THE 13rd ANNIVERSARY OF HER DEATH. PRINCESS DIANA

Diana, Princess of Wales

(Diana Frances Mountbatten-Windsor; née Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997)

Princess Diana was an iconic figure of the late 20th Century. During her life she was often said to be the most photographed person, appearing on the cover of People magazine more than anyone else. She epitomised feminine beauty and glamour. At the same time, she was admired for her groundbreaking charity work; in particular her work with AIDS patient,s and supporting the campaign for banning landmines. Married to Prince Charles in 1981, she received the title of “Her Royal Highness Princess Diana of Wales” She is the Mother of Prince William and Prince Harry 2nd and 3rd in line to the throne respectively.

Diana was born to an aristocratic family who links to the Royal Family. Her father was Edward Spencer, Viscount Althorp. Edward Spencer was a direct descendent of Charles II.. Her mother was Frances Viscountess Althorp. Her mother was distantly related with the Queen Mother, and was also of American descent. When Diana was young, her parents divorced with her father winning a bitter battle for custody of the children. Diana grew up in the family home of Park House, before moving to Althorp in 1975. Diana did not shine as a student, but did well in music and ballet. When she met her future husband, Diana was working as a part time assistant in a nursery school in London.

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THE NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL - 29th - 30th AUGUST 2010

Held each August Bank Holiday since 1966, the Notting Hill Carnival is the largest festival celebration of its kind in Europe. Every year the streets of West London come alive, with the sounds and smells of Europe's biggest street festival. Twenty miles of vibrant colourful costumes surround over 40 static sound systems, hundreds of Caribbean food stalls, over 40,000 volunteers and over 1 million Notting Hill carnival revellers.

Starting its life as a local festival set up by the West Indian community of the Notting Hill area, it has now become a full-blooded Caribbean carnival, attracting millions of visitors from all over the globe. With many astonishing floats and the sounds of the traditional steel drum bands, scores of massive sound systems plus not forgetting the hundreds of stalls that line the streets of Notting Hill. The Notting Hill Carnival is arguably London's most exciting annual event.

The Notting Hill Carnival usually gets under way on the Saturday with the steel band competition. Sunday is Kids' Day, when the costume prizes are awarded. On Bank Holiday Monday, the main parade takes place. It generally begins on Great Western Road, then winds its way along Chepstow Road, on to Westbourne Grove, and then Ladbroke Grove. In the evening, the floats leave the streets in procession, and people carry continue partying at the many Notting Hill Carnival after parties.

MORE INFORMATION

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MALAGA FAIR 2010

Malaga Fair 2010

MALAGA FAIR 2010 WEBSITE

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MICHELLE OBAMA ARRIVES IN MARBELLA FOR LUXURY HOLIDAY

US First Lady, Michelle Obama and her youngest daughter Sasha arrived in Malaga airport Wednesday morning aboard Air Force Two. The First lady and her daughter were picked up by a motorcade of black limos and police cars. They were driven directly from the airport to the luxury hotel Villa Padierna.

5-star Luxury Holiday in Style

The hotel Villa Padierna, officially located in the municipality of Benahavis, is ranked amongst the top 30 hotels in the world. With its tuscany styled architecture and 2,000 square meter spa the Obama family will have plenty to enjoy. The U.S. First Lady was welcomed by hotel director, Ricardo Arranz who confirmed to the press that the Obamas had reserved 60 rooms at the hotel for themselves, their friends and their extensive Secret Service detail.

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ROYAL EDINBURGH MILITARY TATTOO - AUG 6 -28

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is Scotland's biggest, best-selling spectacle, the most popular annual event on the Scottish calendar, attracting an international audience each year of some 217,000 people.

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THE WAY OF SAINT JAMES

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XACOBEO 2010

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SAINT JAMES 25th JULY 2010

Santiago de Compostela 25th July 2010

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NELSON MANDELA DAY - MADRID

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NELSON MANDELA DAY 18th JULY

Madrid will host the international celebration of Nelson Mandela Day, a global initiative which aims to raise awareness of the power each individual has to help change the world around them. There will be an extensive program of activities where volunteering, sport, art, education, music and culture will be the catalysts behind the call to action. Come back soon to find out how you can make your imprint on the world.

BIOGRAPHY

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SWAN UPPING ON THE RIVER THAMES

Swan Upping 2010 will take place from 19 - 23 July

The census of people takes place every ten years. The census of swans takes place annually during July on the River Thames in a ceremony known as Swan Upping. Swans are counted and marked on a 70 mile, five day journey up the River Thames.

The Swan Upping event takes place in July each year, commencing on the third Monday at Sunbury and ending at Abingdon on the Friday.

The swans on the River Thames are Mute Swans (Cygnus olor). They are not actually mute, they can honk and hiss alot. Mute swans are seen in Britain all year round and are distinguished by a bright orange beak, which has a knob of black tissue on the top.

Swan Uppers searching for cygnets

The Swan Uppers catch and check the health of the swans and their cygnets through five counties, from Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex, to Abingdon, Oxfordshire.

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VIRGIN OF CARMEN 16th JULY

The Virgin of Carmen is the patron saint and protector of fishermen and sailors. Religious Virgins are hugely popular in Andalucia (Spain); they are normally handcrafted from wood and porcelain and spend 99.9 per cent of the year at the local church. Most are dusted down and placed on flower-decked thrones at Easter-time when they are lovingly and solemnly borne through the streets. The Virgen del Carmen, however, has her own special day.

On the evening of July 16, in the fishing villages and towns up and down the Coast, her much-loved effigy is not only paraded through the streets but also taken for a spin round the bay on a flower-adorned boat, accompanied by a flotilla of "jábegas" (fishing boats). Brass bands play, crowds cheer, rockets shoot off and fireworks fill the late dusk sky.

Celebrations vary slightly from town to town. In Málaga, for example, the procession takes place not only on July 16, but on the following Sunday. A recent Malagueñan tradition, started in 1981, shows the Virgen del Carmen embracing all lovers of the sea - including scuba divers. That year, the City scuba diving club placed an image of their patron at the bottom of the sea and since then divers have paid their underwater homage annually.

The festival is especially important in the fishing villages of neighbouring Rincon de la Victoria and La Cala, both of which have the Virgen del Carmen as their town patron.

To understand why the Virgen del Carmen should be held so dear to the inhabitants of towns such as Estepona, Velez Malaga, Torremolinos and Rincon de la Victoria, we need to go back to the Old Testament. Downshifting in his old age, the prophet Elias retreated to a cave in Mount Carmelo near Haife (Israel). Many centuries later, hermits following in Elijah's footsteps asked for the protection of the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmelo - the Virgin of Carmen. Stella Maris, as she was also known, was soon adopted by mariners and fishermen everywhere as their patron.

Although long overtaken by tourism, many Costa towns still retain fishing communities and a strong attachment to "la Reina de los Mares" (the Queen of the Seas). It was once believed - perhaps in the days before water-purifying plants! - that the Virgin cleared up the waters with her presence and that only after July 16 would the sea be fit for swimming in.

                                             

CELEBRATIONS IN MALAGA, VELEZ MALAGA AND NERJA

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EVERYTHING READY FOR SAN FERMÍN 2010

Pamplona receives the arrival of thousands of visitors as it prepares itself for nine days of non-stop partying.

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6th July - 12.00 the "Chupinazo" Town Hall.

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ORANGE MEN'S DAY (Northern Ireland) 12th JULY

Protestant Irish march with drums and pipes to commemorate the Battle of Boyne, which occurred on Ireland’s east coast in 1690. In Northern Ireland, it is a bank holiday. Schools and many businesses and organizations are closed. Some shops may be closed. Public transport services may run on their regular or special holiday timetables.

In 1690, William III of England defeated the exiled Catholic king James II at the Battle of the Boyne. James, who had been in France, had invaded Ireland with French troops.

Men wear orange sashes and black suits and bowler hats. Orange Day marches also take place in Birmingham and Liverpool, and in some parts of Canada, for example."

This day is known as "Orangemen's Day", "Orange Day", "the Glorious Twelfth" or just "the Twelfth". The day falls on July 12. However, if July 12 is a Saturday or Sunday, the bank holiday falls on Monday, July 13 or 14.

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INDEPENDENCE DAY - 4TH JULY

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The fiestas of Sanfermin are celebrated in Iruñea / Pamplona every year from the 6th to the 14th of July.

Sanfermin is internationally known for the event of the running of the bulls, where the bulls are let loose through some of the streets of the old part of the city. The runnings of the bulls take place from the 7th of July to the 14th of July inclusive at 8.00 am in the morning. At midday on the 6th of July the fiestas open with the txupinazo rocket. That day there is no running of the bulls but there sure is a lot of partying.

The fiestas are celebrated in honor of Saint Fermin, patron of Navarra, and both the religious elements and the wild partying elements live out the fiestas in good harmony. There are even people who manage to attend to both sides of the fiestas without any problem.

The Txupinazo VIDEO 2009

The explosion of the fireworks rocket at midday on the 6th of July is the signal for the start of nine days of non-stop partying. This moment is marked by a rocket - the "Txupinazo" - which is set off to announce the start of the Fiesta.


Riau Riau

On the 6th of July, at 4.30 in the afternoon, Sanfermin tradition dictates that everyone should gather for the riau-riau. Nowadays, the motivation is rather different to the original reason.

The municipal band, "La Pamplonesa" played a set piece of music "el Valls de Astráin" and the people danced, sang, drank and blocked the route for as long as possible.

Procession

The 7th of July, at 10.00 am on the day, the procession of Saint Fermin leaves from the church of San Lorenzo. The route is jam-packed with crowds who want to see the image of the saint and the entourage that accompany the figure of the saint.

Bull Running

All the information, photos and videos on the most emblematic event in Sanfermin.
 

OFFICIAL WEB SITE BULL RUNNING

 

The corrida

The corrida or bullfight during San Fermin is very different to bullfights in any other big bullring in Spain or anywhere else. For the simple reason that it is something more than just a bullfight.

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Pobre de mí

At midnight on the 14 th July the fiesta formally closes with the ceremony called the "Pobre de Mí."

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These are the histories and times of the presidents of the United States.

Presidents of the USA

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INDEPENDENCE DAY - 4th JULY UNITED STATE

In the United States, Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, political speeches and ceremonies, and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. Independence Day is the national day of the United States.

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