Category: Place

Bradley Beach, New Jersey, United States

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Bradley Beach is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. It took the name from James A. Bradley, the developer responsible for the creation of the place. It has a population of a little more than 4.000 inhabitants but in summer it can reach 30.000. There is a boardwalk with only a few places to buy something for drink or eat but you can have good restaurants in town. The beach is clean and the water is crystal. There are lifeguards and while they’re in service, there’s only a place where you can surf. You must pay to park along the boardwalk but you can park for free among the houses in town and walk a little bit. You have to pay the entrance to the beach too.

Tips

It’s a little bit crowded in weekends so if you go by car, try to go early cause later will be hard to find a place to park near the beach.
New Jersey Transit offers rail service connecting Bradley Beach to Hoboken Terminal, Newark Penn Station, Secaucus Junction and New York Penn Station on the North Jersey Coast Line. They also offer a bus service that connect the borough and Philadelphia.

Cathedral of St. James of Compostela, Spain

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The cathedral of St. James of Compostela, dedicated to the Apostle James of Zebedee (saint patron and protector of Spain) is a cathedral located in the historical center of the city of St. James of Compostela, purpose of one of the great pilgrimages of medieval Europe; initiatory way in which people followed the wake of the Milky Way. At the beginning of the ninth century, Alfonso II had built the first church; in 899, Alfonso III replaced it for a greater pre-Romanesque church. The present cathedral is a Romanesque building built in granite, which work began in 1075 and was finished in 1211. It is dedicated to the relics and pilgrimages. The two towers of the western façade (Baroque churrigueresque) are from the Middle Ages and its monumental staircase of 1606. Its chapels form a museum of paintings, sculptures, reliquaries and altar pieces accumulated over the centuries. The cathedral has a plan of three naves, a large transept with aisles and stands and a sanctuary with ambulatory surrounded by a ring of chapels. The original plan had additions of the Renaissance and Baroque. A sumptuous statue of St. James is in the main altar; the crypt is below with the remains of St. James and his disciples, St. Theodore and St. Athanasius. The ambulatory, the beautiful gates, the vault of the Chapel of Mondragón, the Renaissance door of the sacristy and the cloister are the most outstanding items. Above the transept of the cathedral stands a lantern tower from whose summit is hung by steel cables a brass censer of 54 kilos which is used in special ceremonies as in Compostelan years. The treasure is housed in a Gothic chapel in the south transept of the cathedral; it has a tympanum representing the equestrian figure of the Apostle (XIII century). The King of France, Charles V had made a very important gift for it to be celebrated daily a mass for the prosperity of France, so the San Salvador chapel is also known as the Chapel of the King of France; this is where the pilgrims after confessed, received the Compostela; certificate of pilgrimage.

 
Tips

Pilgrims can go to kiss the holy mantle by a staircase behind the altar.
You can also visit the library which displays the censers and tapestries (it’s part of the cathedral museum), even as the pieces found in the excavations .
The archives of the cathedral has a copy of the Codex Calixtinus (set of texts dated around 1140); in the texts you can find practical advice for pilgrims.

Pow Wow Odanak, Canada

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WELCOME EVERYBODY

The 3rd, 4th and 5th July 2015 will be held the annual Pow Wow of Odanak Abenaki (32 km east of Sorel). Several traditional flavor events will be held these three days, such as singing and dancing benefits offered by members of different nations, as well as a day dedicated to the family. Please note that access to all Pow Wow activities is free and open to everybody at any time.

Samian on Friday night show

Always from a perspective of celebration and fun for the whole family, Pow Wow presents the free show of Aboriginal rapper Samian from 21h, Friday, July 3rd, 2015. A native of Pikogan, small Aboriginal community in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Samian claims and compliance recognition for its origins. The documents to be presented at his show reveal the more entrenched than ever, combining a sometimes jazzy sound, sometimes more rock, for a mix of genres that will convince everyone. His performance will be followed by DJ Nicolas Langlois.

Activities on Saturday and Sunday

Several activities will take place throughout the weekend. Indeed, it will be possible to visit various craft booths and attend the benefit of traditional songs and dances, as well as demonstrations of traditional skills. This will also be the opportunity to taste typical native dishes. During the family day on Saturday, toddlers will be honored: entertainment and inflatables will be on site.

About the Pow Wow of Odanak

Although modernity has taken the place of a traditional way of life, the Abenaki never really detach their identity. That is why they try to keep a time during the year to remember the rich culture of their ancestors. The Pow Wow of Odanak is an opportunity to celebrate during this cultural exchange between contemporary and several First Nations that will be present for you to discover their culture.