#Rural Commerce

[townpostin]

PM Modi lauds Jharkhand entrepreneur Prerna Mishra in Mann Ki Baat address

Village e-commerce venture gains national spotlight, boosts local economy A young Godda entrepreneur’s e-commerce initiative promoting traditional village products received recognition from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his recent Mann Ki Baat address. RANCHI – Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted a local entrepreneur’s efforts to boost her village’s economy through e-commerce in his latest…

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week. #6

Feb 16-23 2024

The EPA announced 5.8 billion dollars in funding upgrade America's water systems. 2.6 billion will go to wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, while the remaining $3.2 billion will go to drinking water infrastructure. $1 billion will go toward the first major effort to remove PFASs, forever chemicals, from American drinking water. The Administration all reiterated its plans to remove all lead pipes from America's drinking water systems, its spent 6 billion on lead pipe replacement so far.

The Department of Education announced the cancellation of $1.2 billion in student loan debt reliving 153,000 borrowers. This is the first debt cancellation through the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan, which erases federal student loan balances for those who originally borrowed $12,000 or less and have been making payments for at least 10 years. Since the Biden Administration's more wide ranging student loan cancellation plan was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2023 the Administration has used a patchwork of different plans and authorities to cancel $138 billion in student debt and relieve nearly 4 million borrowers, so far.

First Lady Jill Biden announced $100 million in federal funding for women’s health research. This is part of the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research the First Lady launched last year. The First Lady outlined ways women get worse treatment outcomes because common health problems like heart attacks and cancer are often less understood in female patients.

The Biden Administration announced 500 new sanctions against Russian targets in response to the murder of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny. The sanctions will target people involved in Navalny's imprisonment as well as sanctions evaders. President Biden met with Navalny's widow Yulia and their daughter Dasha in San Francisco

The White House and Department of Agriculture announced $700 Million in new investments to benefit people in rural America. The projects will help up to a million people living in 45 states, Puerto Rico, and the Northern Mariana Islands. It includes $51.7 million to expand access to high-speed internet, and $644.2 million to help 158 rural cooperatives and utilities provide clean drinking water and sanitary wastewater systems for 578,000 people in rural areas.

The Department of Commerce signed a deal to provide $1.5 billion in upgrades and expand chip factories in New York and Vermont to boost American semiconductor manufacturing. This is the biggest investment so far under the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act

the Department of Transportation announced $1.25 billion in  funding for local projects that improve roadway safety. This is part of the administration's Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program launched in 2022. So far SS4A has spent 1.7 billion dollars in 1,000 communities impacting 70% of America's population.

The EPA announced $19 million to help New Jersey buy electric school buses. Together with New Jersey's own $45 million dollar investment the state hopes to replace all its diesel buses over the next three years. The Biden Administration's investment will help electrify 5 school districts in the state. This is part of the The Clean School Bus Program which so far has replaced 2,366 buses at 372 school districts since it was enacted in 2022.

Bonus: NASA in partnership with Intuitive Machines landed a space craft, named Odysseus, on the moon, representing the first time in 50 years America has gone to the moon. NASA is preparing for astronauts to return to the moon by the end of the decade as part of the Artemis program. All under the leadership of NASA Administrator, former Democratic Senator and astronaut Bill Nelson.

[no-passaran]

you mentioned that it was beaten into your grandparents' generation to not speak catalan, but to speak spanish. did people in catalonia often not speak spanish before franco? what was the political situation of the language like before?

also, do catalan people prefer when spanish is called castellano? i know in romance linguistics it's often called that because spain has other languages, but i think catalan people often don't consider themselves spanish if i've understood it correctly

Yes, many people did not speak Spanish before Franco. For example, my grandma was born and raised in Barcelona right before the war (she was born in 1932) and she did not know any Spanish when she was a kid. She told me that one of the things she remembers the most of her childhood is how terrified she was that someone would find that out. She used to go with other kids of the street to sew with a elderly woman while their parents were at work (babysitting in working class neighbourhoods basically) and after Franco won the war this woman (who didn't speak Spanish either) told them in a made-up Spanish (adding an -o at the end of Catalan words and making them "sound Spanish" mixed with the very little Spanish she knew) that now it was very important that they all spoke Spanish when someone could hear because otherwise they could go to jail. So my grandma spent about a year when she did not say a single word on the street or outside of her family and close family friends. When she went to the market, she only pointed at things and nodded yes or no with her head or said the numbers by raising her fingers. She was very scared that she would be jailed with murderers and rapists. Even though I don't think children would be jailed for this (but it's not strange she believed it, because she had relatives who were in jail and were tortured, and the first years of dictatorship there was so much torture, executions and depravity that you ended up believing anything could happen), even if children wouldn't be jailed, they could still have gotten punished. She was still a kid, so at that age you learn quickly, so she could learn Spanish soon enough (or at least enough Spanish to pass well, because to be fair I've heard her speak Spanish now and every so often she still makes noticeable mistakes, even after decades of being married to my grandpa who is Spanish and speaking Spanish at home).

My parents (born in the 1960s), too, have told me that some of their classmates made mistakes and used Catalan words instead of the correct Spanish sentence. At that point, pretty much everyone in urban areas like ours already spoke Spanish well enough, but most people didn't use it often outside of school (unless they were Spanish immigrants or their children), so they made mistakes. And then the teacher beat them. It was the law that the punishment for speaking Catalan (and for many other things) in schools was corporal punishment. My mum was never beaten and was always at the top of the class and well-behaved, but even to this day she is still quite traumatized for what she saw. The only time I have seen her cry very desperately almost like an anxiety attack was when my grandma was talking about their teacher, because she remembers how he used to throw disobeying children to the floor and kick them, even when the kids were crying he'd still continue kicking them.

My parents have still met quite a few elderly people who didn't speak Spanish, only Catalan or Aranese (there was an Aranese man who used to come to my town for commerce, but it's no problem because Aranese and Catalan are mutually understandable, so they could have conversations where he spoke Aranese and the others spoke Catalan and it was fine, they just thought it was kind of funny). But I (and I dare to say almost everyone from my generation, except people who know someone with a strong mental disability and maybe some people from very rural areas) have not met anyone who speaks only Catalan and doesn't speak Spanish (excluding people from the Catalan-speaking areas that aren't under Spanish control, of course; because I have some friends from Northern Catalonia and there the bilingualism is Catalan+French, or even only French at this point for many young people).

You asked what the political situation of the Catalan language was before the fascists' victory in the Civil War. The situation was of course much better than during Francoism, for example we had the right to use Catalan in public, in schools (public schools taught in Catalan and even taught how to write Catalan), there were films dubbed to Catalan, Catalan radio, Catalan books, etc. and the huge amount of people in Catalonia spoke only Catalan in their everyday lives. However, there was still a strong political and social discrimination according to which Catalan was associated with the working classes and Spanish was seen as more classy (this was the case since the 1600s and intensified much more after 1714), but thanks to the Renaixença movement* Catalan had regained prestige to be used in literature and formal settings, even of the upper class, though conservative upper class (specially monarchists and fascists) still preferred Spanish. But we had done a lot of great steps in the right direction, and things were going very well. Better than ever before since Spain's invasion in 1714.

*the Renaixença was an artistic —and most important literary— movement of the 1800s that's basically our version of Romanticism but with a strong component of political and social fight for the rights of Catalan language and people.

I do not have any preference on whether Spanish should be called Spanish (español) or Castillian (castellano). In Spain, it's almost always called Castillian, so when I speak in Spanish I say castellano just because that's what I'm used to. But it's the same. It feels more correct to say Castillian because it's the language of Castilla, like you say "English" because it's the language of England (instead of saying "British"). But Spain is just Castilla and the lands it invaded, so when anyone says Spanish (language, culture, government, whatever) it means the Castillian one, and Spain has worked hard to make it clear that it does not include any of the occupied nations in its concept of country. So I always understand Spanish as referring exclusively to Castillian things (understanding Castilla to include all the Kingdom of Castilla, not only the modern-day administrative regions of Castilla. So, for example, including Andalucía and Extremadura).

I do not consider myself Spanish and I find it offensive when people try to say "Catalan is also Spanish because it's a language from Spain", it feels like saying that Catalan is nothing of itself, only belonging to Spain. It's forgetting that part of Catalonia has never been Spain (Northern Catalonia) and that Catalan is also the language of Andorra (an independent nation) and l'Alguer (a city in Sardinia inhabited by the descendants of Medieval Catalan settlers who moved there centuries before Catalonia was occupied by Spain). Their language is not "a Spanish language" and never has been, and either way I refuse to be reduced to that. Our language goes back centuries (with changes over time, of course, but it hasn't changed as much as English, we can read Late Medieval Catalan just fine), it has developed as independently as any other Romance language, with its own traditions and literature (the 1st vernacular literature in Romance languages btw!), so we are of ourselves, not "of Spain". I don't want our existence to be reduced to a possession of Spain. We should be described in our own terms.

So yeah, in Spanish saying both castellano and español are fine (some Spanish-speaking countries use one more or the other more), and in English I think it's better to just say Spanish, because that's the word that's used in English. But I don't really mind tbh.

I hope that answers your questions :)

[useless-catalanfacts]

Hi, so as far as my family knows, our family name is Catalan, but we can't trace our family line before we moved to Cuba. So I was wondering if many Catalan people moved to Cuba when it became outlawed in Spain? Or in the times leading up to it being outlawed?

Thanks!

Hola!

Cuba is one of the countries with a largest Catalan diaspora. Catalan people were forbidden from going to the Americas (who were Castillian colonies) until the year 1778, and it still took a while for people to start going in large numbers.

Catalan people first migrated to Cuba in the 19th century, a few were rich people who went there for commerce (even involved in slave traffic! 😱) and soon more poor people started going, too, after their lives were turned upside-down by the phylloxera pest. Back then, in many parts of the Catalan Countries most people worked in the vineyard fields or related trades that had to do with winemaking, but in the mid-1800s the phylloxera (an insect from North America that destroys vineyards' roots) arrived to Europe and destroyed the fields. The effects of the phylloxera were absolutely devastating: thousands of people lost all their vineyards, whole areas lost their income, poverty reached the extreme. With the countryside ravaged, people desperately looked for new jobs, and many found that the only option was to emigrate. The vineyard-making rural areas suddenly lost population, who were going to the cities or abroad. Most of these Catalan farmers who went abroad went to Cuba, because it was seen as a land of opportunity where people could make a good living. Usually (and like many economical migrants nowadays), they had the idea that they would go, make money, and come back home, but (not unlike many economical migrants nowadays) most did not make that much money, and decided to stay in Cuba. Many Catalan immigrants in Cuba ran corner shops, they were so poor that they slept behind the shop's counter because they didn't have any other home than the shop. I have read that in 19th century Cuba, people even used the expression "to go to the Catalan on the corner" (el catalán de la esquina) or just "to go to the Catalan" (el catalán) to mean going to a corner shop (same as now many European countries say "to go to the Pakistani"). Besides these ones, a strong network of Catalan merchants also established itself in Cuba, trading with sugar and coffee.

Of course, the "corner Catalans" could not afford to come back, but the ones involved in slave trading or commerce with products grown by slaves often could. The poverty at home and the return of these rich people created the image of the "indiano" or "americano", meaning someone who had gone to Cuba (or, less commonly, Puerto Rico), had become rich, and had come back dressed in elegant fashionable clothes, the man smoking a thick cigar, and built a beautiful house in his hometown. The "indiano" became part of the collective imagination, and was a very prestigious person. These "indiano-style" buildings (they sent the command to start building the house from America, before coming back) and the presence of the "indianos" promoted the idea of Cuba as a place of opportunities even more. Still nowadays, in Catalan we have the expression "fer les Amèriques" ("to do the Americas") meaning to get very rich.

Examples of indiano houses in Begur and Cadaqués.

Examples of indiano houses in Sitges.

And the same happened the other way around a bit later: in Cuba, art nouveau was introduced in large part by Catalans, and the early houses built in this style were called "catalanadas" by Cubans.

In Sitges, there's even a pair of "giants" that represent these "indianos". "Giants" are a traditional element of Catalan folk culture, they're hollow figures that represent the mythical founders of a town or someone important from their local history or legends. In the case of Sitges (like in many more towns that used to be the border between Muslim and Christian kingdoms when they were founded), it's a pair of Muslim nobles and Christian nobles from the Middle Ages. But in the 1960s they decided to add another pair of smaller giants to represent the "indianos". This goes to show how the idea of the "indiano" almost as a mythical category has survived.

The "americanos" giants in Sitges.

For these reasons, there is a long list of famous Cubans of the Catalan diaspora, including the president of the first independent Cuban constitutional assembly (Asemblea de Guáimaro) Bartolomé Masó, Facund Bacardí (founder of the Bacardí rum company), the revolutionary and Cuban independence hero Leoncio Vidal, the musician and conductor Xavier Cugat, the poet José Martí, la reina del bolero Olga Guillot, the dancer Aurora Bosch, the anti-Fulgencio Batista intellectual Mario Llerena, the anarchist thinker Fernando Tarrida del Mármol and his uncle the Cuban independence general Donato Mármol, among others.

Besides Catalan-Cubans being involved in Cuban independence from the Spanish empire, they also were involved in the Catalan independence movement. For example, the flag of Catalan independence (estelada) was created in the early 1900s by a Catalan in Cuba, who used the triangle of the Cuban flag that means independence.

The Cuban flag and the Catalan independence flag.

The Catalan diaspora in Cuba also created the first "Casal Català" ("Catalan house") in 1840 in Habana. A Casal Català is a social centre where Catalan emigrants meet, for example to celebrate the Catalan holidays, and also open Catalan culture to other people, such as by offering Catalan classes. Nowadays, there are 128 Casals Catalans in all 5 continents.

Another way in which Cuba has had a deep mark in Catalan culture is the music genre havaneres, which are melancholic songs that fishermen, sailors and emigrants sang.

The other moment with a highest number of Catalan emigrants (refugees and exiles) was after the fascists' victory in the Spanish Civil War (1939), but few of them went to Cuba then. Most went to Mexico, Venezuela, and France, and some also to Chile, Argentina, Colombia, and to a lesser extent the UK and the USA.

[aviationgeek71]

Ghosts of Ohio's Erie Canal

Whispers linger on weathered stones, where specters spin tales of yesteryear's canal boats. Old towpaths, now cradled in nature's tender grasp, echo with the ghostly cadence of invisible horse teams. Their legacy drifts through the air, a soft rustle among the leaves, a timeless serenade to the days of ole along Ohio's Erie canal.

Spanning an impressive 300 miles, the Ohio & Erie Canal bridged the wilds of Ohio—once known as the Northwest Territory—linking the Ohio River to Lake Erie in the early 1800s. This monumental feat of engineering swiftly elevated the state to economic prominence.

Harnessing the power of horses and mules to tow canal boats, the young state of Ohio transcended the formidable and expensive transportation barrier of the Appalachian Mountains. The result was a shift in commerce, reducing the cost of trade with the Northeastern United States, curtailing their reliance on pricier European imports.

For nearly a century, the romance of canal boats navigated Ohio's rural landscape. It was only the age of the railroad—faster and more dependable than water routes—that the old canals gracefully bowed to their denouement.

These canal ruins, now silent footprints of history—known as a lock—once raised and lowered canal boats with precision, allowing passage through Ohio’s varied terrain. It’s a poetic interlude in Ohio's heart, where every stone recites a tale of the canal’s storied past.

Lockville, Ohio. August 5, 2023.

By @aviationgeek71

[tokidokitokyo]

埼玉県

Japanese Prefectures: Kantō - Saitama

都道府県 (とどうふけん) - Prefectures of Japan

Learning the kanji and a little bit about each of Japan’s 47 prefectures!

Kanji・漢字

埼　さき、さい、みさき、キ　cape, spit, promontory

玉　たま、～だま、ギョク　jewel, jade; ball

県　ケン　prefecture

関東　かんとう　Kanto, region consisting of Tokyo and surrounding prefectures

Prefectural Capital (県庁所在地) : Saitama City (さいたま市)

Saitama is Tokyo's neighbor to the north. Much of southeastern Saitama is considered a suburb of Tokyo, but the western parts are mostly rural with mountainous forested areas, and include a castle town and the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park. Saitama has historically been a fertile agricultural region and is currently the major food supplier for the metropolitan area of Greater Tokyo. Some of the first currency in Japan came from copper discovered in the Chichibu area in the 8th century. Saitama's central location has made it a historical hub for transportation to all parts of Eastern Japan, and the modern radial roads and railroad system are designed for ease of transportation to all parts of Japan. Saitama is also the backdrop to the famous Miyazaki Hayao (Studio Ghibli) film "My Neighbor Totoro."

Recommended Tourist Spot・おすすめ観光スポット Kawagoe - 川越

Kawagoe

The Edo-period castle town of Kawagoe is also known as Ko-edo (小江戸 or "Little Edo") because of its many traditional buildings dating from the Edo period. The streets have been maintained as-is since the Edo period (1603-1867). The weekends are the most popular times for visitors to gather here and experience the atmosphere, shops, and popular seasonal events. In the third week of October, the Kawagoe Festival is held with a parade of traditional ornate floats and a musical competition.

The Warehouse District is lined with old earthen storehouses, which are unique two-story buildings that have remained unchanged since the days when the city was a major transportation and commerce hub for Eastern Japan. The Toki no Kane, or "Bell of Time," has marked time for the town for centuries, and continues to ring four times daily. Candy Street is a street lined with stores where traditional Japanese sweets are made in the old-fashioned way.

For more recent history, the Taisho-Roman Street has old, retro western-style buildings from the Taisho and Showa areas. There are also no overhead power lines, which makes this a popular spot to shoot many Japanese period films set in these eras.

There are severable notable temples and shrines in Kawagoe, especially Kitain Temple, which was built over 1,000 years ago. This temple has 538 stone statues of Buddha, each with its own face and unique posture. No two statues look alike, and the popular belief is that there is a statue to resemble any visitor to the temple. Kawagoe Hikawa-jinja Shrine is a Shinto shrine dating back to the 6th century that boasts a torii shrine gate that is 15 metres tall. Kawagoe Kumano-jinja Shrine has fortunes, lucky charms, and also boasts the "stepping health road," which is a path to walk barefoot to stimulate the acupuncture points on the soles of your feet for health benefits.

Regional Cuisine - 郷土料理 Miso Potato - 味噌ポテト

Miso Potato (source)

Famous in the Chichibu region of Saitama, miso potatoes are a well-known winter treat in the area. This dish is similar to a baked potato covered in sweet miso sauce and is traditionally from the rural areas in the mountainous part of the prefecture. It is now a popular street stall snack that combines the sweet and savoury miso flavours with the earthy baked potato texture.

Saitama Dialect・Saitama-ben・埼玉弁

1. むじっけー　mujikkee　cute

むじっけー猫だね。 (mujikkee neko da ne)

Standard Japanese: かわいい猫だね。 (kawaii neko da ne)

English: What a cute cat.

2. ああみぃ　aahmii　no good, can't do it (also, ああみ, aahmi)

ごめん、明日ああみぃ。 (gomen, ashita aahmii)

Standard Japanese: ごめん、明日行けない。 (gomen, ashita ikenai) or ごめん、明日はダメ。 (gomen, ashita wa dame)

English: Sorry, I can't go tomorrow. or Sorry, tomorrow is no good.

3. かみぎっちょ　gamigiccho　lizard

庭のすみっこにかまぎっちょがいたで。 (niwa no sumikko ni kamagiccho ga itade)

Standard Japanese: 庭の隅にとかげがいたよ。 (niwa no sumi ni tokage ga ita yo)

English: There was a lizard in the corner of the garden.

4. うちゃる　ucharu　to throw away

そこにうちゃるなよ。 (soko ni ucharu na yo)

Standard Japanese: そこに捨てるなよ。 (soko ni suteru na yo)

English: Don't throw that away there.

5. こわい　～kowai　hard

このおせんべいこわい。 (kono osenbei kowai)

Standard Japanese: このおせんべい硬い。 (kono senbei katai)

English: This senbei is hard.

*Note: senbei is a Japanese rice cracker

6. えらい　erai　a lot

今日はえらい食べるな。 (kyou wa erai taberu na)

Standard Japanese: 今日はたくさん食べるな。 (kyou wa takusan taberu na)

English: Don't eat a lot today.

[leviathan-supersystem]

Mike DeWine, the Ohio governor, recently lamented the toll taken on the residents of East Palestine after the toxic train derailment there, saying “no other community should have to go through this”.

But such accidents are happening with striking regularity. A Guardian analysis of data collected by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and by non-profit groups that track chemical accidents in the US shows that accidental releases – be they through train derailments, truck crashes, pipeline ruptures or industrial plant leaks and spills – are happening consistently across the country.

By one estimate these incidents are occurring, on average, every two days.

“These kinds of hidden disasters happen far too frequently,” Mathy Stanislaus, who served as assistant administrator of the EPA’s office of land and emergency management during the Obama administration, told the Guardian. Stanislaus led programs focused on the cleanup of contaminated hazardous waste sites, chemical plant safety, oil spill prevention and emergency response.

In the first seven weeks of 2023 alone, there were more than 30 incidents recorded by the Coalition to Prevent Chemical Disasters, roughly one every day and a half. Last year the coalition recorded 188, up from 177 in 2021. The group has tallied more than 470 incidents since it started counting in April 2020.

The incidents logged by the coalition range widely in severity but each involves the accidental release of chemicals deemed to pose potential threats to human and environmental health.

In September, for instance, nine people were hospitalized and 300 evacuated in California after a spill of caustic materials at a recycling facility. In October, officials ordered residents to shelter in place after an explosion and fire at a petrochemical plant in Louisiana. In November, more than 100 residents of Atchinson, Kansas, were treated for respiratory problems and schools were evacuated after an accident at a beverage manufacturing facility created a chemical cloud over the town.

Among multiple incidents in December, a large pipeline ruptured in rural northern Kansas, smothering the surrounding land and waterways in 588,000 gallons of diluted bitumen crude oil. Hundreds of workers are still trying to clean up the pipeline mess, at a cost pegged at around $488m.

The precise number of hazardous chemical incidents is hard to determine because the US has multiple agencies involved in response, but the EPA told the Guardian that over the past 10 years, the agency has “performed an average of 235 emergency response actions per year, including responses to discharges of hazardous chemicals or oil”. The agency said it employs roughly 250 people devoted to the EPA’s emergency response and removal program.

[...]

The EPA itself says that by several measurements, accidents at facilities are becoming worse: evacuations, sheltering and the average annual rate of people seeking medical treatment stemming from chemical accidents are on the rise. Total annual costs are approximately $477m, including costs related to injuries and deaths.

“Accidental releases remain a significant concern,” the EPA said.

In August, the EPA proposed several changes to the Risk Management Program (RMP) regulations that apply to plants dealing with hazardous chemicals. The rule changes reflect the recognition by EPA that many chemical facilities are located in areas that are vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis, including power outages, flooding, hurricanes and other weather events.

The proposed changes include enhanced emergency preparedness, increased public access to information about hazardous chemicals risks communities face and new accident prevention requirements.

The US Chamber of Commerce has pushed back on stronger regulations, arguing that most facilities operate safely, accidents are declining and that the facilities impacted by any rule changes are supplying “essential products and services that help drive our economy and provide jobs in our communities”. Other opponents to strengthening safety rules include the American Chemistry Council, American Forest & Paper Association, American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers and the American Petroleum Institute.

The changes are “unnecessary” and will not improve safety, according to the American Chemistry Council.

Many worker and community advocates, such as the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace & Agricultural Implement Workers of America, (UAW), which represents roughly a million laborers, say the proposed rule changes don’t go far enough.

[aloneandforsakenbyfateandbyman]

I used to think I’d live in the countryside or rural but unfortunately I’m a city girl. I love bustling mega cities with giant glass skyscrapers resembling the Tower of Babel, lots of industry and commerce so I can sip boba while walking down the street in a brand new skirt going to a rooftop bar, garden, museum, bookstore, etc. I’m a soygirl who needs capitalist bullshit and Sephora it’s sad Alex Jones was right

[unsoundedcomic]

Is Sharteshane a country of undifferentiated misery that's equally awful in every square inch of the country, or are there some places that are better, and some places that are worse? That doesn't sound possible that a country could have different places, some of which are better or worse than other places in the came country.

The cities are pretty miserable but the rural villages and farms outside them are pleasant enough. A country can't function without a certain degree of stable agricultural infrastructure and commerce. Secure your place in that, and life might be just dandy for you.

In the cities, everyone wants to own the factory and manage the business. But in a country without government protections it's a different story to work in the factory or business, and worse still to be unable to find work at all. Maybe you fall to collecting pisspots for a tannery or picking through industrial waste for scraps of metal or selling your body. Maybe you simp to the local gang so you can pickpocket or rob houses on their turf. You do what you can or what you have to, or you starve. And then if your body was any good the plodmen enslave it.

But Sharteshane is a paradise if you're rich. The country values wealth above everything else. Everyone wants to be the fat guy in charge with the bulging wallet and bulging crotch. If the Twins desired it any other way they would have made a different world. And if that world is chewing you up, you must deserve it for something you did in your last life.

[hiraya-rawr]

"sacrifice" mc + rex lapis // basically ancient liyue with questionable traditions

you're really just a commoner from a remote village, unlucky enough to be "sacrificed" to rex lapis. think of sacrificial brides but without the blood and ocean part. so there you are, dressed in your best robes, sent as an offering to the temple.

meanwhile, morax was relaxing the day away until he started hearing prayers about "please accept our village's sacrifice" and he's like? sacrifice??what???

he's aware that some customs may get out of hand, especially in the more rural areas, but what is he supposed to do with you who has offered yourself on behalf of your village now? 😭

he can't exactly send you back, in a way it would be disrespectful, especially to your family who gave you up. but he also pities you who has no ties to anywhere anymore.

and the trope changes to "rural commoner gets toured around the progressive and luxurious, bustling harbor of liyue by their very own ruler!"

you honestly didn't know what to expect. a small part of you expected death, hearing stories of the dragon-archon with a bloodlust; another part of you expected to be taken in as a servant, polishing the jade and marble floors of the temples— instead, you were taken in as a sort of... companion.

imagine experiencing so many new things for the first time! the commerce by the port is so different from the sleepy village you grew up in; you try on the latest trends which look rather odd on you but wow the silk feels so soft!; you eat cuisines from different nations, sleep in soft beds and talk with people from various backgrounds.

perhaps you were like a lost soul to zhongli at first. offered by your village with nowhere else to go. he gave you opportunities to step out of your shell, develop into your own person, experience new things.

your time in liyue harbor with him helped you grow— eventually, you'll have the courage to confront him.

"what are we?" you'd ask, and he'd sincerely ponder over the question.

indeed, who are you to him?

he'll give you a fond smile, replying "We are–"

note !! such a random brainrot at 3am, i was honestly torn if i wanted this to be romantic or platonic so might leave it at that!

[jgroffdaily]

Jonathan is interviewed by Richard Lawson at Vanity Fair, with the interview also available as a podcast.

There are additional questions asked in the podcast about the state of theatre and crowds after Covid, shows he has seen recently (including OH Mary!, Mary Jane and Illinoise), the differences between working in film, television and theatre, and the legacy of working with David Fincher.

In conversation with VF’s Richard Lawson, Groff talks Merrily as well as his childhood in rural Pennsylvania and his Tony-nominated performance as Melchior Gabor in Spring Awakening. Rather than joining Lea Michele, his Spring Awakening costar and bestie, on Ryan Murphy’s Glee, Groff opted to stay in the theater world. “I really felt like I didn’t want to sign on to be a singing teenager again for another seven years, which I had just done for two years in Spring Awakening,” he tells Lawson.

As you’ve navigated a very dynamic career, how have you found managing the art and the commerce?

I’ve been really lucky in that when I moved to New York, I just wanted to act. I was not looking for money. I mean, I waited tables and I kept cash under my bed and all of that when I first moved to New York. But as time went on, I was lucky enough to get those few jobs that allowed me to live and allowed me to listen to my artistic appetite over a monetary need. Even the jobs that have blessedly made me money in my life, I never took for that primary purpose. Every job that I’ve taken has been an artistic curiosity primarily. So I’ve been really lucky in that regard.

Are you saying that you didn’t do the off-Broadway Little Shop of Horrors for the money?

[Laughs] It’s funny that you bring up off Broadway, because there was this moment after Spring Awakening where I had left—I had left the show after doing it for two years. I was 23, and Ryan Murphy had told Lea Michele and I that he had written this show Glee for the two of us, and would we be interested in doing that? I really felt like I didn’t want to sign on to be a singing teenager again for another seven years, which I had just done for two years in Spring Awakening. I was 23, and I really wanted to act. I love singing, but doing that felt like more of the same as opposed to something that would be an opportunity for artistic growth. And that next year, I did three off-Broadway plays.

When I came out the other end of that experience, I understood the truly life-changing power of doing great material. Spring Awakening changed me from the inside out as a person. I came out of that experience feeling like, Ooh, I want to keep doing this. I want to keep stretching and growing and challenging myself as an actor. So, Hair and Glee came up as opportunities, but I went to Playwrights Horizons and the Public Theater and did plays there for the next year.

[neolithicsheep]

So yesterday I told you about http://aseelapp.com where you can go to donate aid for Afghan people who are hungry or need heat for winter, or buy directly from Afghan artisans.

My main platform has been twitter for years but, well, you know. Anyway my routine is that on weekends I boost a campaign to my followers so here's a link to help people in Herat Province:

Herat is the large province highlighted in red. The population is about 3 million, and around 80% of those people live in rural areas raising saffron or sheep, weaving carpets, or quarrying marble. Only about a quarter of households have access to clean water.

Also while I have you here, let me wreck your budget. It takes about a month for things to get from Afghanistan to me here in North Carolina so if you want to order for Christmas your deadline is RIGHT NOW. Let me make some suggestions!

https://aseelapp.com/en_us/lapis%20ring%20for%20men4.html

Afghanistan has enormous amounts of lapis lazuli deposits and you can find a lot of gorgeous things made from it ranging from jewelry to candlesticks. The Dari word for lapis is lajaward (لاجورد) which probably derives from the place in Badakhshan, Afghanistan, where it has historically been mined.

Nematullah and Brotheran has your gorgeous lapis bowls, picture frames, etc

Mr Haneif at Nuristan Fashion has wool waistcoats, long coats, and patu!! A patu is a large 100% wool shawl worn by Afghan men. Buying one was the best decision I ever made as there's nothing better than wrapping up in a big length of wool.

Do you drink tea? Let me introduce you to Mr Wakil at the Istalefi Pottery Shop! Among other things he makes absolutely amazing teapots. I have a few things from him and another on the way. Here is the small bowl I eat my snacks from!

For merchants, Aseel is a platform like Etsy. You are buying from an Afghan artisan and helping them keep their family fed and clothed and warm. I recommend using the "Shop by Brand" option as it will show you only Afghan shops.

I volunteer my time with the Aseel team doing... Basically this. I'm also constantly trying to convince them to tell sellers to raise prices because they're criminally low but no dice so far.

[catohphm]

Hi everyone! I spent the rest of yesterday typing up a complete backstory for my Hogwarts Legacy OC, Danny, for a Star Wars AU in which he is a Jedi! It took me several hours to pull all this together so I hope you enjoy it!

tagging some moots to start: @adalinda-selwyn, @rypnami, @n0va25, @boxdstars, @superconductivebean, @idiot-adventures, @hazyange1s

Circa 45 BBY, Master Islwyn was born on Dressel, a remote, rural, wooded planet in the Mid-Rim largely detached from galactic politics. For the first three years of his life, the boy was nurtured on his parents’ ranch, who were former successful merchants that had sold off their interests and settled down for a quieter life after their enterprise started to wane due to the rising influence of large commerce houses such as the Inter-Galactic Banking Clan. However, his parents wanted their son to have a chance at life in the galaxy. They were not strong in the Force, but believed in it. They prayed that one day their boy would be granted that opportunity by will of the Force.

It seemed that those prayers were answered when a handful of brown-robed strangers showed up at the front doorstep of the Islwyns. Believing that this was the opportunity they hoped their son would have, the family welcomed the strangers. Little Danny could speak by this point, but being so young, there was no way he could process that this was the last family dinner he would have until he was an adult. Over supper, the visitors revealed their identities as Jedi and explained to the family their intentions to take their son in, raising and training him as a part of their Order. As much as they believed in the Force, little Danny’s parents had a hard time believing that the Jedi was more than myth, the mysterious guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy. They were still somewhat surprised when members of the Order approached their abode. 

The Islwyns agreed, albeit very reluctantly and emotionally, to let the Jedi leave with their son and train them as one of their own. The three-year old Danny was the loudest and it took some time for both the parents and the Jedi to calm him down. His parents gave him hugs and admitted they would still miss him dearly in spite of the fact that they had what they wanted for him. Life on the ranch would not be the same for the couple, but they had to manage for everyone’s sake. Indeed, young Danny remained in tears as he left the ranch on the shoulder of one of the Jedi, waving goodbye.

Emigrated to the grand Jedi Temple of Coruscant, the sight of a planet-wide big city was a lot to take in for the youngling when the starship docked. He was shocked and amazed of course, as it was a vast difference to the forests and prairies of quiet Dressel. Immediately from the beginning it was clear to the masters that Danny struggled with attachment and letting go. He was a happy if somewhat quiet and shy kid. It bothered the little youngling greatly that he would have to adjust to his new surroundings, even face the reality he may not get to see his mama and papa for a very long time, if not ever again. 

Under the Jedi Code, attachments were forbidden within the Order. Forcing it on little Danny however, would be wrong. One of the masters, a Togruta named Shaak Ti, took a particular interest in him. She felt and understood his deep struggles with attachments. Thus she was not hesitant to express her concerns about how he may be treated when it came to addressing his feelings and memories. Rather than trying to forcefully drill it in, which would be wrong, Master Ti advocated for working with Danny to understand his troubles and develop the important skills he would need for his journey in the Force. 

Master Ti would become a motherly figure to young Danny in the Jedi. She was allowed to play a main role in his early education and training as a youngling. He felt at ease when she was around, able to sense her strong devotion to the nature of the Force and the Jedi teachings. She encouraged him to explain what upset and scared him. Ti recognized that his attachment to his mother and father was natural and part of what made him happy. It also showed that he had  a strong heart and was concerned for other people and their wellbeing. Over time, Danny would learn to acknowledge and accept his feelings and attachments as positive and healthy so that he could remain focused on his studies and betterment as a Jedi. Shaak Ti understood why the Code banned attachments. They had the potential to interfere in the training and duties of a Jedi, turning them to the Dark Side if they were left unaddressed and allowed to overrun the individual. At the same time, she believed that with the proper handling, training and meditation, one would be able to manage their attachments in a constructive way.

As a student, Danny also looked up to Shaak Ti as a role model. He took up after her in the spiritual, scholarly and martial components of the Jedi, preferring negotiation first while being prepared for battle at any moment. He even took an interest in whips and dreamed of having a lightsaber that worked like one of them when he got older, developing a specialization for the whip throughout his training. Danny was well-liked by his peers and got along with most of his clan, though some considered him as weird and teased him for his unusual interest in whips. Otherwise he was empathetic and hardworking, sometimes assisting classmates in need.

When they came of age, young Danny and the rest of his initiate clan participated in a rite of passage known as the Gathering to build their lightsabers, as was customary. They were flown to the faraway snowy planet of Ilum in an ancient starship called the Crucible under the guidance of Professor Huyang, an academic droid also dating back from antiquity. On the planet, Danny and the younglings had to journey into caverns to find kyber crystals that they connected to in the Force while overcoming challenges testing their resilience and willpower. He managed to work through all the obstacles and negative temptations within him due to the teachings of Shaak Ti. The crystal he found was green due to his affinity with the Force’s nature. Danny used the powers of the force to build his lightsaber under the careful direction of the droid professor.

He passed his Initiate Trials with flying colors. As a Jedi Master, Shaak Ti was allowed to select her own apprentice to train, who would be none other than young Danny. It was now 32 BBY, which would see the world of Naboo be invaded and occupied by the Trade Federation in response to hefty tariffs by the Galactic Republic. He also witnessed the arrival of a young slave from the Outer Rim desert world of Tatooine, Anakin Skywalker, the news of which also brought along rumors of a Sith resurgence. While the possibility of the evil Force order returning concerned Danny somewhat, he brushed them aside as he was intrigued by the story of Anakin. Skywalker was permitted into the Jedi for training as Obi-Wan’s student after helping defeat the Trade Federation force that held Naboo at gunpoint. While welcoming toward Anakin, Danny couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was troubling him. He sensed that Skywalker also had problems with attachments, which he could understand, but the former slave’s predicament was worse than what he had to deal with. 

Danny continued his studies under Master Ti, them going on many missions together to further their journeys in the Force. Their bond grew to new heights as her student became an older teenager. Master and padawan saw each other as equals and had a shared mutual respect. Even on the hardest missions did young Danny enjoy traveling with and learning from Shaak Ti. In 25 BBY, he completed the Jedi Trials and was knighted in a formal ceremony. While proud of this accomplishment, he was not to rest on his laurels for long as he was assigned his new padawan shortly after, a teenage girl named Sophronia. Danny was reluctant at first, if a bit apprehensive even, but all doubts came crashing down when he got to meet her. The girl was intelligent and bright, as well as eager and friendly. She conveyed an air of maturity while remaining youthful and was devoted to the Jedi teachings.

Over the next 6 years, Master Islwyn dedicated himself to training Sophronia the best he could using what he learned from Master Ti and his own experiences. He constructed his lightwhip with an orange crystal after years of honing the skill. His apprentice was somewhat jealous of this, but she was also proud of him for his accomplishment. She respected and admired him a lot. They shared their passion for learning and knowledge, which further their bond and respective paths. Even then Danny would sometimes be irritated by Sophronia’s deep passion and talkative nature on the details of historical events and legends. While their bond was still a bit rocky at the start, they gradually warmed up to each other. He continued to maintain his close bond with Shaak Ti, who offered his padawan advice and motivation from time to time.

Tensions in the Republic only continued to worsen following the Naboo crisis. Many star systems were breaking off to join a new rising power in response to growing corruption, bureaucracy and alleged mistreatment. Named the Confederacy of Independent Systems, it rapidly gained support and membership under the direction of a former Jedi-turned-Sith, Count Dooku, who was christened Darth Tyranus by his master, Darth Sidious. The massive commerce houses that prompted Danny’s parents to leave business had also joined the CIS, providing military and financial support in return for places in the Separatists' governing council.

It was hard to believe for Danny that such an accomplished and respected Jedi such as Dooku could leave the Order and possibly even defect to the Republic’s rivals or enemies. He picked up his parents’ sentiment for politics, it being sort of alien to him as a committed Jedi. It was believed that Dooku had left as he felt that the organization was becoming too political, short-sighted and narrow in its ways serving the Republic. Danny also struggled to comprehend this as he always remembered the Jedi as essential to his family. They had cared for him, trained him and afforded him a life where he could be happy and perhaps make a difference in the galaxy. As much as he felt strongly about Dooku leaving the Order, nothing could change his stance on the Jedi until the outbreak of the Clone Wars. 

Dooku’s warnings would be validated as the powder keg of tensions in the galaxy exploded, pitting the Republic in open hostilities with the Separatists. The shortcomings of the Jedi were exposed to the public throughout the war, the role of them as soldiers not helping sentiment against them. That’s what Danny saw himself as he continued to serve the Jedi and the Republic in the war. He did not see it as his duty to be caught up in the back-and-forth playing of politics in the Senate Chamber. His convictions lied in the safety and wellbeing of his padawan, Master Ti and his force of clone troopers.

Although Danny always had questions about the Jedi doctrine that stemmed from his very first encounter with them as a little boy on Dressel. They were aided by the Clone Wars’  increase in scrutiny and condemnation of the Jedi as warriors pushing for the Republic’s interests at the costs of other people. Danny did not believe that it was that extreme, but he could not refute that the Jedi doctrine was flawed, if even outdated and in need of amendment. He further suspected that there were plans going on behind closed doors to usurp the Jedi and destroy the democracy laid out by the Republic. However he could not act on it nor communicate it much to others due to a lack of proof.

Nevertheless Danny and Sophronia fought in many battles together, the experience in the combat zone a test of their bond and prowess in its own right. Coming into 19 BBY, Sophronia became a knight herself. Much to the immense applause and gratitude of both Danny and Shaak Ti, she had proven herself a fierce, independent and accomplished Jedi worthy of the honor. Following the battle above Coruscant and the rescue of Chancellor Palpatine, Danny was informed that he had been selected for the ascension rank of Master for his honorable service and dedication to teaching young Sophronia the ways of the Force. He was to receive the promotion once the Clone Wars were over, this would unfortunately be cut short by Order 66.

Having thwarted an attempt by Master of the Order Mace Windu to apprehend him and bring him to justice, Palpatine, the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, framed the Jedi as killers who attempted to take over the Republic and made Anakin his apprentice, Sith Lord Darth Vader. While he sent out Vader to raze the Jedi Temple with 501st Legion backup, Palpatine issued the contingency command Order 66 to turn the clone troopers against their Jedi commanders and comrades out in battle. Danny himself was able to dodge the crossfire using his lightwhip skills and slip away. Sophronia also managed to escape although Shaak Ti was caught in the temple and killed by Anakin along with many of the other Jedi on Coruscant. 

Danny attempted to reach a few of the Jedi as he escaped the battlefield in his fighter. Most of the channels gave no response but he managed to reach Sophronia, who he advised to lay low and sent coordinates for a place where they could rendezvous later on. He also got ahold of Obi-Wan Kenobi, who had just fled Utapau after killing the Separatist warlord General Grievous. They agreed to meet at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant to investigate a distress signal coming from it. Danny had a bad feeling about it as his suspicions of a secret plot to topple the Jedi and Republic were confirmed.

Meeting Obi-Wan inside the ruined temple, he was horrified at the insurmountable decimation that had been wrought, even that Anakin, the “Chosen One” could even fall to the Dark Side. Unfortunately, that was the case as they and Yoda reviewed security footage of their former ally slaughtering their innocent comrade. It was too much for Danny to bear but he had to stick to his Jedi teachings and remain strong for his surviving brethren. Obi-Wan had to even stop him from entering Shaak Ti’s room and seeing her gruesome remains. He was devastated that she had been killed and they’d never get to see each other again, although some consolation came in the form of a holomessage Master Kenobi had recovered from Ti’s room. It had been recorded by her soon before Anakin had arrived with hundreds of 501st Legion troops, sensing that he had turned to the Sith and she’d most likely be dead. The recording was a goodbye from Shaak Ti to her former student. In it, she urged him to continue his studies in the Force, seek out Yoda to get his master promotion, and stay alive so that he can help defeat whatever evil arises from the shift in Force and restore freedom, peace and justice to the galaxy. Anything else, the deaths of Ti and other fallen Jedi would be in vain. The message also encouraged Danny to seek out whatever family he had, if there were any at all.

After receiving and listening to the holomessage, Danny and Obi-Wan reluctantly said farewell and may the force be with you to each other before parting ways. Yoda had already departed to battle Sidious before the other two surviving Jedi investigated Ti's room. Obi-Wan was going to Mustafar to confront his former friend and student Vader. Thrust into a new reality where the Republic and Jedi, the family he knew is now dead at the hands of an evil Sith lord and a traitorous Skywalker who was once an ally, Danny sets himself off on a new journey. Acting on a tip from a contact who recognized his surname, he begins the long flight to Dressel to find the original family he came from. 

Palpatine meanwhile declares the First Galactic Empire. In a move to consolidate power under the guise of security and stability, the Sith Lord ends the era of the Republic, crowning himself Emperor and putting the Separatists to the saber. Democracy is dead with thunderous applause. Danny could not have picked a better time to flee the heart of the new Empire, as any surviving Jedi were marked for death with bounties soon following. No matter what, the Force remains strong in him, who must remain committed on his journey in his role as a guardian of peace and justice in the galaxy.

[a-roguish-gambit]

So context for what Roberto da Costa would experience in the turn of the century:

This period was when football (which you americans call soccer) was still a novelty in Brazil, and considered a sport for the white, wealthy elite.

There was a black man who played for the Fluminense football club, but legend tells he got forced to paint his face in white to be allowed to play.

Slavery had been abolished in 1888, so it was still a very fresh and recent memory in people's minds.

Many black people in rural areas still kept working for their former "owners" because the goverment gave them no education, restitution or place to go.

Only signed a paper saying "You're free now" and washed their hands, in a political move to save the former instution of the Empire, but it didn't really work to stop the military to give a coup and proclaiming the Republic.

Women and illiterate people (which were the majority of the population) were forbidden from voting.

Immigrants from Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Portugal, Spain and Japan were coming to replace the former enslaved workers as payed workers and colonize more isolated territories in the South.

The bankrupt aristocratic families were marrying their daughters to the sons of the industrial New Rich (usually the sons of italian, portuguese or spanish imigrants) as a way to avoid poverty, which the New Rich also saw the benefit to gain connections and respect from the Higher Society.

Lebanese and Sirian imigrants came to work primarily in urban commerce.

In this atmosphere of military ruling young Republic, aristocrats fond of the Empire, recent slavery abolishment and racism, is where Roberto da Costa would be growing, likely the son of rural of military burgeoisie, descendant of free african-brazilians who have to try pass for white to be accepted in society.

Possibly he would be enrolled in military academy in the name of "discipline" and studying to be either a lawyer or engineer, and his military school would send to the United States.

Awesome! Thank your for all this info. I'm a little bit out of the loop personally from south american history at the turn of the century outside of the US imperialism/big brothering of the Pacific going on there so this was a big big help. Thank you!

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

About the "affair" rumors and the papers writing what sells: Kate sells.

The press could have kept trying to prove it, kept it in the news, but no one was talking, it would have taken years of venom and mud racking, and they'd run the risk of getting less top selling Kate content.

Anyone with a brain would have stayed loyal to the golden goose. The Chamber of Commerce and the British Fashion Council might have been somewhat pissed off if the SUN had managed to hound Catherine into rural obscurity.

Harry's version tells us that the Sux were offered as a distraction or a sacrifice, but that's not necessarily the truth: Catherine's consistently high popularity means something. She doesn't even have to actively exert her own influence for it to be felt.

True, Kate does sell. But when they were writing about the affair rumors, those stories weren't about Kate - they were about William. They tried twice to connect Kate to the affair rumors with headlines like "Did Prince William cheat on Kate?" and stories about the "Kate vs Rose feud" but there was no traction and subsequently they failed.

Neither version was able to get traction because Kate didn't play along. The reporters were expecting Kate to behave like Diana did - lashing out or going out on her own or showing it in her body language/behavior - but she didn't. She didn't react at all and that killed the stories more than Meghan being offered on a silver platter or not wanting to slay the golden egg.

[justforbooks]

Montolieu est l’étape idéale pour les amoureux du livre

Montolieu (Aude) constitue une agréable escapade à quelques kilomètres de Carcassonne. Ce « Village du Livre & des Arts » rassemble 17 librairies et a séduit de nombreux écrivains par son charme. L’occasion d’une belle balade littéraire dans les rues du bourg.

C'est l'un des 8 villages du livre recensés en France. On y trouve des libraires de livres anciens et d'occasion mais aussi des professionnels des arts et des métiers du livre : relieurs, doreurs, graveurs, calligraphes, enlumineurs, fabricants de papier, imprimeries artisanales, éditeurs.

Dans les 17 librairies du village, on trouve principalement des livres d'occasion, avec du vécu… une histoire. Certaines sont spécialisées en livres jeunesses ou encore en littérature anglaise : il y en a pour tous les goûts.

Après avoir visité Carcassonne et sa fameuse Cité médiévale, une étape par Montolieu (Aude), charmante commune située à une quinzaine de kilomètres, s’impose. Il s’agit d’un « Village du Livre & des Arts », autrement dit un bourg rural où sont installés des librairies et des commerces d’artisanat autour du livre.

Riche d’une longue histoire, puisque occupé depuis la Préhistoire, Montolieu est devenu un village du livre en 1990, à l’initiative de Michel Braibant, relieur belge installé à Carcassonne, explique l’office du tourisme du Grand Carcassonne. Son rapport avec les écrivains est toutefois plus ancien encore : le village en a inspiré beaucoup, comme l’autrice Anna Gavalda, qui a vécu à Montolieu quelques années.

Au total, aujourd’hui, cette commune de 800 habitants compte 17 librairies de livres anciens, neufs ou d’occasion. « Certaines librairies ont justement des spécialités (BD, jeunesse, art, revues, journaux anciens…) », détaille l’office du tourisme. Les visiteurs peuvent aussi arpenter les 15 galeries ou ateliers d’art du village. Le bourg dispose par ailleurs d’un Musée des Arts & Métiers du Livre, où il est notamment possible de s’initier aux arts graphiques.

Mais plus généralement, ce bourg pittoresque est l’occasion d’une agréable balade. Au détour de ses ruelles fleuries et de ses maisons anciennes, il est possible de découvrir l’église Saint-André, un édifice du XIVe siècle classé aux monuments historiques, l’ancienne manufacture royale de draps, ou encore la chapelle Saint-Roch, qui offre un magnifique panorama sur les environs.

Situé sur les contreforts de la Montagne noire, au beau milieu des vignes, Montolieu ouvre sur de nombreux itinéraires de randonnée dans les gorges de l’Alzeau et de la Dure, avec ses ponts et ses moulins. « Oliviers, cyprès, variétés de cactus et arbustes fleuris mettent sublimement en beauté le paysage », assure l’office de tourisme.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?