Browsing: Festivals

He’s seriously psyched up as he wraps a long stretch of fibrous cord around a 30cm ball of hard cheese. The smoke from the cigar, wedged into the corner of his mouth, necessitated that he close one eye. His other eye accessed the camber of the road ahead. He took a couple of long strides to build up momentum, leaned his ample frame forward, and, with a curved slingshot motion (delivered in an elegant pirouette), …

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Not only is Edinburgh a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s also Scotland’s capital city and home to phenomenal festivals, which have the city buzzing with a sense of excitement all year round.

Packed with medieval tenements, narrow streets through the Old Town, and a sweeping elegance that swathes the Georgian New Town, there’s no question that Edinburgh deserves its reputation as one of the most stunning and enthralling cities in the world.

Sightseeing in Edinburgh …

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Although the name Glastonbury is synonymous with one of the world’s most famous music festivals, there is more to the tiny Somerset town than the annual gathering of peace and love at nearby Worthy Farm. With a population of approximately 9,000, Glastonbury brims with myths and legends. It’s a meeting point for some of England’s most important “ley lines” – the metaphysical connections which link ancient spiritual sites around the world.

In addition to tourists, …

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Throughout the year, Thailand celebrates a number of festivals They are some of the most vibrant, colorful events that attract travelers to participate. From the Thai New Year festival of Songkran to the spectacular parade of the Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival.

Located on the peninsula of southeast Asia, Thailand is 19 times smaller than the US and about twice as big as the UK. With a population of about 70 million people, the main …

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It’s only 10 p.m., but everyone has retreated to bed except the five of us playing cards in the hostel dining room.

“Deal another round,” I say, “I’m staying up all night.” Sleep seems unlikely when the temperature is plunging towards minus 12 degrees C (10 deg F), there’s no hot water for showers, and six people are sharing each room where the beds are blocks of salt.

I’ve discovered that you can’t enjoy the …

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Americans mark autumn with two major holidays: Thanksgiving in late November, and Halloween on Oct. 31. The latter is a personal favorite: Ever since I watched It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! as a  child, Halloween has been one of my anchor points for the fall season. Halloween as we know it, with the trick-or-treating and funny costumes, is for all intents and purposes a strictly Western practice. Though it has in recent years spread …

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Hidden in the Baztan Valley near the southwestern French border and a few miles away from the pristine shores of the Bay of Biscay, sits a little village with a big secret. Removed from the bustle of the Basque Country’s San Sebastian and the glitz of Biarritz, Zugarramurdi is a tranquil town where not too much has happened in the last four hundred years.

This lush area of Navarra is an ideal blend of French, …

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Have you watched a movie filmed in a familiar setting and recognized buildings, a restaurant or a street? Have you ever wanted to visit a location after seeing a film? Watch the “Borne Identity,” and you will see many Parisian locations. If you are ever in Prague, look for the many easily identifiable scenes from the first “Mission Impossible.” Just outside Asheville, North Carolina, in Lake Lure, you can see the spectacular backdrop for “Last …

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