For the story behind Pimp my Pump crew, all references, info, water pumps, and projects check Pimp my Pump: The Headquarters geocache, all the PmP news and a complete list of all pimped pumps will be there, up to date. Also, paint on the pumps, and especially on the floor, unfortunately deteriorates with time, so the pumps can be rather different looking than their pictures in the listing...
EN: The PmP crew keeps changing this pump quicker than I can update the listing. It seems that this pump is chosen to be re-pimped regularly during various pimping parties, due to its central position, and being on a big square suitable for accommodating DJ’s, food stalls, and large groups of visitors. So, currently it’s painted as “Crna Kraljica” (meaning “Black Queen”), one of the more darker but most popular croatian legends.
Legend has it that the Black Queen (most probably it was Barbara Celjska, who for a period of time ruled the Medvedgrad, an medieval fortress just uphill from Zagreb), named so by the people because she always dressed in black, was a woman that people rightly feared. She got rid of her lovers, and she had lots of them, by throwing them down from the old town walls. She also had a huge black vulture, the Queen's favorite, which was always ready follow her orders and poke out the eyes or flay the skin of the ones who crossed the queen. No wonder people didn’t like her. But the terrible reign of the Black Queen was hampered by the Ottomans, who threatened to take Medvedgrad.
Desperate queen, for which none of her people was willing to risk their life, turned to Satan. She promised him the Medvedgrad (a bit stupid, if I may add, to give Medvedgrad to Satan if he saved Medvedgrad from Ottomans – but hey, she was known as “Black Queen” and not “Smart Queen”, probably for a reason). Satan was not satisfied with the offer, not until she offered her soul, too (again, I have to say something – she gave Medvedgrad AND her soul to stop Ottomans to take Medvedgrad? Well, WTF??), and only then the Ottomans were driven out and Medvedgrad was saved (from Ottomans, NOT Satan, that is).
If you believe the legend, unexplored underground corridors connect Medvedgrad with St. Mark's Church in Zagreb's St. Mark's Square. The story says that they are still full of Queen’s treasure, guarded by her faithful servants. In the mid 18th century, some people tried to get hold of the treasure, but the underground corridors were never found.
Of course, we must not forget that “Crna Kraljica” is one of the most famous beer brands from the food restaurant chain “Medvedgrad”, one of the main sponsors of PmP crew.
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The pump was previously (during the World Cup in Brazil period) painted as the World Cup (with appropriate image of Brazuca football at the pavement), before that as the legend of croatian funk Dino Dvornik, and even before that as british mailbox. As the things are progressing, I don't think the „Black Queen“ will be the last makeover of this pump.
Because of the vicinity of another cache, I am forced to make this cache a multi. Don’t worry, it would be a very short one.
At the starting coordinates, you see the pump, which is rather ruined by water, the thing that happens with all the painted pumps which are still in use. Just next to the pump you can find a tree, surrounded by cobblestones (see photo). Count the cobblestones around the tree, this will be your number “X”.
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HR: PmP ekipa mijenja izgled ove pumpe brže nego što ja stignem update-ati listing. Izgleda da je odlučeno da se izgled ove pumpe redovno mijenja za vrijeme raznih pimping fešti, zahvaljujući svojoj centralnoj poziciji u gradu, te time što se nalazi na velikom trgu na koji se može smjestiti DJ, štandovi s hranom, te puno posjetitelja.
Trenutno je ofarbana kao „Crna Kraljica“, jedna od mračnijih ali najpopularnijih hrvatskih legendi.
Legenda kaže kako je Crna kraljica (najvjerojatnije se radilo o Barbari Celjskoj, koja je stolovala na Medvedgradu), koju je narod tako nazvao jer je uvijek bila odjevena u crno, bila žena koje se narod s razlogom bojao. Svoje ljubavnike, a imala ih je mnogo, bacala bi sa zidina staroga grada, a ogromna crna ptičurina, kraljičina ljubimica, na njezinu bi zapovijed bila uvijek spremna iskopati oči ili oderati kožu onome tko se kraljici zamjerio. Nije niti čudno da je narod nije volio. No, strašnu vladavinu Crne kraljice omeli su Osmanlije koji su zaprijetili zauzimanjem Medvedgrada.
Očajna kraljica, za koju nitko iz naroda nije bio voljan riskirati svoj život, zazvala je tada samog Sotonu riječima "Pukni vrag, dam ti Medvedgrad!" (malo blesavo, ako pitate mene, ponuditi Sotoni Medvedgrad da bi spriječila da Medvedgrad zauzmu Osmanlije. No, s druge strane, bila je poznata kao “Crna Kraljica” a ne “Pametna Kraljica”, vjerojatno s razlogom), no to vragu nije bilo dovoljno. Tek kada je uz Medvedgrad vragu ponudila i vlastitu dušu (opet moram intervenirati, Medvedgrad *I* svoju dušu u zamjenu za Medvedgrad?? Je li ona normalna?), Osmanlije su otjerani a Medvedgrad spašen (od Osmanlija, NE od Sotone).
Ako je vjerovati legendi, neistraženi podzemni hodnici i danas spajaju Medvedgrad s crkvom svetog Marka na zagrebačkom Markovu trgu. Priča se kako u njima još uvijek leži kraljičino blago koje čuvaju njezine vjerne sluge. Sredinom 18. stoljeća neki su se toga blaga pokušali i dočepati, no podzemni hodnici nikada nisu pronađeni.
Naravno, ne smijemo zaboraviti ni da je „Crna Kraljica“ jedna od poznatijih vrsta piva lanca Medvedgrad, jednog od glavnih sponzora PmP ekipe...
Pumpa je prethodno (za vrijeme svjetskog prvenstva u nogometu) bila ofarbana kao Svjetski kup (s prigodnom slikom Brazuca nogometne lopte na pločniku), prije toga kao legenda hrvatskog funka Dino Dvornik, a još prije toga kao britanski poštanski sandučić. Kako stvari stoje, ni Crna Kraljica nije zadnji izgled ove pumpe... Zbog blizine drugog cache-a, prisiljen sam napraviti ovaj cache kao multi. Bez brige, bit će kratak.
Na početnim koordinatama vidite pumpu, koja je već poprilično uništena od vode, to se događa sa svim pumpama koje su još aktivne. Pokraj pumpe je stablo okruženo rubnim kamenjem. (vidi sliku). Prebrojite kamenje oko tog stabla koje je najbliže pumpi, to će biti traženi broj “X”.
Cache je at/Cache je na N 45° 48.NNN E 015° 57.EEE
NNN = (29*X+7), EEE = (26*X+10)
Za priču o Pimp my Pump ekipi, reference, informacije, ofarbane gradske pumpe, i ostale projekte provjerite Pimp my Pump: The Headquarters geocache, sve PmP vijesti te kompletna recentna lista spimpanih pumpi će biti tamo. Isto tako, boje na pumpama, a pogotovo na podu, nažalost blijede s vremenom, pa pumpe mogu izgledati dosta drugačije nego njihove slike u listingu...