LINCOLN
Καθως ο Κος Αλεξανδρος εγκατασταθηκε στο Lincoln για να συνεχισει τις σπουδες του, ηταν ευλογο το ενδιαφερον μου για την σχετικα μικρη αυτη ιστορικη πολη.. εχει διατηρησει πολλα απο τα στοιχεια του παρελθοντος της που θα ηθελα να δω απο κοντα.. Το αγαλμα ειναι του ποιητη Lord Tennison και η μουσικη του William Byrd..
The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire urban area of Lincoln (which includes North Hykeham, Waddington and Birchwood) a population of 104,221.
The earliest origins of Lincoln can be traced to the remains of an Iron Age settlement of round wooden dwellings (which were discovered by archaeologists in 1972) that have been dated to the 1st century BC. This settlement was built by a deep pool (the modern Brayford Pool) in the River Witham at the foot of a large hill (on which the Normans later built Lincoln Cathedral and Lincoln Castle) .
The origins of the name Lincoln may come from this period, when the settlement is thought to have been named in the Brythonic language of Iron Age Britain’s Celtic inhabitants as Lindon "The Pool", presumably referring to the Brayford Pool). It is not possible to know how big this original settlement was as its remains are now buried deep beneath the later Roman and medieval ruins, as well as the modern Lincoln.
The Romans conquered this part of Britain in AD 48 and shortly afterwards built a legionary fortress high on a hill overlooking the natural lake formed by the widening of the River Witham (the modern day Brayford Pool) and at the northern end of the Fosse Way Roman road (A46). The Celtic name Lindon was subsequently Latinized to Lindum and given the title Colonia when it was converted into a settlement for army veterans.
The conversion to a colonia was made when the legion moved on to York (Eboracum) in AD 71. Lindum colonia or more fully, Colonia Domitiana Lindensium, after its founder Domitian, was established within the walls of the hilltop fortress with the addition of an extension of about equal area, down the hillside to the waterside below.
It became a major flourishing settlement, accessible from the sea both through the River Trent and through the River Witham, and was even the provincial capital of Flavia Caesariensis when the province of Britannia Inferior was subdivided in the early 4th century, but then it and its waterways fell into decline. By the close of the 5th century the city was largely deserted, although some occupation continued under a Praefectus Civitatis, for Saint Paulinus visited a man of this office in Lincoln in AD 629.
During AD 410–1066 the Latin name Lindum Colonia was shortened in Old English to become ‘Lincylene’.
After the first destructive Viking raids, the city once again rose to some importance, with oversea trading connections. In Viking times Lincoln was a trading centre that issued coins from its own mint, by far the most important in Lincolnshire and by the end of the 10th century, comparable in output to the mint at York. After the establishment of Dane Law in 886, Lincoln became one of The Five Boroughs in the East Midlands. Excavations at Flaxengate reveal that this area, deserted since Roman times, received new timber-framed buildings fronting a new street system, ca 900. Lincoln experienced an unprecedented explosion in its economy with the settlement of the Danes. Like York, the Upper City seems to have been given over to purely administrative functions up to 850 or so, while the Lower City, running down the hill towards the River Witham, may have been largely deserted. By 950, however, the banks of the Witham were newly developed with the Lower City being resettled and the suburb of Wigford quickly emerging as a major trading centre. In 1068, two years after the Norman conquest, William I ordered Lincoln Castle to be built on the site of the former Roman settlement, for the same strategic reasons and controlling the same road.
Construction of the first Lincoln Cathedral, within its close or walled precinct facing the castle, began when the see was removed from the quiet backwater of Dorchester-on-Thames, Oxfordshire and completed in 1092; it was rebuilt after a fire but was destroyed by an unusual earthquake in 1185. The rebuilt Lincoln Minster, enlarged to the east at each rebuilding, was on a magnificent scale, its crossing tower crowned by a spire reputed to have been 525 ft (160 m) high, the highest in Europe. When completed the central of the three spires is widely accepted to have succeeded the Great Pyramids of Egypt as the tallest man-made structure in the world.
The bishops of Lincoln were among the magnates of medieval England: the diocese of Lincoln, the largest in England, had more monasteries than the rest of England put together, and the diocese was supported by large estates.
When Magna Carta was drawn up in 1215, one of the witnesses was Hugh of Wells, Bishop of Lincoln. One of only four surviving originals of the document is preserved in Lincoln Castle.
Φωτογραφιες:
Στις 05 Ιανουαριου 2013, παραμονη των Φωτων, που ειθε ο πλαστης των παντων να φωτιζει τους παντας απανταχου της πλασης (πως τα καταφερνω ο κερατας στην παρηχηση του “π”..) επισκεφθηκαμε με την Αννη την Κικη.. εκτακτα.. συζητησεις επι συζητησεων.. υγεια, συγγενεις, παιδια, Las Vegas, γιορτες, ζαμπον με γαρυφαλακια, Ζουνηδες, Κυδωνιατιδες, Σκαρηδες.. Αυχενικα –συμπασχοντες και οι δυο αμφοτεροι ομου μαζι- μεσες, ισχυα, ασκησεις.. κουραμπιεδακια, μελομαμαρονα, κλατσα, σοκολατατια, απ’ολα ειχε ο μπαξες.. και κυριως χαρα.. χαρα γλυκεια.. Επιστροφη στο σπιτι μετα ανεπιτυχες ψαξιμο για κατσαβιδι-αστερακι σε Φανο, Αργυρη, Λουβαρη.. φασολια γιγαντες με σαρδελες Καλλονης (τιποτα το ιδιαιτερο, φευ..).. το βραδυ Τσαϊ, κοψιμο της πιττας (νομισμα σε Αννη), χαρτια (31) με τα παιδια για την καλη χρονια.. κερδισε ο Λεωνιδας, εχασε ο Αλεξ, εγω πατσοι και ποστα.. rotation of videos και QuickTime registered, παρακαλω.. ελαιω Λεωνιδα..
Αυτη η γλυκοπικρη ατμοσφαιρα του επισκεπ- τηριου της βασικης εκπαιδευσης, αυτο το ανυπομονο ανοιγμα της τσαντας με τα σπιτικα φαγητα, με κανανε να συνθεσω πεντε φωτογραφιες του Αλεξ στον Παλασκα το 2007 με πεντε φωτογραφιες μου απο τον Αραξο το 1970 –και την Ευκλειας το 1971.. Την μαμα την εφερε στον Αραξο ο θειος Φωτης [που σημερα ειναι η γιορτη του].. βιοι παραλληλοι.. ολων των νεων, των ανδρων.. και η αναμνηση του στρατου μενει.. και με τον χρονο γλυκαινει, οι πικρες ξεχνιουνται [σκοπιες, φυλακες, παρουσιασεις, μαυρα τζετ, η 21 του Απριλη..] και το γελιο, το ανεμελο γελιο, μας συνοδευει.. 
Αυτες τις ημερες ανταλλαξαμε ευχες με την Φραγκισκη.. πρεπει σιγουρα να ιδωθουμε.. πιθανον περιξ ενος αρωματικου πιατου με basmati rice.. εψαξα και καταφερα να βρω –ανακαλυψω, ξεθαψω- τις φωτογραφιες μας απο ενα δειπνο σε μια γνωστη ταβερνα της Πλακας, που, κατα τα λεγομενα του Φραγκου, αγαπουσε πολυ ο θειος Χρηστος.. ηταν παρα πολυ ομορφα.. ζεστα.. με ικανη καταναλωση ρετσινας και αναλογους εξτρα πριμα μεζεδες.. ηταν 4 Ιανουαριου 2007 και εγω υπηρετουσα ακομη στην Νεα Υορκη και ειχα ερθει στην Αθηνα για τις γιορτες..
ΟΙΚΟΓΕΝΕΙΑ ΣΠΥΡΟΥ ΑΜΠΑΤΖΟΠΟΥΛΟΥ 