The French tourism ministry has established the ‘Famille Plus’ system which allocates the label to ski resorts based on the following 7 commitments:
- Entertainment and activities to suit all ages
- A price to suit everyone: from the youngest to the oldest
- Activities for children and adults, to enjoy both on their own and together
- A nearby medical service for those ‘under the weather’ days
- Children to be taken care of by professionals
- To take clients’ requirements and suggestions into account
Read more...
Classical music isn’t something commonly associated with the Canary Islands, however since 1984 Gran Canaria and Tenerife have hosted a classical music festival with three aims in mind:
1. To progress a tradition of such music on the Islands that started when European Opera companies stopped at the Islands en-route for the South America’
2. To promote the cultural aspect of the Islands and broaden the perception of the islands as being purely about beaches and sun
3. To encourage tourism – helped by the fact that it is the only European music festival held in the winter
Read more...
This festival started in 1963 in Harbin (the capital city of the Heilongjiand Province in northeast China), this festival lasts over a month starting on January 5th. Some exhibits start to go up as early as November depending on the weather in which case they can be viewed early. There were a number of interruptions during the cultural revolution, but the event was resumed in 1985 and has been annual ever since. Today many ice sculpture experts and artists from America, Canada, Japan, Singapore, Russia and China congregate in Harbin to participate in competitions and network with each other.
The arctic (Siberian) climate provides the perfect environment with plenty of snow and ice for the festival ice artworks, which are combined with coloured lights and music. There are other forms of entertainment too such as ice-skating, ice hockey, skiing and sledding and many weddings and parties are held too.
Read more...
Posted by Jackie Hewett on Sun 27th May 2007 at 09:53 AM, Filed in January
It is in the nearly unpronounceable town of Thiruvananthapuram (oitherwise known as Trivandrum) that the highlight of the annual ‘Great March of India’ takes place in January. An indeterminate number of Elephants (between 15 and 100) are walked by their Mahouts for days across the surrounding area to get to Thiruvananthapuram. The elephants are bedecked with jewels and ornamental metal plates and are paraded around the town. The mahouts riding on each elephant hold a brightly coloured silk umbrella that indicates the temple to which the elephant belongs.
Like many things in India it all seems to happen in slow motion, we weren’t even sure if we were in the right place. It all seems rather disorganised and there is quite a bit of ‘mooching about’, waiting and wondering what is going on and when it is going to ‘start’, but there did seem to be quite a buzz about the gathering crowd. Finally we spotted a couple of elephants heading towards us down the road, and after a few minutes a couple more, and so on. The elephants and mahouts gathered in a line along the side of the road. On the occasion I went there were around 50 elephants of varying sizes. We were able to get as close as we wanted to the elephants and there were many great photo opportunities. Later on there is a display of the local ‘flavour’ of martial arts, Keralan dancing and fireworks.
Read more...
Posted by Jackie Hewett on Sat 5th May 2007 at 03:03 AM, Filed in January
We are all familiar with throwing events in the Olympics - shot put, javelin and hammer, some of us even throw the caber. But have you heard of throwing fish?!
No? Why not head to Australia where this slippery event is held. When? Over the Australia Day (January 26th) weekend each year, the Eyre Peninsular is host to the John West Tunarama Festival.
Tunarama is claimed to be South Australia’s premier holiday event celebrating Port Lincoln’s primary industry, the Tuna, and plays host to the ‘Tuna Toss’! This seaside town attracts 25,000 people over three nights and four fun filled days of celebrations. It’s fishy claim to fame is in professing to be the “Seafood capital of Australia” so it stands to reason that the festivals main event is tossing a fish.
Read more...
