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Ruta Bancos Gigantes or Huge Bench Route in Andalucia

A new rage is slowly spreading across Andalucia with its beginnings in the province of Malaga and that is huge benches are being installed in beauty spots across the region. The Huge Bench Route or  Ruta Bancos Gigantes #rutabancosgigantes can be found on Instagram  where they are more active with updates on the new installations of these enormous benches and they have a   Facebook  page too. Map of the Ruta Bancos Gigantes The initiative started by Forest Green an agrobroker company that supplies and works with treated wood to large construction and environmental companies in Spain. The huge bench route is steadily growing, with constant new installations spreading across Andalucia. The enormous handmade wooden benches are 4 metre long and 2.3 metre high, with the seat being 1.3 metres above ground and needing steps to get onto them, appearing in natural beauty spots hopes to encourage people out into and  enjoy the views and of course take photos to be ...
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May Crosses, Cruces del Mayo en Jaén

This year in the old quarter of Jaén twenty-nine crosses are taking part in the eons old tradition of making huge crossed out of flowers at the beginning of May. Not only crosses but whole patios are filled with flowers.


The Convent of Nuestra Señora de la Merced



I´m hoping to get out and track some down if this rain will just go away, I found one year and the nun sweeping the steps invited me into the patio, then showed my their chapel. Fantastic old building in the old quarter of the town that I hadn´t even realized was a convent or church, no name on things here.

I´m planning on tracking down the convent famous for their pastries and buying some via the original wooden turntable on the door, to keep out spying eyes and contact from the world.


What are the origins of the May Cross Fiesta?

Its history seems a little dulled but the most popular Spanish legend is about the Emperor Constantine, when in the sixth year of his reign and confronted by barbarians on the shores of the Danube, an impossible battle to win due to the size of the enemy battalion, had a vision.

In his vision he saw the huge illuminated Cross of Christ with the words
"In hoc signo vincis" (with this sign you will win) above it. The Emperor made a cross and they held it in front of their troops. They won the battle and on his return discovered the significance of the Cross, became baptized as a Christian and ordered churches to be built.

He then sent his mother, Santa Elena, to Jerusalem in search of the true Cross of Christ. With help from the local priests she traced the place where Christ was crucified and found not only one Cross but three semi-hidden blood covered crosses.

In order to find out which one was the Cross of Christ she placed parts of each cross onto sick and even dead people, those touched by the Cross which was Christ´s were healed and even raised from the dead.

From that day forward Santa Elena instigated the creation of crosses on the day that she found the true Cross.
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