#visit granada spain

[zxzsax]

Granada : Discovering the Beauty of Spain's Moorish Gem

If you’re looking for a city in Spain that’s brimming with history, culture, and natural beauty, Granada should definitely be at the top of your list. Located in the southern region of Andalusia, Granada is a city that’s steeped in history and known for its Moorish architecture, stunning views, and vibrant culture. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what makes Granada such a unique and…

[escapetololaland]

The Alhambra, Granada | Spain | 2023

[caracolcondiarrea]

I genuinely can´t believe the south of Spain is one of the most touristic places in Spain in summer. ITS SOO FREAKING HOT HERE

[beautiful-basque-country]

I’ve read your recent post like six times but I still can’t wrap my head around it. There are masses for Franco? MASSES?

I know the Catholic Church can be a real mess, but how on Earth is this allowed? Isn’t there a bishop or someone at the Vatican that can stop this?

How do all the various communities let these gatherings and masses happen?

I’m Italian and Irish, so the lose equivalent of this Franco worship would be gatherings and masses for Mussolini and Cromwell, which I could never see happening. There would be a revolts in the streets! I mean sure, there’s always a handful of fascist ass lickers in every community, but usually it’s not blatant and their actions aren’t accepted let alone celebrated?

What is the general education regarding Franco like in Spain? Is there a lot of revisionist theory trying to paint him out to be something other than a psychopathic murderer?

Sorry if these questions are stupid, I’m just shocked this is like a normal and widespread thing. I’ve been to Spain once, and I guess I missed this aspect of the culture?

Kaixo anon!

They're not stupid questions, and I'll try my best to answer in an understandable way.

I'm sorry you're shocked about the masses thing, but it becomes a bit less weird if you take into account that one of the keys to the success of Franco's regime was Catholicism and the Catholic Church. Not for nothing his political ideas were called "national-Catholicism". The Church gave its full support to Franco and the dictatorship, and worked hard indoctrinating people to first accept and then passionately defend it. We can't understand Francoism without the Catholic religion.

You ask why this is allowed. Easy!! I'm not sure how Christian masses work in other parts of the world, but in Spain and EH, you pay and the church delivers: it can be a mention of the name of a deceased person the family wants to honor on the Sunday mass, or a full mass for said person any day you want. That's why there are masses for Franco eeeeeeeevery Nov 20. Because somebody - Franco Foundation, fascist associations or parties, just somebody - pays for them to exist. Of course the Catholic church defends it's just a mass of remembrance for a deceased person and not a glorification of a fascist dictator. Okay, if they say so.

Just this year there have been 18 masses throughout the Spanish state: in Madrid, Valladolid, Zaragoza, Málaga, Toledo, Alicante, Santander, Granada, Uesca, València, Zamora, Ceuta, Teruel, Sevilla, and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

I'd like to think that Francoism isn't part of the Spanish culture as you mention, but sadly 40 years of a fascist dictatorship do some things to people. 40 years of lefties escaping the country or being executed, 40 years of brainwashing, 40 years of turbo Catholic fascism. You don't leave all that behind just overnight. There are still monuments to the dictator or the coup (Crusade, in fascist language), streets devoted to fascist elite members and criminals, and the f*cking king is the son of the king Franco personally chose for the Spanish state. There are Francoism remnants in every single Spanish institution, from the Congress to the Supreme Court (especially there). Everything is still tainted by Franco, his political ideas, and his corrupt political ways, even now, yes. Franco himself said the infamous words maaaany still remember: everything is tied and tied well. He meant that everything was throughly planned and established to function as he wanted when he passed. And it really was tied well.

So it may be not blatant for anyone visiting, but it's there, and it's definitely apparent. There's this sociological Francoism that was somewhat hidden from the 90s to the 10s, but now with the rise of the far right / neonazi movements has taken the mask off and fascists are calling themselves fascists with pride. There have always been some nostalgic people that were considered fanatic freaks up until now, but now they're more and more since very young men - mainly - are joining them.

[whilereadingandwalking]

Months before I left for my trip to Granada, Spain, I was hit with a stroke of extraordinary luck: Hoopoe Press asked if I'd like to get a review copy of the new, full translation of Radwa Ashour's Granada trilogy, a multigenerational epic of Arabic literature describing the fall of Muslim rule in medieval Spain and the impact it had on real families in the city of Granada and throughout Andalusia. Um...YES I wanted one! This is the first time the entire trilogy has been available in English translation, thanks to translator Kay Heikkinen; the entire series comes in an impressively compact package, complete with a foreword by Marina Warner.

I'm only one novel in, and am just starting sequel Marayama now, but trust me: the first book, at the very least, is an absolute must-read. For anyone interested in Muslim life in Spain, or anyone visiting Granada, sure, because it's astounding historical fiction, but truly for anyone who loves a good multigenerational novel (and I know there are a bunch of you following me). Populated by bold, subversive female protagonists and a poetic narrative about the pain and suffering of seeing your culture be suppressed and erased, this first novel was simply excellent (and I have two books to go!).

I'll come back and hype this one up again when I'm done with the trilogy, but I wanted to let you know about it now, because it comes out November 5...And because I mentioned it in every other sentence when my family and I were touring the city of Granada and its oldest neighborhoods. I felt like I knew that much more about the Albaycín thanks to Ashour's fantastic writing and its excellent translation. Go put it on hold!

[littlequeenies]

Pam and Jim visit Spain and Morocco, 1971

Jim Morrison arrived in Paris on March 11, 1971, where Pam was waiting for him. Pam forced him to visit the American Hospital in Neully. There he had a quick medical examination, including X-rays. He was told that his lungs were in bad shape because of cigarette smoking. He was advised to stop smoking and drinking immediately and to go to a warmer place so he could get better. Jim Morrison took advantage of the doctor's advice to fulfil his old dreams. He would visit Madrid, Granada and Tangier.

On April 10, 1971, Jim rented a Peugeot Sedan. With Pam, he took the road south. They spent the first night in Toulouse. Jim wanted to enjoy the architecture of the pink-coloured buildings in the French city. The next day they crossed the border with Spain through Andorra and slept in Barcelona.

One day later, on April 14, they arrived in Madrid and visited El Prado Museum. Jim had written poems and had described on several occasions the sensations that an incredible triptych painting by Hieronymus Bosch, El Bosco, provoked in him. Pam told the anecdote that Morrison spent more than an hour, as if hypnotized, in front of "The Garden of Earthly Delights", filmed by Pam herself on the Super-8 camera that Jim had brought from Los Angeles.

Jim and Pam arrived in Granada on April 16. They wanted to see the rooms where Washington Irving had written his "Tales of the Alhambra", a book that was always a dream for the Doors singer. He liked mysteries and the dazzling Nasrid world of the 15th century. The neighbours say that he went from the city centre to the monument for three days straight and that, sitting on one of the benches in the Generalife gardens, he wrote a beautiful poem that, apparently, has disappeared. Nor is it easy to find the Super-8 film that he and Pam recorded there, in front of the Patio de los Leones. In any case, the Arab enchantment did not disappoint a young man who was accustomed to LSD and hallucinogenic experimentation.

Bill (billr2375 on youtube) recalls:

Jim and Pam followed our High School Spanish Club on a visit to LA ALHAMBRA-GRANADA, Museum in Spain. We didn't figure it out at the time but later realized they were the "two American hippies" listening in on our English version of the Museum Tour. Can read about his visit to that museum on that date in a book about Jim. They were very cool--would nod to us, but kept their distance as they followed us on the Tour. He had a beard at that time, she was beautiful. They were clearly in love with each other. Giggling and holding hands and enjoying that we didn't recognize them. (source)

Morrison's visit to the Alhambra was immortalised in the famous Super-8 film. Jim appears in front of the lions, the famous lions in the Alhambra Courtyard. In the film, the singer can be seen against the backdrop of the fountain, with his arms clasped to his chest and a smile. He slowly approaches the camera lens. Pam told months later that this film was the one Jim watched on the night of his death, while listening to the song 'The End' by the Doors.

Jim and Pam spent four days exploring some of the corners of a Granada that was, more than ever, an exotic place for two inhabitants of hippie California. Some people from Granada said that they stayed at the Alhambra Palace. Others, that they actually spent the night at home of some Australian colleagues. Rafael Cuéllar was one of those who recounted that visit and defended this last hypothesis. He also told an anecdote that is not without its macabre character:

In a place called La Zíngara, Morrison asked them to play a song by the already deceased Janis Joplin. “You are drinking with number three,” he said to all those who approached him, alluding not only to Joplin’s death, but also to that of Jimi Hendrix. The fatal premonition would end up coming true.

After four days, the couple headed to Gibraltar. There, they had to 'let go' of their Peugeot, because the insurance did not cover their stay in Morocco. When they arrived in Tangier, they stayed at the famous Minzeh hotel, where Paul Bowles sat every afternoon. But they had been invited by Paul and Talitha Getty, in their winter palace.

Pam also remembers that at the old market, Jim bought a French version of Paul Bowles' 'The Sheltering Sky' from the Colonnes bookstore on the Pasteur avenue in Tangier. Jim was obsessed with the relationship between Paul Bowles and his wife Jane.

Jim and Pam flew to Marrakech, which was all the rage because of the hit song by Crosby, Stills and Nash. There, they stayed at the Ville Taylor, the mansion that the Count of Breuteuil and his mother owned on the outskirts of the city. On May 3, 1971, just two months before his death, Jim and Pam flew from Marrakech to Casablanca and from there to Paris. Heading to his end. Jim Morrison had shaved one night when he bathed in the moonlight at the Marrakech hotel, the only one with a swimming pool in those days.

SOURCES

Josa y sus cuentos

Vanitatis

NOTE:

Just after their Spanish/Moroccan trip/holiday, Pam and Jim travelled to Corsica and stayed there for 10 days, the exact date is unknown, but here you have more information about their trip.

[blueiscoool]

6,000-Year-Old Sandals Found in a Spanish Cave are Europe’s Oldest Shoes

New analysis has identified the oldest shoes ever discovered in Europe, according to a study published this week in the journal Science Advances.

The 22 woven sandals date from 6,000 years ago, radiocarbon analysis found in the study led by researchers at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and Alcalá University in Spain.

The ancient footwear, along with Mesolithic baskets and other tools, was first discovered back in 1857, when a cave in southern Spain was looted by miners. However, when the artifacts were first dated, in the 1970s, they were identified as being about 1,000 years more recent than this latest analysis found.

The very dry conditions within the cave were ideal for preserving perishable materials, the researchers said, and allowed the preservation of a prehistoric burial site complete with partially mummified corpses, accompanied by baskets, wooden tools, sandals and other goods.

The objects are “the oldest and best-preserved set of plant fiber materials in southern Europe so far known,” María Herrero Otal, one of the study’s authors, said in a statement, adding that they demonstrate “the ability of prehistoric communities to master this type of craftsmanship.”

When Spanish archaeologist Manuel de Góngora y Martínez visited the cave in 1867, 10 years after the looting, he gathered the remaining artifacts, including the sandals, and gave them to museums in Madrid and Granada, where they have been studied by researchers, the study added.

The sandals were made of grasses as well as other materials, including leather, lime and ramie bast, a type of natural fiber.

Using the descriptions provided by Góngora, the study hypothesizes that the bodies were buried wearing the sandals.

Some sandals had clear signs of wear, while others appeared never to have been worn, suggesting that some people had clothing made especially for their burial.

The researchers also studied several baskets and other wooden artifacts in the collection. These objects “open up groundbreaking perspectives on the complexity of Early-Middle Holocene populations in Europe,” they said, adding that most knowledge of past societies is drawn from durable artifacts rather than perishable ones such as baskets. The Holocene is the current geological epoch, which began 11,700 years ago.

Both the baskets and sandals suggest that the makers had an extended knowledge of the plant resources in the local environment as well as a high level of expertise, the researchers noted.

“The quality and technological complexity of the basketry makes us question the simplistic assumptions we have about human communities prior to the arrival of agriculture in southern Europe,” Francisco Martínez Sevilla, one of the study’s authors, said in a statement.

The study also found that the objects were deposited at the site at two very different times during the Early and Middle Holocene eras. The first phase was related to the Early Holocene hunter-gatherer populations, and the second phase to Middle Holocene farmers, researchers said.

By Issy Ronald.

[little-drop-of-water]

Chronicle Of A Concert

Chapter 1: The Concert Anouncement

First: Käärijä anounces he'll give a concert in Spain in September.

Me, in Mexico and with no plans to go: OMG! That's so cool! People from Spain and other countries nearby can go see him. Awesome! Good for them!

Then: I find out Tarja Turunen and Marko Heitala are also gonna be there, the day right before Käärijä.

Me, still not planning to go: Oh wow! That's gonna be great! I've read reviews that say they sound like Nightwish...more than Nightwish! I bet they're gonna play The Phantom of the Opera...

After that: I find out the venue is a medieval castle.

Me, having a meltdown: Holy sh*t, is castle! It's a castle! An actual castle! OMG, imagine listening to Phantom of the Opera in a castle...OMFG! Imagine listening to Paidaton Riehuja in a castle!

And finally: I find out the events are not in a festival, but in fact are separate individual concerts, which means more time for each artists.

Me: *Flights from Cancun to Spain*

Chapter 2: Talking To Everyone

At work:

Me: Hey, so...how do vacations work here? I know they're technically not paid, but how many days can I take?

Accountant: Depends on the date. When are you planning to take them?

Me: September.

Accountant: Oh, sure! Take a month for all I care!

To my parents:

Me: What would you say if...instead of going to my cousin's wedding, and spend my birthday at my cousin's wedding...I went to Spain for a couple concerts instead?

Dad: Go.

To my boss:

Me: I'd like to take some days off in September, is that ok?

Boss: Which part of September? Because I leave on the 15th.

Me: Oh, it would be during the first half.

Boss: Sure, how many days are you taking?

Me: I was thinking 2 weeks...

Boss: Why so much? Where are you going?

Me: I wanna go to Spain.

Boss: Oh, great! Sure! Make it worth it! But, I need you to be here on the 12 tops, so why don't you leave on late August, like the 28, 29 and come back between the 10-12? And you could work part time for a week so you don't go without a pay for all that time?

Me: You know what? That's actually a great idea.

Chapter 3: Planning

So...where the hell is Fuengirola and how do I get there? Ok, it's in the south, close to Marbella...damm, it's gonna be expensive.

The closest airports are Granada and Seville. The tickets to those are expensive. I'm gonna have to fly to Madrid.

How do I get from Madrid to Fuengirola? Oh, the closest city is Málaga...and it's only like 3 hrs from Madrid by train or bus...ok ok ok ok...so it's doable...

And how do I get from Málaga to Fuengirola?...oh, public transport, I see...great!

Hey, it's not actually as expensive as I thought at first.

Hmm...the direct flights from Cancun to Madrid are 9hrs long...pfff...I've done 11.

Chapter 4: The Story So Far...

I have the plane tickets, the concert tickers and I booked a hostal in Madrid downtown. I still need to book a place in Fuengirola tho...

I’m currently learning the Madrid Subway system and planning what to do for the time I'll be there (I’m going to a couple museums, there's a park I want to visit and a flea market that is a few blocks away from where I’m staying).

I already have my outfit for the concert (just need the shoes) and I’m thinking about making bracelets to give away.

[needcake]

@hetaberia-week

Day 1: historical .

.

1539,

Lisbon

A man in his crew had made a comment that had stayed with him hours after they had reached the capital. In fact, Portugal was still thinking about it when he finally left the Casa da Índia and crossed the short distance to the Ribeira Palace, walking up the stone steps in the winding staircases, nodding at the palace staff that passed him by and greeted him demurely, and, being himself clad in black, it had taken him a moment to realize everyone was too.

No bad news ever comes unaccompanied, his crewmate had said, and Portugal was still thinking of that when he opened the door to the King’s private drawing room, finding him with his eyes red-rimmed, clutching a letter to his chest in anguish. The Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, his younger sister, had died in May, he said, her last pregnancy had robbed her much of her strength, the child had not survived either. Portugal still smelled of gunpowder and ash, he could still feel grains of Indian sand inside his boots, but his eyes were lost on some unidentifiable corner of the King’s private drawing room as he sat down before his desk. They never lived long, did they. He had held her as a baby in his arms, had seen her learn her first words of his language, had attended her wedding, had visited her children. Their lives went by so fast, not like his.

There would be a funeral and the King wanted him to accompany him, Portugal did not think to say no. He was tired, battered, hurting, ears still ringing from cannon blasts shot across the Indian coast by Ottoman ships into his fortress in Diu, wearing months of a siege they had at great pains finally won. No bad news ever comes unaccompanied, and he found himself on a carriage a few days later bound to Granada, crossing the border with his shoulders heavy with padded fabric, his hair combed and clean, golden rings on his fingers.

The husband, the Holy Roman Emperor, was not there when they reached the church. Unable to bring himself to say the final good-bye to his beloved wife, he had instead sent his son in his place, his first-born and only surviving son and heir, and the boy stood, stone-faced and ashen, accompanying his mother’s coffin into the small, packed full church alone.

How small he seemed at that moment. And Portugal would never forget that image, of the boy entering the church behind his mother’s casket, his posture stiff with grief, dark clothes too heavy, golden fleece too garish. It would be the last time he ever saw him as a child. Once the ceremony was over and the body was buried, the son would leave the marble grounds of that church forever changed. No bad news ever came unaccompanied.

From across the entrance to the church while the crowd dispersed, surrounded by a group of nobles and high-ranking clergymen, Spain spotted him and excused himself to come to him, the pull on the bottom of his stomach becoming stronger the closer he came, recognizing him as an old soul like himself, despite him being so much younger.

“We did everything we could to save her,” Spain said, taking Portugal’s numb hand between both of his in a comforting gesture.

It should be the other way around, Portugal thought, looking at his young face and red-rimmed eyes. It was Spain who had just lost a Queen and an Empress, Portugal had lost her long ago, the moment they had sent her away to be married in a political alliance, but Spain had just lost a companion, an advisor, a friend. Portugal should be the one comforting him.

What an odd creature this boy was, he thought, observing the brown curls that framed his youthful face, feeling the calluses on his fingers from handling sword and quill, looking into his olive green eyes that so reminded him of someone else.

Portugal laid his other hand on top of theirs.

“I’m very sorry for your loss,” he said, earnestly, and Spain’s composure cracked, his chin trembling as he turned his eyes down to nod at the ground, sniffling.

And how odd, he thought, how so very odd, that his first instinct had been to pull him into his arms, even though he didn’t.

--

Notes: Portugal is coming home from the Battle of Diu (1538), only to discover the Holy Roman Empress, Isabella of Portugal, had died in May, 1539.

[sherrylephotography]

@sherrylephotography My Spain trip . 5/8/23 Alhambra

Although I really only walked through Granada to get to Alhambra, I would say that Alhambra is the third best city I went to in Spain. But really it is a part of Granada if I understand correctly. Best if coming by train to take a taxi to Alhambra because it is all up hill. But we walked back to the train station from Alhambra through Granada and found Granada to be very quaint and wonderful.

Alhambra is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of the historic Islamic world, in addition to containing notable examples of Spanish Renaissance architecture.

The Alhambra was abandoned starting in the 18th century. In 1812, some of the complex's towers were blown up by the French during the Peninsular War. 

You can see many ruin's, but there are buildings that are well preserved, with so much detail and design, and writings. Beautiful mirror water features , and mirror ponds, aqueducts with running water. Wonderful gardens with trimmed hedges and so many wonderful roses and other flowers. Lots of view points and stairs to climb. Will worth the visit

Alhambra spans nearly 26 acres, you can easily spend the day here. Although it is crowded with tourist the gardens are peaceful and gorgeous, so here you can get a reprieve form the crowds. The gardens alone are well worth the visit.

 Across from the entrance of Alhambra is Gardens Albertos. We ate a excellent meal here and the atmosphere was relaxing too. I would recommend the meal of the day, great deal The Contessa cake desert was to die for, picture below.

[welcometololaland]

Hi Lola!! 💖 I'm sorry you're feeling sick! Have some End of the year questions to hopefully help! #17 and 22!

hey desi! thank you for the ask, the love heart in particular made me feel better 💜

17. post a picture from the end of the year.

the only photos i've got of myself from the end of this year are pole ones and i don't want to subject everyone to me half naked without consent so here's a better one:

22. favourite place i visited this year.

i really loved mallorca, spain, so i think i'm gonna have to say that. an honourable mention to granada and seville though because those two places also slapped. also, cordoba has really cute cats so i would also highly recommend!

thank you for the ask!

end of year asks here

[devilsrains]

aoike character guide book

places visited in yasuko aoike's works (translation under the cut by the lovely @asnowperson)

ENGLAND 1- London (Midnight Collector side story among others) 2- The National Gallery (London) (Pt.1 A Thousand Kisses) 3- British Museum (London) (Pt.1) 4- Salibury Military Base (Lieutenant Colonel Eberbach side story) 5- Heathrow Airport (No.11 Seven Days in September among others)

GERMANY 6- Plymouth (El halcón) 7- Bonn 8- NATO Bonn Office 9- Cologne 10- Thermal Spas on the Rhine River and the old castles (Eroica, among others) 11- Lilienthal Monastery (Shuudoushi Falco) 12- Berlin (No. 15 Nosferatu, among otheres) 13- Trier (No.17 Trojan Horse) 14- German Military Hospital (Intermission side story) 15- Dresden (No.16 The Panda’s Maze) 16-Hamburg (From Lawrence with Love side story) 17- Eberbach Mansion

FRANCE/ITALY/GREECE 18- Paris (No.17 Trojan Horse) 19- Louvre Museum (No.1 A Thousand Kisses) 20- Charles de Gaulle Airport (No.11 Seven Days in September) 21- Nice (No.17 Trojan Horse) 22- Avignon (Alcazar Oujo) 23- Catacombes (No.8 Veni Vidi Vici) 24- St.Peter’s Basilica (No.8 Veni Vidi Vici) 25- St.Peter’s Square (No.8 Veni Vidi Vici) 26- Parthenon Temple (No.4 Love in Greece)

SPAIN/PORTUGAL 27- Sevilla (Alcazar Oujo) 28- Sigüenza (Alcazar Oujo) 29- Toledo (Alcazar Oujo) 30- Jerez Castle (Alcazar Oujo) 31- Jerez Monastery (Alcazar Oujo) 32- Jaén (No.18 Judgment of Paris) 33- Plaza de Toros de Jaén (No.18 Judgment of Paris) 34- Córdoba (Eroica) 35- Zuera, Alcala (No.11 Seven Days in September) 36- Aragon region (Eroica) 37- Calatayud (Alcazar Oujo) 38- Granada (Alcazar Oujo) 39- Barcelona (Eroica) 40- Valencia (Alcazar Oujo) 41- Lisbon (No.3 Achilles’ Last Stand)

SWITZERLAND/AUSTRIA/LICHTENSTEIN/ROMANIA 42- Zürich (No.13 The Seventh Seal) 43- Luzern (No.12 The Laughing Cardinals) 44- Vienna State Opera (No.14 Emperor Waltz) 45- Vienna Central Cemetery (No.14 Emperor Waltz) 46- Innsbruck (No.14 Emperor Waltz) 47- Innsbruck Airport (No.14 Emperor Waltz) 48- Hofburg Palace (No.14 Emperor Waltz) 49- Tyrol region (No.14 Emperor Waltz) 50- Lichtenstein (No.13 The Seventh Seal) 51- Romania military base (No. 15 Nosferatu)

THE NETHERLANDS/BELGIUM 52- Amsterdam (Eroica, Madan no Shashu) 53- Bruxelles (No.17 Trojan Horse) 54- NATO HQ (No.19 Poseidon 2000) 55- European Commission HQ (No.13 The Seventh Seal) 56- Antwerp (No.17 Trojan Horse)

NORWAY/SWEDEN/DENMARK 57- Oslo Airport (No.11 Seven Days in September) 58- Mora (No.13 The Seventh Seal) 59- Copenhagen (No.19 Poseidon 2000) 60- Kronborg Castle (No.19 Poseidon 2000) 61- Lousiana Museum of Modern Art (No.19 Poseidon 2000)

TURKEY/SYRIA/LEBANON/ISRAEL/PALESTINE/IRAN 62- İstanbul (No.13 The Seventh Seal) 63- Rumeli Hisarı (No.11 Seven Days in September) 64- Turkish air base (No.6 Inshallah) 65- National borders of Anatolian plateau (No.6 Inshallah) 66- Historical remains of Palmyra (No.6 Inshallah) 67- Beirut (No.6 Inshallah) 68- Jerusalam (Saladin no Hi) 69- Gaza (Saladin no Hi) 70- Tehran (No.6 Inshallah)

EGYPT/TUNISIA 71- Ancient remains outside Cairo (No.6 Inshallah) 72- El Alameyn (No.6 Inshallah) 73- Giza Pyramids (No.11 Seven Days in September) 74- Alexandria (No.11 Seven Days in September) 75- Hotel Rosetta (No.11 Seven Days in September) 76- Carthage (No.17 Trojan Horse)

RUSSIA/JAPAN/USA/OTHERS 77- Moscow (No.19 Poseidon 2000) 78- St. Petersburg (No.18 Judgment of Paris) 79- Hermitage Museum (No.18 Judgment of Paris) 80- Siberia (A Tale of Alaska side story) 81- Uspensky Air Base (Eroica) 82- Tokyo Tower (Hiiro no Yuuwaku) 83- Alaska (A Tale of Alaska side story) 84- FBI Fairbanks Office (No.9 The Alaskan Front) 85- Tazlina Lake (No.9 The Alaskan Front) 86- Hawaii (No.9 The Alaskan Front) 87- West of Eden (Eve no Musukotachi) 88- Olympos (Eve no Musukotachi)

[scotianostra]

It was every medieval Knight's ambition to go on a Crusade, they saw it as a sense of duty. Robert the Bruce was no different, nor his faithful friend James Douglas, Lord of Douglas. The Bruce had been excommunicated barring him from taking the "pilgrimage" Sir James and he were rather busy as well, there was the matter of a war with England.

The English called Sir James "The Black Douglas" , the man was so frightening a wee verse has survived through the centuries that mothers used to whisper to their children when trying to get them to sleep.

Hush Ye, Hush Ye Do not fret you, The Black Douglas, Will not get you.

The Douglas must have hated the English with a passion, his father Sir William Douglas, known as "le Hardi" or "the bold" had been one of the few nobles who openly supported Sir William Wallace, he died a prisoner of Longshanks in The Tower of London around 1298, the young James had been sent to France for safety during the early years of the Wars of Independence, and was educated in Paris, it was where he met William Lamberton, Bishop of St. Andrews, who took him as a squire. He returned to Scotland with Lamberton. His lands had been seized and awarded to Robert Clifford. Lamberton presented him at the occupying English court to petition for the return of his land shortly after the capture of Stirling Castle in 1304, but when Edward I of England heard whose son he was he grew angry and Douglas was forced to depart.

James seems to have went about his business after this not causing any problems of note until The Bruce took up arms against the English in 1306, it is clear that he had been starting to feel somewhat disgruntled about his lack of inheritance and, after Bruce’s return from exile a year later, the nineteen-year old joined the Scottish camp. Not long afterward, on Palm Sunday, he launched a swift and brutal attack on his castle of Douglas (held at this point by Lord Clifford) reportedly seizing the castle while the defenders were at church and shutting the garrison up in the cellar to burn to death. After Bruce’s victory at Loudon later that year, despite Douglas momentarily getting cold feet and attempting peace negotiations, he became active in the region that his descendants would draw their main strength from- the Borders. And so it was that he fought with Bruce right through the campaign to free Scotland from Edwards tyranny. Fast forward to 1330 and it is said Sir James was called to the bedside of King Robert as he lay dying he asked his loyal friend to remove his heart after death, place it in a casket, and take them on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and bury his heart in the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem. Sir James took Bruce’s heart, embalmed it then put it in a casket which he wore round his neck, and set off on the crusade to the Holy Land with a party of 25, made up of knights and noblemen, among them Sir William de Keith of Galston, Sir Robert Logan of Restalrig and his brother Sir John, Sir William de St Clair and his brother John de St Clair of Rosslyn ,Sir Alan Cathcart and Sir Symon Loccard of Lee. Having been granted a promise of safe conduct from Edward III of England, the party sailed from North Berwick and made for Luys in Flanders in the spring of 1330 remaining there for 12 days and attracting more followers from all over Europe. Their intention was to then sail to Cape Finnestere in the North West of Spain to visit Santiago de Campostella which had been ordained as a holy town by Pope Alexander lll following the discovery of the remains of the Apostle James. A pilgrimage to Santiago captured the imagination of Christian Europe on an unprecedented scale as it was the 3rd holiest site in Christendom and at the height of its popularity in the 11th and 12th century attracted over half a million pilgrims each year. However, before they could set off for Santiago word reached them that the King of Castile and Leon, Alphonso Xl , in his efforts to drive the Moors out of Granada had laid siege to the Castillo de las Estrellas(Castle of the Stars)at Teba which was occupied by the Saracen Army of Mohammed lV,Sultan of Granada. Douglas sent word that they were prepared to join forces with Alphonso and sailed immediately to help, making landfall at Seville and marching the short distance to Teba. Alphonso having heard tales of Douglas’s bravery and leadership skills gave him the right flank of the Castilian Army. On the morning of the August 25th the Saracen army had assembled below the Castillo de las Estrellas under the command of Osmyn. The Castilian trumpets sounded and Douglas, thinking it was a general advance, led his troops forward.

The Scottish contingent charged the Saracens and, although not fully supported by the rest of the army, managed to hold them, finally the Moors, unable to withstand the furious onslaught,fled.

Douglas, as was his custom, followed them until finding himself deserted, turned his horse with the intention of joining the main body.

Just then he observed Sir William St Clair surrounded by a body of Moors who had suddenly rallied. With the few knights who attended him Douglas turned hastily to attempt a rescue.

He soon found himself surrounded and, making one last charge shouting the words “A Bruce A Bruce”, took the casket containing the heart from around his neck and hurled into the enemies’ path shouting “Now go in front, as you desired and Ill follow you or die”. Douglas and a party of his followers were all slain but they had diverted enough of the enemy forces away from the main thrust to enable the Castilian army to overrun the remainder and capture the Castle.

It has been speculated that the Moors lack of knowledge of European heraldry had a part to play in the death of Douglas.

Noblemen on both sides were valued as hostages, but because Douglas did not display the red cross on his tabard that distinguished English knights, but instead had the 3 stars of the Douglas family on his harness and shield, the Moors did not recognize his status or they would probably have spared his life.

Douglas’s body was recovered from the battlefield along with the casket, his bones, the flesh boiled off them, were taken back to Scotland by Sir William Keith of Galston in Ayrshire (who had missed the battle because of a broken arm), and deposited at St Bride's Church. The Heart of The Bruce was given to Regent Moray, who interred it under the high altar of Melrose Abbey. The pics are one of Strathleven Artizans dressed as Sir James and the Memorial to Douglas at Teba.

[noxhawthorne]

Diablo Ballena

Diablo Ballena, also known as the Moster of Lake Tota, is a creature from Colombia. According to the earliest sighting, described by the conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, the Diablo Ballena is a black fish, larger than a whale, and with the head of an ox. It has also been described as "a monstrous fish", "a black monster", "the Dragon", and as a "divine animal archetype".

In 1676, the Colombian priest and historian Lucas Fernández de Piedrahita, presented his General History of the Conquest of the New Kingdom of Granada: the SCRM d. King Charles II of Spain and the Indies, as requested by the Bishop of Santa Marta. In it is this statement on the Diablo Ballena:

"Quesada says that in his time, trusted persons and the Indians affirmed that it was the devil; and for the year six hundred and fifty-two, when I was at the place, Doña Andrea Vargas, lady of the country, spoke about having seen it.”

In the book The Journey of Gaspard Théodore Mollien by the Republic of Colombia in 1823, Mollien describes his plan to visit Lake Tota, and “the evil character inhabits its depths in dwellings”. He goes on to say that there was “a monstrous fish can be seen only briefly”.

Another account comes from the book The Pilgrimage Alpha for the northern provinces of New Granada in 1850-1851, in which Colombian writer, politician, teacher and journalist Manuel Ancízar talks about a similar creature in Lake Tota, calling it the “freshwater devil”.

There are also references to this creature from the Muisca, an indigenous people and culture of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, Colombia, that formed the Muisca Confederation before the Spanish conquest. Stories of the mythical origin of Lake Tota mention that “Monetá", an indigenous priest, was preparing the "already extensive and powerful Muisca Confederation" to "exorcise the cruel and evil spirit, Busiraco" in the lake. A ceremonial spell was performed against the Busiraco, of Diablo Ballena, in hopes to resolve a summer and water shortage believed to be caused by the cryptid. It should be noted that there is a difference in description from the Muisca, claiming the it is, in fact, a large black snake rather than a fish.

[10siglosdehistoria]

LA ALHAMBRA, GRANADA, SPAIN.

(English / Español / Italiano)

The Alhambra is a fortified citadel located in the city of Granada, Spain. With more than a thousand years of history, this monument is currently the second most visited monument in the country, after the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

It was initially built for military purposes, due to its strategic location on a rocky hill that was difficult to access and surrounded by forest. This was its main use during the 9th to 12th centuries. Later, with the establishment of the Nasrid kingdom in the 13th century, it became a citadel where King Muhammad ben Al-Hamar established his residence and that of his court. Because of the colour of its walls, it was called "qa'lat al-Hamra´´ (red castle), which is the origin of the present-day Alhambra.

For more than three hundred years the place experienced a period of splendour, and numerous constructions were built, many of which have survived to the present day: warehouses, water tanks (cisterns), public baths, as well as well-known facilities such as the Torre de la Vela, the Mosque, the Puerta de la Justicia, the Cuarto de Camares and the well-known Patio de los Leones. Not forgetting the marvellous Generalife, a villa with gardens annexed to the Alhambra, built by King Muhammed III.

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La Alhambra es una ciudadela fortificada situada en la ciudad de Granada, España. Con más de mil años de historia, este monumento es actualmente el segundo más visitado del país, por detrás de la Sagrada Familia de Barcelona.

Se construyó inicialmente con objetivos militares, debido a su estratégica ubicación, sobre una colina rocosa de difícil acceso y rodeada de bosque. Este fue su uso principal durante los siglos IX a XII. Posteriormente, con el establecimiento del reino nazarí en el siglo XIII, se convierte en una ciudadela donde el rey Muhammed ben Al-Hamar fija su residencia y la de su corte. Debido al color de sus muros, se le llamó "qa'lat al-Hamra´´ (castillo rojo), de donde viene la actual Alhambra.

Durante más de trescientos años el lugar vivió una época de esplendor, y se realizaron numerosas construcciones, de las que muchas de ellas han llegado hasta nuestros días: almacenes, depósitos de agua (aljibes), baños públicos, así como conocidisimas instalaciones como la Torre de la Vela, la Mezquita, la Puerta de la Justicia, el Cuarto de Camares y el archiconocido Patio de los Leones. Sin olvidar el maravilloso Generalife, una villa con jardines anexa a la Alhambra, construido por el rey Muhammed III.

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L'Alhambra è una cittadella fortificata situata nella città di Granada, in Spagna. Con oltre mille anni di storia, questo monumento è attualmente il secondo più visitato del Paese, dopo la Sagrada Familia di Barcellona.

Inizialmente fu costruita per scopi militari, data la sua posizione strategica su una collina rocciosa di difficile accesso e circondata da foreste. Questo fu il suo uso principale tra il IX e il XII secolo. In seguito, con l'instaurazione del regno nazarì nel XIII secolo, divenne una cittadella dove il re Muhammad ben Al-Hamar stabilì la sua residenza e quella della sua corte. A causa del colore delle sue mura, fu chiamato "qa'lat al-Hamra'' (castello rosso), da cui deriva l'attuale Alhambra.

Per più di trecento anni il luogo visse un periodo di splendore e vennero costruite numerose opere, molte delle quali sono giunte fino ai giorni nostri: magazzini, cisterne, bagni pubblici, oltre a installazioni ben note come la Torre de la Vela, la Moschea, la Puerta de la Justicia, il Cuarto de Camares e il noto Patio de los Leones. Senza dimenticare il meraviglioso Generalife, una villa con giardini annessa all'Alhambra, costruita dal re Muhammed III.

Texto: La Saberoteca

Video: Granada Soul

Photo: Sergio Luque López - Photography

[redlyriumidol]

inspiration for rivain based on that ONE image of a blue dome we got (and i'm 1000% biased because this is where I'm from)

I've convinced myself this is what they've been inspired by. They've said that Rivain is vaguely based on moorish spain or al-andalus- the arabic influence on spain is very visible in the architecture especially in places like Valencia (pictured above), even long after the Reconquista it still can be seen as a major influence on Spanish architecture since then. obviously the most famous example of arabic architecture in spain is la alhambra (which my family and I once got kicked out of because michelle obama was visiting) in granada but the blue dome!!!! they're such an iconic sight in the valencian community, and this to me looks exactly like them: