tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90845283737775787172024-03-04T01:26:11.461+01:00Sangria, Sol y SiestaUn blog sobre España que va más alla de los toros y el flamenco.Nieveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00555855797876478378noreply@blogger.comBlogger184125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084528373777578717.post-38476996260200442142016-11-02T20:39:00.000+01:002016-11-02T20:39:18.912+01:00QUEEN SOFIA OF SPAIN CELEBRATES HER 78th BIRTHDAY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It is two years since she became a retired queen, after his son became King Felipe VI and after nearly 39 years on the throne with King Juan Carlos I. I admire her and in fact, she remains one of the most valued royals by most Spaniards.</div>
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Since then Sofia doesn't appear to be bored. Now that she is free from the obligation to attend official events, she can devote her agenda to the things she really enjoys, especially charity ard artistic events. At her home, Greece, she specialized in childcare, music and archeology. Also she is keen in sports and love animals. And she speaks six languages.</div>
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But the mother of Felipe VI is definitely and old fashioned queen, brought up to live in exclusive aristocratic circles and very concerned about maintaning an extreme level of discretion. Her best friends are her cousin, Princess Tatiana Radziwill and her sister Irene, a free spirit who spends a great deal of time in India working with NGIs and has her own room in the Palace of Zarzuela, where the monarchs live. With her, Sofia escapes to Athens from time to time, where she feels free and at home.</div>
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But above many things Sofia is well known for being a passionate grandmother to her eight grandchildren. </div>
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And although some magazines have claimed the monarchs were about to divorce, the reality is that they both live their own lives and are letting Felipe and Letizia take center stage.</div>
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So your Majesty, I wish you a very Happy Birthday and a very happy rest of your life and thanks very much for being such a great Queen for us.</div>
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Nieveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00555855797876478378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084528373777578717.post-49811511267473929182015-12-07T18:05:00.002+01:002015-12-09T20:58:25.258+01:00MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM LEONOR AND SOFIA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I know I haven't published much in this blog lately, in fact, I haven't published anything in this blog along this year (really time passes so quickly and my free time is so short to post in all my blogs as much as I would like to!) but I don't want to let Christmas pass by without greeting all of the friends and followers of Sangria, Sol y Siesta, with this cute Christmas greeting card from the daughters of King Philip and Queen Letizia. Aren't they sweet and lovely?<br />
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The card says: "Every day there is a reason for hope and harmony in our hearts. Let's hope Christmas Christmas always enlighten that path."</div>
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And I take advantage of this Royal Christmas greeting to wish you a</div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU!</span></b></div>
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Nieveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00555855797876478378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084528373777578717.post-80322432049040921292014-12-19T23:03:00.000+01:002014-12-19T23:07:32.542+01:00 SPANISH ROYALS RELEASE CHRISTMAS CARD 2014 FEATURING CORONATION IMAGES<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
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<span lang="EN-GB">The Spanish
royal family have released their first Christmas card since King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia took the Spanish throne
earlier in 2014. </span>The elegant magenta card features two images from the coronation, one
of Felipe and Letizia with their two daughters, Princess Leonor and Infanta
Sofia. And the second picture, on the back, was taken after the excitement of the morning's coronation, when it was time for the new King and Queen of Spain on the balcony of the Royal Palace in Madrid, where the couple beamed and waved down to the crowds of well-wishers who had gathered to witness the historic moment.</div>
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The card has a message in Spanish and English: "Merry Christmas and Happy
New Year 2015", as well as a personalised message from the Spanish royal
family, which reads: "That the excitement, the hope, and the goodwill of
Christmas remain beyond these days of celebration."</div>
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The magenta card also featured eight-year-old Princess Leonor's first signature which
includes the title, Princesa de Asturias.</div>
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The family also shared a card from King Juan Carlos and
Queen Sofia.<br />
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Nieveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00555855797876478378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084528373777578717.post-18252484178927675932014-11-23T21:01:00.002+01:002014-11-23T21:05:15.212+01:00REST IN PEACE DUCHESS OF ALBA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As a little tribute to the recently deceased Duchess of Alba I want to publish again a post about her which I wrote and posted in 2011 in this blog. It said as follows:</div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>"The Duchess of Alba, the grandest grandee in Spain, is said to be able to cross the country from north to south without leaving her estates, and possess more titles than the Queen of England and of highter rank.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>The duchess of Alba is very popular in Spain and very well known abroad, where even she was in the best dressed Vanity Fair last year.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Though it seems international press is starting to name her as "the rocker duchess", I do prefer to name her as the hippy duchess, because she has been always a very free woman, very determined to do her own, following the live and let live hippy motto, because she has always dressed in her own hippy style and because she has always liked to spend holidays in Ibiza (the hippy paradise in Spain).</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart y de Silva was born at the Palace of Liria on March 28th, 1926, in Madrid. The palace houses Francisco de Goya's full-length portrait of Cayetana's ancestor, The Duchess of Alba, reputed to have been his lover and model for his masterworks, The Clothed Maja and The Naked Maja.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>A dazzling beauty in her youth, possessor of 44 noble titles and 150 hereditary ones, in fact according to Guinness World Records, she has more titles recognized by an existing government than any other noble. The duchess is renowned for her forthright character, forged during a high-rolling spell in England in the Second World War where her father, the 17th Duke, was Spanish ambassador in London.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>In 1947 she married Luis Martínez de Irujo y Artacoz, son of the Dukes of Sotomayor, in "the most expensive wedding in the world", according to the press on that date. The couple lived mostly in the ancestral Las Dueñas palace in Seville, and had six children. She is said to have enjoyed a lively love life. The father of her fourth son, Fernando, is widely reported not to have been her husband but the Sevillian flamenco dancer Antonio el Bailarin ("the dancer").</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>After her husband's death in 1972, the duchess controversially married the free-thinking former Jesuit priest Jesus Aguirre y Ortiz de Zarate, in 1978. On his death in 2001, the title and property reverted to Cayetana. Dedicated Alba-watchers say her six children are split over their mother's marriage plans.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>But despite wealth and her bluest of blue blood, Maria del Rosario Cayetana Alfonsa Victoria Eugenia Francisca Fitz-James Stuart y de Silva, 84, is being denied her heart's desire after her children scotched her plans to marry a civil servant 24 years her junior, Alfonso Diez, who says when he is interviewed that he has been in love with the duchess since thirty years ago. "They don't want me to marry, but they change partners more often than I do," the duchess complain about her six children, all of whom made high-profile marriages that ended in divorce. She admits to furious rows with her children over her marriage plans.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Her sons Carlos, Alfonso and Cayetano, are said to oppose the match, while Jacobo, Fernando and Eugenia want their mother to do what makes her happy. At present, Carlos, her eldest son, stands to inherit everything. He has progressively assumed responsibility for the family holdings since Aguirre's death. That may change if she marries again.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>The House of Alba fears for the safety of a sumptuous patrimony should the twice-widowed duchess marry a third time. The duchess is mistress of a fabulous collection of estates, palaces and artworks, including portraits by Goya of an illustrious antecedent said to have been the artist's lover.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>With her piping, querulous voice and eye-popping outfits, the duchess is constantly in the public eye at society weddings and bullfights featuring her ex-son-in-law Francisco ("Fran") Rivera Ordóñez, a popular torero (bullfighter) from a distinguished bullfighting family.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Some gossip columnists hint that Mr Diez is little more than a carpet- bagger battening upon a frail old woman estranged from her children. Others say it's bit much if Spain's top aristocrat can't choose her own partner for her twilight years.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>The fact is that Cayetana de Alba is much more happier since she is dating Alfonso Diez, her health is better and she travels a lot with his boyfriend. But will she finally do her will in this matter and get married to the civil servant? Who knows? Let’s time passes by and we all see!</b></span><br />
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The Duchess of Alba and his last and third great love finally got married in October, 2011.</div>
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Duchess of Alba, many people will miss you because of many reasons, for your joy of life, for your spontaneity with everyone (rich or poor) and specially for your free spirit so far from a sourpuss aristocracy.<br />
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Duchess, rest in peace.</div>
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Nieveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00555855797876478378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084528373777578717.post-49267726673591177882014-07-10T20:23:00.001+02:002014-07-10T20:24:37.223+02:0025 CUTE SUMMER QUOTES<div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"></span> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--mwNRspjBbs/U77Yfh41u4I/AAAAAAAAeyg/WGv6b-5dtBE/s1600/Rockwell+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--mwNRspjBbs/U77Yfh41u4I/AAAAAAAAeyg/WGv6b-5dtBE/s1600/Rockwell+1.jpg" height="320" width="281" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">“Summer was here again. Summer, summer, summer. I loved
and hated summers. Summers had a logic all their own and they always brought
something out in me. Summer was supposed to be about freedom and youth and no
school and possibilities and adventure and exploration. Summer was a book of
hope. That’s why I loved and hated summers. Because they made me want to
believe.” ― Benjamin Alire Sáenz <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">“One must maintain a little bittle of summer, even in the
middle of winter.” ― Henry David Thoreau <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">“I almost wish we were butterflies and liv’d but three
summer days – three such days with you I could fill with more delight than fifty
common years could ever contain.” ― John
Keats<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have
always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” ― Henry
James</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of
winter to give it sweetness.” ― John Steinbeck</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">“I know I am but summer to your heart, and not the full
four seasons of the year.” ― Edna St. Vincent Millay</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">“A man says a lot of things in summer he doesn’t mean in
winter.” ― Patricia Briggs, Dragon Blood</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">“it’s a smile, it’s a kiss, it’s a sip of wine … it’s
summertime!” ― Kenny Chesney</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">“Spring passes and one remembers one’s innocence. Summer
passes and one remembers one’s exuberance. Autumn passes and one remembers one’s
reverence. Winter passes and one remembers one’s perseverance.” ― Yoko
Ono</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TGrw9nezcKI/U77ZMNRyitI/AAAAAAAAezA/eyYp4fhIHe4/s1600/1946+-+Willie+Gillis+at+College+r.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TGrw9nezcKI/U77ZMNRyitI/AAAAAAAAezA/eyYp4fhIHe4/s1600/1946+-+Willie+Gillis+at+College+r.jpg" height="320" width="304" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">“Summer will end soon enough, and childhood as well.” ―
George R.R. Martin</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">“My old grandmother always used to say, Summer friends
will melt away like summer snows, but winter friends are friends forever.” ―
George R.R. Martin</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">“One swallow does not make a summer, neither does one
fine day; similarly one day or brief time of happiness does not make a person
entirely happy.” ― Aristotle</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GhLKh0sMxHM/U77ZSUuFbuI/AAAAAAAAezI/M39gLz8O_yY/s1600/norman+rockwell9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GhLKh0sMxHM/U77ZSUuFbuI/AAAAAAAAezI/M39gLz8O_yY/s1600/norman+rockwell9.jpg" height="320" width="297" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> “If it could only
be like this always – always summer, always alone, the fruit always ripe and
Aloysius in a good temper…” ― Evelyn Waugh</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">“Summertime is always the best of what might be.” ―
Charles Bowden</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">“Summer, after all, is a time when wonderful things can
happen to quiet people. for those few months, you’re not required to be who
everyone thinks you are, and that cut-grass smell in the air and the chance to
dive into the deep end of a pool give you a courage you don’t have the rest of
the year. you can be grateful and easy, with no eyes on you, and no past. summer
just opens the door and lets you out.” ― Deb Caletti</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Yr_FVXkA9JY/U77ZY9kIfvI/AAAAAAAAezQ/5jo9uP7-Tc4/s1600/3693962487_f89fc2f90a_onorman+rockwell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Yr_FVXkA9JY/U77ZY9kIfvI/AAAAAAAAezQ/5jo9uP7-Tc4/s1600/3693962487_f89fc2f90a_onorman+rockwell.jpg" height="320" width="228" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">“Summer bachelors like summer breezes, are never as cool
as they pretend to be.” ― Nora Ephron</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">“Why is summer mist romantic and autumn mist just sad?” ―
Dodie Smith</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> “Summer’s lease
hath all too short a date.” ― William Shakespeare</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X-arA-1O0IA/U77Zex2OlZI/AAAAAAAAezY/aH5H57Npius/s1600/norman+rockwell7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X-arA-1O0IA/U77Zex2OlZI/AAAAAAAAezY/aH5H57Npius/s1600/norman+rockwell7.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">“Some of the best memories are made in flip flops.” ―
Kellie Elmore</span> </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">“One benefit of Summer was that each day we had more
light to read by.” ― Jeannette Walls</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">“In summer the empire of insects spreads.” ― Adam
Zagajewski</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gd5_XibM78I/U77ZjfO77gI/AAAAAAAAezg/184o6EaJF04/s1600/imagesCATE1P93.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gd5_XibM78I/U77ZjfO77gI/AAAAAAAAezg/184o6EaJF04/s1600/imagesCATE1P93.jpg" height="181" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">“A breeze, a forgotten summer, a smile, all can fit into
a storefront window.” ― Dejan Stojanovic </span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">“I wonder what it would be like to live in a world where
it was always June.” ― L.M. Montgomery </span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">“The days draw out, the weather gets warmer, and it’s
what we call summer, with a bitter laugh when we’ve said it.” ― Stan
Barstow <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UBmR-GNH1VU/U77ZpQ6saGI/AAAAAAAAezo/iPUGssf3GFk/s1600/Family-home-from-Vacation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UBmR-GNH1VU/U77ZpQ6saGI/AAAAAAAAezo/iPUGssf3GFk/s1600/Family-home-from-Vacation.jpg" height="320" width="248" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><br /></span></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">“It’s summer and time for wandering…” ― Kellie
Elmore</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">“That familiar conviction that life was beginning over
again with the summer.” ― F Scott
Fitzgerald <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">“August rain: the best of the summer gone, and the new
fall not yet born. The odd uneven time.” ― Sylvia Plath</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">“Watching the summer close is like watching a good kid
die for no apparent reason.” ― Darnell Lamont Walker</span></div>
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sBqYCNRJW-8/U77Ytw7MOfI/AAAAAAAAeyo/--E2rZRkm4s/s1600/sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sBqYCNRJW-8/U77Ytw7MOfI/AAAAAAAAeyo/--E2rZRkm4s/s1600/sunset.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: estrangelo edessa;">And with this post I want to
wish from the blog Sangria, Sol y Siesta a very </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: estrangelo edessa;"><b>HAPPY SUMMER FOR ALL THE VISITORS!</b></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
Nieveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00555855797876478378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084528373777578717.post-6244356227954953062014-06-18T14:20:00.000+02:002014-06-18T14:20:37.344+02:00TIMES OF CHANGES COME TO SPANISH MONARCHY WITH KING FELIPE VI<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Iiy9XTHPrw/U5oj-Csm-9I/AAAAAAAAemU/dx2K7mxqZYs/s1600/infanta-leonor-primera-linea-sucesion--644x362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Iiy9XTHPrw/U5oj-Csm-9I/AAAAAAAAemU/dx2K7mxqZYs/s1600/infanta-leonor-primera-linea-sucesion--644x362.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">After the
country recovered from the shocking news on June 2 about King Juan Carlos
abdication, it was announced that his son Felipe VI would be crowned on June
19.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Juan Carlos
ruled for 39-years following the rowdy times of dictator Francisco Franco, so
Felipe VI’s coronation will be the first one Spain has seen since his father’s
in 1975 and he is the first Spanish monarch to directly inherit the crown in
centuries. </span>The last one was Felipe V in 1701.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A1_YagqKAJU/U5olaxlNfYI/AAAAAAAAemg/DJcB-q1j92E/s1600/RAF22809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A1_YagqKAJU/U5olaxlNfYI/AAAAAAAAemg/DJcB-q1j92E/s1600/RAF22809.jpg" height="320" width="252" /></a></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Hours after
Juan Carlos I announced his abdication, thousands of anti-monarchy protesters
took to the streets ahead of the coronation of Felipe VI to ask for the
abolition of the monarchy. The king made mistakes like we all do, but on
balance, there can be no question that his reign has been positive and King Juan
Carlos will be remembered as a rallying figure who brought Spaniards together
during the transitional period from Franco’s dictatorship to a new democracy. He
has been the best symbol of a peaceful coexistence and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Spain</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s best
spokesman.</span> </div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">But really
the question of whether a modern democracy needs a king in 2014 is another
question. The fact today is that the 1978 Spanish constitution was established
with a majority support of the monarchy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Felipe VI will be crowned at a time of great dissatisfaction<span lang="EN-GB">, not only with the royals, but the
economic and social problems in all of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Spain</st1:place></st1:country-region> and his first task will be to
try to work with all sides. Not an easy job indeed.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>But how is really the new King of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Spain</st1:place></st1:country-region>, Felipe
VI?</i></span><u><o:p></o:p></u></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Felipe is
the third child and only son of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia</span><span lang="EN-GB"> of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Spain</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Born on January 30, <st1:metricconverter productid="1968, in" w:st="on">1968, in</st1:metricconverter> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Madrid</st1:city>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Spain</st1:country-region></st1:place>,
Felipe known also as Felipe de Borbon y Grecia</span><span lang="EN-GB"> as well as the Prince of Asturias
was a popular figure as a schoolboy, dodging palace bodyguards assigned to him
by enlisting the help of his chums. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EywguUalgoc/U5osXlIrVeI/AAAAAAAAepg/9b4YiiHlsd0/s1600/04p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EywguUalgoc/U5osXlIrVeI/AAAAAAAAepg/9b4YiiHlsd0/s1600/04p.jpg" height="200" width="152" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mTdYijG-l-s/U5tkgQyyiLI/AAAAAAAAero/j2hmJja3u-I/s1600/principe-felipe-6--a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mTdYijG-l-s/U5tkgQyyiLI/AAAAAAAAero/j2hmJja3u-I/s1600/principe-felipe-6--a.jpg" height="207" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JtP-WXrrh9I/U5osZLpX6kI/AAAAAAAAepo/0G07aNvpaDQ/s1600/pic2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JtP-WXrrh9I/U5osZLpX6kI/AAAAAAAAepo/0G07aNvpaDQ/s1600/pic2.jpg" height="220" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Wp8fRjQp0A/U5oodWfe5pI/AAAAAAAAems/gO96mdsw4i0/s1600/principe1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Wp8fRjQp0A/U5oodWfe5pI/AAAAAAAAems/gO96mdsw4i0/s1600/principe1.jpg" height="320" width="248" /></a></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB">
</span>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7H2lUhLY74E/U5tkkYIfA2I/AAAAAAAAer8/ECePrqgqIPE/s1600/principe-felipe-12--a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7H2lUhLY74E/U5tkkYIfA2I/AAAAAAAAer8/ECePrqgqIPE/s1600/principe-felipe-12--a.jpg" height="207" width="320" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB">
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]-->
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Apart from
stints in all three branches of the armed forces, the 6ft 4in royal has studied
abroad - in the US, Canada and Brussels - and has both a masters degree in
international relations and a law degree. He speaks French and fluent English, Greek
and Catalanian. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AVzcs0QFbfM/U5osKopGZ7I/AAAAAAAAepY/K_TQ3tSzlfQ/s1600/felipe-3-24-a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AVzcs0QFbfM/U5osKopGZ7I/AAAAAAAAepY/K_TQ3tSzlfQ/s1600/felipe-3-24-a.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iQpw30vT3mo/U5ooqON43mI/AAAAAAAAem0/VZlJU03hHlI/s1600/558574_249px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iQpw30vT3mo/U5ooqON43mI/AAAAAAAAem0/VZlJU03hHlI/s1600/558574_249px.jpg" height="320" width="243" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">He also
loves astronomy, skiing and sailing. He even competed in the 1992 Olympics as a
member of the Spanish sailing team, in the same way his father did two decades
before. Felipe took part in the opening ceremony as the Spanish team’s flag
bearer. He finished in sixth place in the soling class and obtained an Olympic
diploma. Navigation is linked to his holiday in <st1:place w:st="on">Majorca</st1:place>,
an island that loves and in which he feels very comfortable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WgjXhZI8BMQ/U5or9E4Y-VI/AAAAAAAAepQ/172OMgjbtFU/s1600/felipe-3-20-a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WgjXhZI8BMQ/U5or9E4Y-VI/AAAAAAAAepQ/172OMgjbtFU/s1600/felipe-3-20-a.jpg" height="207" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">His role as
heir to the Spanish throne, meant Felipe's love life was inevitably the focus
of much media speculation. He enjo</span>yed a high-profile five-year courtship
with Norwegian model Eva Sannum, which had inspired a debate in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Spain</st1:country-region> as to
whether the Prince should be able to marry a commoner. That relationship came
to an end, however, when the prince announced it had failed to
"thrive". </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Other girlfriends included US Giselle Howard, German royal Carolina de
Waldburg, and aristocrat Isabel Sartorius, with whom he ended a similarly
controversial romance in 1992.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Felipe had always insisted that whoever he chose, it would be "a
relationship based on love, respect and kindness", and when the royal
palace made the surprise announcement of his engagement to 31-year-old
newsreader Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano (a commoner, divorcée and popular public
figure) it seemed the Prince had kept his word. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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The pair tied the knot in the summer of <st1:metricconverter productid="2004 in" w:st="on">2004 in</st1:metricconverter> Madrid's Almudena Cathedral. Their
first child, daugther Leonor, was born on October 31, 2005, and the couple
welcomed their second daughter, Sofia, on April 29, 2007.</div>
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The love and respect Felipe looked for in his life partner is also reflected in
the attitude he holds towards his parents. "In the king (Juan Carlos) I have a father, but also a leader, a friend and a
counsellor," he says. "My mother has provided the humane,
intellectual and spiritual part of my upbringing. <span lang="EN-GB">I’ve often been described as being a combination
of both my parents, physically and in character."</span></div>
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In addition to his official activities, Felipe is Honorary
President of several associations and foundations, such as the Imperial
Munitions Board, which finances specific economic and social development
activities in Ibero-America and other countries, and the Spanish branch of the
Association of European Journalists, which is composed of outstanding
communications professionals. Most noteworthy is the Príncipe de Asturias
Foundation, where he presides annually the awards ceremony of the highly
prestigious Prince of Asturias Awards, at the international level, that carry his name.</div>
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Within the framework of these institutions which work
towards aims of general interest, Felipe focuses his interest on activities in
the fields of development projects, voluntary work, the environment, universities, the integration of young people in the
workplace and business, relations between business circles and society and
social communication.</div>
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On the occasion of the United Nations declaration of 2001 as
the International Year of Volunteers, the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, named Felipe an "Eminent
Person" so that he could contribute on an international level towards
enhancing the importance of voluntary workers.</div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">It's said
that he is the most accomplished Prince nowadays and also he knows to sew a
button or make an Spanish omelette. Those who know him as a child say "he has
never been given importance by being who he is. And that, coupled with their
"listening" and his insightful reviews, makes him to have a seductive
effect on their partners.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">About who
has influenced him the most is the King, who has transmitted his love for his
country above and also his mother whom he owes his good manners and education.
But whom he really takes after is his grandfather Paul, the father of the Queen
Sofia, who was an exemplary man and a great King of Greece .<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7TTLvdiNP28/U5oqAI0kKSI/AAAAAAAAen8/MVK6pcRakhE/s1600/pablo--644x362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7TTLvdiNP28/U5oqAI0kKSI/AAAAAAAAen8/MVK6pcRakhE/s1600/pablo--644x362.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Don
Felipe’s wife, Doña Letizia, has also greatly influenced him. He has become
more human and closer and has helped him to communicate better in public. </span>Indeed,
Don Felipe had noticed her as a television news presenter of TVE. Then I was
impressed by his professionalism on the job, but since he met personally liked
"much more." She was a bright girl, full of sparkle, judiciously,
tenaciously defending their arguments and feet on earth.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_Au48fzkPIo/U5oqSKOIj0I/AAAAAAAAeoM/BLMZC2pCFAs/s1600/4808_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_Au48fzkPIo/U5oqSKOIj0I/AAAAAAAAeoM/BLMZC2pCFAs/s1600/4808_m.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">When Don
Felipe was a kid wanted to be an astrophysicist and still loves scientific
discoveries and technological innovations, but the real passion in his life is
politics in the highest sense. When he had the chance to complete his education
he chose an MA in International Relations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">It's been
18 years in which he has served as an apprentice King, so his new life as Head
of State will not be so different to the latter years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Don Felipe will
keep on living in the same house he has lived since June <st1:metricconverter productid="2002, a" w:st="on">2002, a</st1:metricconverter> Spanish house of <st1:metricconverter productid="1,700 square meters" w:st="on">1,700 square meters</st1:metricconverter>
divided into four levels: a basement (service area), ground floor (initially
was given official use) and a first floor and an attic (both are the private
area).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">The new
King will continue getting up at seven o'clock, as usual, and after having
breakfast with his wife and daughters will walk to the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Zarzuela</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place>.
But instead of heading to the small room located in a basement that had been
issued so far, he will be installed in the bright office Rey, close to the
Audience Hall.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">His assistants admire him. No one has received an only scold from the Prince. They say that
while he is very demanding of himself, he is sympathetic to the faults of
others.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Don Felipe
is meticulous in his job. He travels with his I-Pad, which carries all his reports.
He doesn’t use much papers. He also likes watching some movie when he finishes working
to relax. His favourite hobby is going to the cinema. And also he loves reading
history books and great writers. Don Felipe likes to drive and does it in all
private journeys, though for security reasons, he changes cars often.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">He also
likes to have lunch and dinner out with family and friends. He enjoys good wine
and good food. He likes both the Spanish traditional food and exotic oriental
dishes, from burgers and pizzas shared with her daughters to the sophistication
of the new kitchen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">About his
image, he really doesn’t need to take great care of himself to offer an
unblemished image. He likes wearing short hair to prevent it from forming
curls. When he needs to buy clothes, he uses intermediaries or requests to be
carried to Zarzuela. He only goes shopping to buy a gift or an emergency, as
the day he was seen shopping yogurts in a supermarket.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
On June 19 Felipe will become the youngest king of European monarchies while Leonor, with only 8 years, will be the youngest heir to the royal houses.<br />
<br />
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">As he
assumes his new role, Felipe VI is seen as the hope to unite a country that has
been severely affected by the worldwide financial crisis and high unemployment
in recent years. Let’s give him an opportunity to show how well accomplished he
is for it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Long life
to the new King!</b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
Nieveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00555855797876478378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084528373777578717.post-54563635098011499352014-05-11T16:50:00.002+02:002014-05-27T16:41:35.652+02:00THE 10 OLDEST CITIES IN SPAIN <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3WjBx5cbaQs/U3YjryGYZdI/AAAAAAAAeQU/fUX3naFen30/s1600/cadiz1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3WjBx5cbaQs/U3YjryGYZdI/AAAAAAAAeQU/fUX3naFen30/s1600/cadiz1.jpg" height="270" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">According
to a recent survey made by a Spanish travel website (Minube.com) based on travellers
opinions, these are the 10 oldest cities in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Spain</st1:place></st1:country-region> which besides combines
tradition with modernity. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">For those who have been already to any of these places, you
can judge by yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"> </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;">1-<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><st1:city style="text-indent: -18pt;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span lang="EN-GB">Cadiz</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;">, founded in the XI century b.C. by the Tyrians, it is the oldest city in Spain and also in Europe</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GxNpJaopxmI/U2-EeN3eIJI/AAAAAAAAeH4/dbSLXyYmPDw/s1600/800px-Cadiz06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GxNpJaopxmI/U2-EeN3eIJI/AAAAAAAAeH4/dbSLXyYmPDw/s1600/800px-Cadiz06.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;">2-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><st1:place style="text-indent: -18pt;" w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><span lang="EN-GB">Huelva</span></st1:city></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;">, founded more than 3,000 years ago</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OsOzBpp20NI/U2-HF9omojI/AAAAAAAAeIc/mB5X4MJVeQQ/s1600/vista_de_moguer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OsOzBpp20NI/U2-HF9omojI/AAAAAAAAeIc/mB5X4MJVeQQ/s1600/vista_de_moguer.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;">3-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;">Almuñecar
(<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Granada</st1:city></st1:place>), the
current name comes from Arabic and means “a fortress surrounded” (by
mountains), though in Phoenicians times its name was Sexi (not Sexy) and was founded in VIII century b.C.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--JMneQx_3xw/U2-Guw7oi2I/AAAAAAAAeIM/Aiu5XycU_l0/s1600/800px-Plage_d'Almunecar-Paul_Munhoven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--JMneQx_3xw/U2-Guw7oi2I/AAAAAAAAeIM/Aiu5XycU_l0/s1600/800px-Plage_d'Almunecar-Paul_Munhoven.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;">4-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><st1:city style="text-indent: -18pt;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span lang="EN-GB">Malaga</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;">, called Malaka by the Phoenicians, dates back to the VIII century b.C.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g9FvtExxkVQ/U2-HAJBhjBI/AAAAAAAAeIU/dQHdPQn_T8c/s1600/turismo-malaga_(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g9FvtExxkVQ/U2-HAJBhjBI/AAAAAAAAeIU/dQHdPQn_T8c/s1600/turismo-malaga_(1).jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;">5-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;">Sevilla,
founded in the VIII century b.C. by the Tartessos</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bXHCwxeJyQc/U2-HPAk_w6I/AAAAAAAAeIk/W6iUm_lOYP0/s1600/sevilla-cautiva-1-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bXHCwxeJyQc/U2-HPAk_w6I/AAAAAAAAeIk/W6iUm_lOYP0/s1600/sevilla-cautiva-1-12.jpg" height="270" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;">6-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><st1:place style="text-indent: -18pt;" w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><span lang="EN-GB">Granada</span></st1:city></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;">, founded in the VI century b.C.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4UXsnDnBYhk/U2-KSHiDl9I/AAAAAAAAeIw/GKTrgUBBhFY/s1600/alhambra-de-granada-300x225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4UXsnDnBYhk/U2-KSHiDl9I/AAAAAAAAeIw/GKTrgUBBhFY/s1600/alhambra-de-granada-300x225.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;">7-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;">Lleida,
founded in the VI century b.C. was an important Iberian town</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DifTA5Bv0wM/U2-KZn4aXzI/AAAAAAAAeI4/6xw5gCn3XvI/s1600/extra~imagenes~img_17~articulos~Lerida.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DifTA5Bv0wM/U2-KZn4aXzI/AAAAAAAAeI4/6xw5gCn3XvI/s1600/extra~imagenes~img_17~articulos~Lerida.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;">8-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><st1:place style="text-indent: -18pt;" w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><span lang="EN-GB">Avila</span></st1:city></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;">, founded also in the VI century b.C. is an ancient jewel</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p6E5fCwkXPs/U2-KndJBnbI/AAAAAAAAeJA/O1fxXH2xhrM/s1600/avila_330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p6E5fCwkXPs/U2-KndJBnbI/AAAAAAAAeJA/O1fxXH2xhrM/s1600/avila_330.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;">9-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;">Gijón
(Asturias), its origins dates back to 2,500 years ago</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vnZ7Jw85uF0/U2-KrvTTxcI/AAAAAAAAeJI/oEkvvbAij2M/s1600/puerto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vnZ7Jw85uF0/U2-KrvTTxcI/AAAAAAAAeJI/oEkvvbAij2M/s1600/puerto.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;">10-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><st1:city style="text-indent: -18pt;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span lang="EN-GB">Tarragona</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;">, called Tarraco by the Romanians
has the title of World Heritage</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l1uRZ_pB-mU/U2-K8VxTlQI/AAAAAAAAeJQ/L8qriB1yVws/s1600/tarragona2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l1uRZ_pB-mU/U2-K8VxTlQI/AAAAAAAAeJQ/L8qriB1yVws/s1600/tarragona2.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Though I
have missed some others, like these:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;">11-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><st1:city style="text-indent: -18pt;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span lang="EN-GB">Salamanca</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;">, whose origin dates back to the IV
century b.C.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BUy1zYWiE8A/U2-LDNrdbhI/AAAAAAAAeJY/ANn3Yx7Wvc0/s1600/800px-Salamanca_Catedral-300x177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BUy1zYWiE8A/U2-LDNrdbhI/AAAAAAAAeJY/ANn3Yx7Wvc0/s1600/800px-Salamanca_Catedral-300x177.jpg" height="236" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;">12-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><st1:city style="text-indent: -18pt;" w:st="on"><span lang="EN-GB">Alicante</span></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;"> and <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Barcelona</st1:place></st1:city>,
founded in the III century b.C.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JKhEZUCoxmQ/U2-LKMMXFeI/AAAAAAAAeJg/QuBAbL2DE4Y/s1600/Playa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JKhEZUCoxmQ/U2-LKMMXFeI/AAAAAAAAeJg/QuBAbL2DE4Y/s1600/Playa.jpg" height="270" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alicante</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;">13-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><st1:city style="text-indent: -18pt;" w:st="on"><span lang="EN-GB">Cartagena</span></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;">, Huesca, <st1:city w:st="on">Cordoba</st1:city>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Valencia</st1:country-region> and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Palma</st1:city></st1:place> de Mallorca, founded
in the II century b.C.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x7q3RDsqpYs/U2-LPhov29I/AAAAAAAAeJo/ceO4KX_dqzA/s1600/266px-Teatro_romano_cartagena_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x7q3RDsqpYs/U2-LPhov29I/AAAAAAAAeJo/ceO4KX_dqzA/s1600/266px-Teatro_romano_cartagena_1.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;">14-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><st1:city style="text-indent: -18pt;" w:st="on"><span lang="EN-GB">Lugo</span></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="text-indent: -18pt;">, <st1:city w:st="on">Gerona</st1:city>, <st1:city w:st="on">Pamplona</st1:city>, <st1:city w:st="on">Caceres</st1:city>, <st1:city w:st="on">Merida</st1:city>, León, Astorga, <st1:city w:st="on">Santander</st1:city>
and <st1:place w:st="on">Zaragoza</st1:place> were founded in the I Century b.C.</span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z_dhm8l1ero/U2-N7IM-o5I/AAAAAAAAeKI/UGlYduj0T9o/s1600/Turismo-Rural-Lugo-420x282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z_dhm8l1ero/U2-N7IM-o5I/AAAAAAAAeKI/UGlYduj0T9o/s1600/Turismo-Rural-Lugo-420x282.jpg" height="270" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lugo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IS9XzkHWTVY/U2-N8HwYKeI/AAAAAAAAeKQ/Izll25lMZ5k/s1600/800px-Palacio_Episcopal_de_Astorga_de_noche.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IS9XzkHWTVY/U2-N8HwYKeI/AAAAAAAAeKQ/Izll25lMZ5k/s1600/800px-Palacio_Episcopal_de_Astorga_de_noche.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Astorga</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
And here I
stop for today!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
Nieveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00555855797876478378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084528373777578717.post-41951093105487107922014-04-06T19:28:00.004+02:002014-04-07T22:58:37.923+02:00DAVID MUÑOZ, CHEF REVELATION WITH DIVERXO RSTAURANT<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-degzA-Wraq4/U0GJ7NOxS3I/AAAAAAAAdw0/x5tzeW-dkzQ/s1600/Cocinero-David-Munoz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-degzA-Wraq4/U0GJ7NOxS3I/AAAAAAAAdw0/x5tzeW-dkzQ/s1600/Cocinero-David-Munoz.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Since David
Muñoz (Madrid, 1980) opened with his girlfriend Angela Montero a small restaurant in Madrid Tetuán district in April 2007 (though recently has moved to NH Eurobuilding Hotel, in Padre Damián street), he has had a great career, which has been recently awarded with the 3rd Michelin star for DiverXO
restaurant, due to an outstanding creativity, which fills the kitchen with
aromas, flavours and delicate textures. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1GJy-aecRNc/U0GKOvQ1kUI/AAAAAAAAdw8/YPklZ3IRbQg/s1600/CHILI+CRAB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1GJy-aecRNc/U0GKOvQ1kUI/AAAAAAAAdw8/YPklZ3IRbQg/s1600/CHILI+CRAB.jpg" height="215" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">chilly crab</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9dwg5T51nco/U0GKPtyGPHI/AAAAAAAAdxE/gfE-xt0VH5s/s1600/BOLO%C3%91ESA+COREANA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9dwg5T51nco/U0GKPtyGPHI/AAAAAAAAdxE/gfE-xt0VH5s/s1600/BOLO%C3%91ESA+COREANA.jpg" height="215" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Korean spaghetti bolognese</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T3gSJYq54S8/U0GKQ_d_sdI/AAAAAAAAdxM/LWun5xB6Jpc/s1600/SANDWICH+CLUB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T3gSJYq54S8/U0GKQ_d_sdI/AAAAAAAAdxM/LWun5xB6Jpc/s1600/SANDWICH+CLUB.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sandwich Club</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--7dDIGt1P98/U0GOJI3EXYI/AAAAAAAAdyc/KzGCI6JhjZY/s1600/5204272w-672xXx80.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--7dDIGt1P98/U0GOJI3EXYI/AAAAAAAAdyc/KzGCI6JhjZY/s1600/5204272w-672xXx80.jpg" height="231" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ganori sea urchin with mountain caviar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
At 33 David
Muñoz has become the chef of the year. Criticism has rendered to the chefs and
their feet. And his big
"secret" is "originality". Someone said of him that he paints food on the plates as Bansky paints the walls in the streets.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">David Muñoz
represents a risky bet cuisine that fuses motley recipes laden with cultural
references. But the chef and owner of DiverXO also embodies the incipient
inexperienced entrepreneur, overtaken by events, overworked and uneconomical
view. "As a chef, I would do things I could not as a businessman", the young chef sums up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">In its
first week of life, DiverXO filled with family and friends. With their savings obtained
from the sale of his flat, Muñoz newly
arrived with her partner working in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">London</st1:place></st1:city>,
opened this small restaurante, after nine months of work and billions of
problems. They were even about to give up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zPp5l419rus/U0GKx2DELrI/AAAAAAAAdxU/Fhwh30VCrwo/s1600/2013112100254366601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zPp5l419rus/U0GKx2DELrI/AAAAAAAAdxU/Fhwh30VCrwo/s1600/2013112100254366601.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GtxhnPirK34/U0GK1UxBL9I/AAAAAAAAdxg/4nzBPum29Kk/s1600/Davidmunoz1_TINIMA20131129_0544_18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GtxhnPirK34/U0GK1UxBL9I/AAAAAAAAdxg/4nzBPum29Kk/s1600/Davidmunoz1_TINIMA20131129_0544_18.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">But within
a month DiverXO began to fill and build up a long waiting list. Muñoz had the
merit to edit the original fusion cuisine, when this formula seemed reviled by
the strange mix of the coolest restaurants. He describes his culinary formula
as “powerful flavors and with gypsy-oriental influences".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">With a team
of 9 people, David and Angela lead the everyday DiverXO. They serve an
average of between 18 and 20 clients per service, between 36 and <st1:metricconverter productid="40 a" w:st="on">40 a</st1:metricconverter> day, which let them reach
the point to cover expenses. He said in an interview that to go on holiday to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region> last year
he had to request a loan that will pay for months.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">DiverXO
also represents the restaurant that defies crisis. In recent months, for dinner
on the weekend, you had to book with no less than four months in advance. Today
is full, but he does not forget their own economic clouds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Muñoz says
that in DiverXO everyone has to feel free and at ease, that is why in the
restaurante pigs have wings and the cook wear a crest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZfbdWKL0Sq8/U0GLS826R8I/AAAAAAAAdxo/khWBpojhiU0/s1600/imagesCAVYJWAA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZfbdWKL0Sq8/U0GLS826R8I/AAAAAAAAdxo/khWBpojhiU0/s1600/imagesCAVYJWAA.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PDIDZRVi78g/U0GLVQlYiXI/AAAAAAAAdxw/E0Hk2gjgaDU/s1600/Restaurante-Diverxo-Bull-Dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PDIDZRVi78g/U0GLVQlYiXI/AAAAAAAAdxw/E0Hk2gjgaDU/s1600/Restaurante-Diverxo-Bull-Dog.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XCKsGlDS2Yk/U0GL59LVX2I/AAAAAAAAdyI/eeixzK7c_oE/s1600/principes-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XCKsGlDS2Yk/U0GL59LVX2I/AAAAAAAAdyI/eeixzK7c_oE/s1600/principes-web.jpg" height="176" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prince Philip and Princess Letizia celebrated their <br />
last wedding anniversary at DiverXO</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
And if you
have not tried the food in DiverXO because you can not make a booking for
months, don’t despair because David Muñoz is also the creator of StreetXO, a
fun bar that has a room at Gourmet Experience of El Corte Ingles Plaza del
Callao department store. His team of 28 people are all “mileuristas” (people
whose salary is not higher than 1000 euros), including himself and his wife. It
is not uncommon to see him there cooking on Sunday and Monday.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RDBJQyh3ODE/U0GLhyNMc_I/AAAAAAAAdx4/viXR1Uaawos/s1600/street9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RDBJQyh3ODE/U0GLhyNMc_I/AAAAAAAAdx4/viXR1Uaawos/s1600/street9.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-erfbmnkXClA/U0GMBuZxVoI/AAAAAAAAdyQ/MPS0ymeSI1c/s1600/LA+TARJETA+DE+STREETXO.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-erfbmnkXClA/U0GMBuZxVoI/AAAAAAAAdyQ/MPS0ymeSI1c/s1600/LA+TARJETA+DE+STREETXO.bmp" height="208" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">The formula
will replicate in this spring of <st1:metricconverter productid="2014 in" w:st="on">2014 in</st1:metricconverter> the heart of <st1:city w:st="on">London</st1:city>
's <st1:place w:st="on">Mayfair</st1:place>, where it will open a new StreetXO
in May. In 2015 another in <st1:state w:st="on">New York</st1:state> will be
opened and another one in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Singapore</st1:place></st1:country-region>
in 2016.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">With three
Michelin stars and a National Gastronomy Award, he has also being named the new
"image" of Madrid over this year, in major tourist events in the
world, such as tourism fairs in London, New York or Berlin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">The
Michelin guide says that if a restaurant has 3 stars it is because it has to deserve a trip and I'm sure DiverXO
deserve more than that trip ( although personally I have not had a chance yet
to check it by a simple matter of money! ) .</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xQuHA52iN0o/U0GLpU0REUI/AAAAAAAAdyA/syV0WWmkIE8/s1600/david_munoz_nor-672xXx80.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xQuHA52iN0o/U0GLpU0REUI/AAAAAAAAdyA/syV0WWmkIE8/s1600/david_munoz_nor-672xXx80.jpg" height="196" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB">"If
you have a dream you have to chase it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB">If you want it, you can do it".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u>Fuentes:<o:p></o:p></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.expansion.com/">www.expansion.com</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.elmundo.es/cultura">www.elmundo.es/cultura</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.cincodias.com/">www.cincodias.com</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.abc.es/">www.abc.es</a>/madrid</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
www.mujerhoy.com</div>
Nieveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00555855797876478378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084528373777578717.post-42708466388998180802014-02-23T23:02:00.000+01:002014-02-23T23:16:14.345+01:00RUTH LORENZO WILL REPRESENT SPAIN AT THE 2014 EUROVISION SONG CONTEST<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TQC0XfZq_bs/UwpmRjM2NvI/AAAAAAAAde4/g63Vrh87ZUc/s1600/250px-Ruth_Lorenzo_Red.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TQC0XfZq_bs/UwpmRjM2NvI/AAAAAAAAde4/g63Vrh87ZUc/s1600/250px-Ruth_Lorenzo_Red.jpg" height="400" width="295" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">In a
national final consisting of five artists, the Spanish public and the jury elected
to send Ruth Lorenzo to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Copenhagen</st1:place></st1:city>
with the song “Dancing in the Rain”, a nice and dramatic ballad, sung both in Spanish and English.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/vHjMlA8QVrM" width="420"></iframe>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Ruth
Lorenzo Pascual, better known as Ruth Lorenzo, was born on November 10, <st1:metricconverter productid="1982 in" w:st="on">1982 in Murcia</st1:metricconverter></span><span lang="EN-GB">, a
south-eastern region of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Spain</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
At a very young age she became a fan of the musical Annie</span><span lang="EN-GB"> and
although she had no idea of what the words meant she would sing along to the
songs in English. When she was six years old she discovered music by Montserrat Caballé</span><span lang="EN-GB">, a Catalan opera singer, and after
her mother bought her an album by Caballé, Lorenzo began to sing opera,
imitating Caballé's vocals until she was pitch perfect. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-GB">At the age of 12,
Lorenzo's family moved to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region>
and this was the first time she had the opportunity to be involved in music at
school. After much encouragement from her teachers, Lorenzo was entered into
competitions and played lead roles in musical productions such as "The Phantom
of the Opera" and "My Fair Lady".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">When
Lorenzo turned 16 the family returned to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Spain</st1:place></st1:country-region> and although having had
singing lessons by this time, she had to cancel these lessons due to family
financial difficulty and as a result Lorenzo gave up on her dream of becoming a
recording artist. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">When
Lorenzo was 19 she joined a rock band, which was a challenge for her as she had
only sung opera music. In 2002, she auditioned for the second series of Operación Triunfo</span><span lang="EN-GB">, the Spanish version of Star Academy</span><span lang="EN-GB">,
where she was rejected in the first rounds of auditions. She also made a big
decision to quit her job in her family's business in order to pursue her dreams
once again, but after three years of touring around <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Spain</st1:place></st1:country-region> the group decided to split
up. Ruth landed a contract at Polaris World</span><span lang="EN-GB"> where as well as performing, she worked as a PR consultant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4-ulrxOvEdE/UwposCswOtI/AAAAAAAAdfQ/ugnugQCashw/s1600/13677_ruth-lorenzo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4-ulrxOvEdE/UwposCswOtI/AAAAAAAAdfQ/ugnugQCashw/s1600/13677_ruth-lorenzo.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7LK54upXjxI/UwpvY3_1fYI/AAAAAAAAdgA/qOKNjom6Mws/s1600/Ruth_Lorenzo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7LK54upXjxI/UwpvY3_1fYI/AAAAAAAAdgA/qOKNjom6Mws/s1600/Ruth_Lorenzo.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">In 2008,
Lorenzo auditioned for the fifth series of The X Factor in front of judges Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole and Louis Walsh</span><span lang="EN-GB">. There, she impressed the judges with her
performing such as “A natural woman”, “True colors”, “Take my breath away”, “I
just can’t stop loving you”, “Knockin’on Heavens Door”, “Purple rain” and “Always”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Lorenzo
performed at gigs across the <st1:country-region w:st="on">UK</st1:country-region>
and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ireland</st1:place></st1:country-region>
in December 2008 and January 2009, and at the Spirit of Northern Ireland Awards.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">She has worked
with Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler, Carlos Santana and Danii Minogue, for whom
she had been writing several songs as “Because you are beautiful”. And also has written songs for the Spanish group Auryn.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/GfUD984EbUo" width="420"></iframe>
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/sounaEtyZuc" width="420"></iframe>
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">And finally,
last January she was selected as one of the five candidates to represent <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Spain</st1:place></st1:country-region> at the
2014 Eurovision song contest on 10<sup>th</sup> May, after rejecting the proposal to represent the United Kingdom. The song “Dancing in the
rain” was released on February 18 and quickly it became number one on iTunes</span><span lang="EN-GB"> <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Spain</st1:place></st1:country-region>. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wg1PU35Gg_o/UwpoyDLv8nI/AAAAAAAAdfY/H5Z58JhJvBw/s1600/Ruth-Lorenzo-1898031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wg1PU35Gg_o/UwpoyDLv8nI/AAAAAAAAdfY/H5Z58JhJvBw/s1600/Ruth-Lorenzo-1898031.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Now we will have to wait for the Eurovision contest to take place in Copenhaguen and to wish Ruth all the best luck for this young woman whose favourite Disney character is The little Seamaid, not because she is looking for love but because she is looking for freedom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RGmMeQ_4s3g/UwptDbSDEwI/AAAAAAAAdfw/QqoZIMlMmPU/s1600/imagenes-imajenes-de-la-sirenita-35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RGmMeQ_4s3g/UwptDbSDEwI/AAAAAAAAdfw/QqoZIMlMmPU/s1600/imagenes-imajenes-de-la-sirenita-35.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br /></div>
Nieveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00555855797876478378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084528373777578717.post-90158712334613600872013-12-16T22:19:00.000+01:002013-12-16T22:20:31.688+01:00HAPPY ROYAL CHRISTMAS!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eh0yhDJca8Y/Uq9SsXqTVuI/AAAAAAAAcgA/VZTH4PRpUOw/s1600/felicitacion_principes_web_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eh0yhDJca8Y/Uq9SsXqTVuI/AAAAAAAAcgA/VZTH4PRpUOw/s400/felicitacion_principes_web_2.jpg" width="275" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">On Monday, the Spanish Royal House has posted on its website "Christmas with the Royal Family" welcoming holidays to the Spanish. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Two days
after the previous year, they have followed the same pattern
as in 2012: it only appears congratulations of the Prince and Princess of Asturias
and the Infanta Leonor and Sofia, who signs the card with their parents. No
sign of Elena and her children, Froilan and Victoria Federica Infanta, who
sent separately as they did last year, or the family Urdangarin, still in his
Swiss retreat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MoHHgHqywRs/Uq9S1gJR5iI/AAAAAAAAcgI/S-8t17JtB-4/s1600/o-FELICITACION-FAMILIA-REAL-570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MoHHgHqywRs/Uq9S1gJR5iI/AAAAAAAAcgI/S-8t17JtB-4/s400/o-FELICITACION-FAMILIA-REAL-570.jpg" width="276" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB">With a picture with his daughters, the Prince and Princess have chosen again by congratulating Christmas holidays in a very personal way with a snapshot on the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Prado</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Museum</st1:placetype></st1:place> with the exhibition Velázquez and the family of Felipe IV, inaugurated on October 7th in the Reina Sofia Museum. <o:p></o:p></span>It has as background a portrait of the Infanta Margarita, painted by the Spanish painter Diego Velázquez (1599-1660).</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gOoY-kHEI7s/Uq9TKIzlSVI/AAAAAAAAcgY/3U3M7JTVNpE/s1600/felicitacion_principes_web_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gOoY-kHEI7s/Uq9TKIzlSVI/AAAAAAAAcgY/3U3M7JTVNpE/s400/felicitacion_principes_web_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">This time King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia wanted to congratulate the holidays with a very
traditional Chritsmas, a reproduction of Adoration of the Shepherds by Jacopo
Bassano, part of the Royal Collection of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">National</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Museum</st1:placetype></st1:place>
of the Prado.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gMAhBAck4yg/Uq9TBiuopKI/AAAAAAAAcgQ/OH4ITQDj5M8/s1600/felicitacion_reyes_web_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gMAhBAck4yg/Uq9TBiuopKI/AAAAAAAAcgQ/OH4ITQDj5M8/s400/felicitacion_reyes_web_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">If you want to see the Royal Christmas congratulations of previous years, click on these links:</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://sangriasolysiesta.blogspot.com.es/2011/12/christmas-cards-2011-from-spanish-royal.html">Royal Christmas Cards 2011</a></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://sangriasolysiesta.blogspot.com.es/2010/12/spanish-royal-family-christmas.html">Royal Christmas Cards 2010</a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><b><u><i>Source:</i></u></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.vanitatis.com/">www.vanitatis.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Nieveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00555855797876478378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084528373777578717.post-6688391788584220462013-11-29T22:13:00.000+01:002013-11-29T22:19:02.165+01:00BANKSY GRAFFITIES DECORATE THE NEW ANTONIO BANDERAS HOUSE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7fumm_bKKd8/Upj_dRaP1AI/AAAAAAAAcAE/41_1mou-9MY/s1600/banksy-dreams_00349040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7fumm_bKKd8/Upj_dRaP1AI/AAAAAAAAcAE/41_1mou-9MY/s400/banksy-dreams_00349040.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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</div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">It is very well
known the passion for the art of Antonio Banderas, who is not only reduced to
his work as an actor but extends to other fields, such as painting or
photography, a passion that the artist has brought to light in several
exhibitions such as the recent "Women in gold" by portraying the
female figure through its objective and for which he had to the Spanish actress
<b><i><span style="color: blue;">Paz Vega</span></i></b> as muse.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r0hADF6nZUM/UpkDCtw53hI/AAAAAAAAcBg/z5jLo8bnbqk/s1600/imagenes_2013_10_22_Foto_Luxury_02_almudena_puig_574884299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r0hADF6nZUM/UpkDCtw53hI/AAAAAAAAcBg/z5jLo8bnbqk/s320/imagenes_2013_10_22_Foto_Luxury_02_almudena_puig_574884299.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">And now
<span style="color: blue;"><b><i>Antonio Banderas and his wife Melanie Griffith</i></b></span> have decided to radically change
their new New York exclusive penthouse of <st1:metricconverter productid="371 square meters" w:st="on">371 square meters</st1:metricconverter>,
combining classic Hollywood style with Art Decó and the most famous graffiti
art currently, Banksy (born in Bristol in 1974), has been chosen to decorate it with some of his works,
forming an explosive combination of mainly dark colors with a flash of color.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0PEmQI2m9iA/UpkCMBqkbtI/AAAAAAAAcBU/vNSBoL5meQ4/s1600/article-1196484-019490030000044D-442_468x376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0PEmQI2m9iA/UpkCMBqkbtI/AAAAAAAAcBU/vNSBoL5meQ4/s320/article-1196484-019490030000044D-442_468x376.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Banksy</span></i></b>, who
refuses to reveal his identity so far, began his career spray painting
buildings in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Bristol</st1:city>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">England</st1:country-region></st1:place>. With his acid humor and
strong sense of social criticism, went from being considered a criminal by the
British police to be revered as a street artist, whose works reach thousands of
euros in the art market. Loved by many and criticized by others, what it is
certain is that he doesn’t leave anyone indifferent, as it has happened to
Antonio Banderas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--ASqu618aYQ/Upj_byccQwI/AAAAAAAAcAA/wOOhP-iE3PU/s1600/2508695615_7361d11105_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--ASqu618aYQ/Upj_byccQwI/AAAAAAAAcAA/wOOhP-iE3PU/s320/2508695615_7361d11105_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bQ2sNelbrA4/UpkBPda_VOI/AAAAAAAAcAY/YY7QLD9avqg/s1600/banksy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bQ2sNelbrA4/UpkBPda_VOI/AAAAAAAAcAY/YY7QLD9avqg/s320/banksy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KDLuOc_7tVk/UpkBP1PnGzI/AAAAAAAAcAc/3my4SfUwL7w/s1600/Banksy-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KDLuOc_7tVk/UpkBP1PnGzI/AAAAAAAAcAc/3my4SfUwL7w/s320/Banksy-15.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JeNdPWO6nCM/UpkBRATVgSI/AAAAAAAAcAo/WYNa9-Ts-1o/s1600/banksy-love-one%2520eyeland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JeNdPWO6nCM/UpkBRATVgSI/AAAAAAAAcAo/WYNa9-Ts-1o/s320/banksy-love-one%2520eyeland.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X1ElBFqdaVw/UpkBTI_TQDI/AAAAAAAAcAw/lJMXyAjU_ms/s1600/Banksy-Street-Art-Tap-Phoned-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X1ElBFqdaVw/UpkBTI_TQDI/AAAAAAAAcAw/lJMXyAjU_ms/s320/Banksy-Street-Art-Tap-Phoned-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QCvuVW2o_lk/UpkBUGwHcqI/AAAAAAAAcA4/cSy3ht5e7sA/s1600/san.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QCvuVW2o_lk/UpkBUGwHcqI/AAAAAAAAcA4/cSy3ht5e7sA/s320/san.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CU3-D7L3lxQ/UpkBU6GN0mI/AAAAAAAAcBA/vELkizYTTK4/s1600/131025134737-01-banksy-1025-horizontal-gallery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CU3-D7L3lxQ/UpkBU6GN0mI/AAAAAAAAcBA/vELkizYTTK4/s320/131025134737-01-banksy-1025-horizontal-gallery.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0gvIbMTC9mo/UpkBWkxqspI/AAAAAAAAcBI/xlwkI4EEoCE/s1600/street_art_74_banksy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0gvIbMTC9mo/UpkBWkxqspI/AAAAAAAAcBI/xlwkI4EEoCE/s320/street_art_74_banksy.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> I am really very curious to know what will be the grafitti <br />
that Antonio will choose for his new house</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">And as if Antonio Banderas wouldn’t be versatile enough,
he has also heavily involved with the world of fine arts painting a replica of
the " Guernica" by Pablo Picasso to learn more about the personality
of the great painter from Malaga, the character that Antonio will play next year in the movie
"33 days " directed by Spanish director Carlos Saura and co-performed
by Gwyneth Paltrow, whose title refers to the 33 days that took Picasso to
paint his masterpiece.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C9ZfnzOlOAE/UpkBAwZ-OuI/AAAAAAAAcAQ/6k4TVB2CiVw/s1600/picburri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C9ZfnzOlOAE/UpkBAwZ-OuI/AAAAAAAAcAQ/6k4TVB2CiVw/s320/picburri.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picasso (1957)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
Nieveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00555855797876478378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084528373777578717.post-88781533896986479272013-08-31T00:05:00.000+02:002013-08-31T15:02:56.499+02:00CLOSED FOR REST OF THE STAFF (THAT'S ME!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s3cHyVUz2mI/UiDs8yHJ8wI/AAAAAAAAbMM/xzDPSx5WbtQ/s1600/imagesCA3Z0I0M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s3cHyVUz2mI/UiDs8yHJ8wI/AAAAAAAAbMM/xzDPSx5WbtQ/s400/imagesCA3Z0I0M.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Pues si, cerrado por descanso del personal (osea, de mi), que no por
vacaciones, aunque alguna que otra escapada habrá entre medias. Pero el
objetivo fundamental de este cierre temporal es descansar del trabajo que
supone mantener más o menos actualizados cinco blogs, perdón, seis con el
último y muy reciente, de reflexiones y refranes.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Descanso sin obligaciones, sin metas, sin
plazos, sin objetivos …… porque bloguear es un trabajo, intenso y placentero,
pero un trabajo al fin y al cabo, desde el mismo momento en que supone una
inversión y un desgaste de energía, esfuerzo y dedicación.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Y como también hay otros campos que se
llevan (o deben llevarse) otra parte importante de mi dedicación (dejando mi
trabajo mercenario aparte), como son: la pareja, las amistades, la familia, la
casa, otras aficiones, etc., el resultado es que cuando la balanza se
desequilibra, hay que parar para volver a repartirlo todo en su justa medida.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Y sobre todo, porque cuando el cuerpo y la
mente piden descanso, hay que escucharles y hacerles caso. Esto es un
"vicio", y como en todo vicio, hay que desintoxicarse de vez en
cuando, para demostrarle que aquí el que manda eres tú, y no él (jejeje).<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Así que, durante varias semanas este blog
y los 5 restantes, estarán en stand-by, aunque con el pilotito rojo encendido
para quién siga pasando por ellos.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Decía un poeta romano de la antiguedad que cualquier tipo
de vida, sin descansos alternativos, no podía ser duradera. Claro que, Walter
Scott también decía que descansar demasiado era oxidarse……..</div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
See you in autumn!</div>
</div>
Nieveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00555855797876478378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084528373777578717.post-49986273020274882602013-07-14T16:01:00.001+02:002013-07-14T16:13:29.386+02:00 MORAYMA, THE LAST MOORISH QUEEN AND THE BEAUTIFUL LECRIN VALLEY, A PARADISE FROZEN IN TIME<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-51unXhDjJPs/UeHYZOe7pQI/AAAAAAAAaQ0/UVURUwfRYJ0/s1600/morayma+and+Lecrin+Valley+for+the+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-51unXhDjJPs/UeHYZOe7pQI/AAAAAAAAaQ0/UVURUwfRYJ0/s400/morayma+and+Lecrin+Valley+for+the+cover.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">When Muslims
arrived, in the seventh century, to a country called “Hispania”, attracted by
rumours of riches and treasures, they discovered a fertile paradise valley,
located in a basin bordered by mountains. That place had everything they
cherished: good soil, rivers that ran freely and the natural protection of
their mountains, so they stayed there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Captivated
by its beauty, they called it The Lecrin Valley (or "<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Valley</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Joy</st1:placename></st1:place>").
It was also known to the Arabs as "district of sugarcane", since this
region was on the way to the sugar cane plantations of the coast of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Granada</st1:city></st1:place>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">In
addition, in that valley people lived happily for a long time, until at the end
of the fifteenth century, they went into exile in <st1:place w:st="on">North
Africa</st1:place>, expelled by the Catholic Monarchs in the Reconquer Wars<b>.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">More than
five hundred years after this garden full of crops and fruits, still retains
its Moorish essence. In this valley, a heady fragrance of orange blossoms and
lemon trees scent the air in spring. In addition, old flourmills, Muslims castles,
canals and charming cottages, spread
over this entire quiet and bright region. It also enjoys a real
microclimate, where there is little rainfall<b>.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1FDzwnA7DHA/UeHZUTFvfFI/AAAAAAAAaRk/WTKMw7xWz8o/s1600/Grenades.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1FDzwnA7DHA/UeHZUTFvfFI/AAAAAAAAaRk/WTKMw7xWz8o/s400/Grenades.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e_cgiB9AFF0/UeHZWg692NI/AAAAAAAAaRs/TwlwF4-j4k0/s1600/Dillar+River.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e_cgiB9AFF0/UeHZWg692NI/AAAAAAAAaRs/TwlwF4-j4k0/s320/Dillar+River.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">The <st1:placename w:st="on">Lecrin</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Valley</st1:placetype>
is just 25 minutes from <st1:city w:st="on">Granada</st1:city> going to the north
and if you take the opposite direction, you can get to the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Tropical</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Coast</st1:placetype></st1:place>.
Within 40 minutes you can ski in the <st1:place w:st="on">Sierra Nevada</st1:place>
heading east. In addition, in less than an hour you can visit the villages of the Alpujarra. Therefore, for
all this, its situation is magnificent and privileged.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M8ijzt9l3Ns/UeHYowQT5EI/AAAAAAAAaQ8/OGeCsEJzGSA/s1600/One+village+on+the++Lecrin+Valley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M8ijzt9l3Ns/UeHYowQT5EI/AAAAAAAAaQ8/OGeCsEJzGSA/s320/One+village+on+the++Lecrin+Valley.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l1rlh0qqMOU/UeHYps6U96I/AAAAAAAAaRA/rrEPS_-Pt6Q/s1600/A+sunset+on+the+Valley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l1rlh0qqMOU/UeHYps6U96I/AAAAAAAAaRA/rrEPS_-Pt6Q/s320/A+sunset+on+the+Valley.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DQHS2H8yjXs/UeHYsMB_lyI/AAAAAAAAaRM/hFjZdjQ_hUE/s1600/Durcal+Bridge,+also+known+as+Puente+de+Lata.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DQHS2H8yjXs/UeHYsMB_lyI/AAAAAAAAaRM/hFjZdjQ_hUE/s320/Durcal+Bridge,+also+known+as+Puente+de+Lata.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">This land
and the villages and people who live in them (there are 23 villages), still remains
serene and beautiful, receiving each year thousands of visitors from around the
world, who want to find the authenticity of the simple life where one has the
impression that time has stopped there.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB"> </span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_I9ER0Y6T2Q/UeHYtiJZlZI/AAAAAAAAaRU/s2hZFwEwzRI/s1600/Acequias,+one+village+in+the+Valley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_I9ER0Y6T2Q/UeHYtiJZlZI/AAAAAAAAaRU/s2hZFwEwzRI/s320/Acequias,+one+village+in+the+Valley.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Their
houses are whitewashed inside and out, with this typical whiteness of all
Andalucia, with a closed structure and the houses attached to each other
forming blocks that are separated by narrow lanes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Besides
being an ideal place for relaxation and rest, so is to live fully the nature
performing a wide range of activities such as gliding, horseback riding, hiking
through rivers and mountains, cycling or practicing birds watching. In
addition, very close to the valley you can ski in Sierra Nevada, play golf or
practise scuba diving, snorkelling or surfing in the nearby waters of the <st1:place w:st="on">Mediterranean Sea</st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lTShmXJKYfI/UeHZhKgSK-I/AAAAAAAAaR0/CzcyfGd1Zi8/s1600/Durcal+River.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lTShmXJKYfI/UeHZhKgSK-I/AAAAAAAAaR0/CzcyfGd1Zi8/s320/Durcal+River.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">You can
also make many different cultural routes, visiting their mills, orchards and
castles, as well as visiting local festivals or open-air markets of farmers and
artisans, enjoying its art and gastronomy, among many other activities. Not to
mention the nearby city of <st1:city w:st="on">Granada</st1:city>, where
so many attractions are offered, the first of which is the world famous <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Alhambra</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">And among all
those Muslims castles, there is that of Mondújar, where the Nazaries Kings of
Granada, were buried and where it is believed that the last burial which was
held, was of Morayma, wife of Boabdil.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Morayma,
the last Moorish queen, was born in Loja (west of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Granada</st1:city></st1:place>) and was the daughter of Aliatar,
Boabdil’s partner in the struggles in which they participated. One day when he was
returning from one of his daily battles their eyes met forever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">At 15 she
married Boabdil, in a royal wedding with great pomp and joy, surely one of the
few happy moments of his life. According to historians, she was a beautiful
woman with big eyes and sweet face.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vyrsB0_5qOE/UeHY_D4LIbI/AAAAAAAAaRg/tZR9HTzaJWQ/s1600/morayma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vyrsB0_5qOE/UeHY_D4LIbI/AAAAAAAAaRg/tZR9HTzaJWQ/s320/morayma.jpg" width="277" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">A few days
after the wedding, Mulay Hacén (Boabdil’s father) imprisoned his son,
separating him from his young wife and locking her in a Carmen (house with
garden and orchard) in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Granada</st1:city></st1:place>.
For years he was a woman abandoned by her husband's ongoing battles and had to
bear<b> </b>a life of constant confinement,
away from her husband and her two sons (Ahmed and Yusuf), kidnapped by the
Catholic Monarchs during 9 years, in return to release Boabdil, until
capitulations signed by Boabdil took place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Meanwhile
all of this happened, Morayma lived with her mother in law, Aixa, a resentful
and spiteful woman, due to the neglect of her husband, who fell into the arms
of his new favourite, Zoraida (a Christian woman named Isabel de Solis) who would
become his second wife. For this reason, Aixa was constantly encouraging his
son to fight against his father.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">It is said that
one day Morayma consulted a wise astrologer, very famous in the kingdom, about
the horoscope of King Boabdil. And the old man replied: "The stars say that
the last Mazarin King will live long but also he will suffer a lot".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">When she
was 26 years old, shortly before her husband went into exile in <st1:city w:st="on">Fez</st1:city> (<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Morocco</st1:country-region></st1:place>),
she died. She was buried in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">village</st1:placetype>
of <st1:placename w:st="on">Mondujar</st1:placename></st1:place>, along with
the other nazaries kings. Her body was placed on the ground facing The Mecca, fulfilling
her wishes, since Morayma was a very pious woman.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Surely Boabdil
loved her loyal and faithful wife very much, since after leaving for the exile he
never got married again. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
It is very paradoxical
that this queen, whose life was not nearly as sweet as a fairy tale, it is
finally resting somewhere in the beautiful “Valley of Joy”, a place where Muslims were
captivated and enthralled for centuries. And when you visit it some time, then you will realise
and understand why .....<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cqIkNhf603k/UeKxnYScHtI/AAAAAAAAaT0/POuPxMas1uE/s1600/01-05-09+155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cqIkNhf603k/UeKxnYScHtI/AAAAAAAAaT0/POuPxMas1uE/s400/01-05-09+155.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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</div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
Nieveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00555855797876478378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084528373777578717.post-52129166048318210852013-06-02T20:00:00.003+02:002013-06-02T20:01:38.424+02:00THE 15 MOST BEAUTIFUL VILLAGES IN SPAIN<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-27qiGlFsvMU/UauF30l2KFI/AAAAAAAAZgc/MrCDK-dCg8c/s1600/CIMG7918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-27qiGlFsvMU/UauF30l2KFI/AAAAAAAAZgc/MrCDK-dCg8c/s400/CIMG7918.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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</div>
<br />
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</div>
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</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">A few days
ago a website specializing in tourism "TripAdvisor" conducted a
survey of its readers to make a list of the 15 most beautiful villages in Spain
and the result of this particular ranking was published in Travel, a national magazine considered one of the most
prestigious publications in its field on the Internet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Users not
only have rated the beauty of the
locations selected and its rich artistic heritage, but also they have valued
their preferences for hotels, restaurants and services.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">And these
are the 15 most voted villages as they have appeared in the ranking:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
1) Ronda (Malaga)</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4ZeEtPuPspE/UauDbCzyYUI/AAAAAAAAZeU/dCuhW9sMc9Q/s1600/RONDA_~1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4ZeEtPuPspE/UauDbCzyYUI/AAAAAAAAZeU/dCuhW9sMc9Q/s320/RONDA_~1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
2) Vejer de la Frontera (Cadiz)</div>
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hKg-PqJEl3w/UauHaHFQ0qI/AAAAAAAAZgs/g1TLXFdstZc/s1600/Vejer_de_la_Frontera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hKg-PqJEl3w/UauHaHFQ0qI/AAAAAAAAZgs/g1TLXFdstZc/s320/Vejer_de_la_Frontera.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
3) Cangas de Onis (Asturias)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KW7l2hPpFvo/UauDr2HvwbI/AAAAAAAAZek/-AeTwdRhsj0/s1600/cangas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KW7l2hPpFvo/UauDr2HvwbI/AAAAAAAAZek/-AeTwdRhsj0/s320/cangas.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
4) Altea (Alicante)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ddVYnO9KzNA/UauDwlbCbHI/AAAAAAAAZes/Mg-c6dIx_ZQ/s1600/altea3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ddVYnO9KzNA/UauDwlbCbHI/AAAAAAAAZes/Mg-c6dIx_ZQ/s320/altea3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
5) Albarracin (Teruel)</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IAoLunfYdDg/UauD1k02ZfI/AAAAAAAAZe0/BKlfQ5j8cO8/s1600/ALBARRACIN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IAoLunfYdDg/UauD1k02ZfI/AAAAAAAAZe0/BKlfQ5j8cO8/s320/ALBARRACIN.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
6) Ubeda (Jaen)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-muk7OcyJqu0/UauD7r2jc8I/AAAAAAAAZe8/z5iZ_e2CjeI/s1600/UBEDA.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-muk7OcyJqu0/UauD7r2jc8I/AAAAAAAAZe8/z5iZ_e2CjeI/s320/UBEDA.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
7) Hervas (Caceres)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jfueujas20E/UauEASfT0EI/AAAAAAAAZfE/h8dWuSEmA5g/s1600/HERVAS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jfueujas20E/UauEASfT0EI/AAAAAAAAZfE/h8dWuSEmA5g/s320/HERVAS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
8) Cudillero (Asturias)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e1gBUet85jY/UauEOEC3iWI/AAAAAAAAZfM/Xq9NuQT1WJ0/s1600/4086376511_581cde0be9_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e1gBUet85jY/UauEOEC3iWI/AAAAAAAAZfM/Xq9NuQT1WJ0/s320/4086376511_581cde0be9_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
9) Priego (Cordoba)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-of3lXG0znrw/UauEVLroWyI/AAAAAAAAZfU/B9LUeTTBoL8/s1600/calle_priego_cordoba_t1400425_jpg_1306973099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-of3lXG0znrw/UauEVLroWyI/AAAAAAAAZfU/B9LUeTTBoL8/s320/calle_priego_cordoba_t1400425_jpg_1306973099.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
10) Laguardia (Alava)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oSMuKyK5rjg/UauEbi6aeNI/AAAAAAAAZfc/JAEeqk8jB4E/s1600/LAGUARDIA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oSMuKyK5rjg/UauEbi6aeNI/AAAAAAAAZfc/JAEeqk8jB4E/s320/LAGUARDIA.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
11) Alquezar (Huesca)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wwXuT37LlWQ/UauEhGU1FhI/AAAAAAAAZfk/bZY3seJKzzI/s1600/ALQUEZAR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wwXuT37LlWQ/UauEhGU1FhI/AAAAAAAAZfk/bZY3seJKzzI/s320/ALQUEZAR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
12) Hondarribia (Guipuzcoa)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SKpoOU9SXfo/UauEnij7awI/AAAAAAAAZfs/M6msyJ945M0/s1600/Plaza_guipuzcoa_hondarribia_fuenterrabia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SKpoOU9SXfo/UauEnij7awI/AAAAAAAAZfs/M6msyJ945M0/s320/Plaza_guipuzcoa_hondarribia_fuenterrabia.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
13) Chinchon (Madrid)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5c-6cxcjo_I/UauEwOEKMcI/AAAAAAAAZf0/EYQzZOb1CdY/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5c-6cxcjo_I/UauEwOEKMcI/AAAAAAAAZf0/EYQzZOb1CdY/s320/4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
14) Ribadesella (Asturias)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sOCCZiHfmZU/UauE2bPtFRI/AAAAAAAAZf8/GZOXQgMu_UU/s1600/Ribadesella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sOCCZiHfmZU/UauE2bPtFRI/AAAAAAAAZf8/GZOXQgMu_UU/s320/Ribadesella.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
15) Alcalá de Henares (Madrid)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aZssU1Hqh5I/UauE8ueSe2I/AAAAAAAAZgE/t1l5GF4pae8/s1600/ALCALA+DE+HENARES.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aZssU1Hqh5I/UauE8ueSe2I/AAAAAAAAZgE/t1l5GF4pae8/s320/ALCALA+DE+HENARES.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Because of
their medieval air, of bordering the Mediterranean or the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Cantabrian</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Sea</st1:placetype></st1:place>,
of being isolated in the mountains..... all of them are very good reasons to
have received the votes of the TripAdvisor users, to be considered and selected
as the most beautiful villages in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Spain</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Among these
fifteen locations highlighted by the magazine Travel, four are Andalusian (Ronda,
Vejer de la Frontera,Úbeda and Priego), three are from Asturias (Cudillero,Cangas
de Onis and Ribadesella), two from Aragón (Albarracin and Alquézar), and two
are in Madrid (Chinchon and Alcala de Henares), completing the list with Altea
(un Valencia district), Hervas (Extremadura), La Guardia (La Rioja) and
Hondarribia (Basque Country).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">And as it usually happens, the question with such rankings is: Are all of them the nicest villages
in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Spain</st1:place></st1:country-region>?
Are the nicest villages in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Spain</st1:place></st1:country-region>
on that list? For instance, I wonder why there are not any villages from the Canary Islands or from Catalonian. So, definitevely, I should say: no, they are not, because it is
always very hard to choose in a short list the best of anything, for me it is simply impossible. In fact, as for myself, I would add villages as: Torla (Huesca),
Tossa de Mar (Gerona), Sanjenjo (Pontevedra),
Cadaques or Besalú (<st1:city w:st="on">Gerona</st1:city>), la Alberca (<st1:city w:st="on">Salamanca</st1:city>), Frias (<st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Burgos</st1:place></st1:city>), ....... and many more indeed.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">But anyway,
what it is certain is that any of these 15 villages are worth visiting them, if you
haven’t visited them yet!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
Nieveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00555855797876478378noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084528373777578717.post-26434755896223340942013-04-23T22:00:00.001+02:002013-04-23T23:48:41.699+02:00EUGENIA DE MONTIJO, THE SPANISH EMPRESS OF THE FRENCH<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Legend says that that Eugenia was born in the middle
of an earthquake, and that she was brought up among bohemian, prostitutes,
lenders, bandits, dukes and beggars. Eugenia was born in <st1:city w:st="on">Granada</st1:city>,
where she spent the first four years of her life, then moved with her family to
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Madrid</st1:state></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Maria Eugenia was actually Baroness Countess of Teba
and her older sister, Francisca de Sales, the real Countess of Montijo.
Francisca was a brown-haired person whose sweet nature and spiritual calm
contrasted with that of her sister, one-year younger, reddish hair, vivacious
and confident. Both sisters were very beautiful. If the goal of the two
daughters of Count de Montijo had been marrying well, they both got indeed. The
eldest daughter married the Duke of Alba and the youngest became Empress of
France.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After a few years, their mother Maria Manuela
Kirkpatrick (of Scottish descent), decided to move with her children to <st1:city w:st="on">Paris</st1:city>, alternating with brief stays in <st1:city w:st="on">Madrid</st1:city>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">England</st1:country-region> and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Granada</st1:city></st1:place>. By the way, it is
said that Prosper Merimée wrote the famous opera “Carmen” based upon Manuela.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Duke of Alba for some time was torn between Francisca
and Eugenia, but finally settled on the first. It was written that Eugenia was
so upset by the election, that she poisoned the milk diluted with matches to
kill herself. It was her first love disappointment of her life and shortly
after this disappointment would be followed by another, perhaps not so
impetuous, but appeared to leave a deeper mark. Since then, in love
relationships Eugenia ruled a coldness and prevention feeling. She was not going
back to trust any man. Not even her future husband.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It seems that the meeting between Eugenia and Napoleon
III was not casual. According to sources, they met through her mother, who
wanted a good match for her two daughters. At 27 Eugenia had a reputation of
being adventurous, ambitious and unscrupulous. The beauty of the young
grenadine aristocrat enchanted the future emperor of France, Louis Napoleon.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It is said that Napoleon went crazy about Eugenia, who
to inflame him, used a tactic as old as effective: to deny him her virginity. The
courtship lasted two years. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In addition, if it is true the story that is told, the
future emperor had to be stopped in their carnal cravings by young Andalusian.
In one of the first meetings, he asked her where the way to her bedroom was and
she replied him emphatically, but with her best smile: “through the Church”.
Whether this story is or it is not certain, the situation would explain fully
the moral behaviour of each of them. Louis Napoleon, after his marriage, kept public
infidelities with several lovers, while Eugenia, quite a conservative Catholic,
had close relations with <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Rome</st1:city></st1:place>
and financially protected several religious communities.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Although the desire for Eugenia was extinguished after
a wedding night as wild as disappointing, Napoleon the Little, as Victor Hugo
called him, was diagnosed by his doctor as "a tortured man in the
flesh." They say that he slept with so many women who had to design for
him a special chair to have sex.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He was unfaithful just right from the wedding trip,
although it seems that it did not affect Eugenia too much, since she did not love him. She
married him only to be empress. And his love affairs suited her in order to let
her to take active part in politics, giving ideas to turn Paris into the City
of Light, supporting the establishment of an empire in Mexico, financing the
opening of the Suez Canal, whose pomp on this occasion were very important,
including representation for the first time on the banks of the Nile, Verdi's famous
opera “Aida”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She was the first woman to be granted with the Legion
of Honour; in fact, she was the most decorated person in all <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region></st1:place>, with 20 medals and many
titles.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She advocated for women's suffrage and humanistic
ideas, but also invented the decorative style Napoleon III, discovered the
great couturier Worth and dictated fashion for decades, devised crinoline,
perfume, large mounted stones, necklaces.... She invented colours, furniture, food and makeup tried.
Her dresses were imitated throughout <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;">She was a great traveller who spoke several languages </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;"></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;">and chatted with intellectuals and Gypsies.
She was the first woma</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;">n who went to a gym and learned
boxing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In addition, thanks to her, summers in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Biarritz</st1:city></st1:place> became very
popular and the centre of European nobility. She and her husband built the
palace on the beach now known as Hotel du Palais. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She had a rebellious, energetic and eccentric
character, and also she was smart, intriguing, cocky and ambitious.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In 1879, her only son, the Prince Imperial, died in
the war against the Zulus. Afterwards, Eugenia de Montijo, widowed and alone, lived
in <st1:country-region w:st="on">England</st1:country-region>, thought making
frequent trips to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Spain</st1:country-region></st1:place>.
On one of these trips, in 1920, at the age of 94 years, she died in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Madrid</st1:state></st1:place>. She was buried
in the imperial crypt of the Abbey of Saint Michael in Farnborough (<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">England</st1:country-region></st1:place>),
next to her husband and her son.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There is a story, told by Eugenia herself, which must
have left her a deep shock. It happened in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Granada</st1:city></st1:place>, an evening that she went up to
Sacromonte, some gypsies harassed her and several of her companions for begging. One of the gypsies wanted to read the
hand to her. Her nurse did not let her but she insisted by saying:
"Although you don’t show me your hand, I know that this child will be more
than a queen." These words were engraved in her mind. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And some years later, at a party in Paris, Abbe
Boudinet, a renowned palm reader, insisted on reading the lines of Eugenia’s
hand and then he said, amazed: "I saw in her right hand one imperial crown!".</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">An exciting life, not very happy, but very
exciting, no doubt .......</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i><u><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Sources:<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.ctv.es/">www.ctv.es</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">www.ideal.es<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.farodevigo.es/">www.farodevigo.es</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">mujeresdeleyenda.blogspot.com<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Book “Pasión Imperial”, written by Pilar Eyre</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>Nieveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00555855797876478378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084528373777578717.post-52327661657589452452013-03-17T18:22:00.000+01:002013-03-26T23:43:16.939+01:00ANDREW MORTON AND HIS LADIES OF SPAIN<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"> </span>The man who
confessed to Diana of Wales two decades ago (“Diana, Her True Story”) now
dissects the ladies of another monarchy that is now living his particular
"annus horribilis", the Spanish monarchy, which is facing its biggest
crisis since it was restored in 1975.</div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Andrew
Morton (*) has been recently to <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Madrid</st1:place></st1:state>
introducing his latest book, "Ladies of Spain. Sofia, Elena, Cristina and
Letizia. Between duty and love", which analyzes the current situation of
the Reina Sofia, the Princesses Elena and Cristina and Princess of Asturias,
Letizia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">In his book,
Morton addresses without taboos the “separated” marriage of the King Juan Carlos and Queen
Sofia, the marriages with love of their
children and the personalities of their spouses commoners, and even surprising
anecdotes, like the Princess Elena is a great fan of teleshopping.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G5_kTFEcb2Y/UUX6hiKLtmI/AAAAAAAAXUc/RVqATEhuWcI/s1600/elena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G5_kTFEcb2Y/UUX6hiKLtmI/AAAAAAAAXUc/RVqATEhuWcI/s400/elena.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">To write
this book and to defend himself against accusations by some people of
plagiarism and unoriginal, he says he has worked in it during three years and he
has spoken to many people very close to the Spanish court.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">The author
also discussed the current situation of the Spanish monarchy, cornered by
financial scandals because of Iñaki Urdangarin’s dirty business and kings’s sex
scandals, recognizing that the world is now more interested in the Spanish
monarchy that in the Windsors. Even the New York Times and the Wall Street
Journal regularly write about it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">According to
Morton the monarchy in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Spain</st1:country-region>
is like a coat you wear and take off, depending of the different historical situations,
while in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">England</st1:place></st1:country-region>,
for example, the monarchy is like the rain, it's always there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yQ8VZav0XLo/UUX7d4HHImI/AAAAAAAAXVE/r0uqdhva_e0/s1600/fotonoticia_20121227121536_800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yQ8VZav0XLo/UUX7d4HHImI/AAAAAAAAXVE/r0uqdhva_e0/s320/fotonoticia_20121227121536_800.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">According to Morton, Letizia is the mirror Catherine of Wales should look at</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Asked about
which of the four ladies he is most interested. he said he preferred Cristina
and Letizia. Cristina, because of the situation she is living at the moment,
halfway between her love for Iñaki Urdangarin and her love for her father and her
duty to the monarchy. </span>And Letizia, because she is a woman of extremes, who has
had a rich and varied love life and from whom he tells she is bossy,
perfectionist and very intelligent.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rU63xzlW8Kw/UUX61dMyWsI/AAAAAAAAXUs/-B5zXutl9yM/s1600/DO_A_C~1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rU63xzlW8Kw/UUX61dMyWsI/AAAAAAAAXUs/-B5zXutl9yM/s320/DO_A_C~1.JPG" width="233" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Related to Doña
Sofia, the author says she has got a full loyalty in her DNA and that when she got married
to the king she did it for duty. And also he explains that she is not a victim but, on the
contrary, she deserves the utmost respect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0gl7hyqkBbw/UUX6o4cX1SI/AAAAAAAAXUk/SJfVrrjtYkI/s1600/Cartier_(33).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0gl7hyqkBbw/UUX6o4cX1SI/AAAAAAAAXUk/SJfVrrjtYkI/s320/Cartier_(33).jpg" width="204" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Regarding to the King Juan Carlos he tells in his controversial book that
he has been with 1500 women throughout his life (he even explains that during
the honeymoon of Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles in Palma de Mallorca,
the Spanish king made a pass at her, although unsuccessfully). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o6ogRPPnbr0/UUX5pM_WBQI/AAAAAAAAXUU/g5shchhW0-U/s1600/ladydireyjuancarlos_560x280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o6ogRPPnbr0/UUX5pM_WBQI/AAAAAAAAXUU/g5shchhW0-U/s320/ladydireyjuancarlos_560x280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And his last advice for the King is as simple as: Keep calm and carry on........<br />
<br />
And finally, the author is already threatening to write his next book about the German
Princess Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, the last "very close
friendship" of the king, as she acknowledged in a recent interview with a
Spanish newspaper. Thus, the story does not end here, but it will be continued .....</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yXVB1cBCZEU/UUX5Q3rEobI/AAAAAAAAXUE/0gXnNO4QHSo/s1600/32134_son_una_incognita_los_objetivs_de_corinna_en_la_entrevista_sin_firma_en__hola__mostrando_su_valioso_reloj_y_pulsera_de_diamantes__.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yXVB1cBCZEU/UUX5Q3rEobI/AAAAAAAAXUE/0gXnNO4QHSo/s1600/32134_son_una_incognita_los_objetivs_de_corinna_en_la_entrevista_sin_firma_en__hola__mostrando_su_valioso_reloj_y_pulsera_de_diamantes__.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><b><i>(*) Andrew
Morton's controversial author of other books like:<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><b><i>Diana: Her
story brings in her own words (1992)<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><b><i>Monica's
Story (1999)<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><b><i>Posh & Becks (2000)<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><b><i>Madonna
(2001)<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><b><i>Tom Cruise:
An Unauthorized Biography (2010)<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><b><i>Angelina:
An Unauthorized Biography (2010)<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><b><i>William
& Catherine: Their Story (2011)<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
Nieveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00555855797876478378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084528373777578717.post-32865787502171947842013-01-07T00:59:00.000+01:002013-01-07T00:59:53.943+01:00THE MOST POPULAR POSTS IN THIS BLOG IN 2012<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hdtd04uINO8/UOnQ-NiDjmI/AAAAAAAAVYI/fKW0LoqoUlk/s1600/584+copia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hdtd04uINO8/UOnQ-NiDjmI/AAAAAAAAVYI/fKW0LoqoUlk/s400/584+copia.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">A new year
has just started and in the beginning of a new year it is time to take stock of the past year. I felt curious about which posts were the most visited
in 2012 and after having a look at the statistics
I saw that these were the 10 most
visited posts, perhaps you missed any of them and you want to read it or just re-read it again. Make the most of it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://sangriasolysiesta.blogspot.com.es/2012/01/famous-spanish-actors-now-in-hollywood.html">Famous Spanish actors now in Hollywood</a><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://sangriasolysiesta.blogspot.com.es/2012/03/mona-lisas-twin-sister-painting.html">Mona Lisa’s twin sister painting at the Prado Museum</a><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://sangriasolysiesta.blogspot.com.es/2012/02/anita-delgado-spanish-maharani-de.html">Anita Delgado, the Spanish maharani of Kapurthala</a><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://sangriasolysiesta.blogspot.com.es/2012/05/madrazo-family-of-famous-realist.html">The Madrazo, a family of realists painters</a><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://sangriasolysiesta.blogspot.com.es/2012/04/elena-arzak-named-best-female-chef-in.html">Elena Arzak, best female chef in the world</a></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://sangriasolysiesta.blogspot.com.es/2012/06/are-all-spanish-stereotypes-still-valid.html">Are all Spanish stereotypes still valid?</a></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://sangriasolysiesta.blogspot.com.es/2012/12/los-manolos-shoes-of-manolo-blahnik.html">Los Manolos shoes of Manolo Blahnik</a><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://sangriasolysiesta.blogspot.com.es/2012/04/john-bagnold-burgess-and-other-british.html">John Bagnold Burgess and other Victorian painters</a><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://sangriasolysiesta.blogspot.com.es/2012/01/ronda-pepa-borrego-and-her-goyescas.html">Ronda, Pepa Borrego and her Goyescas costumes</a><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">This position is shared
between: <a href="http://sangriasolysiesta.blogspot.com.es/2012/10/la-alhambra-palace-and-some-painters.html">La</a></span><a href="http://sangriasolysiesta.blogspot.com.es/2012/10/la-alhambra-palace-and-some-painters.html"><span lang="EN-GB"> Alhambra Palace </span>and people who were inspired by it</a> and <a href="http://sangriasolysiesta.blogspot.com.es/2012/03/6-easy-steps-to-enjoying-vino-tinto.html">6 easy steps to enjoying a vino tinto from Spain</a></li>
</ol>
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<span lang="EN-GB">And that
was all, now it is time to look forward 2013 and see which new subjects this
blog will find interesting enough to share with all their readers during this
year. Ready, steady, there we go!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Nieveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00555855797876478378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084528373777578717.post-62113217175317671932012-12-24T01:46:00.001+01:002012-12-24T01:59:01.768+01:00HADDOM SUNDBLOM AND SOME BEAUTIFUL QUOTES FOR CHRISTMAS<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZLV6CQYjstU/UNekNIXg0fI/AAAAAAAAUsg/9oeYRFNGILA/s1600/cokelore_santa_1951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZLV6CQYjstU/UNekNIXg0fI/AAAAAAAAUsg/9oeYRFNGILA/s400/cokelore_santa_1951.jpg" width="330" /></a></div>
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Since Christmas is not all about giving and receiving
presents, I just wanted to post this entry about the meaning of Christmas
through these beautiful quotes for Christmas with some illustrations by the artist Haddon Sundblom (1899-1976), best known for the images of Santa Claus he created for the Coca-Cola Company.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">W. T. Ellis</span></b></div>
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It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air.</div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Alexander Smith</span></b></div>
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Christmas is the day that holds all time together.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U4nYjFavJAY/UNekBLcvM2I/AAAAAAAAUsQ/A40YH7GcOa0/s1600/6557187713_2398eb7fc0_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="375" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U4nYjFavJAY/UNekBLcvM2I/AAAAAAAAUsQ/A40YH7GcOa0/s400/6557187713_2398eb7fc0_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b>Richard Roberts</b></span></div>
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It is not even the beginning of Christmas unless it is Christmas in the heart.</div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">W. J. Cameron</span></b></div>
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Christmas is the gentlest, loveliest festival of the revolving year, and yet,
for all that, when it speaks, its voice has strong authority.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C3JMTDTiKXY/UNekHiZ6dBI/AAAAAAAAUsY/9ajUzNAiU90/s1600/HADDON-SUNDBLOM-Santa-and-the-New-Refrigerator-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="325" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C3JMTDTiKXY/UNekHiZ6dBI/AAAAAAAAUsY/9ajUzNAiU90/s400/HADDON-SUNDBLOM-Santa-and-the-New-Refrigerator-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b>Ray Stannard Baker</b></span></div>
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I sometimes think we expect too much of Christmas Day. We try to crowd into it
the long arrears of kindliness and humanity of the whole year. As for me, I
like to take my Christmas a little at a time, all through the year. And thus I
drift along into the holidays, let them overtake me unexpectedly, waking up
some fine morning and suddenly saying to myself: 'Why this is Christmas Day!</div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Frank McKibben</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This is Christmas: not the tinsel, not the giving and receiving, not even the
carols. But the humble heart that receives a new the wondrous gift, the
Christ.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06YW-0sWc2o/UNeiIwjKDCI/AAAAAAAAUqw/Qn_9FBessGA/s1600/Haddon%252520Sundblom%2527s%252520santa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06YW-0sWc2o/UNeiIwjKDCI/AAAAAAAAUqw/Qn_9FBessGA/s400/Haddon%252520Sundblom%2527s%252520santa.jpg" width="311" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b>Charles Dickens</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I do come home at Christmas. We all do, or we all should. We all come home, or
ought to come home, for a short holiday, the longer, the better, from the
great boarding school where we are forever working at our arithmetical slates,
to take, and give a rest.</div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b>Charles Dickens,</b></span> A Christmas Carol</div>
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I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fwQJBJICXn0/UNekprrrgpI/AAAAAAAAUso/r7S_LwMaPAI/s1600/f09aa3144a299af1eb6a40ad9a21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fwQJBJICXn0/UNekprrrgpI/AAAAAAAAUso/r7S_LwMaPAI/s400/f09aa3144a299af1eb6a40ad9a21.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Robert Lynd</span></b></div>
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Were I a philosopher, I should write a philosophy of toys, showing that nothing
else in life need to be taken seriously, and that Christmas Day in the company
of children is one of the few occasions on which men become entirely alive.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Joan Winmill Brown</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Christmas! The very word brings joy to our hearts. No matter how we may dread
the rush, the long Christmas lists for gifts and cards to be bought and given,
when Christmas Day comes there is still the same warm feeling we had as
children, the same warmth that enfolds our hearts and our homes.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8tY1xObM4RA/UNekunHBFrI/AAAAAAAAUsw/k0iIok2BiMc/s1600/beer54xmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8tY1xObM4RA/UNekunHBFrI/AAAAAAAAUsw/k0iIok2BiMc/s400/beer54xmas.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Charles Dickens</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Time was with most of us, when Christmas Day, encircling all our limited world
like a magic ring, left nothing out for us to miss or seek; bound together all
our home enjoyments, affections, and hopes; grouped everything and everyone
round the Christmas fire, and make the little picture shining in our bright
young eyes, complete.</div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Carol Nelson</span></b></div>
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Christmas is a time when you get homesick, even when you're home.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PfviC3uQ_fE/UNek2pPrksI/AAAAAAAAUs4/1kieAurAfeI/s1600/e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PfviC3uQ_fE/UNek2pPrksI/AAAAAAAAUs4/1kieAurAfeI/s400/e.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b>Augusta E. Rundel</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Christmas… that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so
intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia.
Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day
of remembrance, a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: red;">HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU, </span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: red;">VISITORS, FOLLOWERS, FRIENDS AND READERS ALL </span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: red;">AND ALL THE BEST FOR THE NEW YEAR!</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<!--[endif]--><br />Nieveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00555855797876478378noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084528373777578717.post-78811537183255056782012-12-01T16:35:00.002+01:002012-12-01T16:38:52.516+01:00LOS MANOLOS SHOES OF MANOLO BLAHNIK DESIGNER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GE24eppuhGg/ULoeHJaUvaI/AAAAAAAATJs/vNe9IlpAxos/s1600/Manolo-Blahnik-Quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GE24eppuhGg/ULoeHJaUvaI/AAAAAAAATJs/vNe9IlpAxos/s400/Manolo-Blahnik-Quote.jpg" width="345" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">The shoe designer Manolo Blahnik (Santa Cruz de la Palma, Canary Islands, Spain 1942), has been recently awarded the National Prize Fashion Design 2012. Internationally renowned, Manolo Blahnik has
used the last four decades in dress women's feet with his famous
"Manolos" designs that sometimes reach eight inches heel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C-BxH-L1Sog/ULoifwiAgzI/AAAAAAAATLA/2AszblUroc4/s1600/manolo-blahnik-decolletes-chiusa-144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C-BxH-L1Sog/ULoifwiAgzI/AAAAAAAATLA/2AszblUroc4/s320/manolo-blahnik-decolletes-chiusa-144.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN">Born
to a Czech father and a Spanish mother and raised in the Canary Islands, Blahnik graduated from the University of Geneva</span><span lang="EN"> in 1965 and studied art in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Paris</st1:city></st1:place>. He moved to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">London</st1:city></st1:place> in 1968 to work at
fashion boutique "Zapata" and wrote for Vogue Italia.
After showing his portfolio of fashions and set designs to Diana Vreeland</span><span lang="EN">, she told him that he should
design only footwear. In 1972, Ossie Clark</span><span lang="EN"> invited him to create shoes for his
runway show. With a loan of £2,000, Blahnik bought "Zapata" from its owner and
opened his own boutique</span><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IiEjTaaMuJY/ULoje_-LLKI/AAAAAAAATL8/DzeQiwTEjjU/s1600/manolo_blahnik_201202014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IiEjTaaMuJY/ULoje_-LLKI/AAAAAAAATL8/DzeQiwTEjjU/s320/manolo_blahnik_201202014.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ilkOFDdQRa0/ULojgfG_TYI/AAAAAAAATME/ar-nCdIrsPs/s1600/Manolo-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ilkOFDdQRa0/ULojgfG_TYI/AAAAAAAATME/ar-nCdIrsPs/s320/Manolo-18.jpg" width="275" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eB2cVq74nNw/ULojhWVww5I/AAAAAAAATMM/kQonBxtRwds/s1600/manolo-blahnik-feet-wear-fall-collection-20122013-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eB2cVq74nNw/ULojhWVww5I/AAAAAAAATMM/kQonBxtRwds/s1600/manolo-blahnik-feet-wear-fall-collection-20122013-2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_ggqIBNA8xU/ULojiBQqaEI/AAAAAAAATMQ/7wTU_xDUDho/s1600/manolo-blahnik-fur-ankle-boot-profile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_ggqIBNA8xU/ULojiBQqaEI/AAAAAAAATMQ/7wTU_xDUDho/s320/manolo-blahnik-fur-ankle-boot-profile.jpg" width="296" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qybSnei4dPM/ULojk1aZscI/AAAAAAAATMc/PEPM8eVqbmI/s1600/stilletos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qybSnei4dPM/ULojk1aZscI/AAAAAAAATMc/PEPM8eVqbmI/s1600/stilletos.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nvRk2zL4TWk/ULojnba_IyI/AAAAAAAATMk/ggYi2xYuD1I/s1600/1337694738_manolo-blahnik-lace-overlay-dorsay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nvRk2zL4TWk/ULojnba_IyI/AAAAAAAATMk/ggYi2xYuD1I/s320/1337694738_manolo-blahnik-lace-overlay-dorsay.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bt3liSVpspc/ULojqUmyY7I/AAAAAAAATMs/CUjzhaCWti0/s1600/Manolo-blahnik-mancia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bt3liSVpspc/ULojqUmyY7I/AAAAAAAATMs/CUjzhaCWti0/s1600/Manolo-blahnik-mancia.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-taMbZR3GvnQ/ULojsG3AMnI/AAAAAAAATM0/l1hQdne1PbU/s1600/Manolo-Blahnik-Sandals-4_05_LRG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-taMbZR3GvnQ/ULojsG3AMnI/AAAAAAAATM0/l1hQdne1PbU/s320/Manolo-Blahnik-Sandals-4_05_LRG.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Influenced
by Visconti's films and paintings by El Greco, Goya, Velázquez and Zurbarán,
Spanish designer has created more than 20,000 pairs of shoes following a
traditional process in which he designs, shapes and finishes each of his shoes,
who baptizes with the original names.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Manolos
typically cost between 500 and 6000 euros. With 22,000 designed shoes, Blahnik has worked with heels
of all heights and popularity of their models finished giving his own name to
them and inventing some models, like the "kitten heel" (a heel of <st1:metricconverter productid="3 cm" w:st="on">3 cm</st1:metricconverter>).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d-Vvkqd8wRk/ULoi4OvcCBI/AAAAAAAATLI/AU1W7tZVcM4/s1600/kittenheelsmanolo-blahnik-765.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d-Vvkqd8wRk/ULoi4OvcCBI/AAAAAAAATLI/AU1W7tZVcM4/s320/kittenheelsmanolo-blahnik-765.jpg" width="251" /></a></div>
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In the 1970s, Manolo Blahnik turned back his attention to
the stiletto heel, which has remained the brand's mainstay to this day. Manolo
Blahnik shoes have rapidly become a symbol of pure classical style for the 21st
century.</div>
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<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">Blahnik's boutiques
are located in <st1:city w:st="on">London</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">New
York</st1:state>, <st1:city w:st="on">Las Vegas</st1:city>, <st1:city w:st="on">Dublin</st1:city>,
<st1:city w:st="on">Athens</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Madrid</st1:state>,
<st1:city w:st="on">Istanbul</st1:city>, <st1:city w:st="on">Dubai</st1:city>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Kuwait</st1:country-region>, Hong Kong, <st1:city w:st="on">Seoul</st1:city>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Singapore</st1:country-region> and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Stockholm</st1:city></st1:place>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Part of
their success has to do with celebrities from film and music who love his shoes
such as Madonna, who has come to describe them as "better than sex",
since "last longer". Or such as the actress Sarah Jessica Parker in the series
"Sex and the City", who in one of its chapters and fully struggle
with a burglar pleads " Take my Fendi bag, my ring and my watch, but
please do not take my Manolo Blahniks". </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1NDB3EnMrl4/ULojCL4NFXI/AAAAAAAATLQ/PC02uUVJYfw/s1600/79839PCN_Parker10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1NDB3EnMrl4/ULojCL4NFXI/AAAAAAAATLQ/PC02uUVJYfw/s400/79839PCN_Parker10.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
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Also Los Manolos
appear in a Lady Gaga song and in the "Twilight saga: Breaking Dawn" film, Bella Swam wears Manolo Blahnik shoes for her wedding. They appear as well in the bestseller “Fifty shades of Grey”. And Letizia Ortiz wore Manolos when she
married Prince Philip. And among his many admirers are: Jessica Biel, Kathy
Perry, Miranda Kerr, Jennifer Aniston, Rihanna, Katie Holmes, Blake Lively,
Olivia Palermo and Victoria Beckham.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0_5CqK_8kRE/ULojJHPoyFI/AAAAAAAATLY/Xtng8Y56Zlk/s1600/blahnik-beckham-1-a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0_5CqK_8kRE/ULojJHPoyFI/AAAAAAAATLY/Xtng8Y56Zlk/s400/blahnik-beckham-1-a.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kNVFWyCqIKQ/ULojKOr35dI/AAAAAAAATLc/0byKoC6oHsc/s1600/blahnik-katy-perry-1-a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kNVFWyCqIKQ/ULojKOr35dI/AAAAAAAATLc/0byKoC6oHsc/s400/blahnik-katy-perry-1-a.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rW_XiUkPpxQ/ULojMJyH1KI/AAAAAAAATLs/qzUqbjNjkyc/s1600/walk_of_style_awards_01_wenn2094659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rW_XiUkPpxQ/ULojMJyH1KI/AAAAAAAATLs/qzUqbjNjkyc/s400/walk_of_style_awards_01_wenn2094659.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">"Men tell me
I've saved their marriages, it has cost them a fortune on shoes, but it's
cheaper than a divorce, so it seems that I am still useful", the designer jokes
.......<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">This
prodigious shoemaker have accumulated numerous awards. </span><span lang="EN">Blahnik was elevated to the International Best Dressed List </span><span lang="EN">Hall of Fame in 1987. He was awarded the
honorary title of Commander of the British Empire</span><span lang="EN"> in 2007 for his service to the British fashion
industry and was the first shoe designer who has exhibited his work at the Design Museum in London.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">Blahnik
currently lives in <st1:city w:st="on">Bath</st1:city>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">United Kingdom</st1:country-region> and was awarded an honorary
degree from Bath Spa University</span><span lang="EN"> in July 2012.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">There is not any doubt Los Manolos are elegant,
prestigious, beautiful, gorgeous, wonderful, amazing....... but........ I have only just one question ....…..are they also
comfortable?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A_wxpTvGLKM/ULojUeZQuxI/AAAAAAAATL0/tUZHzSAMaIM/s1600/manolo_blahnik_img_9793_xlarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A_wxpTvGLKM/ULojUeZQuxI/AAAAAAAATL0/tUZHzSAMaIM/s320/manolo_blahnik_img_9793_xlarge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><b><u><i>Source:</i></u></b> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><i>El diario de Navarra<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><i>20
minutos <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><i>Wikipedia</i><span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Nieveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00555855797876478378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084528373777578717.post-1085859004982843012012-10-26T23:33:00.000+02:002012-12-24T01:08:00.293+01:00ODD QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT..... OR MAYBE NOT!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZzKD-9cDrRQ/UIsB8xhQbQI/AAAAAAAARBg/EyAqcgS7oak/s1600/monkey_thinking.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZzKD-9cDrRQ/UIsB8xhQbQI/AAAAAAAARBg/EyAqcgS7oak/s400/monkey_thinking.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> </span>If people
evolved from apes, why are there still apes?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">When we are
in the supermarket and someone rams our ankle with a shopping cart, then
apologizes for doing so; do we say “It’s all right”? Well, it isn’t all right
so why don’t we say, “That really hurt you dumb sh*t, why don’t you watch where
you’re going?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">If 4 out of
5 people suffer from diarrhoea…. Does that mean that one out of five enjoys it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">If it’s
true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the others here
for?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Do Lipton
Tea employees take “coffee breaks”?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">If a cow
laughed would milk come out of her nose?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Why, why,
why do we press harder on the remote control when we know the batteries are
getting weak?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Why do
banks charge a fee due to insufficient funds; when they already know you’re
broke?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Why is it
that when someone tells you that there are one billion stars in the universe
you believe them, but if they tell you there is wet paint you have to touch it
to check?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Why do they
use sterilized needles for lethal injections?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Why doesn’t
Tarzan have a beard?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Why do
people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to
eat will have materialized?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Why is it
that no plastic bag will ever open from the first end you try?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Why, in
winter, do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we
complained about the heat?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">How come
you never hear father-in-law jokes?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">And the
last one….. The statistics on sanity say that one out of every four persons is
suffering from some sort of mental illness. Think of your three best friends.
If they’re OK? (then, it’s you!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">REMEMBER, a
day without a smile is like a day without sunshine! And a day without sunshine
is, like …… night!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Nieveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00555855797876478378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084528373777578717.post-40743083243269318972012-10-06T14:38:00.001+02:002012-10-07T02:22:28.680+02:00LA ALHAMBRA PALACE AND PAINTERS WHO WERE INSPIRED BY IT<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XFQ0My-_mLM/UHAXA9JgfVI/AAAAAAAAQGQ/xvuB_TrcryI/s1600/EDUARD+GERHARDT.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XFQ0My-_mLM/UHAXA9JgfVI/AAAAAAAAQGQ/xvuB_TrcryI/s400/EDUARD+GERHARDT.bmp" width="325" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edouard Gerhardt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">The most visited monument in Spain is The </span><st1:city style="text-align: justify;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Alhambra. It</st1:place></st1:city><span style="text-align: justify;"> was a palace, a
fortress and a citadel, as well as the residence of the Nasrid Sultans and top
government officials, court servants and the royal guard.</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">The name <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Alhambra</st1:place></st1:city> comes from an
Arabic root which means "red castle", perhaps due to the towers and
walls that surround the entire hill which by starlight is silver but by
sunlight is transformed into gold. Though there is another more poetic version,
evoked by the Moslem analysts who speak of the construction of the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Alhambra</st1:place></st1:city> fortress
"by the light of torches", the reflections of which gave the walls
their particular coloration. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">There is no
reference to the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Alhambra</st1:city></st1:place>
as being a residence of kings until the 13th century, even though the fortress
had existed since the 9th century. The first kings of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Granada</st1:place></st1:city>, the Zirites, had their castles and
palaces on the hill of the Albaicin, and nothing remains of them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">The Nasrid
ruler Ibn al-Ahmar made <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Granada</st1:place></st1:city>
his capital. Within the walls he began a palace, which he supplied with running
water by diverting the River Darro nearly <st1:metricconverter productid="8 km" w:st="on">8 km</st1:metricconverter> to the foot of the hill; water is an
integral part of the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Alhambra</st1:place></st1:city>
and this engineering feat was Ibn al-Ahmar's greatest contribution. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">The founder
of the dynasty, Muhammed Al-Ahmar, began with the restoration of the old
fortress. His work was completed by his son Muhammed II, whose immediate
successors continued with the repairs. The construction of the palaces (called
Casa Real Vieja, "old Royal House or Palace") dates back to the 14th
century and is the work of two great kings: Yusuf I and Muhammed V. To the
first we owe, among others, the "Cuarto de Comares" (Chamber of
Comares), the "Puerta de la Justicia" (Gate of Justice), the Baths
and some towers. His son, Muhammed V, completed the beautification of the
palaces with the "Cuarto de los <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Leones</st1:place></st1:country>" (Chamber of the
Lions), as well as other rooms and fortifications.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">The <st1:city w:st="on">Alhambra</st1:city> became a Christian court in 1492 when the
Catholic Monarchs (Ferdinand and Isabel) conquered the city of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Granada</st1:city></st1:place>. After their
conquest of the city, the Reyes Católicos lived for a while in the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Alhambra</st1:place></st1:city>. </span>They
restored some rooms and converted the mosque but left the palace structure
unaltered. As at Córdoba and Sevilla, it was Emperor Carlos V, their grandson,
who wreaked the most insensitive destruction, demolishing a whole wing of rooms
in order to build a Renaissance palace. <span lang="EN-GB">The remaining Austrian kings did not forget the
monument and have left their own more discreet impressions on it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">In 1812 it
was taken and occupied by Napoleon's forces. Two decades later the Alhambra's
"rediscovery" began, given impetus by the American writer Washington
Irving, who set up his study in the empty palace rooms and began to write his
marvellously romantic “Tales of the Alhambra” (on sale all over Granada – and
good reading amid the gardens and courts). </span>Shortly after its
publication, the Spaniards made the Alhambra a national monument and set aside
funds for its restoration. This continues to the present day and is now a
highly sophisticated project.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">During the
18th century and part of the 19th, the <st1:city w:st="on">Alhambra</st1:city>
fell into neglect until 1870 when the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Alhambra</st1:place></st1:city>
was declared a national monument. </span>Travellers and romantic artists of all
countries had railed against those who scorned the most beautiful of their
monuments. Since that date and up to now, the Alhambra, protected, restored,
cared for and even improved, has been preserved for the pleasure and admiration
of all.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">It is
currently an artistic-historical monumental group with four clearly
distinguishable zones: the Palaces, the military zone or Alcazaba, the city or <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Medina</st1:place></st1:city> and the villa of
the Generalife, all of them surrounded by woods, trees, gardens, parks and
vegetable gardens. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN">And here you are some samples of how different painters have inspired on this work of art in the course of time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4W7H4zcztdY/UHAe-ZexEzI/AAAAAAAAQG4/S7ZLzol5hlM/s1600/FORTUNY.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4W7H4zcztdY/UHAe-ZexEzI/AAAAAAAAQG4/S7ZLzol5hlM/s400/FORTUNY.bmp" width="310" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mariano Fortuny</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mQj9gJYGy8A/UHAfMMTHr2I/AAAAAAAAQHA/0blUs2C8U3Q/s1600/HENRI+MATTISSE.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mQj9gJYGy8A/UHAfMMTHr2I/AAAAAAAAQHA/0blUs2C8U3Q/s400/HENRI+MATTISSE.bmp" width="325" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Henri Matisse</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OH6z1wtexPI/UHAfyh0c2KI/AAAAAAAAQHQ/cKuYbw1eOj8/s1600/GUSTAVO+SIMONI.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OH6z1wtexPI/UHAfyh0c2KI/AAAAAAAAQHQ/cKuYbw1eOj8/s400/GUSTAVO+SIMONI.bmp" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gustavo Simoni</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tWaA4rTybVQ/UHAgtY47DcI/AAAAAAAAQIg/Cn_IgbvsORg/s1600/0172-0095_saal_der_zwei_schwestern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tWaA4rTybVQ/UHAgtY47DcI/AAAAAAAAQIg/Cn_IgbvsORg/s400/0172-0095_saal_der_zwei_schwestern.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edouard Gerhardt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--iwz8NXknXI/UHAgwBkjuxI/AAAAAAAAQIo/GkwKxStBcQE/s1600/SANTIAGO+RUSI%C3%91OL.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="335" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--iwz8NXknXI/UHAgwBkjuxI/AAAAAAAAQIo/GkwKxStBcQE/s400/SANTIAGO+RUSI%C3%91OL.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santiago Rusiñol</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--z-UWBFyLUs/UHAf4U9ltgI/AAAAAAAAQHg/cRHhzyYiri4/s1600/EDUARD+GERHARDT-2.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--z-UWBFyLUs/UHAf4U9ltgI/AAAAAAAAQHg/cRHhzyYiri4/s400/EDUARD+GERHARDT-2.bmp" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edouard Gerhardt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--onGzOnSVM8/UHAf6RqadDI/AAAAAAAAQHo/3xcIY08cA_g/s1600/SOROLLA.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--onGzOnSVM8/UHAf6RqadDI/AAAAAAAAQHo/3xcIY08cA_g/s400/SOROLLA.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joaquin Sorolla</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0-wqQe-km6M/UHApmDrRf-I/AAAAAAAAQKg/D5A9PkSHCGg/s1600/11119_Ernst_Rudolf_In_The_Alhambra_f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0-wqQe-km6M/UHApmDrRf-I/AAAAAAAAQKg/D5A9PkSHCGg/s400/11119_Ernst_Rudolf_In_The_Alhambra_f.jpg" width="311" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ernst Rudolf</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QH9O1QU825s/UHAf_AuCUQI/AAAAAAAAQHw/pWXlwcaqOZ4/s1600/SOROLLA-2.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QH9O1QU825s/UHAf_AuCUQI/AAAAAAAAQHw/pWXlwcaqOZ4/s400/SOROLLA-2.bmp" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joaquin Sorolla</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mFPigZQXyGI/UHAgBaOZaqI/AAAAAAAAQH4/oKwA_3WrVvk/s1600/RUSI%C3%91OL.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="315" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mFPigZQXyGI/UHAgBaOZaqI/AAAAAAAAQH4/oKwA_3WrVvk/s400/RUSI%C3%91OL.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santiago Rusiñol</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RKoQvrBZpS4/UHAf10tsIpI/AAAAAAAAQHY/2mGrtJK5Qc8/s1600/ADOLF+SEEL.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RKoQvrBZpS4/UHAf10tsIpI/AAAAAAAAQHY/2mGrtJK5Qc8/s400/ADOLF+SEEL.bmp" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adolf Seel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WQ5Uv5XF-eA/UHAgDfEe6LI/AAAAAAAAQIA/87E66Q8oHnI/s1600/SARGENT-EN+EL+GENERALIFE.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="330" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WQ5Uv5XF-eA/UHAgDfEe6LI/AAAAAAAAQIA/87E66Q8oHnI/s400/SARGENT-EN+EL+GENERALIFE.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Singer Sargent</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aR_e6gjWN9o/UHAgGKN42nI/AAAAAAAAQII/YAHa0PyYrQ4/s1600/DIBUJO+DE+HENRI+MATISSE.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aR_e6gjWN9o/UHAgGKN42nI/AAAAAAAAQII/YAHa0PyYrQ4/s400/DIBUJO+DE+HENRI+MATISSE.bmp" width="315" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Henri Matisse</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C_ZJi7HX7Kk/UHAgJObwykI/AAAAAAAAQIQ/N8IHwl-LUH0/s1600/WILHELM+GAIL-1.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C_ZJi7HX7Kk/UHAgJObwykI/AAAAAAAAQIQ/N8IHwl-LUH0/s400/WILHELM+GAIL-1.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wilhelm Gail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ooneA77tTF8/UHAgKihRMWI/AAAAAAAAQIY/FpU6NG8V4RI/s1600/SOROLLA-CALLE+DE+GRANADA.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ooneA77tTF8/UHAgKihRMWI/AAAAAAAAQIY/FpU6NG8V4RI/s400/SOROLLA-CALLE+DE+GRANADA.bmp" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joaquin Sorolla</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qfpDEGzwVLs/UHAkZWzDcVI/AAAAAAAAQJU/7FYiRSwMTYo/s1600/Alhambra%252520harem%252520re.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qfpDEGzwVLs/UHAkZWzDcVI/AAAAAAAAQJU/7FYiRSwMTYo/s400/Alhambra%252520harem%252520re.jpg" width="325" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jan Calderwood</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fi_RjU7usdI/UHAke8-vk1I/AAAAAAAAQJc/732sD9mA3kw/s1600/peacock-at-alhambra-mosque-veena-waziri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fi_RjU7usdI/UHAke8-vk1I/AAAAAAAAQJc/732sD9mA3kw/s400/peacock-at-alhambra-mosque-veena-waziri.jpg" width="316" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Veena Waziri</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WialrazRDl4/UHAl00mxkkI/AAAAAAAAQJs/uz4BXcwBnAE/s1600/The_Alhambra_1883_Childe_Hassam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="326" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WialrazRDl4/UHAl00mxkkI/AAAAAAAAQJs/uz4BXcwBnAE/s400/The_Alhambra_1883_Childe_Hassam.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Childe Hassam</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u8mUoKsCh9o/UHAl15ycFnI/AAAAAAAAQJ0/ck8hjbb01Ug/s1600/UN_MOM~1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u8mUoKsCh9o/UHAl15ycFnI/AAAAAAAAQJ0/ck8hjbb01Ug/s400/UN_MOM~1.JPG" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Margaret Murray Cookesley</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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And I am sure this amazing and stunning monument will keep on inspiring many more artists or no artists as time goes by, don't you agree?<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qAfNsHuB58g/UHAsldz7uvI/AAAAAAAAQLM/JIZ39-fDlIo/s1600/P5010215+copia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qAfNsHuB58g/UHAsldz7uvI/AAAAAAAAQLM/JIZ39-fDlIo/s400/P5010215+copia.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
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<b><u><i>Source:</i></u></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.spanish-fiestas.com/"><span lang="EN-GB">www.spanish-fiestas.com</span></a><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.andalucia.com/"><span lang="EN-GB">www.andalucia.com</span></a><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.nerja-capistrano.com/">www.nerja-capistrano.com</a></div>
Nieveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00555855797876478378noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084528373777578717.post-58745336776158322522012-09-16T10:01:00.002+02:002012-09-16T10:04:21.640+02:00HAPPY 40th BIRTHDAY PRINCESS LETIZIA!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C6_1K2V8n4Y/UFWEKlv9_YI/AAAAAAAAPYU/UEKReL7bATQ/s1600/1713123609_extras_albumes_0_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C6_1K2V8n4Y/UFWEKlv9_YI/AAAAAAAAPYU/UEKReL7bATQ/s400/1713123609_extras_albumes_0_1024.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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After a long summer vacation I am back here again (time really flies!) and whereas I am working on the new posts to come on this blog (including about my holidays in Portugal, Granada and Ireland) I just wanted to post today about Letizia and his 40th birthday, which was held yesterday.</div>
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It was 9 years ago when this TV newsreader married to the heir of Spain monarchy, Felipe de Borbón, and certanily the life of Letizia Ortiz has changed a lot since then.</div>
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During these years she had to face remarks and gossips such as she was ambitious, perfectionist or even, anorexic. And she had to face up to the suicide of one of her sisters, Erika, in 2007 years ago. But the truth is that Letizia, the eldest daughter of a journalist and a nurse, in the lowest hours of the Spanish monarchy, has proved to be in the highest position, accomplishing her mission perfectly as Princess, even much better than many people thought she would.</div>
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And on the occasion of her 40 birthday, a very remarkable Spanish photographer, <a href="http://www.magnumphotos.com/Archive/C.aspx?VP=XSpecific_MAG.PhotographerDetail_VPage&pid=2K7O3R1V204V&nm=Cristina%20Garcia%20Rodero"><b><span style="color: blue;">Cristina Garcia Rodero</span></b></a> (the only Spanish member at the American Magnum Photos Agency), has made a beautiful illustrated report of the Princess with the Prince and their two little daughters: Leonor (6) and Sofia (5). And I have chosen some of these photographs to share here with you today. I hope you enjoy them. </div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> <span style="font-size: large;">Happy Birthday Princess Letizia!</span></b></span></div>
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<br />Nieveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00555855797876478378noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084528373777578717.post-40362141580486522792012-06-24T16:39:00.001+02:002012-06-24T16:39:48.430+02:00I AM TAKING A GAP SUMMER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nWrn4VOAZAk/T-W88jbaV9I/AAAAAAAANY0/nXInJHXX6gU/s1600/verano+sabatico.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nWrn4VOAZAk/T-W88jbaV9I/AAAAAAAANY0/nXInJHXX6gU/s400/verano+sabatico.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">I had not
planned it but I have just decided a few hours ago that I'm going to take a gap summer, the truth is that I have several trips breaks in mind and would
have to be doing several stop, going and coming from my (5) blogs, so I thought
the best thing I should do is to make a
summer break and fully enjoy the summer, my trips (to Lisbon, Granada, Ireland,
Alicante .....), my reading of a lot of books waiting for me to read them for months, and of
course, to enjoy my friends and family, quietly and without additional obligations that
would prevent me from doing and enjoy it fully.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TZvXEVRTLVo/T-W9C2wJTMI/AAAAAAAANY8/m9wRvUbb6gA/s1600/Sin+t%C3%ADtulo-2+copia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TZvXEVRTLVo/T-W9C2wJTMI/AAAAAAAANY8/m9wRvUbb6gA/s400/Sin+t%C3%ADtulo-2+copia.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">In some of
the blogs (like this one or the photoblog) I have been posting even more from time to time, each time, so if I have little spare times I will take the opportunity to
write more entries and store them and then when I come back here, to post them.
At the most, maybe I could keep on reading and commenting on other blogger
friends’s entries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">In short
...... I need time for many things and if I keep on updating the blogs, this
will prevent me from doing them (something I do not feel like doing right now)
and besides, I think that the summer is to enjoy it and that's just what I want to do!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>So, happy
summer to all of you and </b></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>I will be back here after the summer!</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>Nieveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00555855797876478378noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084528373777578717.post-47409492760158155592012-06-06T00:28:00.002+02:002012-06-06T00:29:17.167+02:00ARE ALL SPANISH STEREOTYPES STILL VALID?<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Lx8XicKFCeg/T86CQe40HhI/AAAAAAAAMu0/EUbCzDC8xTQ/s1600/sarah-jessica-parker4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Lx8XicKFCeg/T86CQe40HhI/AAAAAAAAMu0/EUbCzDC8xTQ/s400/sarah-jessica-parker4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Some days ago I read in a blog (Matthew Bennet/ Let’s talk about the future
of Spain) an article telling about many of the Spanish typical stereotypes. <span lang="EN-GB">And I thought it would be of some interest to post it here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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- <span style="color: #cc0000;">Spanish people eat lots of tortilla</span>: Spanish people eat
quite a lot of tortilla. <span lang="EN-GB">A
good great tortilla is one of the staples of every Spanish mother’s cooking
inventory and everybody’s mum always makes the tastiest one. </span>Tortilla is
definitely very tasty and worth getting to know properly. Tortilla is not
something that people eat every day though, or at every meal, and not everybody
likes it.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-naCO8zXW-ek/T86F_mQ0hAI/AAAAAAAAMvs/E_59quL3PnY/s1600/IbizaBeaches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-naCO8zXW-ek/T86F_mQ0hAI/AAAAAAAAMvs/E_59quL3PnY/s320/IbizaBeaches.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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- <span style="color: #cc0000;">Spain is sun, sea and sand</span>: depends on the part of Spain.
There are beautiful parts of the north of Spain which could easily be in Wales
or England due to the greeness and quantity of rainfall and cloud. There are
big differences between the north of Spain, the south and Mediterranean coast.
In the north and many parts of the Spanish countryside which are inland, in
winter it can get very, very cold. <span lang="EN-GB">In the south it’s sunny, clear blue skies just about all day every day,
all year round. </span>Clouds rarely appear. Rain appears even less frequently.
<span lang="EN-GB">From May until November, it’s
very hot and it will try and rain a couple of times during the summer. </span>There
are, indeed, many beautiful beaches in Spain. You shouldn’t think this is all
of Spain, however, not even half. There are hundreds thousands of beautiful
places to visit all over Spain, whether it’s sunny, raining or covered with
snow. And it’s even more fun if you get to know the people, traditions and
history of the places you visit.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-98lI5w7wc4w/T86ELvImjjI/AAAAAAAAMu8/gpbqb8LIoT8/s1600/matador.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-98lI5w7wc4w/T86ELvImjjI/AAAAAAAAMu8/gpbqb8LIoT8/s320/matador.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">- <span style="color: #cc0000;">All
Spaniards are bullfighters or go every week to a bullfight</span>: of course not. </span>Bullfighting
is half sport, half art, half barbarity, depending on who you ask. Bullfights
are normally held in ferias or festival periods. It is incredibly complicated
and understanding bullfighting (whether you’re Spanish or foreign) requires time.
<span lang="EN-GB">Recently there were news on
the press about Spanish villages doing referendum to choose between spending
some spare Money in smaller bulls in the ferias or investing it in creating
some temporary jobs for the villages, and I have to say that the bulls option
won (I am Spaniard and I admit I am not proud of that villages taking those
decisions, I admit it!). The business of bullfighting moves a lot of money. </span>It
reaches across social classes. It’s been around for ages and is not going
anywhere. Many Spanish people compare it to the recently banned English ’sport’
of fox-hunting. <span lang="EN-GB">Not everybody
goes to the bulls, fewer people understand it and the only people who fight
bulls are the professional bullfighters. (this assumes we’re talking about
proper bullfights and not smaller bulls in the many village ferias).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">- <span style="color: #cc0000;">All
Spaniards like flamenco (and all Spanish women know how to dance flamenco)</span>: not
true (not true at all, I admit it again!). </span>Many Spanish people hate
flamenco, in fact. English people think all Spanish girls know how to dance
flamenco: this is because to the untrained eye it’s very easy to move around a
bit and look like you’re dancing flamenco with a few swirls of your hands and
hips. There are many different types of flamenco (the dance most people associate
with the flamenco stereotype is called ‘sevillanas‘). Flamenco is a whole
sub-culture, composed of song, dance and instrumentals, sometimes all together
and sometimes individually. It’s an art. It has more followers in the south of
the country where it originates from. There is traditional flamenco and there
are new waves of pop-flamenco. There are many different rhythms within flamenco
and most traditional flamenco songs, lyrics, dances and instrumental solos fit
into one of those subtypes. It’s incredibly difficult to tell the difference
between the subtypes if you’re not practiced.</div>
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- <span style="color: #cc0000;">Spanish people are good at that salsa dance</span>: nope, not at
all. Many Spanish people go to salsa and other dance classes though, just like
people in other countries. Most Spanish blokes have two left feet just like
most English blokes and most Spanish girls love at least trying to dance a lot.
Salsa was created in New York and the influences were all Caribbean and Latin
American.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1RxsymahTho/T86FP1jX_LI/AAAAAAAAMvU/XTdQRN1yPTo/s1600/shakira2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1RxsymahTho/T86FP1jX_LI/AAAAAAAAMvU/XTdQRN1yPTo/s320/shakira2.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
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- <span style="color: #cc0000;">Is Shakira Spanish?</span> Nope, she’s from Colombia.</div>
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- <span style="color: #cc0000;">And Ricky Martin? </span>no, he’s from Puerto Rico.</div>
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- <span style="color: #cc0000;">Everybody eats paella in Spain</span>: No, of course not. Everybody
enjoys a good one though. It’s very difficult to make well. There are many
variants on what a foreigner might think is paella but which is actually a
different type of rice dish.</div>
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- <span style="color: #cc0000;">All Spaniards drink sangría</span>: No, Spanish people sometimes
drink sangría. The most popular drinks at meals are wine, beer and water. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vuYYSGL3E7s/T86EYSjNxaI/AAAAAAAAMvE/Yd8M2MVDFpk/s1600/la_foto_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vuYYSGL3E7s/T86EYSjNxaI/AAAAAAAAMvE/Yd8M2MVDFpk/s320/la_foto_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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- <span style="color: #cc0000;">Spanish food is tapas</span>. Some Spanish food is tapas. <span lang="EN-GB">The idea of tapas being free is mainly
a southern thing (especially in places like <st1:city w:st="on">Granada</st1:city>
and <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Almeria</st1:place></st1:city>,
where you buy a beer and basically eat for free if you go to the right places).
</span>There are hundreds of different types of tapas. Apart from tapas, there
is some fantastic Spanish food which is nothing to do with tapas. Every region
has its own specialities. Spain could easily be a gourmet’s paradise but don’t
limit your ideas of Spanish food to tapas and paella.</div>
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- <span style="color: #cc0000;">Mexico, donkeys, dusty roads and big hats</span>: no, no, no. These
are ridiculous cartoon assumptions that foreigners mix up with Spain from
watching Speedy Gonzalez. <span lang="EN-GB">There
are of course, a few dusty roads and a few Mexicans in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Spain</st1:place></st1:country-region>. </span>I
have yet to see anybody wearing a big hat (apart from English tourists on
tourist beaches and in airport waiting lounges);</div>
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<br /></div>
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- <span style="color: #cc0000;">Spanish people are the same as Latin American people</span>: no. <span lang="EN-GB">They speak the same language, with
differences (with quite differences, I should say) and of course have
historical and cultural roots, but don’t mix them up: many different national
cultures which all share (apart from indigenoues Latin American communities)
certain common features (language, history, religion). </span>Although this
would be very debatable, a comparison with the idea of the British Commonwealth
or the more general concept of ‘the English speaking world’ would not be a bad
one.</div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">- <span style="color: #cc0000;">Spanish
people are very lazy</span>: no (I have met British lazy people too, for instance!).
Spanish people work some of the longest hours in Europe (although have lower
productivity levels) and one of the biggest problems here is lack of sleep due
to noise, timetables and a general desire to live life to the full as much as
possible (not now because of the crisis!). </span>The work timetable combined
with the daily-chores timetable combined with a well-filled social life means
that many people don’t sleep as much as they would like to. <span lang="EN-GB">In the south in the summer (and in many other
parts of the country), it’s very, very hot and between about one o’clock and
seven or eight in the evening, there’s not much point in trying to do anything,
especially after lunch: it’s too hot. </span>Life shifts a few hours at night
and takes a break during the day.</div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">- <span style="color: #cc0000;">The waiter
doesn’t speak English very well</span>: of course not. </span>The idea that everybody
does or should speak English is a myth. Waiters in many countries know enough
to bring you a beer and, on the other end of the jobs scale, people working in
multinational companies tend to have very good English if their job involves
communicating with English speakers. Learning a language properly takes years
of continuous effort and practice.</div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">- <span style="color: #cc0000;">Spanish
people are very rude and loud</span>: this is something that many foreigners will
notice on arriving in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Spain</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
</span>It’s a tricky one: the noise level is definitely higher and people shout
a lot when they should be speaking normally. It doesn’t however, mean that
people are being rude. It’s just the way it is most of the time. </div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">- <span style="color: #cc0000;">Spanish
people drink a lot of coffe</span>: </span>Yes, lots and lots. If you like coffee,
you’ll like Spain. </div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">- <span style="color: #cc0000;">Spanish
people don’t know how to make a cup of tea</span>:</span>True. Not a clue, unless
they’ve lived in England and taken a liking to tea.</div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">- <span style="color: #cc0000;">Spanish
people have wierd timetables</span>:</span>Spanish people have a different timetable
to most of the rest of Europe, althought with shifts in globalisation, this is changing
in big cities like Madrid and Barcelona. Most things related to timetable
differences are related to the weather and heat in the summer. The traditional
Spanish timetable is: morning until 14:00, midday/lunchtime 14:00-17:00,
afternoon from 17:00 until 21:00, followed by dinner.</div>
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- <span style="color: #cc0000;">Spanish beers are very small:</span> Yes they are, compared to
English pints, but this is absolutely the best way to drink them in the summer
when it’s very hot or as a refreshing slurp in winter. Imagine trying to enjoy
a few pints of stout in <st1:metricconverter productid="45ᄎC" w:st="on">45ºC</st1:metricconverter>
heat, or mixing Guiness with seafood.</div>
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- <span style="color: #cc0000;">Ibiza, parties, Benicassim and Spanish music</span>: Spain has some
great parties. There is also some great Spanish music.</div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Have you ever been to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Spain</st1:place></st1:country-region>? What do you think of the post? Any more topics to add to the list or even to change? Would you like to tell your experience here?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>Nieveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00555855797876478378noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084528373777578717.post-8781606526098086632012-05-15T20:12:00.002+02:002013-09-24T14:48:31.997+02:00THE MADRAZO, A FAMILY OF FAMOUS REALIST PAINTERS FROM THE 19th CENTURY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">I love Federico and Raimundo de Madrazo art, they belonged to an artist and very talented family of painters, teachers, architects, critics and museum directors. Its members included some of the most important artists in the 19th century in Spain. And today I felt like writing a post about them to share with you. I hope you enjoy it!</span></div>
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<strong><u><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Federico de Madrazo y Kuntz (1815 – 1894) </span></u></strong></div>
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He was born in Rome, he was the son of the painter Madrazo y Agudo, who was the Court painter, director of the Royal Academy of San Fernando and the King's Gallery (subsequently the Prado Museum). He was the most sought-after Spanish painter of the second third of the 19th century, and had an unrivalled reputation both in Spain and abroad. This was thanks to his family background, his social situation, and above all to his early artistic training by his father. He was the brother of Pedro de Madrazo, a celebrated man of letters, critic and author of several of the first catalogues in the Prado Museum. Another of his brothers, Juan, was the architect who planned the restoration of León Cathedral. His brother, Don Luis de Madrazo, was also known as a painter, chiefly by his Burial of Saint Cecilia (1855).<br />
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While still attending the classes at the Royal Academy of San Fernando, he painted his first picture, The Resurrection of Christ (1829), which was purchased by Queen Christina. </div>
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While decorating the palace of Vista Alegre he took up portraiture. In 1852 he went to Paris, where he studied under Franz Winterhalter, and painted portraits of Baron Taylor and Ingres. In 1837 he was commissioned to produce a picture for the gallery at Versailles, and painted "Godfrey de Bouillon proclaimed King of Jerusalem". The artist then went to Rome, where he worked at various subjects, sacred and profane. Then he painted Maria Christina in the Dress of a Nun by the Bedside of Ferdinand III (1843), Queen Isabella, The Duchess of Medina-Coeli, and The Countess de Vilches (1845-1847), besides a number of portraits of the Spanish aristocracy, some of which were sent to the exhibition of 1855.</div>
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He received the Legion of Honour in 1846. He was made a corresponding member of the Paris Academy of Fine Arts in 1853 and in 1873, on the death of Schnorr, the painter, he was chosen foreign member. After his father's death he succeeded him as director of the Museo del Prado and president of the Academy of San Fernando. He originated in Spain the production of art reviews and journals. He died at Madrid in 1894.</div>
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And here you are some of his paintings:</div>
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Federico's best-known pupil was his son, Raimundo de Madrazo y Garreta.</div>
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<strong><u><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Raimundo de Madrazo y Garreta (1841 - 1920)</span></u></strong></div>
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Raimundo de Madrazo y Garreta was born in Rome in 1841 in a family of famous painters, later he became a brother-in-law of one of the most important painters of the 19th century Spain, Mariano Fortuny. This solid basis allowed him to turn into one of the bulwarks of the so-called bourgeois realism which development acquired the central and determining role. His first studies in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid and his later studies in Paris with Leon Coignet brought severe but correct academic touches into his early works. </div>
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A traveler and a cosmopolite with good connections with professionals, he never sent a single work to the national exhibitions, but together with Giuseppe de Nittis, his Belgian friend Alfred Stevens, and a gallery keeper George Petit he staged the International Exhibition of Painting which aim was to promote the foreign art in the real artistic capital of the fin de siècle: Paris. </div>
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After the first attempts in the academic style he turned to the more decorative and fresh painting continuing in a certain sense his brother-in-law Fortuny’s tradition with the refined realism transferred to the canvas through a subtle and elaborate colour spectrum that reached the heights of mastery in the works inspired by his model and lover Aline Masson, combining tender feelings and the primacy of the execution. He was notable for the portraits, making this genre one of his favorite ones; it was not in vain that his father was a great portrait painter who taught Raimundo, and the latter added a personal touch to the elegant French portrait of the Second Imperium that, in the long run, had its roots in the English portrait painting of the previous century.</div>
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The influence of the Rococo and of Japanese art is reflected in his painting, which expresses an exquisite aristocratic or bourgeois ideal, the illusion of a refined, sensual and superficial life. Consequently, his works are also described as representing the 'Parisian seraglio'. American collectors paid high prices for his paintings. The Museo del Prado has a good number of his paintings.</div>
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And here you are some of his paintings too:<br />
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<strong><em><u>Sources:</u></em></strong><br />
<a href="http://www.spainisculture.com/">http://www.spainisculture.com/</a><br />
www.answers.com<br />
<a href="http://www.josedelamano.com/">http://www.josedelamano.com/</a><br />
en.wikipedia.orgNieveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00555855797876478378noreply@blogger.com6