Bullfight in Seville
Bullfight in a farmhouse near Seville captured in April during festivals in the city. Naturally, I tried not to get too close. Each of these animals weights more than 500 kilograms (half a ton) and this day they do not seem very friendly …
As can be seen the fight get up enough dust …
The Spanish Fighting Bull (Toro Bravo) is an Iberian heterogeneous cattle population. It is primarily bred free-range on extensive estates in Spain, Portugal and Latin American countries where bull fighting is organized. Fighting bulls are selected primarily for a certain combination of aggression, energy, strength, and stamina.
As I said in another post I do not like bullfighting, fortunately prohibited by popular demand in Catalonia.
More info about the Spanish Fighting Bull in Wikipedia
Post for the Weekly Photo Challenge: Motion
Roses
La Diada de Sant Jordi (Saint George’s Day), also known as El Dia de la Rosa (The Day of the Rose) or El Dia del Llibre (The Day of the Book) is a Catalan holiday held on 23 April, with similarities to Valentine’s Day and some unique twists that reflect the antiquity of the celebrations. The main event is the exchange of gifts between sweethearts, loved ones and colleagues. Historically, men gave women roses, and women gave men a book to celebrate the occasion — “a rose for love and a book forever.” In modern times, the mutual exchange of books is also customary. Roses have been associated with this day since medieval times, but the giving of books is a more recent tradition originating in 1923, when a bookseller started to promote the holiday as a way to commemorate the nearly simultaneous deaths of Miguel Cervantes and William Shakespeare on 23 April 1616. Barcelona is the publishing capital of both Catalan and Spanish languages and the combination of love and literacy was quickly adopted.
La Rambla. St. George’s Day
In Barcelona’s most visited street, La Rambla, and all over Catalonia, thousands of stands of roses and makeshift bookstalls are set up for the occasion. By the end of the day, some four million roses and 800,000 books will have been purchased. Most women will carry a rose in hand, and half of the total yearly book sales in Catalonia take place on this occasion.
Roses
Books. St. George’s Day
The sardana, the national dance of Catalonia, is performed throughout the day in the Plaça Sant Jaume in Barcelona. Many book stores and cafes host readings by authors (including 24-hour marathon readings of different classics of Catalan literature or Spanish literature). Street performers and musicians in public squares add to the day’s atmosphere.
Bookstore. La Rambla. St. George’s Day
Bookstore. La Rambla. St. George’s Day
Women with her Rose
23 April is also one of only three days a year when the Palau de la Generalitat, Barcelona’s principal government building, is open to the public. The interior is decorated with roses to honour Saint George.
Bringing the rose to his girl
A girl with her rose
A bookseller advising customers
23 April is also one of only three days a year when the Palau de la Generalitat, Barcelona’s principal government building, is open to the public. The interior is decorated with roses to honour Saint George.
More info: Wikipedia
Rose
Early Bird
“At sunrise everything is luminous but not clear.”
Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It and Other Stories
“What breaks in daybreak? Is it the night? Is it the sun, cracked in two by the horizon like an egg, spilling out light?”
Margaret Atwood
Early Bird
“There’s a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they’re absolutely free. Don’t miss so many of them.”
Jo Walton
Mallard duck
Mallard duck
Mallard duck
The mallard or wild duck (Anas platyrhynchos) is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, the Falkland Islands and South Africa. This duck belongs to the subfamily Anatinae of the waterfowl family Anatidae.
These ones have been seen in a little town in Catalonia.
The male birds (drakes) have a glossy green head and are grey on wings and belly, while the females have mainly brown-speckled plumage. Mallards live in wetlands, eat water plants and small animals, and are gregarious. This species is the ancestor of most breeds of domestic ducks
More info: Wikipedia
the boat
Quiet Waters – Poem by Lee John Siebritz
Memories of happy times
Flood my head
As the boat rocks on and on…
Kids are laughing
Kids are smiling
Enjoying the blue skies
As the wind angrily
Blows the waves against the boat.
A moment of stillness fills my mind
As I think of Cape Town
My birthplace, my home, my life.
I can’t help but feel sad
As flashbacks of the past
Pop into my mind.
Watching these kids being happy
Makes me feel sad
As it takes me back
When that was once in my life.
I am happy where I am
I am happy in my soul
But the little boy’s life
Was cut off so soon.
Nights of terror.
Nights of the unknown
That little child
Had to mature quickly
Or die young.
The boats jerks
Kids plague me for a picture.
I smile though the pain
I smile through the heartache
They are happy
I am sad
I wish I could be like them
But that time has passed me by.
As we pass the
Last turn off
I feel a sense of peace.
Maybe it is my late grandmother
Speaking to me.
“Forget the past”
“Move on with your life”
“So that you can be happy”
I have to follow the star in my heart
For years its light has faded
Over the years it has dimmed
I hope it returns for me to move on…
Again, the boat jerks
My stomach turns
I feel my inside trying to come up.
But soon we arrive at our destiny.
I say goodbye to the mountains
To the trees
I am thankful to God that
I have lived another day.
And so my journey continues…
This is the last Post of the Five Photos, Five Stories Challenge.
Cherry Blossoms
Everyone is seeing these days cherry blossoms. It is a beautiful spectacle that has not escaped anyone’s view worldwide. They are a clear sign of the coming of spring, one of the most beautiful seasons. These flowers belong to the cherry tree in my garden. Hope you like.
Japanese admire the cherry blossoms as the transient nature of life. The entire nation celebrates with festivals, and viewing parties and picnics, and after dark, the parks always seemed to be filled with strolling couples admiring the trees in the moonlight.
Some Japanese poems on the subject of cherry blossoms:
We cannot behold
the beauty of the blossoms
enshrouded by haze –
yet steal us their scent, at least,
spring breezes blowing from the hills.
Yoshimine no Munesada (816-90)
How many times now
have I crossed over hill crests
with the image
of blossoms leading me on –
toward nothing but white clouds?
Fujiwara no Shunzei (1114-1204)
Everyone feels grief
when cherry blossoms scatter.
Might they then be tears –
those drops of moisture falling
in the gentle rains of spring?
Otomo no Juronushi (late 9th century)
Cherry Blossoms
Thanks to The Endless Further for these beautiful poems.
This is the Third Post of the Five Photos, Five Stories Challenge.
Sunset
Afloat
Night Thoughts Afloat
By bent grasses
in a gentle wind
Under straight mast
I’m alone tonight,
And the stars hang
above the broad plain
But moon’s afloat
in this Great River:
Oh, where’s my name
among the poets?
Official rank?
“Retired for ill-health.”
Drifting, drifting,
what am I more than
A single gull
between sky and earth?
Tu Fu. Chinese poet
Afloat
For the Weekly Photo Challenge: Afloat by the Daily Post WordPress
roses
Spring flowers
flowers
I’ve selected these roses photographed yesterday afternoon for this Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Close Ups.
PHOTO CHALLENGE Blur
This biker appeared before me yesterday afternoon and decided to shot photograph for this photo challenge.
Castelldefels beach. Kite-surf
Playing sports on the Castelldefels beach at 20 km from Barcelona in Catalonia. Young sporters doing Kite Surf.
Images edited with Adobe Lightroom 5 and OnOne software.
Castelldefels beach. Kite-surf
Castelldefels beach. Kite-surf
Castelldefels beach. Kite-surf
bCL Photography 