1000 Years of Living Well
Page Under Construction.
Will be an overview of Medieval Burgundian History and Culture from a Marin, California perspective. More than any place in North America, Marin strives to be "burgundian", ie. to master the art of living well.
In addition to the modern-day culture of Marin, the history and geograpy of Marin have many similarities to those of Medieval Burgandy.
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Where Adventurer Sir Francis Drake Boulevard... |
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...meets 'The Royal (Latin) Road' |
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| 2000 years ago, adventurers from Bornholm, or Burgunderholm, in Denmark
begin a thousand year trek that
would take them via Poland and Germany to southeastern France. There,
the Burgunder migration intersected the main north-south colonial trade
route of the Roman Empire. The resulting mix of the Burgunder and Latin cultures produced the vibrant
Burgundian culture. Legacies of the Flemish
Burgundians include "flamenco" music, and "flamboyant" colors.
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From south-eastern France (as far south as Basel) the Burgundian realm spread northward to Flanders and Southern Holland. The duchies of Flanders and Brabant became what is modern-day Flanders.
The great age of Burgundy was the 12th and 13th centuries. The Burgundian realm survived until the 15th centuries, when it was replaced by the French monarchy.
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Mill Valley (circa1910)- Burgundian citadel in the North of California |
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Mill Valley from Mt. Tamalpais- A Realm from Sea to Alps |
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The cultural epicenter of Marin, Mill Valley, is much like the historical center of Burgundy at Cluny. The nexus of Mill Valley, the Depot Cafe/Bookstore and plaza, is similar to the Abbey at Cluny.
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Depot Cafe and Bookstore on Central Plaza- Palisade of Culture |
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'Beer Works'- 50 Flavors of Belgian Beer! |
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Knights of the Realm- Equestrain and Cycling Shrine |
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Cluny-like Citadel along the North-South Highway of an Empire- Migratory bird watchtower on Mt. Tamalpais |
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Colors of Burgundy give way to the color of William of Orange- Flowers on the upper slopes of Mt. Tamalpais give way to California Poppies near sea level. |
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Nostalgia for the Past- The Forever Sleeping Indian Maiden of Mt. Tamalpais-(Head to the left) |
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| Interestingly, the Legend of the 'Age Old Sleeping Indian Maiden of Tamalpais' was apparently made up in the late 1800s by early settlers in Marin.
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Nova Albion- Bodega Bay? |
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| There are two likely bays that Sir Francis Drake could
have landed in. These are Drakes Bay in Point Reyes National Park, and
Bodega Bay. Although Drakes Bay was long the favorite, modern research
is making Bodega Bay ever more likely. Special note is due to Bob
Graham for his determination of the 11 minute navigational error Drake probably made.
A likely reason the 'Nova Albion' map, which was made years after
Drake returned to England, doesn't nicely match either bay, is that by
order of Queen Elizabeth I, details of Drakes discoveries along the
northwest coast had to be 'hidden', or 'obscured'.
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To the West- Albert Bierstadt- Point Reyes National Park |
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To the East- William Marples-San Francisco Bay |
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To the South- William Keith-Golden Gate Headlands |
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To the North- William Keith- San Rafael and Terra Linda |
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