http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32206 performances from the Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet of Canada. Besides the repertoire of great productions, there is also a free concert series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre.
From September to June, concerts take place most Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon, and some Wednesdays at noon or 5:30pm. Because of limited seating, admission is on a first-come, first-served basis. Although the programming is not geared toward young children, everyone is welcome to attend a concert. Genres range from vocal, piano, jazz, chamber music, world music, and a dance series.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32206 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31877 The romantic comedy, The Winter's Tale, is this year's performance at Dream in High Park. This annual summer event has been adapted for both adults and children.
Located at the High Park Theatre, an amphitheatre with seating carved right into the hillside, the stage is surrounded by lush trees and is the perfect setting to experience Shakespeare.
Performances run from the end of June until the beginning of September, Tuesdays through Sundays. Gates open at 6pm, with the performance starting at 8pm. The entry fee is pay-what-you-can, with a suggested minimum donation of $20. There is no fee for children under 14.
Food and beverages are allowed on the site: you can bring your own or purchase from a nearby concession or the Grenadier Café. Public washrooms are also available.
Performances take place weather permitting.
I like to get there early, enjoy a midday picnic, and after taking in the performance, walking through the park and gazing at the stars.
High Park is Toronto's largest public park, with several hiking trails, tennis courts, a lakefront, a dog park, a zoo, playgrounds, and gardens.

Getting there: Take the subway to High Park station, walk east to High Park Avenue and Bloor Street. Enter the park from Bloor Street, follow the road to the Grenadier Café, where you will find signage to the amphitheatre.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31877 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/21388 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/21388 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20422
If you're there in Nov/Dec the town has almost daily festivals, the best is San Jeronimo. The rest of the year you can visit a volcano, arts market, baseball stadium and the enjoy the view from nearby Catarina which is one of the best in Nicaragua.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20422 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19707 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19707 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19695 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19695 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19457 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19457 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19456 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19456 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19438
Never fear, checkout www.festivalpreviews.com. This website hosts video preview clips of the shows so that you can see for yourself whether you might like it. The site also has festival clips from Brighton, Adelaide, Avignon, Tokyo, etc etc.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19438 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18842 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18842 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18130 From March 14-April 18.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18130 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18128
The official website features details of more than 5000 events including readings, debates and workshops.

Runs March 21-31.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18128 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17919 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17919 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17885 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17885 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17567
The idea for the museum – based on an original idea by the French 19th century artist Paul Cézanne of showing art in parallel with nature – came from a Düsseldorf collector by the name of Karl-Heinrich Müller. In 1982 he came across Hombroich Island, an uncultivated park on the banks of the River Erft, and called in a Düsseldorf sculptor by the name of Erwin Heerich to help him turn it into a park containing an orangery, a wonderful empty glass building overlooking a section of the river called the Graubner pavilion which I, and other visitors used an echo chamber (!), and an art gallery.

In 1984 Müller bought up a larger area of land, and had it specially landscaped to contain classical and modern sculptures, a cafe and various other exhibition buildings. Here you can see works by Arp, Calder, Cézanne, Chillida, Corinth, Fautrier, Klein, Matisse, Picabia, Rembrandt, Schwitters, as well as classical Asian works.

The Düsseldorf painter, Gotthard Graubner, helped Müller develop a special exhibition concept, whereby the exhibits are not chronologically ordered but presented according to styles. Almost the best feature of the concept is the refusal to provide any accompanying explanations to the works of art. At first this might prove irritating, but after a short while I found it remarkably liberating as it threw me into a direct confrontation with the work of art without the interpretational crutches of a so-called expert.

By placing traditional Asian art alongside modern European works without any commentary, the exhibition makers have succeeded in creating an exhilarating atmosphere which allows visitors to react to the works intuitively rather than on intellectual theories. The site also contains at least one contemporary artists’ workshop, placed in the midst of the wood like something out of a fairy-tale.

The day I was there the autumn sun was beaming down on a glittering dew-drenched golden landscape, and I wandered around in a trance of joy at the sheer beauty of it all. I was assured by other visitors that it’s an unalloyed pleasure at any time of the year, even and especially when it’s covered in snow. There are plenty of benches along the way enabling you to rest and enjoy the view; and the central café – with outside tables and chairs when the weather’s fine – serves up food and drink free of charge. Allow yourself at least two and a half hours because it’s a large site. To prevent you getting lost, all visitors are provided with a map, showing the gravel paths. Sturdy shoes are recommended, children under the age of 6 have free admission, but dogs are banned.

To protect the landscape, visitors are asked to keep to the gravel paths and picnicking is not allowed. Be warned: after you leave the box office area, you will come to a staircase with no less than 45 steps, so whatever you do don’t bring a pram!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17567 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17498
It holds a wonderful collection of art and applied art and plans to hold high profile travelling exhibitions - a wonderful world class show on the Bauhaus is currently on display in January 2008.

It's a pretty cool looking building too. And it's FREE, so there's no excuse not to stop by.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17498 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17370 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17370 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17261
Brazil & Cia products are among the largest crafts and popular art centres in Brazil. They have Brazilian popular art objects that reflect important aspects of the local culture. The products are exquisite, alive. Makes you want to buy it all, for your home and as souvenirs for relatives and friends.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17261 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16993
I'm a big fan of Brazil, so I had to pick out a few of their pieces, which scream Brazil all over them. And it's not like other typical cheesy tourist stores you find at just about any corner, this one's got personality.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16993 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16964
Sometimes the work is fantastic and sometimes it is not so good - but the low ticket price makes it worth the risk. Their biannual festival, Avant-Garde-Arama is an experience worth the risk.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16964