude toward the “nonwhite races was that without British overlordship the natives would not amount to much”.

Critics of the Raffles statues also argue that his legacy should reflect his time on the island of Java. Although Raffles outlawed slavery in Singapore, he allowed trading of slaves in Java, including children as young as 13, according to Tim Hannigan, who wrote a book about Raffles.

The new statues of Raffles and Wallich were created by Andrew Lacey, a British artist. The sculptures evoke the two men as apparitions — symbolism that Lacey said represented the world’s evolution away from the West.

Lacey said he had “wrangled” with the public reaction toward his sculptures and he had no qualms if Singaporeans wanted to take them down, destroy them or replace their heads with the Malay gardeners who were instrumental in creating the botanic gardens.

“I was cognisant of the complexities of making any dead white male,” he said of Raffles. “I wasn’t cognisant of the degree of complexity around him.”

[ltwilliammowett]

Lighthouse Keeper chest ?, 19th century

Painted with view of Gurnet Twin Lighthouses. Plymouth Light Station, also known as Gurnet Light, was first established on a high bluff at the end of Gurnet Point in 1768. Plymouth served as one of the major ports of colonial America. Increased shipping traffic necessitated a navigational aid to guide mariners in and out of Plymouth Harbor and further promote trade. The original structure resembled a house with a lantern room at each end of the roof. After a fire destroyed the first light station in 1801, a new pair of wooden towers was constructed by 1803.

In 1842 the crumbling towers were replaced with two white octagonal pyramidal towers. The north light was 110 feet above sea level, and the south tower 102 feet. However, the lights were too close together and often were seen as a merged single beam of light. 1871 a fourth-order fresnel lens was installed, greatly increasing the strength of the lights. And in 1914 the Cape Cod Canal opened, giving new importance to the Gurnet as a navigational aid. The Bureau of Lighthouses discontinued one of the twin lights in 1924 as it phased out multiple lights. The remaining light still stands.

On March 8, 1977, the Plymouth Light Station was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1998 the Coast Guard moved the lighthouse back from the eroding 45-foot cliff. It was standing only 50 feet from the edge when it was placed on rollers and moved by tracks 140 feet from its previous site. It now sits on the property of Fort Andrew at Gurnet Point. And in 1999 the Coast Guard gave Project Gurnet & Bug Lights, Inc. the first of many 5-year licenses allowing us to restore, preserve, and maintain Gurnet Light.

[gracehosborn]

What's the itinerary? 👀

Hi, Anon! Happy to share.

My dream American Revolution trip itinerary, just including my must-sees, and a rough idea of transportation (still working on food stops and slipping in other points of interest):

Day 1:

Early morning flight to Boston, MA

Stay in Boston for 3 nights, 4 days

Rental car for Day 2 and 3

Boston Massacre Site

Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum

Bunker Hill Museum and Monument

Old North Church & Historic Site

Day 2:

Paul Revere House

Lexington Battle Green Tour, Lexington MA

Drive from Boston

Old North Bridge, Concord MA

Drive from Lexington

Day 3:

Adams National Historic Park, Quincy MA

Drive from Boston

General Nathaniel Greene Homestead, Coventry RI

Drive from Adams NHP

Day 4:

Early morning train/bus to Albany, NY

Stay in Albany 2 nights, 3 days

Rental car for Day 4 and 5

Saratoga National Historical Park, Stillwater NY

Drive from Albany

Fort Ticonderoga, Ticonderoga NY

Drive from Saratoga NHP

Day 5:

Schuyler Mansion tour

Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site, Newbrugh NY

Drive from Albany

John Jay Homestead, Katonah NY

Drive from Washington Headquarters Newbrugh

Day 6:

Early morning train from Albany to New York City, NY

Stay in New York City for 4 nights, 5 days

Hamilton Grange National Memorial

Morris-Jumel Mansion

Day 7:

City Hall Park

Federal Hall

Fraunces Tavern Museum

Trinity Church & Cemetary

Day 8:

Museum of the City of New York

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Day 9:

Van Cortlandt House Museum

Central Park

New York Historical Society Museum & Library

Weehawken Dueling Grounds/Hamilton Park, Weehawken, NJ

Take ferry to and from

Day 10:

Train/bus to Princeton, NJ

Stay in Princeton 2 nights, 3 days

Rental car for Day 11

Princeton Battlefield State Park

Day 11:

Monmouth Battlefield State Park, Manalapan, NJ

Drive from Princeton

Morristown National Historical Park, Morristown NJ (Includes: Ford Mansion/Washington’s Headquarters, Schuyler-Hamilton House, Jockey Hollow)

Drive from Monmouth Battlefield Park

Day 12:

Early train/bus to Trenton, NJ

Old Barracks Museum

Washington Crossing Park, Washington Crossing, PA

Train/bus from Trenton

Train/Bus from Washington Crossing to Philadelphia PA

Stay in Philadelphia 3 nights, 4 days

Rental car for Day 15 and 16

Day 13:

Independence Hall

Liberty Bell Center

First Bank of the United States

Carpenter’s Hall

Day 14:

Museum of the American Revolution

Elfreth’s Alley Museum

Day 15:

Valley Forge National Historical Park

Drive from Philadelphia

Moland House (Washington Headquarters), Warwick Township PA

Drive from Valley Forge NHP

Peter Wentz Farmstead (Washington Headquarters), Lansdale PA

Drive from Moland House

Day 16:

Cliveden of the National Trust (Chew House)

Drive from Philadelphia

Brandywine Battlefield (park), Chadds Ford PA

Drive from Cliveden

Afternoon or evening train from Philadelphia to Alexandria, VA

Stay in Alexandria for 2 nights, 3 days

Rental car for Day 18

Day 17:

George Washington’s Mount Vernon

Train/bus from Alexandria, VA

National Archives Museum, Washington DC

Train/bus from Alexandria, VA

Day 18:

James Madison’s Montpelier, Montpelier Station, VA

Drive from Alexandria, VA

Evening train from Alexandria to Williamsburg, VA

Stay in Williamsburg 2 nights

Day 19:

Colonial Williamsburg

Day 20:

Yorktown Battlefield

American Revolution Museum at Yorktown

Train/bus/taxi from Williamsburg

Day 21:

Fly from Williamsburg to Charleston, SC

Stay in Charleston for 4 nights, 5 days

Rental car for Days 22-24

South Carolina Historical Society Museum

Day 22:

Savannah History Museum, Savannah GA

Battlefield Park Heritage Center, Savannah GA

Drive from Charleston

Day 23:

Cowpens National Battlefield, Cowpens SC

Drive from Charleston

Eutaw Springs Battlefield Park, Eutawville SC

Drive from Cowpens

Day 24:

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens

Mempkin Abbey (site of Laurens family graves)

Day 25:

Fly home from Charleston SC

[wachinyeya]

https://ictnews.org/news/biden-designates-avi-kwa-ame-a-national-monument

Joe Biden designates Avi Kwa Ame a national monument

President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday Avi Kwa Ame as a national monument in Nevada, following up on a promise he made in late 2022.

Biden also declared a national monument in Texas and the creation of a marine sanctuary in U.S. waters near the Pacific Remote Islands southwest of Hawai'i.

Biden spoke at the White House Conservation in Action Summit at the Interior Department with Fort Mojave Indian Tribal Chairman Timothy Williams commending him during his introduction.

“Under his leadership we have a seat at the table and we are seeing an unprecedented era and opportunity for our tribal communities,” Williams said. “And we are all grateful to the president for taking historic action to combat the climate crisis and conserve and restore our nation’s land and waters.”

Williams was among the proponents to make Avi Kwa Ame, also known as Spirit Mountain, a national monument. It’s considered sacred to the Mojave people and for the nine other Yuman-speaking tribes along the Colorado River, as well as the Hopi and Chemehuevi Paiute tribes, Williams said.

The site in southern Nevada spans more than 500,000 acres near the Arizona and California state lines. It’s home to bighorn sheep, desert tortoises and a large concentration of Joshua trees, some of which are more than 900 years old. It’s also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

It took more than three months for Biden to make the announcement.

“It’s a place of reverence, it’s a place of spirituality, it’s a place of healing and now it will be recognized for its significance it holds and be preserved forever,” Biden said. “I look forward to visiting it myself.”

He thanked Williams and the legislative leaders who advocated for Avi Kwa Ame including Nevada Rep. Dina Titus, Democrat, who sponsored a bill to protect the rugged region near the Mojave National Preserve from development, including solar farms and a proposed wind farm.

“To the native people who point to Avi Kwa Ame as their spiritual birthplace, and every Nevadan who knows the value of our cherished public lands: Today is for you,″ Titus tweeted.

The Honor Avi Kwa Ame coalition, which includes tribes, local residents, state lawmakers and conservation groups, said its members were "overjoyed" to learn the site will be a new national monument.

"Together, we will honor Avi Kwa Ame today — from its rich Indigenous history, to its vast and diverse plant and wildlife, to the outdoor recreation opportunities created for local cities and towns in southern Nevada by a new gorgeous monument right in their backyard," the group said.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland released a press release praising the announcement.

“I am grateful to President Biden for taking this important step in recognition of the decades of advocacy from tribes and the scientific community, who are eager to protect the objects within its boundaries,” Haaland stated.“Together with tribal leaders, outdoor enthusiasts, local elected officials, and other stakeholders, we will manage this new monument for the benefit of current and future generations.”

In Texas, Biden plans to create the Castner Range National Monument in El Paso. It’s the ancestral homeland of the Comanche and Apache people, and its cultural ecology is considered sacred to several Indigenous communities.

The designation will protect the cultural, scientific and historic objects found within the monument's boundaries, honor U.S. veterans, service members and tribal nations, and expand access to outdoor recreation on public lands, the White House said.

Located on Fort Bliss, Castner Range served as a training and testing site for the U.S. Army during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The Army ceased training at the site and closed Castner Range in 1966.

The Castner Range monument "will preserve fragile lands already surrounded on three sides by development,'' help ensure access to clean water and protect rare and endangered species, said Rep. Veronica Escobar, Democrat-Texas.

“The people of El Paso have fought to protect this for 50 years. Their work has finally paid off,” Biden said.

Biden designated his first national monument, in Colorado, last year. In 2021, he restored the boundaries for Bears Ears National Monument in Utah after they were significantly narrowed by President Donald Trump, a Republican.

In the Pacific, Biden will direct the Commerce Department to consider initiating a new national marine sanctuary designation within 30 days to protect all U.S. waters around the Pacific Remote Islands. If completed, the 777,000 square miles, southwest of Hawaii, will help ensure the U.S. reaches Biden's goal to conserve at least 30 percent of ocean waters under U.S. jurisdiction by 2030, the White House said.

Among Hawaiian state leaders, Biden thanked Native Hawaiian leaders who “worked tirelessly to protect our oceans. I want to thank you. I genuinely mean it, it wouldn't have happened without you.”

Biden also announced a series of steps to conserve, restore and expand access to public lands and waters across the country, the White House said.

The proposals seek to modernize management of America's public lands, harness the power of the ocean to help fight climate change, and better conserve wildlife corridors. Biden also will announce new spending to improve access to outdoor recreation, promote tribal conservation and reduce wildfire risk.

Bidden added he’s committed to working with tribal leaders and legislative leaders on bringing “healthy and abundant” salmon run back to the Colorado River system.

“There’s nothing beyond our capacity if we work together,” Biden said.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

John Linton Palmer, Views near Fort Victoria, June–July 1851, pen and ink, From Chile to the Arctic Album, F030/4 © RGS-IBG.

First plate, top: Esquimalt harbour, with Constance Cove, and Mt Angeles in the distance.

First plate, below: ‘Entrance to Victoria Fort’.

Second plate, above: ‘Fort Victoria, Vancouver I.’.

Second plate, below: ‘From landing place at Victoria Fort’ [original caption].

Third plate: Sketches of people and artefacts, Vancouver Island, June–July 1851. Fourth plate: Tomb of King Freezy’s brother at the entrance of Victoria Inlet, B. Columbia, 1851′.

"In considering such archival images as traces of encounter, contemporary historians would of course seek to adduce more evidence about the meanings of such events for the participants, in this case both British and Hawaiian, situating these events in their time and place. From this perspective, the rituals of diplomacy, the expectations of the various parties, the knowing and unknowing ways in which these events were described, would all need to be investigated. The same is true of the many other examples of the art of encounter in Linton Palmer’s albums. From an art historical perspective, such imagery would also need to be carefully contextualized with reference to matters of style, genre and perspective. In many cases, as I have argued, the influence of the naval tradition of maritime view-making is clear. However, there is another way of seeing these visual archives, especially when encountered from a heritage perspective, in which the informational content – the documentary detail – may matter even more than the point of view.

In order to substantiate this final point, we should return to Linton Palmer’s Fort Victoria sketches. Fleeting views they may have been, but in their attention to detail – whether the rendering of the hair and adornments of the people he encountered, or the material evidence of Indigenous presence in the landscape – such pencil sketches by naval visitors sometimes record what other contemporary documents do not, and in ways that can be located precisely in space and time. The matt lodges around the Fort, the cedar plank houses across the harbour, a fishing station in the distance: all these features signal an active Indigenous presence at a particular moment preceding a disastrous era in the history of the Indigenous people of what became British Columbia. Since they were first made available to First Nations historians following their exhibition in a 2009 RGS-IBG exhibition (Hidden Histories of Exploration), Linton Palmer’s images have entered the visual archive of Indigenous history and made more widely available in digital form. In particular, they have been incorporated into understandings of local settlement history by Grant Keddie, a curator at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria. As Keddie’s work indicates, there is an ‘archaeological’ way of reading such documents, cross-referencing with other sources of evidence about the precise geography and chronology of landscape change. As is clear from the contemporary significance of the Indigenous sites sketched by Linton Palmer, such work is far from merely of academic interest. In 2001, 150 years after the brief visit of HMS Portland to Fort Victoria, a claim was filed in Canadian courts asserting that the land on which the Parliament of British Columbia was built (near the original Fort) had originally been occupied by or promised to First Nations peoples. After a long and contested legal process, the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation eventually reached an out of court settlement with the representatives of the Esquimalt and Songhees nations, which has been valued at $31.5 million dollars. In this context, mapping the precise geography of Indigenous settlement in space and time mattered a great deal: in fact it truly was the multi-million dollar question. And in the process, as researchers and consultants pored over long forgotten maps and drawings not unlike Linton Palmer’s sketches, the visual archive of travel acquired a new value." - Felix Driver, "Material memories of travel: the albums of a Victorian naval surgeon." Journal of Historical Geography 69 (2020): 53-54

[regisafoster]

Port Jervis, New York - A Historic Canal and Railroad Transport Hub

With roots as a pre-automobile transportation hub, Port Jervis, New York, is a historic burgh with a history of colonial settlement extending to the 1690s. Northeast of New York City, it’s situated amidst the fertile valleys of the Delaware and Neversink River systems. The valleys mark the boundary between the Appalachian Plateau and Shawangunk Mountains, and hundreds of miles of state and nationally-managed recreational lands surround it.

Initially known as Carpenter’s Point, Port Jervis was a landing point for timber raftsmen who plied the upper Delaware River. It was also a stop on the Old Mine Road, the country’s first 100-mile road (now United States Route 209), which took travelers south from Kingston.

Carpenter’s Point was incorporated into Deerpark in 1798. The locale was named Port Jervis in 1827, and it officially became a port of the Delaware River and Hudson Canal in 1828. As a repair point and boat basin, it formed an essential station on a 171-mile-long transportation network that brought anthracite coal from Pennsylvania’s northeastern mountains to New England and New York City. The name was in honor of the Hudson Canal’s chief engineer, John B. Jervis, from Rome, New York.

In 1847, Port Jervis became a hub for railroad operations and grew to house a main engine terminal facility while serving as the Delaware Division of the Erie Railroad’s headquarters. This property included the railroad’s primary maintenance and yard facilities.

Port Jervis officially became a village in 1853 and ultimately incorporated as a city in 1907. In the late 19th century, several glass factories began business, and an influx of employees producing glassware, silk, gloves, shorts, mittens, and saws moved in. The railroad yards and light manufacturing shops were a major part of the local economy through the 1960s.

Today, tourism is the mainstay of Port Jervis, with historic Front Street featuring eateries, a bookshop, antique shops, and other small businesses. The well-marked Delaware River Heritage Trail provides a walking tour of various gardens, historical structures, and an exceptional view of the Delaware River.

Among the well-preserved sites worth exploring is Fort Decker, a stone house on West Main Street that was initially constructed in 1760 and burnt by Joseph Brant alongside Native American allies in a 1779 raid during the Revolutionary War. Serving as the Minisink Valley Historical Society museum, Martinus Decker rebuilt the house in 1793 and used it as a tavern and hotel during the years of the Delaware and Hudson Canal construction. Indeed, John B. Jervis stayed at the location while engineering the canal.

Another historic remnant is the Port Jervis turntable, which comprises a circular area with a 115-foot diameter and a bridge. Able to carry a weight of more than 440 tons or a locomotive loaded with coal and water, the turntable is the largest that still operates nationwide.

Befitting its status as a scenic tourist destination, Port Jervis offers several popular events each year, including the Fall Foliage Festival, for which volunteers place 50 corn stalks on light poles decorating Pike and Front Streets. There are also popular holiday events such as the Downtown Spooktacular and the Chriskindlmarkt, with the latter featuring horse and carriage rides and traditional juggling as entertainment.

[grandmaster-anne]

Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence: The difference for me, personally, was I was determined to stay in the Navy and I was able to do that. That gave me a career in addition to supporting my wife for many years.

By Robert Hardman | Published 17 August 2019

There has always been an other-worldly quality to Tintagel Castle, the mighty fortress of Arthurian legend which straddles its clifftop ravine on the North Cornish coast.

Last Sunday, the two sides were reunited for the first time in centuries thanks to a new £5million bridge straight out of a fantasy novel. 

It was in Tudor times that the narrow strip of land which once connected the mainland part of 'King Arthur's Castle' to its island citadel fell into the sea.

Since then, any visitors have been forced to scale 148 steps cut in to the rock. For the old and infirm, it was out of the question.

Now, though, Tintagel is reunited — much to the relief of the locals. Up to a quarter of a million tourists each year are now expected to use this 21st century drawbridge — as I have just done. 

With a gentle bounce underfoot and an alarming gap in the middle, it is an exhilarating experience.

But this crossing also heralds an important new era for many of this country's greatest historic treasures. And supervising it all is the Queen's son-in-law.

Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, husband of the Princess Royal, is one of the most low-profile members of the Royal Family but, as chairman of English Heritage, he is in charge of some of the most famous structures in the world.

He is the chief custodian of more than 400 hallowed national sites — ranging from Stonehenge and the Battlefield of Hastings to Shropshire's Iron Bridge and Osborne House — not to mention all those blue plaques on the homes of bygone greats.

On his watch, the whole lot has been turned into a new charity. And it has never attempted anything quite like the new bridge to 'King Arthur's Castle'.

So, ahead of the opening, I sat down for a rare and wide-ranging interview with the boss to discuss a range of issues, from government subsidies and HS2 to marrying in to the Royal Family, the prospects of a new Royal Yacht ('not now') and the pain of losing friends on active service.

What is instantly clear is that Sir Tim is much more than a figurehead. 'We're very ambitious. 

We want to do things that are a bit spectacular,' he tells me as we study the plans for Tintagel. 'This is a leap. The whole point about it is accessibility.'

He recalls his first visit to Tintagel, negotiating the cliff in deep winter. 'I first went down on a wet January day and I think it's one of the most dangerous things I've ever done climbing down those steps!'

People had been mulling over the idea of a bridge for years, to no avail, until Sir Tim's arrival. 

He got in touch with his friends Julia and Hans Rausing, members of the Swedish Tetra Pak clan, though he is modest about his part.

'I know the Rausing family and made an initial contact,' he says. The family trust made a generous grant of £2.5 million, the largest in the organisation's history. What had been a nebulous idea could suddenly take shape.

One might expect to find a risk-averse, steady-as-she-goes approach from a retired admiral in charge of a lot of old buildings (particularly one whose official address is Buckingham Palace). 

Sir Tim, however, speaks frankly and clearly feels he is on a mission — against the clock.

He was appointed chairman of English Heritage as it was being cut loose from the state. 

Pre-2015, it had been a public sector body with two roles: running historic sites such as Old Sarum and Audley End but also acting as the planning regulator for all listed buildings.

Then the Government split it up. A new state agency, Historic England, took on the regulation while all the historic sites went to a charity under Sir Tim. 

It would retain the 'English Heritage' title but was given a grant of £80 million to get started. After that, it would be on its own.

Since most of English Heritage's sites — hill forts, remote ruins and so on — are open and free, it falls to a minority of paying landmarks such as Tintagel to subsidise the rest.

'When we get to the end of our capital grant in 2023, we've got to produce enough running income to cover our running costs plus additional income to invest,' says Sir Tim. 

He might talk like the chairman of a FTSE100 company but his position at English Heritage is unpaid. 

Yet he clearly loves it and has just been appointed for a second four-year term. And he is not afraid to get political defending his patch.

For example, he is adamant that the Government should slash VAT on conservation work. 

'I would love to see VAT reduced on historic buildings. We've been fighting that battle for a long time.

'It would make a huge difference to the historic fabric of this country and it would provide a lot of extra jobs.'

He rattles off tourism statistics — £30 billion gross added value to the economy — and wishes ministers would listen. 'I'm pleading on behalf of the historic environment. 

'I don't think the Government is "anti" but I think it could be more "pro". This is not a loss to the Treasury. There are benefits to the Treasury.' 

He is also a fan of big, contentious projects such as the proposed road tunnel beneath Stonehenge and HS2. 

'I'm supportive of HS2 — so long as we can do it in a way that is sympathetic to the countryside — because I believe very strongly in linking the North and the South of the United Kingdom.'

Having risen to the top of the Royal Navy during his 37-year career, Sir Tim has taken a number of public and private sector roles. 

Aged 64, he maintains a schedule on a par with that of his famously busy wife (with 518 public duties in 2018, the Princess Royal still tops the Royal Family's league table of engagements).

Until his term of office finished this summer, Sir Tim was also vice-chairman and de facto head of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission which maintains the memorials and graves of 1.7 million men and women all over the world. 

There, too, he ushered in a programme of innovations. The son of a Royal Navy officer who served in World War I, Sir Tim is keen to ensure we never forget those killed in all conflicts. 

In 1982, he was serving as navigation officer in the destroyer HMS Sheffield, when he was summoned to Northern Ireland to lead a maritime patrol against IRA gun-runners. 

In his absence, Sheffield headed to the South Atlantic without him. On May 4, 1982, she became the first major casualty of the Falklands War when an Argentine Exocet missile killed 20 men and sent the ship to the bottom of the sea. 'I vividly remember watching the news,' he says.

'My first thoughts were of friends. Several officers were killed, all of whom I knew.'

They are always in his mind when he attends the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph (a monument which, oddly, is maintained by English Heritage rather than the War Graves Commission). 

At the age of 28, Lieutenant Laurence received a Mention in Despatches for his work in Northern Ireland and was marked out for higher things. 

He was seconded to be Equerry to the Queen in 1986 (meeting his future wife in the process) before returning to sea in command of his own frigate.

In December 1992, he married the Princess Royal in a low-key winter ceremony at Balmoral (a moment of respite at the end of what the Queen had, days earlier, called her 'annus horribilis').

'Everybody who marries a member of the Royal Family has to craft their own way of doing things,' says Sir Tim. 

'There's no book of how to behave when you marry the Royal Family.' The experience has left him with a deep admiration for two royal consorts.

'I'm a huge fan of Prince Albert. He designed and built Osborne with William Cubitt. He also designed and built Balmoral Castle. 

He had an incredible mind. Bearing in mind how young he was when he died and what he achieved, he was an extraordinary man.'

So is Albert his inspiration? He smiles and points to a more recent role model. 'I think I've gained more from the Duke of Edinburgh obviously because I know him very well. 

He is somebody who has supported the Monarch, but also done a huge amount in his own right. 

Think of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme and the number of young people who have been through that.'

The Duke had been one of the Navy's rising stars when the sudden death of George VI put a stop to all that.

Sir Tim has great sympathy for his father-in-law. 'The difference for me, personally, was I was determined to stay in the Navy and I was able to do that. 

That gave me a career in addition to supporting my wife for many years. It was suggested that the Duke should leave the Navy when the Queen became Monarch.

'I think, looking back, it might have been possible for him to stay for a bit which might have been good. But anyway, that's what happened.' 

Sir Tim's first close encounter with the Royal Family came during a short stint in Britannia as a young 'season' officer.

He joined the Royal Yacht in the Gulf in 1979, with an early setback. 'I came back through the Suez Canal on my back because I'd picked up a stomach bug in Saudi Arabia.' His favourite memories are simply of making an entrance.

'The impact of the Royal Yacht coming in with the Queen on board is unbelievable,' he says.

It is now more than 20 years since Britannia was decommissioned to become a tourist attraction in Leith. Millions of us would dearly love to see a replacement.

Sir Tim thinks it could be a long wait. 'I don't think, at the moment, it could work,' he says. 'I won't say that it won't in the future because the tradition of royal yachts goes back to Charles II.

'The Queen is probably not going to do trips in the way that she has done in Britannia in the past. In a new reign, perhaps the moment may come when they say: 'Well, come on, We're a maritime nation. 

'We are good at the sea. We connect with the world through the sea. Perhaps we should have a ship in some form that can represent our nation overseas.'

Britannia, like the monarchy, the English language and so much else — including our great historic sites — are examples of soft power. So do we make the most of them?

'Probably not. I think we could make more of them,' Sir Tim reflects. 

'The story that we try to tell through our English Heritage properties is of a nation developing from its roots, developing the rule of law, developing good governance, developing civilised structures.

'I think that is something which most countries overseas appreciate more than many people in Britain actually.'

He points to some conversations he had during this summer's state visit at the Palace.

'I spoke to several people in President Trump's camp who appreciate what Britain has contributed and can contribute.' 

Does it bother him when, say, a hectic royal tour with the Princess goes unnoticed back home?

As one who never sought the limelight in the first place, he is relaxed. 'My observation of those trips is that they have an impact overseas, which is very significant and not always appreciated.

'There's a great poem called the Laws Of The Navy, written in about 1900. One of the verses is: 'If you win through an African jungle/ unmentioned at home in the Press/ Trouble not, no man sees the piston/ But it driveth the ship, none the less.' I love that. 

Sometimes you have to go overseas and do your bit and just accept that people won't notice it. It's part of life — as frustrating as the fact that it rains on Mondays!'

So what next after spanning the chasm at Tintagel Castle? Sir Tim is keen to see a broader range of names on Britain's blue plaques. As for new sites, he'd like to take on some 'brilliant' old Lancashire cotton mills, despite friendly competition with the National Trust.

And he would dearly love to house the Bayeux Tapestry at a purpose-built site at the Battle of Hastings in Sussex when it makes its long-awaited first visit to Britain in the next few years.

He sees no reason why the capital should hog it. 'It's good for people to get out of London — and Battle is not that far.' He also wants to see English Heritage push its £5-a-month membership scheme — with free entry to all sites — over the one million mark.

Some might lament the fact that great landmarks such as Stonehenge, the Cenotaph or Dover Castle depend on rattling a tin.

Sir Tim sees it as an opportunity: 'It's much clearer, now that we are a charity, for people to know what they are giving money to and how we're using it.'

At Tintagel, the results are plain to see. Sir Tim believes the new bridge would probably never have happened in the days of state control. 'It would have been difficult,' he says. 'We needed the independence of thought.'

Walking across the slate-lined pathway over the dizzying void — in fact it consists of two bridges with a three-inch gap in the middle for thermal expansion — I have no doubt this will be a splendid addition to the Cornish landscape.

Project manager Reuben Briggs points to the steel 'dampers' which will prevent a wobble like that which plagued London's Millennium Bridge and says that the design can withstand a hurricane.

The main problem I foresee will be the queues flocking to pay homage to King Arthur, Sir Lancelot, Sir Galahad and the other knights of the Round Table.

Being gallant chaps, I trust they'll make a space for Sir Tim.

[lazaruspiss]

Historic Gotham: Part One

Fort Dumas: Thanks to their deep roots in the Royal Navy, the Kanes gained clout after the Seven Years War. They raised companies full of frontier mercenaries by recruiting former enemies, including the Dumas Family. When the Kanes sold them on Gotham City as a bulwark against evil, the Dumas, descending from a long line of holy warriors dating back to the Crusades, didn't just buy into the idea - they put all their focus into building a physical symbol of it. The Miracle of Fort Dumas was a turning point in the American Revolution, and just added to the Dumas mythology. The Fort's been a national landmark ever since, but this is still Gotham City: The busloads of tourists don't visit as often, and the locals know to avoid the place altogether. Of course the Dumas family's still around and still has their hands in every dirty war where they can turn a profit. Note: Make a substantial donation to restoration fund. Scans indicate caverns under cliff; could reinforce for water-borne operations?

I remember when Bruce was investigating the possibility of having multiple Batcaves around the city. Shame he never went through with it. - J. T.

Gotham City Cathedral: The Gotham Cathedral is the largest church in Gotham City and was the city's first supermassive structure. It was designed by Cyrus Pinkney in the 1840s and took almost thirty years to finish. It was officially completed in 1877. Pinkney was a very religious man and imbued the cathedral with designs that would "cast away evil spirits", like the gargoyles located around the church. He's also responsible for the design and construction of the mansion that later became Arkham Asylum. The Gotham Cathedral became such a renowned landmark that its style - dubbed the "New Gotham Style" - was recreated by various architects for other buildings across the city. This is also where my parents' funeral took place before they were brought to the Wayne family crypt at the Gotham City cemetery. I haven't gone inside since.

Gotham City Fire Department: The Gotham City Fire Department was established in the 1800s and was then known as the Gotham Town Fire Brigade. It was privately run and was composed of a small group of volunteers who patrolled the streets for signs of fires. At the onset of the Industrial Revolution, many factories opened their doors in Gotham, but due to a lack of volunteers and resources to protect the new warehouses, the fire brigade was turned into a government-run institution. This allowed the newly formed fire department to widen their efforts to the rest of Gotham. The GCFD puts out thousands of fires every year and are almost always accompanied by GCPD officers when responding to emergencies, as they are ill-equipped to deal with the city's criminal gangs, who are responsible for over 70% of all fires in Gotham.

City Hall: The original City Hall occupied Gotham Town's former Courthouse and was the site of the signing of the city charter in 1836. A statue was built in the adjoining plaza to honor Bartholomew Wycliffe, Gotham City's first mayor. The new building features a modern bas-relief wall design at street level, which portrays key moments from Gotham's foundation. As Batman, I tend to stay far away from City Hall, but as Bruce Wayne I've had to visit many times to acquire permits for various projects. City Hall has been the site of multiple riots through the years, like the one of 1840 that eventually led to the creation of the GCPD. This, in addition to the arrival of meta criminals, has forced the mayor to increase the building's security. It has been equipped with reinforced doors and windows as well as a safe room in the basement, where the mayor can retreat in case of emergency.

[piizunn]

a personal reflection on decolonization

riel s. | 2022

Tansii kiiya (hello, how are you?) my name is riel starr and I am a Red River Michif artist and academic. my history on his land begins thousands of years ago among the peoples of the great plains, and my written history begins in the late 1600s with my first French ancestors and their unnamed first nations wives. my first First Nations ancestor is an unnamed woman referred to in my grandmother’s family tree as “Cree Woman”. I am Red River Métis on my mother’s side. Our historic Métis family names are Berthelet, Caron, St. Germaine, Dazé, Larivière and Dubois, and we come from the communities of Point à Grouette (now called St. Agathe), St. Norbert, and St. Vital (now modern-day Winnipeg) as well as the historic Batoche, Saskatchewan. My Berthelet ancestors were notable community leaders in Pointe à Grouette and my Caron ancestors including my fifth great uncle jean caron sr. fought in the North West resistance of 1885 at the battle of Duck Lake when he was fifty-two years old. Jean Caron Sr’s house is now a historic site in Batoche. As for myself my mother is a Métis educator and academic and my father is a settler archaeologist-turned-locksmith. I introduce myself in this way, the traditional way of Métis writers to contextualize my family, my knowledge and experiences, as well as my place on this land.

Natually, my native mother and my settler archaeologist father never married and split before I was old enough to form any memories. Museums and history have always been a fascination to me; the Royal Terrell Museum in Drumheller, which I dubbed “the dead dinosaur museum” and the Royal Alberta Museum which I called “the dead mouse museum” after my favourite display. The display was a larger-than-life diorama of a mouse, it’s intestines showing, the organisms that helped decompose the corpse were also displayed, massive daddy long legs, gigantic ants, worms thicker than my arm. The RAM is an interesting place. A few years ago, it was moved into a new building downtown and I could no longer spend hours finding fossils in the limestone exterior of the original museum. The place had changed drastically. As I reminisce on what I loved about the RAM I realize that all the things I disliked were their representations of Indigenous people; the uncanny wax figures with placid skin that did not resemble a single Native person’s skin that I had met. and the artwork they portrayed as artifacts. What makes a beaded bag so different from a Van Dyck if they’re the same age? And honoured the same amount by the people who made them?

Another place of importance growing up was Fort Edmonton Park. Like Heritage Park, Fort Edmonton has costumed interpreters, who teach visitors history as if the interpreters were of that time. In the summer of 2017, my lifelong dream came true, and I became a volunteer costumed interpreter with my mentor Sheldon Stockdale, another Métis person, and we were able to teach our history in the way we felt was right, something deeply important to the Métis people. An experience we had that stands out vividly is working on Fort Edmonton’s 1920 Street, and educating visitors on the history of pemmican, a sort of ancient protein bar made from berries, dried meat, and animal fat. Pemmican was a staple of survival for the Métis, and we were asking visitors to help us in redesigning the packaging for the bar. The historic package had a representation of an Indigenous person on it, a caricature of a race. We asked visitors if turning Indigenous people into mascots should be accepted, and sadly many people didn’t see the problem. Sheldon and I borderline argued with a man who seemed to see no problem in reducing us, the people speaking to him, to caricatures. In a similar vein, someone once gave me Chicago Blackhawk’s stickers when i was six, and not knowing a thing about hockey I asked my mother who the stickers were of. I’m guessing my mother did not want to explain the history of colonization and caricatures of Indigenous people, so she dismissed my question by telling me that the man in the tacky illustration was my ancestor.

Decolonizing art history seems like an impossible task, and perhaps it is. You cannot separate someone like Emily Carr from art history in Canada, however you can change the way you teach her work. Perhaps decolonizing art history means recognizing the ways in which “art history” as a field of study is deeply Euro-centric, and how the way of teaching this history is the same. I took my first semester at AUArts in the fall of 2020 after transferring from MacEwan after completing a two-year diploma at MacEwan University. I had a sculpture class a media arts class an art history class. The more I consider how to decolonize our history the more I understand that it is not the history that can be decolonized, it is the way we are teaching said history. It is the way that so much of our education is taught to us through a colonial lens, rather than a multifaceted history with a multitude of perspectives and peoples contributing until an entire picture is formed.

In the fall of 2020 in my media arts class my professor Kurtis Lesick was discussing an artist, a black artist who had him and others participate in a performance in which in that space the black artist allowed the participants to say the N-word. Rather than describing the piece in the way I just did removing the slur, Kurtis Lesick made the conscious decision to say the N- word twice. A person I had once thought to be an ally of mine, who knew the language of decolonization. Earlier this year a classmate in this class who was also in my sculpture class in the winter of 2022 told me that ‘knowing me has made her a better person’, this woman does not know me, and I do not know her, but I knew her in that moment. I knew that she wanted me to absolve her of her settler guilt. White settlers love referencing Tuck and Yang’s Decolonization Is Not a Metaphor but sometimes I wonder if they truly understand that it is simply not enough to know the language of decolonization, that you must be actively anti-colonial in a field that is built on colonization.

I spent a lot of time at Fort Calgary this semester for my FINA class, critiquing their exhibitions wondering how they can be improved if they can be improved, and I learned that given their budget that it is not possible. Fort Calgary, like other institutions cannot afford to replace their current exhibits and entirely redesign the way they teach history. What they can do is acknowledge the missing pieces, they can acknowledge the gaps they can acknowledge the fact that there’s more than one canon of history. Sometimes I wonder if the mosaic of history is too complex to decolonize; knowing that we will never return to a world like the one that existed pre-colonization. I think about my one classmate who tokenizes me, who knows how to use decolonial language to appear one way, but who never puts those concepts into practice. I think about the settlers who think that decolonization is re-colonizing the Americas but with “the Indians” in charge this time.

I now understand that decolonizing art history cannot happen without first decolonizing institutions. I have learned that we cannot forget that we once taught art history in an i way we cannot forget the way colonization has infiltrated every aspect of the education system down to the teaching styles of each professor. if we forget how colonial art history is in the first place, we will forget why we need to decolonize. Considering the hand that art history is hard in colonization around the world, I consider about the way southeast Asian women’s bodies are talked about in my textbooks versus European odalisque paintings. Brown people’s bodies were inherently sexualized and seen as dirty, while white people’s bodies were adored and deemed Classical.

Maybe colonization is another movement in the worldwide canon of art history. Another period in the bar graph of history- as google images seems to see art history. Perhaps Emily Carr and Paul Gauguin are the faces of this genre. Just as colonization cannot be forgotten among its victims, it cannot be forgotten by its perpetrators, who still believe they are a superior culture and race. Genres of literature such as post-colonial writing from India and Sri Lanka may suggest, there was a period of colonial art and literature, perhaps it is ongoing, possibly dying out, maybe here to stay. There will always be an antithesis, an attempt to view art and art history from a different perspective, and that is how we can decolonize art history.

[rabbitcruiser]

The Golden Gate National Recreation Area was created on October 27, 1972.

[azvolrien]

The Bastion

Haven't uploaded any drawings in a while, have I? This one's been at the back of my mind for a while, but I only just got around to getting it on the page. I like drawing fantasy maps. The colours are just for labelling purposes, however; the whole castle is really more of a dark grey.

Any resemblance to Edinburgh Castle is... probably not 100% unintentional. The Bastion's quite a bit bigger, though.

And now, further worldbuilding background that wouldn’t fit on the drawing:

As the name ‘Kiraan’ stems from the Old Vallic term ‘Ki-Raan’, meaning something like ‘Raan’s Fort’, the entire empire is in a sense named after the castle. This doesn’t really occur to most people. (If Old Imperial = Latin, Old Vallic = Etruscan, though more in the sense of its historical niche than any actual vocab inspiration.)

The six gates are named after the sacred animals of Raan’s tribe and those of his closest allies. Raan was the chieftain of the Bear Tribe, hence the emblem in the corner; the Fox, Stag, Boar, Eagle and Aurochs Tribes fought alongside him in his campaign to unite the Kargvallen hill peoples into a single nation. Their modern descendants make up the noble houses zeAkiro, zeKandron, zeYunar, zeMora and zeTharion, named after the Five Warlords who led the tribes in Raan’s day.

Points 1 to 3 - The Bastion makes more use of constructs than flesh-and-blood beasts of burden in the modern day and part of the stables is used for storing them, but it does still house a few actual horses. Emperor Zarannon loves horses - his favourite steed is a massive Shire-type beast called Starlight Obsidian II - and wouldn’t hear of getting rid of them outright. He’s made sure all of his kids are proficient riders as well.

Point 4 - The River Tower. This is the lowest point of the Bastion, right down near the water level, and houses the great windlass that raises and lowers the river chain across the Stone. It’s usually left lowered and submerged near the river bed except for maintenance; there’s not much cause to block river traffic by Zar’s reign. The soldiers who operate the windlass are nicknamed the Chain Gang.

Point 5 - The Long Stair. A shortcut up to the Great Keep from the Stag Gate, though it’s very steep and not really wide enough for more than one person, so even most people in good shape prefer to take the long way around if they aren’t in any particular hurry.

Point 6 - Forges. The farrier’s workshop down by the stables takes care of the horseshoes, so these ones are dedicated to the rest of the metalworking the Bastion needs. Weapons maintenance is a big chunk of it, but they take care of other odd jobs as well.

Point 7 - The Lesser Keep. The overall headquarters of the Imperial Legions; as well as various meeting rooms, it houses a military archive and living quarters both for visiting officers - Legion legates are expected to deliver updates to the Emperor in person, though the frequency of these updates can vary widely - and the Bastion’s company of archers.

Point 8 - The river jetty. Supplies brought in by water will generally be landed here. Originally there was no choice other than to carry everything up the steep zigzag path from the water to the top of the crag, but a little funicular was installed during the reign of Zar’s father Kaial.

Point 9 - Baths. The fancier living quarters up in the Great Keep have en-suite bathing facilities, but everyone else in the Bastion has to use these. They’re pretty nice, but not big enough for everyone at once, so there’s a rota.

Point 10 - The Well. Not actually a well, though it is built on the site of an old storage cistern. It’s just the nickname for the pumping and filtration station that provides the Bastion’s water supply, bringing water up from the river below and treating it so it’s safe to drink. They haven’t worked out steam power, however, so the pump is driven by a construct walking on a wheel.

Point 11 - Training yard. Self-explanatory, really; the god-soldiers of the Bastion Guard carry out their practice drills here, as well as self-defence training for the Imperial family and other Bastion denizens.

Point 12 - Temple. Also fairly self-explanatory. The Emperor and his family attend the great temples on the Crag of the Triad across the river to the north during major festivals, but for more everyday rituals they’ll use this little one. It’s basically a household shrine on a larger scale.

Point 13 - Garden. This used to be a kitchen garden, but as the Bastion grew over the centuries it just couldn’t keep up with the bigger population. The kitchen staff do still grow a few fresh herbs and fruits in it, but it’s mostly just a place to relax and enjoy the view. The bulk of the Bastion’s food supply is shipped in from farms outside the city.

Point 14 - The Court of Claws. The Imperial Chronicles suggest that it was Emperor Adimar II who started the tradition of keeping bears in the Bastion, about a thousand years after Raan’s day, and successive Emperors have kept it up. They used to just be in cages, but Zar’s great-grandfather Zarannon III was a bit of an animal-lover and had the Court of Claws turned into something more like a proper zoo habitat. The current inhabitant is a very large and contented male called Misha. Strictly speaking he is a sacred emblem of the Empire, symbolising the strength of Raan’s bloodline and the favour of the war god Voynazh, but Zar thinks of him as more of a pet. Really, he’s too tame and lazy to be a good symbol of a war god.

Point 15 - The Great Keep. The highest, biggest, and most heavily-fortified part of the Bastion. The name is fitting, because the Great Keep is huge, and quite easy to get lost in if you don’t know your way around. The upper levels house the apartments for the Imperial family as well as guest rooms for important visitors; the lower levels, some of which are dug right into the living rock, house assorted stores (and lots of them!), the kitchens, the furnace, servants’ quarters, the god-soldiers’ barracks, and basically everything else you need to keep an enormous castle running smoothly. It also has an extensive library and archive for the Imperial Chronicles. The central courtyard is more for extra light and ventilation than anything else. The entrance hall immediately behind the Bear Gate doubles as the throne room, but it’s rather draughty and uncomfortable, so Zar prefers to rule from his office upstairs unless he really needs to put on the Official Emperor Hat for some state occasion.

There’s a saying that one can see the entirety of the Empire from the towers of the Bastion. This is, of course, a poetic exaggeration, but they do give you a great view over most of the Imperial City.

[zena-marchant]

Key West's Top 4 Attractions

Whether you're visiting Key West for the first time or a seasoned visitor who hasn't been since you were a child, you'll find enough to see and do. Here are some top sites to visit in Florida's oldest city, from the iconic Southernmost Point to the Butterfly and Nature Conservatory.

The Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center, located on the historic Truman Waterfront in Key West, provides a variety of educational displays. The center focuses on the Florida Keys's marine environment and educates youngsters about conservation, biodiversity, and the advantages of reefs. The center has a 2,500-gallon coral reef tank and instructional materials about reefs, mangroves, and ocean life.

The Florida Keys have a diverse ecology with several fauna and bird species. In addition to aquatic life, the islands provide a winter haven for snowbirds. The Eastern National Wildlife Refuge is also located in the Florida Keys.

Several endangered animals call the Florida Keys home. The Key Deer is one of the most endangered species. It is North America's smallest deer and is classified as a subspecies of white-tailed deer.

The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory, located on Duval Street, is a peaceful haven. Hundreds of butterflies may be seen in their natural environment here. This lovely hideaway was named one of the top four things to do in Key West.

You may get a close look at exotic tropical butterflies at the Conservatory. These lovely species are brought in from Africa, Asia, and Australia. They have relatively brief lifespans, with many dying within two weeks.

The Eco-Discovery Center has an interactive exhibit on the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The interactive displays at the center illustrate how the Sanctuary strives to safeguard the Florida Keys' natural resources. It is entirely free to visit. The center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Conservatory is also home to a variety of birds and fauna. This makes it an ideal location for a picture stop. The Conservatory is situated on Duval Street's southern terminus. From 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., the Conservatory is open. It is handicapped-accessible.

The Conservatory is worth a visit, particularly for children. The butterflies and birds will captivate them. They will also value the learning center. The center features displays and a movie about the life cycle of butterflies.

The Oldest House in South Florida, located at 322 Duval Street in Old Key West, is the state's oldest surviving residence. This mansion, erected in 1829, has weathered storms, fires, and other natural calamities. Richard Cussans, a ship's carpenter, constructed the home.

The home was built in the Classic Revival style at the time. It draws inspiration from colonial architecture. A spacious garden with lush tropical flora and a gazebo surrounds the home. It also has several endemic florae.

The residence is free and accessible to the public. Relics and papers on exhibit give a historical peek into the island's history. Visitors may also tour the home. A member of staff is available to answer queries.

Captain Francis Watlington and his wife, Emeline, lived at this residence. They had seven kids. The family occupied the place until 1972. The deed to the house was handed to the Historic Florida Keys Foundation when they sold it. The Old Island Restoration Foundation was appointed by the foundation to undertake the restoration project in 1975.

Whether you're visiting Key West, Florida, or simply passing through, the Southernmost Point monument is a must-see. It's a fantastic picture opportunity and a historical monument for the city. There are also several restaurants and stores with the word "southernmost" in their name. Snorkeling and diving are also available at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park.

It's a popular tourist destination for both residents and tourists. The concrete buoy may be seen near Whitehead and South streets. It is about 12 feet tall and seven feet broad. It is colored red, black, and yellow. It also has a plaque adjacent to it that explains the history of the island's black people.

The buoy is open to the public at all times. People from all over the globe come here to shoot photographs. You may also see it with a webcam. You can observe the traffic in real time this way. There is also a view of the Atlantic Ocean.

[theimperialtours]

Luxury Golden Triangle Tour: Unveiling the Hidden Gems of Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur

The Luxury Golden Triangle Tour offers an extraordinary journey through the cultural heart of India. This iconic route connects three of the most fascinating cities: Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. Known for their rich heritage, architectural marvels, and vibrant cultures, these cities promise an unforgettable experience. On this tour, we will not only explore the popular landmarks but also discover the hidden gems that make this journey extraordinary.

Day-Wise Itinerary: Exploring Hidden Gems

Day 1: Arrival in Delhi – A Blend of Modernity and Heritage

Start your journey in the bustling capital, Delhi.

Must-Visit Attractions:

Red Fort: A UNESCO World Heritage site showcasing Mughal grandeur.

India Gate: A war memorial standing as a symbol of national pride.

Humayun's Tomb: The architectural precursor to the Taj Mahal.

Lotus Temple: A serene Bahá'í house of worship.

Hidden Gems:

Hauz Khas Village: A mix of historical ruins and modern cafes.

Mehrauli Archaeological Park: Lesser-known structures like Jamali Kamali Mosque.

Day 2: Agra – The City of Eternal Love

Head to Agra, the city that houses one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Must-Visit Attractions:

Taj Mahal: A timeless symbol of love, especially mesmerizing at sunrise.

Agra Fort: A majestic fortress narrating Mughal history.

Fatehpur Sikri: The ghost city of Emperor Akbar.

Hidden Gems:

Mehtab Bagh: Perfect for a quiet sunset view of the Taj Mahal.

Korai Village: Experience rural life and interact with the locals.

Day 3: Jaipur – The Pink City of Royal Splendor

End your tour in Jaipur, a city of vibrant colors and royal heritage.

Must-Visit Attractions:

Amber Fort: A stunning hilltop fortress with intricate carvings.

City Palace: A royal residence showcasing Jaipur's regal legacy.

Hawa Mahal: The iconic “Palace of Winds.”

Hidden Gems:

Panna Meena Ka Kund: A stepwell known for its symmetric beauty.

Nahargarh Fort: Offers panoramic views of Jaipur during sunset.

Best Time to Visit the Golden Triangle

The ideal time to embark on this luxurious journey is October to March, when the weather is pleasant and perfect for sightseeing. Avoid the summer months (April to June) due to extreme heat.

Monument Closures to Keep in Mind

The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays.

Delhi's Lotus Temple remains closed on Mondays.

Most major attractions in Jaipur remain open throughout the week.

How to Reach

By Air:

Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport serves as the primary entry point.

By Train:

Shatabdi Express and Gatimaan Express offer luxury and comfort for intercity travel.

By Road:

The cities are well-connected via highways, making a road trip a scenic option.

Luxury Accommodation Options

Delhi: The Oberoi New Delhi, The Leela Palace.

Agra: The Oberoi Amarvilas, ITC Mughal.

Jaipur: Rambagh Palace, Taj Jai Mahal Palace.

Tips for a Luxurious Golden Triangle Tour

Private Tours: Opt for guided private tours to explore hidden gems.

Luxury Transport: Travel in comfort with chauffeur-driven cars or luxury trains like The Palace on Wheels.

Cultural Experiences: Indulge in traditional Rajasthani cuisine, Mughlai delicacies, and Delhi street food with expert culinary guides.

Conclusion

The Luxury Golden Triangle Tour combines India’s historical marvels with exclusive hidden treasures, offering an unparalleled travel experience. Whether you’re admiring the Taj Mahal’s ethereal beauty, navigating Delhi’s dynamic charm, or soaking in Jaipur’s royal aura, this journey is one of opulence and discovery.

Plan your trip today and embark on a luxurious adventure through India’s Golden Triangle. Unveil the treasures with a touch of elegance, and let the memories of Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur linger forever.

[janatours]

Alexandria day Tours 

Alexandria day Tours provides unique experiences for visitors to the ancient port city of Alexandria. The tours include visits to the city's most famous landmarks, such as the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, the Alexandria National Museum, and Fort Qaitbay. They also offer the opportunity to explore the city's vibrant markets and restaurants.

Alexandria Day Tours offer a rich exploration of the city’s historical and cultural landmarks. Visitors can explore the stunning Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a modern wonder that pays homage to the ancient Library of Alexandria. The ancient Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa and the majestic Qaitbay Citadel are also must-see attractions, providing a glimpse into the city's storied past.

  Over Day Cairo Tours From Alexandria   Cairo, the capital of Egypt, is a city rich in history and culture, often referred to as the "Mother of the World." It is home to the iconic Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, which are among the most famous and oldest monuments in human history. Additionally, Cairo's vibrant history is reflected in its medieval Islamic architecture and its role as a center of learning and commerce throughout the centuries.

Day Trip to World War II Cemeteries in El Alamein hold immense historical significance as they are the final resting place for thousands of soldiers who fought in the pivotal battles of the North African campaign during World War II. These battles marked a turning point in the war, with the Allied forces halting the advance of Axis powers in the region. Visiting these cemeteries offers a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made and the impact of the war on the course of history.

Rosseta Day Tour from Alexandria takes you to the ancient city of Rosetta, located on the northern coast of Egypt. The site is famous for the ancient Rosetta Stone, which was discovered there and was instrumental in deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Shopping Tours with Locals in Alexandria  . This tour offers visitors the opportunity to experience the city with a local guide. They will explore the markets, taste traditional dishes, and learn about the city's history. The tour is a great way to see the real Alexandria.

One of our Alexandria Tours 

Alexandria Tour to the Monasteries at Wadi El Norton

Explore the Alexandria Day Tour to the Monasteries at Wadi El Norton, The Monasteries at Wadi El Norton provide a unique insight into the religious and cultural history of the ancient Egyptians. The tour also includes visits to the Monastery of al-Baramus, Anba Bishoi, Abu Maqar, and El Suryani It is a great opportunity to experience the beauty of the Egyptian desert.

Jana Tours Guide will Pick you up From your Hotel in Alexandria and drive by air condition car to arrive at Wadi El Norton, Your first stop will be Deir al-Baramus, where you will see the oldest monasteries. Deir al-Baramus is a small village in Syria known for its ancient monasteries, dating back to the Byzantine era. It is one of the oldest Christian villages in the world and is home to numerous monasteries, caves, and churches. Next, you will visit Dier Anba Bishoi’s body, one of the most important Coptic Monasteries in Egypt. Here you will learn about the Christian faith and the history of the Coptic Church. You will also have the opportunity to view ancient artifacts and original manuscripts. then continue to Dier Abu Maqar This is an ancient monastery built by the Coptic Christians in the 5th century. It’s said to be the oldest Christian monastery in Egypt. It’s also a popular tourist destination due to its unique architecture and historical significance. and finish by visiting Deir El-Suryani, which is the smallest and most compact. Lunch will be served at a Local restaurant, and Finally, Return To Your Hotel In Alexandria.

The suggested tour itinerary will include the following:

· Pick up services from A Hotel in Alexandria

· Transfer By A Private air-conditioned vehicle

· Lunch during your tour

· All taxes & service charge

· Bottled water during your trip

The suggested tour itinerary will not include the following:

Visa entry to Egypt.

Optional tours.

Any other items not mentioned.

Tipping Kitty.

 For more

 Alexandria Tours: https://bit.ly/3UIhYIe

 Website: https://jana.tours/

Whatsapp+201143320224

Email:info@janatoursegypt.com