The Toronto Society of Architects hosts three different guided walking tours on weekends where visitors can learn more about some of the city’s architecture.
From May 12th until October 7th, 2012, guides will show you some of Toronto’s most notable buildings, both old and new, giving details on their design and special features, as well as providing interesting and informative stories. These outdoor walking tours last approximately two hours.
Whether it’s the Art & Performance Tour, showcasing some of Toronto's buildings relating to art, theatre, and cinema, the Culture & Campus Tour, featuring museums, cultural centres, and various buildings on the University of Toronto Campus, or the Towers Tour, consisting of buildings making up Toronto’s downtown skyline, each session promises to be both informative and entertaining.

Tickets are $20 CDN for adults and $15 CDN for students and seniors. To purchase tickets, visit tsa-events.eventbrite.com. Exact meeting locations are given when you purchase your tickets. Tours always end very near a subway station.


* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/GiuliaFalsetti

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

It's a night of "pizzica" (the typical music of Salento), played both by street performers, professional pizzica musicians, and famous
artists. It is in the centre of Melpignano (which is in itself pretty amazing!) Here is the place to come if you want to dance the night away like a true Italian!

www.lanottedellataranta.it/
Google map: bit.ly/NtqbZ6

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Saint-Paul de Vence is a picturesque village perched on top of a hill, the little streets are filled with quaint shops selling homemade soaps and lavender from the nearby Abbey Senanque. There are fantastic restaurants on every corner, sit outside among the fragrant flowers and enjoy the local cuisine then visit the Fondation Maeght art gallery; striking pieces set in beautiful gardens.

www.saint-pauldevence.com/
www.fondation-maeght.com/
623, chemin des Gardettes, 06570 Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France
+33 (0)4 93 32 81 63
Google map: bit.ly/T64y3q

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Blow your mind away with a trip to the Cathedrale des Images just a few hundred metres north of Les Baux. The huge underground quarries here, left behind after the bauxite mines (the mineral takes its name from the village) were exhausted, have been converted into a spectacular audio-visual show. When we were there in May, paintings by Van Gogh and Gaugin were displayed to dramatic effect on the floors, ceiling and towering walls in a constantly changing kaleidoscope of colour and music. The whole experience was simply breathtaking. An added bonus if you need to escape for a short time from the searing Provencal summer heat is that the cavern is at a constantly cool temperature. Combine the visit with a tour of Les Baux, which was nominated by Provence in the 2012 best village in France competition, and of the magnificent 11th century castle, perched above the village and affording views in all directions across beautiful countryside. Get there early morning or late afternoon to avoid the crowds. All-in-all a memorable day out.

www.cathedrale-images.com/
Route de Maillane, 13520 Les Baux de Provence
+33(0)4 90 54 38 65
Google map: bit.ly/OCgMS5

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Toronto has many museums and art galleries, but one of the most interesting venues for
showcasing contemporary art cannot be found in any Toronto guidebook, but by walking
through the city. Many Toronto neighbourhoods are full of street art, and some of the most beautiful and eclectic work appears on the side of a wall, under a bridge, down a laneway or in an alley.
One such place known to many locals is called Graffiti Alley, or as Google Maps calls it, “Rush Lane”, located half a block south and running parallel to trendy Queen Street West, it is several blocks long. Walking through the alley changes the city into a walking art gallery. Almost every surface within the area, including doors, lighting poles, fire hydrants and fire escapes, are all covered with graffiti art. And if you also want to look at art you can purchase, there are several galleries on Queen Street West just a few steps away.
Although it’s an alley, the area is perfectly safe to walk through. The space, which was originally intended for delivery trucks, is usually busy with local pedestrians, street art fans like me, photographers, and of course graffiti artists.

From Spadina and Queen Streets, walk half a block south and westbound; the lane runs several blocks all the way to Portland Street.
Google map: bit.ly/QgjDk5

* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/GiuliaFalsetti

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Eusebi Guell's model industrial village built in 1890 to house occupants of the textile industry. The highlight is one of Antonio Gaudi's key works - the unfinished church crypt. The crypt features brilliant use of leaded stained glass, brick and ceramics.

www.barcelonaturisme.com/Gaudi-crypt
Carrer de Claudi Güell, 6, 08690 Santa Coloma de Cervelló, Spain
+34 936 30 58 07
Google map: bit.ly/MIalHa

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Gaudi is associated with nearby Barcelona, the Gaudi centre in Reus might be overlooked. It a modern building, with interesting displays, both visual and written information. It does not cost much to get in and you have an audio guide.

www.gaudicentre.cat/
Plaça del Mercadal, 3 43201 REUS, Spain
+34 977 01 06 70
Google map: bit.ly/SELLvN

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Okay, like every tourist you've already visited Calle Florida. After all, despite everything, there is always something interesting to do there - shopping at Falabella, a coffee at Florida Garden. There are also good bookshops like Ateneo and Cúspide Libros, which have pleasant cafés away from the hubbub of the street - you do not even remember that you are in Florida. And I cannot fail to mention the Galerias Pacifico, with good shops and ceilings worthy of an art gallery.
What you might not know is that the top floor of the Galerias Pacifico is the Centro Cultural Borges where you can find concerts, exhibitions, films, educational programs and workshops. This centre is a great place to see tango shows - not tourist traps, but authentic ones. The prices are quite fair: for the tango show "Bien de Tango" I paid $100 (aprox. US$25). Certainly off the beaten track.

www.ccborges.org.ar
Centro Cultural Borges, Viamonte esq. San Martín C1053ABK, Buenos Aires
+54 (11) 5555-5359
Google map: bit.ly/Ncl3LR

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

As soon as the warm weather hits, Torontonians love spending time outside, attending one of the many artistic and cultural festivals the city has to offer. One such event is the Open Roof Festival, which hosts weekly outdoor events every Thursday until August 23, 2012.
Each week, the festival offers a film screening, live music and great food on the roof of Amsterdam Brewery, located downtown. The event features independent films and local bands, with all profits supporting the Toronto indie film community. In case of rain, the films will be moved indoors. In just three short years, the festival has become a seasonal favorite and attendance regularly hits to about 400 per screening.
Check out the website for a full schedule and additional information. Tickets for each night cost $15 and can also be purchased on the website. Drinks and food cost extra.
On the day of the event, the on-site box office opens at 7:30pm for cash only ticket sales;
musical guest performs at 8:00pm and the film screens around 9:00pm.

How to get there: Take the Bathurst streetcar southbound.
www.openrooffestival.com
Amsterdam Brewery, 21 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Canada
Google map: bit.ly/PGK2qZ

* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/GiuliaFalsetti

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

On the 13 – 15 July designers, entrepreneurs, cool hunters, buyers meet at the Brandery, Barcelona’s urban fashion show.
Aside from the rich and varied professional programme is Brandtown, where fashion brands interact directly with their public.
The programme is interesting and varied:
Brandstands where major brands like Custo, Replay and Superdry present their products to the public with fun, games and activities.

Exhibitions: Fashion & Art, Fashion & Fetish a mix of creativity, transgression and elegance in which artists, painters and graffiti artists will perform live to fill the show with avant-garde art, music and design.
New Talent Contest in which young designers from fashion schools get the chance to present their designs and win awards for creativity.
Brand Factory a multidisciplinary space for designer articles, handcrafts, and sophisticated or singular techniques.

Workshops. This is the fun part where you coaches and stylists can turn you into a catwalk model. Or you might like to learn moulage, fitting cloth directly onto a dressmaker’s dummy. Or perhaps design your own knitted cotton garment from a T-shirt roll. Or create a look-book from cuttings. Or create accessories, rag-dolls, ephemeral jewellery. Or…

Workshops are free when you book your Brandtown ticket.
For information on the workshops and how to book them see: media.firabcn.es/content/S094012/doc/doc_tbs2012_ws_en.pdf

There are also concerts and music with Human League, Stand Up Against Heart Crime and several other bands and DJs including Shelby Grey and DJ2D2.

www.thebrandery.com/
The main event is at the Fira de Barcelona in Plaça Espanya.
For information on the workshops and how to book them see: media.firabcn.es/content/S094012/doc/doc_tbs2012_ws_en.pdf
Google map: bit.ly/LMxkVi

* PeterGuest is our Been there local for Barcelona. You can read his profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/barcelona-local-peter-guest.jsp and follow his tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/PeterGuest. Meet more of our locals here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/trails/been-there-locals.jsp

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

The Toronto Fringe Festival is an annual theatre event that features some of the most interesting, hysterical and gut-wrenching uncensored drama in Toronto. All performances take place in theatres throughout the downtown core. Several productions that made their debut at the Fringe have been shown to larger audiences, such as “Da Kink in My Hair.”
I love “fringeing.” I’ve already bought my pass of 12 tickets and am looking forward to seeing some great live theatre. Tickets are incredibly affordable, with single tickets at $10 and are available by purchasing either online or at the theatre one hour prior to show time. This year’s festival presents over 150 individual productions from Canada and around the world.
The festival runs from Wednesday, July 4 until Sunday, July 15 and the roster includes something for everyone: from musicals to sketch comedy to drama to FringeKids! plays held at one of the local libraries. There are even some interesting venues, with locations like parking lots, school buses and even a bra shop.
All Fringe shows are not chosen by a jury, but rather a lottery system, which gives each play an equal chance.

www.fringetoronto.com

* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/GiuliaFalsetti

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Barcelona’s summer festival of theatre, dance, music and more starts on Saturday 30th
June and goes on till the end of July. As the website proudly announces, The Grec 2012 Festival of Barcelona is about to begin! It will start with a great party, open to all, with free admission, featuring the fusion rhythms of Canteca de Macao and La Troba Kung-Fú and “Pedalejant cap al cel”, a show by the Antwerp-based aerial and visual theatre company Theater Tol.
Then, starting the very next day, July 1, the city will host a huge programme of theatre, dance, circus, the finest music and many other activities, right through to July 31st.
The inaugural party takes place on Passeig Lluis Companys, that’s the big wide avenue just above the Parc de la Ciutadella.
I saw the visual theatre company Theater Tol quite a few years ago in another summer
festival and if this year’s show is anything like the one I saw, it will be visually stunning and breathtakingly beautiful.

Sala Montjuic.
One of the popular on going events of the festival is the Sala Montjuic. Held in the dry moat at Montjuic Castle near where Catalonia’s last Republican President was murdered by the fascists after the civil war, the summer evenings are given over to the more peaceful pursuits of outdoor cinema and concerts. At least on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. All films are in their original version with Spanish subtitles,
although the odd one might be dubbed in Catalan and begin after dark, at 22.00.
Concerts begin at 21.00. Tickets cost 5 euros and you can get them online. The box office opens at 20.30. You can rent chairs for 3 euros. With a pre-prepared picnic it’s a very pleasant, cool way to spend an evening.
A great way of getting there is to take the Funicular from Parallel, then the cable car,
with all Barcelona spread out below you, to the top.
Otherwise there are special buses, you can use your T-10 pass, from Plaça Espanya.
One will take you back after the film or concert.

www.salamontjuic.org/?lg=2.
www.grec.bcn.cat

* PeterGuest is our Been there local for Barcelona. You can read his profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/barcelona-local-peter-guest.jsp and follow his tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/PeterGuest. Meet more of our locals here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/trails/been-there-locals.jsp

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Being close to Benidorm and beautiful, this Moorish town is now mostly devoid of Spaniards but the slowly ascending journey up the mountain, past the reservoir, with the always in view white tower perched on a rock, is something I still recall six years on. Located up in the mountains, 25km in from the Costa Blanca coast, El Castell de Guadalest is for me, visually and location-wise, the best part of Alicante Province. It’s an artistic type of place recognised for its cultural heritage whose small population of 200 or so now mostly comprises of artists, art galleries and restaurants. So there’s enough to see in the town, not least the castle and the stunning views. But the journey up and the views down define my memory of Guadalest.

www.guadalest.es
Avenida de Alicante, s/n, 03517, Castell de Guadalest, Alicante, Spain
+34 965 88 52 98
Google map: bit.ly/KWQIkl

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

This lovely inland town in the north east of Mallorca is full of charm and atmosphere and lives up to its name with arty shops, pavement cafes and a beautiful fortified church at the top of the hill. Its theatre doubles as a cinema and meeting place, while the tree lined Placa del Conqueridor hosts the weekly market and annual festivals where freshly made bunyolas and chiritos can be eaten and cool pomada sipped (don't drive after it!). Cool courtyards hide behind the pavement cafes which line its pedestrianised main street. Not far away is the talayotic settlement of Ses Paisses, and slightly further, down a rough track, the beach of Cala Torta is one of the most unspoilt in the area.

In the north east of Majorca, about 8km from Cala Rajada and 60 km from Palma, near the Llevant mountains. A planned tram-train service will link Arta with the city of Manacor, where trains go to Palma.
Google map: bit.ly/MKJePx

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Visit Figueras in Catalonia, home of the quite simply fantastic Salvador Dali museum. Running over five circular stories this charts the opening of a fabulous mind (rock figurine paintings) through to his famous dreamscapes, taking in a Mae West's lips sofa trompe-l'oeil along the way. While the museum itself is not to be missed, a whole range of European clothing stores have sprung up to provide hassle free shopping in this compact town. For those who like to party check Rachdingue 'Discoteca Surrealiste' nearby which is a bona fide nightclub replete with glass cased mannequins from one of Dali's proteges, hosting techno inside and deep house on the terrace, and the annual Rachingue Festival in June.

www.salvador-dali.org/museus/figueres
Plaça Gala-Salvador Dalí, 5, E-17600 Figueres
+34(0) 972 677 500
Google map: bit.ly/Kvg1Fb

www.rachdingue.com
Carrer Call, 17493 Vilajuïga, Spain
+34 972 53 00 23
Google map: bit.ly/Mnb5V2

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

A 'must see' to visit Michelangelo's statue of David at the Galleria dell'Accademia. Additionally you see half finished sculptures by Michelangelo so you get an opportunity to see how the process of creating David must have taken.
The most important thing is getting in and avoiding the queues. Sometimes there are small queues while other times the queues can be quite big.
You can call +39 055 294883 to make a reservation in advance which costs an extra €4 onto the €11 ticket price. The phone operator will give you a six digit extension number which you quote when you purchase tickets. All the operator takes is your name and asks what your chosen day / time slot is.
The reservation will then allow you to go to a different door avoiding the long queues. The real beauty of the phone reservation is that you do not pay until you turn up so if there are any unforeseen changes to your schedule you don't end up out of pocket. Additionally if there are small queues, you would simply queue up and avoid paying the €4 reservation fee.
Phone reservation available Mon - Fri 08.30 - 18.30 (Italian time) & Sat 08.30 - 12.30.
Tried the online booking service but gave up as it kept falling over as I input the details of my UK credit card.

www.uffizi.firenze.it/en/musei/?m=accademia
Galleria dell'Accademia, Via Ricasoli 58 - 60
50122 Florence
+39 055 294883
Google map: bit.ly/KLibF6

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

A wonderful three day festival of music theatre, circus etc totally free and great fun for all ages. It is held in the lovely town of Alcala La Real in Andalucia on the 3rd weekend of July annually. Stages are set up at various points around the town and events start at around 10am and carry on till the early hours, if you have the stamina! Programmes are available from the tourist information or Etnosur website.

www.etnosur.com/
Google map: bit.ly/Np7ec8

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

They are based online but are currently doing some pop up shows. It's great a local gallery is looking for new and up and coming artists and not only that what they sell is pretty damn cool. Their framing is second to none and to be fair I dont know of anything or one like them in the Midlands.

www.thegallerycourt.com
+44(0)121 236 7557

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Stroll through the diverse array of sculptures in the Broomhill gardens to the hotel, partly obscured by trees (and a giant red stilleto) for a cream tea. The jam is fruity and not too sweet, the cream piled high and the scones mountainous. One of those times in life where the food, the location and the company combine to make something much more than the sum of its parts.

www.broomhillart.co.uk
Broomhill Art Hotel, Muddiford, Barnstaple, North Devon EX31 4EX
+44(0)1271 850262
Google map: bit.ly/KbUftF

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

The David Mellor Design Cafe is a quintessentially British place for a cup of tea and cake, just don't expect it to be served in a floral cup and saucer. As one of the key British designers of the 20th century, the cafe epitomises David Mellor, simple, modern and stylish. The food, soups, sandwiches and cakes, come in delicious combinations of flavours. The white chocolate and cranberry scones are a particular favourite. On your way out don't forget to spot the set of working (David Mellor designed) traffic lights in the gardens!

www.davidmellordesign.com/visitorCentre/cafe.php
The Round Building, Hathersage, Derbyshire, S32 1BA
+44(0)1433650220
Google map: bit.ly/NcuJ5G

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends