Tales from here and there about this and that.

ReJoyce

In another literary-centenary celebration, Dublin is celebrating the centenary of Bloomsday, (June 16, 1904) the day on which James Joyce's masterpiece "Ulysses" is set, with a five-month festival lasting from 1 April 2004 to 31 August 2004. A number of spectacular exhibitions and events are being organized, together with street theatre, music programs, and family fun that will fill the city for everyone to enjoy.

Get the latest information about Dublin and all things Irish from Nuzhound.

One morning a little rabbit
sat on a bank.

He pricked his ears and
listened to the trit-trot,
trit-trot of a pony.

So begins The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, by Beatrix Potter; first published 100 years ago this year, Benjamin is cousin of the ever popular Peter Rabbit.

In the summer prior to the stories publication, Beatrix Potter had stayed in the British Lake District and it was here that she sketched the background scenes for The Tale of Benjamin Bunny.

Apparently, Beatrix based Benjamin on one of her pets who she reportedly described as, "a very handsome tame Belgium rabbit...extremely fond of hot buttered toast, he used to hurry into the drawing room when he heard the tea bell!"

The Lake District in the north of England is a Mecca for walkers, climbers and artists; its beauty has been immortalised by the poet Wordsworth and hot buttered crumpets are still served for afternoon tea in the small lakeland villages. Worth a visit if your taking a holiday in the UK..

Wordsworth's tombstone in the churchyard of St Oswald's Church in Grasmere, is said to be one of the world's most visited literary shrines.
His famous poem 'The Daffodils' is reproduced below and a leaflet called 'Wordsworth's Lake District', describing the many places associated with Wordsworth, has been published by the Cumbria Tourist Board.


You can purchase a copy of The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, together with Lake District maps and guides, all at discounted on-line prices, from the Country Bookshop on the Activity Holidays Guide links page.

THE DAFFODILS

Picture, Ashley Yan

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed - and gazed - but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

Sherpa are running a series of walking tours in the Lake District throughout the summer.

Disaster has struck Spirit halfway through their trans-Atlantic duel with Venom. As reported in their latest online ship’s log, the sugar cupboard is bare!!!!
Supporters can only pray that the emergency is contained within the sweet tea addicts and that they find a solution to alleviate their suffering. It seems that the situation arose out of an unprecedented demand, causing 4 kg of sugar to be consumed in one week.

Meanwhile, due to the slow progress made in the first week under difficult sailing conditions, rivals Venom have been forced to retire. They continue to post logs but are now concentrating on getting back to the UK before the end of the British public holiday weekend, since many of the crew then have to return to their paid employment.

Well, they are underway; on Sunday 8th May at 1400 local time, Spirit and Venom began their duel across the Atlantic from Falmouth Harbour, Antigua to Falmouth, United Kingdom.

Organised by the World Cruising Club, this is the first 60s Atlantic Challenge and you can get the latest race news, including access to an audio visual gallery from the race web site

As the northern hemisphere begins to enjoy long summer days and the winter sports season comes to an end, the southern hemisphere starts to gear up for its winter sports fun.


The core ski season in Australia is July to September but the slopes can be open a month either side depending on the weather conditions and geographical location. In New Zealand the majority of the snow fields are in South Island and the season tends to run June to October.
Most of the New Zealand slopes are ski club operated. These non-profit associations organize the ski areas and accommodation, welcoming casual visitors.


The Australian slopes operate on a more commercialized basis with extensive infra-structure and organized events. One of these, Mount Buller is an easy 3Hr drive North East of Melbourne. It has a variety of ski runs to suit every ability and also caters for the main styles of snowboarding, together with a variety of other snow activities for all the family. You can even catch the latest movies at the Mt Buller Village Cinema, which is said to be the highest cinema in Australia.
Extensive snowmaking takes place to ensure a longer season which this year starts on June 6th.

Adventure skier on Buller Summit Ridge.


In August the centre plays host to the Shredfest which is one of the hottest events on the Australian Snowboarding Calendar. Some of the best riders in the Southern Hemisphere will be competing for the Shredfest titles and prize money totaling more than $11,000 . Taking place over three days August 6 to 9, there will be Boardercross, Big Air, and Half Pipe competitions.

Snowboarders Linda Richards & Nickel Wylie carving it up at Mt. Buller.

Having fun In the Snowboarding Park, Mt Buller.


For over 25 years visitors to another Australian ski center, Thredbo in New South Wales, have enjoyed the weekly fireworks and flare run display. They have the world record for the largest flare run (702 skiers).

If you have been enjoying the slopes all day long and find that you are just itching for more, then a cruise under the stars has to be the ultimate option. You can link turns down Friday Flat every Thursday night, or step it up and take on the Crackenback Supertrail under lights on Saturday before you head out on the town. Night riding runs from 6:30 – 9:30pm through July and August (weather permitting), and best of all its free with a valid lift pass.

Tasmania, being considerably further south than the other Australian snow fields, has no shortage of snow falls and like the New Zealand slopes offers great opportunity for cross-country skiing. Ben Lomond ski resort is Tasmania’s premier ski resort; situated in the Ben Lomond National Park with spectacular mountain scenery. The ski season here starts early July and closes late September.


Do you know a good vacation that others would enjoy? Click the 'Recommend a URL' button in the Activity Holidays Guide menu bar and let us know - entry in our database is free for qualifying holidays.

For those that prefer to race on dry land, Dunlop are running a competition to find seven talented drivers to attend the Dunlop Race Academy at one of the UK's most famous racing schools, the Gold Track Driving Club.
The seven lucky drivers will learn proper racing skills and race craft, with the eventual competition winner going on to gain their MSA race licence and race in a Ginetta G20 at Brands Hatch, UK in October; competing in the Dunlop Drivers Cup and experiencing the lifestyle of a successful racing driver.

Competition entries must be received by the closing date of the 11th of June 2004 and winners will be notified in person by the 25th of June 2004.