Posted by Jackie Hewett on Fri 4th July 2008 at 01:04 AM, Filed in Europe, July
From the 14th July 2008 the visually stunning 11th annual World Body Painting Festival will start in Seeboden, Austria, and run for a week.
One of the headline events is the 'BodyCircus' fantasy ball which will take place on 16th July at the medieval castle Sommeregg. Visitors wear fantasy costumes combined with amasing body paint and masks, but there are only 600 tickets available for visitors. Tickets are 22 euros on the door (if you can get in) or 15 euros if bought in advance. Thereafter the festival starts in earnest when artists display their creations from 11.00am onwards in the public park to be judged by a panel for the World Bodypainting Awards in different categories. Over 40 countries compete for awards.
The best thing is to let some of the photo's 'speak' for themselves.
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Posted by Jill Bowen on Thu 3rd July 2008 at 01:46 AM, Filed in Europe, July
This years Summer Tyne Festival held in Gateshead runs from 18th to 27th July 2008 and is certain to brighten up even the dampest of English summers, though here’s hoping the sun shines all week.
To whet your appetite here are some of the highlights of what it sure to be a fun filled event:
During the first weekend there is a free outdoor programme of family events including; and more freebies during the following week
- Workshops in Salsa, steel pans and capoeria
- film screenings
- live sets in the American Lounge
- a celebration of the building of Newcastle and Gateshead’s eighth bridge – constructed from bamboo during July by the Australian artists Babuco.
To celebrate the project on Friday 18th there will be an event featuring a new piece of music by the Irish flautist Brain Finnegan of ‘Flook’. The piece will use a large range of instruments with bamboo connections – including flutes from China, India and North America. You will be able to visit exhibitions explaining the construction of the bridge in more detail – not to be missed. This is a free event – you will even be able to take part in a bamboo instrument-making workshop.
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Posted by Jill Bowen on Mon 30th June 2008 at 01:24 AM, Filed in Europe, July
Gateshead (north east corner of England) is the place to be from 11th – 27th July 2008. Not one, but two amazing, diverse festivals are being held here. The first one is the (2nd) Vamos Latin Festival which starts the 16 days of fun and entertainment.
This is a bi-annual event taking place in Newcastle Gateshead and the environs. It’s a celebration of Latin and Lusophone (Portuguese and Spanish speaking) cultures. The ethos behind the festival is about embracing new cultures and experiences – and surprise!
The second festival (Gateshead Summer Tyne Festival ) kicks off on the 18th July and will be described in a separate article.
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Posted by Jackie Hewett on Sat 14th June 2008 at 02:30 AM, Filed in June
This festival (Parada Ng Lechon) is definitely unusual!
In Balayan on the south coast of the Luzon (Phillipines) the night before the festival an anniversary ball is held at the town plaza when the ‘lechon queen’ is crowned. Then, on the 24th June some 50 roasted suckling pigs are blessed in the name of St John the baptist (their patron saint). The pigs are then paraded through the streets dressed in their finest (T’Shirts, ceremonial clothes, raincoats and sun glasses). After the end of the parade the pigs are devoured in a feast (make sure you are hungry!).
But be prepared to get wet as well as fed. As the parade coincides with / marks the feast of John the Baptist and the theme of baptism spills (sic) over to this parade. After lunch the town embarks on a huge water fight with water pistols and water thrown from moving cars.
Posted by Jill Bowen on Thu 12th June 2008 at 02:00 AM, Filed in Travel Tips
So, you checked in your luggage – fully labelled and secure. Enjoyed your flight. Disembarked form the aircraft, gone through customs, looking forward arriving at your destination to have a wash and brush up – plus getting out of the crumpled clothes you traveled in.
What’s this? Everyone else’s luggage but not yours! One of your worst travel nightmare has occurred – you luggage is among the millions of bags that go missing each year! There is a way to help ensure your’s is one in the millions that gets returned. Sign up to the ‘Trace Me’ luggage tracker service. You will be provided with a bar-code- readable tag which you attach to your luggage. This is linked to the database – recording all your details (the system is recognised by 1,960 airports throughout the world). When the tag is scanned an email and SMS message is sent to the registered contact with all the information you need of who to contact with regard to recovering your luggage. The tags cost £12.99 each (or £19.95 for two\) and last for life. See site
Tracemeluggagetracker.com for more information.
