Up-slope or down-slope?

Fewer pedestrians but more traffic on the roads today. 

I gave a first listen to the Courteeners' 2014 album Concrete Love on which my favourite song was Beautiful Head. They are from Middleton which is only a few miles from here.

The Surrender of Breda painted by Velázquez in 1635 for the Spanish king, celebrates a 1625 victory for Catholic Spain over the Protestant Dutch in a way that is not at first apparent. The winning Spanish army contained few, if any, actual Spaniards.  It was commanded by Ambrogio Spinola, a  Genoese.  His officers were Italians, Germans and Flemish and the army comprised a rag-tag group of poorly-paid mercenaries. 

The latter depended on loot pillaged in the wake of their victories. Much to their disappointment, the siege of Breda was concluded peacefully and honourably, following a virtue which the Spanish called sosiego - a serene equanimity and stoicism.  The two armies separated with little bloodshed or any of the mayhem which usually ensued.  The painting shows the moment of surrender as Spinola places a consoling hand on the shoulder of the commander of the Dutch fortress of Breda.

A striking feature of the painting is the forest of lances held by the "Spanish" soldiers.  The painting is sometimes known as Las Lanzas.