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Fishing boats on the beach at Torup Strand, Nordjylland in Denmark. The boats are hauled on to the beach.
Hebron (A126). Home port: Torup Strand. Build 1962. Hull: wood. LOA: 11.49 m.
Marianne (HM70). Home port: Torup Strand. Build 1977. Hull: wood. LOA: 11.55 m.
Pia (A65). Home port: Torup Strand. Build 1975. Hull: fiber / plastic. LOA: 8.23 m.
Handheld HDR from three exposures. See it on black.
“Clearly
This is what happens when the sensitized skin grease comes into contact with the latent emulsion. According to transitory theory, the luminal will be revealed if development takes place under a FULL MOON! (so) Here we can CLEARLY see the evidence of hidden UFOs and the nuclear tipped thought missiles they are sending directly into heaven
Now—I fooled the Secret Police by Pasting the orginal version on top of all the fucking ART (the others made me put that underneath it all)”
Don’t worry this (voice) is not really me—it is JUST the voice I hear AT night from outside the dust filled window—the voices that ONLY SPEAK when the wind blows Rustles in the tree leaves
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjO0BCmlxIM
((((you have to check every drop of inkd to make sure it is not
1)a secret police micro dot
2)2) a pizeo static listening device
3) (yes 3!) a piece of your hat brain
----------------- ------- )))))
(iiok
(please don’t look at me!)
I want to make it CLEAR this has nothing to do (or very little) to do with my work with and in the perpetual motion syndicate.
ALSO!
I was never abducted in THAT WAY!
NO, NO, NO – NOT nothing happened
(The white OWL is fucking DISS information
secret police control and propeganda
Don't believe me, check the evidence for your self!
Happy Halloween everyone!
I love white roses and so this bouquet made me so happy, so I wish to share with you ...for dear Chris , a great co-adm and flickr friend for her Birthday which falls just on the St. Valentine's day - I wish you the best joy , love, health and serenity .... so to all of you also a very Happy Valentine's Day , full of Happiness and Love as well as nice begging of the week (and do remember EVERYDAY is or can be Valentines Day) ... Do enjoy!
Do enjoy Mozart: www.youtube.com/watch?v=df-eLzao63I&feature=related
Don't use my pictures on websites without prior authorization! They are protected by copywrith ◄
I am sorry but I am a mostly OFF - so I cannot comment on all of you but will catch up as soon as I can,I am so behind and busy -
watercolor , 30x24cm , 2024 , (AQ2024061901) www.monikaseelig.com/display-works.php?img=1711&br=0 #art #painting #mseart
The château is the seat of the duc de Sully, Henri IV's minister Maximilien de Béthune (1560-1641), and the ducs de Sully. It is a château-fort, a true castle, built to control one of the few sites where the Loire can be forded; the site has perhaps been fortified since Gallo-Roman times, certainly since the beginning of the eleventh century.[1] In 1218, Philip Augustus constructed a cylindrical keep to the south of the present enclosure, of which buried foundations remain. Guy de la Trémoille, inheriting the fortress, undertook the construction of the "Donjon", flanked by four towers, beginning in 1395. To one side was added the Petit Château in the sixteenth century to provide more agreeable accommodation; Sully remodelled it.
Sully bought the domaine in 1602, enlarged the park and the fortress; he strengthened the embankments of the Loire to protect the town from occasional flooding.
The Château de Sully-sur-Loire remained in the possession of the family until 1962 when it became a property of the Département du Loiret, and has since benefited from numerous restorations. It hosts a classical music festival each June. The château contains numerous tapestries (including a set of six seventeenth-century hangings, the Tenture de Psyché), paintings of Sully's ancestors and heirs, and seventeenth-century furnishings. Here is also the tomb of Sully and that of his second wife.
Henri IV never visited, but Mazarin and Anne of Austria took refuge here in March 1652 during the rigors of the Fronde, France's civil war. Turenne stayed here the same year, before his defeat of the Grand Condé at the battle of Bléneau. Later, in 1716 and again in 1719 the château sheltered Voltaire, when he had been exiled from Paris for affronting the Régent, Philippe, duc d'Orléans.
Château de Sully-sur-Loire is listed as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture.
Reached front page on Explore. Thank you all!
An old pier by Rock Ferry, Wirral, on the River Mersey, UK.
Long exposure shot just after sunrise.
Exposure- 237 seconds !
Aperture- F11
ISO 100
Focal length- 14mm.
There is a story behind this image. I'd visited this location 3 times after only recently discovering it about 15-20 minutes drive away.
I managed some nice long exposure shots on the first 2 visits(dawn), but the light wasn't that interesting although the tide was right, and the place looked quite clean and interesting.
On this 3rd trip, the light was looking really quite special, but along with the rising tide which was flowing left to right in the picture was masses of dirty brown scummy looking foam floating on the water!
I guessed rightly that with a very long exposure using my 10 stop ND filter, the foam floating past wouldn't show up. That worked very nicely, but a lot of this stuff had collected just to the left of the jetty, and left a blurry mess in the final image! So I had to clone that area out in photoshop to clean up the image! I only took one shot for this image and made adjustments in Camera Raw.
Thank you all again for your support!
.First of all credit for this shot goes to Mary who took this on Friday morning while I was struggling to get into work. She took it from our bedroom window and I think it’s a really fine shot (had to say that obviously). Looking at the pic it looks like we live in the middle of nowhere in fact we are fairly close to the City centre, Hull University is just behind the trees. We have lived here 20 years and have never seen it look so wintryTHANKS FOR YOUR VISIT HAVE A GREAT DAY
So this field was supposed to be covered in bluebells right now, however, my town seems to be behind with the rest of the UK and is still currently green. I've been wanting to incorporate more movement to my work lately, and this was inspired by a couple of sources:
-the advert for Calvin Klein's "Euphoria"
- Miss Aniela (Nat's) work involving movement in particular
- Season 13 of ANTM when they all did a shoot with scarves
Anyway, hope you like the outcome!
Outtakes, behind the scenes & before/afters can be found on twitter and the blog!
twitter / blog / website! / formspring / facebook
"A murderer would never parade his crime in front of an open window..."
R is for Rear Window: the classic film directed by one of my favorites, Alfred Hitchcock. A thrilling taste of voyeurism, telephoto lenses, and romance between an invalid photographer and a piece of the Upper East Side's upper crust.
I thought of this shot about ten days ago, and have looked forward to it ever since. I really wanted to have a shot that was clearly inspired by one of my favorite directors and/or films, and I had great success doing it with Lost In Translation. But what sealed the deal with Rear Window was the fact that my stepfather had foot surgery and is in a cast/boot thing for six weeks. Pretty fortuitous ... plus, Jordy already did Psycho (props to him for making it funny and getting away with it), I am not even close to being able to have a scene from The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly, or No Country For Old Men and, well, those covered my favorite films by my favorite directors. I mean, okay. Yeah, I could have done the last two with a lot of time and effort, but it's not my fault the letter 'R' fell on a Monday I had work and two doctors' appointments!
I don't liken myself to Grace Kelly at all, and not just because she's blonde and infinitely more beautiful and royalty, (though those don't help) but because she is much more ladylike and, well, graceful. So ideally, this shot would be without me and in my place, a blonde and/or evidently graceful woman. However, I don't have either of those at my disposal; I was going to use my mother, since it felt a little weird (in theory) to be the Grace Kelly to my stepfather's Jimmy Stewart, but I got over it -- all for art's sake! :)
p.s. It's grainy for the old film feel -- but maybe it would be better without. Any thoughts??
p.p.s. two stills from the original movie: one and two
*Explored! Reached #140
The vestals... SO MUCH BETTER LARGE and View On Black
Hippeastrum, these plants are popularly but erroneously known as Amaryllis and are cultivars of bulbous plants in the family Amaryllidacea.
The botanic name Amaryllis is taken from a shepherdess in Virgil's pastoral "Eclogues"(An eclogue is a poem in a classical style on a pastoral subject. Poems in the genre are sometimes also called bucolics. Virgilius wrote the Bucolica, consisting of 10 Eclogues).
As a flower symbol it has come to mean "Dramatic", which seems most fitting here!
Hippeastrum is a popular bulb flower for indoor growing, it is Greek for "horseman's star" (also known today as "knight's star").
Another Macro+++.
I am doing a series... with a purpose...
I love the curves and lines in this.
Hope you do too.
Have a great w-e and thanx for your comments and visits, M, (*_*)
Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved
ENGLISH
It is not a great photo, but it's my way to celebrate that today two years ago I quit smoking, and that has changed my life for better. I take advantage to encourage all the smokers to leave the vice, that although is difficult, it's possible. After 24 years smoking without stop, I chose the difficult walk, to leave it suddenly and without aid of nothing nor of nobody... and I can tell it.
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CASTELLANO
No es una gran foto, pero es mi manera de celebrar que hoy hace dos años que dejé de fumar, y eso me ha cambiado la vida para mejor. Aprovecho para animar a todos los fumadores a dejar el vicio, que aunque es difícil es posible. Tras 24 años fumando sin parar, yo elegí el camino difícil, de golpe y sin ayuda de nada ni de nadie... y puedo contarlo.
¡¡En el puesto 204 de Explore el 12/11/2008!!
Explored #85. Thanks!
Dear friends, a quick hello from Helsinki where I am traveling now. Yesterday I had a great night photo outing with local flickr buddy and excellent landscape photographer Rob Orthen. We will go out together again for a sunset and sunrise shooting.
I am on a busy schedule here so won't have much time to visit your streams. Sorry about that!
Helsinki Set | Digital Blending Set | Night Photography Set | Most Interesting shots
"Feels like you're miles from here,
in other towns with lesser names.
Where the unholy ghost doesn't tell
Mary or William exactly what they want to hear.
You remember the house on Ridge Road
told you and the Devil to both just leave me alone.
If this is salvation, I can show you the trembling.
You'll just have to trust me. I'm scared.
I am the patron saint of lost causes.
Aren't we all to you just near lost causes?
Aren't we all to you just lost
Tommy, you left behind
something that will mean everything right before you die.
What if you gained the whole world?
You've already lost four little souls from your life.
Widows and orphans aren't hard to find.
They're home missing daddy who's saving the abandoned tonight.
Wish your drinking would hurry and kill you.
Sympathy's better than having to tell you the truth.
That you are the patron saint of lost causes.
All you are to them is now a lost cause.
All you are to them is now, causes.
Billy, don't you understand?
Timothy stood as long as he could and now
you made his faith disappear.
More like a magician and less like a man of the cloth.
We're not questioning God.
Just those he chose to carry on His cross.
We're no better, you'll see.
Just all of us, the lost causes.
Aren't we all to you just lost causes?
Are we all to you lost?
Lost causes
So all we are to you,
Is all we are, is all we are
All we are is all we are
Patron Saint, are we all lost like you?
Take what you will and leave.
Could you kill, could you kill me
If the world was on fire
and nothing was left but hope or desire
And take all that I could require, is this love?
Or am I on the floor over-desperate?
Hold hands streaming of blood again?
And then take full weight of me
Guard my dreams, figure this out,
It's me on my own. Helpless, hurting, hell.
Will you stay strong as you promised?
Cause I'm stranded and bare.
Meanness is washed up and all that I have
is God. Take this and all,
Then grace takes me to a place
Of the father you never had
Ripping and breaking and tearing apart
This is not heaven
This is my hell."
Song: Fin
Played by: Anberlin
Heard this song coming home tonight, and while alot of the words are of Stephen Christian's own personal life experiences, the message and meaning behind this song hit me pretty hard, so i figured instead of going out and ruining it with a self portrait again, ill just do my regular post for today and share the song so you can listen and see if you like it or not. its basically about the dangers of putting your hope in wolves wearing sheep's clothes, and the last few lines are about the pain of purification and the suffering he endured for his faith.
This is another shot from the "secret" spot that John and i went to last week. have a great tuesday everyone!
Today I began a series at the Riverside Cemetery of Saddle Brook, NJ. I have never done this type of shooting before, and generally try to spend as little time as possible in a cemetery, considering that sooner or later I will do so permanently--anyway. :-)
Unless the light is of dramatic quality, most of the shots are pedestrian and forgettable.
But the beauty of Photoshop lies in its ability to facilitate emotional content in our images. And sometimes an image which finds itself inside the circular file gets a reprieve based on a second, thoughtful look. Such is the case with this one.
I love how the Ivy encroaches on this graveside, but also feel a twinge of sadness for a forgotten person with no more connection to succeeding generations. In many ways that is a more final death.
"One does not sell the earth upon which the people walk"
~Crazy Horse~
"You are the White Eagle who has come to steal the road. The Great Father (the president) sends us presents and wants us to sell him the road, but the White Chief comes with the soldiers to steal it before the Indian says yes or no. I will talk with you no more. I will go now and fight you! As long as I live I will fight you for the last hunting grounds of my people."
~Red Cloud~
The following is from: montanagroups.com/p20.htm
"Battle of the Little Bighorn. A national monument with museum exhibits, an interpretive center, and ranger-led programs that commemorates the site of the Indian victory over Custer's 7th Cavalry."
"Montana's Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument memorializes one of the last armed efforts of the Northern Plains Indians to preserve their ancestral way of life. Here in the valley of the Little Bighorn River on June 25 and 26, 1876, more than 260 US Army soldiers and attached personnel met defeat and death at the hands of several thousand Lakota and Cheyenne warriors. Among the dead were Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and every member of his immediate command."
"Although the Indians won this battle, they lost the war against the white man's efforts to end their independent plains culture."
---
It is interesting to note that there were Native Americans fighting on both sides of this conflict. For some brief, but interesting, accounts of the battle from the Lakota and Cheyenne side of the conflict see the following page: www.snowwowl.com/histcuster.html
Here is one account from that page. It tells the story of Whirlwind, who was 16 years old.
"Whirlwind, a Cheyenne, charged after a war-bonnet Indian belonging with the whites. The enemy Indian bravely charged toward Whirlwind. The two men fired rifles at the same moment. Both of them fell dead. This was on the flat land just east of the river where the soldiers crossed."
There were no first hand accounts from the Custer side of the conflict.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007603456217
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Tutti i diritti riservati © Utilizzare la foto senza autorizzazione del proprietario è illegale.
© Please do not use without my explicit permission. Ask me!
© All Rights Reserved
RIPRODUZIONE RISERVATA
Gianni Armano Photo
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Mejor pincha aquí para ver en grande sobre negro o pulsa 'L'.
Better click here to view this large on black or press 'L'.
© Derechos de Autor. Esta fotografía no podra usarse sin mi consentimiento escrito.
© All rights reserved, don´t use this image without my permission.
Huesca: Album/Set
Castillos/castles: Album/Set
Paisajes/landscapes: Album/Set
Panoramics: Album/Set
Explore: 16 Jan 2011 in # 9 [Frontpage]
Canon 450D + CANON EF24-105 4L IS USM, @24mm, 1/40 sec, f/22, ISO 100
No Tripod, Date 04/08/2010 19:28:20
Panoramica compuesta por dos tomas, de la cara oeste del Castillo de Lorarre.
Panoramic of two shots, of the west side of Loare´s castle.
Hoy hace un año de mi comienzo en flickr, comienzos casi siempre duros, sino conoces gente que esté introducida en este pequeño mundo. Yo creo que flickr es un cajón en el que hay miles de buenas fotos y personas, que están por descubrir. Mención especial quiero hacer a mi cuñado Jesús, quien me introdujo en este mundo de flickr y me ayudo en mis comienzos.
Quiero agradecer a todos los que vitáis mi galería con asiduidad, a los que la han visitado en alguna ocasión, a los que os gusta comentar, etc... Porque gracias a todos tengo las fuerzas y la motivación para seguir adelante.
Esta fotografía que os quiero mostrar, posiblemente representa una de las variantes fotográficas que más me gusta. En exteriores, donde en gran medida intervienen las condiciones climatológicas y tienes que conjuntarte con ellos para conseguir algo irrepetible. Llevo un tiempo pensando en la fotografía que quería subir este día, y después de varias candidatas esta ha sido la elegida, el resto de ellas están o estarán pronto en mi galería.
En este tiempo, he tenido encuentros y desencuentros, pero sobre todo buenos momentos. He conocido a un grupo de personas con las que he tenido una mayor afinidad y ha crecido una bonita amistad, de la ahora estoy muy orgulloso. Entre ellos están Gema, Eber, Pilar, Teresa, Toñy, Anna, Nathalie, Javi, Raúl, Juanma, Jesús, Rafael, Jesús CM. Con algunos he compartido técnicas, opiniones o simplemente momentos inolvidables e incluso en algún caso conocernos en persona.
Espero seguir compartiendo con todos mi forma de ver las cosas bajo el prisma de mi cámara. Yo como apasionado de la fotografía, disfruto viendo vuestras fotografías, e incluso en muchos casos aprendo de vosotros.
English:
Today makes it a year since I opened my Flickr account. It is always difficult to begin in a place like this when you don't know anyone who has been around here for a while. I believe Flickr is like a big drawer where there are thousands of good photographs and people to be discovered. I'd like to thank my brother-in-law Jesús, who introduced me to Flickr and helped me in my beginnings.
I would also like to thank all the people who visit my photostream regularly, those who visit it occasionally, those who like leaving comments, etc.... because thanks to all these people I have the strength and the motivation to keep going.
This picture that I want to share with you, possibly represents one of the photographic variations I like the most. It's taken in the open, where the weather conditions play an important part and you have to adjust to them to capture something special. I have been thinking for a while which picture I would like to publish today and this has been my choice; the rest of the pictures that were in my final selection will also be published soon.
In this past year I have had good times and also misunderstandings. I got to know a group of people with whom I've shared more and become friends, of which I am very proud; among these: Gema, Eber, Pilar, Teresa, Toñy, Anna, Nathalie, Javi, Raúl, Juanma, Jesús, Rafael, Jesús CM. With some of them I've shared techniques, opinions or simply special moments and I have even met a few in person.
I hope to be able to go on sharing the world as I see it through my camera lense. Being myself passionate about photography, I enjoy looking at your pictures and in many cases, learning from you.
my [EXPLORE] Set - please have a look, if
you have some time ;)
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Please view my photos on black at | my Portfotolio | Fluidr | FlickeFlu | Darckr |
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Madrid (Spain).
ENGLISH
The Jardines del Buen Retiro or Parque del Buen Retiro (literally "Gardens" or "Park of the Pleasant Retreat"), or simply El Retiro, the "Lungs of Madrid", is the main park of the city of Madrid, capital of Spain.
The Parque del Buen Retiro is a large and popular 1.4 km² (350-acre) park at the edge of the city center, very close to the Puerta de Alcalá and not far from the Museo del Prado. A magnificent park, filled with beautiful sculpture and monuments, galleries, a peaceful lake and host to a variety of events, it is one of Madrid's premier attractions. The park is entirely surrounded by the present-day city.
In 1505, at the time of Isabella I (r. 1474–1504) the Monasterio de Jerónimos was moved from an unsuitable location elsewhere to the present site of Iglesia de San Jerónimo el Real, and a new monastery built in Isabelline Gothic style. The royal family had a retreat built as part of the church.
King Philip II (r. 1556–1598) moved the Spanish court to Madrid in 1561. Philip had the Retiro enlarged by his architect Juan Bautista de Toledo, and formal avenues of trees were laid out. Here, at the Palacio del Buen Retiro, the king could withdraw during Lent, bringing the court with him.
The "Jardines del Buen Retiro" were extended in the 1620s, when Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares, Philip IV's powerful favourite, gave the king several tracts of land in the vicinity for the Court's recreational use. Olivares determined to build, in a place that the king liked, a royal house which should be superior to those villas that Roman nobles had lately been setting up in the hillyt outskirts of Rome. Although this second royal residence was to be built in what were then outlying areas of Madrid, it was actually not far from the existing Alcázar or fortress residence, and the location in a cool, wooded area proved to be ideal.
More info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parque_del_Buen_Retiro
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CASTELLANO
Los Jardines del Buen Retiro, popularmente conocidos como El Retiro, son un parque de 118 hectáreas situado en Madrid. Es uno de los lugares más significativos de la capital española.
Los Jardines tienen su origen entre los años 1630 y 1640, cuando el Conde-Duque de Olivares (Don Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimentel), valido de Felipe IV (1621–1665), le regaló al rey unos terrenos que le habían sido cedidos por el Duque de Fernán Núñez para el recreo de la Corte en torno al Monasterio de los Jerónimos de Madrid. Así, con la reforma del Cuarto Real que había junto al Monasterio, se inició la construcción del Palacio del Buen Retiro. Contaba entonces con unas 145 hectáreas. Aunque esta segunda residencia real iba a estar en lo que en aquellos tiempos eran las afueras de la villa de Madrid, no estaba excesivamente lejos del alcázar y resultó ser un lugar muy agradable por estar en una zona muy boscosa y fresca.
Bajo la dirección de los arquitectos Giovanni Battista Crescenzi y Alonso Carbonell se construyeron diversos edificios, entre ellos el teatro del Buen Retiro que acogió representaciones teatrales de los grandes del Siglo de Oro, Calderón de la Barca y Lope de Vega. Perduran aún el Casón del Buen Retiro, antiguo Salón de Baile, el Museo del Ejército, antaño Salón de Reinos con sus paredes decoradas con pinturas de Velázquez, Zurbarán y frescos de Lucas Jordán y los jardines.
Éstos se levantaron al mismo tiempo que el palacio, trabajando en ellos, entre otros, Cosme Lotti, escenógrafo del Gran Duque de Toscana, y edificándose una leonera para la exhibición de animales salvajes y una pajarera para aves exóticas. El estanque grande, escenario de naumaquias y espectáculos acuáticos, el estanque ochavado o de las campanillas y la ría chica pertenecen a este período inicial.
A lo largo de la historia, en este conjunto se han ido efectuando modificaciones, no siempre planificadas, que cambiaron la fisonomía del jardín, como el Parterre diseñado durante el reinado de Felipe V (1700–1746), la Real Fábrica de Porcelana del Buen Retiro en tiempos de Carlos III (1759–1788) o el Observatorio Astronómico, obra de Juan de Villanueva, reinando Carlos IV (1788–1808). El rey Carlos III fue el primero en permitir el acceso de los ciudadanos al recinto, siempre que cumpliesen con la condición de ir bien aseados y vestidos.
Más info: es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buen_Retiro
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes always perseveres. Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13: 4-8
In memory of Josh McGee who was laid to rest January 11, 2008. I work with his Mother and Step-Father.
Presa de Rules, Granada (Spain).
ENGLISH
The Rio Guadalfeo is a small river in Andalucia, Spain between the Sierra Nevada mountain range and the coastal ranges of Sierra de la Contraviesa and Lujar.
This river is formed by the merging of three rivers, the Rio Poqueira, Río Trevélez, and Cadiar. The Poqueira and the Trevelez join shortly before the confluence with the Cadiar near the town of Orgiva. The river flows through the region of La Alpujarra for much of its course and enters the sea near Motril after passing through a spectacular gorge between the Lujar and Chapparal mountains. Although it is often dried up by this point, its waters are often used for agricultural purposes. The Rules dam was recently built across the river near Velez de Benaudalla at the head of the gorge, resulting in the creation of a large reservoir and the flooding of a section of the river valley.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guadalfeo_River
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CASTELLANO
El Guadalfeo es un río de la provincia de Granada, en el sur de España. Nace en el término municipal de Bérchules y desemboca en el Mar Mediterráneo, entre Salobreña y Motril, en la provincia de Granada. Se trata de un río de marcado carácter nivopluvial y torrencial, de una longitud de 71 km. Sus principales afluentes son: río Ízbor, río Sucio, río Chico, río Poqueira y río Trevélez. Su desembocadura riega la fértil vega de Motril.
Fuente: es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guadalfeo
Cunit, Tarragona (Spain).
... with this song.
... con esta canción.
ENGLISH
The Carnival of Cunit is the oldest of the region of the Baix Penedès as we understand it at the moment since it is being celebrated of uninterrupted way from 1988; they are practically 2 weeks of different playful acts and celebration that has like central event great the cavalcade of carnival.
The cavalcade is celebrated the Saturday of carnival and is headed by Her Majesty Carnestoltes, “king of insolents” and the queen of carnival and her ladies (chosen in an act celebrated in the middle of August of the previous year); behind them it follows to him more than 60 groups of krewes and floats of all Penedès and part of Tarragona with a participation in 2006 of more than 4,500 different people disguised of thematic. The cavalcade leaves the railway station and finalizes in the square of Catalonia (square of the Casal). The route of cavalcade has a length of 3.5 kilometers where they are possible to be reunited up to 30,000 watching people (as much disguised as not). At the end of the cavalcade most of groups they go to the Platja de Calafell to make another cavalcade there.
The midnight after cavalcade is celebrated the great dance of carnival where they are distributed the prizes to the best groups as well as to the more original individual disguises, balconies and showcases of stores better adorned.
Sunday is celebrated the infantile carnival infantile with groups of animation and a "chocolatada" for the assistants when finalizing the act.
The carnivals finalize Wednesday with the burial of the sardine, in which is made a small cavalcade by the town taking for a walk the body of the Carnestoltes and finalizes in the station where is made popular "sardinada".
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CASTELLANO
El Carnaval de Cunit es el más antiguo de la comarca del Baix Penedès tal y como lo entendemos actualmente ya que lleva desde el 1988 celebrándose de manera ininterrumpida; prácticamente son 2 semanas de diferentes actos lúdicos y de fiesta que tiene como evento central la gran rúa de carnaval.
La rúa se celebra el sábado de carnaval y es encabezada por S.M. el Carnestoltes, "rei dels pocasoltes" y la reina de carnaval y sus damas (elegidas en un acto celebrado a mediados de agosto del año anterior); detrás de ellos le sigue más de 60 grupos de comparsas y carrozas de todo el Penedés y parte de Tarragona con una participación en el 2006 de más de 4.500 personas disfrazadas de diferentes temáticas. La rúa sale de la estación de ferrocarril y finaliza en la plaza de Cataluña (plaza del Casal). El recorrido de la rúa tiene una longitud de 3,5 kilómetros dónde se pueden reunir hasta 30.000 personas espectadoras (tanto disfrazadas como no). Al termino de ésta la mayoría de grupos se dirigen a La Platja de Calafell para realizar allí otra rúa.
La medianoche después de la rúa se celebra el gran baile de carnaval dónde se reparten los premios a los mejor grupos así como a los disfraces individuales más originales, balcones y escaparates de tiendas mejor adornados.
El domingo se celebra el carnaval infantil con grupos de animación y chocolatada para los asistentes al finalizar el acto.
Los carnavales finalizan el miércoles con el entierro de la sardina, en el cual se realiza una pequeña rúa por el pueblo paseando el cuerpo del Carnestoltes y finaliza en la estación dónde se realiza una sardinada popular.
Fuente: es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cunit
EXPLORED!!
bighugelabs.com/scout.php?username=29549927@N00&combi...
Turnaround
every now and then I get a little bit lonely
And you're never coming round.
Turnaround
every now and then I get a little bit tired
Of listening to the sound of my tears.
Turnaround
every now and then I get a little bit nervous
That the best of all the years have gone by.
Turnaround
every now and then I get a little bit terrified
And then I see the look in your eyes.
Turnaround bright eyes
every now and then I fall apart.
Turnaround bright eyes
every now and then I fall apart.
Turnaround
every now and then I get a little bit restless
And I dream of something wild.
Turnaround
every now and then I get a little bit helpless
And I'm lying like a child in your arms.
Turnaround
every now and then I get a little bit angry
And I know I've got to get out and cry.
Turnaround
every now and then I get a little bit terrified
But then I see the look in your eyes.
Turnaround bright eyes
every now and then I fall apart.
Turnaround bright eyes
every now and then I fall apart.
And I need you now tonight
and I need you more than ever
And if you'll only hold me tight we'll be holding on forever
And we'll only be making it right cause we'll never be wrong together
We can take it to the end of the line.
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time
I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark.
We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks.
I really need you tonight - forever's gonna start tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight.
Once upon a time I was falling in love but now I'm only falling apart.
There's nothing I can do - a total eclipse of the heart.
Once upon a time there was light in my life
But now there's only love in the dark.
Nothing I can say - a total eclipse of the heart.
Turnaround bright eyes
turnaround bright eyes.
Turnaround
every now and then I know you'll never be
The boy you always wanted to be.
Turnaround
but every now and then I know you'll always be
The only boy who wanted me the way that I am.
Turnaround
every now and then I know there's no one
In the universe as magical and wonderous as you
Turnaround
every now and then I know
There's nothing any better and there's nothing that I just wouldn't do.
Turnaround bright eyes
everynow and then I fall apart.
Turnaround bright eyes
everynow and then I fall apart.
And I need you now tonight
and I need you more than ever
...
Once upon a time I was falling in love but now I'm only falling apart...
A total eclipse of the heart
a total eclipse of the heart.
Turnaround bright eyes
turnaround bright eyes
turnaround.
Evening jogger refreshing himself under the water sprays at Paris Plages. Inspired by Paris Steve's.
Part of "A stroll in Paris"
Olèrdola, Barcelona (Spain).
ENGLISH
Olèrdola is a municipality in the comarca of the Alt Penedès in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated on the northern side of the Garraf massif, and the highest point of the municipality is the Puig de l'Àliga at 468 m.
The name of the municipality is derived from the historical castle, not from any modern settlement. Six villages and two industrial zones (poligons industrials) make up the municipality: Can Trabal, Daltmar, Moja, Sant Miquel d'Olèrdola, Sant Pere Molanta, Viladellops, Poligon Industrial de Sant Pere Molanta and Poligon Industrial el Clot de Moja.
The old walled city is in the hill of San Miguel de Olérdola, of 358 ms of height. In last times was also known it with place name of Olérdula. In a document of the 979 it is named as civitate Olerdula.
The older archaeological findings correspond at the beginning of the Bronze Age (2000-1800 BC), but will not be until the beginning of the next period -Iron Age- that is a town with a wall (centuries 8-7th BC). The iberians, of the tribe of the cosetans, also settled in the mountain taking advantage of the existing wall, and partially constructed trimmed houses on the rock (centuries 6-5th BC).
The territorial organization and social begins to change as of century 2th BC and, specially, during the next century, with the arrival from the Romans to the Iberian Peninsula. The iberians do not leave Olèrdola, but, little by little, they adopt the new customs and they coexist with the Roman soldiers.
During century 1th BC, coexists in Olèrdola the iberians and the soldiers who take care of the Roman fortification. At this moment, they rise infrastructure works (the wall, the cistern and the watchtower) planned and directed by the Roman authority, that they will have, nevertheless, one short stage of total operation, little more than 50 years, with residual or secondary uses during the high and low empire. Castellum of Olèrdola directly was related to the military protection and the control of the territory and the routes of communication around the capital, Tarraco.
The city returned to enter history in year 930 when count Suñer I tried to repopulate the zone and specially this strategic and good position for the defense, that there would be to serve like watchtower outpost against the Muslim invasion and that got to be military enclave until the conquest of Tarragona, gained to the Arabs in 1089.
During that period of time it maintained the category of capital of the Penedés and county. After the conquest of Tarragona it lost its strategic importance and later in 1108 it was destroyed by almoravids. It was repopulated again, but their inhabitants began to settle down themselves in more level places, with a view to the development of agriculture and this way the city of Villafranca of the Penedés arose.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ol%c3%a8rdola
---------------------------
CASTELLANO
Olèrdola es un municipio de la comarca del Alto Penedés, provincia de Barcelona, comunidad autónoma de Cataluña, España, y está formado por ocho núcleos o entidades de población: Can Trabal, Daltmar, Moja, Sant Miquel d'Olèrdola, Sant Pere Molanta, Viladellops, Poligon Industrial de Sant Pere Molanta y Poligon Industrial el Clot de Moja.
La antigua ciudad amurallada se encuentra en la colina de San Miguel de Olérdola, de 358 m de altura. En tiempos pasados se la conocía también con el topónimo de Olérdula. En un documento del 979 es nombrada como civitate Olerdula.
Los hallazgos arqueológicos más antiguos corresponden al inicio de la Edad de Bronce (2000-1800 AC), pero no será hasta el inicio del periodo siguiente -Edad de Hierro- que se encuentra un poblado con una muralla (siglos VIII-VII AC). Los íberos, de la tribu de los cosetanos, se instalaron también en la montaña aprovechando la muralla existente, y construyeron casas parcialmente recortadas en la roca (siglos IV-V aC).
La organización territorial y social comienza a cambiar a partir del siglo II aC y, especialmente, durante la centuria siguiente, con la llegada de los romanos a la península ibérica. Los íberos no abandonan Olèrdola, pero, poco a poco, adoptan las nuevas costumbres y conviven con los soldados romanos.
Durante el siglo I aC, conviven en Olèrdola los íberos y los soldados que se ocupan de la fortificación romana. En este momento, se levantan obras de infraestructura (la muralla, la cisterna y la torre atalaya) directamente planificadas y dirigidas por la autoridad romana, que tendrán, sin embargo, una corta etapa de pleno funcionamiento, poco más de 50 años, con utilizaciones residuales o secundarias durante el alto y bajo imperio. El castellum de Olèrdola estaba directamente relacionado con la protección militar y el control del territorio y las vías de comunicación alrededor de la capital, Tarraco.
La ciudad volvió a entrar en la historia en el año 930 cuando el conde Suñer I trató de repoblar la zona y en especial esta posición estratégica y buena para la defensa, que habría de servir como atalaya avanzada contra la invasión musulmana y que llegó a ser enclave militar hasta la conquista de Tarragona, ganada a los árabes en 1089.
Durante ese periodo de tiempo mantuvo la categoría de capital del Penedés y condado. Tras la conquista de Tarragona perdió su importancia estratégica y más tarde en 1108 fue destruida por los almorávides. Fue repoblada de nuevo, pero sus habitantes empezaron a establecerse en lugares más llanos, con miras al desarrollo de la agricultura y de esta manera surgió la ciudad de Villafranca del Penedés.
Más info: es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ol%c3%a8rdola, www.diba.es/parcsn/parcs/p11m114s706.asp
View Large...My 9th Exlore...Thank you!!
This photo was taken at the same time as The Photo when I got up at 4am in the morning to shoot the sunrise. I went with Khalid Sarwar and his verision of the same location is here.
The location is Craig Y Llyn near Rhigos, Wales.
Explored Highest position: 56 on Thursday March 25, 2010
VIEW MY GETTY COLLECTION HERE
www.gettyimages.com/Search/Search.aspx?assettype=image&am...
VIEW MY WEB SITE AND SHOP HERE
Here is my first published work even though i did it as a freebie its great seeing your work on a web site !
www.thewhitehartvillageinn.com/index.html
Here is the flickr set
Excerpt from www.lecinqueterre.org/eng/arte/montebattista.php:
THE CHURCH OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST
The church of San Giovanni Battista was built between 1244 and 1307, the date inscribed on a rock in the second column on the left looking towards the altar. Remodeled in the Baroque period and more recently between 1963 and 1964, it is a splendid example of Genoese Ligurian Gothic.
The façade is made of alternating vestments of white marble and dark green serpentine, with a slightly splayed pointed portal, flanked by a double pair of marble columns and surmounted by a lunette with an 18th century fresco depicting the Baptism of Christ. The splendid central rose window in white marble is a splendid example of ornate Gothic, attributed to Matteo and Pietro da Campiglio. From the central button, eighteen smooth and twisted columns radiate alternating from which intertwined trefoil arches branch off.
With a basilica plan with three naves, it has a progressive narrowing of the width of the aisles towards the entrance, with the dual effect of creating a perspective illusion and favoring the propagation of sound waves. Inside are preserved the baptismal font from 1360, a canvas of the Madonna del Rosario from the school of Luca Cambiaso, a painting depicting the Crucifixion by an unknown artist, probably a Genoese painter from the 17th century and the high altar from 1734. One of the columns bears an inscription engraved in medieval characters.
The bell tower with Ghibelline battlements rises alongside the apse area, an ancient medieval control tower with a rectangular plan, opened by Gothic mullioned windows with arches decorated with denticles, raised in the 15th century and remodeled in the 18th century after an earthquake.
(Explore)
Buena e iluminada sema os deseo...
Wünsche eine gute und beleuchtete Woche...
Palau del Baró de Quadras ( back façade)
History and description:
This house was projected by Josep Puig i Cadafalch and built in 1904-1906.
The Baró de Quadras commissioned Puig i Cadafalch in 1900 to build his new house in Barcelona after to finish his palace in Maçanes.
The building is located in a narrow space between two important streets of Barcelona, due to this reason it has two completely different façades.
The main façade on Diagonal Avenue is a mixture of gothic and "plateresc" styles - following Permanyer - whit, as a result, a very rich decoration.
The interior has some Moslem influence and fortunately, don't needed to be strongly modified to adapt it to the Casa Àsia.
The back façade is more conventional with a decoration remembering the Sezesionstyl.
Una de mis favoritas de Atahualpa Yupanqui.
Letra de Atahualpa Yupanqui
Un dia yo pregunté:
Abuelo, donde esta Dios ?
Mi abuelo se puso triste,
y nada me respondió.
Mi abuelo murió en los campos,
sin rezo ni confesión.
Y lo enterraron los indios
flauta de caña y tambor.
Al tiempo yo pregunte:
Padre, que sabes de Dios ?
Mi padre se puso serio
y nada me respondió.
Mi padre murió en la mina
sin doctor ni protección.
Color de sangre minera
tiene el oro del patrón!
Color de sangre minera
tiene el oro del patrón!
Mi hermano vive en los montes
y no conoce una flor.
Sudor, malaria, serpientes,
la vida del leñador.
Y que nadie le pregunte
si sabe donde esta Dios.
Por su casa no ha pasado
tan importante señor.
Por su casa no ha pasado
tan importante señor.
Yo canto por los caminos,
y cuando estoy en prisión
oigo las voces del pueblo
que canta mejor que yo.
Hay un asunto en la tierra
más importante que Dios,
y es que nadie escupa sangre
para que otro viva mejor.
y es que nadie escupa sangre
para que otro viva mejor.
Que Dios vela por los pobres ?
Tal vez si, y tal vez no .
Pero es seguro que almuerza
en la mesa del patrón.
Pero es seguro que almuerza
en la mesa del patrón.
El audio es gracias a Albi
Best seen large on black
Kids playing volley and basket in the streets of La Havana, late afternoon. For a brief moment, the 2 balls happened to coincide with both hands of the player. The kind of magic which is too fast for the eye to see, only the camera ! No crop.
Won 2nd place on the French HP Street Photography contest.
Part of Cuba
please view on black
my mom lived in a little apartment in athens. after we lost her, we decided to ship her belongings back to her family's house in chios. they had been delivered to the moving company's warehouse a couple of weeks ago, but i had to go unlock the old, unlived-in, stone house, and let the movers in.
i had just visited the place over the summer with my immediate family and mom... i remember thinking that i might not go to chios again. i never thought that it would be mom who would never return.
there was no point sleeping tuesday night because i had to start early wednesday morning to catch a 6:15 flight. we landed at 7, i picked up the rented car and started to drive towards vrontados. the cold and rain matched my bitter mood as i followed the east coast. i glanced over towards turkey as the world turned blue. there was to be no glorious sunrise -- just troubled, turbulent sky.
i stopped next to the familiar windmills and tried to get a few shots. having no umbrella, i limited my attempts to brief lulls in the rain. finally, it was time for businesses to start their day, so i made my way up to the house and made the phone call to the movers that i'd arrived.
the house is on the slopes of mount epos and faces east. it's very old, built in the 1860s, and not the most comfortable of places -- but we sometimes visit in the summer. in fact, i'd never seen it in the winter. it looked different... the colors were dark and rich -- some trees were stark and brittle, but the normally dry wild grass in the yard was lush.
the movers came and left.
i hugged our neighbor, despina, when i saw her. she had just lost her own mother last year -- and she loved my mom too -- so we had a good deal to talk about, strangely, for the very first time. she was kind to me and even cooked a wonderful lunch. she cried, i cried. it was hard.
as evening fell, i took a last look at the house. this time, i wanted to save a mental picture only. i said goodbye to despina and drove back to the airport. i felt shattered but still wanted to stop at the harbor along the way to snap a few -- i haven't even looked at them yet. i doubt they're ok but, if they're even halfway decent, i'll post them.
i've placed this on the map.
on the blog: toomanytribbles.blogspot.com/2010/01/windmills-of-her-min...
Port Vell - Barcelona (Spain).
Today is the Saint's Day of Eulalia, or commonly Laia in Catalonia. My daughter's name is Laia. :-)
Hoy es el Santo de las Eulalias (al menos las de Barcelona), comumnente Laies en Catalunya (Laia en singular). Mi hija se llama Laia. :-)
ENGLISH
In January 1918, a schooner sporting three masts and named Carmen Flores was launched at the beach of Torrevieja. The vessel was active for almost 80 years, during which time it underwent various modifications and changes of name. Between 1928 and 1975 it was a motor sailer and went by the names of the Puerto de Palma and the Cala San Vicenç. As of 1975, by which time it was called the Sayremar Uno, it operated as an auxiliary ship for underwater work. The vessel continued to work in that capacity until 1997, the year in which the Museu Marítim de Barcelona acquired it through an auction. Now the schooner is renamed Santa Eulàlia in honour of one of Barcelona’s patron saints.
More info: www.museumaritimbarcelona.com/default.asp?idApartado=109
***
Saint Eulàlia (Aulaire, Aulazia, Ollala, Eulària) (ca. 290-12 February 303), co-patron saint of Barcelona, was a thirteen-year-old Roman Christian virgin who suffered martyrdom in Barcelona during the persecution of Christians in the reign of emperor Diocletian. There is some dispute as to whether she is the same person as Saint Eulalia of Mérida, whose story is similar.
For refusing to recant her Christianity, the Romans subjected her to thirteen tortures; including:
- Putting her into a barrel with knives (or glass) stuck into it and rolling it down a street (according to tradition, the one now called Baixada de Santa Eulalia "Saint Eulalia's descent").
- Cutting off her breasts.
- Crucifixion on an X-shaped cross. She is depicted with this cross, the instrument of her martyrdom.
- Finally, decapitation.
A dove flew from her neck after decapitation. This is one point of similarity with the story of Eulalia of Mérida, in which a dove flew from the girl's mouth at the moment of her death. In addition, Eulalia of Mérida's tortures are sometimes enumerated among the Barcelona martyr's, and the two were similar in age and year of death.
Eulalia is commemorated with statues and street names throughout Barcelona. Her body was originally interred in the church of Santa Maria de les Arenes (St. Mary of the Sands; now Santa Maria del Mar, St. Mary of the Sea). It was hidden in 713 during the Moorish invasion, and only recovered in 878. In 1339, it was relocated to an alabaster sarcophagus in the crypt of the newly-built Cathedral of Santa Eulalia. The festival of Saint Eulalia is held in Barcelona for a week around her feast day on February 12.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Eulalia_of_Barcelona
-------------------------------
CASTELLANO
En enero de 1919 se botó en la playa de Torrevieja un pailebote de tres palos que fue bautizado con el nombre de Carmen Flores. Durante los casi ochenta años en los que el barco estuvo en activo sufrió diferentes transformaciones y cambios de nombre. Entre 1928 y 1975 fue motovelero con los nombres de Puerto de Palma y Cala San Vicenç. A partir de 1975, con el nombre de Sayremar Uno, fue barco auxiliar para trabajos submarinos, actividad que realizaba cuando el Museo Marítimo de Barcelona lo adquirió en subasta en 1997. Actualmente recibe el nombre de Santa Eulàlia en honor de la compatrona de la ciudad.
Más info: www.museumaritimbarcelona.com/default.asp?idApartado=109&...
***
Eulalia de Barcelona (llamada también Ollala o Eulària) (h. 290 - 12 de febrero de 303), mártir cristiana.
Según la tradición cristiana, Eulalia de Barcelona vivió cerca de Barcina, Hispania (actual Barcelona, España) en los tiempos del emperador Diocleciano (284-305) durante el siglo III o IV, siendo papa Marcelino.
Durante la persecución de los cristianos en la región, Eulalia, una muchacha de entre 13 y 15 años escapó de una casa de campo donde sus padres la habían encerrado para que no se entregase a las autoridades, abiertamente confesó su fe y fue entregada al martirio.
Fue víctima de diferentes tormentos y murió en la cruz, si bien hay serias dudas sobre la historicidad de la narración de su martirio.
De acuerdo con la tradición, uno de estos tormentos consistió en lanzarla rodando dentro de un tonel lleno de vidrios rotos por la calle (actualmente llamada Baixada de Santa Eulàlia -Bajada de Santa Eulalia-), donde hay una imagen de la santa en una pequeña capilla.
Dice la leyenda que fue clavada desnuda en una cruz de forma de 'X' (forma conocida como cruz de Santa Eulalia). En aquel momento para preservar su intimidad le crecieron los cabellos y comenzó a nevar.
Al final de su oración de que el Señor la tomara a Su Reino, la gente vio volar hacia el cielo de su boca una paloma blanca.
Fue canonizada y se considera santa tanto por la Iglesia Católica Romana, como por la Ortodoxa.
Sus despojos fueron localizados en 878 por el obispo Frodoi y trasladados solemnemente a la catedral.
Recomiendo verla en grande. Large View.
Esta foto se la quería dedicar a aquellos que les gustan las fotos callejeras, que a mi tanto me gustan pero que por mi vergüenza me cuesta tanto practicar. Me siento extraño robando la intimidad de personas que no conozco.
Se la dedico especialmente a dos maestros en este arte, a mi paisano Ariasgonzalo y a Wilillo, porque me hacen disfrutar mucho con este tipo de fotos.
La foto fue tomada en una callejuela de Segovia y me llamó mucho la atención la forma de la calle y el duro camino que le fataba a la señora por recorrer, con su compra diaria en la mano.
I'm amazed I managed to rally in time to get this shot done today before Lost tonight. Let me back up. I went to Urgent Care this morning to get my leg checked out since I still can't walk. Turns out I tore my calf muscle and fascia in my right leg. The good news is that I didn't rupture my achilles tendon, so I won't need surgery. The bad news is that it's going to be 4-6 weeks before I can even think about running, jumping, playing soccer, or anything else that I actually want to do with my leg. But I'm thankful because it could be worse. I have to keep reminding myself of that. Anyway, the doctor gave me a prescription for Percocet to help with the pain. I had some issues with nausea when I took Vicodin a few years back, so he thought Percocet would be a good alternative.
WRONG!
About forty-five minutes after taking it, I hit a brick wall of nausea and was completely laid up for the rest of the afternoon, petrified that I was going to throw up. Did I mention that I do NOT throw up? I do everything in my power to avoid it at all costs, no matter what. Even when I know I will feel better afterwards. No thank you. Anyway, today sucked. That's pretty much the point of the story. But I managed to get this shot off for this week's Emulation Challenge in My Face is My Canvas. Can you believe this is our 25th week of emulation challenges??? If you haven't already checked out the group and you have even the slightest interest in face art photography, you owe it to yourself to stop by. And for those of you who haven't played in a while...hey, we miss you! ;)
Ok, time to watch the rest of last week's Lost in preparation for tonight's episode. Michelle and Daynna, prepare for the onslaught of texts and BBMs.
**Explored**
365 Days (self portraits): Day 343
My Face is My Canvas: Emulation #25
Book | E-Mail | Facebook | 500px | Getty | Olhares
As in previous years, today until 1th I'll reupload my top pictures this year, so everyone can review and new followers enjoy. Hope you enjoy.
--
Tal como em anos anteriores, de hoje até ao dia 1 vou recolocar o meu top de imagens deste ano, assim todos poderão rever e novos seguidores apreciar. Espero que gostem.
323/365
© Rui Almeida 2014 | All rights reserved.
All photos they may not be used or reproduced without my permission. If you would like to use one of my images for commercial purposes or other reason, please contact me. Depending on the situation may have to assign the work as specified by the author.
◘ No images in comments please, or you or you can be blocked, but group invites are welcome
Etimología
Aún siendo desconocido el origen de la palabra ;azafrán es muy similar su denominación en distintas lenguas habiendo sobrevivido sin casi alteración en árabe (záfaran), inglés (saffron), francés (safran), italiano (zafferano), hindú, griego, etc. Un posible origen es el de la palabra del francés antiguo safran, que deriva del latín safranum y que proviene de la palabra árabe asfar que significa amarillo y es parónimo de záfaran
Orígenes
Existen referencias del azafrán que datan del año 2300 a. C. A partir de esta fecha son variadas y diversas las referencias sobre su uso en ritos y ceremonias religiosas, en medicina, en la gastronomía, etc.
Una definitiva identificación del azafrán data de 1.700- 1.600 a. C. en una pintura en el palacio de Minos en Knossos en Creta. Otro fresco data de 1.500 a. C. y presenta a una joven cosechando azafrán ceremoniosamente, ha sido descubierto recientemente en Akrotiri en la isla de There. El azafrán es recolectado, picando la flor entera en Minos mientras que las jóvenes de Teran picán solo los estigmas directamente.
En Egipto sobre el 1.000 a.C el azafrán pudo ser usado en embalsamamientos ó más tarde ocasionalmente para colorante de mortajas en donde las momias eran cubiertas, amarillo las hembras y rojo los machos. El azafrán era un importante colorante en la Grecia antigua y en Roma era usado para colorear la ropa de matrimonio. En otro tiempo fue usado como tintes para el pelo por los romanos.
Los griegos lo consideraban como un perfume sensual. Fue esparcido en los vestíbulos, patios, y teatros griegos y en baños romanos; las calles de Roma fueron rociadas con un azafrán cuando Nerón entró en la ciudad.
El azafrán tuvo extraordinaria importancia en el concepto comercial. Comercialmente sigue siendo un artículo importante (especialmente en España). En la Edad Media era la única especia que se cultivaba en Cataluña (tanto en la parte que actualmente està en España como en el Riberal del Rosellón, actualmente en Francia) y Comunidad Valenciana. El azafrán catalán de la Horta de Sant Joan era reconocido por su alta calidad nacional e internacionalmente y uno de los centros de venta más importantes del mediterráneo tanto en la baja edad media como en la edad moderna. Otro foco comercial era Venecia, cuyos compradores principales eran los alemanes. Empleados especiales que formaban parte del Ufficio dello Zafferano e iban armados, se encargaban de la inspección de los comerciantes de azafrán y de evitar que este fuese falsificado. La importancia del comercio del azafrán en Alemania se deduce ya del hecho de que en 1.448 se registró en Verona una partida de azafrán destinada a Alemania que fue evaluada en 10.000 ducados.
Cultivo del azafrán en España
El cultivo del azafrán parece haberse extendido del Oriente al Occidente.
A mediados del siglo X se cultiva esta planta en España, en donde probablemente fue introducida por los árabes. El consumo del azafrán fue continuamente aumentando en la Edad Media extendiéndose a través de la Europa cristiana hasta Inglaterra.
España es actualmente el segundo país productor de azafrán del mundo, y dispone de una denominación de origen protegida para el que se produce en Castilla. Además de en Castilla, se sigue produciendo en Cataluña y en Aragón, donde ya se había cultivado en las edades media y moderna. El azafrán catalán ya tenía por entonces gran prestigio internacional y era la especia más consumida en la cocina tradicional de la época.
Se necesitan 85.000 flores para lograr recolectar un kilogramo de azafrán.
En Ojos Negros (Teruel) siempre se cultivó este producto. Ahora, por lo laborioso del mismo se ha dejado de producir. Estas flores han crecido en una maceta en Teruel.
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