Goodbye 2016

During the last three days, a jazz-marching-band (New Orleans style) has been touring the streets of Murcia. With the title of "Goodbye Year 2016", we have been able to enjoy fantastic music.
Now, enjoy New Year's Eve, and I wish you a Happy New Year and a healthy 2017.

Click on image to enlarge it and see more details.

Xmas Lights 2017

One of the things I like most during Xmas season is the Xmas lights decoration.
Those lights in the image are located at Traperia Street. Beautiful.

Live Music on Xmas Time

During those days there are lots of activities at Murcia City, as theatre for children, or urban street dancing shows, or live music as image. (Located at St. Domingo Square, Luces y Acción! Festival)

As a Present in the Xmas Tree

Inside the big Christmas Tree.

The Big Christmas Tree

80 meters high. At Plaza Circular in Murcia (Circular Square).

Royal Mailbox

Although Santa Claus has a lot of acceptance, the Three Kings are still the favorite of Spanish children.
In the image, Royal Mailbox, so that the children deposit their letters addressed to the The Magi. Each slot in the mailbox is addressed to one of the Three Kings: Melchior, Gaspar and Balthasar.
They will come on January 5th to 6th at night.

Xmas Day 2016

Many of Murcia homes have been visited by Santa Claus.
Until not many years ago, there were few homes that received Father Christmas. But, because of children have more time to play (in Spain, until January 9, school do not start again), Santa visits us more.
Image: Big artificial Xmas Tree at Murcia city.

Xmas Eve Parade 2016

Today, Santa Claus has been around for Murcia, spreading joy and gifts to children.
A parade with the children's characters of today and forever. Delighted children.

From MurciaDailyPhoto I want to wish you a Beautiful Xmas Eve and Merry Christmas.

Crosssing the Bridge with Caution.

Another perspective of the Segura River water level. Scared!
Shocking video from a firemen team.
Another shocking video from an helicopter.

Skimming the Bridge

A day after from the previous picture, the Segura River water level offered this image. But the biggest problem was downstream, especially in Orihuela. You can see it on that shocking video.

River Segura and Region of Murcia Floods.

Last weekend, in the southeast of Spain, in the Region of Murcia, has been raining for three consecutive days. It has rained in these three days what rained all last year.
In the image, the river Segura a few meters from touching the Iron Bridge.
Here, a shocking video of floods.
Here, the usually river level.

Working on It.

Images of the beginning of work in Portman Bay. The sterile ones are taken to another place, where they are allowed to dry, and then, they are taken to an abandoned quarry. When mixed with remains of mineral quartz and other minerals, they will become inert.

Portman Bay. Starts a new future?

I took this picture of Portman Bay a the Portman village from Cenizas Mountain a few days ago.
Since last week, the town of Portman has been news again. At last, it seems that the work of regeneration of its bay has begun.
Let's do some history. These mountains were, since Romans times (Century I), mining zone, and already then, they extracted silver from here.
So this village, and La Union town (a few kilometers from here) have always been a mining area.
Since 1957, the French company Peñarroya, took charge of the extraction of minerals (Cadmium, Lead and Silver) from this area. The wastes generated by the washing of the minerals (using copper sulfate, sodium cyanide, zinc sulfate, sulfuric acid, among others) were initially deposited on the sides of the mountain slopes but, in order to reduce costs, they decided to throw them to the Sea.  As the years went by, the discharge into the Mediterranean Sea was increasing, reaching 8000 tonnes of waste a day.
The government of dictator Franco time, and the early years of democracy, allowed this environmental atrocity, relying on maintaining jobs.
In 1986 a spectacular action of the international ecological association Greenpeace takes place, chaining some of its members to the pipes of discharge.
In 1987, Peñarroya transferred the company to Portman Golf, and in March 1990, the dumping to the sea was definitively closed.
It is considered the biggest environmental disaster of heavy metals in the Mediterranean.
In the image below, you can see the immense amount of debris that filled the bay of Portman, a bay about 8 meters deep, in which large boats were docked.
I have pointed out the place in which was the old port of the nautical club of Portman. (click on the image to see details).
Here you can see Spanish videos about this disaster: 1 and 2.

Art up on the Ceiling

In the Museum of the City of Murcia, on the second floor of this 19th century palace, you can see this beautiful painting on the ceiling.

The Origin of Murcia

In the Museum of the City of Murcia, you can see a series of objects from the beginning of this city to our days.
In the image, 3D city map in its beginnings, more than 800 years ago. At that time the city had been built at north of the Segura River. You can see the wall that surrounded and protected the city.

El Fuero Juzgo

Among the celebrations of the 750th anniversary of the creation of the council of Murcia, in the Museum of the City of Murcia, you can visit the exhibition "El Fuero Juzgo, Vigencia y permanencia" (The Jurisdiction, Validity and Permanence). Among other things, it shows the vicissitudes that had to suffer this document since in 1751, King Ferdinand VI asked the council Murcia to allow the transfer of the codex to the Cathedral of Toledo to make a compendium of Hispanic legislation, until it was returned in 1916.
El Fuero Juzgo, the Jurisdiction, is a set of laws that were used to govern a region, whose origin dates back to the Middle Ages, during the time of the Visigoth kings, a series of kings those came from the Germanic zones.
"After the agreement of Tudmir, in 713, by which the Visigothic king Teodomiro yields to the Muslim conquerors the territories of the Valley of the Segura, Abderraman II in 825 founds the city of Murcia like administrative capital of the former Cora of Tudmir. The Muslims would govern the city during the next four centuries until by a new pact, agreement of Alcaraz, in 1243, the Muslim kingdom of Murcia was incorporated to Kingdom of Castile. The year 1266 would still have to come to the Castilian government, after Jaime I of Aragon, to quell the Mudejar revolt. The 14 of May of 1266, Alfonso X sends to Murcia the privilege by which it grants the Law of Seville, like legal document founding to create the council and to organize the government of the city and its municipality."
"The great interest of this book for the study of history, law, philology, the birth and evolution of the Castilian language (Spanish language), the paleography ... can be verified in the abundant and excellent studies carried out by researchers, especially of the University of Murcia, whose review is easy to find for those interested."
"This codex, compendium of Visigothic laws, will be the basis for organizing, governing and administering this Council and its vast territory, and today it is preserved virtually intact, except for the covers and some pages, in the Municipal Archive of Murcia."
(Source: http://750aniversario.murcia.es/pdfs/FueroJuzgo.pdf)
You can find any general information about Fuero Juzgo at wikipedia.

Café de Alba

A place to listen to live music at night, while having a drink or a coffee.
A place with an atmosphere that invites you to enter.
During the day, a place to take the appetizer.
Picture: views from Café de Alba.

Behind the Musician

A privileged place to see the musician (a cellist in te image). Behind the stage.
I took this photo at the inauguration of the lightning of the Xmas lights.

The Lighting of Xmas.

Today was the official lighting of the Christmas lights of the city of Murcia.
I have to repeat this photo a little further and with the lights on. 80 meters high of a sustainable "Christmas tree".

Framed Bridge

I know, I take too pictures of this bridge (Manterola's bridge), but I had never taken a photo from this perspective. In a sunny day, at Segura river. Murcia city.
Here, a night view.

December'16 Theme Day. Transitions.

The Theme Day  for this time is "Transitions and this time makes me a few of nostalgia.
This is (or was) the facade of a well-known music store in Murcia: Ritmo (Rithm). I say "was" because, today, it has been closed, forever, after more than 74 years. Here my parents bought me my first music books for study the music career (that I have never finished). Here I bought the first music books to my eldest son. It has been a place to know many of music and to buy instruments on a recommended way.
It was oppened in February 7th, 1942 . At this time, they offered to people, pianos, stringed instruments, button accordions, music scores, suitcase phonographs (gramophone), photo lab, portraits cameras ...
It is really a pity to see that a past of Murcian people has been closed, due to the death of the present owner Ignacio Massotti Manzanares (50 years old), son of the founding father of this place who is 95 years old.

Anyway, click here to view thumbnails of all participants.

Pink Swan

The light reflected by the bridge stand, in this case, is pink (or a type of red). The light of this place is changing continuously.
Here, another perspective of this bridge, over the Segura river.

Growing Crystals

Although it could be a flowerpot of kryptonite. Supeman can tremble.
From SeCyT 2016. Using metals, water, ans some saline compound, you can achieve this.

Where I Put my Diskettes?

I don't know if this artwork comes from the same artist than yesterday. I like too.
Did you remember when you use a floppy disk last time? Me not.

Art in Destruction

This work belongs to a student of the School of Arts and Crafts of Murcia.
I like this type of art in which the artist use something that is no longer useful, to create a work of art. Or to make society thinking.

Family Boat

When I was thinking on a title for this post, it has come to my mind the television series: "The Love Boat".
Image: Boating of a family at Segura's River. Midtown of Murcia City.

Pollination

I think it is a little strange, at this time of November, that there are butterflies pollinating, in the northern hemisphere.

Black Clouds: Storm is Coming.

These were the clouds that warned of the coming storm. At the end, hail storm (see yesterday picture).
This amazing photo was taken by a friend: J.V.

Hailstorm Nov'16

Spectacular hailstorm in some places at Region of Murcia.
Storm clouds, and steady fall of temperatures, has generated this spectacle of nature, quite harmful to agriculture. Although very beautiful to see.

More Chladni Figures

Echoes from last SeCyT 2016.
About Chladni figures, more information on a previous post.

Icefish

At SeCyT 2016 we had the opportunity to see animals from Antarctic ocean bottoms. Like this icefish (in formalin). About this amazing fish, I have found it in Wikipedia.

Echoes from SeCyt 2016.

3D printers attract a lot of attention.
In several booths from SeCyT 2016 we could see homemade printers, printers developed by universities, printers developed by private companies.
In the image: printer making a small red dinosaur. In the background, making a green pot.
It is amazing how many things can be done with these types of printers.

SeCyT 2016. 15 Anniversary.

Great public attendance during the 15th anniversary of SeCyT 2016.

Chladni Figures

Let's learn a little of physics.
What you see in the image above is named "Chladni figures": "patterns formed by a granular substance on a flat surface vibrating in an own way.
As mechanical waves propagate through an extended object, they do so in all directions. Depending on the characteristic lengths of the body, the boundary conditions that it imposes on the waves can induce the resonance of some of the frequency components of the incident disturbance.
Depending on the vibrational frequency used, you will get one type of drawing or another." (Source: Wikipedia)
Image: at SeCyT 2016. Using differents colour sands, and a type of vibrational frequency, we get the image above.

SECyT 2016. Future.

After 15 years celebrating the Week of Science and Technology (Semana de la Ciencia y la Tecnología, SECyT, in Spanish), every time is having more acceptance among the Murcian public.
The Seneca Foundation (organizer of this event) gets year after year, bringing science and technology to the general public. A great effort. From here I would like to congratulate them.
We also thank to the public and private institutions (universities, colleges, enterprises) that offer their knowledge to understand the science and technology that surrounds us, offering the opportunity to play technologically advanced equipment, as well as the possibility of experimenting, So that children and adolescents, have an interest in these issues and see a future employment in these cases.
➕ 350 activities
🔬 46 participating entities
It is located at El Malecon gardens. From November 11 to 13, 2016.
Previous weeks of SECyT, here.

Government Building

Between Lieutenant General Gutierrez Mellado Av. and Alfonso X "The Wise", there is a building (a little bit ugly) of the Spanish Government. It is named: Multi-Service Building (Edificio de Servicios Múltiples).
In this building there are:
- DELEGATION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF SPAIN IN THE REGION OF MURCIA
- PRESS OFFICE
- Office of Information and Attention to the citizen. Office 060
- GENERAL REGISTRY OF THE DELEGATION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF SPAIN IN MURCIA
- Citizens' Rights and Citizen Security (Legal Service)
- Industry and Energy
- Inspectorate of Education
- Agriculture and Fisheries

Four Seasons Garden

Another perspective of this beautiful place: Monastery of Las Claras.
The garden was designed to have fruits during all year. It is divided in four places where there are fruit trees in each site that offer fruits each season of the year.
I mean, there is a piece of ground for those fruit trees that could be recollected in autumn, a piece of ground for those fruit trees that could be recollected in winter, and so on.
The entrance is free and they offer a free guide tour.

Pictures previously posted: facade, gothic church roof, Arab pool.

Patio del Alcázar

This is the Patio del Alcázar (Courtyard of Fortress) at Monastery of Las Claras. An Alcázar is a Spanish palace or fortress of Moorish origin.
During XI century, in this place was the Palace of Ibn Mardanis (here in English)or King Wolf by christians (a Moorish king), but this alcázar, called Al Dar al Sugra, which are currently remains, was partially destroyed after the capture of the city by the Almohads in 1172.
Later, with the creation of the Third Taifa of Murcia, Murcian king Ibn Hud built between 1228 and 1238, on the same site as the old palace, conceived likewise as a pleasure palace.
On Islamic-Moorish palace of the murcian emir Ibn Hud  the monastery of Santa Clara was founded, which since 1365 houses the Poor Clares. In this building confluence of several centuries of history and different cultures like the Islamic, Gothic and Baroque. The museum space and nuns live in harmony.
Andalusí archeology section is located in the halls of the former Islamic palace of the XIII century, where also representative collections of Islamic art and archeology throughout the Region of Murcia are exposed.
Preserves one of the oldest Arab pools of Spain.
Source: Wikipedia, murciaturistica.es and museosdemurcia.com

Previous pictures: facade and detail of gothic church.

Dragons

Next to Santo Domingo Square and Alfonso X the Wise avenue, is the Monastery of Santa Clara la Real. It is unmistakable for its famous facade with its 2 towers lattices. Here a photo of its facade that I took in 2009.
The present church belongs to the eighteenth century, but sits on a primitive temple of gothic origin of the XVI century. This in turn is built on the site of what was once an Islamic palace of the XII century.
Gothic church has just reached us the high choir. It is a very typical square starry vault Gothic room . The paintings that decorate the vault represent the classic struggle between good and evil. Incredible are the representatives of the Army of Darkness: spectacular dragons.

Unfocusing the Landscape

Well, this is my second option for Nov'16 Theme Day, Out of focus.
In this case I did defocus premeditatedly.
Hope you enjoy it.

Image: I took this picture at Fofo's park.

November'16 Theme Day. Out of Focus.

..

The Theme Day for the first of month this time is: Out of focus.
This is perfect to recover those pìctures that for any reason the photo was unfocused ;)
About this picture: a duck and a turtle at Fofo's park.

Click here to view tumbnails of all participants.

Days for Remembering.

These days are for remembering those lovely people that they left us some years ago. All Saints' Day.

The Watcher Pigeon

Maybe, a pigeon watchimg to find food.
B/W pictures.

Canoeists

Canoeists on Segura River.
The pillar belongs to Old Bridge.

Passers

Passers over Manterola's bridge.
Here, night and day view of this bridge. The river: Segura.

On the side of Auditorium

A b/w picture of a side of Auditorium of Region of Murcia.
If you want to watch a picture of main entrance, here a photo from 2008.

The Flock

A flock of sheeps.

Caramelos Cerdán

Region of Murcia is very sweet.
Region of Murcia is leader in the production of candies in Spain. It is the second national biggest exporter.
Caramelos Cerdán reached 100 years in 2014. It is the third exporter of Region of Murcia.

Turtles

At Fofó park there is an artificial lake with lots of vegetation, and many aquatic animals like ducks, gooses, and turtles.
Located in Murcia city.