Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Hotel de Ville de Paris viewed from the BHV
Today was a grey rainy day, not a day for a street photographer. Finally I could get to one of the BHV terrace (department stores) that is one side of the Hotel de Ville de Paris. (town hall)
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
A long weekend in Amsterdam
Weekend in Amsterdam (link, enlace, lien, Click)
With a december cold changing weather, rain, snow, some sunny breaks, we enjoyed very much this great city.Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands with a population of 820,256 within city limits. Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age. During that time, the city was the leading center for finance and diamonds.
Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands, has been called the "Venice of the North" for its more than one hundred kilometres of canals, about 90 islands and 1,500 bridges.
Enjoy.
Weekend in Amsterdam (link, enlace, lien, Click)
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Bernard's Travels: Park Juan Carlos I
Walk in Juan Carlos I park (link) A cloudy Sunday walk in the beautiful park Juan Carlos I, in Madrid, 2 kms away from my home. Enjoy...
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Park Juan Carlos I
A
cloudy Sunday walk in the beautiful park Juan Carlos I, in Madrid, 2
kms away from my home.
Enjoy
Un
dominical paseo de otoño en el precioso parque Juan Carlos Primero
de Madrid.
Walk in Juan Carlos I park (link)
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Weekend with AEAC part 4 end.
Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (link)
The
Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, known in Arab history as the Battle of
Al-Uqab (معركة
العقاب),
took place on 16 July 1212 and was an important turning point in the
Reconquista and in the medieval history of Spain.The forces of King
Alfonso VIII of Castile were joined by the armies of his Christian
rivals, Sancho VII of Navarre, Pedro II of Aragon and Afonso II of
Portugal in battle against the Almohad rulers of the southern half of
the Iberian Peninsula. The Caliph al-Nasir (Miramamolín in the
Spanish chronicles) led the Almohad army, made up of people from the
whole Almohad empire.
Alfonso
crossed the mountain range that defended the Almohad camp, sneaking
through the Despeñaperros Pass, being led by a local shepherd that
knew the area. The Christian coalition caught the Moorish army at
camp almost by surprise.
The
crushing defeat of the Almohads significantly hastened their decline
both in the Iberian Peninsula and in the Maghreb a decade later.
This
is a very simple resume of the facts please check appropriate
sources, thanks.
Enjoy
Weekend with AEAC part 3
Caracuel Castle (link)
castillo
of Caracuel
is a military castle, originally
built
by
the Muslims from
the IX century
in successive periods. It is located to the municipality of Corral de
la Calatrava in the province of Ciudad Real, Spain. In 1085 the
Muslims lost the city of Toledo and as a consequence Caracuel became
momentarily property of the king Alfonso VII. Few years later though
in 1091 it was included in the dowry
of the Muslim princess Zaida! Lost
and reconquered many times the castle of Caracuel became property of
the brotherhood after the battle of Las Navas of Tolosas. (see part
4)
Enjoy
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Weekend with AEAC part 2
Calatrava La Nueva (link)
Calatrava
la Nueva (Sacro-convento Castillo de Calatrava la Nueva) is a
medieval castle and convent situated on the high hill across the
valley of Alacranejo, within the municipality of Aldea del Rey, near
Almagro, in the province of Ciudad Real, Spain.
Looking
for a convenient location for a new headquarters the
Brotherhood of Calatrava, a group of warrior monks whose aim was to
drive the Muslims from the Spanish peninsula built Calatrava
La Nueva. They moved in 1217
The
castle was both a defensive structure as well as a monastery.
Thus,
the original site became known as "Calatrava la Vieja"
("Old Calatrava") and the new site as Calatrava la Nueva
(“New Calatrava”).
Across
the valley on the opposite hill is another castle called Salvatierra,
originally constructed in the 10th century by the Moors on the site
of a Roman fort. (today
privately owned.)
…....
Confiscated
by King Joseph (1808), re-established by Ferdinand VII at the
Restoration (1814), the possessions of Calatrava were finally
dissipated in the general secularization of 1838.The
castle survived until then as such.
Enjoy
Weekend with AEAC (Asociación Española de los Amigos de los Castillos) Part 1
Calatrava la Vieja (link)
The reason behind the travel was the VIII century anniversary of the battle of Las Navas of Tolosa a key milestone in the history of Spain, our final destination on Sunday. Saturday we stopped at some other Castles related to the history of it. So let's stop first at Calatrava la Vieja, located in the village of Carrión de Calatrava, in Ciudad Real province.
Calatrava la Vieja (formerly just
Calatrava) is a medieval site and original nucleus of the Order of
Calatrava Knights. Calatrava during the High Middle Ages was the only
important city in the Guadiana River valley. It thus guarded the
roads to Córdoba and Toledo.
Its name is derived from the Arabic
Qal'at Rabāḥ قلعة رباح ("fortress
of Rabah"), a reference to the Moorish nobleman who held this
area in the 8th century.
….......
In 1147, Calatrava was conquered by Alfonso VII, becoming one of the farthest Christian outposts during this stage of the reconquista. A The castle was placed under the protection of the Templar Knights, but this proved unsatisfactory, and Sancho III of Castile made an offer: he would grant the town and fortress of Calatrava to anyone who promised to defend it from the Moors. The Calatrava Knights replaced the Templar Knights.
….....
In 1217, the Order of Calatrava moved to Calatrava la Nueva (castle of Dueñas), 60 km to the south. Thus, the original site became known as "Calatrava la Vieja" ("Old Calatrava").
Calatrava la Vieja remained the center of the royal land grant, but it was completely abandoned by the early fifteenth century, when the Knight Commander of Calatrava moved his residence to Calatrava la Nueva. This is a too short resume introduction of the castle history. Please visit Wikipedia or refer to the appropriate books for the complete information.
Enjoy
Click to link above to open the slideshow
end of part 1#
In 1147, Calatrava was conquered by Alfonso VII, becoming one of the farthest Christian outposts during this stage of the reconquista. A The castle was placed under the protection of the Templar Knights, but this proved unsatisfactory, and Sancho III of Castile made an offer: he would grant the town and fortress of Calatrava to anyone who promised to defend it from the Moors. The Calatrava Knights replaced the Templar Knights.
….....
In 1217, the Order of Calatrava moved to Calatrava la Nueva (castle of Dueñas), 60 km to the south. Thus, the original site became known as "Calatrava la Vieja" ("Old Calatrava").
Calatrava la Vieja remained the center of the royal land grant, but it was completely abandoned by the early fifteenth century, when the Knight Commander of Calatrava moved his residence to Calatrava la Nueva. This is a too short resume introduction of the castle history. Please visit Wikipedia or refer to the appropriate books for the complete information.
Enjoy
Click to link above to open the slideshow
end of part 1#
Friday, September 28, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Bernard's Travels: Saint-Malo Walled city
Bernard's Travels: Saint-Malo Walled city: From the Walls of Saint-Malo Saint-Malo the famous granite city, is a walled port city in Brittany in northwestern France on the Englis...
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Château de la Loire Chenonceau
We spent 2 and half days
in the Châteaux de la Loire ending on Monday Morning in château de
Chenonceau under a grey and rainy day early morning. More pictures to
come on the Châteaux de la Loire.
enjoy
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Visit at the Mont Saint-Michel
We
left Paris with a weather forecast that was assuring us of sunny sky.
Well weather.com was not accurate at all. We visited the Mont
Saint-Michel under a grey sky unfortunately.
Mont
Saint-Michel is a rocky tidal island and a commune in Normandy,
France. It is located approximately one kilometre off the country's
north-western coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near
Avranches. The population of the island is 44. The island has held
strategic fortifications since ancient times, and since the 8th
century AD been the seat of the monastery from which it draws its
name. The Mont-Saint-Michel and its bay are part of the UNESCO list
of World Heritage Sites. More than 3,000,000 people visit it each
year.
Tidal
island Mont Saint-Michel was previously connected to the mainland via
a tidal causeway. This connection has been altered over the
centuries. In 1879, the tidal causeway was converted into a raised or
dry causeway. This prevented the tide from scouring the silt around
the mount.
On
16 June 2006, the French prime minister and regional authorities
announced a €164 million project to build a hydraulic dam using the
waters of the river Couesnon and of tides to help remove the
accumulated silt deposited by the rising tides, and to make
Mont-Saint-Michel an island again. It was projected to be completed
by 2015.
The
construction of the dam began in 2009 and is now complete. The
project also included the removal of the causeway and its visitors
car-park. It will be replaced by a light bridge, allowing the waters
to flow freely around the island, which will improve the efficiency
of the now operational dam.
Bonne
visite.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Flame of Liberty and Death of Diana, Princess of Wales
Yesterday
Friday 31st of August was the 15th anniversary of the tragic accident
of Lady Diana. Believe it or not Flame of Liberty was still full of
people coming from everywhere to remember her memory.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Fort La Latte
Fort-la-Latte
or Castle of La Latte is a castle located about 4 km southeast
of Cap Fréhel and about 35 km west of Saint-Malo,
Côtes-d'Armor, Brittany, France. This impressive castle was built on
a small piece of land at the Baie de la Fresnaye in the 13th century.
The
house of the mighty Goyon-Matignon built at this sit a castle in the
13th century. In the year 1379 it was conquered by Bertrand du
Guesclin. It was besieged by the English in 1490 and by the holy
League in 1597. Garangeau under the reign of Louis XIV turned it into
a fortress, using Vauban's building plans. They used canon batteries,
stationed in Fort La Latte, to defend Saint-Malo against English and
Dutch attacks. In the year 1793, a melting furnace for cannon balls
was built and some counter-revolutionary suspects were imprisoned at
Fort la Latte. The last attack happened in 1815 during the Hundred
Days (French Cent-Jours) (also known as the Waterloo Campaign, it
describes Napoleons return to power between 20 March 1815 to 28 June
1815), when a few men from Saint-Malo unsuccessfully attacked the
castle.
Various
films have been shot at this site, including The Vikings (1958 by
Richard Fleischer) with Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis.
Saint-Malo Walled city
Saint-Malo
the famous granite city,
is
a walled port city in Brittany in northwestern France on the English
Channel. Saint-Malo became notorious as the home of the corsairs,
French privateers and sometimes pirates. (The "corsair"
activities started in the Middle Ages)
The
corsairs of Saint-Malo not only forced English ships passing up the
Channel to pay tribute, but also brought wealth from further afield.
Jacques Cartier, who sailed the Saint Lawrence River and visited the
sites of Quebec City and Montreal – and is thus credited as the
discoverer of Canada, lived in and sailed from Saint-Malo, as did the
first colonists to settle the Falklands – hence the islands' French
name Îles Malouines, which gave rise to the Spanish name Islas
Malvinas.
Enjoy
Friday, August 17, 2012
Sunday, July 22, 2012
2012 America's Cup Newport
2012 America's Cup Newport - 1st part
From Boston to Newport
Rhode Island.
Our good friends Nancy and
Jeff said we were invited to Newport to join not only their resident
friends Diane and Rob but as well Karen and John who were sailing
there to watch the 2012 America's Cup. What a great opportunity! What
a wonderful day it's been! Thanks to all of you folks for having us
and sharing this day. We'll certainly not forget. Looking forward to
seeing all you on the other side of the pond soon.
Regards. Bernard and
Elena.
Watch my photographs that
try to recreate the ambiance of the first half of the day.
Please click on the link
above.
Coming soon 2nd
part of the day.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
New York City High Line
Monday
July 9th
we took a walk to the second section of the High Line that opened in
June 7 2011. In November 2010 we had discovered the
southernmost
section, from Gansevoort Street to 20th Street, opened as a city park
on June 8, 2009 thanks to our friend Ray.
The
High Line is a 1-mile New York City linear park built on a 1.45-mile
section of the former elevated New York Central Railroad spur called
the West Side Line, which runs along the lower west side of
Manhattan; it has been redesigned and planted as an aerial greenway.
The High Line Park currently runs from Gansevoort Street, three
blocks below West 14th Street, in the Meatpacking District, up to
30th Street, through the neighborhood of Chelsea to the West Side
Yard, near the Javits Convention Center.
The
recycling of the railway into an urban park has spurred real estate
development in the neighborhoods which lie along the line.
The
photographs of my reportage intend to show you the trail through my
lens. In a very short period of time some of those pics will be history I
believe!
Enjoy.
PS:
for more on the High Line see Wikipedia at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Line_(New_York_City
Or visit the official website at: http://www.thehighline.org/
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Baron Philippe de Rothschild visit
http://www.bcramponphoto.com/trips/2008-04-19_mr/
In April 2008 my good friend DeWitt invited me to go with him for a Bordeaux Tour organized by his brother Ed Cook, Director of Wine and Beer for Harris Teeter. We had a great four day visit in many well known Bordeaux winery estates.
Today I would like to share with you a few images of the Baron Philippe de Rothschild S.A. visit which ended by a wonderful lunch in a Rotisserie in the Pauillac village.
Baron Philippe de Rothschild S.A. is a family company located in the village of Pauillac, in the Médoc, 50 kms from Bordeaux. The history of the domaine before the 18th century is rather murky.
The first date known could be with Nicolas-Alexandre de Ségur, in 1718. Joseph de Brane, purchased the seigneurie of the Barony of Mouton from the Ségur family in 1720
In 1853, Thuret the owner of the land sold the estate to a member of the Rothschild banking family. Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild.
Finally it is Philippe de Rothschild son of Henri Rothschild, in 1922 that took interest in the property. Under his leadership the great changes began at Mouton.
Premium wines are: Château Mouton Rothschild, Château clerc Milon, Château d'Armailhac, Opus One, Almaviva, Domaine de Baron'arques.
Branded Wines: Most known Mouton Cadet and many others please visit Baron Philippe Rothschild website at :http://www.bpdr.com/
Baroness Philippine Mathilde Camille de Rothschild (born in Paris 22 November 1933) is nowaday the owner of the French winery Château Mouton Rothschild.
One more word of interest in those few lines is the one regarding the labels. Baron Philippe de Rothschild came up with the idea of having each year's label designed by a famous artist of the day. In 1946, this became a permanent and significant aspect of the Mouton image with labels created by some of the world's great painters and sculptors. The only exception to date is the unusual gold-enamel bottle for 2000.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Bernard's Travels: A Sunday with my photographer's friend Ali in Pari...
A Sunday with my photographer's friend Ali in Paris.
http://www.bcramponphoto.com/trips/2012-06-10_ali/
http://www.bcramponphoto.com/trips/2012-06-10_ali/
A Sunday with my
photographer's friend Ali in Paris. Ali is a very passionate and talented
photographer. Ali
also takes the highest risks to shoot whatever he has to bring back
for his clients.
Please visit Ali's work at
his website. www.photobyali.com
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
our week in Madeira
Is Madeira the paradise on earth? The island has the hallmark of subtropics, from blue sea costs to green mountains you get it all in few kilometers. The island is small, 57 km x 22 km, the two highest points are around 1800 meters above sea level .
So you may ask, from a photographer point of view? It is indeed a landscape seascape paradise. But Madeira doesn't give up herself easily though. Roads are generally good but as soon as you leave the cost's highways, be prepared to climb abruptly by very windy roads where stopping is not easy. The marvelous landscapes are most of the time for your eyes only. (except of course if you are prepare to walk). Although there many trails, not always well marked, they aren't generally, as a photographer stand point, where you would like them to be. A good advice if a week is all you have, make a lot of research on what you want to see and shoot and be ready to ask for local advice at your arrival.
So you may ask, from a photographer point of view? It is indeed a landscape seascape paradise. But Madeira doesn't give up herself easily though. Roads are generally good but as soon as you leave the cost's highways, be prepared to climb abruptly by very windy roads where stopping is not easy. The marvelous landscapes are most of the time for your eyes only. (except of course if you are prepare to walk). Although there many trails, not always well marked, they aren't generally, as a photographer stand point, where you would like them to be. A good advice if a week is all you have, make a lot of research on what you want to see and shoot and be ready to ask for local advice at your arrival.
Paradise I said, so this applies to the weather right? People living in Madeira will tell you that it is the most perfect weather in the world. Never cold never too hot. 24ºC during the summer, 17ºC in winter time (average). Not quite, if Madeira is so green is for good reasons.Clouds are omnipresent and bring a fair among of rain. Wind can be very strong. Summarizing: The island is full of small microclimates. One day crossing the national park, we left the cost with 21º and up there we got as low as 5ºC, the fog was so thick that for 20 kilometers, we could hardly see the front of our car. One last word, although we had recent guide books we found difficult to find so some of the things describe. As an example, we were looking for the colorful fisherman boats, in vain. The photograph below is the only boat we could find and I had to fight hard to find a way to isolate it from place where it was parked!
Below few photos that will give you an overview of Madeira Island.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
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