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female-malice · 4 months

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The breast binding trend that young women are doing now has already been done by young women 100 years ago.

Read this excerpt from this paper about qipao fashion by Adrienne Cox:

The changes in qipao fashion began with the trend of breast binding in the early 1910s. Breast binding became more popular toward the end of the Qing dynasty, especially among young female students, who sought to hide their feminine figures by binding their breasts and wearing the early qipao that was stylistically similar to their male counterpart’s changpao style.

Breast binding provided young women with a slim boyish figure and allowed them to show off a more androgynous body as they began to move into the public sphere, which allowed them to preserve a sense of modesty. By hiding their feminine figures, they were able to enter the public sphere without drawing the attention of the male gaze as sexually promiscuous women. In the late 1910s, the trend of breast binding for political reasons quickly spread around urban China, and by the 1920s women of each province sported their own versions of breast binding devices. In the north near Beijing, the laoshi moxiong or old-style breast cover was popular and bound the breasts tight to the chest. In the south the xinshi moxiong or new-style breast cover was more popular and provided a slightly looser fit. From this trend of breast binding, we can also understand how women’s outer clothing changed to fit the new style of feminine form, as qipao styles became tighter to conform to the boyish figures.

The general practice of breast binding also points toward women’s desire to take control of their bodies as they are increasingly visible in the public eye. Women chose to bind their breasts as a way to make their body more suitable to the public eye, which then allowed them to take advantage of education and job opportunities that would bring them directly within the gaze of a society that had functioned by hiding female bodies for centuries. During this time period, who was in control of women’s bodies was the serious question. The changes in both breast binding and qipao styles provided women the opportunity to enter the public sphere without drawing the criticism of conservatives who felt women should stay within their traditional gender roles at home.

By the early to mid-1920s, another movement was beginning to gain traction that completely changed the way that women would display their bodies in public, as well as how the Nationalist government would respond to women’s political needs and demands. This movement began as some urban women sought to free their bodies from the constrains of their clothing as well as the constrains of traditional gender norms. These women sought to literally free their bodies from the historical bindings that had deformed women’s bodies. In this movement, breast binding became closely linked with rhetoric surrounding foot binding, which linked it to the feudal and restrictive past. Feminists across China called this the ‘natural curves’ movement, and it sought to completely eradicate breast binding and focused on women’s physical health. The movement was later supported by the Nationalist government after 1927, and women’s health was encouraged for the benefit of the state—healthy women could produce healthy children—but the way women dressed and presented their healthy bodies came under attack from the Nationalist government for being too provocative.

When the ‘natural curves’ movement began, the women involved focused primarily on celebrating women’s ‘natural’ curves and bringing the ‘natural’ female form more fully into the public eye. This would both literally free women from hiding their figures using harmful tactics such as breast binding, as well as figuratively freeing women from the traditional expectations that drove women to hide themselves from men. In the past, women had either been in the home or so overburdened by loose layered clothing that the physical form was ultimately hidden away from sight. The focus of the natural curves movement quickly became the breasts, hips, and legs of women, and women’s magazines such as Linglong devoted centerspreads and articles to showing off and celebrating the physical health of athletic women. In 1933, the editors of Linglong even published an entire issue dedicated to showing healthy and athletic women. Linglong was largely influenced by the readers, and it wasn’t uncommon for a reader’s letter or personal article to be published in the magazine. This is important to note, because the 1933 sports issue that showed women engaged in sports also included images of healthy young children and mothers holding their babies, which shows that women around China supported the movement for a variety of reasons.

The emphasis on healthy and robust bodies became the forefront of the natural curves movement, and this focus was embodied in the two keywords of the movement, ziran mei and jian mei which mean ‘natural beauty’ and ‘healthy beauty.’ Under the principles of ziran mei and jian mei, Chinese women began to abandon their xiongyi entirely to show off the full shape of their breasts. Others began to adopt the western style brassieres, which would cover the breasts without pushing them into the chest. Politically active women throughout urban China could decide how they wanted to express their liberation simply by how they chose to present their bodies, and qipao styles were changed once again, this time to show off women’s full figures. Once again, the qipao was used as a way to show the political stance of the women wearing them.

In the late 1920s the Nationalist government, as well as some conservative civilians supported ‘natural breasts’ and fashion that followed not out of a desire to liberate women, but out of concern for their reproductive health and creating a clear divide between genders. A popular magazine called The Women’s Monthly published an article that openly admonished young women who still bound their breasts, and other women’s magazines published articles encouraging women to abandon their old binders in favor of the western bra, that would support the breasts without constraining them. Breast binding was said to be a major detriment to a woman’s ability to raise her child, as it was widely accepted that breast binding caused women to be unable to produce milk. These groups linked what was supposed to be a form of female liberation back to the traditional gender roles that many women were trying to escape.

–

First there's a breast binding trend among young women who want to avoid being sexualized by male peers.

Then there's a feminist rejection of this trend as feminists promote the importance of women's health and fitness.

And finally, conservatives co-opt the feminist rejection and twist it into a promotion of traditional reproductive duties.

All of this happened 100 years ago.

And all of it is happening again today.

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bleedinqdove · 1 month

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May i req a Rocky Rickaby x fem or gn reader whose relationship is like Jessica and Roger Rabbit? Or Morticia and Gomez Addams? Everybody’s stunned as to how Rocky, the fucking CRAZY MAN OF THE CENTURY, managed to bag the only cat whose looks are beyond his level. And their personalities are like the textbook definition of opposites attract. Reader doesn’t care though, they’ll still be devoted and loving to Rocky ‘till the day they die.

(Bonus points if the reader is an artist like him, and is also touch starved as him)

You can do this req later or delete it if u wanna, no pressure! I really love your writing ❤️❤️

Rocky x fem reader with a relationship like Jessica and Roger Rabbit

A/n: Sorry this took so long! Was busier than expected ;-;, but anyways this was a really fun request to do as well! You guys send such great requests.

SFW but a bit suggestive towards the end.

-Anon you are absolutely on to something here let me say.

-Compared to Rocky’s more chaotic personality, you are more elegant and poised, but that doesn’t mean you’re any less passionate. You both share that fiery desire for one another even if you two couldn’t be any more different at first glance.

-You’re mainly known around the block for your fashion and self expression, not being afraid to experiment and be bold with your styles. So no doubt that’s how you first caught Rocky’s eyes.

- And Rocky quickly caught yours with the beautiful way he played the violin and his bizarre yet impenitent personality.

-What can I say, tormented artists that were made for eachother.

-You have Rocky wrapped around your finger, and he’s hopelessesly devoted to you. Any time he’s near you he just can’t help but smile and admire you…sometimes you can even catch his tail wagging-

-Your touch has him over the moon, and even the simplest scratch of the chin causes him to get all giddy with delight.

-He’s your number one supporter and defender. He takes great delight in seeing all the different outfits you make and the clothes you design, and if anyone has a problem with what you’re wearing he’ll make sure to deal with them accordingly.

-He’s very protective of you and has no issue of dealing with tomcats who are a bit too flirty with you. Just walks right up with that sharp-toothed smile of his and barely veiled threats of violence.

Right as the intermission starts Rocky hops off the stage and makes a beeline for you. A soft smile crosses your face as you greet him, beckoning him to sit next to you. However a passing tomcat gives you a suggestive comment and wink before walking away.

Rocky’s immediate reaction is to get up and follow that bastard, but he is stopped by you hooking a finger around his suspenders and pulling him back. You didn’t want him to waste his time talking to some greaseball when he should be talking to you. Plus he couldn’t be getting into fights this early into the night.

“Sit down Rocky.” You say looking him in the eyes.

“Yes Ma’am!”

-Make no mistake you’re just as protective as well. No one gets away with disrespecting your man.

-If someone is talking particularly loud during one of his performances, you shoot them a dirty look that shuts them up real quick.

-And if anyone dares to flirt or insult him in your presence, they’re in for a treat. While not as publicly confrontational as Rocky, you’re just as disturbing, if not more, with your confrontations.

-You wait until they are decently away from the crowd, or alone until you walk up to them with a sickly sweet smile painted on your face. The way your face and tone seem so calm, yet your words are vile and not to mention your eyes piercing right through them.

-Needless to say you consider your job done once they’re scared shitless.

-Rocky sometimes spots you doing this and it makes his heart swell with gratitude and pride. You truly care about him!

-Yeah you two are insane for eachother.

-While you dont mind PDA, Rocky appears to be the more clingy one in public. Which you don’t mind either you enjoy his touch. You even give him the occasional kiss here and there.

-But in private it’s a whole different story.

-It’s hard to tell if you’re stuck in Rocky’s grip or he’s stuck in yours. You find it hard to keep your hands off him!

-Rocky no doubt enjoys all this attention you give him, most days when you two come home after a long night he finds himself covered in lipstick stains from your kisses. His least favorite part of the day is washing it all off, he’d like to wear them proudly.

-You hate when he’s away all night doing bootlegging runs. It’s on lonely nights like those that your touchstarvedness truly shows.

-But Rocky is quick to make up for all that lost time.

You watch as Rocky passes the last of the stolen booze to Freckle, who walks out of the garage leaving you and Rocky alone. At first Rocky did not notice you were there as he closed the trunk. In fact he almost bumped straight into you as he turned to follow Freckle.

“Oh! Well what brought you down here dear?” He asks, his eyes widening in surprise and excitement. Rocky was more confused if anything, you usually never go into the garage. However you knew why you were in here, you didn’t know if you could last another hour without Rocky! You let out a dramatic sigh as you lean against him and he immediately wraps his arms around you.

“I just missed you, that's all honey…though I do have a certain request I’d like to make if you don’t mind…?” You asked as his ears perked up in interest, he seemed even more inclined after you started to play with his tie.

“I know after these little runs you like to stay at the speakeasy a bit longer…but I’m oh so tired and just want to wind down…would you like to come home with me Mr Rickaby?”

Your smirk grew wider as you tugged on his tie bringing his face closer to yours. “You think you can help me relax…?”

Rocky’s tail shot straight up as he looked at you, a wide grin on his face as he nodded his head. It didn’t take a lot of convincing with him.

“Yes Ma’am!”

#lackadaisy x reader #lackadaisy #rocky rickaby x reader #x reader #rocky rickaby #ask box #writing #Rocky definitely says yes ma’am/sir you can convince me otherwise

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eyeodyssey · 5 months

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When it comes to books that act as ephemera for the Tokyo Grand Guignol’s plays, most collectors would seek out items like the retrospective 2-MINUS magazine Ameya Style or the volumes of Theater Book and June that featured contemporary articles about the TGG’s plays. The information included in these books is incredibly valuable as many production stills, descriptions and even whole screenplays were printed in these publications. That isn’t to downplay the importance of other adjacent books though, such as the Suehiro Maruo magazine Only You, which features a digest version of Galatia Teito Monogatari’s screenplay. There are even more magazines that have since been shrouded in obscurity, two of which acted as the direct source of several of the most iconic images affiliated with the Tokyo Grand Guignol. The above image is from the October 25th, 1985 volume of Emma magazine. My knowledge of these publications is pretty much nonexistent outside of the fact that on the auctions I found this (and the next featured book) on, both volumes were listed as “photo magazines” or something like that. They definitely contain pictures, that’s for certain. Either way, this photo was a specially shot production still derived loosely from a scene in the TGG’s first play, Mercuro (1984). Despite the close association, this photo is usually given with the play, there was no scene in the original screenplay where Ameya emerges from Kyusaku Shimada’s torso. It was said on the Twitter account TGG_Lab that this scene was based on a variation of the play that was performed at an event hosted by Peyote Workshop known as End of the Century Live, said version of Mercuro being a loose descendent of the iconic televised performance of the play that was shown on Tokumitsu Kazuo's TV Forum. Both renditions were heavily abridged variants of Mercuro’s most iconic special effects scenes, with the televised version specifically being a crossing of the openings of act one and act two. One thing of note is that near the end of the article on the side, a special teaser is given for the upcoming December 1985 debut of Litchi Hikari Club.

youtube

The next photo spread is of a similarly iconic production still, this one being a direct capture of (what was likely) the opening of the first act of Litchi Hikari Club. In said opening scene, an execution is conducted to the tune of the S.P.K. song Culturcide wherein the light club hang a student who crossed their strict rules. This student is apparently different from the one who is blinded by a spotlight later on in the same act. This photo is from the April 11th, 1986 volume of Focus, a magazine that happens to contain a fairly interesting coincidence. In my prior essay regarding the parallels between Litchi Hikari Club and the futurist movement, I mention how Ameya at one point cited an airplane accident as a direct influence for Litchi’s story. According to his recollections, the accident occurred not long after the televised performance of Mercuro, which was in 1985. While I originally had a hunch while writing the essay, I’m fairly certain the airline accident he’s referring to was the Japan Air Lines Flight 123 crash on the 12th of August, 1985. The time frame matches Ameya’s descriptions, and to this day it’s still recalled as being one of the deadliest airline accidents in history. In the same volume of Focus that this image came from, an article is featured a few pages earlier that concerns the accident. A description of Litchi's opening can be read in this excerpt from a lengthy Twitter thread by user Shoru Toji where she gives an in-depth description of the play's 1986 rerun and the subculture around it: I saw Litchi Hikari Club on March 27th, 1986, the first day of its rerun, at a live house called Super Loft KINDO. It was a renovated iron factory in the Tokyo Metropolitan area. The place was previously destroyed by Hanatarash with a live set where he went through the space with a bulldozer. If I recall correctly, the hall was illuminated by fluorescent lights from a high ceiling with exposed steel frames. The walls were painted black. The curtain separating the audience seating from the stage was a set of white sheets, like the kind you’d find in a hospital. There was no announcement when the play was ready to begin. Instead, the fluorescent lights suddenly went out, and a set of speakers in the ceiling emitted hissing noises. The stage was dimmed to the opening queue of Culturcide from the Seppuku Dekompositiones EP, and I thought to myself “This is SPK!”. And with the sounds of synchronized stomping and a ringing flute, the curtains were drawn back to show the scene of a line of students marching through the darkness in single file with lights hoisted over their shoulders. The way the lights aligned in their rows reminded me of spotlights. They marched all about the stage, going right, left, forward and to the back, all at once in an orderly manner. They were taking orders from a man standing on a podium. That man was Tsunekawa in the role of Zera. He stood with an overhead spot bathing him in red light. He pointed in many directions, with the students loyally following each command he made. Eventually, the left side of the stage began to loudly rattle with the starting of a U-shaped quarry conveyor belt. Another student is carted into the stage from the belt, screaming “Please, don’t do it! Please, forgive me!” as he’s suspended upside down from the belt. The light club place their lights in the back of the stage and hang their first victim at the front with a chain.

Sources: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4

#norimizu ameya #tokyo grand guignol #litchi hikari club #suehiro maruo #lychee light club

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sleepwrites · 1 year

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Hello! This is one of my first times asking so sorry if this is bad :,)

This could either be romantic or platonic but macaque, mk, and wukong with a reader who has social anxiety? For example they rarely talk to new people and usually orbit around people they know.

I hope this is enough I hope you have a nice day :]

Aw this is a wonderful request! Loved writing it!

Disclaimer!: I do not have social anxiety and I have no idea what it looks like or what it feels like. If I get anything wrong please let me know and I’ll correct it immediately.

Your safe here

MK, Wukong and Macaque with an s/o who has social anxiety.

When you tell him you have social anxiety he is the most supportive boyfriend ever!!

He knew you weren’t that good around people, he was the one who had to ask you to be friends in the first place.

He would usually introduce you to new people. Very rarely would you ever go out and make friends on your own but when you did he would be so proud!

He wont push you to make new friends, he will give you a slight nudge every so often. Maybe even start the conversation with someone before needing to ‘go grab something’ and let you handle it from there.

So either you and this person hit it off and become close friends or you cut the conversation off shortly after MK leaves and run to go find him.

You tend to cling to him in social situations, especially if theres a huge crowd, then you’ll be holding his arm 24/7.

He is probably the most extroverted person you know so he will be slightly disappointed that you dont wanna go to a party that Mei invited him to but the look of serenity on your face when its just you two is enough to make up for that.

If you end up getting overwhelmed while your both out he’ll notice incredibly quickly, (he is really emotionally aware so he’ll notice fast) rushing you out of there to calm you down as soon as possible.

Once your out of the situation he’ll calm you down by hugging you nice and tight, sort of becoming an anchor for you. He’ll murmur a bunch of sweet things into your ear and give you a nice lil peck on the cheek before you two head home.

Overall? The most caring and loving boyfriend you could ever ask for.

Sun Wukong

At first he thought you were just scared, he didn’t realise how scared you felt when there were too many people around.

But once he realised that you get seriously anxious in big crowds and meeting new people he, like MK, turns to into the most wholesome monkey bf ever!!

Tbh I dont see him as very social either, mans spent centuries cooped up on his island so of course he has some form of social anxiety.

He will always be right near you while your out and about. Will never let you leave his side. Once you two get home he’ll pepper your face with kisses, telling you how good you were.

If you do end up getting overwhelmed he will immediately summon his cloud and get you out of there. Once you get out of their he’ll calm you down with some breathing exercises.

Ideal date? Binge watch the Monkey Cop series and play some video games.

Macaque

HE WILL PROTECT YOU FROM ALL THE PEOPLE YOU DONT LIKE BECAUSE YOUR HIS DARLING AND-

Sorry got carried away, but yeah Macaque will make sure that your comfortable while talking to someone new.

He’s honestly honoured to be part of the small circle of friends you trust and comfortable being around.

He’ll have you backstage during his shadow plays so you dont get overwhelmed by the crowd, plus the view is way better there.

He holds your hand a lot in public, acting as and anchor for you while in crowds. Sometimes he has his tail curled around your waist as well ‘for extra support’ (or so he says)

Your overwhelmed? Portals your right out of there, nothing is scaring his moonlight while hes around.

He has you focus on him and only him, making you realise that your not in the crowd anymore, that your home and safe with him.

Now, Macaque is a theatre kid™️ you cant tell me he isn’t the littlest bit sociable. If he is talking to someone with you with him, he’ll obvs ask you if you want to chip into the conversation. Respects your decision either way.

He doesn’t mind what kind of date you go on as long as your happy. Fancy a nice dinner? Only if your comfortable love. Wanna stay in tonight? What do you wanna do then?

#lmk #lmk x reader #lmk mk x reader #lmk macaque x reader #lmk swk x reader

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the-jolliest-roger · 29 days

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THE QUEER DUTCH SAILOR OF THE 18TH CENTURY

Yes, yes. We have all seen many fictional works pop up lately involving queer sailors (especially pirates) living a free life, supported by their crew. But what are some real-life examples of queerness amongst sailors? How were they treat?

Well the answer is negatively. Today, I will be using ‘Sodomy Punish’d’ as an example, but I also have pirate-related ones I would like to talk about later (perhaps in a continuation of this post. This could be a long one).

Sodomy Punish’d is the English publication of a Dutch diary written by Leondert Hussenlosch (sometimes written as Leendert Hasenbosch), a homosexual sailor in 1725. He was marooned on Ascension Island by his captain and crew once it was discovered he was homosexual, being given a few pieces of equipment to live off. This includes seeds, water, a tent and some writing equipment. This diary is readily available for free online by the way, I recommend anybody interested in the topic read it as it’s short and easy (fair warning it is also very saddening. I was upset by the end of it).

Being marooned was, with no other words to describe it, complete torture. I believe he lasted 3-4 months on the island (anybody who actually took note of the time passed feel free to correct me, I am going off pure memory). He would pray near-daily to god, thanking him for keeping him alive and begging for forgiveness. However he began to experience hallucinations after a few months. He believed he could hear god saying he won’t be forgiven for he is a sodomite. He believed he could hear the fires of hell itself. Other hallucinations included ships nearing the shore.

Despite his sexuality, I think this marooning was quite kind compared to what it could have been from his crew. As mentioned earlier, he was given quite a lot of supplies. The crew also reportedly encouraged him, saying that ‘ships always come past the island at this time of year’ and ‘there’s a water well somewhere on the island’ (this was either a lie or he could not find the well in question. The comment about ships visiting the island however was very true, as it was frequently used by mariners and boucaniers at the time to hunt for meat). So perhaps he was not entirely hated but rather cast out purely as a matter of it being the ships rules.

Unfortunately, this diary does not have a very happy ending for our sailor. Eventually he runs out of fresh water completely and has to resort to drinking turtle blood, gall and his own urine. His passages get progressively shorter and emptier until the diary comes to an abrupt end. He either died from dehydration or from sickness (because drinking such liquids and eating raw meat will do that to you).

Here are some relevant screenshots.

#pirate history #our flag means death #ofmd #pirates of the caribbean #black sails #lgbt history #lgbtq #lgbtq history

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stonylovessteve · 10 months

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Reveals Day Two

It's the second day of gift reveals! Check back each day for more reveals or keep an eye on the AO3 collection.

To our participants, please be sure to comment on your gifts and thank your creator for making something for you. AO3 sometimes forgets to send gift emails, so be sure to check this blog (or the collection) each day to see what's being revealed.

All creators are still secret, so don’t post anywhere about your work, even if it has been revealed. You can, however, reply to comments on your work. AO3 will automatically show you as an anon author until creator reveals.

Creators: AO3 will post your work under the date it was submitted. Once your work has been revealed, go into edit and click "Set a different publication date" then change it to today's date. This will ensure that your work is posted to the top of the new works.

Without further ado… onto today's gifts!

Feels Like Home for laiwrites (MCU, 8k)

Steve thinks there must be something fundamentally wrong with him when adjusting to his new life seems scarier than fighting an army of aliens. He knows how to fight. He's excellent at it. What he doesn't know is how to feel like he belongs in the future.

Or,

Steve doesn't think he will ever be happy in the 21st century. Until, of course, he starts to — slowly — fall in love with Tony Stark.

Break the Ice for AsterouslyDisasterous (616, 1.8k)

Steve’s therapist’s name was Heloise; he saw her twice a month and answered her pointedly non-pointed questions about the connections he made in the future.

The Nearness of You for Thahire (AU, 2.6k)

Steve wasn't thinking when he protected Tony's protege and got a bullet for the move. He doesn't know what to think of Tony Stark showing up at his apartment, either.

can my heart keep quiet for XtaticPearl (AU, 4.7k)

Oh, what a farce this all is! Steve had sought refuge in the Van Dynes’ gardens for the very purpose of avoiding more talk of Mr. Stark’s engagement, and avoiding Mr. Stark himself. Yet, here he stands now, prepared to make idle conversation with the man for the sake of decorum.

In which there is a secluded garden, a tangled web of misunderstandings, a man with a broken heart, another man hoping to propose marriage, and an eventual happy ending.

The Hazards of Falling in Love (Rescue Me) for BladeoftheNebula (AU, 4k)

“So that’s your name?” Rogers hasn't looked away from him once. His eyes are a piercing blue, and Tony barely manages to keep from squirming under his gaze.

“Yeah. Or Telecommunications Operator Stark, if we’re getting technical about it.”

“Are we?”

Tony tilts his head slightly. “Depends. Can I call you Steve?”

The man grins. “Wouldn’t have it any other way, Tony.”

// Tony Stark doesn't date firemen. But he'll make an exception for Battalion Chief Steve Rogers.

Trying not to lose my sensibility for iam93percentstardust (AU, 6.5k)

In the weeks leading up to his heat, Steve rethinks about his relationship with Brock. And his fading friendship with Tony.

Enjoy!

#stonylovessteve2023 #Steve Rogers #steve/tony #stevetony #day two of reveals

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irregularincidents · 9 months

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While the shadow Senator Joseph McCarthy left over the latter half of the 20th century in the United States is largely unavoidable, what is less well known are the circumstances under which his infamous witch hunts under the umbrellas of the Red and Lavender Scares (where he pursued people with real or imagined communist or lgbtq leanings) came to a close.

This itself is a story with several contributing factors.

McCarthy's Chief Counsel was a lawyer by the name of Roy Cohn (on the right on the main image, McCarthy on the left), a virulent anti-communist who was also the chief prosecutor for the Rosenburg Spy Case (arguing successfully for their executions despite even J Edgar Hoover thinking executing a mother with two young children would be unpopular). He was also a closeted homosexual, although his own leanings were an open secret among the US government, not that this deterred him from purging the US government of suspected gay and lesbian people (leading to 5000 people getting fired from their jobs).

Now, in November 1953, one of Cohn's associates by the name of G. Davies Schine (with whom Cohn had toured Germany previous to remove books by suspected communist authors from United States Information Agency libraries) was drafted into the US army. Cohn and McCarthy attempted to use their influence to pressure the army into having Schine stationed near to them in the US (some have read this as Cohn wanting his friend close by, others have suggested they were romantically involved, no confirmation is available that I can see, either way preferential treatment was demanded), and when the army told them no, the pair decided to threaten the army by turning their anti-communist hunts against them in retaliation.

And if you'd think that threatening the United States army in the early 1950s, when a former WWII general Dwight D. Eisenhower was president was a poor decision, you'd be right!

As such, in early 1954 the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, usually chaired by McCarthy himself, was given the task of investigating whether McCarthy had indeed improperly sought preferential treatment. And unlike some of the other trials, the decision was made by ABC to televise the hearings, giving the American public their first view of what McCarthy's hearings were actually like as he turned his standard tricks against the army prosecutors.

You'd be right in thinking that it was more than a touch cynical that what it took to turn America against McCarthy was him attacking white, straight army dudes, but nevertheless that's what happened.

The army hired Boston lawyer Joseph Welch to make its case. At a session on June 9, 1954, McCarthy charged that one of Welch's attorneys had ties to a Communist organisation (the attorney in question, Fred Fischer, had been a member of the progressive National Lawyer's Guild). As an amazed television audience looked on, Welch responded with the immortal lines that ultimately ended McCarthy's career: "Until this moment, Senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness." When McCarthy tried to continue his attack, Welch angrily interrupted, "Let us not assassinate this lad further, senator. You have done enough. Have you no sense of decency?".

Public support began to immediately drain from McCarthy, helped along by such things as the pioneering TV documentary series See It Now, where journalist Edward R Murrow (picture below) used clips of McCarthy's own behavior to underline how the senator had been exploiting the public's fear and spreading lies (such as implying the FDR and Truman administrations were treacherous) for his own political gain.

(Transcript of the episode here)

McCarthy was cleared of the charges, with sole responsibility being laid at the feet of Cohn, who resigned. By March of 1954, Joe's own Republican base in his home state of Wisconsin launched the Joe Must Go campaign, wishing to oust the senator for disrespecting the army, President Eisenhower, and for ignoring the plight of local dairy farmers facing price-slashing surpluses (y'know, the kind of issues he was elected to deal with rather than wandering around the United States harassing people for being gay, communist or being a gay communist).

He was eventually censured by the Senate on various charges that essentially amounted to making his colleagues look bad by association, and his political career limped along for a further two and a half years before finally dying of "Hepatitis, acute, cause unknown" on May 2, 1957. A diagnosis possibly made worse by both his heavy drinking and morphine addiction.

Schine, for his part in the proceedings, dropped out of politics following the hearings, where he entered the private sector, where among other things he made a cameo appearance in the 1966 Batman show (the Entrancing Dr Cassandra). He would eventually die in 1996 alongside his wife, and their 35 year old son in a private airplane accident.

And what of Roy Cohn... Well... While there are folk who'd go through an experience like this and try to either fade into obscurity or try to improve their image, Roy was not one of those people. He worked for the Mob in New York, the Catholic Church, Rupert Murdoch... and Donald Trump.

Cohn gathered a reputation for being willing to do whatever he felt was necessary to enrich either himself or to get his clients whatever they desired. This eventually led to his getting accused of theft, obstruction of justice, extortion, tax evasion, bribery, blackmail, fraud, perjury, and witness tampering. Indeed, Cohn's willingness to happily commit crimes for his clients has reportedly led to frustrations with Trump's recent legal trouble, with him being annoyed his current legal representatives aren't willing to do criminal stuff for them like Roy did back in the day.

Despite all of this though, Cohn remained a popular figure in conservative politics, even introducing Roger Stone to Trump, and was notably close friends with Ronald and Nancy Reagan, with whom he acted as an informal advisor and even ran Ron's presidential campaign in New York, Connecticut and New Jersey.

In 1986, Cohn was disbarred for, among other things, attempting to forge a client's will to make himself the beneficiary upon their death. On 2 August of that year, he died of complications from AIDS, having been cut off by Trump despite Cohn's loyalty (and help with lucrative mob contracts) over the years.

The IRS promptly seized his property, due to his owing the US government $7million in back taxes.

#irregular incidents #the cold war #crime #joseph mccarthy #roy cohn #history #american history #american politics #lgbtq #batman 1966

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sandersidesbigbang · 8 months

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Meux ex Machina

Image ID: Digitally modified Creative Commons public domain image depicting two hands in silhouette reaching for each other but not touching. They are lit with a neon green glow and concentric ellipses of indigo and green radiate outwards from their near connection. A bright, almost white blue light is centered in the background, either resulting from or anticipating their touch. [End ID]

Rating: Mature

Pairings: Endgame romantic Intrulogical, past (?) romantic Dukeceit, maybe a little romantic/platonic Loceit?, background (romantic if you squint) Royality

Summary/Excerpt:

Last century, the first Powered child was born. A frail, squalling infant with skin that burned to the touch and eyes that seemed to read your every thought, it was abandoned at the hospital.

Three years later, another was born. Then another. And another. Within a generation, most hospitals delivered more Powered children than unpowereds. The world turned on its head and the circuits were filled with advertisements for augmentation or that one weird trick to ensure your child was born gifted.

But veneration turned to fear and those powered children who were not cast out were raised to serve the needs of the strongest voices in their communities, whether corporate or military.

Four Powereds said no more and broke away to find their own way to serve—and maybe even save—the world.

Until one day, an unpowered dropped down into their midst, scarred and broken, but armed with steel and hungry for vengeance. Was there a place for him in the world they sought to build?

And did he have the power to save one of their own?

AUTHOR

@edupunkn00b - I like to write.

BETAS

@rosepetalgold - I came for the superpowered au and stayed for the delicious angst and redemption arcs.

ARTISTS

@artistically-gay

@wolfy-do-art-stuff

#promo post #tssbb2023 #thomas sanders sides big bang

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ferociousconscience · 7 months

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Hey there dear Sir!

I've recently felt the urge to get obsessed with yet another thing and have decided that Les Mis does look quite interesting, so I wanted to ask where you would suggest one starts getting into it, there's a bunch of movie adaptations that have released within the past almost century, are there any outliers that are particularly good? Do you have a favorite play of it that you can recommend watching, if it is to be found somewhere in the depths of the Internet? Any input is appreciated really!

A wonderful day to you

a friend, enemy and lover

Good sir!!!! My friend! My enemy! My lover! You want to get into Les Mis!! This is an admirable endeavor and I wish you the best of luck. You have at your feet 161 years of love, fandom, and adaptation to dive into, which in truth is my favorite part of les mis. I will answer this ask in some semblance of order. Have a look under this readmore!! (karate chop motions)

I often think of the question of where would be a good way to start too. I myself got into it in a weird way. I tried to read it when I was young and had energy to devour huge books, but the translation I got was honestly abysmal and hard to read. I put it down pretty quickly. Later, I was part of a theater troupe for a handful of years, and while we never end up doing les mis (our director hated mainstream musicals LOL), I was pretty immersed in the fandom after the 2012 film came out, left the fandom after much lurking, and only rejoined recently after reading the book again. (Different translation this time!) I do think that for the general public, the musical is a great starting point, even if it changes a lot and musicals can be a hard sell for a lot of people. HOWEVER, I do not think the 2012 film is a good adaptation in any sense, and I do not think anyone should start there. This is perhaps a controversial opinion, but I do genuinely believe that one should avoid it at the start for various reasons. In the interest of keeping this reply short I'll save my opinions on the 2012 version for now. If you do want to get into the musical, a 4K re-upscale of the 10th Anniversary Concert is free on youtube (tho it is cut down, an older version of the present day musical which has many revisions, and lacks a lot of staging because it is a concert as opposed to an actual stage production). I think this version has a fantastic cast with talented performers. Also free on youtube is the admittedly kind of silly and yet still very compelling 1978 film, a non-musical cinematic version which is near and dear to my heart,. It also cuts down a looooot, drastically changes the ending, and is more focused on the Valjean and Javert side of things. As for the particularly good ones, I have answered that in a recent ask. Please do take a look there, and I hope it answers your question! Generally the older french adaptations are better and more faithful, lol. If you cannot find a particular adaptation of les mis, feel free to DM me, and I will either send you files, torrents, or I will hunt them down for you myself. As always, feel free to DM me here or on Discord (username is @vondieerde). I can also recommend reading the book once you feel you have a good grip of the story and you want more! So much more!!! Please do, though it is sort of a monolith (we in the fandom call it "The Brick" because you can make a sturdy house with copies of it lol). I will firmly state that I think the Julie Rose translation is the best, and can also really really recommend the Audiobook of it narrated by George Guidall, who has a wonderful voice and is a natural storyteller. If you were to read the book, reading one chapter a day (the chapters are pretty bite-sized), you would be done in exactly a year, 365 days (funny how that works out). I would love to do a book club style discussion of any chapters you read, should you really want to sink your teeth into the story and learn as much as you can. I've spent the last few years studying the heck out of the book and I want to talk to as many people I can about this thing I've fallen in love with again. message me on discord you fool i know who you are

#fc consternation tag #thank youuuuuuuuuuUUuuuuuuaaahhhhh #rly message me tho i will send you so many files.

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haldenlith · 7 months

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So, I'm rewriting the time-skip fic I was working on with Astarion and scrapping a lot of what I had, approaching it with an entirely different plot instead (same setting, though). However, I wrote a scene that I'm still fond of, and I'd hate to see consigned to the void, so I'm sharing it with you guys.

I'll give some background context: The premise was that, flung ahead a few centuries after the events of the game, the story is that a now much older spawn-Astarion is still alive and well in turn of the century, Edwardian-themed and Industrial Revolution-hitting Baldur's Gate. Astarion's made something of a name for himself as a faux-mercantile-lord, being the purveyor of a fairly successful perfume enterprise which is, publicly, the source of his wealth. As far as the public is aware, he's just some eccentric high elf dandy, with an ornery human assistant named Charles usually tagging along. None of that is the whole story, of course, (he is a Charlatan, after all) but it's how he gets by. At this point, his beloved (my Tav, Tannivh) that he fought alongside has passed on, leaving him to manage on his own. Which is... fine... until he encounters his reincarnated self and sees the man carted off to jail. Needless to say, Astarion's instantly invested and interested in getting said reincarnated man out of jail and into his hands. Cue the scene I thought was amusing.

As the guard led the two men through the jail, there were a few catcalls from the rowdier inmates. Not to Charles, of course, but to Astarion. His eccentric fashion tastes seemed to always catch people’s eye, though not always in a positive light. A few glares cut through the bars from others who were less vocal. Either way, Astarion merely lightly sneered in their direction with utter disdain. He wasn’t there to be afternoon entertainment.

The guard stopped near the end of the hall, leading them to a small cell where the wood elf from earlier sat, knees bent, arms resting on them. His barely shoulder-length black hair mostly obscured his features, and the firelight glinted off the unique manacles on his wrists. It seems they didn’t trust him to not sling spells while in the cell. The guard lifted his clipboard and flipped through the pages. “Ah, yeah, here he is. Yeah, we just booked him. Said he was a nasty bugger to try and drag in. Let’s see… Felaadan — which is about as much as we got out of him for a name. Age, unknown. His charges are ten counts of vandalism, four counts of assaulting a Flaming Fist officer, one count of public disturbance, eleven counts of unlawful use of magic, and two counts of trespassing. I’m sure there will be other minor infractions levied against him when the magistrate sees him.”

Astarion plopped a hand on his hip, cocking his head to the side, peering into the cell. “Well, aren’t you a naughty boy.” The man in the cell glanced up at being addressed, but initially paid them no mind.

Initially.

There was a pause, and he did a double-take, piercing emerald eyes snapping onto Astarion’s face and meeting his gaze. A flicker of recognition passed over Felaadan’s features.

That was all Astarion needed.

“How much is his bail posted for?”

Charles blinked at the question, and leaned in to whisper through gritted teeth, “You cannot be serious! If you want hired muscle, we know where to find it for far cheaper!”

As Astarion gently pushed Charles away, the guard sucked in a sharp breath. “I don’t know, m’lord. He’s caused a lot of trouble over the past month. I doubt he even has a bail set for him, thanks to him trapping — accidentally or not — Lady Caldwell in her manor a week ago.” Astarion arched up an eyebrow, a bemused smile appearing on his face. Someone terrorized that old bint? Good.

“I think we could… work something out. You’re all so busy with… the rest of the rabble. Besides, imagine how the press would react if you flayed the skin off some poor boy for making plants spring up hither thither.”

“Well, lashes weren’t really — ”

“And wasn’t the big push going to be that The Gate was heading in a ‘new direction’ with our laws? To become a beacon of a new age? Surely denying citizens bail, exacting archaic punishments, and preventing proper rehabilitation would run counter to that ideal.”

“I mean, I guess you’re — ”

“I feel like it is my duty as a noble lord — no — a noble citizen to aid in bettering our society. I am more than willing to do my part to help clean up the streets and rehabilitate this man! Put him to doing good, honest work! So! I ask you again, my good man, what is his bail set at?”

Charles and the guardsman both stared, a bit stunned (though for differing reasons), at Astarion.

“I, um, I’ll go talk with the Warden and see what I can do,” the guardsman replied, jerking a thumb behind him as he stepped away. Shortly after he left, Astarion jerked his chin in the man’s direction, his gaze on Charles.

“Make sure someone gets paid.” With a begrudging sigh, Charles followed after the guardsman. Once they were essentially alone, Fel’s voice finally spoke up from his side of the bars.

“... You have a lot of faith that I’ll come along quietly with you after I’m out.” A wolfish grin spread across Astarion’s face as he returned his attention to Felaadan.

“Darling, if you’re even a third of the man you were in your past life, you’ll not only do that, you’ll feel obliged to return the favor owed.”

And scene.

I just thought it was an interesting little scene that I had written, and that I'd share that incomplete snippet before I shove it into a folder and scrapped.

#haldie writes #Astarion #fanfic snippet #I just love the mental image of Astarion monologuing while doing his Deception/Persuasion gig on the guard #like of course this diva would put on a show while lying through his teeth

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medievalproject · 7 months

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Iconography: JC Part 1

Christ in Majesty, fresco. Circa 1123. Master of Taüll. Apse of Sant Climent de Taüll Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona

Christ Pantocrator, mosaic. 1130. Cefalù Cathedral. Cefalù, Italy. 📷 Wikimedia Commons, Andreas Wahra, CC BY-SA 3.0

Christ in Judgment, tympanum, 1150. Abbey Ste Foy📷 Daniel Villafruela, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The Deesis mosaic, 1280. Hagia Sophia, IstanbuI, Turkey. Wikimedia Commons © JoJan, CC BY-SA 3.0

You've seen Him in frescos, mosaics, tympanum, paintings, illuminated manuscripts and more but do you know your Christ in Majesty from your Christ Pantocrator? The difference between Christ in Majesty and Christ in Judgment? What about the Christ Pantocrator and the Deesis?

Although sharing some similarities, the iconography of Christ differs between the Western Church and Eastern Orthodox Church.

The distinction comes from how both Churches interpreted the Heavenly throne described in The Book of Revelation and how those interpretations were then depicted in church architecture that developed in the East and West.

Early Christian art

Generally divided into two periods by scholars, early Christian art is bucketed into one of two camps: before and after either the Edict of Milan of 313 (whereby Christians were legally protected from persecution) or the First Council of Nicea in 325 (where Constantine I called for a meeting of all the Christian bishops to try to define Christian doctrine for all their followers around the Empire).

One of the major reasons for convening the council was major questions was around Christology. Specifically, what was the relationship between God the Son and God the Father. This concept is confusing and needed some consensus for sure (spoiler- was not figured in 325).

Regardless of the marker, once Christians were able to freely express themselves and their ideas about God in overt ways, a process began where the underground (literally in the catacombs), indirect symbols and ambiguous iconography of a persecuted people would evolve into mainstream icons for the all the world to see.

How would older symbols continue to be used? What new ones would develop? And, of course, where would Christians put them all?

Brief Christian History timeline

313 - Edict of Milan

325 - First Council of Nicea

324 - Constantine makes Byzantium the new capital of Roman Empire

330 - Byzantium becomes Constantinople

380 - Christianity becomes the state church of the Roman Empire

Late 5th century - collapse of the Western Roman Empire

Roman Empire 379-1453

Christian architecture

Christians would model their places of worship on the basilica, originally a large multi-functional public building in ancient Rome. The design of the original basilica was a rectangle shape with a longitudinal nave with an apse on one end (there could be more) and a roof with two levels, the higher roof in the middle to allow for a clerestory above.

19th century reconstruction of the 2nd century AD Basilica Ulpia, part of the Trajan's Forum, Rome. Julien Guadet, prix de Rome, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The basilica quickly became the template for a standardized architecture of Christian worship, the church. Specific features would Christianize for the church's needs, like the apse. In a civil basilica for example, the apse was the place where officials would congregate and where the Emperor would sit, in the Christian basilica it would become the place above the altar, where Jesus would be depicted. As time went on, the two Churches would use the space in ways that would effect the Christian art made inside.

Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe near Ravenna, Italy, 6th century. Angela Rosaria, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Christian art

The various versions of Christ would gradually take form inside these churches, birthing the predecessors of the standardized iconography that would become the Christ in Majesty and the later Christ in Judgement and the Deesis and Christ the Pantocrator.

By the 4th, 5th and 6th centuries, the change was underway. It is as if artisans were thinking out loud on how to interpret the Old and New testaments, their images of a personified Jesus could be depicted in various ways - as a young, short haired, beardless, law giver, shepherd or even a warrior as well as bearded, long-haired and older, like the version standardized today.

Young, beardless Christ

[Left] Christ the Lawgiver. Basilica of San Lorenzo, Milan, Italy. 4th century. Wikimedia Commons © Giovanni Dall'Orto

[Right] Christ treading the beasts. Chapel of Saint Andrew, Ravenna, Italy. 6th century. Wikicommons © José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro

The mosaics above reflect important symbols and ideas of the time. In Christ the Lawgiver, Jesus is surrounded by his disciples. He is beardless, donning a golden halo. He is dressed in a white and gold toga and seated on a throne dais with his feet on a stool. His left hand holds the New Testament and raising his right hand (this right hand would have a number of meanings- from a gesture made to signal the right to speak, a gesture made by Emperors handing over a decree, to teaching gesture and finally becoming a gesture of blessing).

In Christ treading the beasts, Christ is alone, beardless, his head is surrounded by a golden four-armed cross halo. He is dressed in royal purple for battle, standing and stepping on the heads of the lion and the serpent. He is holding the Gospel with his left hand and grasping a large cross that rests on the shoulder, ready to take on any evil that may come his way.

In both cases, a young, beardless and haloed JC is taking on the appearance of a particular message the patron wants the artist to deliver to its audience.

Early Christian art was heavily influenced by Roman art and therefore the art that had influenced Rome, the art of Ancient Greece and thereby Greece's own influences - Egyptian, Mesopotamian and Persia art.

All cultures and religions take from and build upon the cultures and religions that came before them, adapting stories and visual language to suit their needs and the stories they want to tell.

If young strong Greco-Roman gods were portrayed as young and beardless, it would make sense for artists to show Christ in this way too. If deities in Ancient Egypt and Greco-Roman gods were depicted with halos/auras, Christ most certainty should too.

In the Lawgiver Christ, we see an emperor at the Forum with all other senators surrounding him. In Christ treading on beasts in Ravenna, we see a Christ in battle, triumphant against the hoards of pagan Germanic tribes to Ravenna's North or the defeat of Arianism within the Church itself.

Older, bearded Christ

The following image is said to be one of the earliest bearded Christ depictions which is now the prevailing, mainstream image we have come to know. Here Christ is fully bearded Jesus with long hair and a halo. This image emerged around 300, but it did not become established until the 6th century in the East and much later in the West.

Bust of a Bearded Christ, Catacombs of Commodilla, Rome, Italy. Late 4th Century. Wikimedia Commons, © Public Domain

Art historians point out several possible reasons why the now conventional images of Christ are bearded. Some like Paul Zanker surmise that this version is a reflection of Zeus, the King of Roman Gods and the look of the classical Roman philosophers. It would seem to me that most adult men had beards at the time. Certainly maybe, a 33 year old, Jesus probably would not have been clean shaven.

But how do we go from the above Jesus to Christ in Majesty, Christ in Judgment, Christ Pantocrator and the Deesis?

To be continued in a future post...

Sources

Depiction of Jesus

Early Christian art and architecture

Christ in Majesty

#christ in majesty #christian art #romanesque #christian iconography #art history #iconography #mosaic #architecture

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sketchyelvenasss · 5 months

Note

7, 15, 18, and 21 for Aerika or 2, 5, and 10 for Rexander for the Tav ask game please!!

Thank you for the ask ❤️! I don’t get very many so I’ll just do both. Also I read “or” as “and” first time round anyways lol (Rexander’s answers have near endgame Durge spoilers)

Aerika

7. Did your Tav travel a lot pre-tadpole?

He did! Specifically to the Underdark in search of magic items that were either lost in the dark or in the hands of those that meant to harm others with them. If he can he brings them back to the monastery where he became a cleric on the surface. Thanks to him they have a collection and have opened a museum of sorts to the public.

After the events of bg3 he will eventually return to his expeditions, despite some protesting from Gale. Even though his view of Mystra had been somewhat tarnished he still felt the passion to find, protect, and preserve magic.

15. Do they have any sentimental items?

-Aerika has a few. The first are his parents’ wedding rings. When he was still under a century old— he’s mid 200s now for reference—they were murdered by lolth-sworn raiders, he was captured and probably fated to become a slave when a cleric saved him by killing his captors. Before retreating to the surface with her they buried his parents and he took their rings as momentos.

-His wedding/ engagement band from Gale. They get engaged sometime before the reunion party bc they both knew they’d eventually be married. But Gale really wanted to take the time to do the proper things now that it was far less likely that either of them would die anytime soon.

-When Aerika starts adventuring again Gale gifts him with a smooth and polished amethyst sending stone so they could still communicate.

18. What did they want to be when they were younger? 21. What kind of education did your Tav have?

I’m gonna put these two together bc they work together.

Aerika wanted to be a wizard! But his parents were farmers with little disposable income. Still they loved him and did their best to nurture his passion with books. He didn’t receive any formal training or study until he decided to become a cleric of Mystra.

He believes it was fate to be saved by one of her clerics, and felt it would honor her and still allow him to channel the weave albeit in a different way than he originally thought he would.

The story below kinda covers these with how Aerika feels about them + Galemance fluff

Rexander

2. Does your Tav have any siblings? Are they close?

That is one of the things he still can’t remember. He can’t even remember who his mother was or if he even had one.

The closest you could call family for him were Sarevok and Orin and they are both dead by his hand so…

Rexander is a little grateful that Orin usurped him because he appreciates who he has become since escaping the nautaloid. His brain may be in shambles but at least it is all his own now.

5. Is your Tav religious? Were they raised that way?

Not anymore! As time went on after the tadpole died his memories began to steadily return. And he hates them, hates who he was. Rex, King of Murder was a devout follower of Bhaal leading the cult by example of heinous blood soaked murder—striving to be his father’s chosen and deliver Faerun to him in offering.

Now he doesn’t care who someone lights a candle for unless they come after him or his loved ones.

10. Was your Tav in a relationship? How did it end?

Pre-tadpole he did have a relationship with Gortash, but to him it wasn’t as important as his devotion to Bhaal and Rex had plans to murder him after they had conquered the world together— a revelation that comes to Rexander only as he’s standing over his corpse, but with the intent to save faerun.

I totally think it was a bit awkward to slowly remember their past relationship with Astarion standing right next to him. Although the elf means so much more to him than Gortash ever did. Astarion definitely says something to the effect of “glad to see you’ve upped your standards.”

#bg3 #Aerika Dyrr #Rexander #tav asks #durge spoilers #bg3 durge #thank you so much #oc asks #sorry it’s long

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peace-coast-island · 5 months

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Diary of a Junebug

Watching the snow fall while time freezes for a brief moment

I don’t remember how I learned about the Eternal Snowcaps and the legend of the restful girl, but they both stuck with me for a long time. I’ve never imagined that someday I’d get the chance to visit the infamous place where time literally freezes for unknown reasons. There’s a lot of mysteries surrounding the snowcaps, especially with the people who decided to settle there.

Rumor has it that the Eternal Snowcaps originated with the Restful Girl. In ancient times, the snowcaps was a wasteland, supposedly burn remains of what was once a forest. Supposedly, a civil war broke out, and as punishment, the land engulfed with flames, leaving behind only ashes and charred remains. The land became hostile, so people avoided it. That is, unless they intend to disappear.

Possibly due to the spirits of the dead who laid to rest in the ashes, the place was considered cursed. It’s said that some researchers tried to investigate and verify the claims, but all their attempts end in misfortune. At least they were able to confirm that something’s definitely wrong, and so they did their best to close it off to the public.

Centuries passed and the ashes were largely forgotten until a certain incident brought it back to public awareness. That was the legend of the Restful Girl. The story was that a young girl somehow wandered into the ashes and was found lying near what used to be a lake. The reports said it looked like she simply went to sleep, and looked so serene and peaceful - a stark contrast from the victims they managed to recover in the past.

There’s not a lot on the girl other than she was likely an orphan wandering the streets. She likely was just passing by, and maybe decided to rest, only to succumb to the elements. Despite their efforts, the authorities were unable to identify the girl. Even now, there’s still some historians who are still trying to figure that out, mostly so at least they can put a name on her grave other than “Restful Girl”.

And for some unexplained reason, it began snowing. Soon, it covered the ashes and strange phenomena began to take place. Aside from the eternal cold, time moved strangely at random moments. As in, time would suddenly stop for roughly an hour, and if you’re in the snowcaps, you may or may not be affected by it. From my understanding, there’s no rhyme or reason to it, and though it may be disorienting to experience, there’s no lasting side effects. You’re either frozen in time, or you’re not.

Since the land was destroyed by some divine order, people naturally concluded that this strange phenomena was their doing as well. The most logical conclusion was that the Restful Girl was an anomaly because her death was not the result of suicide or murder, and maybe that somehow broke the curse. As for the snow and time freeze however, that’s still a debatable topic, and I haven’t really looked much into those.

These days, the Eternal Snowcaps has become a home for exiles. Part of it was because while the land isn’t entirely hostile anymore, it’s not the kind of place people gravitate towards because it’s still a harsh environment. Maybe it has something to do with the Restful Girl - that’s still up to debate - but it became a place where people went to for redemption.

The idea at the time was that those who came to the snowcaps came to atone for their sins by having to endure the cold and experience the strange time phenomenon. Most were unable to survive the cold - or they willingly succumbed to the elements - but those who did chose to stay and live out their lives there. Eventually, it became home to exiles - not necessarily criminals, but people who fell hard and completely lost their way, whether it was by their own downfall or by forces completely out of their control. Or, in most cases, a combination of the two.

So, how did I end up visiting such a place? Well, it happens that Sumi, Michi, Hanzou, and Eloise have their reasons to stop by. Sumi has some packages to deliver, Michi and Hanzou are visiting someone, and Eloise is doing an interview. As for what Daisy Jane, Isabelle, and I are doing in a place like this, we’re here for craft supplies, which happen to not be too far from the snowcaps. So things just happened to work out that we decided to meet up with the others.

While most people wouldn’t think of walking through the snowcaps, it’s not as closed off as you think. Sure, there are guards surrounding the area, but it’s more to deter adventurers from entering the cold without proper preparation, as well as ensure the safety of the residents. After all, a lot of them have enemies, and this happens to be a neutral zone.

This is Sumi’s first time here, so Mio asked Michi to accompany her since he’s been there before. Around the same time, Eloise managed to snag an interview with one of the residents after being told over and over again that it was an impossible task. After all, there’s a lot of misconceptions going around about the snowcaps and the exiles, so it’s understandable why her colleagues were wary. They didn’t want her to go alone, but Eloise didn’t want someone from the paper tag along as they’ll end up getting in the way of her reporting - something that seems to be a recurring issue with her. As a compromise, she joined Sumi and Michi since she’s worked with both of them in the past.

Although Eloise isn’t officially part of the crew yet, she’s already familiar with some of the gang. When I last spoke to Pai, she said Connie was trying to get Eloise’s paperwork ready for the guild so they’d immediately have a connection in Marippe. However, things didn’t exactly pan out that way as Eloise ended up being put on the waitlist - four times, to be exact.

While she says that it’s a bummer she can’t work with Connie and Pai on an official capacity yet, there are explanations as to why things happened like that. The first being something called a package deal, which apparently is a thing in these official adventuring factions. Basically, after Connie exonerated Beryl of false accusations, that doesn’t entirely clear him of other things he and his siblings are involved with that are considered gray areas.

From my understanding based on what Pai told me, Connie and the Marippe authorities are still on the fence about Beryl and his siblings due to their ties to the Underground. As in, Beryl’s close to someone powerful, which was why he was the main target while Ruby and Topaz were collateral. Eloise figured that putting them sort of under Connie serves lot more than damage control, especially since it looks like the Guardian of Justice was involved in arrangement too.

As someone who’s been trying to get an exclusive interview with Beryl, Eloise sees this as an absolute win as that gives her more chances to be alone with him and his siblings. She’s tried many times, but they always decline for whatever reason, or the timing just wasn’t right. Still, Eloise won’t give up. And aside from wanting to interview them, she just wants to be friends as well, so that’s another reason why she’s fine with being waitlisted.

Just when things were finished with the siblings, Eloise heard from Connie that she unfortunately was bumped off the list again. This time, however, was by the Guardian of Justice, out of all people. Eloise said she couldn’t believe her ears at first, especially since the Justice is someone she’s been trying to talk to ever since she set her dreams of being a reporter. In other words, based on what Pai said, Justice Fontaine is one of the most powerful figures in Marippe, as well as the most respected. Even though Lady Roselyne is at the top, it’s The Justice who really holds Marippe together.

Even now, Eloise says she’s still in a bit of a shock. She knew that Connie and The Justice quickly became well acquainted, but she didn’t think Connie was that close. I mean, for someone as well connected as Connie, it makes sense for them to immediately go for the top figureheads. Though, I think this is a record. Eloise doesn’t know too much about what’s going on between them other than it’s a big deal, which is why she didn’t pry too much. As much as she wants to find the truth, Eloise knows when to step back, especially when someone like the Guardian of Justice is personally involved.

While she’s waiting for the guild to finally approve her, Eloise figured that she take some vacation time and hang out with Sumi. And then out of the blue, she got a letter from a Snowcap resident inquiring about an interview. Eloise had reached out to him months ago at someone’s request but he declined. Then some things came up, so he wanted Eloise to come and get the truth out before it inevitably gets muddled.

The resident Eloise is interviewing has lived in the Snowcaps for almost twenty years. He was a former general involved with the fall of Lyrica, which was said to be a catastrophic disaster for a variety of reasons, negligence being a major one. Chase - the name he goes by now - was one of the few who cooperated while the others either fled, committed suicide, or caused more problems.

The whole thing’s still a sensitive topic, which was why he turned down Eloise at first. But then some of his former colleagues have begun spreading lies, which is nothing new. That is, until it became apparent that the general public forgot what really happened and began accepting the false narrative as the truth. Yeah, it’s understandable why he decided to break his silence.

Like pretty much everyone who lives here, Chase came to the Snowcaps because he had nowhere else to go. According to Eloise, he was a big deal back then, pretty much on a similar rank like Lady Roselyne and Justice Fontaine. In other words, he fell fast and hard. The fact that he went from being one of the most respected to pretty much the exact opposite, plus him fully accepting this unfortunate turn of events without any resentment whatsoever while bearing far more responsibility than he should, is what intrigued Eloise.

In short, the downfall of Lyrica had to do with a lot of infighting, negligence, and ignorance. Chase said he failed by underestimating just how bad and how ingrained Lyrica’s problems were. It sounded like he tried his best, but at the same time his ignorance and unwillingness to get to the root of the conflicts ended up adding fuel to the fire. In his view, despite losing everything, he still thinks he got off too easily. That seems to be the case with most of the residents here.

They say that those who choose to live in the Snowcaps have their convictions, which is why this place is not for the weak. A lot of these people fucked up big time and have major regrets, so they live out the rest of their lives with a clean slate while actively trying to right their wrongs. Chase has accepted that he can’t escape Lyrica, nor should he have the luxury to move on while others still pay a heavy price for what happened, and that’s why he’s determined not to let history be forgotten as it could easily lead to another Lyrica incident.

Despite what he’s been through, he seems content with the way his life is now. That doesn’t mean he has regrets, but he’s accepted the circumstances and learned to live with it. After speaking to a former Lyrica resident - the one who introduced Eloise to him - he realized that the spirit of Lyrica still lives on. He can’t change the past, but he can use what he knows to help in any way he can.

According to him, aside from the loss of life, the worst thing you can take away from someone is their future. Although I’ve only seen Chase for a short time, I think I can get sort of a good grasp of what kind of person he is, as well as why Eloise wanted to know more about him. He’s the kind of person with good, noble intentions who continues to persevere even after being kicked down. What he wants isn’t forgiveness, it’s retribution - because, to him, to forgive is to minimize the catastrophe.

Before Eloise and Chase went off, Michi introduced us to Gin, who spent the rest of the day with us. Like Chase, she’s got an interesting story too.

To start, Gin was an ordinary human teenage girl who was partially resurrected as a zombie against her will. That’s actually the most straightforward thing about her past. Basically, it all began about 40 years ago on the night of her 15th birthday.

Before she was Gin, she was the daughter of an insecure socialite and a controlling workaholic. She described her mother as the kind of person who hides behind her wealth and uses that to compensate for everything else, which was why the other socialites didn’t like her. That night, her mother attempted to throw an elaborate party for Gin, except it didn’t go so well. Her mother got into a drunken fight, and on the way home, she lost control of the car and drove off the bridge.

Next thing Gin knew, she woke up in some mysterious hospital room with her memories all messed up. She spent the next three years with some sketchy “psychiatrist” recovering her memories. All she knew at the time was that she was declared brain dead, at least until her father paid some big bucks to have some experimental procedure to reverse her injuries. So, in other words, she was an unwilling guinea pig.

But things didn’t start getting weird until three years later. Seriously, it sounds like something straight out of one of those slasher movies where everyone gets murdered left and right. Except it involved a small group of elites in Gin’s circle. To this day, she’s not entirely sure how it started, not that it mattered anyway. Sure, she was concerned when a couple of her “friends” disappeared, but she never expected to become one of the suspected.

And that where she says things got messy. There was no one culprit for the disappearances and murders, just chaos. While she was a victim in the mess as she was considered an easy target due to being easily manipulated, that’s not to say she wasn’t guilty either. Though, in her case, as Hanzou clarified, the three classmates she killed were out of self defense. So that, can’t really fault her on that it sounded like they were creeps.

However, she takes full responsibility for killing her psychiatrist and later burning the entire institute down. While she was freaking out over possibly being the next victim, Gin was also regaining memories of the accident as well as the questionable medical procedures the institute did on her. She started to get suspicious when some of her memories that came back to her naturally didn’t like up with what her psychiatrist said.

This is just pure speculation on her part, but she suspected they played a role in casting suspicion on her because of her memory issues. She said they weren’t entirely wrong as she still suffered gaps, and that made her a convenient scapegoat. Because she was also paranoid since the victims were in the same circles as her, it’s the perfect cover as she wouldn’t know what to believe. So they took advantage of her and fucked her over.

After learning the true nature of the institution and her father’s involvement, Gin was rightfully angry. It also didn’t help that the third person she killed - out of self defense - was responsible for killing most of their friends in their inner circle intended to target Gin next and then pin all their deaths on her. The psychiatrist had apparently been stalking her and saw the fight, so he tried to gaslight Gin into thinking she was the mastermind the entire time.

Obviously, that didn’t work as Gin was aware and conscious the whole time. She tried to reason with the psychiatrist, who actually recorded the whole conversation, but he kept deflecting her. After that, she wasn’t too sure what happened other than things got physical and he was dead.

Next thing she knew, she ran into the institute with a lighter and a can of gasoline. Given that it was a sketchy place, it’s no surprise the entire building lit up like a match. Gin expected to burn up with the place, so it came as a surprise when she woke up disoriented, but otherwise uninjured.

Then she confronted her father and they got into a fight. She doesn’t remember what happened except that he tried to kill her. Somehow, she escaped and he apparently went into hiding. Since it’s been 40 years, Gin doubts he’s still alive, so let’s hope he burns in hell.

For a while, Gin wandered in the wilderness, not knowing what to do with herself. She just wanted to die and her father and the institution took that away from her. The way she put it, she was neither a saint or a monster, just somebody - a nobody who just wanted to make it through the day.

Even though she wasn’t entirely innocent, I think she had every right to get revenge on those who mistreated her. Based on what Michi and Hanzou uncovered about Gin’s past, it sounds like her parents and “friends” were just as shitty as the institution.

Based on what little I know of Gin, I can’t imagine someone like her hanging out with the elite socialite group. She doesn’t have that snobbish pretentiousness and arrogant attitude that’s usually associated with those kinds of people. Even though her father was loaded, I get the feeling that Gin never really got along with the elites, which also contributed to her being the ideal scapegoat.

Like Chase, Gin learned to accept that she couldn’t fully escape her past no matter how hard she tried. She found that out when she unexpectedly ran into a couple of her ex-friends who had scores to settle with her. Michi suspected that maybe her father had led them to her.

At the time, Michi was finding his footing as a detective, though he was getting ready to throw in the towel after dealing with one too many missing pet cases. Then Gin came along and he saw it as the perfect opportunity to see whether or not being a detective could help people. Of course, it was difficult at first as Gin had her walls up. And Michi admits that he could have been more tactful, especially since he greatly underestimated just what exactly he was putting himself into. Luckily, he had Hanzou and Hanako to bail him out when things got rough.

Sure, he got in over his head, but Michi was ultimately able to help Gin finally move on and start anew. Though there’s still a lot of unsolved mysteries regarding the murders and disappearances, Michi was able to knock the elite down by a lot, as well as prove that Gin was really the victim. He also uncovered a lot of things about the institution that really put the city to shame, so they ended up dropping all charges against Gin.

After ensuring Gin’s safety, Michi told her that the only way she could repay him was to live. That is, to start over with nothing and live out the days the way she wants to without being burdened by her past. At Mio’s suggestion, Gin decided to give the Snowcaps a try after meeting some of the residents there. She didn’t expect to fit right in, but she did. And for the first time in her life, she no longer had to put up an act or constantly second guess herself.

So it’s safe to say she’s been through a lot. There’s still a lot of things that Gin’s still bitter about, but she’s moved on. Even if there’s still people who want her head on a stake, as long as she’s in the Snowcaps, they can’t touch her. She says she’s still trying to find a way to repay Michi for what he’s done, though Michi says her happiness is more than enough.

The time freezes are a bit disorienting at first, though it doesn’t take too long to get used to. Gin says that the freeze is often used as a time of reflection and meditation. It sounds a bit strange to outsiders, like it did for her at first, but that’s how it’s always been. I guess it kinda makes sense - you can’t really do much when time is literally stuck, so you might as well do some reflecting.

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#animal crossing pocket camp #animal crossing #diary of a junebug #headcanon ramble

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rabbitcruiser · 6 months

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English Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, was shot and killed during his final victory at the Battle of Trafalgar near the port city of Cádiz on October 21, 1805.

Trafalgar Day

Commemorating a historic maritime clash and the valorous individuals who shaped the course of a nation's destiny.

A British commemoration of the victory of the Royal Navy over the French and Spanish fleets, Trafalgar Day seeks to pay honor to this important occasion that was a pivotal point in history. History buffs, navy fans, and just average people can all find ways to learn more and enjoy marking this momentous event!

History of Trafalgar Day

The Battle of Trafalgar took place on October 21, 1805, when the Royal Navy, under the command of Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, was able to triumph during the Napoleonic Wars, even though the British side had six fewer ships. This is considered the most important event on the calendar of the famous HMS Victory, which is the oldest commissioned warship in the world.

The cost of the Battle of Trafalgar was high, with approximately 1600 British seamen either wounded or killed in the battle, including Admiral Nelson who was mortally wounded. Even so, these tallies are small compared to the losses on the other side, where around 20,000 men from the Spanish and French navies were taken as prisoners of war, and almost 7,000 more were killed or wounded. Admiral Pierre de Villeneuve, the leader for the opposing side, was one of those who was captured.

Historians put the British win down to having a more well-trained group of seamen in the Royal Navy. After having been at sea together for at least two years, they knew exactly how to function as a team. In addition, the British sailors were well-trained in how to use their weapons, practicing firing their guns several days a week for many years in preparation.

While the Battle of Trafalgar was certainly an important victory, establishing the supremacy of the British Royal Navy for over a century, it wasn’t until 1896 that the legacy left behind by Admiral Nelson was duly recognized. The motivation behind the first celebration of Trafalgar Day more than 90 years later was brought on by the formation of the Navy League in 1894.

That first celebration in 1896 was commemorated all throughout the British Empire, with various festivities such as special dinners, parades and more. For more than 100 years, Trafalgar Day was a huge celebration for Britain, however it waned after the end of World War I in 1918, with the recognition of the devastating effects of war.

Although Trafalgar Day is still marked as a public day each year in Britain, it has been somewhat overshadowed by Armistice Day that is scheduled just ten days earlier on October 11, also known as Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth or Veteran’s Day in the United States.

In 2005, on the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, a special celebration took place, named Trafalgar 200. The celebration of the navy that year, including the International Fleet Review, was larger and more vibrant than usual.

In smaller circles, particularly those related to the navy, the evening of Trafalgar Day is still a time when the celebration of this important battle continues annually. The Royal Navy has the tradition of holding a Trafalgar Night dinner in the Officer’s Mess, with speeches, toasts and other activities to pay honor to the event.

While it is important to remember that every battle and war is always tragic, the protection the Royal Navy had for the British Empire in 1805 is also worth remembering on Trafalgar Day. After all, had the battle turned out differently, the history of Europe might have been very different as well!

How to Celebrate Trafalgar Day

Show some appreciation and honor for the Battle of Trafalgar by joining in on some observances with a few of these ideas:

Visit Trafalgar Square

Make a big deal out of Trafalgar Day by going to the place where the battle is memorialized – Trafalgar Square in London. This square was established in the early 19th century in the central part of the city, around the area called Charing Cross. The name was given in 1835 and, of course, it was named after the battle where Admiral Nelson led the navy to victory.

Since the 12th century, this area of land in London has been used for various public gatherings as well as political demonstrations. Today, Trafalgar Square still acts in those ways, and it also houses some important features of London, including The National Gallery, Nelson’s Column and the curious Trafalgar Square fourth plinth.

Learn More About the Battle of Trafalgar

Get to know about the battle that Trafalgar Day celebrates by learning a bit more about. Check out some of these interesting facts about the battle to get started with:

Though the Battle of Trafalgar was an important one in establishing the British navy’s control of the seas, it was another ten years until Napoleon was finally defeated at Waterloo, in 1815.

While the British fleet had only 27 ships and the French and Spanish fleet combined to a total of 33, they still won the victory. And the British also lost no ships in the battle.

This famous signal from Admiral Nelson was sent just before the Battle of Trafalgar: “England expects every man to do his duty.”

Visit a Royal Navy Museum

One excellent way to get involved with celebrating Trafalgar Day might be to learn more about British naval history up close and personal, by visiting one of the six locations of the National Museums of the Royal Navy. In addition to seeing galleries, looking at displays and learning from exhibitions, this museum is also all about the experience that allows visitors to get up close and personal.

The main museum is located in Portsmouth at the historic dockyard, while there is also a museum at Hartlepool. The Royal Navy Submarine Museum and the Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower can be found in Gosport, near Portsmouth. The retired HMS Caroline warship from World War I can also be visited in Belfast, Northern Ireland, while the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Museum is located on an airfield near Yeovilton.

Trafalgar Day FAQs

Where is Trafalgar?

Cape Trafalgar is a coastal headland that is located in the southwestern portion of Spain, on the Atlantic Ocean.

Where is Trafalgar Square?

Trafalgar Square is a public square located in Central London, in the city of Westminster, United Kingdom.

Who won the Battle of Trafalgar?

Britain won the Battle of Trafalgar against the French and Spanish naval fleets.

How did Admiral Nelson win the Battle of Trafalgar?

The battle against Napoleon was won for a number of reasons, but much of it due to superior training as well as better weapons.

Who are on the plinths in Trafalgar Square?

Three plinths have statues of King George IV, General Sir Charles James Napier, and Sir Henry Havelock. The fourth plinth was meant for William IV, but it was left empty due to lack of funding. Since 1998, it has had changing artwork.

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jaydeemedia · 8 months

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[ad_1] My most recent visit to Emila Romagna was supported by Visit Cervia, Visit Comacchio and Ravenna Tourism Stretching for some 90 kilometres along the alluring bath-like waters of the Adriatic Sea – from the Reno River to Gabicce Monte – the Emilia Romagna Riviera is awash with entertainment for all kinds of beach bums. Want to party all night with the sand under your feet? No problem. Fancy a side trip to see some dazzling Byzantine mosaics? Sure thing. Prefer a wild stretch of dune-backed sand to escape it all? You’re covered. Keen on spotting some flamingos in a Venice-like fishing town? Walk right this way. Yes, the Adriatic coast harbours a reputation as a destination for chilling out, sampling the freshest seafood, and topping up the tan at popular seaside resorts, such as Milano Marittima, where row-upon-row of rentable parasols have fluttered in the breeze for over a century. But it’s also an ideal choice for blending beach days with everything else that makes Italy so special, and that’s exactly what this one-week Emilia Romagna Riviera itinerary will help you do. Lunch at Le Dune Beach, Comacchio Often simply called the Riviera Romagnola, as the majority of the coast-touching provinces (Ravenna, Forlì-Cesena and Rimini) sit in the historic Romagna region, while the northern province of Ferrara was in the historical Emilia region, it’s a beloved region for Italian locals to enjoy a summer getaway. Less visited by international tourists, it also offers somewhat of a more ‘local’ insight than the preferred beach destinations of foreign travellers, such as the beautiful islands along the Amalfi Coast, Puglia or Sicily. And while it hasn’t got the dramatic rock-hugging villages of Cinque Terre, it has plenty of soft sand beaches, fascinating museums, and incredible regional dishes. Whether you’re looking for the best beaches near Bologna, a delightful coastal stay, a traditional fishing village or a historic city boasting Byzantine mosaics aplenty, you’ll find it in this one-week Emilia Romagna Riviera itinerary. One week Emilia Romagna Riviera itinerary This Emilia Romagna Riviera itinerary includes three bases: Comacchio, Ravenna and Cervia, with suggested ways to travel between the destinations mentioned by public transport. However, if you have a car, you might prefer to book one base for the week and then visit the different places as day trips – none are more than a 75-minute drive from each other. If you’re arriving by plane, then you could either fly into Bologna (around 70 minutes driving, two hours by train) or Venice (around two hours driving, three hours by train), and then fly out of either Rimini as the endpoint or Bologna (around two hours driving, or one hour by train). Alternatively, if you’re booking a return flight to a single airport, it doesn’t take long to loop back at the end of your trip. Sunset in Comacchio, with aperitivo hour on a boat restaurant Day one and two: Comacchio and The Po Delta Begin your beach week tour of the Emilia Romagna Riviera in the north of the region, close to the border with Veneto. Comacchio sits along Italy’s Adriatic Coast and has long been an important port for fishing and trading, even as far back as the Etruscan times, when the ancient city of Spina was of the utmost importance. Nowadays, the sleepy town – often referred to as ‘Little Venice’ – is a fantastic seaside getaway. Here, you can relax at the beaches, stroll along the canals of the historic centre, and spend some time visiting the surrounding Po Delta, a vast flamingo-frequented wetland at the end of Italy’s longest river. Day one: Beaches and dolphins After dropping off your bags, head straight to the Adriatic to wash away your travels. Le Dune Beach, Florida Beach, or the pine forest-backed stretch near Lido di Spina are great places to enjoy a lazy afternoon on the water, with some fantastic sea-view restaurants for lunch. You could also

contact TAO (Turtles of the Adriatic Organisation) to see if they are organising any dolphin spotting trips during your visit, should you be interested. The Trepponti Bridge Flamingos in the Po Delta Day two: Canals and flamingos Start your day in search of flamingos in the wetlands and marshes of the Po Delta, which is moments from the historic centre. You can either visit by foot, bike or boat, and you’ll have the chance to spot the traditional fishing houses (Trabucchi Comacchiesi) en route. Bike hire can be arranged from the IAT Comacchio tourist office, though it’s best to try and book a Po Delta tour by boat and bike to gain access to the salinas, which require a guide. Regardless, even if you just cycle the Valli di Comacchio on your own, there’s a chance you’ll spot a pink flock in the distance. After lunch, take a stroll around Comacchio’s historic centre, tracking the canals. For a little culture, slip into the impressive Museo Delta Antico archaeological museum. The space covers everything about Comacchio’s history as a fishing town and the Etruscan town of Spina. However, the standout is the well-preserved Roman merchant ship and its contents, which are presented inside. If you want a local speciality for dinner, try an eel dish from La Locanda del Delta and take in the sunset terrace views of this little hidden gem in Europe. Getting from Comacchio to The Po Delta: Hiring a bicycle is the best way to circle the Po Delta’s lagoons and spot flamingos. On foot, you could opt for one of the boat trips to take you deeper into the park. Stay at: Villa Cavour B&B has spacious rooms, a quaint garden to enjoy a lazy breakfast, and a couple of the rooms face a smaller canal – see more options in the ‘best stays’ section below. Read More:Things to do in Comacchio and the Po Delta Ravenna’s Byzantine mosaics are impeccable Day three and four: Ravenna Both an underrated European city and a province, Ravenna is criminally overlooked by most visitors to Italy – especially when considering its historical importance. The last capital of the Western Roman Empire, the city witnessed its fair share of stories, which are chronicled across the eight UNESCO-listed monuments and beyond. Dazzling, well-preserved Byzantine mosaics take centre stage, while more modern studios offer workshops for those keen to learn this age-old art. But more than its monuments, Ravenna is just a really great place to soak up a more cosmopolitan lifestyle along Italy’s Adriatic Coast. It’s only a short hop to the Maritime Park of Ravenna, where wooden walkways, pine forests, and inviting sands await, allowing you to easily enjoy sunset dinners on the beach after a day of sightseeing. Day three: Mosaics and golden sands With two days in Ravenna, you’ll easily be able to see the city’s highlights, and a multi-attraction ticket for the mosaics is a good investment. To start, head to the imposing Basilica of San Vitale and the (more modern) Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, built to be the burial place of the Roman Empress Galla Placidia. These are two of the city’s most iconic attractions, with intricate mosaic ceilings and walls sure to leave you speechless. Afterwards, venture to the Domus of the Stone Carpets, a 6th-century floor-coating mosaic that’s more typically Roman, and the Basilica of San Francesco, where the crypt’s mosaics are now visible underwater. After a local lunch of piadanas or polenta at Mercato Coperto, you can continue the Byzantine mosaic tour at the Basilica of Sant’ Apollinare Nuovo and The Arian Baptistry, or head to the beach for an afternoon of sunshine – Finisterre Beach is a good choice for a sea-view sunset dinner. Basilica of San Vitale Basilica di Sant’Apollinare in Classe Day four: History and workshops Continuing the mosaic theme of this Emilia Romagna Riviera itinerary, start your morning in MAR, the modern mosaic museum. It’s an impressive collection of creative tiled pieces and a fantastic contrast to the historic art you saw yesterday.

Afterwards, if time and budget allow, you might want to have a chance at creating your own souvenir mosaic at the Koko Studio. I took a similar class in Castel Gandolfo, a small town near Rome, and it was one of my favourite experiences in Italy. After a late lazy lunch, spend the afternoon strolling around the pastel-coloured streets of the historic centre, or head slightly out of town to Classis, where another art museum awaits. Alternatively, visit Dante’s tomb and learn a little more about the Italian philosopher and writer. Most evenings around sunset, there is a reading of his most famous work, the Divine Comedy, outside his tomb. For dinner, go to Ca’ de ven, where delicious Emilia Romagna dishes, such as the local speciality stuffed pasta, Cappelletti, are served in a 15th-century palatial building. Getting from Comacchio to Ravenna: It’s around a 40-minute drive, or you can take the 333 bus, which takes 80 minutes. Stay at: Hotel Sant’andrea offers spacious and central traditional rooms at a fair price – see more options in the ‘best stays’ section below. Read More:Guide to Ravenna Various renovated buildings in Cervia have salt connections Day five and six: Milano Marittima and Cervia Heading further south, it’s back to the beach proper to spend a couple of nights staying in Cervia, a somewhat more offbeat Italian destination for international visitors. This historic coastal city has been shaped by the surrounding salt pans, which were once owned by the Pope himself. Nowadays, the canals which meander towards the golden sands are used more for fishing vessels servicing the seafood restaurants. A short walk south along the promenade of Milano Marittima and you’ll find even more choices for topping up your tan. This Garden City is dotted with slightly dilapidated Art Nouveau villas, which were built when the resort town started to blossom in the early 1900s. It’s a pretty little beach town with plenty of greenery and flowers, as well as upscale boutiques for a little retail therapy. Day five: Seafood and shorelines After spending the last few days of this Emilia Romagna Riviera itinerary in the city, it’s time to return to the lazy beaches of Milano Marittima. The area around Cala Zingaro would be my pick, as you have loungers and a beach bar if you want it, but also a stretch of wild sand if you’d prefer not to pay up for the parasols. After enjoying the afternoon and a fresh fish lunch on the beach, stroll along the boulevards of Milano Marittima (L’Ottocento gelateria is great for a treat) before heading back to Cervia to enjoy dinner at Officine del Sale, a multi-space seafood restaurant housed in an old salt storage unit. Gardens define Milano Marittima away from the beach The mussels farmed along this stretch of coast are particularly celebrated Day six: Salt works and sea views Many of Cervia’s attractions are best enjoyed later in the day, so the morning can be spent lapping up more of Italy’s Adriatic Coast. The beaches in front of Cervia are lined with concessions and entertainment options, making lunch with the sand beneath your toes an easy task. After lunch, take a little tour around the Quadrangolo neighbourhood (there’s an app you can download to guide you) to learn more about how the town was picked up and re-built from its original position in the salt pans – you can also climb to the top of the Torre San Michele for an aerial view. Towards sunset, head slightly out of town to the Salt Pans of Cervia Visitor Centre, where you can take a walk with a guide through Cervia’s famed salinas. The slightly sweet salt here – often called white gold – is celebrated, but that’s not the only reason to visit, as the nesting flamingos are another star. For dinner, I suggest trying Cervia’s fantastic mussels at Circolo dei Pescatori, a traditional fisherman’s club, before taking a late-night peek inside the MUSA Museum, which will answer any last questions about Cervia’s salt history.

Getting from Ravenna to Milano Marittima and Cervia: The joint train station sits in between the two locations and can be reached in less than an hour (including walking time). The drive takes around 30 minutes. Stay at: Hotel Smart Has a great location, being close to both Cervia’s canals, old town and beaches – see more options in the ‘best stays’ section below. Read More:Things to do in Cervia and Milano Marittima The colourful canals of Cesenatico Day seven: Cesinatico or Rimini Depending on how much time you have left on your final day of this Emilia Romagna Riviera Itinerary before your departure, you could tack on a final stop slightly further south. Rimini is a good choice (especially if you’re flying from the small airport here) as you can see some of the region’s Roman history or just stroll along the upscale Parco del Mare promenade for a final beach dip. Cesinatico is similar to Cervia, with its tall ships and canals, and would make for a cute stop for a final delicious lunch before heading home. Getting from Cervia to Cesinatico or Rimini: It’s just a 20-minute drive to Cesenatico and less than 40 minutes to Rimini. By train, you can reach Cesenatico in less than 10 minutes (with a short additional walk), while the regional train takes around 35 minutes to Rimini. Read More:Best places to visit in Emilia Romagna Spiaggia Romea Resort is one of many camping and coastal accommodation options Five fantastic coastal stays on Emilia Romagna’s Riviera You have plenty of options when deciding where to stay along the Emilia Romagna Riviera, whether you want to hop between a few different hotels on a road trip or pick one central base. From family-friendly resorts like camping villages and more budget-friendly tent setups to luxury resorts in Milano Marittima and laid-back hotels in Ravenna, the choice is extensive – just keep in mind August can see prices soar. Camping resorts near Comacchio Around Comacchio and the Po Delta, there are plenty of camping options, which are a far cry from a plot of grass for your tent. Some of them, such as the Spiaggia Romea Club Village (where I stayed on my first visit), offer a nature-based resort close to the beach, complete with pools and activities alongside different styles of lodgings. Other decent choices include the Holiday Village Florenz, which has both cabins, pitches and glamping tents and its own beach club, and Camping Tahiti, which is a little back from the beach (it has a complimentary shuttle) but perhaps the most family-friendly resort I’ve been to in the area. Family-run base in Ravenna On my most recent visit to Ravenna, I stayed in the family-owned Hotel Sant’andrea, which was the perfect base to explore the city and even the coast. Just a few minutes from Ravenna’s main thoroughfare, the spacious rooms have a traditional charm. But the highlight is the garden courtyard area, perfect for enjoying the breakfast buffet. Check prices. The pool at MarePineta Resort, Milano Marittima Upscale resort in Milano Marittima MarePineta Resort The first hotel ever built in Milano Marittima, MarePineta Resort, is now a renovated and luxurious lodging choice, just a short walk from the sea. With a gorgeous pool, tennis courts, courtyard restaurants and plush rooms, this is an excellent choice for a refined Romagna beach holiday. Check prices. Historic Ravenna luxury stay If you want to splash out on a gorgeous historical stay in the heart of Ravenna, then the Palazzo Bezzi Hotel is an excellent choice. This magnificently renovated property has spacious designer rooms, a spa space with a sauna, and a roof terrace to relax on. Check prices. Fair-priced seaview stay While you won’t really find a budget option in Milano Marittima or Cervia at the height of summer, Hotel Moderno B&B is great value for what you get. With some Seaview modern rooms at fair prices, it’s a good option if you can snag a deal. Check prices.

Here’s to a coastal escape in Emilia Romagna Five of the best Adriatic beaches in Emilia Romagna (Best beaches near Bologna) For me, the best beach is usually the nearest, and wherever you end up stopping on your Emilia Romagna Riviera trip, you’re sure to find some inviting sands to take a dip in the Adriatic Sea. But, if you just want to make a beeline to one of the best stretches of sand or are looking for the best beaches near Bologna, these are some of my favourite places to start. Just keep in mind that beaches work a little bit differently in much of Italy than in other destinations. If you go to one of the bagno (beach resorts) with umbrellas and concessions, you must pay a daily reservation fee. However, the beaches themselves aren’t private, so the small strip of empty sand usually found in front of the long rows of sunbeds are for the taking. Still, if you’d prefer to be away from these busy and often crammed stretches, it’s best to head to one of the public beaches (sometimes called wild), where you’ll find more space and, likely, a more relaxed recommendation. At Cala Zingaro beach, you’ll find both umbrellas and ‘wild’ empty sands Le Dune Beach, Comacchio In front of Holiday Villa Florenz, on Comacchio’s coastline, Le Dune Beach is less overrun than some of the others nearby. You can rent Gazebos rather than parasols here or just relax on the soft, inviting sands. There’s also a decent restaurant, Monnalisa, to grab lunch. Cala Zingaro, Milano Marittima Moments from the pretty flower-lined boulevards of Milano Marittima, Cala Zingaro bridges the best of both worlds on the Emilia Romagna Riviera. With a gorgeous and well-kept beach club to one side and blissful sands devoid of umbrellas and sunloungers on the other, you can enjoy a lazy afternoon on the sands with decent drinks and snacks a short stroll away. Finisterre Beach, Ravenna, at sunset La spiaggia libera di Marina di Ravenna, Ravenna The long expanse of coastline that belongs to Ravenna has plenty of choices on offer. To the north, closer to the ferry terminal, you’ll find a range of decent beach clubs and restaurants (I’ve eaten at both Finisterre Beach and Singita), which are decent for lunch, sunlounger rental or a beautiful sunset often followed by a summer party. However, for a less developed option, place yourself in the middle of the stretch at Spiaggia Libera di Marina. Backed by dunes and pines, this wilder part of the beach is one of the few free beaches in Ravenna, and it’s an ideal choice if you want to enjoy the Adriatic Coast without background music and rows of umbrellas. Cervia’s Coastline In front of storied Cervia, the coastline is packed with entertainment, beach clubs, and row upon row of umbrellas that coat this vast swathe of sand. It’s not somewhere to come for a peaceful moment of reflection, but if you want plenty of choices and competition for beach concession deals, music in the background, and to be just a short stroll from Cervia’s fishing restaurants, it’s a solid choice. Umbrellas flutter with the Adriatic breeze in Cervia Spiaggia Le Colonie, Rimini Rimini has plenty of paid-for beach concessions, but there are also plenty of public beaches nearby. I’d suggest heading to the south of the city – further away from the port – to Spiaggia Le Colonie or nearby. This gorgeous stretch of wild sand isn’t coated in parasols, and you’ll usually find a quiet corner for yourself. Five best coastal experiences on Emilia Romagna’s Riviera Beyond the beaches, the Emilia Romagna Riviera has plenty of attractions to keep you entertained when you want a break from topping up your tan or bathing in the Adriatic – these are my top picks of places to visit and things to do nearby. Ravenna’s Byzantine mosaics are mesmerising Marvel at Ravenna’s UNESCO-listed mosaics Ravenna is arguably one of Europe’s most underrated cities. Once the capital of the Western Roman Empire, this city, a short drive from the Adriatic Sea, is steeped in history.

Most impressive are the eight UNESCO-listed monuments (some of which I mentioned above), especially those decorated with colourful Byzantine mosaics. If you do one daytrip as part of your Emilia Romagna Riviera, this would be the one I recommend – it truly is one of my favourite cities on the planet. Fishing nets in the Po Delta Traditional clam fishing in the Po Delta Explore Commachio’s Canals and Po Delta Comacchio is one of my favourite places in Italy and remains a somewhat offbeat destination in Europe. I can’t really tell you why, but I think it’s because the fishing town was relatively cut off from the rest of the country until the last century, which has helped it keep much of its traditional charm and helped preserve the nature of the Po Delta. As well as exploring all of the highlights mentioned in the above Emilia Romagna Riviera itinerary (flamingos, historic ship museums, and pretty canals), you can spend longer delving into the town’s fishing past in the eel-focused Manifattura dei Marinati Museum (they even have an eel festival in September), or heading out deeper into the Po Delta, perhaps even joining one of the traditional clam fishermen to collect these tasty morsels near the Sacca di Goro using the traditional method of a wooden rake called a rasta. The Salt Pans of Cervia are renowned across Italy Discover Cervia’s salt works Alongside the MUSA Salt Museum and flamingo spotting salt pan tours I covered in the Emilia Romagna Riviera itinerary above, there are a couple of other opportunities to learn more about Cervias’s sweet salt. The museum also organises ‘experiences’ during summer to see what it’s like to work the salt pans for the day, while visits to the piled-high Camillione salt pans are possible by a guided tour during the summer afternoons on Thursdays and Sundays. See the canals and boats of Cesenatico Cesenatico has a lot of similarities to Cervia and is only slightly further along the coast. With colourful canals similar to Comacchio – though these are more likely to have a couple of the grand traditional sailing ships on them – and a fine stretch of sand, it’s one of the most popular destinations in the region with locals, yet remains something of a hidden gem in Italy for visitors. Rimini’s Centro Storico Cesenatico’s beaches Visit the historic city of Rimini While Cattolica marks the end of Emilia Romagna’s Riviera, Rimini is the furthest I’ve explored, and it’s a great city to include if you want some history served up alongside your sunbathing. With over two thousand years of history, this port city was a key part of the Roman Empire and flourished again during the Middle Ages. Key sights include the Roman arch and Ponte di Tiberio bridge, the 13th-century Malatestiano Temple and a handful of museums, and families will enjoy an afternoon at the ‘Italia in Miniatura’ theme park. Read More:Best places to visit in Emilia Romagna Pin it: Offbeat Italy Coast & Culture Itinerary [ad_2] Source link

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