Remembrance Day 11 November and the Red Poppy

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

   by John McCrae, May 1915

Poppies in Malta

At the chiming of the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, November, we pause for one minutes silence to remember those who have died in conflicts. It is Remembrance Day (also known as Armistice Day), an important date on the Australian calendar.  The 11th of November 1918 was the day that the fighting ended on the Western Front in Europe signalling the end of World War 1. 

Following the war the allied nations chose this day and time for the commemoration of their war dead and so we observe this each year to remember those who died or suffered in all wars and armed conflicts.  You can read more here - Commemoration Remembrance Day - Australian War Memorial

 

From its association with poppies flowering on the First World War battlefields of Belgium, France and Gallipoli, the red poppy has become associated with remembering the loss of life and the destruction.  

"In soldiers’ folklore, the vivid red of the poppy came from the blood of their fallen comrades which had soaked the ground. The poppy flower grew rapidly and in large numbers across the graves of thousands of soldiers, leading it to become a symbol of sacrifice and loss."

In the photo above you can see one of two remembrance walls at the Australian War Memorial in our capital city Canberra, where are recorded on bronze panels the names of over 102,000 Australians who have died in conflicts. On one of these two walls you can find the name of your family member and place a poppy beside their name, as we did when we visited. This is the closest we can come to the burial place of my great uncle who died in WW1 and my husband's uncle in WW2, so it was a moving experience to be able to do this. 

This year a display of 62,000 handcrafted red poppies are being displayed in the Australian War Memorial's grounds symbolically representing Australian lives lost in the First World War.  You might like to view this short video about 62,000 poppies symbolising  62,000 lives lost.....

 In other places around Australia too, community groups have made their own poppy displays, on this year 2018, 100 years since the ending of World War 1. 

In Western Australia the Returned Service's League, also have a 62,000 poppy project to be displayed in the ground's surrounding the State War Memorial in Perth. Many thanks to  RSLWA on Facebook for sharing this image.

But I wonder, as conflicts continue around the world, have we learnt anything from the death and maiming of so many thousands, soldiers and innocents, and those that came home broken in body and spirit. 

 When we were in Spain, Malta and Italy in May this year we saw lots of poppies, in fields and along roadsides.

More often than not we were zooming by in the tour bus, and there was no stopping to take photos. But on a couple of occasions we saw them where I could take photos.  Below here are poppies near the The Colosseum in Rome, and in Pompei. 

On Sunday 11 November, I will be thinking of my Great Uncle Norman who died in the first few days of the Gallipoli campaign. He was only 19.  I never knew him, but the memory of him, and the loss of his young life, always brings me to tears at times like Remembrance Day and Anzac Day.

 In Western Australia where I live, the Department of Communities has contracted Perth company Impact Communications to conduct a cascading poppy lightshow. 
Places where it has been displayed are:  Exmouth's Vlamingh Head Lighthouse, Geraldton Museum, Kalgoorlie Town Hall, Albany Town Hall, Bunbury's St Patrick's Cathedral, Fremantle's WA Maritime Museum, finishing with Perth's St George's Cathedral on Sunday evening. 
 Below you can see the display at St Patrick's Cathedral in Bunbury. It really was beautiful.

 A river of hand-made poppies flowing over rocks at Peppermnt Lane Lodge in the Ferguson Valley where we held a small ceremony on Sunday at 11am. 

Please click on the links to read the story behind the poem In Flanders Fields and The red remembrance poppy
The Australian War Memorial and 62,000 poppies.  

Thank you so much for stopping by.  Do you have a day like Remembrance Day in your country? Perhaps you would like to tell us about it in your comments. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week.  

You might also like:  
25th April - Anzac Day - when we remember them
Anzac Day - 25th April
On the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month - Armistice
 
I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

   
All Seasons
MosaicMonday at Letting Go of the Bay Leaf

Our World Tuesday

Pictorial Tuesday 

ThroughMy Lens 

Image-in-ing
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global
Travel Photo Thursday 

The Lovin' Life Team over at: Deep Fried Fruit and 50 Shades of Age
Little Things Thursday

Life in Reflection

Hello there! I love reading your comments. If you scroll down to the bottom you can comment too! I would love to hear from you.

If you are a blogger you can link up to Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global right here! - 

An InLinkz Link-up

Barcelona - heart of Catalonia

All too soon our visit to Spain was drawing to a close and we arrived in our final city, Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia and Spain’s major Mediterranean port, and commercial centre. Barcelona is famed for its individuality, cultural interest, and physical beauty. 

The past six months or so there has been a lot on the media about the bid for Catalonia’s independence from Spain, and while we were in Barcelona we saw a lot of evidence of Catalan pride with Catalan flags displayed prominently from balconies and in public places. Although both have their origins in Latin, the Catalan language is different to the Spanish language – Castilian Spanish. 

The city is an interesting and vibrant mix of modern, gothic and art nouveau architectural styles and has many fine examples of Modernisme - the Catalan/Art Nouveau movement from around 1878 to 1910. The art nouveau style imitates natural forms, examples of which you can see in carved flower decorations on buildings for instance.  

 The most ingenious of the art nouveau architects was Antoni Gaudi (1862-1926).

The most famous of the Gaudi’s buildings is La Sagrada Familia Basilica. Building began in 1882 and is not expected to be completed until 2030 (worked stopped during the 1936-39 Civil War).   

The Basilica was originally a Neo-Gothic church when Gaudi took over the construction in 1883. Gaudi died in 1926 after being knocked down by a tram in the street. At the time of his death only one tower on the Nativity façade had been completed. Gaudi is buried in the crypt. We were told that all his paper plans for the Basilica were destroyed by fire but he had made plaster models of his designs from which the building is now being completed. To date only 8 of the 18 towers have been completed, each topped by Venetian mosaics. Approximately 60 million Euro is collected per year from visitors which goes towards the construction. 

Our local guide took us on a walk around Sagrada Familia. Honestly it defies description. To my eyes, there seems to be several different architectural styles perhaps influenced by the eight different architects who have worked on the project. The detail in the design is intricate and it is difficult to take it all in. You could spend hours walking around the outside and still not see it all. 

This is the front entrance - the carving style is quite different. This facade with its angular figures was completed between 1986-2000 by artist Joseph Maria Subirachs.

 The Nativity Facade has doorways representing Faith, Hope and Charity. Scenes of the Nativity and Christ's childhood contain imagery such as doves, whcih symbolise the congregation. At the time of Gaudi's death only one tower of the facade had been completed. 

 We would have liked to have gone inside but we were unable to buy tickets at a time that fitted with our schedule. I suggest you book tickets ahead. 

Masses are held at the Basilica. Please refer to the web site for times. 

 There are many Gaudi designed buildings in Barcelona and I was disappointed that we didn’t have time to visit more. One we did see on our walking tour was Casa Batlló which is the result of a total restoration in 1904 of an old conventional house built in 1877. Note the unusual balconies in the shape of skulls, it is no surprise it was criticised during construction due to its radical design. You can find out more about Gaudi's buildings here - 10 Gaudi buildings

 We also drove up to the mountain of Montserrat “Serrated Mountain” to visit Catalonia’s holiest place, the Monastery of Montserrat which sits at 2000 feet above sea level. The earliest record of a chapel here dates back to the 9^th Century. The monastery was founded in the 11^th century but was destroyed in 1811 when the French attached Catalonia in the War of Independence. Rebuilt in 1844 in Renaissance style, Benedictine monks now live here. The famous 'L'Escolania' boys choir studies at the Monastery.

An integral part of the Montserrat Monastery is the worship of the Black Madonna in the Basilica. Carbon dating estimates that this wooden statue was carved around the 12^th century.  Historical descriptions indicate that the Madonna has turned black simply by darkening over time, possibly from the smoke of candles.  Thousands of pilgrims visit Montserrat every year. The Madonna sits above the altar behind glass. Her wooden orb protrudes for pilgrims to touch. 

Interestingly Montserrat is a common name in Spain. 

You might like to visit the Montserrat Museum which is an art museum with a wide selection of works dating from the thirteenth century to the present day.

The day we visited thick fog blanked the mountains obliterating our view, but this added to the mystical feel of the Monastery. The views would be spectacular on a clear day.

 Montserrat Mountain was officially declared to be a natural park in 1987. There are five walks that commence at the Monastery and the mountain is also popular with bike riders. There is also a funicular railway. Walking back to the bus we stopped along the market stalls where we were able to try some local produce. 

Click here to find out more about Montserrat -  Montserrat Tourist Guide

The Camino Catilan trail passes through Montserrat to connect with the Camino de Santiago pilgrims trail. 

We had our last morning to ourselves in Barcelona before catching our plane to Malta, so we caught a taxi to La Rambla and then wandered through some of the Gothic Quarter (Barri Gotic), before wandering back to our hotel, stopping off for lunch in a tapas bar along the way. It was a perfect way to finish our Spanish tour.

I had been concerned about visiting the famous Las Ramblas as the terror attack on Las Ramblas in August 2017 (Thirteen people died and dozens were injured when a van ploughed into crowds) happened on the day we booked our trip, and we had been warned about pick-pockets. However we enjoyed our stroll along this tree-lined boulevard and had no problems. There are many stalls selling touristy mementos, cafes, and places to sit and people watch. We even saw a stall selling Australian boomerangs ??

The name Las Ramblas comes from the Arabic rambla meaning the dried-up bed of a seasonal river which used to run along here. The Ramblas is actually made up of five sections.

Here are some images from our last day in Barcelona. Unfortunately we didn't have much of a map, and for a little while we followed a group on a walking tour that we came across. Lucky for us they took us into the Gothic Quarter which I wanted to see.

  A flower shop selling Australian eucalypt!

The Barcelona Cathedral in the Barri Gothic - Gothic Quarter. Begun in 1298 this Gothic cathedral was not completed until the 19th century. An orchestra was tuning up on the front steps, gypsies were touting in the square and a bubble blower was entertaining tourists.

 Market stalls and lunch in a tapas bar.

Oh! I almost forgot - the Montjuic musical fountains Built for the 1929 World's Fair they are a treat for everyone! Refer to the link for dates they are playing.

Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you have enjoyed my blog post about my visit to Barcelona. Have you been to Barcelona. Have you any suggestions of places to visit? Perhaps you would like to tell us about it in your comments.

I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week. 

I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

   
All Seasons
Mosaic Monday 

Our World Tuesday

Pictorial Tuesday 

ThroughMy Lens 

Image-in-ing
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global
Travel Photo Thursday 

The Lovin' Life Team over at Deep Fried Fruit
Little Things Thursday

Life in Reflection

Hello there! I love reading your comments. If you scroll down to the bottom you can comment too! I would love to hear from you.

An InLinkz Link-up

Exploring Spain - Cordoba, Seville & Granada

The last couple of weeks I have been sharing some of our holiday to Europe. Today I bring you some of the amazing places we visited in Spain on our Spanish Wonders tour with Trafalgar.
 

Clicking on the headings will link you to more information on the web.

As I mentioned last week when you travel with a tour company they do take you to places you might not otherwise have visited, or heard about, and this was certainly true with our tour.  We discovered there are many Moorish influences in the architecture of Spain.  

"The Spanish occupation by the Moors began in 711 AD when an African army, under their leader Tariq ibn-Ziyad, crossed the Strait of Gibraltar from northern Africa and invaded the Iberian peninsula 'Andalus'.

The Moors, who ruled Spain for 800 years, introduced new scientific techniques to Europe, such as an astrolabe, a device for measuring the position of the stars and planets. Scientific progress in Astronomy, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Geography and Philosophy flourished in Moorish Spain" Moors in Spain

1. Mezquita (Mosque) of the Caliphs, Cordoba 

On the way to Seville we visited the Mosque-Cathedral in Cordoba. What I thought was truly amazing about the Mosque is the unique combination of Moorish and Christian architectural styles and that the Christians were willing to keep this Moorish architecture when it was consecrated as a Christian Cathedral. 

 The site was originally a Roman temple, became a Visigothic church after the fall of the western Roman empire, before the Umayyad Moors built the Mezquita in 786AD when Córdoba reached its zenith under a new emir, Abd ar-Rahman 111 who is considered to be one of the great rulers of Islamic history.

The 1000 marble columns that support the roof symbolise the palm trees of the Arab states and are constructed from different marbles that expand and contract differently to each other in the heat. 

The Mosque was consecrated as a Christian Catholic Cathedral when Cordoba was re-conquered in 1236. In the centre of the mosque is a Renaissance cathedral which dates back to the early sixteenth century while, to the left is the Capilla de Villaviciosa built by Moorish craftsmen in 1371.

In the garden is the bell tower - the Torre de Alminar - which is 93m high and was built on the site of the original minaret.  Orange trees grow in the courtyard where the faithful washed before prayer.

Meanwhile in the backstreets behind the Mosque life continues. I love exploring backstreets and seeing every day life.

 For more information on the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba please visit here - Andalucia.com

 2 - The Parque Maria Luisa - Seville 

This park is a lovely green space in the south of the city of Seville in the grounds of the baroque styled Palacio San Telmo which was built in 1682 as a marine academy. Maria Luisa Fernanda de Bourbon, daughter of King Fernando VII, donated a large part of the palace's extensive private grounds to the city of Seville in 1893. When she died the palace was bequeathed to Seville.

In the gardens you can buy a bag of grain and feed the pigeons. I loved the water lily pond.

 

3 - Nearby is the Plaza de Espana - Seville 

Plaza de España was built for the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929 (Expo 29), along with many of the pavilions you can see in and around the Parque Maria Luisa.

 Plaza de España, designed by architect Anibal Gonzalez is a semi-circular brick building, built in Renaissance/neo-Moorish in style. In front of the building, following the curve of its façade, is a 500-metre canal crossed by four bridges, and in the centre of it all is the Plaza itself which is adorned by fountains. The Plaza itself measures 50,000 square metres.

The Plaza has been used over the decades as a location for filming several movies, such as Star Wars, Lawrence of Arabia), and for the  Sasha Baron-Cohen film, El Dictador.  We wish we had know the Star Wars connection when we visited as our son is a movie buff and he would have enjoyed knowing that it was used as Theed Palace on planet Naboo in a scene from Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.

You can take a horse and carriage ride from here or buy from the many hawkers in the plaza.  

 4 - Alcazar - Seville 

 The Alcazar is divided into sections dating from a succession of eras: Moorish (11th-12th century), Gothic (13th century), Mudejar (14th century), and Renaissance (15th-16th century), the Alcazar offers some of the best surviving examples of Mudejar architecture.

In the 13th Century the Christian king, Pedro the Cruel of Castile embarked upon a complete rebuilding and extending of the palace, employing the finest workmen from Granada and Toledo, and utilising fragments of earlier Moorish buildings in Seville, Cordoba and Valencia.

The detail of the architecture and decorations is amazing and certainly the work of master craftsmen. You can also enjoy the gardens.  

The Alcazar was used for filming some of the scenes for the Game of Thrones series. 

4 - Alhambra, Granada 

The name Alhambra has its origins in an Arabic word meaning "red castle or vermilion". The Alhambra is located on a rocky hill overlooking Granada, with difficult access, on the banks of the river Darro, protected by the mountains and surrounded by forest.

Created originally for military purposes, the Alhambra was a fortress, a palace and a small medina, all at the same time. Fortification has existed since the 9th century and the Alhambra became the royal residence and court of Granada in the mid-13th century after the establishment of the Nasrid Kingdom and the construction of the first palace by the founding king Mohammed ibn Yusuf Ben Nasr, better known as Alhamar. 

2.5 million people per year - almost 7,000 visitors per day - visit Alhambra.  From here you can also walk to the Summer Palace, but it started to rain as we were walking to the Palace, so we opted to return to our bus, and go on to our hotel. 

Look at this beautiful detail in the decoration of Alhambra. 

But before our visit to Alhambra we took a walk through the narrow streets and squares of the old town of Albaicin, visited a fruit and vegetable market,  and listened to the flamenco players on a terrace overlooking Granada and Alhambra. Too soon it was time for us to move on.

 Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you have enjoyed this small look at some of the places we visited in Spain. Next week I will take you to Barcelona.

To find out more about visiting Spain you can click here - Touropia.com-Spain 

I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week. 

Alhambra

I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

   
All Seasons
Mosaic Monday 

Our World Tuesday

Pictorial Tuesday 

ThroughMy Lens 

Image-in-ing
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global
Travel Photo Thursday 

The Lovin' Life Team over at Deep Fried Fruit
Little Things Thursday

Life in Reflection

Hello there! I love reading your comments. If you scroll down to the bottom you can comment too! I would love to hear from you.

If you are a blogger you can link up to Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global right here -