festival travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises spa and resorts

Melbourne is a city of layers with ever changing skies and facades. Today I will represent you the real Melbourne, which is like its inhabitants and is less public and reveals itself unwilling. In the last decade, Melbourne has radically changed the urban and cultural landscape. Architecture have become adventurous within cutting-edge buildings. The contemporary art scene is dynamic and breathtaking festivals fill the atmosphere of the city. In every corner, basement and attic initiative spirits are creating hole-in-the-wall bars, multimedia galleries, design studious and other experiences.

Nowadays in Melbourne opportunities abound. They got great design schools and really everything they have is as good as anywhere in the world. People there live on the coast looking out the horizon and they know what’s behind them. The other feature about Australian creativity and architectural culture is that they are well traveled. And they choose to come back!

Melbourne has many geographical features to explore. The Yarra River is one of them but the city boasts more about its parks and gardens. The Carlton Gardens are home to the World Heritage and behind them is the Melbourne Museum. On the south side of the Yarra is the Tan – a 2.3-mile running track. There you can pass quickly seeing some great buildings.

What I think makes Melbourne unique is the ever-changing light. The city gets four seasons in one day, which can be a bit miserable in winter. Apart from being cold, it often rains and the clouds are low and makes flat light. But in the summer the light is very harsh and direct providing great contrast like lazer.

Tourists have to walk to really see Melbourne. In that way you will get glimpses of notable architecture and some Gothic revival, urban art projects and pull up at cafes, bars and restaurants in the Centre.

ContaineR is a traveling film house dedicated to the cultural countdown to the winter Olympics in Vancouver 2010. The creators are a wonderful trio form of architect Robert Duke, designers Keith Doyle and Iain Sinclair, and artistic directors Nicole Mion and Evann Seibens. The containeR can fit up to 25 guests who look up to the screen in the vaulted space where they watch projected short films about movement, dance, and sports.

The structure speaks art as well. Graphic drawings of hands, eyes and cartoon cameras cover the steel walls of the originally cream and orange colored containers.  On a walk around the structure, viewers experience large-scale graffiti, and can watch a documentary of the construction on a video screen built into the container’s exterior.

The first public appearance of containR is at Moshe Safdie’s coliseum-esque Vancouver Central Library, and will continue its journey to and from different festivals over the next year, potentially taking on new capacities as a gallery, performance venue and retail space. Springboard is still in talks with the Vancouver Cultural Olympiad organization, hoping that other containRs can be built in public venues like Whistler, the Richmond Skating Oval, Cypress Mountain and downtown Vancouver.

Hopefully the structure will also continue to inspire and spark innovative uses of sustainable materials well beyond the city limits.

The AIR GAMES in Oludeniz, is an event for everyone from spectators to hard core acrobatic pilots. Also all new, beginner flyers are welcome. Oludeniz is a small resort village in the Mugla Province on the South West coast of Turkey on the Aegean Sea to the south and the high, steep sided Babadag Mountain, 14 km (9 mi) south of Fethiye.

Demonstrations of paragliding, skydiving, base-jumping, hangliding, para-motor flights, remote control plane shows, microlights, hard core acrobatic competitions, accuracy landing competitions. Also summer sun, beach and unbelievably turquoise sea is just in front of you. After the sunset the action does not stop, chilling out by watching snap-shots from the day in Cloud 9 and parties. Music, drinks, dancers and entertainment are until the crack of dawn.

It is becoming increasingly popular for festival goers to arrive early and get in a bit of relaxation or some sky time prior to the opening ceremony. Accommodation in Oludeniz is limited and fills up FAST so get in early. The Festival starts in 14th and ends in 18th, 2009.

Singapore Arts Festival is the biggest cultural event on Singapore’s arts calendar with artists from dozens of countries. It features  hundreds of activities – a 4-week infusion of performances and events that inspires and captures the public imagination of the city. The festival first started in 1977 as a national arts festival celebrating the local arts activities of Singapore’s various communities. During the decades, the Festival has a crucial catalytic role in the development of the artistic and cultural life of Singapore.

The Festival also helped to transform the city’s cultural landscape, turning it into one of Asia’s major cultural capitals and gave new cultural platforms, events, and movements that help underpin the lively cultural scene in present Singapore.

Nowadays the Festival is described as a bold, progressive and innovative spirit, committed to commissioning new works by Singapore, Asian and international artists, exploring among others, contemporary issues related to history, memory, migration, and urban living and encouraging regional and international artistic exchanges and collaborations. The Festival also includes events of free outdoor performances island-wide, bringing the arts to the doorsteps of Singaporeans.

The Singapore Arts Festival continue to exist as the largest singular event on Singapore’s arts calendar, including artists from more than 20 countries, offering more than 400 activities and attracting up to 500,000 attendances and events that inspires and captures the public imagination of the city.

Montreal’s amusing 11-day winter festival is created to bring some light and warmth into local lives.This multiculturalal event, involves Montréal’s main theaters, orchestras, dance troupes and museums plus the city’s finest restaurants and hotels, warms up the winter with the best Montréal has to propose in the way of performance, culinary, lighting and visual arts. These venues also play host to renowned artists, lighting designers and world-class chefs.

 

 

Join in the  feast by participating  in one of the several programs:Wine and Dine Experience, the Celebration of Light, the Downtown and Underground Event, and the All Nighter. Whatever the activity, it’s sure to be dazzling!Montrealers enjoy winter so much that they spend the night ouside! The Montreal All-Nighter Getting more and more popular with every year thanks to a fascinating blend of art, culture and nightlife – now includes over 165 original and unique activities, spread over three zones and two new areas. All districts are linked by a free shuttle service provided.You can take part from Saturday, February 19 through Sunday, March 1.

 

 

The Montreal High Lights Festival lightsup the heart of winter and entice people out of hibernation.

 The Arena di Verona is hosting to the grandiose Verona Opera Festival. The festival takes each year between June and August in Verona, Italy. Each year visitors come from all over the world to see the Verona Opera summer season, which includes standards from the repertoire -  famous Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida, Tosca, Turandot, Nabucco, Carmen, Madame Butterfly and Barbiere di Siviglia (Seville’s Barber).
87 Opera Season 2009 – June 19th – August 30th






  The festival’s program for summer season to 2009 – click here.

Every summer time, Amsterdam is one of the greatest destination for travelers even though just for a couple of days. The city is crowded and offers every kind of fun for you and your friends.

 

 The eco-industrial-chic tapas bar Werck serves up beers, cheese chunks, fried meat-and-dough balls that are a ubiquitous Dutch bar snack at reasonable prices.

 

 The Cafe de Wetering, a corner bar, inside sounds soft jass played on the stereo.

 

 If you don’t wanna spend your night in the standard places such as houseboats or bed-and-breakfast hostels, take an apartment in Amsterdam via Craigslist. The interior of the four-room apartment isn’t too shabby- 600 square feet of painted floors glowing with sunlight, well-furnished and comfortable.

 

 This is the view from the apartment, which is the Nine Streets, possibly the most desirable neighborhood in the city with cafes, fashion boutiques and much more…..

 

Antique lenses on display at the National Museum of Spectacles.

 

The annual Gay Parade take place on the water.

 

Mexico City is a city famous for its pollution and traffic, which shouldn’t scare off the thousands of tourists anymore. Furthermore, something needs to fuel all that creative spot.

The famous National Museum of Anthropology should not be missed, but it’s equally important to wander through the Zócalo, the city’s main square, formally known as the Plaza de la Constitución. One of the largest public squares in the world, the Zócalo is a time capsule of Mexican history. It is also recommended to throw yourself into the wonderful absurdity that is lucha libre. The city’s top lucha libre site is Arena México .Tickets start at 40 pesos, but spring for a ringside seat up to 210 pesos. Matches last about two hours, although an hour is more than enough time to get your fill. Taxis are rare in this area, so ask your hotel to arrange a pickup.

Condesa DF is one of the hotels, which is visited by celebrities, like the director Alejandro González Iñarritu and Bono of U2. Opened two years ago in a 1920s neo-Classical building, the boutique hotel has 40 rooms and a luxe-bohemian décor that suggests a cross between Mexico and Palm Springs. Doubles from $175.

Burma is a large country in mainland Southeast Asia. The country is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southwest, Bangladesh on the west and India on the northwest.

There is a wide range of indigenous cultures exist in Burma, the large number of the culture is primarily Buddhist and Bamar. Bamar culture has been brought by the neighbouring countries. This is manifested in its language, cuisine, music, dance and theatre. The arts, particularly literature, have historically been influenced by the local form of Theravada Buddhism.

In a traditional village, the temple is the centre of cultural life. Monks are supported by the lay people. A novitiation ceremony called shinbyu is the most important coming of age events for a boy when he enters the monastery for a short period of time. All boys of Buddhist family need to be a novice before the age of twenty and to be a monk after the age of twenty. It is compulsory for all boys of Buddhism.

British colonial also influenced the culture of Burma. Burma’s educational system is modelled of the United Kingdom. Colonial architectural influences are most evident in major cities such as Yangon.

The educational system of Burma is operated by the government Ministry of Education. There are 101 universities, 12 institutes, 9 degree colleges and 24 colleges in Burma, a total of 146 higher education institutions. There are 10 Technical Training Schools, 23 nursing training schools, 1 sport academy and 20 midwifery schools.There are 2047 Basic Education High Schools, 2605 Basic Education Middle Schools, 29944 Basic Education Primary Schools and 5952 Post Primary Schools. 1692 multimedia classrooms exist within this system.

Puebla is a beautiful city situated in Mexico and it is a home of classic Mexican dishes like mole poblano. But for sure I will tell you there’s a lot more to do in this city than just eat. Puebla is thickly full of colonial treasures, cafe squares, a vibrant arts and crafts culture. In one of the central square are rising the towers of the Cathedral de Puebla, nearly 230 feet above.

Puebla is a city with a strong colonial past which can be seen in much of its architecture. For example La Terazza, the rooftop bar at La Purificadora, attracts a stylish crowd with its slender pool and prime views of the 16th-century Church of San Francisco.

On 10 miles away from Puebla, is known for two things: the great pyramid and 365 churches – one for each day of the year. The pyramid, which was built in the second-century , is comprised of seven trapezoids stacked on top of each other and is actually one-third larger than the Great Pyramid at Giza. You can climb up the massive staircase and at the very top of the pyramid is the Iglesia de Los Remedios, a 16th-century church built by the Spanish to commemorate the conversion of the Aztecs to Christianity.

The highlight of any visit to Puebla is its dish: mole poblano, the curry-like sauce made of 30-odd ingredients including chilies, cinnamon and chocolate. And one of the best places to taste it is at Meson Sacristia’s.

Welcome to Acapulco dear traveler!!!I will tell you that Acapulco is one of the most fascinating cities in the whole world. This hot spot is famous for its amazing nightlife, breathtaking beaches, extreme watersports, first-class hotels, sophisticated restaurants and the natural beauty of Acapulco Bay.

Acapulco is situated in Mexico, just on the Pacific coast and 300 km southeast from Mexico City. There visitors can swim with dolphins and to watch professional divers soar off the magnificent cliffs.

If you have plans to travel to Acapulco, don’t miss to have a snack in the Madeiras restaurant, which is owned by the chef Richard Sandoval or visit 18-th century walls of the Fort of San Diego, which is now a museum.

Acapulco is also home of the popular resort, where Enrique Iglesias and Sandra Bullock have been staying during their free time. And, even though there are thousands of people throughout the year – the town itself has a population approaching one and a half million and even out of season most of the big hotels remain nearly full.Certainly there’s always space to everyone who prefers such a holiday time.

Salvador is a marvelous city sited on the northeast coast of Brazil and as well as is the capital of the northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. The city is third populous city in Brazilia, after Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Salvador is also famous with its special cuisine, music, spectacular buildings, monuments from the 17^th century and with its population of Black African. Salvador has tropical climate with hot temperature and high humidity. Rainforests are mark by high rainfall.

The city is an important cultural centre with the large number of museums, including: Afro-Brazilian Museum, Sacred Art Museum, headquartered in the former Convento de Santa Teresa de Ávila , established by the Discalced Carmelite nuns in the mid-16th century, Museu de Arte da Bahia, Museu de Arte Moderna da Bahia, Memorial dos Governadores Bahia, Museu Gastronômico da Bahia, Fundação Casa de Jorge Amado and many others.

This brazilian city is also home to a vibrant theater scene and funk music. For examples there’re a lot of dancehalls. The Ball incorporates the specific way of dancing break, the decoration, the organization of permanent dance groups. These dancehalls are a place for everyone to come together to have fun before the start of another work week. The group members do all their battling on the dance floor, using their dance moves as their weapons to demonstrate their dance skill and superiority.

Canada’s largest annual Icewine Festival is about to be launched this weekend with a myriad of wintry events along Niagara famous wine route. Starting Friday September 16th, Montebello Park in downtown St. Catharines will be the place to be for the next two weekends as the Balderson Wine Cheese and Food Experience brings over 40 Ontario wineries and restaurants together. Sample the best Niagara and Ontario has to offer, while enjoying wine seminars, art shows, children’s Grapeland, grape stomps, cooking demonstrations and big name jazz, blues and pop recording artists on the Main Stage. This year’s weekend headliners include Tributes to Chicago and Ray Charles on Friday evening, Sue Foley on Saturday night, and Ian Thomas on Sunday evening. Over 40 wineries are nestled in the rolling landscape of the Niagara Peninsula. The Niagara Peninsula is recognized globally as an outstanding wine producing region. Its soils are excellent and the climate is similar to that of great wine producing regions of the world such as Burgundy and Loire Valley of France plus New Zealand.

Upwards of 200,000 people are expected for the 56th Grape and Wine Parade. The pageantry will commence at 11 am on Saturday, September 24 through downtown St. Catharines. “Musical Moments to Remember” is this year’s Grande Parade theme, and it is only fitting that Niagara’s own Walk of Fame and Grammy Award winner Walter Ostanek is this year’s Grande Parade Marshal.

You’ll find everything from ice wines and crisp chardonnays to maturing merlots and pinot noirs. Some of the better places to tour and taste at include: Hillebrand Estates Winery, Inniskillin Wines, Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery, Konzelman Estate Winery, Peller Estates Winery, Stonechurch Vineyards and Strewn Estate Winery. You’ll want to learn the limit on wine you can bring back through Customs before you plan your day. It’s that time of year again! Time to take part in the time-honoured ritual of being among the first to taste Niagara’s new vintage. 2007, dozens of Niagara’s most celebrated winemakers will be on hand, along with a host of chefs who will entice you with fabulous dishes, painstakingly selected to compliment the wine. With tours, tastings and culinary extravaganzas to entice your inner gourmand, it promises to be an unforgettable celebration of Ontario’s newest wines.
There truly is no better time to explore the 15,000 acres of vineyards in the Niagara Region than during the annual Grape & Wine Festival. The Niagara Grape & Wine Festival is actually a series of seasonal wine festivals in the Niagara region. The Niagara Icewine Festival, the Niagara New Vintage Festival, and the Niagara Wine Festival attract many visitors every year.

The Loveparade, the infamous street party for techno music fans, has found a new home in Germany’s Ruhr region after Berlin rejected it. Essen will be the first stop in the popular event’s five-year tour. As it has been a hot topic of discussion countless times in the past, it seems that the location of the German Super Party “Loveparade” has finally been confirmed for 2007! Finding its way to Essen, in the heart of the industrial district, in Ruhr, this incredibly green and lush landscape will be hosting this world renowned event for the next 5 years.

The city of Essen is quite pleased about receiving a gaining attention. Being the stage of such high profile event heavily supports the city council’s way and further spreads the word that in 2010 Essen will be Europe’s Capital of Culture.

The annual Love Parade takes place each July and is one of the largest and best free parties in the city. A fantastic procession of trucks and floats accompanied by sound systems and live music makes its way through the city promoting the message of peace, love, respect and tolerance. The history of the event dates back to 1989 when the German DJ Dr Motte first staged the free party. The parade has grown into one of the biggest street parties in Europe and attracts over a million revellers who come to enjoy themselves late into the night. The Germany’s Loveparade will remain true to its basic structure in 2007 as well. It is a party free of charge for all visitors where all contemporary currents in electronic music will be represented.

The Parade of the Trucks (Floats) is and will remain the heart of the event. Even more individual, shrill and colourful than in 2006 – that’s the Loveparade 2007. The club culture- bearers are called, this year more than ever, to bring their creativity into the design of the floats. Like last year, the floats will represent a “Who’s Who” of worldwide club culture this year as well.

Organized every two years by the GIFAS (Association of French Aerospace companies), the Paris Air show is the occasion for the French and international aeronautical and space communities to present its most recent materials and most powerful, to reveal its programs for the future, to announce or negotiate contracts and projects of co-operations. The Paris Air Show is the world’s largest, with 480,000 visitors reported in 2005. That year’s show featured nearly 2,000 exhibitors and more than 200 aircraft on display.

Technological showroom, businesses and exchanges place, the 46th International Paris Air Show will be also a festival. The last three days of the Air show will be reserved for general public and a specific program has been conceived for this: Forum careers/employment/formation symposiums, ground activities and air show demonstration.

To strengthen its position and be fully prepared to face the future, this industry is expending significant effort and investment in research and development. 14% of its turnover is assigned to this, which is a very high figure. It is yet another key advantage of this industry that plays such a strategic role for France and is a major and essential partner in the building of a Europe that is strong in the Air Cooperation with police and emergency services was also key to the smooth running of the event and allowed us to welcome up to 120,000 visitors in a single day, beating all previous Paris Air Show records. With an increase in total visitor numbers of almost 41% compared to 2003, and 11% compared to 2001, this year’s Show confirms the interest that both the world of aerospace and the general public have in this biennial event.

Louis Le Portz concluded that “the outstanding success of the 46th International Paris Air Show at Le Bourget, organized by the French aerospace industries association Gifas, once again confirms the Show’s status ospace and Defence fields”.