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May 15th is San Isidro festivity in Madrid. There is many things to do that day, one of them is to see the fireworks in the Retiro park, with their reflections in the big pond.
Retiro Park (Metro station Retiro)
Strange that many of the selected tips this week seemed to require an overnight stay. I wouldn't recommend Barga for a day trp from Florence. You'll need to change trains at Lucca and the drive along the valley of the Serchio river is not particulary quick. However, if you do give it a go leave time to stop at the Ponte del Diavalo, also known as the Ponte della Maddalena. You'll find it at Borgo a Mozzano. Better to stay in Barga for a few days and explore the upper reaches of the Garfagnana region, which is so different to the traditional Tuscany that everybody knows. Even better still, coincide your stay in Barga with the Pesce e Patate festival when local Italians tuck into fish and chips served down at the local football ground.
PS Lucca is an excellent recommendation for a day trip. There's an international music festival every summer - Leonard Cohen is playing this year. The best way to explore the city and its walls are by bike, which can be hired by the hour.
Google map: bit.ly/153ob5S
This festival, every July, celebrates Belgian Independence Day in great style.The party goes on for over a week. There is every sort of music from reggae to folk to classical both indooor and on outdoor stages, with buskers and street entertainers.
The city has a wealth of museums, galleries and old churches. There's something for all ages. And most of the music is free! There's a variety of places to eat and stay.
Eurostar to Brussels, then a short local train ride.Theres a city tram network; the local information office sells a city pass for use on the trams which includes entry to all the museums and galleries.
If you're in the San Diego area in the summer be sure to head out for the Free "Summer Concert Series" at Del Mar. Every year they have 12-15 outdoor concerts. No charge for them. They have beer tents and quality acts like Jimmy Cliff, Steel Pulse, and more.
www.dmtc.com/
Google map: bit.ly/XltAfl
One of the few Keralan traditions that has survived the onslaught of electronic media and other more modern forms of entertainment is the temple festival. The annual festival or uthsavam is an important event in the diary of most Kerala temples. Festivities begin with the hoisting of the temple flag to the beats of a dozen or so musicians comprising the panchavadyam (five instrument orchestra). What follows is a week-long celebration of music and performing arts. These daily performances are a good opportunity to catch not only well-known dances such as Kathakali but also lesser known but equally stunning Keralan art forms such as Koodiyattam, Ottamthullal and so on. Every morning and evening caparisoned elephants are taken around the temple to the accompaniment of the panchavadyam. Festivities reach a crescendo with a firework display on the final day and the lowering of the festive flag.
Uthsavams also present a great business opportunity for local traders and there are usual an array of local delicacies for sale in the stalls around the temple. As the uthsavam events are held outside the santum sanctorum, they are open (and free) to everyone, irrespective of religion. Temple festival season kicks off in mid-November and goes on until February. One of the bigger festivals in Cochin is the Ernakulam Shiva Temple uthsavam held in January every year (www.ernakulathappan.org). Details of other temple festivals can be had from local Kerala tourism offices.
A refreshingly unpretentious jazz festival on the banks of the River Aulne in one of the most beautiful corners of Brittany. A young crowd, young musicians and a family atmosphere. Good travel/admission offer from Brittany Ferries too. It is held on the last week of July. Have a look at the video to get an idea of the ambiance:www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv_AEeS8pQQ
www.fest-jazz.com
www.facebook.com/festjazz
Office du Tourisme, Châteauneuf-du-Faou:
+33 2 98 81 83 90
Nearest ferry port: Roscoff
Google map: bit.ly/Q4DLYj
In the Umbrian hills, just south of the more famous and crowded Tuscany, lies the medieval town of Gubbio, rich in history and tradition. A lovely place famous for the "Corsa dei Ceri" in which are brought to race through the streets of the city traditional wooden towers. Between the nearby hills, along a pleasant scenic drive brings you to the Tenuta Biscina. A lovely place, a real farm, where I spent very pleasant days admiring the surrounding landscape, savoring dishes in the typical restaurant and walking in the hills. A place of relax where I really recharged and rediscovered a contact with my innermost emotions.
www.biscina.it
Localita' Biscina, Gubbio, Perugia, 06024
+39 (0)(759229730
While ACL may have painful connotations for many people, the ACL festival is really worth checking out. We were there this weekend and the line up was fantastic (The Black Keys were awesome and Alabama Shakes superb) but it still maintained that low key festival feel. Plus the sun shone and it was October so Gllastonbury could learn a thing or two ...
When thinking of Arizona, Phoenix and the Grand Canyon probably come to mind. However, there is a gem of a place halfway between the two. Prescott, a town with a slice of the Old West, has developed around the grassy Courthouse Square, which gives it the feel of small town America. Every year on the first Friday evening after the lighting of the large Courthouse Christmas tree, Prescott is alive with the sound of music. The annual Acker Music Festival Showcase is a fundraising activity for the local performing arts. More than 100 musical groups perform for three hours in the businesses surrounding the square. This year the Showcase is on December 7th, from 5.30 to 8.30 pm. An evening you would never forget!
www.ackershowcase.com/acker.html
www.cityofprescott.net/visitors
Google map: bit.ly/PkSP3e
"Blueberry capital of the world" according to the residents of South Haven. Turns out this part of Michigan supplies a third of the USA's blueberries. Their heavy winters, cool damp springs and long hot summers suit the cultivation of this fruit. I love the gentle way that blueberries are promoted throughout South Haven culminating in the Blueberry Festival in August. Two hours drive from Chicago with a sandy beach on Lake Michigan it's worth the journey.
www.southhaven.org
www.blueberryfestival.com
Google map: bit.ly/VDZvei
Kyoto is beautiful in October, when palace and temple gardens are aglow with the blaze of autumn. It is also when the Jidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages) takes place - a feast of incredible colour and elegance, involving 2,000 participants wearing costumes from the Heian to the Meiji periods. The procession starts at noon, heading from the Imperial Palace to the Heian Shrine, but don't wait until then. Go to the palace early in the morning when it's quiet and watch the performers getting ready. The 'samurai' are happy to chat and pose, and you can snap a close-up of ladies in the beautiful and complex kimonos of the Imperial Court.
handsonkyoto.com/jidai-matsuri/
Google map: bit.ly/V9sIh8
OK fine you could go to Mexico City for day of the Dead and I imagine it would be insane. But San Francisco with it's vibrant Mission District puts on an amazing show. Garfield Park is filled with altars made by the community, there's a walking procession, music, dancing and a lot of dressing up. Grab some amazing Mexican food at Gracias Madre on MIssion Street and go get involved.
San Francisco itself is a great city in autumn - mainly because it's no different to summer. The fog still rolls in, you still need a jumper, but there are less tourists and the colours are beautiful. The sun here just seems softer.
Gracias Madre: www.gracias-madre.com/
2211 Mission Street San Francisco, CA 94110, United States
+1 (415) 683 1346
Google map: bit.ly/QEd9Lo
Cooperstown is a picture perfect small town in upstate New York. A world away from Manhattan but only a couple of hours by car. Cooperstown is home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame - you don't have to be a baseball fan to enjoy the displays. The main street is like something from a Norman Rockwell painting, especially in the fall (autumn) with the leaves turning orange, red and gold and pumpkins in front of the clapboard houses. Other nearby attractions include Glimmerlgass, with its summer music festival, and the Fenimore Art Museum, for American folk and decorative art.
www.thisiscooperstown.com/
Google map: bit.ly/VE8MmP
During autumn, the weather in Delhi is perfect: the monsoon rains have passed and the temperature is in the high 20s. There are some lively festivals at this time of year, including Navaratri (October 16th-23rd), during which there are ten days of street festivals, dancing, Ramlila plays and finally the burning of giant effergies of the God Ravana. The largest celebration during autumn is Diwali (November 3rd this year.) To celebrate the Hindu New Year and the triumph of good over evil, the city is filled with glittering lights - tiny clay lamps flicker from every window - and fireworks fill the skies. Delicious sweets such as the milky burfi are sold on every street corner and the roads are strewn with marigold and rose petals or colourful Rangoli patterns made from coloured sand or chalk. It's a good time to visit as hotels offer deep discounts on rooms and shops have sale bonanzas of up to 40%. I would recommend the recently built Radisson Blu hotel in Paschim Vihar, where there is a tourist concierge who will arrange independent travel by car to all the local sights as well as the Golden Triangle. We were there last Diwali as practically the only guests -Indian families prefer to stay with relatives during this special period, so we were thoroughly spoiled with cakes, fruit and sweets and the undivided attention of dozens of hotel staff.
www.radissonblu.com/hotel-newdelhipaschimvihar
Plot No. D, District Centre, Outer Ring Road, Paschim Vihar, New Delhi 110063
+91 1146399999
Google map: bit.ly/SwUL3q
Toronto’s annual free fall series of guided walks in and around the city runs from September 15 until October 28, 2012.
Now in its tenth year, the festival encourages locals and tourists alike to walk and/or hike through the city’s trails.
Participation is free – all you need to do is register online at www.torontotrailsfestival.ca for the walks you want to explore. Online registration closes at 4:30 pm on the Friday before each walk.
Depending on your experience, you can choose from three different walking levels: Level 1: 7 to 8 kilometres; Level 2: 8 to 15 kilometres, or Level 3: 15+ kilometres. Depending on which one you choose, the walks take you through ravines, beaches, and valleys.
Walks last for two to three hours and meeting points vary, with most starting and ending locations being near public transportation.
www.torontotrailsfestival.ca
* 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
Known to locals as “TIFF”, one of the world’s most prestigious film festivals begins in Toronto on September 6 and runs until September 16, 2012. Many Hollywood studios have premiered their films here, later going on to win Oscars, the most recent one being “The King’s Speech”.
I try to catch five or six films each year, always those that I don’t think will ever appear in mainstream cinema, or those by first-time or unknown directors.
Single tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at the box office or online until September 16, 2012. Regular adult tickets cost $19.69 CDN and those for Red Carpet Premieres are $38.27 CDN. Because there is no assigned seating for any of the screenings, people may choose to line up early to get good seats.
www.tiff.net
TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King Street West, Toronto, Canada
Google map: bit.ly/Q4sjXx
* 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
From September 14 until September 22, 2012, over 40 participating pubs and some 20 brewhouses will celebrate Toronto Beer Week, dedicated to the celebration of beer.
There are various events taking place throughout the city, with experiences ranging from a five course meal paired with a variety of beers, a pub crawl, special beer tastings and food pairings, as well as walking beer tours and music events.
Check out the website for the list of venues and events taking place all day, every day during this nine-day event.
www.torontobeerweek.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
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
The jewel in the crown of Puglia is Salento and there are plenty of free things to do. Try the local festivals – my favourites include the snail festival in Cannole, where you can try a plateful of snails as the locals like them – roasted then eaten with salt and cucumber; 'La Notte della Taranta' is a huge free mid-summer traditional musical festival in Melpignano; and if you're around at Easter, try to see Taranto’s Lenten procession, in which penitents wearing very creepy pointed hoods walk barefoot and painfully slowly through the town. The landscape is beautiful – for some of the best, visit ‘the Maldives of Salento’, aka Torre San Giovanni, with perfect white sandy beaches; go to see the ‘caretta-caretta’ (sea turtles) at the Le Cesine nature reserve; and try dolphin spotting in the gulf of Taranto. Finally – some of the most amazing churches: the Cathedral of Otranto has the exquisite ‘Tree of Life’ floor mosaic, said to have inspired Dante’s Divina Commedia, and an alter piece made of the skulls and bones of 800 martyrs slaughtered by Ottoman invaders. In Galatina, you’ll find the beautiful frescoed church of Santa Caterina, which I have a particular affection for, because I got married there …
The best way to reach each of these sites is by car, although Taranto, Otranto and Galatina are also accessible by rail.
The whole town of Alberobello is lit up for the festival and the atmosphere is electric. From the stalls selling enormous tasty olives, to the fun fair, to climbing to the top of the hill past the quaint trulli to watch the magnificent firework display, it is all a feast for the eye. Trullo degli Alberi is on the outskirts of Alberobello with fantastic facilities to keep the whole family entertained (pool, games room and we even had pasta and pizza lessons arranged for us) and the owners will even act as taxi drivers so you don’t have to worry about finding somewhere to park during the festival.
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