All posts tagged: blends

Seville, Spain’s Semana Santa Holy Week blends faith, tradition, spectacle : NPR

Seville, Spain’s Semana Santa Holy Week blends faith, tradition, spectacle : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

La Hermandad de San Gonzalo (Brotherhood of San Gonzalo) procesion crossing the Guadalquivir River during holy week on March 29, 2026 in Seville, Spain. Fran Santiago/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Fran Santiago/Getty Images SEVILLE, Spain — Each spring, for one week, Seville transforms. The scent of orange blossoms mixes with heady incense. Booming drums and soaring brass bands echo down narrow streets. Gilded floats topped with life-like statues and vibrant floral arrangements are carried across cobblestones in elaborate processions. These parades unite pageantry, penance and tradition in a display so beautiful that it touches the hearts, even of those who don’t believe in their underlying message. This is Seville’s Holy Week, known as Semana Santa. Penitents of Santa Genoveva brotherhood wait before taking part in a procession during Holy Week (Semana Santa) observances on March 30 in Seville, Spain. Marcelo del Pozo/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Marcelo del Pozo/Getty Images The brotherhood of San Gonzalo crosses Isabel II bridge on their way to the cathedral on the second official day of the Holy …

Berlin’s Indo-Pacific strategy blends arms deals and alliances – POLITICO

Berlin’s Indo-Pacific strategy blends arms deals and alliances – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Germany, according to Ernst, is still “relatively blank” in the region. What it can contribute militarily remains narrow: “A bit of maritime patrol, a frigate, mine clearance.” Pohlkamp said Germany’s role in Asia is still being built “in small doses” and is largely symbolic. But what matters is whether Berlin can turn occasional visits and deployments into something steadier and more predictable. The defense ministry insists that is the point of Pistorius’s trip. Ministry spokesperson Mitko Müller said Wednesday that Europe and the Indo-Pacific are “inseparably linked,” citing the rules-based order, sea lanes, international law and the role of the two regions in global supply and value chains.  The new P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft stands in front of a technical hangar at Nordholz airbase on Nov. 20, 2025. | Christian Butt/picture alliance via Getty Images The trip is meant to focus on the regional security situation, expanding strategic dialogue, current and possible military cooperation, joint exercises including future Indo-Pacific deployments, and industrial cooperation. That explains why industry is traveling with Pistorius.  Müller said executives from …

In legendary Swiss village of Sils-Maria, the Chesa Marchetta hotel blends art with the art of living

In legendary Swiss village of Sils-Maria, the Chesa Marchetta hotel blends art with the art of living

Published by Sam Flores

The entrance embodies simplicity: a whitewashed façade, a stone ramp paved and engraved, and, near a glass door, the simple word “pensiun” in all caps and in Romansh – the fourth official language of Switzerland, alongside Italian, German and French. Having just opened in December 2025, Chesa Marchetta was the second hotel created by Iwan and Manuela Wirth, co-founders of the well-established Hauser & Wirth art gallery, who were already behind the Fife Arms in the Scottish Highlands. Read more In the Highlands, bedrooms fit for lords To house their new, intimate-scale venture, the couple chose the historic heart of Sils-Maria, a village in the Swiss Alps located in the canton of Graubünden, clustered around traditional houses and upscale hotels. Beneath the beams of a house (chesa, in Romansh) and barns with foundations dating back to the 16th century, the property offers 13 rooms and a restaurant seating around 50 guests. The extensive renovation was carried out by architect Luis Laplace, who was constantly careful to avoid ostentation. The Argentine, based in Paris, whose sense …

A Muslim-owned thrift shop blends modest fashion, faith and sustainability

A Muslim-owned thrift shop blends modest fashion, faith and sustainability

Published by Sam Flores

NEW YORK (RNS) — Kadjahtou Balde has a hard time parting with some of the vintage gems that make it into her Harlem thrift shop — a silk skirt adorned with traditional Palestinian embroidery, a pink wool sweater and an embellished blazer in perfect condition. “Look at the level of detail on this abaya,” she said while unfurling a black dress handstitched with turquoise geometric designs, a type of garment often worn by Muslim women. “It’s so beautiful, I kind of wish I could keep it.”  Balde has long been an avid thrifter and sustainable fashion enthusiast. But even in a city with a bounty of vintage and thrift shops, she couldn’t always find pieces that fit her needs as a Muslim woman who dresses modestly — and fashionably. So when her father asked for help revamping his struggling Harlem gift shop last year, Balde knew a thrift store that celebrated modest fashion could become a much needed space. “My dad told me that he was tired,” Balde said. “I decided that I want to …