Aside from the titular blog, I have a giant collection of notes on living history in the Eastern Mediterranean leading up to Xerxes' invasion of Greece. So far it has not really found its audience since reenactment has moved to Facebook. https://www.bookandsword.com/resources/reenacting-the-archaic-and-the-long-sixth-century/ #reenactment #livingHistory #materialCulture

Hurstwic started with two guys, some training swords, and no idea how Vikings really fought. It fell apart, sure, but out of the wreckage came a killer website. One of 'em kept the fire burning, turning chaos into legacy.
🔗 https://vikingsvssamurai.com/hurstwic/
#VikingCombat #Hurstwic #LivingHistory #HEMA #VikingsVSSamurai

Soajo Village
Arcos de Valdevez, Portugal

Amid the mountains and valleys at the heart of the Peneda-Gerês National Park lies the village of Soajo, one of the most enchanting witnesses to the rural communal life of northern Portugal.

On top of a granite outcrop stands this remarkable row of granaries stone structures that, at first glance, may resemble ancient tombs, but are in fact community granaries once used to store corn, keeping it safe from humidity and rodents.

Dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries, these granaries, each crowned with a cross, blend faith, ingenuity, and tradition, reflecting a people who knew how to live in harmony with nature and time itself.

Today, this monumental ensemble stands as a symbol of collective spirit and rustic beauty, making Soajo a truly unique village a place where the past still echoes through the stones and the horizon breathes memory. 🌾⛰️

#Soajo #ArcosDeValdevez #Gerês #Portugal #Granaries #Tradition #LivingHistory #PortugueseVillages #RuralArchitecture #PortugueseCulture

Chaves
Where time flows slowly over the Tâmega

Between gentle hills and thermal waters, Chaves rests like an ancient secret kept in the heart of Trás-os-Montes. Founded by the Romans as Aquae Flaviae, it was a land of emperors, warriors, and poets. The stones of the Trajan Bridge still listen to the murmur of the river, whispering stories from centuries past.

Here, every narrow street seems woven from memory: the scent of warm bread, the clinking of glasses in small taverns, the smoke from fireplaces drawing dreams in the cool mountain air. The old walls, worn yet steadfast, remind us that Chaves was both a frontier and a refuge a city of healing waters and resilient souls.

Today, time strolls slowly along the banks of the Tâmega and those who follow it realize that Chaves is not just a place, but a state of mind: a bridge between what we were and what we are yet to become.

#Chaves #Portugal #TrasOsMontes #LivingHistory #TimelessJourney

🏰 Guimarães
Where Portugal Was Born

Walking through the streets of Guimarães feels like traveling through time. The cobblestones echo centuries of history, and every façade holds memories of a nation’s birth.

Among narrow alleys, wrought-iron balconies, and granite buildings, the city reveals its medieval soul authentic, serene, and full of life. Here, the past is not only remembered; it’s lived at every corner, between ancient churches, shaded squares, and the gentle chime of bells.

Guimarães is more than the cradle of Portugal, it’s a poem carved in stone, an invitation to contemplation and discovery.

📍 #Guimarães #Portugal #LivingHistory #WorldHeritage #MedievalCities #TravelInTime #HistoricArchitecture #CradleOfPortugal

Castle of Guimarães 🏰

Within these granite walls, the echoes of a nation’s birth still resonate.
The Castle of Guimarães, with its proud towers and jagged battlements carved against the sky, is more than ancient stone it is the very symbol of Portugal’s beginnings.
Here, within these steadfast walls, time has kept the cradle of the first King, Afonso Henriques, and the pulse of the former capital of the Portucalense County.

Each block of stone tells stories of battles and faith, of conquest and hope.
The wind that sweeps through the battlements still seems to carry the murmurs of swords and the whispers of prayers that shaped the destiny of a people.

Today, the castle stands tall majestic, a guardian of memory, and a witness to the past that became a nation’s future.
🇵🇹✨

#CastleOfGuimarães #PortugalHeritage #BirthplaceOfTheNation #LivingHistory #TimelessJourney #Guimarães #NorthofPorrugal #PortugueseHeritage #CradleOfPortugal #Tourism #TourisminPortugal

Braga in Silence and Light

Between the whisper of stones and the cool breath of night, Braga breathes history through every illuminated façade.
The churches rise like prayers carved in stone, the alleys keep echoes of ancient footsteps, and the squares sleep beneath the calm gaze of their towers.

By day, the city dresses in sunlight and time;
By night, it becomes pure poetry made of shadow and glow.
Here, the past never sleeps it only contemplates.

#Braga #Portugal #Night #Architecture #OldCity #LightAndShadow #PoeticPhotography #LivingHistory #Travel