Co. C, 67th IND. Infantry

South Kansas Tribune, Wednesday, April 21, 1920, Pg. 1:

 

DEATH OF CHRISTIAN SOLDIER

 

Comrade Quigley Rests From Labor

  

Wednesday night William A. Quigley and wife attended a picture show in his usual good health and genial spirits and were at home before 11 o’clock and after eating an apple and taking his bath retired. Soon after he called his wife and she found him to weak to talk and called in their neighbors Captain and Mrs. Geo. L. Banks and Attorney and Mrs. P. L. Courtright. A physician was called but before one could arrive Comrade William A. Quigley had answered roll call for eternity and entered into rest, without pain, having went to sleep in a stupor.

In recent months the influenza weakened him, but he recovered and Thursday of last week attended Woman’s Relief Corps meeting at which quite a number of Grand Army were present, and Comrade Quigley with others. When it was known that State Commander Theodore Gardner was in the city he was the volunteer to find and report his presence, and that he would address the G. A. R. and Relief Corps Friday.

Comrade Quigley was born in Madison, Ind., in 1842, enlisted in Co. __ Indiana Regiment, and was with the “Boys at Shreveport, La.,” where he was wounded and detailed later from the hospital for duty at Washington, D. C., serving ten years altogether.

In 1870 Mr. Quigley was united in marriage with Miss Virginia Hurlburt. Twenty years later they moved to Topeka and for a time was a very popular clerk in the Capital Hotel, Topeka, later for years in the Santa Fe offices, and with the coming of the Kansas Natural Gas company to our city in 1905 he came as cashier and served unit its sale, and continued with its successor, the Independence Gas Co., until death.

Mr. Quigley was an honored, active member of the Christian church, and was one of the most helpful and cheerful workers, and his friends were all with whom he did business. He is survived by his devoted wife and daughters Mrs. F. C. Palmer of New York City and Mrs. S. J. Harland of Highland Park, Ill.

The funeral was largely attended by G. A. R., W. R. C., and S. of V., and the public at the Christian church, and Rev. F. L. Pettit paid a beautiful testimony to the veteran’s character and life.

In the death of the lamented W. A. Quigley Kansas loses and ex-Union soldier who had the unique distinction of having been present at Ford’s Theater in Washington when John Wilkes Booth found his way to the private box of President Lincoln and slew him. That shot was fired fifty-five years ago. Mr. Quigley in speaking of the immediate incidents of the awful tragedy would emphasize the extreme excitement and rage of the audience, one it was fully understood that the President was murdered, and that his murderer had escaped. Mr. Quigley, it seems, had been in service at the front, before Richmond, and had but recently been detailed for some duty at Washington, and with others of his command had found his way for a an evening’s entertainment to Ford’s theater, principally because he had learned that President Lincoln would be there. He could not recount the incidents of the assassination that he saw without much emotion. A better soldier, a finer gentleman or a truer American or a better citizen that W. A. Quigley never lived.

 

O. P. ERGENBRIGHT

   

Independence Daily Reporter, Thursday, April 15, 1920, Pg. 1:

 

DEATH CALLED W. A. QUIGLEY LAST NIGHT

Veteran of Civil War Passed Away Very Suddenly

LIVED HERE 15 YEARS

Was One of This City’s Most Popular Men

Greatly Admired by General Public

 

The entire community was shocked this morning to learn of the sudden death of W. A. Quigley, for years the cashier of the Kansas Natural Gas Co., which occurred last night at 11:30 at the home, 414 North Fifth street. After his usual day’s work at his desk, Mr. Quigley had accompanied his wife downtown last evening and after attending a picture show, had returned home about 10 o’clock. He seemed in his usual good health and after bathing and eating an apple had gone to bed. He called Mrs. Quigley to his side within a few minutes, and Mrs. Quigley called in two neighbors, Capt. and Mrs. G. L. Banks and Mr. and Mrs. P. L. Courtwright.

Mr. Quigley suffered no pain, seeming to lie in a slight stupor. The family physician was hurriedly summoned, but by the time he had arrived Mr. Quigley was dead. Last fall Mr. Quigley had suffered a slight attack of the flu, and it had left him in a weakened condition, affecting his heart.

Was 77 Years Old.

The deceased was born in July 1842 at Madison, Ind., and was 77 years, 9 months of age. He answered the call of his country in the Civil war and served for ten years. He was wounded near Shreveport, La., and was later detailed for duty at Washington, after being discharged from the hospital. He attended the Ford Theater the night Lincoln was assassinated.

In 1870 he was united in marriage with Miss Virginia Hurlburt. In 1890 he moved to Topeka and was employed in the Santa Fe offices. About fifteen years ago he moved to Independence, being in the employ of the Kansas Natural and its successor, the Independence Gas Co. until his death.

Mr. Quigley was an active member of the Christian church and participated in its work to a great extent. He was also a prominent member of the local post of the G. A. R. and had been post commander.

Surviving are the widow, and two daughters, Mrs. F. C. Palmer of New York City and Mrs. S. J. Harland, of Highland Park, Ill. Mrs. Palmer is expected here tomorrow. The funeral arrangements have not been made.

Had Hosts of Friends.

Mr. Quigley was certainly one of the most beloved old men in this city. He had the heart of a boy and was noted for his cheerfulness and activity. He attended every commercial club dinner when he could do so and was always the center of conversation because every one delighted to meet him, and talk with him. He grew old gracefully, and had he been permitted to select the manner of his passing into the Great Beyond, he would undoubtedly have asked for just such a quiet, peaceful death as came to him. He was deeply religious and made the tenets of his religion stand out in his every thought and act. He had a kind work for every one and friends came to him naturally and in great numbers. Always kind and accommodatius, with a happy, cheery smile for everyone, he will be missed by patrons of the Gas company as well as by all who knew him. The city has truly suffered a real loss in his death.

 

A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans, written and compiled by William E. Connelley, Secretary of the Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, copyright 1918; transcribed 1997.

 

William A. Quigley

 

WILLIAM A. QUIGLEY. A varied and eventful career has been that of Mr. Quigley, the efficient and popular cashier of the Kansas National Gas Company in the offices of this corporation at Independence, Montgomery County. Mr. Quigley claims the old Hoosier State as the place of his nativity, was there reared and educated and it was given him to represent that commonwealth as one of the valiant soldiers of the Union during the major portion of the Civil war. His activities in the business world have been diversified and he has been a resident of Kansas for the past thirty years. His paternal grandfather was born in Pennsylvania and passed the closing years of his life near Cincinnati, Ohio, where he settled in 1816 in the pioneer days. The original American progenitors of the Quigley family came from Ireland and settled in Pennsylvania prior to the war of the Revolution.

 

William A. Quigley was born in Jefferson County, Indiana, on the 19th of July, 1842, and is a son of Hiram and Melvina (White) Quigley, the former of whom was born near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in 1812, and the latter of whom was born in Jefferson County, Indiana, in 1823.

 

Hiram Quigley was about four years old when his parents removed from Pennsylvania and settled near the present Village of North Bend, Hamilton County, Ohio, in 1816. There he was reared to adult age, and there, in the City of Cincinnati, he served a thorough apprenticeship to the trade of carpenter and steamboat joiner. He became a specially skilled artisan as a woodworker and he continued to follow his trade in Ohio until 1835, when he removed to Jefferson County, Indiana, and became one of the pioneer settlers of that section of the Hoosier State, where he passed the remainder of his long and useful life, his death having occurred in 1880. He was originally a whig and later a republican in politics, and both he and his wife were earnest members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mrs. Quigley continued to maintain her home in Jefferson County after the death of her honored husband, but she died while making a visit in Southern Illinois in 1887. Of the children the subject of this review is the first born; Mary Frances died in childhood.

 

Samuel White, who during his active career was a successful carpenter and builder, is now living retired at Kansas City, Missouri; Martha died at the age of two years; and Miss Fannie resides at Ridgefield Park, New Jersey.

 

William A. Quigley acquired his early education in the common schools of his native county, where he became a student in the high school at Madison, but he left school at the age of fifteen years and at Madison turned his attention to learning the jewelry and watchmaking business, with which he continued to be identified for a period of seven years--both before and after the Civil war. In August, 1862, at the age of twenty years, he tendered his services in defense of the Union by enlisting as a private in Company C Sixty-seventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry, his having been the company that bore the colors of the regiment. In September, 1862, Mr. Quigley was captured while on duty in Kentucky, and shortly afterward he was parolled, his exchange having been effected in the following December, after which he rejoined his command, with which he continued in active service, mostly in detached duty, until the close of the war. He was with his regiment on the Red River campaign and at the battle of Sabine Crossroads, Louisiana, in the spring of 1864, he was wounded. His injury did not long incapacitate him and he continued in service for several months after the surrender of General Lee, he having been mustered out September 4, 1865, and having duly received his honorable discharge. Mr. Quigley not only made in the Civil war a record that shall reflect lasting honor upon his name, but that he has also retained deep interest in his former comrades is shown by the active and influential part he has played in connection with the Grand Army of the Republic. He has the distinction of being affiliated with McPherson Post No. 4, Grand Army of the Republic, one of the oldest in the State of Kansas, and is past commander of the same.

 

For a short period after the close of the war Mr. Quigley continued his association with the jewelry business, and after passing one year in the City of Louisville, Kentucky, he returned, in 1867, to Madison, Indiana, the ensuing nine years having found him continuously identified with railway service, mostly in a clerical capacity. After his retirement from this line of occupation he followed various vocations at Madison, including the insurance business, until 1886, when he came with his family to Kansas and engaged in the real estate and insurance business at Ottawa. Fifteen months later he removed to Topeka, where for the ensuing six years he was employed in the general offices of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad. He then resumed his activities in the real estate and insurance business, with which he continued to be associated at Topeka until April, 1904, when he removed to Independence, where he has since given most effective service in the office of cashier for the Kansas Natural Gas Company. In politics Mr. Quigley has never faltered in his allegiance to the republican party and both he and his wife are active members of the Christian Church.

 

At Madison, Indiana, the year 1870 recorded the marriage of Mr. Quigley to Miss Helen Virginia Hurlbut, daughter of Hiram and Eliza Hurlbut. Mr. and Mrs. Quigley became the parents of three children, of whom two are living: Alice is the wife of Frank C. Palmer, chief stereotyper in the offices of the Jersey City Journal, one of the leading newspapers of New Jersey, and they maintain their home at Ridgefield Park, a suburb of Jersey City; Howard H. died at the age of five years; and Mabel is the wife of Sydney I. Holland, who has been for the past thirty years a contracting agent for the R. G. Dun Commercial Agency, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Holland being at Highland Park, one of the attractive suburbs of the City of Chicago, Illinois.

 

Contributed by Mrs. Maryann Johnson a Civil war researcher and a volunteer in the Kansas Room of the Independence Public Library, Independence, Kansas.

    

One of the many beautiful locations for your wedding at Glacier National Park.

 

Peak season is between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Locations are subject to restrictions on the length of the ceremony and the number of people and vehicles permitted.

 

For more information regarding the wedding permit process visit the park's Wedding Permit Page.

 

Photo: NPS/Gabriel Morrow

On April 3-4, the LAFD held the Women in Fire South 2017 program. The two-day seminar included women from throughout the fire service to help bolster their training through hands-on demonstrations, live-fire training and classroom exercises.

 

Photo Use Permitted via Creative Commons - Credit: LAFD Photo | Victor Ladd, a member of the Volunteer Photographer Program

 

Connect with us: LAFD.ORG | News | Facebook | Instagram | Reddit | Twitter: @LAFD @LAFDtalk

Hiking to the Wave by guide Lad.

1992 (part 3 of 3)

 

September 1, 1992

It was reported that Ottawa Rough Rider Glenn Kulka had appeared at the Hazeldean Mall along with eight other home team football players. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Sept. 1, 1992:1.

 

September 1, 1992

It was announced that Kanata City Council had approved a line of credit for the Children’s Art Centre totalling $15,000. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Sept. 1, 1992:1.

 

September 1, 1992

Kanata City Council announced that it had permitted the installation of satellite dishes in Katimavik-Hazeldean. Kanata Kourier-Standard, September 1, 1992:5.

 

September 4, 1992

It was reported that the Ontario Amateur Softball Association Squirt A championship had been held at Jack Charron and A.Y. Jackson ball diamonds. St. Catherines captured the provincial title. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Sept. 4, 1992:1.

 

September 8, 1992

The Kanata OPP announced that a Kanata couple, James McGrath, 46, and his wife Eveline, 55, of 51 Inuvik Cres., had been charged with producing and distributing what police called “the most violent and degrading” pornographic videotapes ever seized by the OPP. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Sept. 8, 1992:1.

 

September 8, 1992

It was announced that plans for the new $2.5 million bowling and billiards centre in Kanata’s north end, near the Kanata Legion building, had been put on hold. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Sept. 8, 1992:5.

 

September 9, 1992

Kanata resident Mario Iacovitti won second prize in the Lotto 649 draw, worth $146,000. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Sept. 18, 1992:6.

 

September 11, 1992

An article appeared in the Kourier-Standard detailing the reaction of Inuvik Cres. neighbours to the charging of James and Eveline McGrath with the making, mailing and selling of obscene material. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Sept. 11, 1992:1.

 

September 11, 1992

It was announced that the Carleton Roman Catholic School Board had opened an “store-front” school in the Hazeldean Mall, providing an alternative to the traditional high school environment. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Sept. 11, 1992:5.

 

September 11, 1992

The Kanata OPP announced that Jan Durand, 27, of Kanata, had been charged with assault causing bodily harm and unlawful confinement after he held a 20-year-old woman hostage for three hours on September 7 in her apartment at 100 Varley Lane. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Sept. 11, 1992:5.

 

September 12, 1992

Residents of Morgan’s Grant and Briarbrook helped to build for their park a new play structure in Morgan’s Grant Woods. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Oct. 6, 1992:22.

 

September 22, 1992

Residents protested after Huntsman Park, one of six parks Kanata residents had fought hard to get the city to label pesticide-free, was spot sprayed with the pesticide Roundup. Kanata Kourier-Standard, September 22, 1992:1.

 

September 20, 1992

Mayor Merle Nicholds wrote a letter to the president of Terrace Investments Ltd. that was leaked to the public. The letter, addressed to Bernard Ash, extended their August 24 deadline for payment of $988,000 for securities by 90 days. Kanata Kourier-Standard, September 22, 1992:1.

 

September 20, 1992

King Carl Gustaf of Sweden visited the Carleton Area’s camporee for Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, and Venturers. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Sept. 29, 1992: 17.

 

September 22, 1992

It was announced that Kanata City Council had urged Kanata citizens to vote to keep Canada together by voting “Yes” in the Oct. 26 constitutional referendum. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Sept. 22, 1992:5.

 

September 29, 1992

It was reported that Dennis Mooney had placed the winning bid to become Kanata’s Mayor For A Morning during a Kiwanis Television Auction for Charity. Dennis Mooney was to take office October 1. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Sept. 29, 1992:1.

 

September 29, 1992

Kanata’s community groups told Kanata City Council that they would not accept paying user fees for hall rentals. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Oct. 2, 1992:1.

 

September 30, 1992

Rick Baker, director of parks and recreation for the City of Kanata, brought fee recommendations to Council at a public pricing policy workshop. A yearly five per cent increase in fees for arenas and sports fields was proposed. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Oct. 6, 1992:1.

 

October 2, 1992

The first parenting fair was held at Earl of March High School. The day featured displays by about 26 exhibitors. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Oct. 9, 1992:6.

 

October 6, 1992

It was announced that the City of Kanata would dedicate a peace grove in Walter Baker Park as part of the Peace Parks Across Canada program. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Oct. 6, 1992:5.

 

October 6, 1992

The Bridlewood Community Association announced that it had elected a new executive: President—Paul Van Steen, 1st Vice-President—James Abbott, 2nd Vice-President—Sam Sheldrick. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Oct. 6, 1992:12.

 

October 6, 1992

Representatives of three non-profit groups protested the opening of a second bingo hall in Kanata, at a Kanata Council meeting. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Oct. 9, 1992:1.

 

October 7, 1992

Kanata resident Ron MacDonald beat David Banks, in a 120-102 vote, for the Lanark-Carleton Reform Party’s nomination for the next federal election. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Oct. 13, 1992:1.

 

October 13, 1992

It was reported that Kanata residents had told Graeme Kirby, appointed by Ontario Municipal Affairs Minister David Cooke to study the ramifications of moving toward a one-tier government in Ottawa-Carleton, that they were happy with the City of Kanata remaining its own entity. They did not want to take part in the paring down of Ottawa-Carleton’s 11 municipalities into five larger centres. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Oct. 13, 1992:1.

 

October 13, 1992

It was announced that Gerry Umbach, a local scout, had been chosen to represent Scouts Canada in Florida for the launch of the space shuttle Columbia. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Oct. 13, 1992:3.

 

October 14, 1992

Joyce Halpin of Penfield Drive won the draw for a miniature of the “Watcher” sculpture at the Kanata Beaverbrook Community Association meeting. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Oct. 20, 1992:5.

 

October 16, 1992

Glen Cairn mother Dawn Goodridge announced that she was tired of racial conflicts in Kanata schoolyards. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Oct. 16, 1992:1.

 

October 16, 1992

The Carleton Board of Education reported that it had agreed to a provincial ruling stating that they had to do more to get information to visually impaired parents. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Oct. 16, 1992:1.

 

October 20, 1992

It was announced that Kanata had been given a one-time grant of $78,000 to help soften tax increases for residents after regional council approved plans to revamp Ottawa-Carleton’s property tax system. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Oct. 20, 1992:1.

 

October 20, 1992

It was announced that the new Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps in Kanata would celebrate its official opening October 23, 1992. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Oct. 20, 1992:7.

 

October 23, 1992

The City of Kanata announced that it would investigate the possibility of naturalizing its parks. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Oct. 23, 1992:1.

 

October 23, 1992

A number of articles appeared in the Kourier-Standard advising Kanata residents whether they should vote yes or no in the upcoming referendum. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Oct. 23, 1992:5-6.

 

October 27, 1992

The Kanata Kourier-Standard reported that furnaces in older Kanata communities needed replacement. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Oct. 27, 1992:1.

 

October 30, 1992

Barrhaven resident Elizabeth Stutt announced that she would continue her environmental battle with the Carleton Board of Education. She wanted the board to better deal with her children’s environmental hyper-sensitivities. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Oct. 30, 1992:1.

 

October 30, 1992

Elections Canada announced that on October 26, 34,847 voters in Lanark-Carleton said “yes” to the Charlottetown Accord, while 34,414 said “no.” Kanata Kourier-Standard, Oct. 30, 1992:1.

 

October 30, 1992

It was announced that the City of Kanata had hired a new chief administrative officer. Bert Meunier had previously been the CAO of Kingston. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Oct. 30, 1992:1.

 

November 3, 1992

Mayor Merle Nicholds announced the possibility of creating a task force to look into racial discrimination in Kanata. Kanata Kourier-Standard , Nov. 3, 1992:1.

 

November 3, 1992

Castlefrank Elementary School student Jonathan Spicer, 11, presented a cheque to Frank Driscoll and Jim Shotton of the Kiwanis Club of Kanata for $1,864.34. The school raised the money during their Terry Fox Run. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Nov. 3, 1992:3.

 

November 3, 1992

Ian Murray, a nine-year resident of Lanark-Carleton, announced his candidacy for the federal Liberal nomination in the riding. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Nov. 3, 1992:7.

 

November 4, 1992

Kanata residents James McGrath, 46, and his wife Eveline, 55, pled guilty to a charge of selling pornographic tapes. Additional counts of making, possessing and mailing obscene material were dropped by the Crown attorney’s office. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Nov. 10, 1992:1.

 

November 5, 1992

A number of Kanata residents met to discuss the most effective ways of dealing with racial discrimination in the city. The meeting consisted of representatives from local schools, the Carleton Board of Education, community resource centres, the Ontario Anti-Racism Secretariat, and many other concerned groups. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Nov. 10, 1992:1.

 

November 6, 1992

Peter Brockmann, president of the Katimavik-Hazeldean Community Association announced that he hoped residents would consider paying the estimated $130,000 cost of saving a small portion of Young’s Pond Park between McCurdy Drive and Young Road. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Nov. 6, 1992:1.

 

November 6, 1992

It was announced that three merchants in the Kanata Town Centre had been given 30 days to vacate their locations. Write Travel, Kanata Opticians, and VCR Repair Centre were told by CamDev that a new development had been slotted for the space they occupied. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Nov. 6, 1992:1.

 

November 6, 1992

It was announced that new housing legislation introduced by the province would allow Kanata homeowners to create garden suites – “granny flats” – or apartments in their houses. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Nov. 6, 1992:2.

 

November 10, 1992

Seven Kanata Ontario Provincial Police officers were warned that they would face disciplinary action if they continued to support a province-wide police protest. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Nov. 10, 1992:3.

 

November 10, 1992

It was announced that Kanata City Council had approved rezoning of the Terry Fox Business Park to permit light industrial uses, including an auto mall campus. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Nov. 10, 1992:7.

 

November 10, 1992

Kanata City Council endorsed the Katimavik-Hazeldean Community Association’s request to circulate a local improvement petition in hopes of saving a portion of Young’s Pond Park. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Nov. 13, 1992:1.

 

November 10, 1992

Kanata City Council approved the Public Participation Task Force’s final recommendations. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Nov. 17, 1992:1.

 

November 13, 1992

An article appeared in the Kourier-Standard describing how Kanata resident Keith Milne, 34, found inspiration for his cartoons. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Nov. 13, 1992:5.

 

November 17, 1992

Kanata City Council gave its final approval to a public pricing policy to establish a framework for the city to follow for the following five years. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Nov. 24, 1992:1.

 

November 18-22, 1992

Jane Dowling of the Glen Cairn Skating Club and her partner Shawn Winter of the Minto Skating Club won a gold medal at the Sectionals Junior Dance Competition. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Dec. 1, 1992:27.

 

November 20, 1992

It was announced that the new bingo hall slated to open March 1 at the Recreation Complex had raised concerns from the Kanata Chamber of Commerce. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Nov. 20, 1992:1.

 

November 20, 1992

The City of Kanata announced that it would issue a stop-work order on the Palladium November 24, even though no work had begun since the ground-breaking ceremony in June. The deadline for Terrace to pay the city $1.2 million was November 23, 1992. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Nov. 20, 1992:1.

 

November 20, 1992

It was announced that a new sports and entertainment centre had been slated for the Kanata Town Centre. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Nov. 20, 1992:3.

 

November 20, 1992

The provincial government ignored an appeal by Bridlewood for funding to construct two new elementary schools. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Nov. 24, 1992:1.

 

November 20, 1992

Andrew Ladanowski, 25, a Montreal-area native, went looking for employment in the high-tech industry by standing by March Road during rush hours holding a sign that said, “Please pull over if you want my resume.” Kanata Kourier-Standard, Nov. 27, 1992:1.

 

November 24, 1992

Georges Vanier and Erskine Johnston representatives met to discuss solutions to improve area bus safety for students. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Nov. 24, 1992:3.

 

November 26, 1992

The Kanata Novice Blue Blazer hockey team won the annual Upper Ottawa Valley Muskrat Hockey Tournament in Cobden. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Dec. 4, 1992:12.

 

November 27, 1992

It was announced that Michael Joiner and Alden Thomlinson had been honoured by the Ontario Provincial Police with the OPP Commissioner’s Citation award at a ceremony in Manotick. The award was for their assistance after a March 20 accident east of Perth killed a Renfrew woman and seriously injured the five-member Best family of Kanata. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Nov. 27, 1992:11.

 

November 27, 1992

It was announced that Earl of March students had raised around $7,000 for the United Way with help from Bell Northern Research. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Nov. 27, 1992:16.

 

November 27, 1992

Commissioner Graeme Kirby officially released his final report on regional reform. Among his 41 recommendations was the plan to see if Kanata and Goulbourn should amalgamate. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Dec. 1, 1992:1.

 

December 1, 1992

It was announced that Regional Council had approved the acquisition of 5.5 acres of land in Briarbrook for co-operative housing. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Dec. 1, 1992:18.

 

December 1, 1992

It was announced that the Nepean-Kanata Barracudas swim club had placed second among 15 swim teams at the Division 1 Championships held in Etobicoke, Ontario. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Dec. 1, 1992:27.

 

December 3, 1992

Funeral services were held for Mike Bray, 18, of Katimavik-Hazeldean after he was killed when his car left the Queensway and struck a stack of cement construction barriers. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Dec. 4, 1992:1.

 

December 4, 1992

It was announced that Tom Carroll had resigned as chairperson of the Committee of Adjustment after Councillor Marianne Wilkinson was re-appointed to the committee. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Dec. 4, 1992:1.

 

December 4, 1992

It was announced that the Kanata Girls Hockey Association Novice team had won a silver medal in the Cornwall Girls Hockey Tournament. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Dec. 4, 1992:13.

 

December 4, 1992

Kanata fire-fighters used the Jaws of Life to free Allan Kyd of Ottawa whose vehicle was involved in an accident near Eagleson and Teron Roads. The accident involved eight people in four cars. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Dec. 8, 1992:1.

 

December 8, 1992

It was announced that the Reform Party of Lanark-Carleton had elected its new directors. Kanata residents on the board were: David Banks, Betty MacDonald, Richard Leslie, Wayne Moorhead, Ed Mulhall, John Perocchio, and Newton Steacy. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Dec. 8, 1992:25.

 

December 8, 1992

Mayor Merle Nicholds announced the resignation of city treasurer Gerry Taylor. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Dec. 11, 1992:1.

 

December 9, 1992

Jaye Ventresca, 11, a student at Georges Vanier School, died suddenly of meningococcal disease. The student was believed to have been inoculated against the disease during a massive campaign that year. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Dec. 11, 1992:1.

 

December 11, 1992

It was announced that Kanata resident Mark Yakabuski, formerly playing defence for the Brockville Braves, had accepted a schooling package to play for the Ottawa 67’s. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Dec. 11, 1992:19.

 

December 15, 1992

It was reported that Andrew Ladanowski, 25, of Montreal, who had been looking for a job in high-tech by holding up a sign on March Road, had landed a job with Newbridge Networks as a CAD engineer. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Dec. 15, 1992:1.

 

December 15, 1992

It was announced that the Katimavik-Hazeldean Community Association had voted in favour of forming an ad-hoc committee to examine community interest in purchasing a portion of Young’s Pond Park. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Dec. 15, 1992:6.

 

December 19, 1992

Members of the Police Services Board gave final approval to a proposed crossbow amendment to the guns discharge bylaw. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Jan. 5, 1993:7.

 

December 22, 1992

It was announced that city treasurer Gerry Taylor had suggested a 2.75 per cent tax increase for Kanata ratepayers. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Dec. 22, 1992:1.

 

December 29, 1992

The Kanata Kanucks Major Peewees of the L.C.M.H.A. participated in the Richmond Peewee House “A” tournament, taking the “A” division championship. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Feb. 2, 1993:23.

 

December 30, 1992

Kanata City Council endorsed a staff recommendation to set up a task force to solicit public opinion on the Kirby report -- a report that recommended the amalgamation of a number of communities including Kanata. Kanata Kourier-Standard, Jan. 5, 1993:7.

  

I thought I knew Yarmouth, but I heard in a discussion about what was the largest parish church in England, that Great Yarmouth Minster was one that laid claim to that accolade.

 

Minster? In Yarmouth?

 

But seems there is much to the town I did not know, and clearly it needs to be further explored. But whilst in the area, riding on trains, I took and hour out to walk from the station to the Minster to have a look, if it was open.

 

Maybe they are more welcoming to visitors now, but two boards outside announcing the fact, so I went in and was stunned at the size of it, too much to take in really, but it was full of light and I was given a very warm welcome. This made a very lasting impression.

 

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The Norman-era Minster Church of St Nicholas in Great Yarmouth remains, due to its floor-surface area, England's largest parish church.[1] It was founded in 1101 by Herbert de Losinga, the first Bishop of Norwich,[2] and consecrated in 1119. Since its construction, it has been Great Yarmouth's parish church. It is cruciform, with a central tower, which may preserve a part of the original structure. Gradual alterations effectively changed the form of the building. Its nave is 26 feet (7.9 m) wide, and the church's total length is 236 feet (72 m).

In December 2011, the Bishop of Norwich officially designated it a Minster Church. It is not only used for religious services but is a hub for various other regional and civic events, including concerts by choirs, orchestras and other musical ensembles, art exhibitions and, during festivals and fayres, the church opens permitting stalls and traders inside.

  

The building, very possibly the town's oldest, is also its most visible, historic landmark. It sits in the central area of Great Yarmouth, close to the house of Anna Sewell.[2] The Transitional clerestoried nave, with columns alternately octagonal and circular, was rebuilt in the reign of King John. A portion of the chancel is of the same date. About fifty years later the aisles were widened, so that the nave is now, rather unusually, the narrowest part of the building. Immediately adjacent are two main graveyard areas: the Old Yard lies directly east behind the church, while the very substantial New Yard stretches for about half a mile to the north.

  

A grand west front with towers and pinnacles was constructed between 1330 and 1338, but a plague interrupted building extension plans. In the 16th century the ornamental brasses were cast into weights and the gravestones cut into grindstones. Within the church there were at one time 18 chapels, some maintained by guilds, others by private families, such as the Paxtons. At the Reformation the chapels were demolished and the building's valuable liturgical vessels sold off, the proceeds spent to widen the channel of the harbour.

 

During the Commonwealth period, the Independents appropriated the chancel, the Presbyterians the north aisle, while Churchmen were allowed the remainder of the building. The interior brick walls, erected at this time to separate the different portions of the building, remained until 1847. In 1864 the tower was restored, and the east end of the chancel rebuilt; between 1869 and 1870 the south aisle was rebuilt; and in 1884 the south transept, the west end of the nave and the north aisle underwent restoration.

 

During the Second World War, the building was bombed and nearly destroyed by fire. It was rebuilt by the architect Stephen Dykes Bower and re-consecrated in 1961. During reconstruction, the church temporarily used St Peter's Church on St Peter's Road. When St Nicholas re-opened, attendance at St Peter's declined until the 1960s, when a growing Greek community had use of it, and in 1981 it became St Spiridon's Greek Orthodox Church.

On 2 October 2011, the Lord Bishop of Norwich Graham James raised St. Nicholas to the status of a Minster Church, so marked on 9 December 2011 during the town's Civic Carol Service. Its formal title is now the Minster Church of St. Nicholas, Great Yarmouth.

On 13 October 2014 a memorial stone was unveiled to commemorate the deaths of thirteen people in 1981 Bristow Helicopters Westland Wessex crash.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Yarmouth_Minster

 

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I do like Great Yarmouth. More than anywhere else in East Anglia, with the possible exception of Kings Lynn, you feel that this is a place which has broken the surly bonds of proximity to London, which is, after all, fewer than 150 miles away, and instead yearns out for the sea, and Europe. Yarmouth takes its name from the mouth of the River Yare: tightly crammed onto a narrow tongue of land, surrounded on three sides by water, it retains its endearingly shabby character and a sense of its own singular history, despite the best efforts of the Luftwaffe and the Borough planners, who over the last half-century must rank as some of the most neglectful and bone-headed planners of any of England's medium-sized towns.

Great Yarmouth has a seedy brashness, a jollity which overwrites the hard times it has suffered, and it has suffered indeed: the town lost a greater percentage of its houses to German bombing during the Second World War than any other town in England. The disappearance of the fishing industry led to an unemployment rate of mining town proportions, and the rugged working class character of the town, without any significant areas of middle class villas or suburban metroland, has often been a poor advocate for itself.

 

Can there be a more hauntingly lovely town centre street in East Anglia than South Quay? On one side are the confident 19th and early 20th century buildings, the town hall, the banks, the merchants' houses, the town pubs, while on the other side is the quay of the steely, silent Yare, the great ships parked opposite the buildings. For Great Yarmouth is still a major port, and the warehouses on the Southtown side remind those who pass beneath the great red brick buildings on the far bank exactly where all this prosperity came from.

 

And a twenty minute walk will take you across the heart of the town to Yarmouth's wide, white, sandy beaches, for today this is above all else a seaside town, of course. And while the beaches are by no means as lovely as those of Lowestoft ten miles to the south, nothing can beat Yarmouth for the sheer number of its amusement arcades, its fairgrounds, its candy floss stands and its cheap tat shops. Kiss me quick and squeeze me slow: this feels like the seaside used to, like it ought to, before we got all sophisticated about such matters. It reminds me of my childhood. In summer, all Norwich seems to come here for a cheap and cheerful day out, and you cannot get a seat on the train for love nor money.

 

When I first knew Great Yarmouth as a child in the 1970s, the roads to the north of the town centre were lined with small hotels, and while these certainly still exist, the days when thousands of people came to Great Yarmouth for a two week holiday are now gone. The former hotels are now residential care homes, or divided up into flats and bedsits, which are still not called apartments, thank goodness. The vast coach park immediately to the north of the town centre is still discernible as the site of Yarmouth Beach station, which brought the holiday-makers here. In those days, Great Yarmouth had three railway stations, but now there is only one, with its single line playing host to an hourly shuttle into Norwich.

 

That the demand for cheap meals and takeaway food has not diminished is testified to by the large population of Greeks, mainly from Cyprus; they started arriving here during the days of the fascist dictatorship and the war in the 1970s. The vast former Anglican parish church of St Peter, redundant in the 1980s, has been happily reborn as the Greek Orthodox church of St Spiridon. Today, especially in the area to the south of the town centre, you are as likely to hear Greek spoken on the streets as English. And what English! This must be one of the last towns in England with a strong, identifiable accent of its own - people do not have Norfolk accents here, they have Great Yarmouth accents, which stand out in the streets of sophisticated Norwich as much as voices from Birmingham or Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

 

People who have never been here know Great Yarmouth from books, especially the opening few chapters of Charles Dickens's David Copperfield, for here it was that the Peggoty family lived in an upturned boat on the beach, and here it was that David was happy. Dickens was writing in the 1840s about a Great Yarmouth of a quarter of a century earlier, and you will find few traces of Dickens's Yarmouth today. Great Yarmouth underwent a massive building boom in the 1860s, and this and the modern era define its character above all else. But wandering around the Middlegate area you may be struck by how, among the dull and often crass buildings of the 1960s and 1970s, there is occasionally some extraordinary survival, a 16th century house wider at the top than the bottom, perhaps, or an early medieval tollhouse, or a grand 18th century frontage with a perfunctory building tacked on behind. This was the heart of the area destroyed by a succession of German bombing raids in 1941 and 1942. Because of Great Yarmouth's singular situation on a spit of land, its population lived crammed into narrow alleys called rows, many early medieval in origin, the bulk built in the 15th and 16th centuries. This unique medieval townscape of perhaps 140 rows survived up until those fateful nights. It was almost completely destroyed, with a consequent heavy loss of life. Hauntingly, several bombed buildings have been left exactly as they were after the destruction, in a railed off area behind the replacement Unitarian church.

 

It is easy to forget quite how prosperous Great Yarmouth was during the medieval period. As Bill Wilson reminds us in the revised Pevsner, at the time of the 1334 merchant's tax register, Yarmouth raised more in the subsidy than either Norwich or Lynn, which a hundred years before had been exceptionally prosperous places. Only York, Bristol and London were richer than Yarmouth on the eve of the Black Death; the town had provided three times more sailors for the attack on Calais than London, and in 1348 there were 220 boats on the Yare river mouth. But the following year the Black Death wiped out perhaps two-thirds of the townsfolk, and it would take Yarmouth hundreds of years to recover its former prosperity.

 

It was at this time that the town walls were completed, and it is still possible to trace the course of the walls today, especially to the south of the town. On three sides, the walls defended Yarmouth from the sea, on which it resolutely turned its back; on the river side, there was no wall. Within the walls, at its widest and most northerly point, the town had its market place, still a busy one, and further north than that, looking down the length of the market place, over the rows, the warehouse, along the river and out to the sea, they built a great church, dedicated to the patron saint of sailors, St Nicholas.

 

A hundred miles up the east coast is the great port city of Hull, which dwarfs the town of Great Yarmouth, but with which Great Yarmouth otherwise shares very much in common. There, the great late 15th Century church of Holy Trinity is claimed as the country's biggest, which may well be true in terms of its sheer bulk. But here in Yarmouth the medieval merchant wealth had done better than that, and here it was that, in terms of floor area, the burghers of Yarmouth built the largest church in England.

 

Whereas the Hull church towers over and dominates the medieval street plan, here in Great Yarmouth St Nicholas seems to sprawl, its width and length dwarfing the central tower. Holy Trinity is fully in proportion, a typical late medieval church writ large, but St Nicholas is not. This great building has an idiosyncrasy, and to visit it is to see a church in a new way. There are several reasons for this, not least that this building was largely complete a full 150 years before Holy Trinity. There is no clerestory, and hardly any of the language of Perpendicular which would inform and shape so many of England's great urban churches. The setting of the building below the level of the market place means that the overall impression is of the green of the vast copper roofs. To see it in the low sun of a cold winter's afternoon, with the stone and flintwork glowing and the frost beginning to gleam on the parapets, is to see one of East Anglia's most beautiful urban sights, I think.

 

Walking around the outside of the building is a not inconsiderable task, and you soon become acquainted with the rhythm of the flintwork, windows and stone dressing, which make it feel that it is all of a piece, which is an illusion, although there are reasons for it. The west front is vast, but hidden by trees and in any case visible only from a minor road.To the east of the chancel is a haunting 1840s gravestone which tells us that beneath this Stone rests two Babes that brought Happiness to their Parents although they are Dead. I wondered if Dickens had ever spotted it. And as you come back round to the south porch you'll find one of England's most unusual 19th century gravestones. It remembers George Beloe, a nine year old boy who was unfortunately drowned when the suspension bridge over the Bure, just outside of Yarmouth, collapsed in 1845. A large crowd had gathered on the bridge to watch a clown float down the river in a barrel pulled by geese, and the bridge collapsed when they surged from one side to the other as he went under. The full death toll was never known, because many of the victims must have been washed out to sea by the fast-flowing current. Seventy-nine bodies were recovered, most of them children. What makes George Beloe's headstone extraordinary is that it depicts, in stone relief, the collapse of the bridge. Now eroded by weather after more than a century and a half, you can still make out the two ends of the bridge, and the eye of God looking down as the deck collapses into the Bure.

 

Having made your circumnavigation, you can now step through the huge porch, which faces the market place, into the interior of this extraordinary building. You may know already what to expect, but if you do not then you will be struck by how outstandingly light and clean the interior is. As your eyes adjust to the great distances, you may then notice the curious pattern of the arcades which open and close vistas as you begin to wander, as if this was a maze of vast, low rooms. And then you would notice the jaunty, bleached Festival of Britain feel of the furnishings, the acreage of modern glass, most of it very good, and the uncluttered simplicity, and then it will strike you - there is nothing old here.

 

On the night of 24th June 1942, St Nicholas was completely destroyed by German bombing. All that was left standing were the outer walls and the tower, in danger of collapse. The stonework was utterly calcined by the fierce heat. In a town which had suffered so much over the previous twelve months, it was a greivous loss, and it would be almost twenty years before St Nicholas was open for business again. Essentially, it had to be rebuilt, using the surviving walls and tower. The chosen design was that of a relatively minor architect, but a man who would be responsible for the two great East Anglian church architectural controversies of the 20th Century, Stephen Dykes Bower.

 

It is inevitable that a comparison should be made with Coventry Cathedral, which also replaced a bombed predecessor. The two buildings are about the same size, the work was carried out over the same period of years in the late 1950s, and the two buildings opened just a year apart. But while Basil Spence's Coventry Cathedral is a fabulous, iconic structure in the spirit of the age and in the full flush of post-war enthusiasm, St Nicholas at first appears little more than an exercise in pedantic and ponderous medievalism. As Bill Wilson points out, the £315,000 awarded by the War Damage Commission here was but a quarter of the money allotted to Coventry, but he also recalls Pevsner's scathing attack on the design: What an opportunity was lost! What thrilling things might have been done inside! A modern interior, airy, noble, of fine materials could have arisen to affirm the vitality of C20 church architecture inside the C13 walls. How defeatist does the imitation-Gothic interior appear, once this has been realized!

 

And Pevsner was not alone. The main criticism seemed to be that, while the opportunity had not been taken to produce something brave and modernist, the rebuilding was also not true to the principles and details of the Gothic which had been there before. Instead, Dykes Bower made up his own Gothic, particularly in the arcades and tracery. It is a simple Gothic, stripped of detail and without the clutter beloved of the 19th Century revival. Coventry Cathedral's design was startling and newsworthy, and the great artists of the day were commissioned to provide its fixtures and fittings. It has come to represent a city which otherwise projects a rather vague image to the world. But Great Yarmouth is not Coventry, and there is a big difference between the urban church of a relatively small and insular town and the Cathedral of a great diocese. It is perhaps unfair that Coventry's Cathedral is still viewed today as a phoenix risen from the ashes in a way that Great Yarmouth's church can never be, despite the near-identical circumstances. But that's not all. Bill Wilson, writing in 1991, concludes that the problem with the concept is the lack of assertive detail and the fact that so large a space needs to be filled with plenty of furnishings. Unhappily, there are hardly any...

 

And yet, and yet. When I step into St Nicholas now, I find myself thrilled by the cool light, the almost monastic simplicity. Apart from the hideous organ, the open spaces are barely punctuated, and there is something timeless and eternal about the silence. Dykes Bower's arcades are hardly there, vanishing into the whiteness above and the simplicity of the bare wood roofs. Through the crossing the jewel-like chancel glows, almost beckoning. From the other direction the west window does exactly the same. What Pevsner could not have foreseen is that this building is entirely suited to modern Anglican spirituality which has extended in recent years beyond mere congregational worship. And he also could not have foreseen how we would come to view the simplicity of Dykes Bower's design, the white walls, the lack of detail, the stripped, bleached wood and the cool, hard floors as being exactly symptomatic of the 1960s, the decade which gave this new building its birth. For this, I like it very much, not least because it was reopened on 8th May 1961, the day I was born.

 

Perhaps best of all I like the range of glass around the east and west windows by Brian Thomas. They are all of a piece, installed for the reopening. There can be few modern schemes outside of the cathedrals on so vast a scale, and yet they are elaborate, detailed and intimate. This great, light building is the perfect setting for them. The east window depicts the Crucifixion, surrounded by scenes from the Passion. In the north aisles are the joyful mysteries of the Christ story, from the Annunciation to the Presentation, while in the south aisles is the salvation story from Adam and Eve to Christ's mission. At the west end are the sacraments.

 

There are effectively four aisles, two either side of the church, which extend up to beyond the crossing. The aisles each side become conjoined as they flank the nave itself, making the nave appear narrow and tall in comparison, despite what we know to be true of it. The triple lancet of the west window aids this illusion. Below it, the Norman font is from a redundant Wiltshire church, and looks most un-East Anglian. There are small artworks and minor survivals dotted about, but they do not intrude. The early 18th century pulpit came from St George, a few hundred metres to the south, now closed. The pews in the central part of the nave are also from St George, and although they are simple they strike a jarring note. Modern chairs would be better. Dykes Bower screened off the south chancel chapel to create a space for private prayer, and this doesn't work as well as it might, creating an obstruction within the otherwise openness of the east end. The garishly painted organ is also his.

 

But this is a place to wander - despite the vast scale I found I had circumnavigated the interior three times without really noticing. It struck me then quite how much Dykes Bower must have intended this - he was designing a great town church interior, and looking across the water to Holland and Belgium as much as to anywhere else in England. He wanted a church that opened onto the market place, into which shoppers could come for a sit down and even a prayer, a building whose open spaces would be wandered through. Having told you all of this, I expect you are already making plans to come to Great Yarmouth and visit this church for yourself as soon as you possibly can. You may be aghast to learn, then, that this wonderful structure is hardly ever open to the public. At present, you can only visit on a Saturday morning: otherwise, it is merely the private, vastly-subsidised venue of a small group of Sunday worshippers. Nothing could be more short-sighted, and little could be more shameful.

 

For, while the mission of the Church of England is increasingly seen as to the whole people of God and not just to its registered members, and churches all over England are making themselves open to pilgrims and strangers wanting to feel a sense of the numinous and even perhaps to be open to a spirituality which may or may not be Christian but which is at least a yearning for God, the people of Great Yarmouth are locked out of their own church from day to day. They can at least visit the Catholic church of St Mary, which has a sign saying, curiously, that the church is open as often as possible, but that is a small Victorian building, and cannot compare with St Nicholas which is, after all, the heart and soul of Great Yarmouth's history, a touchstone down its long generations.

 

But if you can get inside, and if you stand beneath the crossing looking westwards, the view is typical: clean, clear, full of light and gravitas with a sense of prayerfulness and even of mystery. There is enough to convince. This building does not feel defeatist; if anything, it was a rather brave approach to the problem. But few people saw it like that at the time, and few people did in the years after. It must be said that Dykes Bower did not go out of his way to win friends in the modernist world - as his wikipedia entry says of him, he was a devoted and determined champion of the Gothic Revival style through its most unpopular years. And yet, he had the last laugh. When he finished here, he spent the next two decades overseeing the transformation of the church of St James at Bury St Edmunds into a fitting cathedral for the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. His is the chancel there, his the transepts, the side chapels and the north ambulatory, all in his own faux-gothic style. And when he died in 1994 he left a cool two million pounds to the Diocese for the construction of a huge Gothic central tower over the crossing of the cathedral. The Diocese spent another ten years or so raising the extra needed, which was fairly controversial in those years when the CofE was haemorraging cash left, right and centre. Despite the voices against it, the tower was built, entirely to Dykes Bower's fancy, and the gleaming white edifice now towers over Bury as if it had been there for half a millennium or more.

 

Simon Knott, October 2010

 

www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/gynicholas/gynicholas.htm

I'm going to the cinema today. Originally I was wearing a sleeveless shirt with this skirt, but switched for something warmer as they usually pump the theatre full of freezing air.

 

Also, sorry for the crappy quality. Haven't quite figured out self-portrait mode on my canon.

 

top - dorothy perkins

skirt - primark

tights - accessorize

shoes - primark

This image is licensed cc-by-nc-sa. Media (including blogs) are permitted to use my images provided they provide attribution in the form of "Photo by Andrew Bossi" or something along those lines.

 

It would be very much appreciated (though not required) if you provide a link back to my photo. Send me a message on Flickr or at thisisbossi@gmail.com if you use my image & I'll add a link on the photo's page back to your article.

 

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Also, if I've mis-titled or mis-tagged anything: just let me know. If you recognise someone I should tag: again, just let me know.

 

================================

 

In response to the Congressional budget debacle which proved that DC is but a colony -- prone to being singled out unlike any other city in the country -- a number of activists, elected officials, and general citizens came out in force upon the grounds of Capitol Hill.

 

The crowd first formed on the sidewalk, but after some opening remarks by elected officials and activists: they quickly spilled into the street. The Capitol Police had been on hand & I'd thought it amusing that a couple were taking photos & videos... it wasn't until I saw the wristbands come out when I realised these weren't officers enjoying the moment; they were recording evidence.

 

With many minutes of warning, large portions of the group shifted over the sidewalk; whilst a core of dedicated supporters -- including our Mayor, a number of councilmembers, and members of DC Vote -- remained behind to block the roadway. The officers began to surround the group & repeated their warnings to get back on the sidewalk or face arrest.

 

Now in all fairness to the Capitol Police: they were doing their job. They were quite courteous about it & the protest was similarly jubilant right back. One woman was first to be bound, soon followed by several other activists. Then came Muriel Bowser: first councilmember to be arrested.

 

In general, I tend to dislike political grandstanding... but this was different. If our council was being arrested by our own police, I'd think it a cheesy photo op... but now our locally-elected officials were being arrested by the very forces we were out to protest: the Feds. This wasn't a mere photo op arrest; this was actually a legitimate arrest... the kind of thing that goes on your record; the kind of thing you spent a night in jail for.

 

Now granted, I don't expect anyone will be in jail longer than tomorrow; I'd be surprised if any were still locked up by midnight tonight. But it was Councilmember Bowser's arrest which really hit a moment... you could see the look on her face was of some worried concern: someone who had never been arrested before & didn't show up here today expecting to be arrested. As she was placed into the police van: her look of concern changed to a bit more worry. I mean this as no knock against Councilmember Bowser's committment; rather I felt it really help to humanise the entire event. It made me respect her all the more.

 

Yvette Alexander stood right beside us for quite some time, complicated in that she didn't have her ID on her. While it was entertaining to see our top officials being frisked, it was also quite entertaining that our easily-recognisable councilmember needed her ID... prompting a standerby to call one of her staffers with the best introduction I've ever heard over a phone: "Hi, your councilmember has been arrested." Also, kudos to Councilmember Alexander for going to jail in high heels!

 

There is a lot I can complain about with the council in general; and certainly with individual councilmembers & even the mayor. Heck, that's what politicians are for: you're not supposed to always like them. But this was an opportunity to set aside some of those issues (frankly, I'd say DC was glad to have a unifying moment after the past couple weeks) and cheer on our own brothers & sisters as they stood up in support of our rights.

 

It was certainly a proud moment to be a DC resident and a fine boost to our collective esteem after several weeks of turmoil within our local & federal levels of government. It's aggravating that my support for small & local government is inhibited by those in Congress whom advocate small & local government. If I wanted to live in a colony, I'd have moved to Williamsburg.

Manali, (alt. 1,950 m or 6,398 ft) in the Beas River valley, is an important hill station in the Himalayan mountains of Himachal Pradesh, India, near the northern end of the Kullu Valley. Manali is administratively a part of the Kullu district. The population is approx. 30,000. The small town was the beginning of an ancient trade route to Ladakh and, from there, over the Karakoram Pass on to Yarkand and Khotan in the Tarim Basin. Manali and its surrounding areas are of great significance to the Indian culture and heritage as it was the home and abode of the Saptarshi or seven sages. The ancient cave temple, Hidimba Devi Temple, is not far from town.

Contents

[hide]

 

* 1 Geography

* 2 Demographics

* 3 Etymology

* 4 History

* 5 Transport

* 6 Tourism in Manali

o 6.1 Tourist Attractions

o 6.2 Places around Manali

o 6.3 Adventure Sports

* 7 Notes

* 8 References

* 9 External links

 

[edit] Geography

 

Manali is located at [show location on an interactive map] 32°10′N 77°06′E / 32.16, 77.1[1]. It has an average elevation of 2625 metres (8612 feet).

 

[edit] Demographics

 

As of 2001 India census[2], Manali had a population of 6265. Males constitute 64% of the population and females 36%. Manali has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 80%, and female literacy is 63%. In Manali, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.

 

[edit] Etymology

 

Manali is named after the Brahmin lawgiver Manu. The word Manali literally means “the abode of Manu”. Legend has it that sage Manu stepped off his ark in Manali to recreate human life after a great flood had deluged the world. Manali is known as the "Valley of the Gods". The Old Manali village has an ancient temple dedicated to sage Manu.

 

[edit] History

 

In ancient times, the valley was sparsely populated by nomadic hunters known as "rakshas". The next arrivals were the shepherds who arrived from the Kangra valley and settled to take up agriculture. Some of the earliest inhabitants of the region are the 'naur' or 'nar', which is a caste unique to the Kullu valley. Only a few naur families are known to exist now. A naur family in the village Soyal near Haripur on the west bank of Manali was famous for the vast land they owned and their practice of having 'rakshas' as their labourers.

 

The British were responsible for introducing apples and trout which were not native to Manali. It is said that when apple trees were first planted the fruits were so plentiful that often branches, unable to bear the weight would collapse. To this day apple along with plum and pear remains the best source of income for the majority of its inhabitants.

 

Tourism in Manali received a real boost after the rise of militancy in Kashmir in the late 1980s. This once quiet village was transformed into a bustling town with hundreds of hotels and restaurants.

 

[edit] Transport

Mall street, Manali

 

Manali is well connected by road to Delhi through NH-21 which goes on the Leh and is the world's highest motorable road.[citation needed] Leading up to Manali from New Delhi are the towns of Panipat and Ambala in Haryana, Chandigarh(Union Territory), Ropar in Punjab, and Bilaspur, Sundernagar, and Mandi in Himachal.

 

Manali is not easily approachable by rail. The nearest broad gauge railheads are at Chandigarh (315 km), Pathankot (325 km) and Kalka (310 km). The nearest narrow gauge railhead is at Joginder Nagar (135 km)

 

The nearest airport is at Bhuntar, which is about 50 km from Manali. The only private airline in the region is Jagson Airlines. Offlate services have been started by Air Deccan as well as Indian Airlines who fly daily to Bhuntar Airport.

 

[edit] Tourism in Manali

Traditional home, Manali, 2004

River Beas and mountains as seen from Van Vihar

A view of Rohtang Pass in Manali

Mountain ranges in Manali

Bridge in the middle of town with prayer flags

Buddha Statue at Buddhist monastery

Image:Snowfallinmanali.JPG

A view of Circuit House Road covered in snow

  

[edit] Tourist Attractions

 

Manali is a popular Himalayan tourist destination and accounts for nearly a quarter of all tourist arrivals in Himachal Pradesh. It is visited by many trekkers who follow the hashish trail. Manali's charas is considered to be the best in India. The valleys provide natural U.V lights as fields are high up the mountain and high grade grows directly from the sunlight.ala. Manali's cool atmosphere provides a perfect haven for the ones afflicted by the hot Indian summers. It is famous for adventure sports like skiing, hiking, mountaineering, para gliding, rafting, trekking, kayaking, and mountain biking. It also offers hot springs, spectacular religious shrines and temples, Tibetan Buddhist temples, and trekking in the surrounding mountains.

 

Naggar Fort south of Manali is a reminder of the 1500 year old Pal Dynasty. Made from rocks, stones, and elaborate wood carvings, it is an ensemble of the rich and elegant artworks of Himachal. The castle was later converted to a rest house and luxury hotel. Tourists often stop at the castle to see the small shrine located in the building's courtyard, a fine example of architecture and design from the Pal Dynasty.

 

The often visited site in Manali is the Dhungri or Hadimba Temple. Erected in 1533, this temple is dedicated to the local deity Hadimba, wife of the Pandava prince, Bhim. A major festival is held here in the month of May. The temple is noted for its four-storeyed pagoda and exquisite wooden carvings.

 

Manali is known for its shiny gompas or Buddhist monasteries. With the highest concentration of Tibetan refugees in the entire Kullu valley, it is famous for its Gadhan Thekchhokling Gompa, built in 1969. The monastery is maintained by donations from the local community and through the sale of hand-woven carpets in the temple workshop

 

The smaller and more modern Himalayan Nyingamapa Gompa stands nearer the bazaar, in a garden blooming with sunflowers. Its main shrine, lit by dozens of electric bulbs and fragrant with Tibetan incense, houses a colossal gold-faced Buddha, best viewed from the small room on the first floor.

 

The Museum of Traditional Himachal Culture, near the Hadimba temple, is worth a visit, which houses artifacts of folk art of the entire Kullu valley.

 

[edit] Places around Manali

 

Rohtang Pass, at an altitude of 13,050 feet above sea level, is another adventure tourist site where it can be cold even on a summer day. It is the highest point on the Manali-Keylong road and provides a wide panoramic view of mountains rising far above clouds, which is truly breath taking. Close by is a small lake called Dassaur Lake. Beas Kund, the source of river Beas, is also nearby. In winter, the road of Rothang Pass is closed.

 

Rahala waterfalls: About 16 km from Manali at the start of the climb to the Rohtang Pass, are the beautiful Rahalla Falls at an altitude of 2,501 m.

 

Monasteries: Manali is known for its shiny gompas or Buddhist monasteries. It is maintained by donations from the local community and by sale of hand-woven carpets in the temple workshop.

 

Rani Nala - 46 km from Manali, it is the glacier point where snow is available throughout the year.

 

Vashist Hot Water Springs and Temple: Around 3 km from Manali, across the Beas river is Vashist, a small village with natural sulphur springs. Modern bathhouses,now closed, due to a conflict with the elders of the village and Manali council. Vasistha [3] a sage narrated Yoga Vasishtha an ancient scripture to Rama. A unique and an extremely profound discourse, that provides innumerable insights and secrets to the inner world of consciousness. This extremely huge scripture covers all the topics that relate to the spiritual study of a seeker. Vaishisht, also boasts a pair of old stone temples, opposite each other above the main square. Dedicated to the local patron saint Vashista, the smaller of the two opens on to a partially covered courtyard, and is adorned with elaborate woodcarvings those lining the interior of the shrine, blackened by years of oil-lamp and incense smoke, are particularly fine. In this ornate quadrangle is the resting place of the local and transient sadhus, drinking chai, and smoking chillums with whoever will join them in reverence to The Lord Shiva and Guru Vashshist. The temple baths are separated into male and female and the water is often unbearably hot.

  

Solang valley, popularly known as Snow Point, is 13 km northwest of Manali and famous for its 300-meter ski lift. It is a picturesque spot and offers splendid views of glaciers and the snow-capped mountains. Jagatsukh, the former capital of Manali, is also an important spot.

 

At a distance of 3 km northwest of Manali is Old Manali, famous for its orchards and old guesthouses. There is ruined fort here by the name of Manaligarh. There is also the Manu Maharishi Temple, dedicated to sage Manu.

 

Manikaran: 85 km from Manali and 45 km from Kullu, lies in the Parvati Valley. Here icy cold waters of the Parvati river co-exist with hot-water springs side-by-side. The springs are known for their healing properties.

 

[edit] Adventure Sports

 

Skiing is a major pastime in Manali. Facilities for skiing are available at Solang Nullah (January-March) and Rohtang La (during summer). The Mountaineering Institute at Solang Nullah is a good training institute. Heli skiing is possible at the deep snowfields.

Skiing at Solang

 

The Mountaineering Institute and Allied Sports is about 3 km from the Mall and offers mountaineering and kayaking courses. Kayaking is possible on the Beas River.

 

There are several good hikes from Manali. The 12 km hike up the western banks of the Beas to the Solang Valley is noteworthy. Lama Dugh meadow is a 6 km hike up to the Manalsu Nala, west of Manali town.

 

For the best trekking expedition, take a trek from Solang Valley, on to Dhundhi and from there to Dussar lake and then onwards to Manali. This stretch will take you to places you would have only dreamt of. Pure, unadulterated adventure and fun. Be sure to have a good guide at your disposal who knows this area otherwise you would be lost forever. The trek would typically last for 5 days.

 

In the summers, several travel agencies organize paragliding on the slopes of the Solang Nullah. The charges generally include accommodation, food, equipment, and a guide, but not transport.

 

From May to July and, depending on the monsoons, from mid-September to mid-October, some basic rafting is possible on the Beas. The trips generally begin at Pirdi and continue 16 km down to Jhiri.

 

The HPTDC provides day permits for fishing. Permits can be obtained also at Patlikhul. Angling in the Kullu valley is possible at Larji, Katrain and Kasol.

 

Beas Kund is the lake from which the River Beas originates. It is considered holy and sacred. Besides being a holy pilgrimage place, it is a popular destination for trekking.

River Crossing over Beas is a popular sport in Manali

 

Manali is among the most popular adventure sports destinations in India. Manali offers opportunities for mountaineering, skiing, trekking, paragliding, white water rafting, river crossing and mountain biking. Yak skiing is a sport unique to this area.[4]. Manali also featured in Time magazine's "Best of Asia" for its "Extreme Yak Sports".[4]

En la contrapropuesta, también incluirían el pedido de avales para permitirle a la Ciudad acceder a créditos internacionales y así, poder extender la red de subterráneos a un ritmo mucho mayor que lo que se vino ejecutando hasta ahora, en relación al avance de las obras.

 

Arriba: La bifurcación entre el subterráneo de la línea B y el comienzo de la traza del Ferrocarril Urquiza (al fondo), que actualmente está atado a la concesión que caducará en 2017 (más detalles en la nota).

 

El Gobierno de la Ciudad entregará el lunes a la Nación la contraoferta por el traspaso del servicio de subterráneos, debido a las demoras para la confección del documento definitivo.

 

El ministro de Hacienda porteño, Néstor Grindetti, había adelantado que la contraoferta iba a ser presentada este viernes, pero la reunión que tenía previsto mantener con los demás funcionarios del PRO encargados de la negociación fue postergada a último momento.

 

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De esta manera, se demora la respuesta de la Ciudad al plan presentado por el Gobierno nacional, que propuso traspasarle el servicio de subte y Premetro a partir del 1 de diciembre con el 50 por ciento de los recursos en concepto de subsidios.

 

En declaraciones radiales, Grindetti reiteró que antes de definir la contraoferta deben "leer mucha documentación y buscar un consenso entre las partes, por ello es imposible hacer el traspaso en 10 días".

 

"Nosotros enviamos el Presupuesto a la Legislatura y no hemos incorporado ningún subsidio porque no sabíamos de esta propuesta", sostuvo Grindetti, quien deslizó así que buscarían negociar los aportes que realizará cada gobierno.

 

Y agregó: "Queremos que el subte sea transferido, es lo mejor para la autonomía de la Ciudad y es bueno para los vecinos".

 

Las fuentes consultadas indicaron que la respuesta de la Ciudad haría hincapié en la necesidad de contar con más tiempo para concretar la transferencia y se baraja la posibilidad de que propongan estirar esa operatoria hasta marzo.

 

También buscarían mayores precisiones con respecto al futuro de las inversiones de la Nación que ya están en curso y pedirían un "mayor esfuerzo", es decir, un aporte que supere el 50 por ciento ofrecido en principio, que ronda los 29 millones de pesos.

 

En la contraoferta también se incluiría el pedido para que la Nación firme los avales que necesita el Gobierno porteño para acceder a créditos internacionales, particularmente los del Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID), con el fin de poder extender la red de subterráneos a un ritmo mucho mayor que lo que se vino ejecutando hasta ahora, en relación al avance de las obras.

 

Luego de las primeras reuniones, los funcionarios de la Nación y de la Ciudad coincidieron en la necesidad de realizar un "esfuerzo compartido" para evitar que se elevaran las tarifas del servicio, pero Grindetti subrayó que era "imposible" concretar el traspaso "en 15 días".

 

Entre otros puntos, los funcionarios porteños analizaron la transferencia de los contratos de concesión que caducarán en 2017 y allí hay uno, el de la línea B que recorre la Ciudad bajo la avenida Corrientes desde el Bajo hasta avenida De los Incas en Parque Chas, que está atado al contrato de explotación del Ferrocarril Urquiza, que desde Chacarita, en Capital Federal, se dirige a la provincia de Buenos Aires.

 

En principio sólo ese punto, estima Piccardo, que «llevará por lo menos semanas» para que el contrato sea modificado y pueda transferirse sólo la parte que corresponde a la línea del subterráneo.

 

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Texto: ambito.com

Foto: Propia (cualquier copia o reproducción requiere del previo permiso y/o consulta al autor).

Si algún medio importante quiere la foto (sin marcas), puede pedírmela por correo a arte_subterraneo@live.com.ar

Si no contesto la petición de las fotos, quiere decir que no estoy interesado en la oferta (petición válida solo para aquellos que residan en Capital Federal y alrededores).

 

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Hong Kong (香港; "Fragrant Harbour"), officially Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is an autonomous territory on the southern coast of China at the Pearl River Estuary and the South China Sea. Hong Kong is known for its skyline and deep natural harbour. It has an area of 1104 km2 and shares its northern border with the Guangdong Province of Mainland China. With around 7.2 million Hongkongers of various nationalities, Hong Kong is one of the world's most densely populated metropolises.

 

After the First Opium War (1839–42), Hong Kong became a British colony with the perpetual cession of Hong Kong Island, followed by Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 and a 99-year lease of the New Territories from 1898. Hong Kong remained under British control for about a century until the Second World War, when Japan occupied the colony from December 1941 to August 1945. After the Surrender of Japan, the British resumed control. In the 1980s, negotiations between the United Kingdom and the People's Republic of China resulted in the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, which provided for the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong on 30 June 1997. The territory became a special administrative region of China with a high degree of autonomy on 1 July 1997 under the principle of one country, two systems. Disputes over the perceived misapplication of this principle have contributed to popular protests, including the 2014 Umbrella Revolution.

 

In the late 1970s, Hong Kong became a major entrepôt in Asia-Pacific. The territory has developed into a major global trade hub and financial centre. The 44th-largest economy in the world, Hong Kong ranks top 10 in GDP (PPP) per capita, but also has the most severe income inequality among advanced economies. Hong Kong is one of the three most important financial centres alongside New York and London, and the world's number one tourist destination city. The territory has been named the freest market economy. The service economy, characterised by free trade and low taxation, has been regarded as one of the world's most laissez-faire economic policies, and the currency, the Hong Kong dollar, is the 13th most traded currency in the world.

 

The Hong Kong Basic Law empowers the region to develop relations and make agreements directly with foreign states and regions, as well as international organizations, in a broad range of appropriate fields. It is an independent member of APEC, the IMF, WTO, FIFA and International Olympic Committee among others.

 

Limited land created a dense infrastructure and the territory became a centre of modern architecture, and one of the world's most vertical cities. Hong Kong has a highly developed public transportation network covering 90 per cent of the population, the highest in the world, and relies on mass transit by road or rail. Air pollution remains a serious problem. Loose emissions standards have resulted in a high level of atmospheric particulates. Nevertheless, Hongkongers enjoy the world's longest or second longest life expectancies.

 

NAME

It is not known who was responsible for the Romanisation of the name "Hong Kong" but it is generally believed to be an early imprecise phonetic rendering of the pronunciation of the spoken Cantonese or Hakka name 香港, meaning "Fragrant Harbour". Before 1842, the name referred to a small inlet—now Aberdeen Harbour (香港仔, Sidney Lau: heung1gong2 jai2, Jyutping: hoeng1gong2 zai2, or Hiong1gong3 zai3 in a form of Hakka, literally means "Little Hong Kong")—between Aberdeen Island and the south side of Hong Kong Island, which was one of the first points of contact between British sailors and local fishermen. As those early contacts are likely to have been with Hong Kong's early inhabitants, the Tankas (水上人), it is equally probable that the early Romanisation was a faithful execution of their speech, i.e. hong1, not heung1. Detailed and accurate Romanisation systems for Cantonese were available and in use at the time.

 

The reference to fragrance may refer to the sweet taste of the harbour's fresh water estuarine influx of the Pearl River, or to the incense from factories, lining the coast to the north of Kowloon, which was stored near Aberdeen Harbour for export before the development of the Victoria Harbour.

 

In 1842, the Treaty of Nanking was signed and the name, Hong Kong, was first recorded on official documents to encompass the entirety of the island.

 

The name had often been written as the single word Hongkong until the government adopted the current form in 1926. Nevertheless, a number of century-old institutions still retain the single-word form, such as the Hongkong Post, Hongkong Electric and the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation.

 

The full official name, after 1997, is "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China". This is the official title as mentioned in the Hong Kong Basic Law and the Hong Kong Government's website; however, "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" and "Hong Kong" are widely accepted.

 

Hong Kong has carried many nicknames: the most famous among those is the "Pearl of the Orient", which reflected the impressive night-view of the city's light decorations on the skyscrapers along both sides of the Victoria Harbour. The territory is also known as "Asia's World City".

 

HISTORY

PRE-BRITISH

Archaeological studies support human presence in the Chek Lap Kok area (now Hong Kong International Airport) from 35,000 to 39,000 years ago and on Sai Kung Peninsula from 6,000 years ago.

 

Wong Tei Tung and Three Fathoms Cove are the earliest sites of human habitation in Hong Kong during the Paleolithic Period. It is believed that the Three Fathom Cove was a river-valley settlement and Wong Tei Tung was a lithic manufacturing site. Excavated Neolithic artefacts suggested cultural differences from the Longshan culture of northern China and settlement by the Che people, prior to the migration of the Baiyue (Viets) to Hong Kong. Eight petroglyphs, which dated to the Shang dynasty in China, were discovered on the surrounding islands.

 

ANCIENT CHINA

In 214 BC, Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, conquered the Baiyue tribes in Jiaozhi (modern Liangguang region and Vietnam) and incorporated the territory into imperial China for the first time. Modern Hong Kong was assigned to the Nanhai commandery (modern Nanhai District), near the commandery's capital city Panyu. In Qin dynasty, the territory was ruled by Panyu County(番禺縣) up till Jin Dynasty.

 

The area of Hong Kong was consolidated under the kingdom of Nanyue (Southern Viet), founded by general Zhao Tuo in 204 BC after the collapse of the short-lived Qin dynasty. When the kingdom of Nanyue was conquered by the Han Dynasty in 111 BC, Hong Kong was assigned to the Jiaozhi commandery. Archaeological evidence indicates that the population increased and early salt production flourished in this time period. Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb on the Kowloon Peninsula is believed to have been built during the Han dynasty.

 

IMPERIAL CHINA

Started from Jin dynasty to early period of Tang dynasty, the territory that now comprises Hong Kong was governed by Bao'an County (寶安縣). In Tang dynasty, the Guangdong region flourished as an international trading center. The Tuen Mun region in what is now Hong Kong's New Territories served as a port, naval base, salt production centre and later, base for the exploitation of pearls. Lantau Island was also a salt production centre, where the salt smugglers riots broke out against the government.

 

Under the Tang dynasty, the Guangdong (Canton) region flourished as a regional trading centre. In 736 AD, the first Emperor of Tang established a military stronghold in Tuen Mun in western Hong Kong to defend the coastal area of the region. The first village school, Li Ying College, was established around 1075 AD in the modern-day New Territories under the Northern Song dynasty. After their defeat by the Mongols, the Southern Song court briefly moved to modern-day Kowloon City (the Sung Wong Toi site), before its final defeat at the Battle of Yamen.

 

From the mid-Tang dynasty to early Ming dynasty, the territory that now comprises Hong Kong was governed by Dongguan County (東莞縣/ 東官縣). In Ming dynasty, the area was governed by Xin'an County (新安縣) before it was colonized by the British government. The indigenous inhabitants of what is now Hong Kong are identified with several ethnicities, including Punti, Hakka, Tanka) and Hoklo.

 

The earliest European visitor on record was Jorge Álvares, a Portuguese explorer who arrived in 1513. Having founded an establishment in Macau by 1557, Portuguese merchants began trading in southern China. However, subsequent military clashes between China and Portugal led to the expulsion of all Portuguese merchants from the rest of China.

 

In the mid-16th century, the Haijin order (closed-door, isolation policy) was enforced and it strictly forbade all maritime activities in order to prevent contact from foreigners by sea. From 1661 to 1669, Hong Kong was directly affected by the Great Clearance of the Kangxi Emperor, who required the evacuation of coastal areas of Guangdong. About 16,000 people from Hong Kong and Bao'an County were forced to emigrate inland; 1,648 of those who evacuated were said to have returned after the evacuation was rescinded in 1669.

 

BRITSH CROWN COLONY 1842–1941

In 1839, the refusal of Qing authorities to support opium imports caused the outbreak of the First Opium War between the British Empire and the Qing Empire. Qing's defeat resulted in the occupation of Hong Kong Island by British forces on 20 January 1841. It was initially ceded under the Convention of Chuenpee, as part of a ceasefire agreement between Captain Charles Elliot and Governor Qishan. While a dispute between high-ranking officials of both countries led to the failure of the treaty's ratification, on 29 August 1842, Hong Kong Island was formally ceded in perpetuity to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Treaty of Nanking. The British officially established a Crown colony and founded the City of Victoria in the following year.

 

The population of Hong Kong Island was 7,450 when the Union Flag raised over Possession Point on 26 January 1841. It mostly consisted of Tanka fishermen and Hakka charcoal burners, whose settlements scattered along several coastal hamlets. In the 1850s, a large number of Chinese immigrants crossed the then-free border to escape from the Taiping Rebellion. Other natural disasters, such as flooding, typhoons and famine in mainland China would play a role in establishing Hong Kong as a place for safe shelter.

 

Further conflicts over the opium trade between Britain and Qing quickly escalated into the Second Opium War. Following the Anglo-French victory, the Crown Colony was expanded to include Kowloon Peninsula (south of Boundary Street) and Stonecutter's Island, both of which were ceded to the British in perpetuity under the Convention of Beijing in 1860.

 

In 1898, Britain obtained a 99-year lease from Qing under the Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory, in which Hong Kong obtained a 99-year lease of the Lantau Island, the area north of Boundary Street in Kowloon up to Shenzhen River and over 200 other outlying islands.

 

Hong Kong soon became a major entrepôt thanks to its free port status, attracting new immigrants to settle from both China and Europe alike. The society, however, remained racially segregated and polarised under British colonial policies. Despite the rise of a British-educated Chinese upper-class by the late-19th century, race laws such as the Peak Reservation Ordinance prevented ethnic Chinese in Hong Kong from acquiring houses in reserved areas, such as the Victoria Peak. At this time, the majority of the Chinese population in Hong Kong had no political representation in the British colonial government. There were, however, a small number of Chinese elites whom the British governors relied on, such as Sir Kai Ho and Robert Hotung, who served as communicators and mediators between the government and local population.

 

Hong Kong continued to experience modest growth during the first half of the 20th century. The University of Hong Kong was established in 1911 as the territory's oldest higher education institute. While there was an exodus of 60,000 residents for fear of a German attack on the British colony during the First World War, Hong Kong remained peaceful. Its population increased from 530,000 in 1916 to 725,000 in 1925 and reached 1.6 million by 1941.

 

In 1925, Cecil Clementi became the 17th Governor of Hong Kong. Fluent in Cantonese and without a need for translator, Clementi introduced the first ethnic Chinese, Shouson Chow, into the Executive Council as an unofficial member. Under his tenure, Kai Tak Airport entered operation as RAF Kai Tak and several aviation clubs. In 1937, the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out when the Japanese Empire expanded its territories from northeastern China into the mainland proper. To safeguard Hong Kong as a freeport, Governor Geoffry Northcote declared the Crown Colony as a neutral zone.

 

JAPANESE OCCUPATION 1941–45

As part of its military campaign in Southeast Asia during Second World War, the Japanese army moved south from Guangzhou of mainland China and attacked Hong Kong on 8 December 1941. The Battle of Hong Kong ended with the British and Canadian defenders surrendering control of Hong Kong to Japan on 25 December 1941 in what was regarded by locals as Black Christmas.

 

During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, the Japanese army committed atrocities against civilians and POWs, such as the St. Stephen's College massacre. Local residents also suffered widespread food shortages, limited rationing and hyper-inflation arising from the forced exchange of currency from Hong Kong Dollars to Japanese military banknotes. The initial ratio of 2:1 was gradually devalued to 4:1 and ownership of Hong Kong Dollars was declared illegal and punishable by harsh torture. Due to starvation and forced deportation for slave labour to mainland China, the population of Hong Kong had dwindled from 1.6 million in 1941 to 600,000 in 1945, when Britain resumed control of the colony on 30 August 1945.

 

ECONOMY

As one of the world's leading international financial centres, Hong Kong has a major capitalist service economy characterised by low taxation and free trade. The currency, Hong Kong dollar, is the eighth most traded currency in the world as of 2010. Hong Kong was once described by Milton Friedman as the world's greatest experiment in laissez-faire capitalism, but has since instituted a regime of regulations including a minimum wage. It maintains a highly developed capitalist economy, ranked the freest in the world by the Index of Economic Freedom every year since 1995. It is an important centre for international finance and trade, with one of the greatest concentrations of corporate headquarters in the Asia-Pacific region, and is known as one of the Four Asian Tigers for its high growth rates and rapid development from the 1960s to the 1990s. Between 1961 and 1997 Hong Kong's gross domestic product grew 180 times while per-capita GDP increased 87 times over.

 

The Hong Kong Stock Exchange is the seventh largest in the world and has a market capitalisation of US$2.3 trillion as of December 2009. In that year, Hong Kong raised 22 percent of worldwide initial public offering (IPO) capital, making it the largest centre of IPOs in the world and the easiest place to raise capital. The Hong Kong dollar has been pegged to the US dollar since 1983.

 

The Hong Kong Government has traditionally played a mostly passive role in the economy, with little by way of industrial policy and almost no import or export controls. Market forces and the private sector were allowed to determine practical development. Under the official policy of "positive non-interventionism", Hong Kong is often cited as an example of laissez-faire capitalism. Following the Second World War, Hong Kong industrialised rapidly as a manufacturing centre driven by exports, and then underwent a rapid transition to a service-based economy in the 1980s. Since then, it has grown to become a leading centre for management, financial, IT, business consultation and professional services.

 

Hong Kong matured to become a financial centre in the 1990s, but was greatly affected by the Asian financial crisis in 1998, and again in 2003 by the SARS outbreak. A revival of external and domestic demand has led to a strong recovery, as cost decreases strengthened the competitiveness of Hong Kong exports and a long deflationary period ended. Government intervention, initiated by the later colonial governments and continued since 1997, has steadily increased, with the introduction of export credit guarantees, a compulsory pension scheme, a minimum wage, anti-discrimination laws, and a state mortgage backer.

 

The territory has little arable land and few natural resources, so it imports most of its food and raw materials. Imports account for more than 90% of Hong Kong's food supply, including nearly all of the meat and rice available there. Agricultural activity - relatively unimportant to Hong Kong's economy and contributing just 0.1% of its GDP - primarily consists of growing premium food and flower varieties. Hong Kong is the world's eleventh largest trading entity, with the total value of imports and exports exceeding its gross domestic product. It is the world's largest re-export centre. Much of Hong Kong's exports consist of re-exports, which are products made outside of the territory, especially in mainland China, and distributed via Hong Kong. Its physical location has allowed the city to establish a transportation and logistics infrastructure that includes the world's second busiest container port and the world's busiest airport for international cargo. Even before the transfer of sovereignty, Hong Kong had established extensive trade and investment ties with the mainland, which now enable it to serve as a point of entry for investment flowing into the mainland. At the end of 2007, there were 3.46 million people employed full-time, with the unemployment rate averaging 4.1% for the fourth straight year of decline. Hong Kong's economy is dominated by the service sector, which accounts for over 90% of its GDP, while industry constitutes 9%. Inflation was at 2.5% in 2007. Hong Kong's largest export markets are mainland China, the United States, and Japan.

 

As of 2010 Hong Kong is the eighth most expensive city for expatriates, falling from fifth position in the previous year. Hong Kong is ranked fourth in terms of the highest percentage of millionaire households, behind Switzerland, Qatar, and Singapore with 8.5 percent of all households owning at least one million US dollars. Hong Kong is also ranked second in the world by the most billionaires per capita (one per 132,075 people), behind Monaco. In 2011, Hong Kong was ranked second in the Ease of Doing Business Index, behind Singapore.

 

Hong Kong is ranked No. 1 in the world in the Crony Capitalism Index by the Economist.

 

In 2014, Hong Kong was the eleventh most popular destination for international tourists among countries and territories worldwide, with a total of 27.8 million visitors contributing a total of US$38,376 million in international tourism receipts. Hong Kong is also the most popular city for tourists, nearly two times of its nearest competitor Macau.

  

DEMOGRAPHICS

The territory's population in mid-2015 is 7.30 million, with an average annual growth rate of 0.8% over the previous 5 years. The current population of Hong Kong comprises 91% ethnic Chinese. A major part of Hong Kong's Cantonese-speaking majority originated from the neighbouring Guangdong province, from where many fled during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese Civil War, and the communist rule in China.

 

Residents of the Mainland do not automatically receive the Right of Abode, and many may not enter the territory freely. Like other non-natives, they may apply for the Right of Abode after seven years of continuous residency. Some of the rights may also be acquired by marriage (e.g., the right to work), but these do not include the right to vote or stand for office. However, the influx of immigrants from mainland China, approximating 45,000 per year, is a significant contributor to its population growth – a daily quota of 150 Mainland Chinese with family ties in Hong Kong are granted a "one way permit". Life expectancy in Hong Kong is 81.2 years for males and 86.9 years for females as of 2014, making it the highest life expectancy in the world.

 

About 91% of the people of Hong Kong are of Chinese descent, the majority of whom are Taishanese, Chiu Chow, other Cantonese people, and Hakka. Hong Kong's Han majority originate mainly from the Guangzhou and Taishan regions in Guangdong province. The remaining 6.9% of the population is composed of non-ethnic Chinese. There is a South Asian population of Indians, Pakistanis and Nepalese; some Vietnamese refugees have become permanent residents of Hong Kong. There are also Britons, Americans, Canadians, Japanese, and Koreans working in the city's commercial and financial sector. In 2011, 133,377 foreign domestic helpers from Indonesia and 132,935 from the Philippines were working in Hong Kong.

 

Hong Kong's de facto official language is Cantonese, a variety of Chinese originating from Guangdong province to the north of Hong Kong. English is also an official language, and according to a 1996 by-census is spoken by 3.1 percent of the population as an everyday language and by 34.9 percent of the population as a second language. Signs displaying both Chinese and English are common throughout the territory. Since the 1997 Handover, an increase in immigrants from communist China and greater interaction with the mainland's economy have brought an increasing number of Mandarin speakers to Hong Kong.

 

RELIGION

A majority of residents of Hong Kong have no religious affiliation, professing a form of agnosticism or atheism. According to the US Department of State 43 percent of the population practices some form of religion. Some figures put it higher, according to a Gallup poll, 64% of Hong Kong residents do not believe in any religion, and possibly 80% of Hong Kong claim no religion. In Hong Kong teaching evolution won out in curriculum dispute about whether to teach other explanations, and that creationism and intelligent design will form no part of the senior secondary biology curriculum.

 

Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of religious freedom, guaranteed by the Basic Law. Hong Kong's main religions are Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism; a local religious scholar in contact with major denominations estimates there are approximately 1.5 million Buddhists and Taoists. A Christian community of around 833,000 forms about 11.7% of the total population; Protestants forms a larger number than Roman Catholics at a rate of 4:3, although smaller Christian communities exist, including the Latter-day Saints and Jehovah's Witnesses. The Anglican and Roman Catholic churches each freely appoint their own bishops, unlike in mainland China. There are also Sikh, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Bahá'í communities. The practice of Falun Gong is tolerated.

 

PERSONAL INCOME

Statistically Hong Kong's income gap is the greatest in Asia Pacific. According to a report by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme in 2008, Hong Kong's Gini coefficient, at 0.53, was the highest in Asia and "relatively high by international standards". However, the government has stressed that income disparity does not equate to worsening of the poverty situation, and that the Gini coefficient is not strictly comparable between regions. The government has named economic restructuring, changes in household sizes, and the increase of high-income jobs as factors that have skewed the Gini coefficient.

 

WIKIPEDIA

The BLM is responsible for administering nearly 14 million acres of rangeland in Oregon and Washington. Much of it is grazed by livestock under a system of permits and leases in which ranchers pay grazing fees for the use of public land.

 

The BLM administers 1,596 ten-year permits and leases held by ranchers who graze their livestock (mostly cattle and sheep) in Oregon and Washington on 2,003 designated areas called allotments. It is a BLM priority to renew expiring grazing permits/leases, as they help promote job creation and support working landscapes.

 

Fifty percent of the collected grazing fees deposited into the U.S. Treasury are returned to the Range Betterment Fund for on-the-ground range improvement projects.

Depending on whether the collected fees are from permits or leases, portions are also returned to the states or counties where the fees were generated. For leases, 50% of collected fees goes to the Range Betterment Fund and the other 50% goes back to the county where the fees were generated. For permits, 50% of fees goes to the Range Betterment Fund, 12.5% goes to the state or counties where the fees were generated, and 37.5% goes to the U.S. Treasury.

 

Range improvements are authorized modifications or treatments designed to improve production of forage, change vegetation composition, control patterns of use, provide water, stabilize soil and water conditions, or restore, protect, and improve the condition of rangeland ecosystems to benefit livestock, wild horses and burros, and fish and wildlife.

 

To achieve desired conditions on the public lands, the BLM uses monitoring data to evaluate the rangeland health standards and guidelines. There are many different treatments used to assist in maintaining rangeland health, including prescribed burns, rehabilitation of burned lands, fencing, water developments, weed control, and juniper management.

 

Rangeland Health Assessments on these lands are used to determine watershed functions, ecological processes, water quality and habitat for all species -- including native, threatened and endangered species.

 

The goal of the BLM’s rangeland management program is to ensure the health and productivity of public rangelands for the use and enjoyment of current and future generations.

 

The BLM is committed to strong relationships with the ranching communities in Oregon and Washington, and works closely with permittees to ensure public rangelands remain healthy, productive working landscapes.

 

For more information head on over to:

www.blm.gov/oregon-washington

Hunt Valley Towne Centre wandering

(more details later, as time permits)

 

**************************

 

In the spring of 2014, we came to Paris for a week of relaxed vacationing, mostly to wander around and see some old familiar places. It was a “return” trip for both of us, though in my case I think it’s probably been more than 15 years since I was even here on a business trip.

 

Business trips to any city don’t really count as a “visit” -- since they basically involve flying into a busy airport at night, taking a taxi to a generic business-traveler’s hotel (a Hilton in Paris looks just like a Hilton in Cairo), and then spending several days working in the hotel (if the purpose of the trip was a seminar or computer conference), or at a client’s office (also “generic” in most cases — you can’t even tell what floor you’re on when you get off the elevator, because every floor of “open office” layouts is the same). The trip usually ends in the late afternoon or evening of the final day, with a mad dash back to the airport to catch the last plane home to NYC. Thus, a business trip to Paris is almost indistinguishable from a business trip to Omaha. Or Albany. Or Tokyo.

 

But I did make a few “personal” visits to Paris in the 1970s and 1980s, so I looked forward to having the chance to walk through some familiar places along the Left Bank. I’m not so interested in museums, monuments, cathedrals, or other “official” tourist spots (but yes, I have been to the Eiffel Tower, just as I’ve been to the Empire State Building in NYC), so you won’t see any photos of those places in this Flickr set.

 

As a photographer, I now concentrate mostly on people and street scenes. The details of the location don’t matter much to me, though I do try to geotag my photos whenever I can. But for the most part, what you’ll see here are scenes of people and local things in Paris that made me smile as I walked around …

Taken from the middle entrance of the Meridian Gate, which is the main entrance to the Forbidden City. (The Meridian Gate is currently under extensive renovation at the time of this post, so no pictures from this trip.)

 

The Forbidden City (also known as Gugong, and currently housing the Palace Museum) is one of China’s most notable tourist attractions. Located in the heart of Beijing, it has been the center of Chinese government for the better part of the past six centuries. (For a much more comprehensive and interesting history than what I’ve included below, along with a few nice pictures, please check here: www.kinabaloo.com/fcb.html. The site is both in English and Chinese and quite well-presented, including fascinating information about how many people it took to build the Forbidden City and nice details about the building orientations and what the colors represent.)

 

Currently, the Forbidden City is simply a museum – a massive museum paying homage to the final five centuries of dynastic China. (The current government convenes in buildings adjacent to Tiananmen Square, which is directly south of the Meridian Gate of the Forbidden City.)

 

The history of the Forbidden City is pretty succinct. After the dynasties moved the national capital around a few times (between Xi’an, Beijing, Nanjing, and a few other cities), it eventually returned to Beijing and remained there until the end of dynastic rule in 1911.

 

Palace construction began in 1406 and ended in 1420. Between 1420 and 1911, 24 emperors (from 2 dynasties) lived on the grounds. 14 Ming Dynasty emperors lived here and, after the Ming gave way to the Qing in 1644, 10 Qing emperors lived here between 1644 and 1911. The last emperor, Puyi, was forced to abdicate, but allowed to live on the grounds and “rule within the palace” as a figurehead. (He was but a young boy when he abdicated, so it was basically an elaborate charade to appease a boy.)

 

Eventually, the Republic of China forced Puyi to leave the palace for good and the Palace Museum was established here in 1925. Within the palace were all of the imperial treasures, but these were diminished (spread around) over the next 25 years – first with the takeover by the Japanese in the 1930s and then by the Nationalist government (Chiang Kai-Shek’s Kuomintang) and relocated to Taipei. The Japanese have returned some of the treasures, but there are still others that currently reside in museums in Japan and a great deal in Taipei.

 

The buildings, obviously, were harder to move. Physically, the grounds are rectangular, on a north-south axis, with dimensions of 961 meters by 753 meters. Within the grounds are 980 surviving buildings with approximately 9,000 rooms. The city is divided into two sections – the outer court on the south, used for ceremonial purposes, and the inner court on the north, which was used for residential purposes. Almost all of the buildings within the city have glazed yellow roofs, as yellow is the color of the emperor. There are two notable exceptions: the library (which has a black roof, signifying water, as it’s fireproof) and the Crown Prince’s residences, which have green roofs (signifying wood, or growth).

 

The buildings within the city are aligned by ancient Chinese customs (ancestral temples in front of the palaces, etc.). It’s such a massive complex that it’s quite hard to cover it all in one trip or, if you try, you would need a full day to do so. The main palaces and halls are on a center axis and along the right and left sides are many smaller residences, museums, and so on. The rear of the palace has a pleasant garden. During dynastic rule, the price of admission for non-invited people was execution. Nowadays, the cost is only 60 RMB in summer and 40 in winter (with an additional 10-20 RMB inside if you choose to go to the National Treasures museum and Hall of Clocks – 10 RMB each, assuming both are open). Just brace yourself for a massive crowd of people regardless of the day and probably for construction and renovation as well. To enter, you have to go in through the Meridian Gate across from Tiananmen Square on Changan Dao and you exit the north end of the palace at the foot of Jingshan Park.

 

For a nice panoramic view (smog permitting) of the grounds, cross under the street and walk up Jingshan Hill (2 RMB) for a gorgeous view of the grounds. (Beihai Park just to the northwest also offers panoramic views if you prefer to spend 10 RMB to go to that park and climb up the white tower in the center of the park.) Having been to the two parks, I think Jingshan is probably a slightly better choice with regards to the Forbidden City. In addition, the pavilion on top of Jingshan Hill is the geographic center of (old) Beijing, which is pretty interesting. (Of sad note, though, Beijing’s ancient city walls are all but demolished, though the gate names exist in the names of various subway stations throughout the city such as Andingmen, Dongzhimen, etc.) All in all, a trip to Beijing probably won’t be considered complete without a visit to the Forbidden City.

 

DCC Archives Building Permit 816, Year 1907

This was the highlight and reason for my Southern Arizona Adventure 2024. This is stage 8 of 9.

I was lucky to secure permits for the once monthly photography tour of Kartchner Caverns. Kartchner Caverns State Park strictly forbids any cameras or cellphones in the Caverns. Except for one trip per month for 12 to 15 photographers currently $125. I planned a 4 day 3 night road trip around Southern Arizona anchored by my Kartchner Cavern permit.

 

As we were waiting in the Visitor Center, I saw this on the wall and grabbed a quick shot. Looking at it now and looking back at my time in the Caverns, I wish I had shot a better photo.

 

nocache.azcentral.com/travel/arizona/southern/articles/20...

The Kartchner Caverns, rated one of the world's 10 most beautiful caves, is an eerie wonderland of stalactites and stalagmites still growing beneath the Whetstone Mountains 40 miles southeast of Tucson.

The limestone cave has 13,000 feet of passages and hundreds of formations built over the past 200,000 years, including some that are unique and world-renowned. It's a "living cave," with intricate formations that continue to grow as water seeps, drips and flows from the walls and slowly deposits the mineral calcium carbonate.

The caverns were discovered by amateur spelunkers Randy Tufts and Gary Tenen in 1974 on land owned by the Kartchner family. They kept the cave a secret until 1988, when the Kartchners sold it to the state to become a state park.

 

The highlights of the Big Room tour are a stretch of strawberry flowstone, which has been colored red by iron oxide (rust) in the water, and a maternity ward for 1,800 female cave myotis bats, with black grime on the ceiling where the bats hang and piles of guano on the floor. Visitors who look closely will see a bat's body embedded in one of the cave's formations.

Though not all are available on the tours, the caverns' unique features include a 21-foot, 2-inch soda straw that's one the world's largest (Throne Room), the world's most extensive formation of brushite moonmilk (Big Room), the first reported occurrence of "turnip" shields (Big Room), the first cave occurrence of "birdsnest" needle quartz formations (Big Room) and the remains of a Shasta ground sloth from the Pleistocene Age (Big Room).

 

azstateparks.com/Kartchner

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kartchner_Caverns_State_Park

Kartchner Caverns State Park is a state park of Arizona, United States, featuring a show cave with 2.4 miles (3.9 km) of passages.[1] The park is located 9 miles (14 km) south of the town of Benson and west of the north-flowing San Pedro River. Long hidden from view, the caverns were discovered in 1974 by local cavers, assisted by state biologist Erick Campbell who helped in its preservation.

The park encompasses most of a down-dropped block of Palaeozoic rocks on the east flank of the Whetstone Mountains.

The caverns are carved out of limestone and filled with spectacular speleothems which have been growing for 50,000 years or longer, and are still growing. Careful and technical cave state park development and maintenance, initially established by founder Dr. Bruce Randall "Randy" Tufts, geologist, were designed to protect and preserve the cave system throughout the park's development, and for perpetuity.[3]

 

The two major features of the caverns accessible to the public are the Throne Room and the Big Room. The Throne Room contains one of the world's longest (21 ft 2 in (6.45 m))[5] soda straw stalactites and a 58-foot (18 m) high column called Kubla Khan, after the poem. The Big Room contains the world's most extensive formation of brushite moonmilk. Big Room cave tours are closed during the summer for several months (April 15 to October 15) each year because it is a nursery roost for cave bats, however the Throne Room tours remain open year-round.[8]

 

Other features publicly accessible within the caverns include Mud Flats, Rotunda Room, Strawberry Room, and Cul-de-sac Passage. Approximately 60% of the cave system is not open to the public.[9]

 

Many different cave formations can be found within the caves and the surrounding park. These include cave bacon, helictites, soda straws, stalactites, stalagmites and others.[12] Cave formations like the stalactites and stalagmites grow approximately a 16th of an inch every 100 years.[13]

 

Haiku thoughts:

Beneath earth's cool veil,

Stalactites in silence grow,

Whispers of stone deep.

 

Southern Arizona Adventure 2024

Maxim Gorky

 

Alexei Maximovich Peshkov (Russian: Алексе́й Макси́мович Пешко́в or Пе́шков;[1] 28 March [O.S. 16 March] 1868 – 18 June 1936), primarily known as Maxim Gorky (Russian: Макси́м Го́рький), was a Russian and Soviet writer, a founder of the socialist realism literary method, and a political activist.[2] He was also a five-time nominee for the Nobel Prize in Literature.[3] Around fifteen years before success as a writer, he frequently changed jobs and roamed across the Russian Empire; these experiences would later influence his writing. Gorky's most famous works were The Lower Depths (1902), Twenty-six Men and a Girl (1899), The Song of the Stormy Petrel (1901), My Childhood (1913–1914), Mother (1906), Summerfolk (1904) and Children of the Sun (1905). He had an association with fellow Russian writers Leo Tolstoy and Anton Chekhov; Gorky would later mention them in his memoirs.

 

Gorky was active with the emerging Marxist social-democratic movement. He publicly opposed the Tsarist regime, and for a time closely associated himself with Vladimir Lenin and Alexander Bogdanov's Bolshevik wing of the party. For a significant part of his life, he was exiled from Russia and later the Soviet Union. In 1932, he returned to the USSR on Joseph Stalin's personal invitation and lived there until his death in June 1936.

Contents

 

1 Life

1.1 Early years

1.2 Political and literary development

1.3 Capri years

1.4 Return from exile

1.5 Povolzhye famine

1.6 Second exile

1.7 Death of Lenin

1.8 Return to Russia: last years

1.9 Apologist for the gulag

1.10 Hostility to gays

1.11 Conflicts[citation needed] with Stalinists

1.12 Death

2 Depictions and adaptations

3 Selected works

3.1 Novels

3.2 Novellas

3.3 Short stories

3.4 Drama

3.5 Non-fiction

3.6 Collections

4 See also

5 Notes

6 Sources

7 Further reading

8 External links

 

Life

Early years

 

Born as Alexei Maximovich Peshkov on 28 March [O.S. 16 March] 1868, in Nizhny Novgorod, Gorky became an orphan at the age of eleven. He was brought up by his grandmother[2] and ran away from home at the age of twelve in 1880. After an attempt at suicide in December 1887, he travelled on foot across the Russian Empire for five years, changing jobs and accumulating impressions used later in his writing.[2]

 

As a journalist working for provincial newspapers, he wrote under the pseudonym Иегудиил Хламида (Jehudiel Khlamida).[4] He started using the pseudonym "Gorky" (from горький; literally "bitter") in 1892, when his first short story, "Makar Chudra", was published by the newspaper Kavkaz (The Caucasus) in Tiflis, where he spent several weeks doing menial jobs, mostly for the Caucasian Railway workshops.[5][6][7] The name reflected his simmering anger about life in Russia and a determination to speak the bitter truth. Gorky's first book Очерки и рассказы (Essays and Stories) in 1898 enjoyed a sensational success, and his career as a writer began. Gorky wrote incessantly, viewing literature less as an aesthetic practice (though he worked hard on style and form) than as a moral and political act that could change the world. He described the lives of people in the lowest strata and on the margins of society, revealing their hardships, humiliations, and brutalisation, but also their inward spark of humanity.[2]

Political and literary development

Anton Chekhov and Gorky. 1900, Yalta

 

Gorky's reputation grew as a unique literary voice from the bottom strata of society and as a fervent advocate of Russia's social, political, and cultural transformation. By 1899, he was openly associating with the emerging Marxist social-democratic movement, which helped make him a celebrity among both the intelligentsia and the growing numbers of "conscious" workers. At the heart of all his work was a belief in the inherent worth and potential of the human person. In his writing, he counterposed individuals, aware of their natural dignity, and inspired by energy and will, with people who succumb to the degrading conditions of life around them. Both his writings and his letters reveal a "restless man" (a frequent self-description) struggling to resolve contradictory feelings of faith and scepticism, love of life and disgust at the vulgarity and pettiness of the human world.[citation needed]

 

In 1916, Gorky said that the teachings of the ancient Jewish sage Hillel the Elder deeply influenced his life: "In my early youth I read...the words of...Hillel, if I remember rightly: 'If thou art not for thyself, who will be for thee? But if thou art for thyself alone, wherefore art thou'? The inner meaning of these words impressed me with its profound wisdom...The thought ate its way deep into my soul, and I say now with conviction: Hillel's wisdom served as a strong staff on my road, which was neither even nor easy. I believe that Jewish wisdom is more all-human and universal than any other; and this not only because of its immemorial age...but because of the powerful humaneness that saturates it, because of its high estimate of man."[8]

 

He publicly opposed the Tsarist regime and was arrested many times. Gorky befriended many revolutionaries and became a personal friend of Vladimir Lenin after they met in 1902. He exposed governmental control of the press (see Matvei Golovinski affair). In 1902, Gorky was elected an honorary Academician of Literature, but Tsar Nicholas II ordered this annulled. In protest, Anton Chekhov and Vladimir Korolenko left the Academy.[9]

Leo Tolstoy with Gorky in Yasnaya Polyana, 1900

 

From 1900 to 1905, Gorky's writings became more optimistic. He became more involved in the opposition movement, for which he was again briefly imprisoned in 1901. In 1904, having severed his relationship with the Moscow Art Theatre in the wake of conflict with Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko, Gorky returned to Nizhny Novgorod to establish a theatre of his own.[10] Both Konstantin Stanislavski and Savva Morozov provided financial support for the venture.[11] Stanislavski believed that Gorky's theatre was an opportunity to develop the network of provincial theatres which he hoped would reform the art of the stage in Russia, a dream of his since the 1890s.[11] He sent some pupils from the Art Theatre School—as well as Ioasaf Tikhomirov, who ran the school—to work there.[11] By the autumn, however, after the censor had banned every play that the theatre proposed to stage, Gorky abandoned the project.[11]

 

As a financially successful author, editor, and playwright, Gorky gave financial support to the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP), as well as supporting liberal appeals to the government for civil rights and social reform. The brutal shooting of workers marching to the Tsar with a petition for reform on 9 January 1905 (known as the "Bloody Sunday"), which set in motion the Revolution of 1905, seems to have pushed Gorky more decisively toward radical solutions. He became closely associated with Vladimir Lenin and Alexander Bogdanov's Bolshevik wing of the party, with Bogdanov taking responsibility for the transfer of funds from Gorky to Vpered.[12] It is not clear whether he ever formally joined, and his relations with Lenin and the Bolsheviks would always be rocky. His most influential writings in these years were a series of political plays, most famously The Lower Depths (1902). While briefly imprisoned in Peter and Paul Fortress during the abortive 1905 Russian Revolution, Gorky wrote the play Children of the Sun, nominally set during an 1862 cholera epidemic, but universally understood to relate to present-day events. He was released from the prison after a European-wide campaign, which was supported by Marie Curie, Auguste Rodin and Anatole France, amongst others.[13]

 

In 1906, the Bolsheviks sent him on a fund-raising trip to the United States with Ivan Narodny. When visiting the Adirondack Mountains, Gorky wrote Мать (Mat', Mother), his notable novel of revolutionary conversion and struggle. His experiences in the United States—which included a scandal over his travelling with his lover (the actress Maria Andreyeva) rather than his wife—deepened his contempt for the "bourgeois soul" but also his admiration for the boldness of the American spirit.[citation needed]

Capri years

In 1909–1911 Gorky lived on the island of Capri in the burgundy-coloured "Villa Behring".

 

From 1906 to 1913, Gorky lived on the island of Capri in southern Italy, partly for health reasons and partly to escape the increasingly repressive atmosphere in Russia.[2] He continued to support the work of Russian social-democracy, especially the Bolsheviks and invited Anatoly Lunacharsky to stay with him on Capri. The two men had worked together on Literaturny Raspad which appeared in 1908. It was during this period that Gorky, along with Lunacharsky, Bogdanov and Vladimir Bazarov developed the idea of an Encyclopedia of Russian History as a socialist version of Diderot's Encyclopedia. During a visit to Switzerland, Gorky met Lenin, who he charged spent an inordinate amount of his time feuding with other revolutionaries, writing: "He looked awful. Even his tongue seemed to have turned grey".[14] Despite his atheism,[15] Gorky was not a materialist.[16] Most controversially, he articulated, along with a few other maverick Bolsheviks, a philosophy he called "God-Building" (богостроительство, bogostroitel'stvo),[2] which sought to recapture the power of myth for the revolution and to create a religious atheism that placed collective humanity where God had been and was imbued with passion, wonderment, moral certainty, and the promise of deliverance from evil, suffering, and even death. Though 'God-Building' was ridiculed by Lenin, Gorky retained his belief that "culture"—the moral and spiritual awareness of the value and potential of the human self—would be more critical to the revolution's success than political or economic arrangements.

Return from exile

 

An amnesty granted for the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty allowed Gorky to return to Russia in 1913, where he continued his social criticism, mentored other writers from the common people, and wrote a series of important cultural memoirs, including the first part of his autobiography.[2] On returning to Russia, he wrote that his main impression was that "everyone is so crushed and devoid of God's image." The only solution, he repeatedly declared, was "culture".

 

After the February Revolution, Gorky visited the headquarters of the Okhrana (secret police) on Kronversky Prospekt together with Nikolai Sukhanov and Vladimir Zenisinov.[17] Gorky described the former Okhrana headquarters, where he sought literary inspiration, as derelict, with windows broken, and papers lying all over the floor.[18] Having dinner with Sukhanov later the same day, Gorky grimly predicated that revolution would end in "Asiatic savagery".[19] Initially a supporter of the Socialist-Revolutionary Alexander Kerensky, Gorky switched over to the Bolsheviks after the Kornilov affair.[20] In July 1917, Gorky wrote his own experiences of the Russian working class had been sufficient to dispel any "notions that Russian workers are the incarnation of spiritual beauty and kindness".[21] Gorky admitted to feeling attracted to Bolshevism, but admitted to concerns about a creed that made the entire working class "sweet and reasonable-I had never known people who were really like this".[22] Gorky wrote that he knew the poor, the "carpenters, stevedores, bricklayers", in a way that the intellectual Lenin never did, and he frankly distrusted them.[22]

 

During World War I, his apartment in Petrograd was turned into a Bolshevik staff room, and his politics remained close to the Bolsheviks throughout the revolutionary period of 1917. On the day after the Bolshevik coup of 7 November 1917, Gorky observed a gardener working the Alexander Park who had cleared snow during the February Revolution while ignoring the shots in the background, asked people during the July Days not to trample the grass and was now chopping off branches, leading Gorky to write that he was "stubborn as a mole, and apparently as blind as one too".[23] Gorky's relations with the Bolsheviks became strained, however, after the October Revolution. One contemporary remembered at how Gorky would turn "dark and black and grim" at the mere mention of Lenin.[24] Gorky wrote that Lenin together with Trotsky "have become poisoned with the filthy venom of power", crushing the rights of the individual to achieve their revolutionary dreams.[24] Gorky wrote that Lenin was a "cold-blooded trickster who spares neither the honor nor the life of the proletariat. ... He does not know the popular masses, he has not lived with them".[24] Gorky went on to compare Lenin to a chemist experimenting in a laboratory with the only difference being the chemist experimented with inanimate matter to improve life while Lenin was experimenting on the "living flesh of Russia".[24] A further strain on Gorky's relations with the Bolsheviks occurred when his newspaper Novaya Zhizn (Новая Жизнь, "New Life") fell prey to Bolshevik censorship during the ensuing civil war, around which time Gorky published a collection of essays critical of the Bolsheviks called Untimely Thoughts in 1918. (It would not be re-published in Russia until after the collapse of the Soviet Union.) The essays call Lenin a tyrant for his senseless arrests and repression of free discourse, and an anarchist for his conspiratorial tactics; Gorky compares Lenin to both the Tsar and Nechayev.[citation needed]

 

"Lenin and his associates," Gorky wrote, "consider it possible to commit all kinds of crimes ... the abolition of free speech and senseless arrests."[25]

 

In 1921, he hired a secretary, Moura Budberg, who later became his unofficial wife. In August 1921, the poet Nikolay Gumilev was arrested by the Petrograd Cheka for his monarchist views. There is a story that Gorky hurried to Moscow, obtained an order to release Gumilev from Lenin personally, but upon his return to Petrograd he found out that Gumilev had already been shot – but Nadezhda Mandelstam, a close friend of Gumilev's widow, Anna Akhmatova wrote that: "It is true that people asked him to intervene. ... Gorky had a strong dislike of Gumilev, but he nevertheless promised to do something. He could not keep his promise because the sentence of death was announced and carried out with unexpected haste, before Gorky had got round to doing anything."[26] In October, Gorky returned to Italy on health grounds: he had tuberculosis.

Povolzhye famine

 

In July 1921, Gorky published an appeal to the outside world, saying that millions of lives were menaced by crop failure. The Russian famine of 1921–22, also known as Povolzhye famine, killed an estimated 5 million, primarily affecting the Volga and Ural River regions.[27]

Second exile

 

Gorky left Russia in September 1921, for Berlin. There he heard about the impending Moscow Trial of 12 Socialist Revolutionaries, which hardened his opposition to the Bolshevik regime. He wrote to Anatole France denouncing the trial as a "cynical and public preparation for the murder" of people who had fought for the freedom of the Russian people. He also wrote to the Soviet vice-premier, Alexei Rykov asking him to tell Leon Trotsky that any death sentences carried out on the defendants would be "premeditated and foul murder."[28] This provoked a contemptuous reaction from Lenin, who described Gorky as "always supremely spineless in politics", and Trotsky, who dismissed Gorky as an "artist whom no-one takes seriously."[29] He was denied permission by Italy's fascist government to return to Capri, but was permitted to settle in Sorrento, where he lived from 1922 to 1932, with an extended household that included Moura Budberg, his ex-wife Andreyeva, her lover, Pyotr Kryuchkov, who acted as Gorky's secretary for the remainder of his life, Gorky's son Max Peshkov, Max's wife, Timosha, and their two young daughters.

 

He wrote several successful books while there,[30] but by 1928 he was having difficulty earning enough to keep his large household, and began to seek an accommodation with the communist regime. The Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin was equally keen to entice Gorky back to the USSR. He paid his first visit in May 1928 – at the very time when the regime was staging its first show trial since 1922, the so-called Shakhty Trial of 53 engineers employed in the coal industry, one of whom, Pyotr Osadchy, had visited Gorky in Sorrento. In contrast to his attitude to the trial of the Socialist Revolutionaries, Gorky accepted without question that the engineers were guilty, and expressed regret that in the past he had intervened on behalf of professionals who were being persecuted by the regime. During the visit, he struck up friendships with Genrikh Yagoda, the corrupt and murderous head of the Ogpu and two other Ogpu officers, Semyon Firin and Matvei Pogrebinsky, who held high office in the Gulag. Pogrebinsky was Gorky's guest in Sorrento for four weeks in 1930. The following year, Yagoda sent his brother-in-law, Leopold Averbakh to Sorrento, with instructions to induce Gorky to return to Russia permanently.[31]

Death of Lenin

 

After the death of Lenin in 1924, Gorky wrote the following:

 

Vladimir Lenin, a big, real man of this world, has passed away. His death is a painful blow to all who knew him, a very painful blow! But the black line of death shall only underscore his importance in the eyes of all the world - the importance of the leader of the world’s working people. If the clouds of hatred for him, the clouds of lies and slander woven round him were even denser, it would not matter, for there is no such force as could dim the torch he has raised in the stifling darkness of the world gone mad. Never has there been a man who deserves more to be remembered forever by the whole world. Vladimir Lenin is dead. But those to whom he bequeathed his wisdom and his will are living. They are alive and working more successfully than anyone on Earth has ever worked before.[32]

 

Return to Russia: last years

Avel Enukidze, Joseph Stalin and Maxim Gorky celebrate 10th anniversary of Sportintern. Red Square, Moscow USSR. Aug 1931

 

Gorky's return from Fascist Italy was a major propaganda victory for the Soviets. He was decorated with the Order of Lenin and given a mansion (formerly belonging to the millionaire Pavel Ryabushinsky, which was for many years the Gorky Museum) in Moscow and a dacha in the suburbs. The city of Nizhni Novgorod, and the surrounding province were renamed Gorky. Moscow's main park, and one of the central Moscow streets, Tverskaya, were renamed in his honour, as was the Moscow Art Theatre. The largest fixed-wing aircraft in the world in the mid-1930s, the Tupolev ANT-20 was named Maxim Gorky in his honour.

 

He was also appointed President of the Union of Soviet Writers, founded in 1932, to coincide with his return to the USSR. On 11 October 1931 Gorky read his fairy tale "A Girl and Death" to his visitors Joseph Stalin, Kliment Voroshilov and Vyacheslav Molotov, an event that was later depicted by Viktor Govorov in his painting. On that same day Stalin left his autograph on the last page of this work by Gorky: "Эта штука сильнее чем "Фауст" Гёте (любовь побеждает смерть)"[33] ["This piece is stronger than Goethe's Faust (love defeats death)]".

Apologist for the gulag

 

In 1933, Gorky co-edited, with Averbakh and Firin, an infamous book about the White Sea-Baltic Canal, presented as an example of "successful rehabilitation of the former enemies of proletariat". For other writers, he urged that one obtained realism by extracting the basic idea from reality, but by adding the potential and desirable to it, one added romanticism with deep revolutionary potential.[34] For himself, Gorky avoided realism. His denials that even a single prisoner died during the construction of the aforementioned canal were refuted by multiple accounts of thousands of prisoners who froze to death not only in the evenings from the lack of adequate shelter and food, but even in the middle of the day.[35]

On his definitive return to the Soviet Union in 1932, Maxim Gorky received the Ryabushinsky Mansion, designed in 1900 by Fyodor Schechtel for the Ryabushinsky family. The mansion today houses a museum about Gorky.

Hostility to gays

 

Gorky strongly supported efforts in getting a law passed in 1934, making homosexuality a criminal offense. His attitude was coloured by the fact that several leading members of the Nazi Sturmabteilung, or Brownshirts, were overtly homosexual. Writing in Pravda on 23 May 1934, Gorky claimed "exterminate all homosexuals and fascism will vanish."[36]

Conflicts[citation needed] with Stalinists

 

By the summer of 1934, Gorky was increasingly in conflict with the Soviet authorities. He was angry that Leopold Averbakh, whom he regarded as a protege, was denied a role in the newly created Writers Union, and objected to interference by the Central Committee staff in the affairs of the union. This conflict, which may have been exacerbated by Gorky's despair over the early death of his son, Max, came to a head just before the first Soviet Writers Congress, in August 1934. On 11 August, he submitted an article for publication in Pravda which attacked the deputy head of the press department, Pavel Yudin with such intemperate language that Stalin's deputy, Lazar Kaganovich ordered its suppression, but was forced to relent after hundreds of copies of the article circulated by hand. Gorky's draft of the keynote speech he was due to give at the congress caused such consternation when he submitted it to the Politburo that four of its leading members – Kaganovich, Vyacheslav Molotov, Kliment Voroshilov, and Andrei Zhdanov – were sent to persuade him to make changes.[37] Even in its toned-down version – very unusually for the Stalin era – he did not praise Stalin, did not mention any of the approved writers turning out 'socialist realist' novels, but singled out Fyodor Dostoevsky for "having painted with the most vivid perfection of word portraiture a type of egocentrist, a type of social degenerate in the person of the hero of his Memoirs from Underground. ... Dostoyevsky in the figure of his hero has shown the depths of whining despair that are reached by the individualist from among the young men of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries who are cut off from real life."[38]

Death

 

With the increase of Stalinist repression and especially after the assassination of Sergei Kirov in December 1934, Gorky was placed under unannounced house arrest in his house near Moscow. His long-serving secretary Pyotr Kryuchkov had been recruited by Yagoda as a paid informer.[39] Before his death from a lingering illness in June 1936, he was visited at home by Stalin, Yagoda, and other leading communists, and by Moura Budberg, who had chosen not to return to the USSR with him but was permitted to stay for his funeral.

 

The sudden death of Gorky's son Maxim Peshkov in May 1934 was followed by the death of Maxim Gorky himself in June 1936 from pneumonia. Speculation has long surrounded the circumstances of his death. Stalin and Molotov were among those who carried Gorky's coffin during the funeral. During the Bukharin trial in 1938 (one of the three Moscow Trials), one of the charges was that Gorky was killed by Yagoda's NKVD agents.[40]

 

In Soviet times, before and after his death, the complexities in Gorky's life and outlook were reduced to an iconic image (echoed in heroic pictures and statues dotting the countryside): Gorky as a great Soviet writer who emerged from the common people, a loyal friend of the Bolsheviks, and the founder of the increasingly canonical "socialist realism".

Depictions and adaptations

 

The Gorky Trilogy is a series of three films based on the three autobiographical books: The Childhood of Maxim Gorky, My Apprenticeship, and My Universities, directed by Mark Donskoy, filmed in the Soviet Union, released 1938–1940. The trilogy was adapted from Gorky's autobiography.[41]

The German modernist Bertolt Brecht based his epic play The Mother (1932) on Gorky's novel of the same name.

Gorky's novel was also adapted for an opera by Valery Zhelobinsky in 1938. In 1912, the Italian composer Giacomo Orefice based his opera Radda on the character of Radda from Makar Chudra. Our Father is the title given to Gorky's The Last Ones in its English translation by William Stancil.

The play[clarification needed] made its New York debut in 1975 at the Manhattan Theater Club, directed by Keith Fowler.

In 1985 Enemies was performed in London with a multi-national cast directed by Ann Pennington in association with Internationalist Theatre. The cast included South African Greek actress Angelique Rockas and Bulgarian Madlena Nedeva playing the parts of Tatiana, and Kleopatra respectively.[42] Tom Vaughan of The Morning Star affirmed "this is a great revolutionary play, by a great revolutionary writer, performed with elegance and style, great passion and commitment".[43] BBC Russian Service was no less complimentary.[44]

 

Selected works

Main article: Maxim Gorky bibliography

 

Source: Turner, Lily; Strever, Mark (1946). Orphan Paul; A Bibliography and Chronology of Maxim Gorky. New York: Boni and Gaer. pp. 261–270.

Novels

 

Goremyka Pavel, 1894. Published in English as Orphan Paul[45]

Foma Gordeyev (Фома Гордеев), 1899. Also translated as The Man Who Was Afraid

Three of Them (Трое), 1900. Also translated as Three Men

The Mother (Мать), 1907. First published in English, in 1906

The Life of a Useless Man (Жизнь ненужного человека), 1908

A Confession (Исповедь), 1908

Okurov City (Городок Окуров), 1908

The Life of Matvei Kozhemyakin (Жизнь Матвея Кожемякина), 1910

The Artamonov Business (Дело Артамоновых), 1927

Life of Klim Samgin (Жизнь Клима Самгина), unfinished:[46]

The Bystander, 1927

The Magnet, 1928

Other Fires, 1930

The Specter, 1936

 

Novellas

 

The Orlovs (Супруги Орловы), 1897

Creatures That Once Were Men (Бывшие люди), 1897

Varenka Olesova (Варенька Олесова), 1898

Summer (Лето), 1909

Great Love (Большая любовь), 1911

 

Short stories

 

"Makar Chudra" (Макар Чудра), 1892

"Old Izergil" (Старуха Изергиль), 1895

"Chelkash" (Челкаш), 1895

"Konovalov" (Коновалов), 1897

"Malva" (Мальва), 1897

"Twenty-six Men and a Girl" (Двадцать шесть и одна), 1899

"Song of a Falcon" (Песня о Соколе), 1902. Also referred to as a poem in prose

 

Drama

 

The Philistines (Мещане), translated also as The Smug Citizens and The Petty Bourgeois (Мещане), 1901

The Lower Depths (На дне), 1902

Summerfolk (Дачники), 1904

Children of the Sun (Дети солнца), 1905

Barbarians (Варвары), 1905

Enemies, 1906.

The Last Ones (Последние), 1908. Translated also as Our Father[47]

Children (Дети), 1910. Translated also as The Reception (and called originally "Встреча")

Queer People (Чудаки), 1910. Translated also as Eccentrics

Vassa Zheleznova (Васса Железнова), 1910, 1935 (revised version)

The Zykovs (Зыковы), 1913

Counterfeit Money (Фальшивая монета), 1913

The Old Man (Старик), 1915, Revised 1922, 1924. Translated also as The Judge

Workaholic Slovotekov (Работяга Словотеков), 1920

Somov and Others (Cомов и другие), 1930

Yegor Bulychov and Others (Егор Булычов и другие), 1932

Dostigayev and Others (Достигаев и другие), 1933

 

Non-fiction

 

Chaliapin, articles in Letopis, 1917[48]

Untimely Thoughts, articles, 1918

My Recollections of Tolstoy, 1919

Reminiscences of Tolstoy, Chekhov, and Andreyev, 1920–1928

V.I. Lenin (В.И. Ленин), reminiscence, 1924–1931

The I.V. Stalin White Sea – Baltic Sea Canal, 1934 (editor-in-chief)

Literary Portraits [c.1935].[49]

 

Poems

 

"The Song of the Stormy Petrel" (Песня о Буревестнике), 1901

 

Autobiography

 

My Childhood (Детство), Part I, 1913–1914

In the World (В людях), Part II, 1916

My Universities (Мои университеты), Part III, 1923

 

Collections

 

Sketches and Stories, three volumes, 1898–1899

Creatures That Once Were Men, stories in English translation (1905). This contained an introduction by G. K. Chesterton[50] The Russian title, Бывшие люди (literally "Former people") gained popularity as an expression in reference to people who severely dropped in their social status

Tales of Italy (Сказки об Италии), 1911–1913

Through Russia (По Руси), 1923

By Catedrales e Iglesias

 

Con mis agradecimientos a mi amigo Tacho por la ayuda en esta visita al Templo de Santa Barbara Almoloya asi como a los Fiscales del Templo que permitieron la realización de este reportaje

 

© Álbum 2747

By Catedrales e Iglesias

Arquidiócesis de Puebla

www.catedraleseiglesias.com

 

IGLESIA DE SANTA BARBARA ALMOLOYA

CALLE LIBERTAD SN,

CHOLULA DE RIVADAVIA,

SAN PEDRO CHOLULA PUEBLA,

MÉXICO

CP 72750

TEL: 01-222-289-0239

 

El territorio en el que se encuentran ubicadas las poblaciones del antiguo señorío de Cholula, puede decirse que es sumamente prolífico. Posee abundantes corrientes de agua, tanto a flor de tierra, como subterráneas lo que permite que la flora y la fauna sean sumamente ricas.

Santa Bárbara Almoloya, junta auxiliar del municipio de San Pedro Cholula, no podía ser la excepción. Su belleza natural, desde hace muchos años, está conformada en parte por el río Prieto y por un hermoso manantial del que brotan torrentes cristalinos de agua.

Una costumbre muy arraigada de este lugar consistía en que cada 24 de junio día de San Juan, por las noches, guapas jóvenes se bañaban en este hermoso estanque, situado en la parte oriente del templo católico.

Existía la creencia entre ellas que al hacerlo ese día y a esa hora, su pelo crecía y su belleza aumentaba.

En realidad, su secreto a voces consistía en la esperanza de que en punto de las doce de la noche, en alguna ocasión de tantas, tendrían oportunidad de ver a una sirena, ser fabuloso con busto de mujer y cuerpo de pez, que según su creencia y relatos de los ancianos emitía un canto muy hermoso.

Cada año, al acercarse la fecha, la mayoría de las jóvenes de Santa Bárbara preparaban los jabones más caros con esencias perdurables, además de los listones más finos y coloridos con los que sujetaban y adornaban su bien cuidado cabello.

El día señalado en punto de las siete de la noche se veía caminar a decenas de jovencitas que se dirigían presurosas al manantial, en el que se zambullirían y juguetearían. Solamente las mujeres jóvenes tenían el privilegio. A los jóvenes varones, se les tenía prohibido acercarse a ese lugar precisamente en ese día.

Ruperto Petlachi, era un joven de 21 años de edad, siempre se había distinguido por ser muy inteligente y observador ya que a lo largo de varios años había percibido que algunos de sus conocidos, un poco mayores que él habían desaparecido sin dejar rastro precisamente un día después del 24 de junio de casa año.

Esa ocasión estuvo muy atento al desarrollo de los acontecimientos por lo que por la tarde se reunió con su amigo Crisóforo, tal como lo hacía todos los días después de terminar su jornada de trabajo. Éste lo notó preocupado y pensativo, así que le pregunto:

-¿Te pasa algo Ruperto?

A lo que respondió: -Toda la noche soñé cosas extrañas. Te vas a burlar de mí, pero soñé con la sirena del manantial.

Crisóforo quería reírse, pero se contuvo al ver la seriedad con la que hablaba su amigo. Hubo un corto silencio y continuó el dialogo: No sé. ¡Como que siento ganas de ir al manantial!

Crisóforo le dijo alarmado: ¡ni lo pienses! Te van a apedrear las mujeres.

Ruperto dijo más tranquilo: mira te ruego me acompañes al manantial después de las doce de la noche ya que se hayan retirado las mujeres. Con esa idea se retiraron cada uno a su casa.

En punto de las doce de la noche, Crisóforo salió de su casa, se dirigió al lugar donde había quedado de ver a su amigo. Cuando llegó, vio que éste ya se encaminaba rumbo al manantial, trató de alcanzarlo pero no pudo. Por la gran distancia que los separaba sólo encontró en el camino a muchas mujeres que regresaban, las saludó y prosiguió.

Al llegar al manantial vio a su amigo Ruperto dentro del agua con la vista fija en los veneros situados en una roca casi a nivel del estanque natural. De pronto, estos orificios acuáticos se agrandaban y salía de ellos una hermosa criatura con cuerpo de mujer de la cintura hacía arriba y en lugar de piernas poseía una asombrosa cola de pez.

Sorprendido, Crisóforo corrió a esconderse en unos arbustos, mientras el extraño ser empezó a cantar con una dulce voz tierna, casi angelical, interpretando una linda melodía. El ambiente se llenó de un resplandor cálido como una esfera de ensueño, pero impenetrable.

Sin poder articular palabra, Crisóforo vio que Ruperto avanzó lentamente hacia la sirena. El trató de detener a su amigo gritándole:

-¡Ruperto!, ¡detente! ¡por favor hermano!, ¡recuerda a tu familia!, ¡no seas imprudente, por el amor de Dios!.

La sirena, amorosamente, susurró:

-¡Veeen!... te estaba esperaaando… acércate… veeen a mi…así…eres míooo…, míooo…

En ese momento, Ruperto estaba como poseído por el rostro iluminado por la emoción y una inmensa alegría, siguió caminando muy cerca de la sirena extendió los brazos rodeó con ellos el cuerpo de este atractivo ser, y se fundió en un solo ser con ella.

De inmediato desaparecieron en los veneros donde brotaba el agua, todo sucedió en un momento muy breve. El asombro fue tal que Crisóforo se retiró como pudo. Ruperto jamás volvió a aparecer.

La gente inventó muchas versiones, pero Crisóforo sabía la verdad de que en los primeros minutos del día 25 de junio de cada año, al escuchar el canto de la sirena, un varón de Santa Bárbara Almoloya desaparecería para siempre.

 

Leyendas de Puebla

Salvador Momox Pérez y Roberto Vélez de la Torre

Recopilación: Myrna Rojas Flores

En Barcelona la ordenanza municipal, permite pasearse como vinimos al mundo por las calles de nuestra ciudad. Y como pueden ver este señor se pasea en bicicleta tranquilamente entre todos los transeuntes vestidos.

Italian Temporary Permit for Immigrants requesting Refugee Status. This picture is part of my reportage about the Former Somali Embassy in Rome:

 

www.flickr.com/photos/36467856@N08/5344284418/in/photolis...

  

In Memory of all Innocents, who died the 3rd of October, after a boat carrying at least 500 Africans to Europe sank off the southern Italian island of Lampedusa.

 

Lampedusa (Sicily), October 2013

 

A total of 111 bodies have been recovered till now (5th of October) and more have been found inside the wreck, coast guards say.

 

Passengers reportedly threw themselves into the sea when a fire broke out on board. More than 150 of the migrants have been rescued.

 

Most of those on board were from Eritrea and Somalia, said the UN.

 

The boat was believed to have been carrying up to 500 people at the time and some 200 of them are unaccounted for.

 

This marked a tragic end to a long journey from countries as far as Eritrea and Somalia.

 

Over the years there have been numerous disasters involving migrants off Lampedusa, but seldom on anything like this scale. The island's mayor wept as she took in the scene on the harbour wall.

 

Furious demands are being made for an end to the dangerous trafficking of people across the Mediterranean. But it is hard to see how the flow could be curbed, with so many people so desperate for a chance to make a new life in Europe, and traffickers in so many ports ready to take their money.

 

Read more on:

 

edition.cnn.com/2013/10/04/opinion/lampedusa-opinion-wren/

 

and

 

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24380247

This image is licensed cc-by-nc-sa. Media (including blogs) are permitted to use my images provided they provide attribution in the form of "Photo by Andrew Bossi" or something along those lines.

 

It would be very much appreciated (though not required) if you provide a link back to my photo. Send me a message on Flickr or at thisisbossi@gmail.com if you use my image & I'll add a link on the photo's page back to your article.

 

If you want the highest-resolution image: simply right-click on the photo and select "Original".

 

Also, if I've mis-titled or mis-tagged anything: just let me know. If you recognise someone I should tag: again, just let me know.

 

================================================================

 

2011 05 04 - Used by DCist

 

================================================================

 

In response to the Congressional budget debacle which proved that DC is but a colony -- prone to being singled out unlike any other city in the country -- a number of activists, elected officials, and general citizens came out in force upon the grounds of Capitol Hill.

 

The crowd first formed on the sidewalk, but after some opening remarks by elected officials and activists: they quickly spilled into the street. The Capitol Police had been on hand & I'd thought it amusing that a couple were taking photos & videos... it wasn't until I saw the wristbands come out when I realised these weren't officers enjoying the moment; they were recording evidence.

 

With many minutes of warning, large portions of the group shifted over the sidewalk; whilst a core of dedicated supporters -- including our Mayor, a number of councilmembers, and members of DC Vote -- remained behind to block the roadway. The officers began to surround the group & repeated their warnings to get back on the sidewalk or face arrest.

 

Now in all fairness to the Capitol Police: they were doing their job. They were quite courteous about it & the protest was similarly jubilant right back. One woman was first to be bound, soon followed by several other activists. Then came Muriel Bowser: first councilmember to be arrested.

 

In general, I tend to dislike political grandstanding... but this was different. If our council was being arrested by our own police, I'd think it a cheesy photo op... but now our locally-elected officials were being arrested by the very forces we were out to protest: the Feds. This wasn't a mere photo op arrest; this was actually a legitimate arrest... the kind of thing that goes on your record; the kind of thing you spent a night in jail for.

 

Now granted, I don't expect anyone will be in jail longer than tomorrow; I'd be surprised if any were still locked up by midnight tonight. But it was Councilmember Bowser's arrest which really hit a moment... you could see the look on her face was of some worried concern: someone who had never been arrested before & didn't show up here today expecting to be arrested. As she was placed into the police van: her look of concern changed to a bit more worry. I mean this as no knock against Councilmember Bowser's committment; rather I felt it really help to humanise the entire event. It made me respect her all the more.

 

Yvette Alexander stood right beside us for quite some time, complicated in that she didn't have her ID on her. While it was entertaining to see our top officials being frisked, it was also quite entertaining that our easily-recognisable councilmember needed her ID... prompting a standerby to call one of her staffers with the best introduction I've ever heard over a phone: "Hi, your councilmember has been arrested." Also, kudos to Councilmember Alexander for going to jail in high heels!

 

There is a lot I can complain about with the council in general; and certainly with individual councilmembers & even the mayor. Heck, that's what politicians are for: you're not supposed to always like them. But this was an opportunity to set aside some of those issues (frankly, I'd say DC was glad to have a unifying moment after the past couple weeks) and cheer on our own brothers & sisters as they stood up in support of our rights.

 

It was certainly a proud moment to be a DC resident and a fine boost to our collective esteem after several weeks of turmoil within our local & federal levels of government. It's aggravating that my support for small & local government is inhibited by those in Congress whom advocate small & local government. If I wanted to live in a colony, I'd have moved to Williamsburg.

While Gopika is back to the films Kavya also files her interest in doing films, she will rush to India next month as her husband permitted she can do film if she desire to do..,

 

more

www.okgot.com/view_news.asp?IID=545

ATLANTA, Ga.– Members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District, Regulatory Division gave presentations at a consultant workshop hosted by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) in Atlanta, Ga., Sept. 24 and 25. The purpose of the workshop was to help consultants understand the Corps' Regulatory permitting process and requirements. Other presenters included members of the Federal Highway Administration and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. The total group included about 125 participants, many who are environmental consultants and GDOT ecologists and engineers.

The Corps Savannah District issues permits under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act for any construction or development that involves the discharge of dredged or fill material into U.S. waters. Many of these permits relate to road or bridge projects by the GDOT. The goal of the Corps' permitting program is to balance the needs of human development with the environment, and to avoid, minimize and mitigate for environmental impacts.

 

Lindsay: I didn't authorize this type of play in my living room! Don't you realize anything AND everything must go through me? HELLO! You're not listening!. WTF is your permit?!

Located southeast of Price, Utah .

   

Had been wanting to go to Range Creek for years . With only eighteen permits issued per day and it being closed due to impassible roads from November to June , a little planning is necessary. Add in the fact that you cross a mountain on the two hour trip from Price to find that your permit is for day use only ( no overnight camping ) and it is a ten mile hike one way to the old ranch house . You soon come to the realization that a guided tour by Carbon County Recreation is the only logical way to visit this place. They have ten or so tours per year. I booked the first one of the season 6/18 and planed the rest of my trip around it .

   

Range Creek didn't have a chance. The collapsed pit houses are no match for Mesa Verde cliff dwellings or Chaco Canyons towering ruins . Even the granaries which number in the hundreds and range from cabinet-size to several yards across—are so high in the cliffs they are visible only with binoculars and a guide pointing out were to look . With that all said was I glad I went ......... Hell Yes !! Where else can you go to trail ( for a couple hours ) a three hundred head herd of cows going up the mountain to summer pasture , see beautiful country without it being over ran with tourists , and knowing , just deep in the gut knowing that there are a lot more sites that are awesomely interesting that they drive by and never say a word about . A quote from the lead archaeologist "Because the archaeology itself isn't spectacular or striking to the average visitor, this won't be a great tourist attraction," Jones says with obvious gratitude.

   

Posted two photos following in the photostream that show how hard it is to spot the granaries .

 

Site below explains the how and why of Range Creek .

  

www.smithsonianmag.com/history/secrets-of-the-range-creek...

PALACIO DUCAL DE GANDIA

 

Visitar estas páginas con una fantástica visita virtual con gigafotos

 

www.palauducal.com

  

www.palauducal.com/?i=es&id_trip=10&id_trip_elm=o...

  

Aunque no existen datos concretos que permitan establecer una cronología constructiva del edificio, los expertos coinciden en que los inicios de la construcción del palacio se remonta a la primera mitad del siglo XIV, momento en el que Pedro de Ribagorza recibe de manos de su padre, el rey Jaime II, el señorío de Gandia. Para edificar su residencia, el infante Pedro elegirá el emplazamiento del “tossal”, el punto más alto de la villa, donde en la época anterior de la conquista cristiana existía una necrópolis y una torre de vigía. Sobre estos restos de época musulmana se edificará el actual Palacio Ducal. Será posteriormente el Duque Alfons el Vell (1355-1412) quien ampliará el proyecto en época medieval.

Durante sus primeros tres siglos de historia cabría imaginarlo como un auténtico Castillo Palacio, cuyo aspecto inicial era más bien el de una fortaleza urbana con fachada principal almenada y protegida por dos torres defensivas en sus dos esquinas. Se trataba de un enclave autoabastecido, con su granja, huerto, fragua, carpintería, bodega y con su aljibe situado en el subsuelo del actual Patio de la Cisterna, construido a mediados del siglo XVI.

 

Con el paso del tiempo, aquel Castillo Palacio poco a poco se irá transformando en un palacio fortificado, de corte italianizante, cada vez más cómodo y ostentoso, donde cada uno de los sucesivos duques de Gandia lo ampliará y transformará adaptándolo a sus propias necesidades.

 

La adquisición del Palacio por la familia Borja supone un nuevo período en la ampliación y remodelación del edificio, principalmente por Pedro Luis Borja y María Enríquez, abuela de San Francisco de Borja. Será precisamente en tiempos del santo duque cuando se realice una de las obras más importantes, la remodelación del Salón de Coronas en época del Renacimiento (1544-1545) y del despacho anexo.

 

Durante el siglo XVII se realizan multitud de transformaciones en la configuración del Palacio, que marcan su impronta hasta el punto de que gran parte de la imagen del mismo procede de esta época. A ella pertenecen las sustituciones de los ventanales góticos por balcones tanto en la fachada exterior como en el Patio de Armas. Igualmente en el Salón de Águilas, se cubrió el artesonado del siglo XV por una rica ornamentación realizada en yeso y madera y rematada en pan de oro. La obra más sobresaliente de esta época es la construcción de la Galería Dorada, una de las joyas del barroco valenciano. Desde que desparecieran los Borja como propietarios del Palacio y éste pasara a manos de otras casas nobiliarias sin residencia en él, el edificio quedó abandonado.

 

Esta fase de ocupación por familias sin recursos devino en un acelerado proceso de ruina hasta el punto de plantearse su derribo. La adquisición por la Compañía de Jesús del inmueble supuso otro hito en la historia de Palacio. En primer lugar por evitar su desaparición y por la importante reforma llevada a cabo, tanto por la consolidación y puesta en valor de los referentes del Santo como por la adecuación al uso como Casa de la Compañía y colegio. En esta intervención se remodeló el trazado de la escalera del patio de Armas y la Sala Carroz y Centelles y de los Estados de Cerdeña, reconstruyendo ventanas a imitación de la correspondiente original de la sala de Coronas.

 

En esta última se realizaron obras de demolición de las compartimentaciones que se habían construido, restaurando el artesonado y sustituyendo las ventanas recayentes al río Serpis por otras de traza neogótica, recomposición de los zócalos de azulejería, etc. Entre 1895 y 1896 se remodela el Despacho del Santo (la actual capilla neogótica), situado junto al Salón de Coronas y posteriormente en 1898 se realiza la intervención de acondicionamiento del Oratorio.

LA FACHADA PRINCIPAL.

Uno de los escasos vestigios que quedan de la primitiva construcción del palacio es la actual portada adovelada de medio punto por la que se accede al zaguán construido en tiempos de Alfonso el Viejo y el cerrojo que la cierra por dentro, que aún conserva perfectamente visibles las barras del escudo real de Aragón en recuerdo de sus antiguos residentes.

 

Los nuevos propietarios, la familia Borja, colocarían en su día sobre esta impresionante portada el escudo de armas en piedra que hoy todavía se conserva, sostenido por dos ángeles y dentro de una pequeña hornacina flanqueada por sendos hombres primitivos de larguísimas barbas. Esta fachada principal es de mampostería recubierta con mortero de cal y arena.

 

PATIO DE ARMAS Y PLANTA BAJA.

Al cruzar la puerta principal se abre ante el visitante el zaguán de entrada, separado del magnífico patio de armas por un impresionante arco escarzano y cubierto por una techumbre de madera decorada con piezas de nácar y hueso. Actualmente en el ala norte del patio, en lo que originariamente fueron las caballerizas del edificio, se encuentra ubicada la iglesia del Sagrado Corazón coronada por una espectacular galería.

 

También se ubica en este espacio de estructura trapezoidal la escalera señorial que da acceso al Salón de Coronas. De todos los ventanales que se abren al patio, únicamente el situado sobre la escalera de honor es original. A este patio de armas recaen las principales dependencias del edificio y, desde la planta baja, se accede a la que fuera antigua armería (actualmente capilla privada de la comunidad) y junto a ésta, el otro pulmón del edificio, el Patio de la Cisterna, conocido también como Patio de las Cañas.

 

ACCESO A LA PLANTA PRIMERA.

Una escalera situada en el ángulo noroeste del patio de armas nos lleva directamente a las estancias nobles. Ya en la primera planta accedemos a la llamada Cámara de la duquesa, donde se ubica la supuesta habitación en la que nació San Francisco de Borja y cuyo elemento decorativo más destacado lo configura un pavimento cerámico con azulejos de finales del siglo XV en azul y blanco de Manises con el motivo del “encadenat”. Las estancias nobles contiguas a esta primera sala son, sucesivamente, el Salón de Águilas, cuyo nombre proviene de los elementos zoomorfos que decoran el friso que recorre todo el perímetro de esta estancia, realizado en yeso y rematado en pan de oro. A continuación, la Sala de los Estados de Cerdeña, en recuerdo de las posesiones de la familia Centelles en esta isla, incorporadas a las de los Borja fruto de la unión del hijo del santo duque, Carlos de Borja, con Magdalena de Centelles, quedando de esta manera anexionado entre otros muchos territorios el condado de Oliva.

Inmediatamente se encuentra la Sala Verde y el Aposento de la Torrecilla, en el que se supone aposento de la duquesa María Enríquez, donde destaca sobremanera uno de los pavimentos más antiguos de todo el palacio formado a base composiciones hexagonales mediante la utilización de azulejos del “alfardó” de principios del siglo XV.

Entre este piso y el superior, a la altura del cielo raso del Salón de Águilas quedaría emplazada la antigua prisión del palacio ducal.

 

DEL SALÓN DE CORONAS A LA SANTA CAPILLA.

Subiendo directamente por la escalera señorial del Patio de Armas se accede al Salón de Coronas, remodelado en tiempos de San Francisco de Borja, concretamente durante los primeros años de su mandato al frente del ducado y cuya denominación se debe al motivo de la doble corona que decora todo el artesonado. Este elemento proviene de la fusión de dos coronas y Alejandro VI lo utilizó como símbolo en su coronación papal y serán ya sus propios hijos los que lo adoptarían como distintivo propio. En el friso superior se conserva el sabio consejo del duque a sus hijos, tomado de las epístolas de San Pablo y que en castellano se traduce: “Corred para comprender que sólo será coronado aquel que pelee según la ley”. La Compañía de Jesús tuvo que reponer gran parte de los azulejos que decoran las paredes de este Salón, pero todavía se conservan en el lado que da al patio parte de los azulejos originales provenientes de los alfares de Triana que recorren el alto zócalo y que están realizados con la técnica de la cuerda seca o arista.

 

Actualmente, la sala se encuentra decorada por ocho sargas y un lienzo obra de Martín Coronas, junto con una pintura de autor desconocido, datada en el siglo XVIII, y que complementa el ciclo de escenas de la vida de Francisco de Borja, cronológicamente ordenadas en el sentido de las agujas del reloj. Presidiendo el salón encontramos el retrato del IV Duque vestido con los hábitos de Caballero de Santiago. El mismo Hermano Coronas que se encargaría de parte de la decoración de este Salón de Coronas, fue el autor de las pinturas que decoran la actual Capilla Neogótica, antaño despacho privado del Santo. De tiempos de San Francisco de Borja y que todavía hoy se puede apreciar en esta sala destaca el crucifijo del santo. Adherida a este despacho se ubica la Santa Capilla, donde el santo practica sus oraciones y disciplinas.

 

Según una leyenda muy extendida, el diablo pretendía distraerlo de sus devociones lanzando piedras a través de una pequeña ventana de alabastro que todavía se conserva junto al altar y la creencia popular asegura que algunas de las manchas de sangre son las gotas de sangre provocadas por las excesivas mortificaciones que se auto infligía el duque con sus penitencias. El recinto es un pequeño oratorio con un techo poligonal que recuerda la forma de un ataúd, en cuyas paredes todavía se conservan las grisallas realizadas por Filippo de San Leocadio (hijo del afamado pintor Paolo de San Leocadio) sobre los misterios del rosario, muy retocadas por el hermano Coronas. El aspecto actual de la techumbre y el pavimento corresponde a una intervención realizada por la Compañía de Jesús.

 

LA GALERÍA DORADA.

La “Obra Nueva” o “Galería Dorada” se encuentra entre las construcciones que más han embellecido y caracterizado el Palacio Ducal y constituye el elemento arquitectónico y artístico más significativo del monumento, siendo un referente excepcional de la arquitectura civil barroca valenciana. El motivo de su realización fue la conmemoración de la canonización de Sant Francesc de Borja a instancias del X Duc de Gandia. Éste mandó edificarla sobre la terraza contigua al patio de la cisterna y se concluyó a principios del siglo XVIII. La edificación está formada por cinco salas continuas separadas por pórticos de madera, decoradas en su totalidad con cartelas, acantos, grutescos y golpes de hojarasca bajo una estructuración bícroma basada en el color blanco en correspondencia con los elementos en relieve dorados.

 

La Galería Dorada recibe precisamente de ahí su nombre, por la profusión de ornamentación dorada sobre los elementos ornamentales en talla de madera que cubren todo el perímetro de las cornisas, los paneles murales divisorios de las estancias y los copetes de las puertas. Se trata de un perfecto trompe l’oeuil arquitectónico que juega con las perspectivas y la luz, creando un clima escenográfico impresionante. De todo el programa decorativo de la Galería destaca el ciclo pictórico de los techos de sus cinco salas que da nombre a cada una de ellas: Sala Heráldica de la Familia Borja, Sala Ornamental, Sala de la Glorificación de Sant Francesc de Borja, Sala de la Sagrada Familia y Sala del Cielo y la Tierra (es en esta última sala donde encontramos el famoso mosaico barroco de los Cuatro elementos). Tanto por su extensión como por la complejidad del programa icónico representado, supone un hito dentro del movimiento del último barroco colorista en tierras valencianas. La tradición ha mantenido al pintor Gaspar de la Huerta Martínez como autor del ciclo pictórico de la Galería Dorada, no obstante, estudios recientes sugieren que en las dos primeras salas podría haber colaborado como ayudante el pintor Esteve Romaguera, pintor de su entorno y también conocido por otros trabajos para la Compañía de Jesús en Valencia. En cuanto a la decoración exterior, cabe destacar fundamentalmente la ornamentación pictórica de las fachadas. Se trata de ornamentación vegetal en los entrepaños entre balcones con cenefas, volutas y apilastrados en colores almagra y gris. El otro punto de atención es el fuerte cromatismo que imprime al conjunto tanto la cobertura de tejas de los balcones como el propio tejado de la sala. Todo ello está resuelto con teja cerámica vidriada, en color azul y blanco en los balcones y en líneas azul-amarillo y blanco-verde alternos en la cubierta. Es quizás éste uno de los aspectos más llamativos del cuerpo de la Galería Dorada.

   

LA HISTORIA Y SUS PERSONAJES

 

La historia de este edificio, todo un símbolo dentro de la arquitectura civil de su tiempo, viene marcada por quienes fueron sus sucesivos propietarios: la Casa de Aragón, la familia Borja, los Condes de Benavente y finalmente la Casa de Osuna. Con la decadencia de ésta última, fue adquirido por la Compañía de Jesús en 1890, quien se encargará de acometer la necesaria restauración del palacio, imprimiendo el carácter de su nuevo uso religioso y cultural y de ensalzar la figura de San Francisco de Borja, cuarto duque de Gandia y tercer general de la Compañía de Jesús.

Historia que comienza en 1239, cuando Jaime I el Conquistador toma el territorio de Bayren. A partir de este momento este territorio pasará a formar parte del patrimonio real de la Corona de Aragón, y la población musulmana, hasta ese momento dispersa en alquerías, será unificada bajo dominio cristiano en diversos núcleos de población, de entre los que destacará la villa de Gandia. No será hasta el año 1323 cuando se convierta en señorio al poner el rey, Jaime II el Justo, la villa de Gandia en manos de su hijo el infante Pere de Ribagorça.

El primer periodo de esplendor de la villa de Gandia y del nuevo palacio coincidirá con la formación del ducado real de Gandia. Así, en 1399 el rey Martín el Humano, con motivo de su coronación, concede el título de duque de Gandia a Alfonso de Aragón, hijo de Pere de Ribagorça y conocido popularmente como Alfonso “el Viejo”. Será esta la primera vez en la historia de la Corona que se conceda el título de duque a un personaje que no es hijo de un rey. Alfonso de Aragón, conde de Denia, marqués de Villena, conde de Ribagorza, duque de Gandia y primer condestable de Castilla, durante su ducado llevará a cabo grandes empresas en la villa de Gandia como la ampliación del Palacio Ducal y de la iglesia de Santa María y fuera de sus muros, como la construcción del monasterio de Sant Jeroni de Cotalba. El palacio del duque se vio en este momento rodeado de toda una corte de artistas, escritores y poetas de entre los que destacan Ausiàs March y Joan Martorell.

Después de un periodo de esplendor bajo el gobierno del segundo duque, Alfons el Vell muere en 1412 y tras la breve sucesión de su hijo Alfons, el ducado regresará a manos de la dinastía real en 1425. Posteriormente, en 1470, Juan II había hipotecado la ciudad a Valencia para conseguir recursos económicos que pudieran financiar el coste de la guerra civil catalana. Con los duques ausentes, la ciudad y su corte entran en decadencia, hecho que coincide con el éxodo de las familias más notables (Los Vic, Vilarig, Marc, Martorell, Roís de Corella, etc) a la ciudad de Valencia, que vivía por aquel entonces su siglo de oro bajo el reinado de Alfonso V el Magnánimo. El territorio del antiguo ducado de Gandia, fragmentado en pequeñas jurisdicciones señoriales, estaba inmerso en un proceso de despoblación y endeudamiento que la creación del nuevo ducado borjiano de Gandia venía a recomponer.

Con la formación del ducado borgiano en 1485, Gandia vivió un largo periodo de esplendor. El interés de Rodrigo de Borja por este pequeño dominio quedaba justificado: la ciudad tenía una gran historia a sus espaldas, que se remonta a la conquista catalanoaragonesa y había un próspero negocio basado en la producción y en el comercio del azúcar. Rodrigo de Borja planificaba así el futuro de sus herederos y los acercaba a la nobleza valenciana, además de reforzar sus lazos con la realeza. Así, Pedro Luís de Borja, barón de Llombai y primogénito de Rodrigo de Borja, el futuro papa Alejandro VI, pagó la suma de 120.000 sueldos al rey para convertirse en el primer duque de Gandia. Tras la muerte de Pedro Luís en 1488, hereda el ducado su hermanastro Juan, quien finalmente contraerá matrimonio con la que había sido prometida de Pedro Luis, María Enríquez. Así, el enlace suponía la unión de la familia Borja con la dinastía castellanoaragonesa. En 1497 es asesinado el duque Juan de Borja. Una nueva etapa para la ciudad y para los Borja se inicia con la regencia de María Enríquez que se prolongará hasta 1511. Con la complicidad de su primo Fernando el Católico, comienza el acercamiento de los Borja gandienses a la corte real, independizándose en cierta medida de los avatares de los Borja en Roma, aunque como es lógico las relaciones entre ambas orillas del Meditarráneo se mantuvieron.

  

Los sucesivos duques de Gandia necesitarán siempre el apoyo de la Corona para mantener sus posesiones, y la Corona los necesitará para pedirles préstamos y encargarles misiones políticas y diplomáticas. Pasó a convertirse en una estrecha relación basada en la fidelidad y el interés mutuo y que convertiría a los duques de Gandia en una de las familias más influyentes de la nobleza española. Con su hijo Juan, tercer duque de Gandia, se retoman los contactos con la corte castellana, colabora militar y económicamente con el emperador Carlos en la guerra de las Germanías, y el territorio del ducado se convierte en campo de batalla: en 1521 es derrotado por el ejército de los agermanados dirigido por Vicent Peris, quien destruye el palacio incluyendo su famoso archivo.

La impronta de San Francisco de Borja en el devenir del ducado viene marcada por tres aspectos trascendentales en la vida del santo duque. Cabe destacar en primer lugar la relevancia de su marcha a la corte, enviado por su padre en febrero de 1528 y, por tanto, aún no cumplidos los 18 años de edad, como exponente de una nueva estrategia familiar. No menos relevante fue su gestión al frente del ducado, que marcará el punto de inflexión entre el periodo de máximo apogeo del mismo y el inicio de la decadencia del ducado (que se acentuará con la expulsión de los moriscos en 1609) y , por último, el decisivo papel que jugó San Francisco de Borja a la hora de reivindicar la memoria histórica de su bisabuelo Alejandro VI por un lado y la actitud de expreso reconocimiento y profundo respeto por otro al verdadero fundador del ducado familiar y, en consecuencia, a quien le debían su gloria él y todos sus sucesores al frente del ducado. A sus cuarenta años y tras la muerte de su esposa Leonor de Castro, Francisco de Borja, abandonando todo cuanto le ligaba a su anterior vida de corte, entró en 1546, bajo la supervisión de San Ignacio de Loyola, en la recién fundada compañía de Jesús, de la que llegará a convertirse en su III General en 1564. Francisco de Borja fallece en Roma el 1572, donde será enterrado. Posteriormente, tras las presiones de la nobleza española, sus restos mortales son trasladados a Madrid, donde descansa actualmente en la iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús. Francisco de Borja es beatificado en 1624 por el papa Urbano VIII y canonizado en 1671 por Clemente X.

En 1740 muere sin hijos Luís Ignacio de Borja, y la heredera será su hermana María Anna de Borja, duquesa de Béjar, quien fallecerá a su vez sin descendencia en 1748. El fin del comercio de la caña de azúcar, principal fuente de ingreso, coincide con el final de la rama principal de la familia. Tras un pleito, el ducado y el título pasarán a Francisco Pimentel y Borja Vigil de Quiñones, décimo conde-duque de Benavente. Al morir en 1834 hereda su descendiente María Josefa Alfonso Pimentel y Borja, casada con Pedro Alcántara Téllez Girón y Pacheco, duque de Osuna. Así, los estados y el título pasarán a la casa de Osuna y es por ello que una gran parte de la documentación sobre el ducado se encuentra actualmente en el archivo de Osuna. Un nieto suyo, Mariano Téllez Girón y Beaufort, duque de Osuna y de Gandia, marqués de Llombai y conde de Oliva, encarga a medidados del siglo XIX, una memoria sobre los estados gandienses de sus antecesores: los Borja.

 

La familia Borja de Gandia fueron testimonio y muchas de las veces auténticos protagonistas de los grandes cambios que definen la Historia Moderna: de la unión dinástica de los reinos hispánicos al absolutismo Borbón y las grandes alianzas europeas; de la conquista de América a los primeros movimientos independentistas; de la expulsión de los judíos a la de los moriscos; del Humanismo y el Erasmismo a la Contrarreforma; de los últimos coletazos del Gótico al Barroco; del siglo de oro de la literatura catalana a la prohibición oficial de la lengua. Esta gran familia perfectamente podría ser el paradigma de la nobleza española a lo largo de tres siglos.

flickriver.com/photos/javier1949/popular-interesting/

 

Naves del Español (Antiguas naves 10, 11 y 12)

 

Arquitectos Emilio Esteras 2007-10 y Justo Benito 2009-10

 

El conjunto escénico de 5.900 m2, denominado las Naves del Español, ha sido fruto del trabajo de colaboración del director de teatro Mario Gas, el escenógrafo Jean Guy Lecat, el técnico escenógrafo Francisco Fontanals y el arquitecto municipal Emilio Esteras. La intervención, guiada por los principios de reversibilidad, flexibilidad y versatilidad ha permitido dotar el espacio de múltiples configuraciones escénicas, introduciéndose nuevos elementos y materiales (policarbonato y estructura de andamio) que se yuxtaponen a los existentes y permiten una clara lectura de las intervenciones. Las naves forman un conjunto dotado de gran flexibilidad, que permite el funcionamiento autónomo de tres espacios interconectados.

La nave 12 funciona como foyer o vestíbulo del conjunto escénico, con zona de acogida, cafetería y espacio para realizar espectáculos de pequeño formato. En la nave 11 se sitúa el espacio escénico propiamente dicho, con una disposición muy flexible y versátil. Graderío, escena y maquinaria teatral se han concebido de tal forma que el espacio admite múltiples configuraciones, desde espectáculos teatrales convencionales a propuestas escénicas más arriesgadas. La nave 10, obra del arquitecto Justo Benito en 2009-10, acoge la Sala 2, un espacio escénico docente y de ensayo.

 

MATADERO MADRID - CENTRO DE CREACIÓN CONTEMPORÁNEA Antiguos Matadero y Mercado Municipal de Ganados

Pº de la Chopera, 2 a 14 C/V a Pza. de Legazpi 8, Vado de Santa Catalina y Av. del Manzanares. Madrid.

Actuación inicial: Luis Bellido González, arquitecto y José Eugenio Ribera Autaste, ingeniero. 1910 (Proyecto) 1910-1925 (Obras).

Matadero de aves y gallinas: Luis Bellido González y Francisco Javier Ferrero Llusiá: 1926 (Proyecto) 1932-1933 (Obras).

Acondicionamiento de la Casa del Reloj, Nave de Terneras y pabellones de acceso para Junta Municipal del Distrito de Arganzuela y salas culturales y deportivas: Rafael Fernández-Rañada Gándara: 1983 (Proyecto) 1983-1984 (Obras).

Rehabilitación de la “nave de patatas” para Invernadero-Palacio de Cristal, antiguo parque del matadero y consolidación estructural de naves del recinto sur: Guillermo Costa Pérez-Herrero: 1990 (Proyecto) 1990-1992 (Obras).

Adaptación de naves para sedes del Ballet Nacional y Compañía Nacional de Danza: Antonio Fernández-Alba y José Luis Castillo-Puche Figueira 1990 (Proyecto) 1993-1999 (Obras)

Vestíbulo y Espacio Intermediae. (nave 17c) Arquitectos Arturo Franco y Fabrice Van Teslaar en colaboración con el arquitecto de interiores Diego Castellanos 2006-07

Naves del Español (naves 10, 11 y 12) Arquitectos Emilio Esteras 2007-10 y Justo Benito 2009-10

Central de Diseño (nave 17) Arquitecto José Antonio García Roldán 2007

Taller y Oficina de Coordinación (parte de la nave 8) Arquitecto Arturo Franco 2010

Calle y Plaza Matadero Arquitectos Ginés Garrido, Carlos Rubio y Fernando Porras 2011

ESCARAVOX Andrés Jaque Arquitectos 2012

Depósito de especies y nuevo acceso por Legazpi. BCP Ingenieros -Luis Benito Olmeda y Francisco Calderón- con María Langarita y Víctor Navarro arquitectos. 2011

Nave 16 Arquitectos: Alejandro Vírseda, José Ignacio Carnicero e Ignacio Vila Almazán, 2011

Nave de Música (Nave 15) Arquitectos: María Langarita y Víctor Navarro, en colaboración con el diseñador mexicano Jerónimo Hagerman, 2011

Cineteca y Cantina Archivo Documenta (nave 17 c, d, e y f) Arquitectos: José María Churtichaga y Cayetana de la Quadra Salcedo 2011

Casa del Lector. Centro Internacional para la Investigación, el Desarrollo y la Difusión de la Lectura de la Fundación Germán Sánchez Ruipérez. (naves 13 y 14, 17b y tres crujías de la nave 17. Arquitecto Antón García Abril. Diseño gráfico y señalización: Alberto Corazón. Interiorismo Jesús Moreno y Asociados 2012

 

El arquitecto Joaquín Saldaña resulta ganador del concurso convocado por el Ayuntamiento de Madrid el año 1899 para la realización de los nuevos matadero y mercado municipal de ganados en la Dehesa de La Arganzuela, junto al Manzanares, si bien, finalmente las obras se realizan de acuerdo con el proyecto redactado en 1910 por Luis Bellido, arquitecto de propiedades del Ayuntamiento, con la colaboración de J. Eugenio Ribera, ingeniero de reconocido prestigio. El conjunto arquitectónico se compone de 48 edificios agrupados en cinco sectores de producción: dirección y administración, matadero, mercado de abastos, mercado de trabajo y sección sanitaria, cuenta además con viviendas para el personal y capilla; también de sistema de circulaciones y ferrocarril propios... una autentica ciudad laboral.

Sigue el sistema alemán de pabellones aislados, relacionados por medio de viales y presididos por un edificio administrativo, la "Casa del Reloj" situado sobre el eje principal de la composición. Por sus características arquitectónicas y por su escala es uno de los conjuntos edificados más significativos de Madrid. Se advierte en él una unidad estilística y constructiva derivada del uso racional en sus fábricas de tres materiales esenciales ladrillo, mampostería y cerámica, y una cuidadosa introducción de elementos metálicos en la estructura; además de otros aspectos significativos como el empleo de un lenguaje de inspiración neomudéjar muy atenuado, habitual en la arquitectura industrial de la época. El matadero de Madrid sirve de modelo para la construcción en España de este tipo de edificios.

Para el crítico González Amezqueta "Es un ejemplo de gran calidad de arquitectura industrial perfectamente insertado en los procedimientos del ladrillo, con derivaciones hacia el neomudéjar. La mecánica funcional de los procesos laborales no impide discretas acentuaciones ornamentales, ya que todo el proceso constructivo es estrictamente artesanal, con predominio de las técnicas fabricadas del ladrillo en las partes más acertadas".

En 1926, en zona próxima al Vado de Santa Catalina, proyecta Bellido el matadero de gallinas y aves, siendo realizadas las obras, entre 1932 y 1933, bajo la dirección de Francisco Javier Ferrero con la introducción de una clara y cuidada estructura de hormigón pionera en la ciudad y en la que reside uno de sus valores principales.

A partir de 1940 se llevan a cabo diferentes remodelaciones y ampliaciones, entre ellas la de la nave de patatas, el pabellón de autopsias y los abrevaderos.

En la década de 1980, perdida su función original, el Departamento de Conservación de Edificios del Ayuntamiento comienza la rehabilitación sistemática de los edificios del conjunto para su uso como contenedores de actividades culturales, sociales, deportivas y administrativas propias del Ayuntamiento; primero bajo la dirección de Rafael Fernández-Rañada, que acondiciona la Casa del Reloj para Junta Municipal del Distrito de Arganzuela y la nave de terneras para sala cultural y deportiva, y después, de Guillermo Costa que realiza el Palacio de Cristal (rehabilitación de la nave de patatas para invernadero) y el parque del matadero, con la colaboración del ingeniero, también municipal, M. Ángel Martínez Lucio.

Desde 1996 Costa continúa la consolidación estructural de fachadas y cubiertas de 7 naves del recinto sur, sin un uso predeterminado y en distintas fases, a la espera de la realización del proyecto para su adecuación a nuevas actividades de carácter cultural, comercial o de ocio. Finalmente, el conjunto edificado se incluye en el catálogo de bienes a conservar dentro del Plan General de Ordenación Urbana de 1997.

En el extremo norte parte de las antiguas naves de estabulación son cedidas al Instituto Nacional de Artes Escénicas y de la Música (INAEM) para establecer en ellas las sedes del Ballet Nacional de España y de la Compañía Nacional de Danza, según proyecto de Fernández Alba y Castillo-Puche, concluyéndose las obras de adaptación en 1999.

En 2005 se aprueba la modificación del Plan Especial de Intervención, Adecuación Arquitectónica y Control Urbanístico-Ambiental de Usos del recinto del antiguo matadero municipal, que incrementa el uso cultural hasta el 75% del total.

A partir de 2006 el Ayuntamiento se plantea rehabilitar en distintas fases, mediante proyectos derivados de concursos de arquitectura, este inmenso contenedor de casi 150.000 m2, para albergar multitud de eventos y encuentros, fomentando la creatividad de artistas de múltiples especialidades. El conjunto se convierte en un núcleo de actividad cultural que alberga las más importantes citas de la ciudad. Así, se inician actuaciones para convertir el recinto en centro de apoyo a la creación, en campo de experimentación de la nueva arquitectura, pero siguiendo los criterios de intervención del Plan Especial, que establece la preservación de la envolvente de las naves. La línea maestra que ha guiado las intervenciones es la reversibilidad, de modo que los edificios pueden ser fácilmente devueltos a su estado original. Las actuaciones mantienen expresamente las huellas del pasado para reforzar el carácter experimental de las nuevas instituciones que alojan. Se ha buscado el equilibrio entre el respeto máximo al espacio, y una dotación específica, que lo distinga, a través del uso limitado de materiales industriales directos y que, al mismo tiempo, dé servicio a los diferentes usos que pueda albergar.

En 2012, tras la visita del jurado de los premios FAD a Matadero Madrid, decidió reconocer la labor en conjunto de todos los arquitectos que han participado en el proceso de reforma. El fallo valora “tanto la actitud global de la propuesta, que apuesta de una forma valiente por la experimentación y el respeto a los espacios de libertad gestionados desde la sociedad civil, como la conceptualización del proyecto, desde su inicio en el 2007 con la rehabilitación del vestíbulo y el espacio Intermediae, hasta las recientes intervenciones de la Nave 16 y la Nave de Música finalistas en la presente edición de los Premios FAD”. Así mismo, el jurado destacó de Matadero Madrid “la inteligencia colectiva, la unidad que le viene inferida por la arquitectura industrial preexistente, y que con un mínimo de protagonismo exterior de las nuevas intervenciones, en el interior resuelve con rigor y autenticidad las diversas necesidades del extenso programa del centro, buscando no sólo mantener los espacios arquitectónicos y formas estructurales, sino también el carácter, la atmósfera y sobre todo el irrepetible paso del tiempo”.

Ese mismo año el Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos de Madrid otorgó uno de sus premios a las intervenciones en la Cineteca y Archivo Documenta, y en la Nave 16. Por último, destaca la interconexión de Matadero Madrid y Madrid Río mediante la urbanización de los espacios públicos -Calle y Plaza Matadero- por el mismo equipo de arquitectos -Ginés Garrido, Carlos Rubio y Fernando Porras- que proyectó Madrid Río. Está previsto además que dicha conexión, gracias a dos nuevos accesos, se amplíe entre diciembre de 2012 y julio de 2013. Madrid Río ha recibido, entre otros premios, el International Architecture Award 2012 del Chicago Athenaeum of Architecture and Design y el European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies, el Premio de Diseño Urbano y Paisajismo Internacional otorgado por el Comité de Críticos de Arquitectura CICA, en el marco de la XIII Bienal de Buenos Aires; o el Premio FAD de Ciudad y Paisaje 2012, entre otros galardones.

PALACIO DUCAL DE GANDIA

 

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Aunque no existen datos concretos que permitan establecer una cronología constructiva del edificio, los expertos coinciden en que los inicios de la construcción del palacio se remonta a la primera mitad del siglo XIV, momento en el que Pedro de Ribagorza recibe de manos de su padre, el rey Jaime II, el señorío de Gandia. Para edificar su residencia, el infante Pedro elegirá el emplazamiento del “tossal”, el punto más alto de la villa, donde en la época anterior de la conquista cristiana existía una necrópolis y una torre de vigía. Sobre estos restos de época musulmana se edificará el actual Palacio Ducal. Será posteriormente el Duque Alfons el Vell (1355-1412) quien ampliará el proyecto en época medieval.

Durante sus primeros tres siglos de historia cabría imaginarlo como un auténtico Castillo Palacio, cuyo aspecto inicial era más bien el de una fortaleza urbana con fachada principal almenada y protegida por dos torres defensivas en sus dos esquinas. Se trataba de un enclave autoabastecido, con su granja, huerto, fragua, carpintería, bodega y con su aljibe situado en el subsuelo del actual Patio de la Cisterna, construido a mediados del siglo XVI.

 

Con el paso del tiempo, aquel Castillo Palacio poco a poco se irá transformando en un palacio fortificado, de corte italianizante, cada vez más cómodo y ostentoso, donde cada uno de los sucesivos duques de Gandia lo ampliará y transformará adaptándolo a sus propias necesidades.

 

La adquisición del Palacio por la familia Borja supone un nuevo período en la ampliación y remodelación del edificio, principalmente por Pedro Luis Borja y María Enríquez, abuela de San Francisco de Borja. Será precisamente en tiempos del santo duque cuando se realice una de las obras más importantes, la remodelación del Salón de Coronas en época del Renacimiento (1544-1545) y del despacho anexo.

 

Durante el siglo XVII se realizan multitud de transformaciones en la configuración del Palacio, que marcan su impronta hasta el punto de que gran parte de la imagen del mismo procede de esta época. A ella pertenecen las sustituciones de los ventanales góticos por balcones tanto en la fachada exterior como en el Patio de Armas. Igualmente en el Salón de Águilas, se cubrió el artesonado del siglo XV por una rica ornamentación realizada en yeso y madera y rematada en pan de oro. La obra más sobresaliente de esta época es la construcción de la Galería Dorada, una de las joyas del barroco valenciano. Desde que desparecieran los Borja como propietarios del Palacio y éste pasara a manos de otras casas nobiliarias sin residencia en él, el edificio quedó abandonado.

 

Esta fase de ocupación por familias sin recursos devino en un acelerado proceso de ruina hasta el punto de plantearse su derribo. La adquisición por la Compañía de Jesús del inmueble supuso otro hito en la historia de Palacio. En primer lugar por evitar su desaparición y por la importante reforma llevada a cabo, tanto por la consolidación y puesta en valor de los referentes del Santo como por la adecuación al uso como Casa de la Compañía y colegio. En esta intervención se remodeló el trazado de la escalera del patio de Armas y la Sala Carroz y Centelles y de los Estados de Cerdeña, reconstruyendo ventanas a imitación de la correspondiente original de la sala de Coronas.

 

En esta última se realizaron obras de demolición de las compartimentaciones que se habían construido, restaurando el artesonado y sustituyendo las ventanas recayentes al río Serpis por otras de traza neogótica, recomposición de los zócalos de azulejería, etc. Entre 1895 y 1896 se remodela el Despacho del Santo (la actual capilla neogótica), situado junto al Salón de Coronas y posteriormente en 1898 se realiza la intervención de acondicionamiento del Oratorio.

LA FACHADA PRINCIPAL.

Uno de los escasos vestigios que quedan de la primitiva construcción del palacio es la actual portada adovelada de medio punto por la que se accede al zaguán construido en tiempos de Alfonso el Viejo y el cerrojo que la cierra por dentro, que aún conserva perfectamente visibles las barras del escudo real de Aragón en recuerdo de sus antiguos residentes.

 

Los nuevos propietarios, la familia Borja, colocarían en su día sobre esta impresionante portada el escudo de armas en piedra que hoy todavía se conserva, sostenido por dos ángeles y dentro de una pequeña hornacina flanqueada por sendos hombres primitivos de larguísimas barbas. Esta fachada principal es de mampostería recubierta con mortero de cal y arena.

 

PATIO DE ARMAS Y PLANTA BAJA.

Al cruzar la puerta principal se abre ante el visitante el zaguán de entrada, separado del magnífico patio de armas por un impresionante arco escarzano y cubierto por una techumbre de madera decorada con piezas de nácar y hueso. Actualmente en el ala norte del patio, en lo que originariamente fueron las caballerizas del edificio, se encuentra ubicada la iglesia del Sagrado Corazón coronada por una espectacular galería.

 

También se ubica en este espacio de estructura trapezoidal la escalera señorial que da acceso al Salón de Coronas. De todos los ventanales que se abren al patio, únicamente el situado sobre la escalera de honor es original. A este patio de armas recaen las principales dependencias del edificio y, desde la planta baja, se accede a la que fuera antigua armería (actualmente capilla privada de la comunidad) y junto a ésta, el otro pulmón del edificio, el Patio de la Cisterna, conocido también como Patio de las Cañas.

 

ACCESO A LA PLANTA PRIMERA.

Una escalera situada en el ángulo noroeste del patio de armas nos lleva directamente a las estancias nobles. Ya en la primera planta accedemos a la llamada Cámara de la duquesa, donde se ubica la supuesta habitación en la que nació San Francisco de Borja y cuyo elemento decorativo más destacado lo configura un pavimento cerámico con azulejos de finales del siglo XV en azul y blanco de Manises con el motivo del “encadenat”. Las estancias nobles contiguas a esta primera sala son, sucesivamente, el Salón de Águilas, cuyo nombre proviene de los elementos zoomorfos que decoran el friso que recorre todo el perímetro de esta estancia, realizado en yeso y rematado en pan de oro. A continuación, la Sala de los Estados de Cerdeña, en recuerdo de las posesiones de la familia Centelles en esta isla, incorporadas a las de los Borja fruto de la unión del hijo del santo duque, Carlos de Borja, con Magdalena de Centelles, quedando de esta manera anexionado entre otros muchos territorios el condado de Oliva.

Inmediatamente se encuentra la Sala Verde y el Aposento de la Torrecilla, en el que se supone aposento de la duquesa María Enríquez, donde destaca sobremanera uno de los pavimentos más antiguos de todo el palacio formado a base composiciones hexagonales mediante la utilización de azulejos del “alfardó” de principios del siglo XV.

Entre este piso y el superior, a la altura del cielo raso del Salón de Águilas quedaría emplazada la antigua prisión del palacio ducal.

 

DEL SALÓN DE CORONAS A LA SANTA CAPILLA.

Subiendo directamente por la escalera señorial del Patio de Armas se accede al Salón de Coronas, remodelado en tiempos de San Francisco de Borja, concretamente durante los primeros años de su mandato al frente del ducado y cuya denominación se debe al motivo de la doble corona que decora todo el artesonado. Este elemento proviene de la fusión de dos coronas y Alejandro VI lo utilizó como símbolo en su coronación papal y serán ya sus propios hijos los que lo adoptarían como distintivo propio. En el friso superior se conserva el sabio consejo del duque a sus hijos, tomado de las epístolas de San Pablo y que en castellano se traduce: “Corred para comprender que sólo será coronado aquel que pelee según la ley”. La Compañía de Jesús tuvo que reponer gran parte de los azulejos que decoran las paredes de este Salón, pero todavía se conservan en el lado que da al patio parte de los azulejos originales provenientes de los alfares de Triana que recorren el alto zócalo y que están realizados con la técnica de la cuerda seca o arista.

 

Actualmente, la sala se encuentra decorada por ocho sargas y un lienzo obra de Martín Coronas, junto con una pintura de autor desconocido, datada en el siglo XVIII, y que complementa el ciclo de escenas de la vida de Francisco de Borja, cronológicamente ordenadas en el sentido de las agujas del reloj. Presidiendo el salón encontramos el retrato del IV Duque vestido con los hábitos de Caballero de Santiago. El mismo Hermano Coronas que se encargaría de parte de la decoración de este Salón de Coronas, fue el autor de las pinturas que decoran la actual Capilla Neogótica, antaño despacho privado del Santo. De tiempos de San Francisco de Borja y que todavía hoy se puede apreciar en esta sala destaca el crucifijo del santo. Adherida a este despacho se ubica la Santa Capilla, donde el santo practica sus oraciones y disciplinas.

 

Según una leyenda muy extendida, el diablo pretendía distraerlo de sus devociones lanzando piedras a través de una pequeña ventana de alabastro que todavía se conserva junto al altar y la creencia popular asegura que algunas de las manchas de sangre son las gotas de sangre provocadas por las excesivas mortificaciones que se auto infligía el duque con sus penitencias. El recinto es un pequeño oratorio con un techo poligonal que recuerda la forma de un ataúd, en cuyas paredes todavía se conservan las grisallas realizadas por Filippo de San Leocadio (hijo del afamado pintor Paolo de San Leocadio) sobre los misterios del rosario, muy retocadas por el hermano Coronas. El aspecto actual de la techumbre y el pavimento corresponde a una intervención realizada por la Compañía de Jesús.

 

LA GALERÍA DORADA.

La “Obra Nueva” o “Galería Dorada” se encuentra entre las construcciones que más han embellecido y caracterizado el Palacio Ducal y constituye el elemento arquitectónico y artístico más significativo del monumento, siendo un referente excepcional de la arquitectura civil barroca valenciana. El motivo de su realización fue la conmemoración de la canonización de Sant Francesc de Borja a instancias del X Duc de Gandia. Éste mandó edificarla sobre la terraza contigua al patio de la cisterna y se concluyó a principios del siglo XVIII. La edificación está formada por cinco salas continuas separadas por pórticos de madera, decoradas en su totalidad con cartelas, acantos, grutescos y golpes de hojarasca bajo una estructuración bícroma basada en el color blanco en correspondencia con los elementos en relieve dorados.

 

La Galería Dorada recibe precisamente de ahí su nombre, por la profusión de ornamentación dorada sobre los elementos ornamentales en talla de madera que cubren todo el perímetro de las cornisas, los paneles murales divisorios de las estancias y los copetes de las puertas. Se trata de un perfecto trompe l’oeuil arquitectónico que juega con las perspectivas y la luz, creando un clima escenográfico impresionante. De todo el programa decorativo de la Galería destaca el ciclo pictórico de los techos de sus cinco salas que da nombre a cada una de ellas: Sala Heráldica de la Familia Borja, Sala Ornamental, Sala de la Glorificación de Sant Francesc de Borja, Sala de la Sagrada Familia y Sala del Cielo y la Tierra (es en esta última sala donde encontramos el famoso mosaico barroco de los Cuatro elementos). Tanto por su extensión como por la complejidad del programa icónico representado, supone un hito dentro del movimiento del último barroco colorista en tierras valencianas. La tradición ha mantenido al pintor Gaspar de la Huerta Martínez como autor del ciclo pictórico de la Galería Dorada, no obstante, estudios recientes sugieren que en las dos primeras salas podría haber colaborado como ayudante el pintor Esteve Romaguera, pintor de su entorno y también conocido por otros trabajos para la Compañía de Jesús en Valencia. En cuanto a la decoración exterior, cabe destacar fundamentalmente la ornamentación pictórica de las fachadas. Se trata de ornamentación vegetal en los entrepaños entre balcones con cenefas, volutas y apilastrados en colores almagra y gris. El otro punto de atención es el fuerte cromatismo que imprime al conjunto tanto la cobertura de tejas de los balcones como el propio tejado de la sala. Todo ello está resuelto con teja cerámica vidriada, en color azul y blanco en los balcones y en líneas azul-amarillo y blanco-verde alternos en la cubierta. Es quizás éste uno de los aspectos más llamativos del cuerpo de la Galería Dorada.

   

LA HISTORIA Y SUS PERSONAJES

 

La historia de este edificio, todo un símbolo dentro de la arquitectura civil de su tiempo, viene marcada por quienes fueron sus sucesivos propietarios: la Casa de Aragón, la familia Borja, los Condes de Benavente y finalmente la Casa de Osuna. Con la decadencia de ésta última, fue adquirido por la Compañía de Jesús en 1890, quien se encargará de acometer la necesaria restauración del palacio, imprimiendo el carácter de su nuevo uso religioso y cultural y de ensalzar la figura de San Francisco de Borja, cuarto duque de Gandia y tercer general de la Compañía de Jesús.

Historia que comienza en 1239, cuando Jaime I el Conquistador toma el territorio de Bayren. A partir de este momento este territorio pasará a formar parte del patrimonio real de la Corona de Aragón, y la población musulmana, hasta ese momento dispersa en alquerías, será unificada bajo dominio cristiano en diversos núcleos de población, de entre los que destacará la villa de Gandia. No será hasta el año 1323 cuando se convierta en señorio al poner el rey, Jaime II el Justo, la villa de Gandia en manos de su hijo el infante Pere de Ribagorça.

El primer periodo de esplendor de la villa de Gandia y del nuevo palacio coincidirá con la formación del ducado real de Gandia. Así, en 1399 el rey Martín el Humano, con motivo de su coronación, concede el título de duque de Gandia a Alfonso de Aragón, hijo de Pere de Ribagorça y conocido popularmente como Alfonso “el Viejo”. Será esta la primera vez en la historia de la Corona que se conceda el título de duque a un personaje que no es hijo de un rey. Alfonso de Aragón, conde de Denia, marqués de Villena, conde de Ribagorza, duque de Gandia y primer condestable de Castilla, durante su ducado llevará a cabo grandes empresas en la villa de Gandia como la ampliación del Palacio Ducal y de la iglesia de Santa María y fuera de sus muros, como la construcción del monasterio de Sant Jeroni de Cotalba. El palacio del duque se vio en este momento rodeado de toda una corte de artistas, escritores y poetas de entre los que destacan Ausiàs March y Joan Martorell.

Después de un periodo de esplendor bajo el gobierno del segundo duque, Alfons el Vell muere en 1412 y tras la breve sucesión de su hijo Alfons, el ducado regresará a manos de la dinastía real en 1425. Posteriormente, en 1470, Juan II había hipotecado la ciudad a Valencia para conseguir recursos económicos que pudieran financiar el coste de la guerra civil catalana. Con los duques ausentes, la ciudad y su corte entran en decadencia, hecho que coincide con el éxodo de las familias más notables (Los Vic, Vilarig, Marc, Martorell, Roís de Corella, etc) a la ciudad de Valencia, que vivía por aquel entonces su siglo de oro bajo el reinado de Alfonso V el Magnánimo. El territorio del antiguo ducado de Gandia, fragmentado en pequeñas jurisdicciones señoriales, estaba inmerso en un proceso de despoblación y endeudamiento que la creación del nuevo ducado borjiano de Gandia venía a recomponer.

Con la formación del ducado borgiano en 1485, Gandia vivió un largo periodo de esplendor. El interés de Rodrigo de Borja por este pequeño dominio quedaba justificado: la ciudad tenía una gran historia a sus espaldas, que se remonta a la conquista catalanoaragonesa y había un próspero negocio basado en la producción y en el comercio del azúcar. Rodrigo de Borja planificaba así el futuro de sus herederos y los acercaba a la nobleza valenciana, además de reforzar sus lazos con la realeza. Así, Pedro Luís de Borja, barón de Llombai y primogénito de Rodrigo de Borja, el futuro papa Alejandro VI, pagó la suma de 120.000 sueldos al rey para convertirse en el primer duque de Gandia. Tras la muerte de Pedro Luís en 1488, hereda el ducado su hermanastro Juan, quien finalmente contraerá matrimonio con la que había sido prometida de Pedro Luis, María Enríquez. Así, el enlace suponía la unión de la familia Borja con la dinastía castellanoaragonesa. En 1497 es asesinado el duque Juan de Borja. Una nueva etapa para la ciudad y para los Borja se inicia con la regencia de María Enríquez que se prolongará hasta 1511. Con la complicidad de su primo Fernando el Católico, comienza el acercamiento de los Borja gandienses a la corte real, independizándose en cierta medida de los avatares de los Borja en Roma, aunque como es lógico las relaciones entre ambas orillas del Meditarráneo se mantuvieron.

  

Los sucesivos duques de Gandia necesitarán siempre el apoyo de la Corona para mantener sus posesiones, y la Corona los necesitará para pedirles préstamos y encargarles misiones políticas y diplomáticas. Pasó a convertirse en una estrecha relación basada en la fidelidad y el interés mutuo y que convertiría a los duques de Gandia en una de las familias más influyentes de la nobleza española. Con su hijo Juan, tercer duque de Gandia, se retoman los contactos con la corte castellana, colabora militar y económicamente con el emperador Carlos en la guerra de las Germanías, y el territorio del ducado se convierte en campo de batalla: en 1521 es derrotado por el ejército de los agermanados dirigido por Vicent Peris, quien destruye el palacio incluyendo su famoso archivo.

La impronta de San Francisco de Borja en el devenir del ducado viene marcada por tres aspectos trascendentales en la vida del santo duque. Cabe destacar en primer lugar la relevancia de su marcha a la corte, enviado por su padre en febrero de 1528 y, por tanto, aún no cumplidos los 18 años de edad, como exponente de una nueva estrategia familiar. No menos relevante fue su gestión al frente del ducado, que marcará el punto de inflexión entre el periodo de máximo apogeo del mismo y el inicio de la decadencia del ducado (que se acentuará con la expulsión de los moriscos en 1609) y , por último, el decisivo papel que jugó San Francisco de Borja a la hora de reivindicar la memoria histórica de su bisabuelo Alejandro VI por un lado y la actitud de expreso reconocimiento y profundo respeto por otro al verdadero fundador del ducado familiar y, en consecuencia, a quien le debían su gloria él y todos sus sucesores al frente del ducado. A sus cuarenta años y tras la muerte de su esposa Leonor de Castro, Francisco de Borja, abandonando todo cuanto le ligaba a su anterior vida de corte, entró en 1546, bajo la supervisión de San Ignacio de Loyola, en la recién fundada compañía de Jesús, de la que llegará a convertirse en su III General en 1564. Francisco de Borja fallece en Roma el 1572, donde será enterrado. Posteriormente, tras las presiones de la nobleza española, sus restos mortales son trasladados a Madrid, donde descansa actualmente en la iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús. Francisco de Borja es beatificado en 1624 por el papa Urbano VIII y canonizado en 1671 por Clemente X.

En 1740 muere sin hijos Luís Ignacio de Borja, y la heredera será su hermana María Anna de Borja, duquesa de Béjar, quien fallecerá a su vez sin descendencia en 1748. El fin del comercio de la caña de azúcar, principal fuente de ingreso, coincide con el final de la rama principal de la familia. Tras un pleito, el ducado y el título pasarán a Francisco Pimentel y Borja Vigil de Quiñones, décimo conde-duque de Benavente. Al morir en 1834 hereda su descendiente María Josefa Alfonso Pimentel y Borja, casada con Pedro Alcántara Téllez Girón y Pacheco, duque de Osuna. Así, los estados y el título pasarán a la casa de Osuna y es por ello que una gran parte de la documentación sobre el ducado se encuentra actualmente en el archivo de Osuna. Un nieto suyo, Mariano Téllez Girón y Beaufort, duque de Osuna y de Gandia, marqués de Llombai y conde de Oliva, encarga a medidados del siglo XIX, una memoria sobre los estados gandienses de sus antecesores: los Borja.

 

La familia Borja de Gandia fueron testimonio y muchas de las veces auténticos protagonistas de los grandes cambios que definen la Historia Moderna: de la unión dinástica de los reinos hispánicos al absolutismo Borbón y las grandes alianzas europeas; de la conquista de América a los primeros movimientos independentistas; de la expulsión de los judíos a la de los moriscos; del Humanismo y el Erasmismo a la Contrarreforma; de los últimos coletazos del Gótico al Barroco; del siglo de oro de la literatura catalana a la prohibición oficial de la lengua. Esta gran familia perfectamente podría ser el paradigma de la nobleza española a lo largo de tres siglos.

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2013 01 17 - Used by Jessica Gottlieb.

2012 03 02 - Used by Sound Money

 

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In response to the Congressional budget debacle which proved that DC is but a colony -- prone to being singled out unlike any other city in the country -- a number of activists, elected officials, and general citizens came out in force upon the grounds of Capitol Hill.

 

The crowd first formed on the sidewalk, but after some opening remarks by elected officials and activists: they quickly spilled into the street. The Capitol Police had been on hand & I'd thought it amusing that a couple were taking photos & videos... it wasn't until I saw the wristbands come out when I realised these weren't officers enjoying the moment; they were recording evidence.

 

With many minutes of warning, large portions of the group shifted over the sidewalk; whilst a core of dedicated supporters -- including our Mayor, a number of councilmembers, and members of DC Vote -- remained behind to block the roadway. The officers began to surround the group & repeated their warnings to get back on the sidewalk or face arrest.

 

Now in all fairness to the Capitol Police: they were doing their job. They were quite courteous about it & the protest was similarly jubilant right back. One woman was first to be bound, soon followed by several other activists. Then came Muriel Bowser: first councilmember to be arrested.

 

In general, I tend to dislike political grandstanding... but this was different. If our council was being arrested by our own police, I'd think it a cheesy photo op... but now our locally-elected officials were being arrested by the very forces we were out to protest: the Feds. This wasn't a mere photo op arrest; this was actually a legitimate arrest... the kind of thing that goes on your record; the kind of thing you spent a night in jail for.

 

Now granted, I don't expect anyone will be in jail longer than tomorrow; I'd be surprised if any were still locked up by midnight tonight. But it was Councilmember Bowser's arrest which really hit a moment... you could see the look on her face was of some worried concern: someone who had never been arrested before & didn't show up here today expecting to be arrested. As she was placed into the police van: her look of concern changed to a bit more worry. I mean this as no knock against Councilmember Bowser's committment; rather I felt it really help to humanise the entire event. It made me respect her all the more.

 

Yvette Alexander stood right beside us for quite some time, complicated in that she didn't have her ID on her. While it was entertaining to see our top officials being frisked, it was also quite entertaining that our easily-recognisable councilmember needed her ID... prompting a standerby to call one of her staffers with the best introduction I've ever heard over a phone: "Hi, your councilmember has been arrested." Also, kudos to Councilmember Alexander for going to jail in high heels!

 

There is a lot I can complain about with the council in general; and certainly with individual councilmembers & even the mayor. Heck, that's what politicians are for: you're not supposed to always like them. But this was an opportunity to set aside some of those issues (frankly, I'd say DC was glad to have a unifying moment after the past couple weeks) and cheer on our own brothers & sisters as they stood up in support of our rights.

 

It was certainly a proud moment to be a DC resident and a fine boost to our collective esteem after several weeks of turmoil within our local & federal levels of government. It's aggravating that my support for small & local government is inhibited by those in Congress whom advocate small & local government. If I wanted to live in a colony, I'd have moved to Williamsburg.

Brook lies about a quarter mile from the start of Wye Down, I can see it in the spring when I am orchid hunting, but never really thought about what the village was like, or even called.

 

After looking at John Vigar's book, I realised there were a few churches in east Kent I had missed out, and Brook was one. I dd not read up on it, so did not know what to expect. In fact, it seems of similar construction to Brabourne, with a stocky tower, and inside, sadly locked, the tower has a private chapel built into it.

 

But what is obvious is the hole in the north side facing the road. This clearly needed further inspection.

 

You reach the church via a bridge over a stream, presumably after which the village is named, and there is a path leading to the church door, which was unlocked.

 

On closer inspection, the recess in the north wall lead to a door, and inside the church, there was an oval door. This is a hagioscope (or squint), but I have never seen one in the outside wall of a church before.

 

Once home, I did some research, and found out about anchorites, people who decided to leave the cares of the world, lived like hermits attached to a church, with a window into the church so to witness the services.

 

If this wasn't remarkable enough, elsewhere inside the church had been re-ordered in the 1980s so it now resembles a 12th century Norman church, and has a remarkable collection of wall paintings on top of all that.

 

To call it breathtaking would be an understatement.

 

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An anchorite or anchoret (female: anchoress; adj. anchoritic; from Ancient Greek: ἀναχωρητής, anachōrētḗs, "one who has retired from the world",[2][3] from the verb ἀναχωρέω, anachōréō, signifying "to withdraw", "to retire"[4]) is someone who, for religious reasons, withdraws from secular society so as to be able to lead an intensely prayer-oriented, ascetic, and—circumstances permitting—Eucharist-focused life. Whilst anchorites are frequently considered to be a type of religious hermit,[5] unlike hermits they were required to take a vow of stability of place, opting instead for permanent enclosure in cells often attached to churches. Also unlike hermits, anchorites were subject to a religious rite of consecration that closely resembled the funeral rite, following which—theoretically, at least—they would be considered dead to the world, a type of living saint. Anchorites had a certain autonomy, as they did not answer to any ecclesiastical authority other than the bishop.[6]

 

The anchoritic life is one of the earliest forms of Christian monastic living. In the Roman Catholic Church today, it is one of the "Other Forms of Consecrated Life" and governed by the same norms as the consecrated eremitic life.[7] From the 12th to the 16th centuries, female anchorites consistently outnumbered their male equivalents, sometimes by as many as four to one (in the 13th century), dropping eventually to two to one (in the 15th century). The gender of a high number of anchorites, however, is not recorded for these periods.

 

The anchoritic life became widespread during the early and high Middle Ages.[9] Examples of the dwellings of anchorites and anchoresses survive. A large number of these are in England. They tended to be a simple cell (also called anchorhold), built against one of the walls of the local village church.[10] In the Germanic lands, from at least the 10th century, it was customary for the bishop to say the office of the dead as the anchorite entered his cell, to signify the anchorite's death to the world and rebirth to a spiritual life of solitary communion with God and the angels. Sometimes, if the anchorite were walled up inside the cell, the bishop would put his seal upon the wall to stamp it with his authority. Some anchorites, however, freely moved between their cell and the adjoining church.[11]

 

Most anchoritic strongholds were small, perhaps no more than 12 to 15 ft (3.7 to 4.6 m) square, with three windows. Viewing the altar, hearing Mass, and receiving Holy Communion was possible through one small, shuttered window in the common wall facing the sanctuary, called a "hagioscope" or "squint". Anchorites would also provide spiritual advice and counsel to visitors through this window, as the anchorites gained a reputation for wisdom.[12] Another small window would allow access to those who saw to the anchorite's physical needs, such as food and other necessities. A third window, often facing the street, but covered with translucent cloth, would allow light into the cell.[6]

 

Anchorites were supposed to remain in their cell in all eventualities. Some were even burned in their cells, which they refused to leave even when pirates or other attackers were looting and burning their towns.[13] They ate frugal meals, spending their days both in contemplative prayer and interceding on behalf of others. Anchorites' bodily waste was managed by means of a chamber pot.[14]

 

In addition to being the crucial physical location wherein the anchorite could embark on the journey towards union with God and the culmination of spiritual perfection, the anchorhold also provided a spiritual and geographic focus for many of those people from the wider society who came to ask for advice and spiritual guidance. It is clear that, although set apart from the community at large by stone walls and specific spiritual precepts, the anchorite also lay at the very centre of that same community. The anchorhold was clearly also a communal 'womb' from which would emerge an idealized sense of a community's own reborn potential, both as Christians and as human subjects.[8]

 

An idea of their daily routine can be gleaned from an anchoritic Rule. The most widely known today is the early 13th century text known as Ancrene Wisse.[15] Another, less widely known, example is the rule known as De Institutione Inclusarum written in the 12th century, around 1160–62, by Aelred of Rievaulx for his sister.[16] It is estimated that the daily set devotions detailed in Ancrene Wisse would take some four hours, on top of which anchoresses would listen to services in the church, and engage in their own private prayers and devotional reading.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchorite

 

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Since its re-ordering in 1986 Brook church has shown the visitor what a church interior might have looked like in the twelfth century. The chancel is empty except for the medieval stone altar, discovered a few years ago in the churchyard, and now set on two ragstone pillars. The church is large, for throughout the medieval period it belonged to Christ Church, Canterbury. There is much Norman work to be seen, including the three-stage west tower which contains a purpose-built chapel or `westwerk`. The church has a comprehensive series of thirteenth-century wall paintings, overlain by some fourteenth- and seventeenth-century murals, although the early paintings are not as well preserved as in some other churches. In the north wall of the chancel is a small almond-shaped hagioscope to the exterior. It may have connected to an anchorite's cell, but is more likely to have been associated with the exposition of a relic on the high altar. It is certainly not a low side window as the tower bell would have been used for this purpose.

 

www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Brook

 

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LIES the next parish southward from Wye. It is written in antient records both Broc and Broke, and takes its name from its low situation on the stream which runs through it, baroca in Saxon signifying a rivulet. It seems once to have been accounted a hundred of itself; but at the time of taking the survey of Domesday, in the year 1080, it was reputed to be in the hundred of Wye, as it is now.

 

The parish is very small, and is but little known, lying out of the way of all traffic and throughfare. It is not more than a mile across each way, and has in it about twenty houses. It lies very low and wet, in a deep miry soil. There is some coppice wood in the southern part of it, about forty-three acres, of which twenty-eighty belong to the dean and chapter of Canterbury. The village is nearly in the centre of the parish, having the church at the north end of it. There is a small hamlet, called Little Bedleston, consisting of only two houses, in the eastern part of the parish, close under the high ridge of hills called Braborne-downs, to the foot of which this parish extends eastward.

 

BROOKE was given, long before the conquest, by Karlemann, a priest, to the church of Canterbury; but it was wrested from the church in the troublesome times which soon after followed, by reason of the Danish wars, and it continued in lay hands at the accession of the Conqueror; soon after which it appears to have been in the possession of Hugh de Montfort, from whom archbishop Lanfranc recovered Brooke again to his church in the solemn assembly of the whole county, held on this occassion by the king's command, at Pinenden-heath in 1076; and then on the division which the archbishop made of the lands of his church, this manor was allotted by him, among others, to the share of the priory of Christ-church, Canterbury; accordingly it is thus entered among the possessions of it, in the survey of Domesday, under the general title of Terra Monachorum Archiepi, i. e. lands of the monks of the archbishops;

 

In the hundred of Wi, the archbishop himself holds one manor, which was taxed at one suling, in the time of king Edward the Confessor, and now, for half a suling. The arable land is two carucates. In demesne there is one, and three villeins, with four borderers having two carucates and an half. There is a church, and one mill of two shillings, and two servants, and seven acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of ten hogs. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, it was worth fifty shillings, now four pounds.

 

This manor was soon after this let to farm, by the monks, to Robert de Rumene, at the above rent, and was allotted de cibo eorum, that is, to the use of their refectory; and the possession of it was confirmed to them both by king Henry I. and II. (fn. 1) King Edward II. in his 10th year, granted to the prior and convent free warren in all their demesne lands in Broke, among other places which they were in possession of at the time of the charter of liberties granted to them by his grandfather Henry III. about which time this manor was valued at 22l. 1s. 10d. In which state it afterwards continued till the dissolution of the priory of Christchurch in the 31st year of Henry VIII. when it came into the king's hands, where it did not remain long, for the king settled it by his dotation-charter, in his 33d year, on his new-erected dean and chapter of Canterbury, part of whose possessions it still remains.

 

The demesne lands have been constantly let by the dean and chapter on a beneficial lease, at the yearly rent of 13l. 6s. 8d. in money, and four quarters of wheat. The present lessee is Mr. John Berry, of Newbery, Berkshire; but the manerial rights they retain in their own hands.

 

A court baron is regularly held for this manor. There are no parochial charities.

 

BROOKE is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Bridge. The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, is but small, consisting of one isle and a chancel, with a low square tower at the west end, in which are two bells. There are no memorials of any account in it.

 

The church of Brooke has always been accounted an appendage to the manor, and as such passed with it from the priory of Christ-church into the hands of the crown, and from thence to the dean and chapter of Canterbury, who are the present patrons of it. The woods belonging to the dean and chapter here, claim an exemption from paying tithes.

 

¶This rectory is valued in the king's books at 7l. 7s. 3d. and is of the clear yearly certified value of thirty pounds. In 1588 it was valued at thirty pounds. Communicants ninety-two. In 1640 at sixty pounds. Communicants sixty. There are now only ten communicants. In 1724 it was augmented with the sum of 200l. given by the governors of queen Anne's bounty, on the gift of 100l. from the dean and chapter of Canterbury, and the like sum from Dr. Godolphin, dean of St. Paul's; with which there was purchased a piece of land, containing nine acres, called Great Chequer field, adjoining to the town of Wye.

 

www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol7/pp381-384

Yogi Bear Sunday School

coming to Clason Point, Bronx

4:30pm Nov. 20th , 2009.

 

FACTS:

 

- No permit displayed, no permission

- No attempt to get parental consent

- Giving food items to children without parental consent

- Using candy to manipulate children to chant "amen" and to pray

- blasting loud rap music from a PA system and luring children to come out of their homes

- Luring them with a wall of toys they never were able to touch

- Did not give any information to parents or children on what church they were affiliated with, contact information or how to participate in any program

- Did not even teach any stories from the bible, only a parable about a duck and God and encouraged chanting

 

These people lied and said they have come to Clason Point for over 30 years. A resident who has been here for over 30 years has never heard of them.

 

This group wore t shirts that said Metro Ministries. If they are a part of this organization, they never disclosed or gave parents information

www.metroministries.org.

 

If any black adults went into a community in, for example, Park Slope, and preached to local children out of a truck and lured them with candy, they would be arrested.

 

Yogi Bear Sunday School didn't teach these kids anything except that approaching a strange truck and taking candy is OK.

 

You don't need candy to teach children about the Lord and it is unsafe to come into a community without parental consent and give out candy and lure children with toys.

The one-year-old calf of right whale Catalog #3546 ‘Halo’ was sighted just outside Ponce Inlet, FL on March 11, 2021. This yearling was spotted near St. Augustine on March 10 and moved quickly down the coast overnight!

 

Photo credit: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, NOAA permit #20556-01

 

A new high-end fashion boutique soon to open in the West Loop

 

Maria Pinto and Michelle Obama

Uma intensa meditação sobre a concha, não se permite seguir as seduções das belezas exteriores, que, em geral, incomodam a meditação da intimidade. Voltando-se para o íntimo, percebe-se na concha-casa um verdadeiro tesouro potencial de devaneios. Vazia, a concha se torna o refúgio de todos os devaneios. Inabitada, a casa sugere mundos de imaginação.

Ora, o habitante da concha espanta. Contrapondo-se à constituição de sua casa, rígida, segura, sólida, o molusco, por sua vez, ordena-se na fragilidade de uma existência perene; é um ser vulnerável, dependente da casa como fonte de sua segurança. Aceitando pequenos espantos como esses – um ser frágil habitando o interior de uma concha-castelo – autorizamos nos espantar em outros níveis, agora mais intensos.

Reduzindo-se à interioridade de uma concha, voltamo-nos para o interior de uma casa onírica, onde todas as possibilidades coexistem unidas; prontas para serem liberadas ao sabor de nossa imaginação. Nisso, torna-se a concha o lócus donde brota a realidade, sendo que essa, por sua vez, nasce do irreal. Não se sabe o que pode sair do interior da casa. Como resguardo de toda a força vital de seu habitante, a concha se torna, simultaneamente, a garantia e a gênese de sua existência.

Diante disso, dois verbos parecem ser fundamentais, a saber: entrar e sair. A princípio, apresentamos a proposta de um adentrar ou entrar no interior da concha, para dali proferirmos o discurso.

Na concha, o molusco pode tanto sair quanto entrar, na medida de suas necessidades. Não significa, pois, uma prisão donde não se possa sair. Trata-se de um ser libertado, mas que possui na casa sua referência de proteção. Também nós, como o molusco, somos projetados para dentro e para fora de nossa casa. “O complexo de medo e de curiosidade que acompanha toda primeira ação sobre o mundo”, torna-se, ao mesmo tempo, nosso propulsor e nosso resguardante em nossa relação com o próprio mundo. Muitas vezes, “queríamos ver e temos medo de ver.”

Ora, na quietude da concha, o ser prepara sua saída. “O ser que se esconde, o ser que entra na concha, prepara uma saída.” (Ibidem. p. 182) Diante disso, encontramos um ensinamento grandioso. A figura da casa é a que melhor pode ilustrar o processo de construção de nossa condição de seres projetados para o mundo. Para nos compormos, nos recolhemos no interior da concha-casa. Diante de um perigo, nos abrigamos no regaço de sua proteção. Contudo, não se trata de um vão refugiar-se, desprovido da capacidade de sair. Uma vez protegidos, resguardados e sanados, estamos propensos ao lançar-se rumo à exterioridade. A figura do recolher-se na concha torna-se semelhante à do ninho, que num primeiro momento se ocupa com o cuidar e proteger dos filhotes, dando-lhes a posterior garantia para sua independência.

O interessante em notar é que, ao contrário de nossa casa, a concha do caracol é um tipo de casa que se adéqua ao seu morador. Não é o habitante que deve se adequar à casa. A concha-casa cresce na mesma medida que seu hóspede. Na medida em que crescem nossas experiências oníricas, cresce também o espaço de nossa casa interior. Tal crescimento chega ao ponto de encontrarmos, dentro da concha, um vasto mundo interior, distinto daquele que o espera do lado de fora. Nessa interioridade, somos formados e projetados para o mundo.

Como percebemos, “os caracóis constroem uma pequena casa que carregam consigo. Assim, o caracol está sempre em casa seja qual for a terra para onde viaje.” Também nós temos a necessidade de estar sempre em casa, mesmo que em terras estrangeiras. Tomar posse de nossa interioridade significa estar sempre em casa. O caracol sempre tem sua casa consigo; sempre encontra um meio para nela se retrair. A figura da concha como referência ao voltar-se para dentro, atua em nós como alusão à nossa própria interioridade.

 

BACHELARD, Gaston. A Poética do espaço. Tradução de Remberto Francisco Kuhnen, Antônio da Costa Leal, Lídia do Valle Santos Leal. – São Paulo: Nova Cultural, 1988. – (Coleção Os Pensadores)

   

Photographer: Rachael Piorko

Shot for article by Kelsey Kushner

 

PHOTO FOR SPOON UNIVERSITY. USE OF THIS PHOTO ONLY PERMITTED BY THOSE AFFILIATED WITH SPOON UNIVERSITY.

According to building permits, contractor John C. Davis designed the Swiss Chalet style home for Marian Austin in 1937. The 3-bedroom, 2-bath home in 1850 sq. ft. is currently (November 2016) on the market listed for sale for $1M. and described in the listing as " designed by a Hollywood set designer for a woman from Switzerland, this Swiss Chalet stands the test of time, bringing a vision of the past to the present. Beautiful craftsmanship and details, the home is set back against the hillside; peg and groove wood floors, stained glass windows, anchored by a wood burning fireplace. exterior features include lush garden, deck on upper terrace and swimming pool".

 

Located at 1427 Andenes Drive in the Verdugo Woodlands neighborhood of Glendale, California. Please do not use this image in any media without my permission. © All rights reserved.

The Ashmolean Museum is Britain's oldest public museum has one of the finest collections of paintings and antiquities outside of London. Hand-held photography is permitted in many of its galleries, these photos are what I've come up with. This is entirely a collection of objects and paintings that somehow caught my attention, it is not intended to be systematic in any way although I have arranged the photos so as to make a pleasing slide-show. All were taken at a high ISO and are therefore not quite as sharp as I'd do if I had studio light conditions.

 

I hope this set gives people who do not have access to this wonderful museum a taste of some of its riches and its variety.

 

Ashmolean Official Web Site

 

I'll attempt to tag images bit by bit, I am human and therefore may make mistakes in attribution and sometimes find my notes illegible or non-existent! Forgive me, but do enjoy these pictures. Detailed sizes and historical information can be accessed through the official web site.

 

The museum has now re-opened and has expanded, I hope to cover some of the new aspects of the collection in this set.

Supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Ashmolean is currently undergoing a £61 million redevelopment. Award-winning architect Rick Mather has designed a new building to replace all but the Grade I listed Cockerell building. His design will double the existing gallery space, allow environmental control, and create a dedicated Education Centre and conservation facilities.

The New Ashmolean

These days I continued to make photographic hay while the permit sun is shining since additional Covid-19 lockdowns seem to be looming. The target for last weekend was the R Pond complex starting south of Bedwell Bayfront Park in Menlo Park and continuing down to the Facebook Headquarters. This set of fallow salt ponds has always presented photographically interesting colors and textures – testimony to residual salt dating back to their production days. However, change is coming as the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project has construction underway in the area.

 

Sometime next year, Salt Pond R4 should be once again connected to the tides and this will start its slow transformation back into marshland. R4’s neighbor, Salt Pond R3 will be managed to provide a dry, exposed pond suitable for Snowy Plover habitat. These two ponds were once separated by a brine distribution canal. Construction is currently underway to fill that canal thus creating an impressively wide levee with a shallow slope facing R4.

 

The weather made this photo session doubly challenging due to an overcast sky and highly variable winds. After hiking out to the R3/R4 levee, I found myself in a dead calm. When the wind began to stir out of the north I was able to launch my 8.5-foot, lightweight Rokkaku and this marvel was able to lift the Canon M3 cradle in an almost imperceptible wind. Unfortunately, the wind continued to build and the 8.5-foot kite was considerably overpowered about 20 minutes into the photo session. The phrase “pulling like a mule” comes to mind as in these conditions the principal concern is kite spar failure, which might strand my camera gear somewhere downwind. So, I swapped out for the 7.5-foot Rokkaku at the southern end of the levee which, of course, prompted slack wind from the breeze gods. The answer here was waiting patiently for 15 minutes anticipating the return of the breeze. When it returned, I continued the photo session and by the time I walked back to the northern end of the levee the 7.5-foot kite was overpowered. Again the mule.

 

In terms of light, it was a predominantly overcast day with generous hints of smoke due to an inversion layer. Now and then, the sun would peek through a gap in the clouds and this was delightful. But, for the large part it was a hazy, sober light. I look forward to reshooting on a brighter day.

 

I am taking these documentary photographs under a Special Use Permit from the Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge. Kite flying is prohibited over the Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge without a Special Use Permit.

 

Nesta sexta-feira, 03/03, subitamente, recebemos a inusitada e agradável visita do Sr. Diretor Rommel, em meio à aula de matemática do prof. Davis. Como sempre, minha inabilidade e inexperiência no aspecto social, não me permitiram um melhor diálogo, no breve instante em que este renomado ícone da escola me cumprimentou.

 

É como se estivesse defronte à uma celebridade do meio intelectual, tal como me encontrasse em uma palestra do Bill Gates, e este me saudasse com um simples "Olá, como vai?". :)

 

Pois bem, vamos lá! Considerando-se minhas exposições de grande estima acima, instantes antes da explanação do diretor, deu-se início a um murmurinho relacionado à curiosidade de quem seria o "indivíduo desconhecido" (WHAATT?) que estava a tomar a atenção de todos. Diante da simpática indagação do Sr. Rommel, de quem do grupo o conhecia, cerca de pouco menos da metade havia identificado o nobre diretor, que também é professor de física e matemática, na unidade de Lourdes. Bueno, me encontrei oprimido por uma curta transição de tempo, cuja ideia pode ser ilustrada assim: "GENTE, vocês conhecem o iPad, iPhone, iPod e alguns até o vovô do Macintosh, MAS não sabem quem é o Steve Jobs?". "Esse é o CARA VISIONÁRIO que fez a xxxxx da escola que vocês estão estudando! (perdoem-me o desrespeito e a pressuposta palavra de baixo calão...! É somente para ilustrar! :))" Rs, rs, rs!

 

E enfatizo com propriedade! Enquanto algumas instituições chegam a ser centenárias, o Bernoulli tem um décimo do tempo de existência, no entanto, com representativos resultados que superam a marca das históricas e tradicionais escolas, não apenas no âmbito estadual, como também em escala nacional. E isso é INCRÍVEL demais!

 

A formal dissertação do ilustre diretor foi, na verdade, um breve papo amigável sobre a prioritária importância referente à revisão de nossos valores acadêmicos, em paralelo à ênfase na transformação de derivados de nossa ética padrão e rotineira, tal como a dedicação, o esforço, a objetivação de metas e, obviamente, a confiança humana neste rico patrimônio.

 

Acredito que seu maior e incontestável triunfo, não é o fim, ou seja conseguir construir a escola. Mas, certamente, o bem mais valioso foi a sua JORNADA! Com breves nuances, que lembram o famoso educador Mário Cortella, a honrada história do Sr. Rommel faz recordar-me, em muitas partes, da trajetória percorrida pela estimada prof. Allana, coordenadora e prof. de português, cuja referência realizei em postagem anterior. As adversidades do destino enquanto criança, o confronto com a realidade da sobrevivência, o estudo em escola pública, na E. E. Conselheiro Afonso Pena, em Betim, e a partir de tamanha dedicação e persistência, os frutos colhidos dos incontáveis momentos de suor e lágrimas, durante a longa jornada do guru.

 

Em seu breve coaching, finalizou com Chave de Ouro utilizando-se de uma expressão peculiar: "Quero que vocês tornem-se ADULTOS BOBOS (que mantenham a pureza de criança, quando no futuro, como adultos...)". Essa é a essência da escola, a LIBERDADE proporcionada pela instituição.

 

"'Liberdade' é você permitir-se continuar sendo você mesmo, em todos os seus valores, e, como brinde, conseguir aprender como desfrutar desta liberdade para o seu futuro. Simples assim!", lembram-se?!! :)

 

p.s.: há alguns anos, achava que a Lemniscata de Bernoulli (símbolo da escola), por ser associada ao símbolo do infinito, era um elemento sem tanta importância pois lembrava-me, ignorantemente, de uma mera figura onde a partir de um ponto, seguiria-se indefinidamente em frente, mas retornaria-se ao mesmo lugar de partida. Ou seja, você andaria, andaria e não chegaria a lugar nenhum... Mas, a arte da matemática possibilitou-me enxergar a incrível beleza da Lemniscata, cuja curva geométrica é ostentada por equações e funções elípticas, que correlacionadas formam o nosso conhecido brasão. Então, minha teoria quando "ADULTO BOBO" virar, será esta: o símbolo do Bernoulli não poderia ser melhor, pois ele faz alusão a um tradicional provérbio nipônico: "Várias são as pessoas. Várias são as jornadas. E todos, sempre voltarão para a sua CASA!"

 

Uma vez Bernoulli, sempre Bernoulli!!! :)

 

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. Breve biografia do Sr. Diretor Rommel:

 

A história dos irmãos Rommel e Rodrigo, de 41 anos, é a história do Bernoulli, que tem um terceiro sócio, o amigo baiano que fizeram ao cursar o Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica (ITA): Paulo Ribeiro. A história de Rommel com a educação, por sua vez, vem desde quando ele entrou para a escola e, principalmente, de quando transformou o ensinar no sustento da família. Rommel é um trabalhador precoce. Dos 7 aos 11 foi feirante em Vila Velha, para onde a família belo-horizontina se mudou. Quando tinha 12 anos, a família voltou para Minas: foi morar na região industrial de Betim. Atendente em uma mercearia, foi convidado por um freguês a trabalhar no jogo do bicho assim que perdeu o emprego no comércio, por causa de uma recessão. No ano seguinte, a escola o indicou, por ser dos melhores alunos, para uma vaga de menor aprendiz no Banco do Brasil.

 

Rommel trabalhava pela manhã e estudava à noite, mas, acostumado a muita responsabilidade e dedicação, logo inventou um jeito de levar mais dinheiro para casa. Junto com o irmão, passou a dar aulas particulares na cidade, onde chegou a ter 500 alunos. Ele não sabia, mas começava ali o seu negócio. A visão de empreendedor também. Foi dele a ideia de transferir a família para perto do trabalho. Tinha apenas 16 anos, mas conseguiu, sozinho, alugar um imóvel em seu nome. O gasto seria maior, mas perto do banco e da escola, e não mais dependente de ônibus, teria mais tempo para dar aulas de química, física, matemática e português. A dedicação à escola sempre foi uma prioridade. "Sugava tudo o que era ensinado. Assim que comecei com as particulares, percebi que ser destaque na escola me tornaria um professor, e assim teria uma renda ainda maior que a do banco. Nesse formato eu ajudava minha família, ganhava conhecimento e me preparava para o vestibular."

 

Foi um pulo para uma vaga no concorridíssimo curso de engenharia mecânica-aeronáutica no ITA. Em São José dos Campos (SP), Rommel e Rodrigo chegaram aos cursinhos pré-vestibulares. Já formados e pouco depois de terem voltado a BH, era natural que seguissem lecionando. Rodrigo largou um emprego na P&G e Rommel deixou a farda e o posto de tenente-engenheiro no Parque Aeronáutico de Lagoa Santa. Já tinham um capital pequeno, mas suficiente para abrir um cursinho especializado em preparar alunos para o Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica. Em 2000 os dois se revezavam nas duas turmas, uma preparatória para o ITA e a outra para a UFMG. "O início foi cheio de restrições, como em qualquer empresa nova, principalmente porque tínhamos um capital pequeno para alavancar o negócio. Nós nos agarramos ao nosso diferencial: o amor aos estudos e a responsabilidade com o conhecimento", lembra.

 

Essa essência permeia o Grupo Bernoulli, que com esse nome presta uma homenagem a uma família suíça que se destacou na matemática e na física, tal como os Fernandes Domingos. O símbolo do infinito que compõe a marca é a curva equacionada resolvida por um dos Bernoullis, estudada durante a graduação. "Nós a remetemos às infinitas possibilidades que a educação permite a uma pessoa. Ao fundar uma escola, não perdemos de vista aqueles alunos responsáveis que éramos. Não seria uma escola para qualquer pessoa, e sim para aqueles alunos que fazem a tarefa, chegam no horário. Queríamos ser uma escola sem as dificuldades das escolas que cursamos. Principalmente, queríamos ver o estudo alavancar a vida desses alunos e os transformar na sociedade, assim como ocorreu com a gente", afirma. A olhar pelos números, os irmãos professores e empreendedores aprenderam tudo direitinho.

 

. Link do contexto original:

webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:RlN6eaogO64...

That's Rocky on the left. He runs the store which doesn't seem to sell much expect for soft drinks. The woman on the left is the Inyo County mine inspector. She's in town with a fellow who's trying to permit a mine way up Pleasant Canyon.

 

This photo appeared in the following ideotrope albums:

 

Biking the Mojave Fall 2007 - Introduction

I biked through Death Valley in October 1996. It was 109°F at Furnace Creek. The area is beautiful, but it was way too hot at that time of year. I knew I wanted to come back on my bicycle when it was cooler. This year it worked out to take about 3 weeks after Thanksgiving. I ended up spending 18 days to cycle from Palm Springs to Las Vegas. I spent about half of that time in Death Valley NP. In Baker I met a group of cyclists on racing bikes with a support vehicle. They were cycling from Palm Springs to Las Vegas in 2 days. I saw a lot more desert than they did.

Coachella Valley and Joshua Tree National Park

I crossed the Coachella Valley on Ramon Rd. It was over 70°F, probably the warmest day of the trip. It wasn't 'til I turned onto Thousand Palms Rd. that I felt like I was heading out into the desert on my own. The San Andreas Fault system runs along the northern end of the Coachella Valley. The faults allow groundwater to rise to the surface resulting in a number of California fan palm oases. It's wonderful to see oases in the desert.

It was a 1300m climb on Berdoo Canyon Rd. to the Coachella Valley-Pleasant Valley saddle in Joshua Tree NP. I didn't see a single person or vehicle in Berdoo Canyon. Climbing out of Pleasant Valley I saw the first person, a fellow adventurer. Patrick was walking solo across Joshua Tree NP from west to east. That's a heck of a trek. That park is huge and has only one known spring. Patrick had set up two water caches before his trip.

Amboy Road and Mojave National Preserve

I bought enough food in 29 Palms to last 4 days to Baker. Heading east on the Amboy Rd. I met the only other touring cyclist of the trip. He had come down from Bishop through Death Valley NP, Baker, Kelso, Amboy - much the same route I was planning to take. When I met him, he had run out of food. I shared some almonds with him but didn't have much sympathy with his plight. The reason he didn't buy food in Baker was because there wasn't a health food store! Well, I told him there was a grocery store in 29 Palms, but it might not be up to his standard.

One of the things I was looking forward to on this trip was experiencing the transition zone between the Sonoran Desert (lower, farther south) and the Mojave Desert (higher, farther north). Creosote bushes grow in both, but most other flora is limited to one ecosystem or the other. In the transition zones you can see a mix of vegetation. What I saw ended up being less dramatic than Washington County, Utah where the Colorado Plateau, the Basin and Range country, and the Mojave Desert all come together. Joshua Trees were the main ecosystem indicator for me. I knew I was climbing high when I started to see them.

I was surprised how much traffic there was on the Amboy Rd. It wasn't much, but a lot of the paved roads that I was on during the trip would have one car every 10-30 minutes and perhaps none all night. The only truly busy roads were the road north out of Baker (on a Saturday morning) and the Pahrump-Las Vegas superhighway which has a wonderful bicycle lane.

I climbed Sheep Hole Pass to get into the Amboy Valley. It was in the Amboy Valley where I became accustomed two aspects important to cyclists in the Mojave:

Distances are deceiving. You can see really far. It takes much longer to cross these valleys that it appears that it would.

The slight inclines up alluvial fans or other fill climb a lot more than they appear to. In Colorado I'm not accustomed to seeing the whole climb since there are usually canyon climbs here. Leaving Amboy, for example, I climbed over 3000 ft. on a slowly rising alluvial plane. It took hours.

I enjoyed time off the bike to walk out to and up Amboy Crater. The following day I climbed to the top of the Kelso Dunes. And one day later I climbed one of the cinder cones east of Baker. I enjoyed having a diversion each day. Each of those areas is beautiful in its own way. The creosote bushes in the Amboy Valley are particularly green because of the shallow water table. Kelso Dunes are simply fantastic, and the cinder cone area with over 30 cinder cones and not another person felt like another planet.

In Baker I bought enough food to last 10 days and ate at the Mad Greek at my brother's recommendation. I had taken a rest day the previous day because of rain, and Baker was a bit flooded. Folks were out pushing water around with brooms. At the store the locals were telling each other how much their roofs leaked.

Death Valley National Park

Heading north of Baker the saddle that separates the Silurian Valley from Death Valley is only about a 50' climb. From there I left the pavement and stopped at Saratoga Springs to see the incredible wetlands in the desert. I had planned on climbing the Ibex Dunes, but wind was blowing sand off the top of the dunes and everything was still a bit wet from the rain. The following day I reached the pavement, took it for 5 miles and then headed west up Warm Springs Canyon.

The 1400m climb up Warm Springs Canyon was not the longest of the trip, but it was the toughest. The climb started out hard from below sea level in Death Valley and continued to be hard all the way to the saddle leading into Butte Valley. I struggled in my easiest gear (which is really low) the whole way. Surprisingly I walked very little. It always seemed to be just slightly easier to pedal than to walk.

Butte Valley felt remote. The views to the east were phenomenal giving Greater View Spring its name. I could see range after range. I stopped at Stella Anderson's place and cut some chicken wire to repair my glasses. The rattling had loosened a screw which I couldn't find. It was important to get a good fix since I wore those glasses a lot riding in the early morning and late afternoon. I found I had about 10 hours of light to ride in with perhaps 45 minutes of twilight on either end to mess around in camp. The sun was theoretically up for 8 or 9 hours, but it was often a lot less than that in the canyons. My repair job worked well, and I didn't even strip the threads so the glasses are good as new again :)

Mengel Pass is rough and keeps too many people from taking this route between Death Valley and Panamint Valley. Down in Goler Wash I met Rock(y), one of two residents of Ballarat. His father is the other. Rocky was poking around Goler Wash with his girlfriend who was visiting from LA. He had worked with various mining operations in the area, and I enjoyed his stories. It was also fun to talk with his Isreali girlfriend. We compared this desert with the eastern Mediterranean desert where I have also cycled.

In Ballarat the following day I talked with Rocky some more, but the girlfriend had already returned to LA. There are a surprising number of springs on the west side of the Panamints (due to faults, I'm sure) and a surprising number of fighter jets playing overhead. I scared a coyote into some bushes near a spring and then was scared myself by the jet passing just overhead. Once the quiet returned I could hear the coyotes, packs of them, howling and yipping in the bushes. The yipping made it sound like there were a lot of youngsters. Fun to hear the bushes make such unusual noises.

Hunter Mountain to Racetrack Playa

I was pretty tired this day and finally made it to Panamint Springs where I had planned to get water. There's a store as well, but they really only have candy bars. The restaurant, however, was able to sell me some bread and cheese. I bought a veggie burger for lunch as well. That rejuvenated me enough to climb about half of the 1100m paved climb that afternoon.

I was lucky that the following day was stunningly warm since I climbed to over 7000 ft. The 1100m paved climb was followed by 600m of climbing on a dirt road. I'm sure it ended up being more than that since there were a number of descents thrown in as well. To give an idea of the terrain the only two flat places I went through that day were named: Lee Flat and Ulida Flat! Lee Flat was filled with the most Joshua trees I've ever seen in one place. I camped in Ulida Flat next to one of the only Joshua trees out there.

I made it over Hunter Mountain, through Hidden Valley, down Lost Burro Gap, and arrived at Teakettle Junction with enough water to be able to make the ~16 mile detour to Racetrack Playa. Of course I'd seen photos of the moving rocks at Racetrack Playa, but I was absolutely blown away being at the site in person. It's not simply the amazement of seeing the evidence of the moving rocks and all the different directions and shapes of the tracks, but also how well preserved the area is. It wouldn't take too many people moving rocks from the tracks, driving on the playa, or walking out there when the surface is wet to really ruin the magic of the place. Additionally Racetrack Playa is so big and so flat. The flat playa blends in in the distance with the hills miles away. I loved this place. I was lucky enough to be there when I was. The rain from 5 days earlier had completely dried out, and it rained some more just 10 hours after I was there.

I recovered my stashed gear and water at Teakettle Junction and headed uphill into a cold, stiff wind climbing out of Racetrack Valley. By this point in the trip I had started to associate Joshua trees with cold weather. At the saddle in the twilight I made it my goal to descend far enough down to get away from the Joshua trees and perhaps into warmer weather. It was practically dark by the time I got off my bike, but I succeeded! It sprinkled off and on all night, but I was dry and fairly warm.

Through the bottom of Death Valley

The downhill continued all the way to the pavement at Ubehebe Crater, but I had to push the bike a bit once I got to the lava/cinder area. The black sand of the roadbed was much finer and deeper than the surface of most of the descent. Getting to Ubehebe concluded what I had planned for this trip. The only thing left was to get to Las Vegas. Berdoo Canyon, Mengel Pass, and Hunter Mountain had all been hard excursions, but each took about a day less than I had (conservatively) expected. I had time to make it a pleasant, easy ride to Vegas. I hiked around Ubehebe Crater and relaxed in the wind at the parking lot. Only two cars plus a ranger came by during the ~3 hours I was there. Each car stopped, the occupants got out, took a couple photos, and were driving away less than 2 minutes later. Incredible! This place is the middle of nowhere. I couldn't understand why anyone would drive so far and spend so little time. It turns out though that Ubehebe is only a 10 mile detour from the Scotty's Castle road.

I didn't make much distance this day even though it was flat and I had a tailwind after Ubehebe. I camped illegally near the paved road but was careful to avoid washes since I could tell it was going to storm. Storm it did. The wind bent my tent sideways, and rain poured down for hours. Death Valley received about a third of their annual average rainfall in this ~6 hour period. It was December 7, and it rained almost as much as it had from January 1 to December 6. The nice flat sandy spot I had chosen for my tent was just a bit lower than the surrounding area. The whole area was really quite flat, but the soil there can't absorb water very quickly. In the middle of the night I found my tent sitting in an inch or so of water. Only my thermarest was above it. I moved the tent in the pouring rain, but it was too late. Most of my stuff was pretty wet. Both pairs of socks and the bottom of my down bag were soaked. I wrapped my feet in a wool scarf like a Ace bandage and tried to get some sleep.

I was up early in the morning. I had managed to keep my down coat fairly dry so I put that over my damp clothes to ride away in the morning. Tons of rocks up to the size of softballs had poured across the 2-lane paved highway out of washes that were only a foot or two wide. It had snowed down to 4000'. In every direction were snow-covered peaks. I was so lucky to be down low, near pavement. The dirt roads that I had spent much of the last week on were probably impassable that morning. Ulida Flat where I had camped two nights earlier was probably covered in snow. I was able to keep warm biking in my down coat, but I was down at sea level, the warmest place around!

The sun came out. Everything warmed up. The views were phenomenal. In spite of the damp clothes it was a fantastic day to be cycling. At Furnace Creek I was directed to the sunny employee picnic area where I pulled everything out of my bags and dried everything out while enjoying lunch and wine from the grocery store. I hung out there for 2-3 hours before anyone else showed up. It was Herb, the night maintenance man. Enthralled with the bike he asked lots of questions about touring and the LHT specifically. He kept getting calls on his radio but continued to talk with me. Herb plans to live on his bike for a while and had been researching bicycles. I enthusiastically encouraged him since I know from experience that a lot of folks discourage that kind of crazy plan. Before he left to finally answer one of his calls, he asked me, "did you find the free showers?" I hadn't. Hohoho, that shower felt wonderful.

I spent a rest day at Furnace Creek and talked to Herb to 2 or 3 more times. I also met Mary and Paul from Rogue River, Oregon, who invited me to dinner at their campsite. I didn't carry a stove on this trip. The hot meal that Mary put together was the best meal of the trip. She had dried tomatoes and zucchini from their garden, a hot sauce with peppers that they grew, a jalepeno artichoke dip as an appetizer, and plenty of red wine. Was I ever a happy camper!

And on to Las Vegas

Back on the bike I rode south with a tailwind past Badwater all the way to the 5 miles of paved road that I had ridden between Saratoga Springs and Warm Springs Canyon over a week earlier. Instead of heading south to Baker I climbed Jubilee Pass. The following day I climbed Salsberry Pass on the coldest day of the trip. I simply couldn't warm up since I couldn't get away from the wind. And then I came to Tecopa Hot Springs! That cut the chill even though the wind was so fierce that I was dry within minutes of getting out of the pool. Around the corner I stopped at a RV park to get some water and ended up spending an hour talking with the 75-year-old man who runs the place with his wife. He ran an ultra-marathon when he was 55, had biked from Las Vegas to Sedona, had run a bunch of marathons. In the summer they leave Tecopa Hot Springs and explore the country in their 35' motorhome.

Later that afternoon I came upon Victor. Stopped at the side of the road, he handed me a Guinness and two granola bars. We chatted for a while using his car as a windbreak. He's taking a break from his 'round the world bicycle trip on a crazy rig that he built himself.

The following morning the only indication that I entered Nevada was a sign reading "Inyo County Line". Lower down on the same post was a smaller sign at an angle because it was falling off. That sign said "leaving". About 3 cars passed me in an hour, and then a car stopped. It was the couple from RV park in Tecopa Hot Springs. She had baked muffins that morning, put together a package of them for me, and handed them to me! They were still warm! Oh, I was cycling with a big smile yet again! I was on a gradual climb that continued all the way to Mountain Springs Pass. To get an idea of how long the climb was, consider that the couple drove all the way to Las Vegas, went to the dentist, drove back, and passed me just one minute before I crested the pass. They honked, smiled, and waved as did I. The first 2000' of descent was fast and cold, but I was warm and happy in my down coat.

My last excursion before Las Vegas was to ride through the scenic Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. The cliffs and cemented sand dunes in that area reminded me much more of the Colorado Plateau than anything I'd seen on my journey through the Mojave Desert. In the morning I rolled into Vegas, found a bike shop, boxed my stuff, and took a taxi to the downtown Greyhound station. In Denver a day later I rebuilt my bike at the Greyhound station for the short ride to Market St. Station. I took the bus to Boulder and rode through the snow to get home.