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You will find a plethora of tours offered all across Edinburgh, but if you only have time for one, choose the Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour. Even if you have no interest in Scottish literature, this will be well worth your time. Trust us!
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Head over to the Beehive Inn on Grassmarket where you will be introduced to Clart and McBrain, a fictional duo portrayed by actors who will serve as your guides for the evening. This highly entertaining odd couple will have you peeing your pants with laughter as they take you on a journey through more than three-hundred years of history. Not just the history of the authors who would frequent the pubs you’ll visit, but the history of Edinburgh.
Over the course of two hours, you will stop by four equally charming historic pubs, all within view of the beautiful Edinburgh Castle. This allows you the perfect opportunity to sample the local brews and sip a strong Scottish malt whiskey.
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You will learn all about Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet. The writer was at the forefront of the Romantic Movement, and you will be shocked by how erotic some of his verse was for the time. Walk in the footsteps of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, one of the greatest writers of crime fiction ever known, responsible for the ever-popular Sherlock Holmes series. Robert Louis Stevenson, author of both Treasure Island and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, also hails from Edinburgh. McBrainn will have you in stitches with his portrayal of Dr. Jekyll’s metamorphosis into Mr. Hyde.
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The tour ends at the beautiful Café Royal on West Register Street. Charming both inside and out, this restaurant and pub is the perfect place for a nightcap. You have to order oysters at the bar, as they’re the Café Royal’s specialty. Wash them down with a refreshing white, red, sparkling, or rose wine.
You have to be eighteen years of age or older to participate in this tour, so if you are traveling with wee ones, you may want to find a sitter for the evening. The only problem with the tour is that the hilarity and fun makes two hours fly by far too quickly. You may find yourself showing up at the Beehive Inn the following night, so as to experience it all again!
Incandescent Yolk by Christopher Stoneman. Image courtesy of http://www.kinetica-artfair.com
Art lovers and techies alike wait with baited breath for February in London when the Kinetica Art Fair returns to wow audiences. A celebration of electronic, light, science, technological, robotic and new media art, the Kinetica Art Fair is nothing short of awe-inspiring and a must see for anyone in the London area.
This year’s event takes place between February 9th and 12th and features an impressive array of work from some of the finest artists in the field. Featured exhibitor Christopher Stoneman uses light and glass to put on a beautiful and mesmerizing display, Alex Allmont’s electronic LEGO designs will delight the child in you, and Studio Roosegaarde’s Liquid Space, a jellyfish-esque device that detects and responds to your presence with lights, sound and motion, is something you cannot miss.
Empress Stah Power. Image courtesy of http://www.kinetica-artfair.com
The Fair also features a wide variety of performances, including Cirque de Soleil veteran and award winning aerial artists Empress Stah Power in a fascinating multimedia extravaganza. In addition, there will be a series of short films, light displays, sound shows, and other mixed-media performances. Don’t worry — if all of this sounds overwhelming to you, there are guided tours available that will ensure you get to experience everything.
Leonardo da Vinci is well regarded as one of the brightest minds in history. He was an inventor, an engineer, a mathematician, a scientist, a musician, and of course, one of the greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance. Long story short, the man was a genius. He is revered and continues to intrigue and inspire historians, inventors and artists to this day.
You can celebrate his genius with a visit to London, England’s National Gallery. The Gallery has been hosting the most complete exhibit of da Vinci’s paintings in history. The show began in early November and will continue until the 5th of February. If you are in the UK or planning a trip to the London area, this is a must see.
The Gallery has borrowed paintings from other prestigious museums, and many of them have never been seen in the UK. You will find pieces from the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, the Pinacoteca Vatican in Rome, and the famous Louvre of Paris, France. Perhaps one of the most interesting displays, the Louvre has lent the Virgin of the Rocks, of which the National Gallery also owns a copy. The two paintings are a perfect example of how da Vinci’s style changed and evolved over the years, and being able to compare them side by side is truly a rare honor. The entire show focuses on the 1480s and 1490s, during which time da Vinci worked for Ludivico Maria Sforza as a court painter. It was also during this time that the famous Last Supper was created at the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Obviously the Last Supper couldn’t be transported to London, but you can view a full scale copy of the masterpiece as painted by one of da Vinci’s students.
Free exhibition guides are available, and you will be given the option of an audio guide at the ticket counter. You may want to consider purchasing your tickets in advance, as there are a limited amount of tickets available per day, and an exhibit this special is likely to sell out.
With a cheap car rental in London, you can beat the crowds and ensure your spot at this once in a lifetime exhibition.
The Day of the Dead can be traced back to indigenous people such as the Zapotec and Aztec, and some of the rituals included in the celebration date back over three-thousand years. These days, Dia de los Muertos is a national holiday in Mexico and you will even find it celebrated in public schools and government buildings. It is the biggest holiday of the year in Oaxaca, making the celebration in Oaxaca City one of the most visited events in the country.
The holiday originally took place during the ninth month of the Aztec Solar Calendar, which would be in August. The dates were changed to coincide with the Catholic All Saints Day after the Spanish arrived during the fifteenth century. Today you will find traditions from both celebrations seamlessly blend into one important holiday.
During the last week of October, preparations are made including building brightly decorated altars. Statues of saints, ornate skeletons, marigolds, images and mementos are lit by candles to guide the spirits. The celebration begins on November 1st, when the souls of children are believed to visit the living, and continues until November 2nd when the souls of adults pay a visit. Altars are laid out with sweets, like the holiday’s famous sugar skulls, for the children, fresh fruit, pan de muetro (a traditional bread flavored with anise or cinnamon, often in the shape of bones), and the deceased’s favorite meals. A journey from the other side is long and exhausting, and these offerings are left to nourish hungry and tired souls.
If you visit Oaxaca during Dia de los Muertos, you will be welcomed into people’s homes where you can view the altars they have built for their loved ones, and tour cemeteries to see the shrines that have been built there. You will be moved by the theatrical parades, gorgeous costumes, and general merriment as the locals do not mourn the people they’ve lost, but celebrate the souls who have returned to visit.
The great Sufi poet Rumi is revered by some Muslims as a saint. Every December on the anniversary of his death, his life and his union with God are commemorated at the Whirling Dervishes Festival in Konya. If you have never experienced the powerful and moving beauty of the Dervishes, this event is a must. The festival is held at the Museum of Mevlana, (Rumi is known as Mevlana in Turkey), at the site of the poet’s mausoleum, and draws more than a million pilgrims and visitors each year.
Rumi’s message was one of peace, complete tolerance, and total love. Though he was a devoted Muslim, he looked upon Christians and Jews as spiritual equals, who showed great respect for the Sufi in return. Pope John XXIII is quoted as saying, “In the name of the Catholic World, I bow with respect before the memory of Rumi.” Mevlana’s message lives on today through his teachings, poetry, the beautiful music of the Iranian and Afghan people, and of course, through Sema.
Sufis believe that dance can achieve union with God, and the dance of the Dervishes celebrates and honors these teachings. The dance, called Sema, represents a mystical and spiritual journey. The main dancer symbolizing the sun and the spinning dancers represent the stars and the moon. There are four dances, one for each season, element and age of man. As the dancers twirl, they are turning toward the truth on a journey to find God.
“Dance, when you’re broken open. Dance, if you’ve torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you’re perfectly free.” Rumi
If you plan on paying a visit to Ireland’s bustling capital city this November, you may want to check out Art Fair 2011. The event, which is hosted by the Royal Dublin Society, is the biggest art fair on the island and draws thousands of visitors from Ireland and beyond every year.
While you are there you can browse over one-hundred galleries featuring all types of media. Painters, sculptors, and photographers all come together to display and sell their finest works. You can even apply to submit your own work. A plethora of gallery owners and collectors are present every year, and you never know whose eye you will catch! 2010 saw over ten-thousand visitors to the event.
The Royal Dublin Society provides coffee and snack outlets throughout the fair, so you can enjoy a piping hot cuppa or a soft drink at any time, as well as various treats and light meals. Concessions are open for the duration of the Art Fair, so you can spend the whole day.
Admissions are €10 for adults, €8 for students, and free anyone under sixteen, as long as there is an adult present. Attend Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or all three days!
Kemwel offers cheap car rentals in Dublin, so you will have enough money to buy a one of a kind piece of art that will always remind you or your vacation in Ireland.
September is nearing an end which means people all over the world are gearing up for Halloween, planning their costumes, and dusting off their copies of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. The city of Newcastle upon Tyne celebrates throughout October with their annual Ghostly and Grisly Quayside Tales walking tour. Founded in the 2nd century, Newcastle boasts a long and interesting history ripe with stories of witchcraft, gruesome murders, mysterious disappearances, greedy grave robbers, and eerie hauntings.
If tales of Newcastle’s spooky history don’t have you shaking in your boots, take it up a notch on the Extreme Ghost Tour. Accompany a group of paranormal detectives as they take you into haunted pubs, creepy cathedrals, and deep, dark basements using scrying mirrors, Ouija boards, and video recording equipment to contact the dead. This tour is not for the faint of heart and even offers 24 hour counseling for those who find themselves shaken or even haunted after the evening has come to an end.
If you are traveling to Newcastle with children, the Young Spooks Guided Kids Tour may be more your speed. Kids can get their faces painted in the likeness of their favorite monster or specter before hearing stories of witches, wizards, and pillaging pirates that are sure to result in bone chilling fun, and maybe a nightmare or two.
One thing is certain; Newcastle upon Tyne knows how to do Halloween right!
Are you going to be in London this weekend? Stop by the Tobacco Dock at 50 Porters Walk where the London Tattoo Convention will be in full swing from September 23rd to the 25th. Over one-hundred and fifty artists and performers from all over the world will be on hand to give you some new ink and show off their work. Tattooists representing every continent will be present, from the UK, the US, Italy, Mexico, and Portugal to Singapore, Denmark, Japan, New Zealand and more.
Rub elbows with haunting beauty Lexi Sexx. You may recognize the aerialist and fire breather from the cover of some of your favorite tattoo magazines. The absolutely stunning Vanessa Lake will also be hanging out, signing copies of her 2012 calendar.
If you are not into tattoos, it is still worth stopping by the convention for the amazing art. Alex Binnie is one of the most sought after tattoo artists in all of the United Kingdom. He will be displaying his phenomenal woodcut portraits for the very first time. You can also catch some art in action as the Graffiti Life Collective will be collaborating on a massive mural throughout the entire weekend.
Some of the best DJs in the world will be spinning, in addition to a plethora of live music. There will also be a wide variety of dancers and performance artists who promise to entertain. This is one event you won’t want to miss!
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