Posted by Jackie Hewett on Fri 10th October 2008 at 02:50 PM, Filed in Europe, December
December 13th sees much of Scandinavia, but especially Sweden, celebrate the Christian saints day celebration of Saint Lucy (or St Lucia’s Day). The date also marks the winter solstice (shortest day / longest night of the year) in the old ‘Julian’ Calendar which use to be marked by a Swedish festival of lights. The two festivals have now merged into one in Sweden.
Historically, St Lucia was a young girl who was killed for her faith in 304AD, and so martyred. It is said that the reason for her death is that she regularly, secretly brought food to persecuted Christians in Rome who were hiding in catacombs under the city. To free her hands for carrying food and light her way she wore candles on her head. Monks who brought the Christian faith to Sweden retold her story.
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Can there be a reader who hasn’t heard of the infamous chef and restaurateur Gordon Ramsay? Well, how many of you knew that he can now add hotelier to his cv?
Overlooking Regents Park (at the northern end, in Camden), Ramsay Holdings riginally bought the previously derelict pub for another eaterie, but decided that the building could be turned into something more. The York and Albany London (not to be confused with the New York hotel) has only just opened (21st September 2008) after an estimated £4million spend, but will it be a success?
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There are many many Christmas fairs and markets that take place all over Europe to get you in the festive mood. I’ve listed just some of the main ones. If you can recommend (or otherwise) a particular market please leave a comment.
France
The French markets are famed for their cakes, pastries, chocolates, pates and meats, in addition to arts and crafts and gifts. Most of them start late November, but check dates of individual markets before you go.
Amiens – said to be the biggest Christmas market in northern France and specialised in produce from the Picardy region
Grenoble – starts in December and has more than 50 chalets with chocolates, candles, gingerbread, wooden toys and more. They also have fireworks, clowns, games and jazz bands
Lille Market
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Posted by Jackie Hewett on Tue 7th October 2008 at 03:23 AM, Filed in Wildlife, December
December through to February is the peak season for Manta watching in this region, and this is one of the best places in the world to see them. Yap is actually four islands sharing a coral reef and all islands are covered with pretty dense vegetation and are situated just 9 degrees north of the equator.
Manta Rays have wing spans up to 5 meters (16 ft) and visit the ‘cleaning stations’ in the channels between the shallow lagoon surrounding Yap where cleaner wrasse do the grooming. Whilst 100 or so of these great fish seem to have made Yap their year round home the numbers swell during the winter mating season.
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If you can’t afford a first class or business class ticket on your flights this is one way to get yourself a horizontal experience on board an aircraft – although it won’t enable you to join the mile high club as it is permanently located on terra firma!
In December 2008 a converted Boeing 747 opens as the Jumbo Hotel on the tarmac next to Stockholm’s airport as a solution for cheap airport accomodation. It will contain 85 bunks in 25 rooms – plane seats have been removed – all 450 of them. Rooms range from basic / dorm-style with 3 bunks per room at £22 up to the luxury suite in the cockpit priced at £171. The controls are left in (but disengaged). All rooms have wireless internet and flat screen tv’s. Generally toilet and washing facilities are shared, apart from the more luxurious suits upstairs and of course the cockpit suite.
The Cockpit Suite
There is a small café / eating area were you can get snacks or heat up food – not that different to being up in the skies then. The plane has been named called Liv after the owner’s daughter.
The perfect gift for a plane spotter perhaps?
Photo’s courtesy of JumboMotel.com
