Loch Earn Scotland

Just another Scottish heatwave ... (If it doesn't cool down soon, I might move to Australia)

On a recent tour of the Highlands the Emperor was fortunate to stop by the sun-drenched shores of Loch Earn - looking very good indeed.

Andalusian Horse Power

Granada, Spain: locals park-up their new one horse-power rides in advance of the Festival of the Cross.  

A tremendous sight. The Emperor was lucky to be in the city for this colourful and ancient festival. 

Adam & Eve

One can scarcely 'Adam & Eve'* it, but its been a full five years since the Emperor united in matrimony with the Empress!

5 years is traditionally marked as the 'wooden' anniversary and the Imperial couple were pleased to mark this anniversary with a lovely carving that they found while travelling in the beautiful city of Granada, Spain.

An anniversary reminder taking pride of place in the imperial household. 

Granada, Spain - made a real impression on the Emperor and he very much hopes to go back in the future. 

[Traditional Cockney rhyming slang: 'Adam & Eve' = 'Believe']

The Orkney Chair

The long awaited Orkney Chair (2 seater) came this week and it was well worth the wait. 

Individually measured to the shape of the Emperor and Empress and ordered on our travels last year, it was always going to be a long wait for such an anticipated prize. 

However, the wait was more than worth it for an Emperor that has for a lifetime admired the simple beauty of Orkney straw backs.

The Emperor's chair is a modern take on the traditional single seaters, but which utilises all the traditional skill and material of this craft classic. With an added sense of romance the imperial couple hope to mould their respective seats over many years to come.

Made of mahogany with, seagrass seats and the traditional woven straw back, its the simplicity of the lines, methods and materials that make Orkney Chairs an icon of the Arts and Crafts movement.

Kudos indeed to the master craftsman Fraser Anderson of Kirkwall for such a wonderful piece of furniture. It is already well loved here and I hope it will be for many years to come: http://www.orkneyhandcraftedfurniture.co.uk

Immortal Warrior

Who Wants to Live Forever? 

There is much to see at the British Museum, as one might expect.

Though, for the Emperor, there was little to rival the original freeze depiction of a Persian Immortal warrior taken from the imperial palace at Susa (present day Iran).

It is the Ancient Greek historian Herodotus who tells us: 

''The Ten Thousand, who were all Persians and all picked men, were led by Hydarnes, the son of Hydarnes. They were called "the Immortals," for the following reason. If one of their body failed either by the stroke of death or of disease, forthwith his place was filled up by another man, so that their number was at no time either greater or less than 10,000.'' 

''Of all the troops the Persians were adorned with the greatest magnificence, and they were likewise the most valiant. Besides their arms, which have been already described, they glittered all over with gold, vast quantities of which they wore about their persons. They were followed by litters, wherein rode their concubines, and by a numerous train of attendants handsomely dressed. Camels and sumpter-beasts carried their provision, apart from that of the other soldiers.''

[Herodotus, Histories VII, 83]

Ice Flowers

[Ice Flowers - Kinross - March 2018]

A cold Scottish Spring saw winter doggedly clinging on,  deep into March this year.  

The 'Beastie from the Eastie' had an offy nastie wee bite. 

O'bdy was frozen and nae'bdy was happy about it. 

Plato on Snow

[Winter is here: We've had a fair bit this year]

[59e] ... when it is thus solidified, the part of it above the earth which is most affected by this process is termed “hail,” and the part upon the earth “ice” and the part which is less affected and is still only half-solid is called snow when it is above the earth, but when it is upon the earth and solidified out of dew it is called “hoar-frost.”

Plato, Timaeus.