Thursday, May 03, 2007

thursday thirteen [49]


James Taylor © ap/r. m. cornett

01. One of the highlights on May 1st was to watch part of a great concert on TV: James Taylor- Live at the Beacon Theatre, NY, 1998
02. singing the following :You can close your eyes ,How sweet it is ,Fire and rain You've got a friend , and many more .
03. This concert brought me back to the mid 70's when I was a teenager, that's loooooong time ago. I loved his songs, his voice, his long hair ... the long hair is gone, but I still love his music and his voice hasn't changed.
04. It's interesting how voices don't seem to age!
05. We are going to a wedding this weekend.
06. A friend in his early 40's who is ready to take a second chance. It's her first wedding.
07. The couple already has two kids together.
08. A Spanish festival takes place now in Córdoba(Andalucia) :The Concurso de Patios, or Patio Competition, which takes place every year during the second and third weeks of May, and the patios, many of which are privately owned, are open to the public throughout the event. Prizes are awarded in various categories, including the best balcony and the best wrought iron railing display.
09. I haven't been to this competition, therefore I have no pictures from an actual Cordoba patio.
10. But I have been to Seville, which is not far away and this is a private patio, they are beautiful! I was playing tourist and just went ahead and took this pic from the side walk...



11. Life in Southern Spain revolves around the patio, it's a meeting place, a venue for celebrations and parties, or simply somewhere for the children to play. It is a nice place to forget about the stress of city living and offers an inviting shelter from the fierce Southern Spain temperatures, reaching well over 40°C/105ºF in summer!

12. Here's another Seville patio. If I remember well, this one is a hotel.

13. I can't help it but think of a great Spanish poet, Antonio Machado, who wrote the following:


RETRATO (Portrait)

Mi infancia son recuerdos de un patio de Sevilla,
y un huerto claro donde madura el limonero;
mi juventud, veinte años en tierras de Castilla;
mi historia, algunos casos que recordar no quiero
(more)
My childhood is memories of a patio in Seville,
and a garden where sunlit lemons are growing yellow;
my youth twenty years on the earth of Castile;
what I lived a few things you'll forgive me for omitting.
Read the whole poem here



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22 comments:

  1. I wish my yard looked like that top one!!

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  2. I love James Taylor too!

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  3. The photos are beautiful. Hotel's sometimes have the most wonderful patios and gardens to meander in.

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  4. I have the same picture of a patio I saw in Gran Canaria, at least it seems like that to me. One thing I can truely confirm : Mr. Gattino's voice hasn't changed a bit with the age !!

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  5. Oh I love that Patio Mar...I hope you do go this year and take lots of pictures. What a wonderful thing that 'The Patio' is such an important part of daily life in Southern Spain...That first picture is just gorgeous!

    I have always loved James Taylor...the simplicity and warmth of his voice...One senses what a sweet man he must be.

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  6. Those patio photos are gorgeous. They look so cool and inviting!

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  7. James Taylor is one of my favorites. I like "Mexico" the best, I think. :)

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  8. What beautiful courtyards! I wish mine looked like that...

    I love James Taylor, I could listen to him all night long.

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  9. I love the photos you've chosen to go with this meme. They are gorgeous! Thank you for stopping by, and happy TT ... :)

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  10. James Taylor is a favorite of mine also. He has one of those voices that will always be recognized without a name or face.

    What a lovely way to spend an afternoon.Those patios are beautiful.

    Hope you have a wonderful time at the wedding.

    Hugs,
    Connie

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  11. Where are his suspenders? I've seen James in concert several times (and even his brother Livingston) but not in a long time. He used to be VERY shy, but I think he's gotten better. I love his voice and used to have a crush on him.

    Nice poem.

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  12. Nice TT. Interesting, too. I've never been to Spain. It's now on my list of places to go.

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  13. Those photos are beautiful! :) My humans and I hope to visit Spain at some point while we're living in Europe!

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  14. Happy wedding to your friend! It's never too late to find happiness, I believe -- that's why I keep searching for mine :)

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  15. Cool list! I like the pictures and it sounds like you are defniitely a James Taylor fan! I liked the Spanish poem too.

    :)

    Cheers!

    Thanks for stopping by my TT list.

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  16. Gorgeous photos and I really liked the poem. Wonderful list!

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  17. I try again to post this comment.
    I don't participate at "thursday thirteen" but hope you will not angry if I post this comment just to say that I find these patios particulary beautiful, some voices, seems to be as an invitation for dreams, love, friends, happiness, poetry...

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  18. I don't think I even know who James Taylor is... Uh, happy TT13! Mines up at http://www.anyapples.blogspot.com/

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  19. I like James Taylor!!!

    That was one beautiful hotel patio!!! Very nice!

    Happy Thursday!

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  20. Wow...I must add Seville to my list of places to see! Just beautiful!

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  21. Oh, how I love those patios!!! Simply wonderful, I wish we had them over here too... Well, a few maybe have some resemblance.

    Certain voices is like that. We bought CD's like tat for my mother, who can't do anthing by her own anymore, not even watch TV - the music truly is a bessing then!

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  22. The pictures are nice, they look relaxing!

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