Next week, WOMAD returns to Parque de Santa Catalina in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, for another weekend of music, arts and dance from around the world and the really good news is that the festival is free. You have just enough time to arrange a short break, so you can enjoy some great performances plus the usual workshops and global market.
While browsing some video clips to give you a feel for WOMAD Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, I came across this great solo performance by drum maestro, Billy Cobham at the 2007 Womad festival. The performance was captured by Ruth (rbrimel) and tomorrow, I will try to upload another of her videos from the festival, featuring the exuberant Culture Musical Club.
Bring on the Ghouls Scream and scare events have long played a part if the Halloween celebrations in the USA and Fright Nights have now spread to the UK, with a number of seriously frightening events being organised for this weekend.
HallowScream UK, features at Crealy Adventure Park, Exeter, Devon EX5 1DR. Opening Thursday, 29 October through Saturday, 31 October. There will be spine-chilling rides in the dark. The breath of death will brush against your skin as you drop into the unknown and vile creatures from hell will stagger into your path as you are entertained by live bands and DJs.
Scare Kingdom Scream Park, produced by AtmosFEAR! Scare Attractions is situated at Hawkshaw Farm Park, on the A59 between Preston and Blackburn, BB2 7JA; it is just minutes from the M6 junction 31 and sits in the shadow of the dark foreboding Pendle Hill, home of the Pendle witches. Some lovely walks in this area but not during Halloween! Scare Kingdom is open to those who dare visit this grizzly realm until 5 November, when the kingdom will be awakened from the dark by a spectacular firework display.
Children under 10 can enjoy a spellbinding Trick or Treat, cooked up by friendly witch sisters Toil and Trouble, 45 minutes of interactive theatrical experience. featuring songs and games designed to enthrall the young ones. Families and young adults looking for an adrenalin kick will find their blood runs cold as they experience Dead Alive: Legend of the Pumpkin Man, a fright fest set amid 8 acres of rotting mist covered cornfields, where lies the ghostly ruins of Strangleweed Hollow.
More witches gather at Burley in the New Forest, when the annual Halloween festival is celebrated on Saturday, 31 October.
SAW - The Ride comes alive and offfers the ultimate horror experience on the world's most terrifying rollercoaster at Thorpe Park, KT16 8PN, which has again been transformed into a world of twisted insanity, with Fright Nights running until 1 November.
If you know of a Fright Night event near you, click on the permanent link at the end of this post and let us all know about it by leaving a comment.
The 2009 European Wine Bloggers Conference is set to take place in Lisbon, Portugal, from October 30 – November 1, 2009. Bringing together bloggers of all backgrounds including: winemakers, wine writers, marketers, foodies, retailers and distributors from around the world.
Around 100 wine bloggers are expected to attend the EWBC 2009 and they will also be able to enjoy visits to several key wineries within easy reach of Lisbon.
Today is Blog Action Day, so along with thousands of other Bloggers around the world, I am writing a post to highlight this year's issue of climate change. As promised, I have chosen the subject of sea level rise and you might ask, why sea level rise?
My reason for choosing this topic began when considering the arguments relating to climate change, the impact of man-made Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere on global warming and what it means to individuals. It is a fact that humans are genetically programmed for their individual survival; few put the benefit of others over themselves.
Most people are not therefore motivated to do much about global warming unless there is a direct, immeadiate economic benefit to them. Notice the word immeadiate because by its very nature, global warming normally occurs over a much longer timescale than a period likely to impact human lifetimes. Indeed, many people, feafull of the effect on their lifestyle of measures to counter global warming, actively argue against any link between atmospheric Carbon Dioxide levels and climate change. Just this week, "global warming skeptics" have been cock-a-hoop at a report from BBC climate correspondent, Paul Hudson, suggesting that climate models did not forecast a fall in global temperatures experienced over the last decade. Hudson reported Professor Don Easterbrook of Western Washington University, USA, as saying that global temperatures were correlated much more with cyclical oceanic oscillations of warming and cooling than anything man does, arguing that the global cooling from 1945 to 1977 was linked to one of these cold Pacific cycles, and that "the Pacific decadal oscillation cool mode has replaced the warm mode [of 1978 to 1998], virtually assuring us of about 30 years of global cooling.
This argument highlights some of the major issues surrounding the global warming debate, chief of which is probably the extreme complexity of the evironment and the extremely wide level of scientific knowledge needed to model it. It is important to appreciate that scientific models are only a description of a system, they allow us to make predictions and are essentially based on observed data; as more data is obtained, models can be improved. At one time, people believed that the earth was flat and that the sun circled the earth but with more observations scientists were able to improve the planetary model to such a degree that it was possible to land a spaceship on the moon.
One of the most pronounced and observable effects of climate change has been the melting of glaciers and ice sheets around the world. Glacial melting is occurring in Alaska, the Himalayas, the Andes and over the past century, the volume of glacial ice on Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro, has decreased by such a rate that its glaciers will be likely to disappear within the next 10 years. Just today, it has been reported by Professor Peter Wadhams at the University of Cambridge, UK, that data obtained by the 2009 Catlin Arctic Survey supports the view that in 10 years time there will only be a small piece of Arctic ice remaining to the north of Greenland and that within 20 to 30 years, all the Arctic ice will be gone.
We might therefore argue against the evidence for global warming but we cannot deny that the ice is melting! Part of this paradox is explained by a lack of understanding of the physics involved. When heat from the sun falls on ice, the heat melts it but the ice/water mixture remains at 0 Celsius because the energy has been used to melt the ice, not raise its temperature above the melting point. By the way, we have all seen the dramatic pictures of ice sheets falling into the sea and most of us are aware that if we have a glass of water and drop ice into it, the water will cool down, so we should not be surprised if sea temperatures are lowered.
Now so complex is this subject that one statement leads to many more issues deserving discussion; before you know it a small post has turned into a book. The impact of ice melt is profound, not will be profound, is profound. Ice sheets are still the world's largest reservoir of fresh water and this volume of fresh water diluting the sea will have dramatic consequences. Furthermore, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that if you drop enough ice into a glass of water it will spill over.
Stefan Rahmstorf, a widely recognized sea level expert, from Germany's Potsdam Institute recently told a climate conference at Oxford University in the UK, " a rise of at least two meters in the world's sea levels is now almost unstoppable, there is no way I can see to stop this rise, even if we have gone to zero (Carbon Dioxide) emissions". Like many natural phenomena, the process of ice melt and sea level rise is something that starts very slowly but then escalates and when it reaches a certain critical point, there is no turning back.
The loss of sea ice at the poles is likely to set in motion a powerful climate feedback mechanism, amplifying and accelerating the consequences of global warming. It could result in flooding that will affect one-quarter of the world's population and cause extreme global weather changes, hurricanes, drought, even maybe unseasonal snow. Will this affect you? It doesn't just depend on whether your one of the 1 in 4 getting wet, 200 million environmental migrants have to go somewhere, unless the rest of the world is prepared to just standby and watch them drown or die from drought. Even your food and energy supplies could be disrupted, so it matters not if you are fortunate enough to live on high ground, you may still find that you have to adjust your lifestyle.
Incidentally, a 2 metre rise in sea level is now reckoned to be a bit on the low side, the eventual rise could be as much as 7 metres and a Tsunami of 4 metres on top of a 2 metre average sea level, would create a wall of water 6 metre higher than wer'e used to paddling in.
I know that few will be motivated to do much unless circumstances force them to react but perhaps it is a good idea to ask "what if" and make a few worst case plans. In one sense, it doesn't really matter what the cause of climate change is, it is clear that the times they are a changing. Besides, as someone commented, "what is so terrible about moving towards a renewable energy economy? And how does the £1.2 trillion a year cost measure up against the cost of maintaining the status quo (wars, the building of weapons, sustaining unpleasant regimes, pollution health matters, etc.)? "
Next Thursday is the international Blog Action Day, focusing on climate change and in support of Blog Action Day, I will be publishing a post on Sea Level Rise. Sea level is rising every day and the rate of sea level rise is increasing. It affects everyone, now.
You can see the flooding that will be caused by a rise in sea level using flood maps developed by Alex Tingle. The default map is set at a 7m rise in sea level because it is expected that many of us will see such a rise. I will explain why in my post for Blog Action Day.
Today we celebrate our 1000th post. I began writing Tales from here and there about this and that around five and a half years ago, as an online notebook that did not have to be written up as formal articles. Over the years, some posts have been quite extensive, while other posts have been little more than one liners but I like to think that my ramblings have always been interesting. It is my hope that readers have been inspired to check out some of the activity holiday ideas, that the blog has resulted in them buying into the concept of making life a holiday and that every now and then a post has come along that has caused people to smile.
I was asked to compile a list of my favourite posts, 10 out of 1000! and in truth it merely became a representative sample of the many and varied topics that have been covered in this blog since 2004.
Earthly Pleasures
Religious brewing on the banks of the Danube. Part of a series of posts, following the great European river from its source to the Black Sea.
Medoc Marathon
Last runner to finish gets the prize. Another great activity holiday idea!
Stuttgart city center will be transformed into a festive wine village, when the Stuttgart Wine Festival gets underway on Wednesday 26 August; it runs through to 6 September, 2009.
Something like 120 wine alcoves are created and decorated in a traditional Swabian folklore style. During the 12 days of the festival, about 250 different wines from the Wuerttemberg region are sampled and enjoyed, alongside many examples of Swabian cuisine.
This weekend may not be a good time for a quiet walk in the New Forest. The sky above is going to be dominated by the Bournemouth Air Festival, with the Red Bull matadors, a Kitty Hawk and the Avro Vulcan bomber, together with air display favourites the Red Arrows, just some of the aircraft entertaining crowds on Bournemouth's beaches.
The festival kicks of today and includes an attempt this evening to break a world record when 110,000 fireworks will be set off within one minute. Don't blink!
English Heritage have started an exciting Time Travellers Go Club. It is for children of all ages and offers them the opportunity to venture into the past, while assuming the identity of some of history's most famous characters; Roman gladiators, one of Robin Hood's band of merry men or even following the likes of Indiana Jones and rescuing an important relic.
An action packed UK bank holiday weekend has been arranged for the end of this month, with events all over the country that will entertain the whole family. Children are invited to visit timetravellersgo.org.uk, to join the club and begin their historical adventure with games and quizzes.
There are some mouth-watering deals on offer but this holiday in Kuramathi Village, Maldives, particularly caught my eye. Seven nights, Room and Breakfast, depart 6 September 2009, London Gatwick Airport, from just £784. Kuramathi is described as a peaceful, relaxed and intimate resort island,well placed for 45 fabulous dive sites... and for pure, undisturbed escapism. A description confirmed in this video clip from Zwirn00.
These fabulous deals quickly change so make sure you get the full details from Kuoni by clicking the link at the top of this post. At my last look, Kuoni seemed to have about 90 holidays on their Web Excusive Offer, including another Maldive special, Kuredu Island Resort.
Wiltshire rocks this weekend as World Music fans head for the WOMAD festival at Charlton Park, Malmesbury.
Peter Gabriel plays live on Saturday July 25th and WOMAD Charlton Park also features Ethiopia's Ethiopiques and Dub Colossus. Other performances to look forward to, include Australia's The Black Arm Band, US soul legend and Grammy award winner Solomon Burke, Nigeria's Afro beat singer/songwriter Nneka, and two of Mali's most talented musicians, Oumou Sangare and Rokia Traoré. As always, there will be plenty to do at this notably, family orientated weekend.
Musical youngsters from the Malmesbury area have been asked to take part in the WOMAD procession scheduled to take place at the end of the festival.
It seems like only yesterday that the curtain came down on last year's New Forest Show but incredibly the doors will be open again in a few weeks time for the 2009 show. The New Forest and Hampshire County Show, to give the full title, is one of the UK's top ten agricultural and equestrian shows, and runs 28, 29 and 30 July, (08.15 to 19.00 daily), As in previous years, there is plenty of free parking but with the huge quantity of cars converging on a few fields, access can be a nightmare and you may prefer to use the pay-as-you-go shuttle bus service from Brockenhurst mainline train station. The show was first held in 1921 and now attracts 90,000 visitors over the three days. It brings together traditional country pursuits, new exhibitions and practical demonstrations, with something to attract all age groups. This year, one of the highlights is sure to be the Pig Racing Championships!
Just as snow lovers in Europe are packing away their skis at the end of another season, the Australian, NSW Southern Alps resorts are reporting blanket cover. Even in the absence of snow falls. their ski resorts are able to maximize top-to-bottom cover on runs throughout the season, thanks to extensive snow-making capacity.
The snowfields are easily accessible, with on-snow accommodation and a complete range of snow holiday packages for skiers and snowboarders of all experience levels. Who said Hamilton Island offered the best dream job in the world? They don't have snow.
Strictly Come Dancing's Flavia Cacace and Vincent Simone took to the dancefloor of the Hotel Piccadilly in Bournemouth, UK, as instructors on a dancing holiday. The vacation, included Tango workshops and a black tie five-course gala banquet and dance cabaret.
A series of dance holidays are scheduled throughout the year with other Strictly Come Dancing stars.
Two atmospheric videos from the recent WOMAD festival in Abu Dhabi, courtesy Arasan822 who has posted a delightful clip of the Robert Plant guest appearance, and Oumick who has brought us a great video, displaying the dancing skills of Youssou N'Dour.
First, Robert Plant with Uldeh Camara, Justin Adams and other musicians:
and now, strictly come dancing! With the great Senegalese Musician turned world superstar, Youssou N'Dour.
Also in my mailbox last week was a note from Ed Thompson. Ed and a couple of friends have entered this summer's Mongol Rally under the team name Don't Panic; I sense from their team name that the enormity of the adventure is beginning to dawn on them. Imagine driving (perhaps pushing) an old (1 litre) Fiat from London to Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia. They are desperately looking for sponsors of any type - equipment, car parts, finance or even good advice, so if you can offer any of the above, helping them to raise shed loads of money for charity, contact them through the link above.
The organizers don't believe in telling teams what to do or where to go, figuring that this is supposed to be an adventure not a cosy guided driving tour. However, last year the rally attracted 251 entrants, of which an incredible 198 made it to the finish line. Some teams starting from Madrid and Milan. This year's London start is from Hyde Park on 18th July 2009.
Tomorrow is Earth Day, Wednesday 22 April, when over a billion people in 180 nations around the world, will be focusing on taking action to protect our environment. Organizers are looking for a billion commitments to do something green, actually doing something rather than just thinking about the problem. The Earth Day commitments form part of a year long initiative tagged "The Green Generation", which leads up to the 40th anniversary of Earth Day in 2010.
Read more about the Green Generation on the Earth Day blog.
The 2009 Festival of Speed, will be held at Goodwood House, situated just outside Chichester, (PO18 0PX) on 3, 4 and 5 July. The promotional video is worth a look; fast, hot and very classy.
Lewis Hamilton's charity, the Lewis Hamilton Foundation (LHF) is the official charity for this year's Festival. LHF is a not for profit organization, focused on improving the lives and opportunities of children and young people, who despite living in ill health or poverty around the world, have a dream.
The 2009 US Paragliding Nationals begins with the first of two events at Dunlap, California, from 27 April - 2 May, 2009 and round two then takes place from 16 - 22 August, 2009 at Salt Lake City, Utah.
Get more information here for the Dunlap round and here for the Salt Lake City round.
With Mayday fast approaching, I thought that we might take a peep at the residents of Padstow, a fishing village on the north coast of Cornwall, England, now best known for its resident chef Rick Stein, as they celebrate May Day.
They prefer to call it Obby Oss (Hobby Horse) day and their festival involves an ancient ritual of parading the Obby Oss through the streets, calling at houses owned by eminent people in the town for suitable refreshment. In return, they ward of evil spirits and ensure good luck for the following year.
This atmospheric video was shot by Reg Vernon (regvernon). At about 3.15 and 8.10 minutes in, you get good shots of the inborn rhythm displayed by the Padstow folk, forget the Sambadrome Samba get behind the Padstow Plod.
The Royal Horticultural Society in the UK, is conducting research into whether the human voice affects tomato plants. According to the Times Online, open auditions are being held tomorrow at the RHS garden, Wisley, Surrey, to find voices which can make recordings. It is proposed that the recordings will be played 24/7, via headphones attached to plant pots, for ten plants in the study.
Clearly, results will be dependant on the acoustic properties of the pot and I believe that various species may show marked differences in their preferences for the rhythmic nature of the sound being broadcast. In previously unpublished research, it has been observed by an unreliable but otherwise amiable source, that the genetically modified tomato, TOMASH, responds vigorously to Reggae.
I learned about Paul Smith, known as the Twitchhiker, who has made an impressive 11,000-mile trip from Newcastle in the North-East of England to New Zealand, using only donations from people who use the social networking site Twitter; completing the journey in just under a month.
Paul hopes his adventure will raise thousands of pounds for charity. Read more about Paul and his journey.
The Tonga eruption has totally destroyed rich bird life and vegetation, leaving a wasteland of black ash and tree stumps. So vast is the volume of emitted rock and ash, that it has completely filled the gap between the undersea volcano's offshore vent and the island of Hunga Ha'apai, increasing the island's land mass by hundreds of square feet. Hunga Ha'apai was uninhabited and lies 39 miles northwest of the Tongan capital.
If your taken with the romance of Romeo and Juliet, you can now get married on the balcony where Juliet Capulet is said to have pined for Romeo, at the picturesque House of Juliet in Verona, Italy.
The house is to be open for weddings on Saturday afternoons, Sunday and Monday mornings. Read more.
Hats off to Jack Jones, 25, from London, UK, who has just set an extraordinary world record, running seven ultra marathons in seven days on seven continents. Each ultra marathon being 31 miles (50km).
He successfully completed ultra marathons in the Antarctic, Chile, Los Angeles, Sydney, Hong Kong, South Africa and finally London. All this on just six weeks of preparatory training.
Prompted by Ireland's week of festivities surrounding St Patrick's Day, Annika S. Hipple, writing in the Seattle International Travel Examiner, has produced a list of 14 Major Celtic music festivals around the world.
Next week, March 26 to 29, 2009, Cwlwm Celtaidd, takes center stage at Trecco Bay near Cardiff, Wales. The four-day event features both traditional and modern Welsh folk music and dance but also includes performers from other Celtic countries.
Then, March 27 to April 18, 2009, Edinburgh, Scotland celebrates its cultural heritage with Ceilidh Culture.
St. Patrick's Festival in Dublin comes to a climax on Tuesday with the St Patrick's Day parade and organisers expect as many as 650,000 spectators. Over 2,000 performers participate in the parade, which starts from Parnell Square North at noon and then takes 90 minutes to wind its way around the city.
Dublin's St Patrick's Day parade is to be broadcast on RTÉ 1 and will also be available online through live video streaming.
The US clocks have sprung forward in spring for summer time and cherry blossom is blooming. Susan Derby, has put together a special article for the Los Angeles Times, detailing US Cherry Blossom Festivals.
Her list begins March 20-29, 2009 with Macon, Georgia and moves through Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Los Angeles (Little Tokyo), San Francisco, Seattle, before finishing with Monterey Park, California from April 18-19, 2009. To these, we add New York City's great "rite of spring", the Sakura Matsuri, which will be held over the weekend of May 2-May 3, 2009, at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, complete with taiko drumming and a host of other celebrations of Japanese culture.
The world’s largest jade statue of the Buddha is on a touring exhibition of Vietnam until May, 2009. It then travels to Australia at the start of a world tour, taking in Indonesia, the US and several other countries before returning to its permanent home. the Mahabodhi Stupa of the Atisha Center, Australia.
Carved from an 18-ton Nephrite jade boulder that was found in Canada in 2000 and considered to be the world's largest piece of pure gemstone-quality jade, the statue, which is called The Jade Buddha for Universal Peace is 3.5m high and weighs 4.65 tons.
The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, better known as Kew Gardens, celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2009, with a year of special events and exhibitions. Incredibly, the world famous gardens, with its displays of exotic orchids, wildflowers from across the world and stunning garden designs, are just over one hour from the center of London.
In March over five million bulbs are used to produce the largest spring flower display in the UK, with daffodils and snowdrops nestling in woodland and a stunning carpet of crocuses.
The photograph is of the great pagoda at Kew Gardens and was taken by Philip MacKenzie.
An expedition is being planned for June 2009, to look for a Snowman or Yeti in the Mountain Shoria area of Southern Siberia. According to descriptions, they resemble a brown bear, are covered with red dark hair all over their bodies and can quickly climb trees. More
G.A.P Adventures, the world's leading small group adventure tour operator, has announced an expansion of its Galapagos cruises in Darwin's 200th anniversary year.
They have released two new programs: a budget nine-day Galapagos on a Shoestring trip and the introduction of the 'GAP Adventurer VI', a superior-class catamaran. GAP Adventurer VI, brings the number of vessels operated by G.A.P Adventures in the Galapagos Islands to six , enabling the company to offer a full spectrum of travel experiences from budget to superior.
I have created a lens on Squidoo called Gardens to Visit and while researching the Australian Open Garden Scheme, I came across their notice about the bushfires in Victoria.
Many beautiful gardens, including significant parks and landscapes have either been destroyed or severely damaged by the fires and I am sure that we all join with the Australian Open Garden Scheme in expressing deepest sympathy to everyone who has been affected.
The scheme organizers indicate that they intend announcing practical support for affected communities in their garden restoration and renewal activities.
Red Nose Day will soon be here again, Friday 13 March, 2009. It is the focus of the British Comic Relief charity and is a day that sees people doing all manner of silly things which raises money to help make other people's lives a little better.
Amongst many events and fund-raising ideas, they have sent a Dream Team of celebrities on a sponsored challenge to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and earn £1,000,000 for Comic Relief.
The team comprises: Gary Barlow Cheryl Cole Fearne Cotton Alesha Dixon Ronan Keating Chris Moyles Denise Van Outen Ben Shephard Kimberley Walsh
Sponsor the team and/or do something funny yourself on Red Nose day. Raise a smile and raise money for Comic Relief.
Mardi Gras comes early this year and for many the season has merged with Valentine's Day. Festivities have kicked off in Sydney, Australia and run until Parade Night on March 7, 2009. Parades and parties are also up and running in New Orleans, leading to the big one on Fat Tuesday, February 24, 2009.
The 2009 Venice Carnival also began on Saturday and runs through to Tuesday, February 24. In Cologne, Women's Carnival Day is Thursday, 19 February 2009 and Rose Monday is 23 February 2009.
Finally, the Samba schools are mustering for this year's Carnival in Rio, which happens from Saturday, February 20 through Tuesday, February 24, 2009.
G.A.P Adventures have announced an Australia Bushfire Appeal in response to the bushfires that are devastating parts of the Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales.
They are asking for donations to help support the communities affected by this natural disaster, the worst Australia has seen in more than a century. Thousands have been left homeless, and the number of fatalities continues to grow as authorities now have access to previously unchecked areas.
Eager to provide immediate assistance to these communities by providing another avenue to gather funding and to support the relief, recovery and reconstruction efforts that lie ahead, Bruce Poon Tip, CEO of G.A.P Adventures, said, "We encourage others to join us in supporting the communities affected by this disaster."
All donations made through the Planeterra Foundation, founded by G.A.P Adventures, will be matched dollar for dollar and will go to the Australian Red Cross Society in support of the over 20 evacuation centres that have been set up to provide those affected with first aid and emergency services, food and shelter, and registration so that they can be located by friends and family.
The Planeterra Foundation was founded in 2003, and supports local communities around the globe. It provides G.A.P Adventures, their travellers and other donors with a way to give back to the people and places visited on their tours, as well as the communities in which they live. For more information about Planeterra, please visit www.planeterra.org.
St Patrick's Festival in Dublin, will this year run from March 12th-17th, 2009, during which time the city will play host to 4,000 performers and a million visitors.
The six day festival, known for its lively music, street theatre, carnivals, comedy and street performances culminates with the St Patrick's Day parade on March 17th. This year's theme is the sky’s the limit.
Jason Durham has written an interesting comment on this season's ice fishing in Minnesota. Cold weather eases ice travel for anglers. It seems that unusually warm weather has caused the anglers difficulty in making it out across frozen lakes to their favoured ice fishing spots.
Jason describes how they have been hampered by deep snow drifts, slush, and the absence of cleanly plowed roads on the lakes but goes on to say that conditions are rapidly improving; which in angler's speak is "it's getting very cold".
Who needs snowed-under roads to be gritted and covered in salt? A group of ice bikers at Thunder Bay, Lake Superior, Canada, show how it's done in this video from Tacoma White (tacomawhite).
To accompany the video, Tacoma provides an informative description about the sport, which I reproduce below, "Short video on a cold day of Motorcycle Ice Racing on Lake Superior. A steady group of 15 riders that frequent the track on Lake Superior in front of the Lakeview Lodge on Lakeshore Drive, continuing a practice in Thunder Bay that dates back 30 years. They race on the ice from the end of January to the beginning of April with modified dirt bikes and specialized safety equipment. To safely run speeds of up to 85 mph requires the obvious safety gear for personal protection including a tether kill switch to prevent the bikes studded tires from grinding up a rider with engine running. Extended fenders help prevent similar injuries. Regular motocross boots are important not only for cornering but for protection should the rider put his foot into the spokes. Safety equipment works apparently as there have been no fatalities for decades. Other than the obvious $600 set of studded tires, the dirt bikes carburetors are jetted richer, engine blocks are covered with foil, and radiators are partly covered to cope with the cold winter air. 2 stroke engines are more sensitive to temperature changes than four strokes but worth the effort for the power to weight ratio they provide, not to mention the distinctive angry sound. A softer and sometimes lower suspension will better cope with the higher speeds and smaller bumps on the ice compared with a dirt track."
Residents of Canada and the 50 United States (plus the District of Columbia), have the chance to win a great adventure vacation to Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.
The lucky sweepstakes winner, together with three guests will receive an all-inclusive vacation which includes: Round-trip airfare for four to Thunder Bay, Ontario, from anywhere in North America Sailboat and float plane tours of the city and area A Nikon digital camera package Meals at Thunder Bay’s finest restaurants Accommodations, including three nights at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park Camping and outdoors gear Car rental Visits to Thunder Bay cultural attractions, including Fort William Historical Park and Eagle Canyon.
There are also some great secondary prizes in the competition, known as "7 Days With the Giant". It runs until May 31, 2009 and the usual restrictions apply, entrants must be 21 but no purchase is necessary to enter the draw on the 'Tourism Thunder Bay' website, nor does a purchase increase the chances of winning.
It has been announced that in April of this year, Abu Dhabi is to host a WOMAD festival. The three day, ethnic music and dance festival will be the first time for the Middle East to experience the WOMAD phenomenon.
The 2009 WOMAD season kicks of in March with the Australian and New Zealand festivals, Abu Dhabi now follows in April and then in May, the circus moves to Spain.
Here is the Disaster Emergency Committee's video for their Gaza appeal, that the BBC and Sky refused to show. We are delighted to show it here without excuses.
The world's biggest wildlife survey is celebrating its 30th birthday and the invitations are going out to join the party!
You don't have to be a Birder, anyone in the UK with an interest in birds, can participate. All that is needed is a willingness to spend just one hour over this weekend, 24-25 January, counting the birds in their garden or local park. The Big Garden Birdwatch provides easy to use identification charts and counting sheets on their website and if you are not already registered with them, simply visit their site and sign up for free.
The Big Garden Birdwatch is the world's biggest bird survey and it is great fun. By taking part you help the RSPB learn more about UK garden birds and how they are faring across the country.
Held during the height of summer, the 105th Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Victoria will run from January 19 to February 1, 2009.
The Australian Open is the first of the world’s Grand Slams that are contested annually by the tennis professionals. Afterwards, their tour follows the sun and moves north to the French Open, May 24 to June 7, then Wimbledon from June 22 to July 5 and finally, the US Open which will be played August 31 through September 13, 2009.
"Wanted: one 'island caretaker', must be able to swim and willing to move to Hamilton Island in Australia's tropical Whitsundays to begin 1 July. Flexible hours and a rather interesting, non-negotiable six-month salary."
Most of you will probably have heard by now of the above, dream job advertisement, advertised around the world in papers like the UK's The Independent but you may not know how to apply.
Prospective candidates have until 22 February to get an application in at islandreefjob.com, submitting a short video clip, less than 60 seconds, explaining just why they think they should get the job. Candidates must be English speakers but I don't see that this will help them to communicate with the Aussies. Communication skills must be excellent, as must a desire for adventure and a true passion for the great outdoors, with the ability to sail, dive and snorkel.
The job clearly involves more than laying on the white silica sand beach, sampling a cold beer, and I don't think that enjoying barbecued lobster will count towards a love of the local wildlife.
Liverpool's reign as a European Capital of Culture has come to an end and the city has now handed the batten to Linz in Austria and Vilnius in Lithuania.
Linz, which I have written about as part of my occasional series of articles about a journey along the Danube, sits on its banks and is just 90 minutes from Vienna. It is a green but busy, modern, city that boasts links with a number of interesting historical figures, notably Kepler, Bruckner and Mozart.
Co-host Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, which this year celebrates its 1000th anniversary. The country was first mentioned in the monastic records Annales Quedlinburgensis, or Annals of Quedlinburg, in 1009.
If your interested in literary festivals, put 21 to 31 May, 2009, in your diary, this year's Hay Festival dates.
The Guardian Hay Festival embedded in the Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales, is something special. For over 20 years, the small town of Hay-on-Wye, which boasts over thirty bookshops selling specialist and second-hand books, has been drawing visitors from around the world. As many as 80,000 people swell the local population of 2000, to enjoy the company of some of the biggest literary names on the planet.
In their winter, Australians celebrate the art of producing literary works, with the Byron Bay Writers Festival.
This year the New South Wales festival moves to a new home in Byron Bay at Belongil Fields and will run from 7 - 9 August, with workshops beginning 3 August. Earlier in the year, the site hosts Australia's 20th Annual Bluesfest during Easter Weekend, April 9-13, 2009.
This year marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns on 25 January 1759, so Burns Suppers will this year take on a special significance.
Burns enthusiasts around the world always celebrate the poet's life and genius, with traditional 'Burns Suppers' held around his birth date. Some of the events are marked by a degree of formality, but many take the opportunity to simply enjoy haggis, whisky, the pipes, traditional Scottish music and the poetry of Robert Burns.
It is America's most visited national park and a hiker's paradise with over 800 miles of trails that range from short walks to strenuous overnight treks. The park is also renowned for its wildlife, being regarded as the world's most biologically diverse temperate zone, which includes a population of about 1,500 bears.
The 75th anniversary site offers information about the history of the Great Smokies, plus information about a wide array of activities and events being organized to celebrate the anniversary. A 75th Anniversary Weekend Celebration is planned for June 13-15, 2009.
With the New Year, Cuba celebrated the 50th anniversary of its Revolution, overthrowing dictator Fulgencio Batista.
The revolution, headed by Fidel Castro, developed education and universal healthcare systems that are admired throughout the world. Unfortunately, there have also been some spectacular shortcomings, there is a very bad housing shortage, exacerbated by the very system that was meant to eliminate high prices and scarcity, and personal freedom has been severely limited. Arguably, this has not been helped by the champion of freedom, the US, who decided that it did not like Fidel Castro as much as Fulgencio Batista and promptly imposed an infamous embargo.
Let us hope that the incoming administration of US President Barack Obama sees sense and at long last, lifts the embargo. Cuba has wonderful cultural traditions and is a great destination for all manner of activity holidays.
The Chinese new year 2009, kicking off the Chinese Spring Festival, comes early this year, 26 January, 2009 and is the year of the Ox. It is regarded as a somewhat conservative year, highlighting traditional values and rewarding patience and diligence with a good harvest. This is not a year that rewards outrageous behavior and impetuous decisions, people with such characteristics are advised to keep a low profile and simply ruminate.
I know that it's hard to believe, with the wintry weather that has been plaguing much of the UK and Europe, but many gardeners are hard at work on their exhibits for the 2009 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Regarded by many as the pinnacle of the gardening year, visitors are always spoilt with a wealth of colour and creativity that has been described as gardening at its most gorgeous. Join the RHS before purchasing tickets, in order to save up to £22 on a pair of public day tickets or more importantly, gain access to the members' only days, which occur at the start of the show, Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 May, 2009, when the flowers are at their best.
The Flower Show takes place in the grounds of The Royal Hospital, Chelsea (put London SW3 into Google maps), which is just across the road from Sloane Square Underground Station (on the District and Circle Line). The nearest mainline rail station is Victoria and a shuttle service runs between Victoria train station and the show.
Incredibly, the RHS Flower Show year begins a month earlier than Chelsea, with the RHS Flower Show at Cardiff, 17-19 April, 2009. This show is notable for inspirational show gardens, nature trails and family fun, and since it falls in spring, I guess the famous Welsh daffodils. Driving along the M4 towards Cardiff, the display of daffodils along the banks of the motorway as the road sign says 'Welcome to Wales' are worth a visit in their own right.
The RHS Flower Show, Cardiff, is situated at Bute Park, Cardiff Castle and is only a 15 minute walk from Cardiff Central Rail Station.
Holiday travel companies are slashing prices in an effort to maintain market share during 2009, which means that there are some hot holiday deals to be had.
Many people are realising that they can save money by taking their vacation closer to home and making use of local amenities such as national parks or facilities such as the UK's National Trust properties and gardens; magnificent gardens that have been bequeathed for the enjoyment of the nation.
Remember also that package companies have often built up good relationships with accommodation and transport providers, so combined with their bulk buying power, can be in an excellent position to negotiate some really good deals that they are able to pass on.
Typical of the trend to offering holiday makers more for their money are the cruise providers, who are now selling cruises for unprecedented low prices. There are some ground-breaking expeditions on offer, that will take you far away from the usual tourist tracks, allow you to explore seldom visited islands and be at one with remarkable wildlife.
The Caucasian Challenge is billed as a minimal assistance motor rally from Budapest, the capital of Hungary to Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. It is an adventure that takes contestants through Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia and Armenia. Two weeks of motoring through every type of terrain imaginable, across 11 countries.
Actually, you can race in anything you like, cars, trucks or even mopeds, and since the challenging route goes through the remote and mountainous areas of Europe's Caucasus region, low-tech vehicles might have a distinct advantage. Teams are already registering for next year's Caucasian Challenge, taking place from August 28 to September 13, 2009.
Back in the 1930s, the Hermitage State Museum received an enormous collection of works of art, from cultural centres along the Silk Road.
Now, for the first time, visitors can enjoy the fascinating artifacts and discover the wonderful cultures that greeted travellers along the Silk Road at the the turn of the 19th century. A new exhibition Caves of a Thousand Buddhas, opens on 9 December, 2008, at the Hermitage State Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia and runs through to 5 April, 2009.
Visitors will see over 300 items, including wall paintings, sculptures, woodcarvings, expedition documents, photos, water-colour and tracing paper copies of ancient paintings, drawings, maps, and an extensive collection of manuscripts.
Tourists with a taste for recreating the golden age of steam travel can journey in style across the UK, on board the legendary British Pullman Orient Express. Tickets cost a fair bit more than economy class but usually include a three course meal, accompanied by champagne and cocktails.
The Orient Express offers an incredible way to arrive in romantic destinations like Oxford, Stratford on Avon, Bath, Canterbury and Chester, and their 2009 brochure contains a host of day trips, special interest breaks and luxury weekend escapes.
Tickets for the Scottish Wickerman Festival 2009 are on sale from today at the festival's official website and the first 500 tickets bought, will be upgraded to VIP passes. The festival dates are 24 & 25 July, 2009.
A new weekend ticket price of £80 incorporates booking fees, camping and parking charges, which effectively makes next year's ticket the same price as 2008. Additionally, a new half price ticket has been introduced for youngsters aged 13-15.
The Wickerman Festival 2009, takes place at East Kirkcarswell Farm, Nr Kirkcudbright, Scotland.
Well, a week's free tuition for first-time skiers paying for certain package holidays from 17 or 24 January, 2009.
The Association of Snow Sports Countries has revived a scheme, partnering seven tour operators, to offer free tuition. 50 ski resorts in Austria, Switzerland, France, Andorra, Canada, Finland and Norway are participating in the deal which includes a lift pass and equipment hire. This represents quite a saving but places are severely limited, so early booking through www.freshersskiweek.com is recommended to avoid disapointment.
In the world of Birders, Birdfair is known as the birdwatcher's Glastonbury Festival and it has quickly established itself as the UK's event of the year for anyone interested in birds and wildlife.
A well supported feature of Birdfair is a charity auction, which raises funds for endangered birds. The auction is characterised by many generous donations, this year including a seven-night birdwatching adventure to Australia's Northern Territory donated by Tourism NT, which was won by lucky twitcher, Billy Rodger.
Next year's event, again held at Egleton Nature Reserve, Rutland Water, Oakham, Rutland, will take place on 21 though 23 August, 2009.
Music lovers from around the worldwide are looking forward to January, 2009 and the Festival in the Desert. Considered to be one of the world's most distinctive music festivals, the event features renowned local, regional and international artists, when for a week each January, it transforms the remote Saharan village of Essakane, Mali; January 5 to 11, 2009.
The village is about two hours from legendary, Timbuktu and I guess that in contrast to British music festivals, it comes with guaranteed sunshine. Enjoy this video from Leandre Busquet, which does a great job of conveying the atmosphere at the festival.
The 2008 Goodwood Speed Festival was held last weekend and the team behind the Parajet Skycar were there, publicising the car and its official launch in March 2009, the Skycar Expedition 2009, an extraordinary 3,000 mile journey from London to Tombouctou, Mali.
Parajet Skycar claims to be the world's first carbon-neutral flying car. Read about this extra-ordinary vehicle and the expeditition, on the project's website.
The Tour de France begins again in just over one month, running from Saturday, July 5 to Sunday, July 27, the 95th Tour will start in Brest, Brittany and be made up of 21 stages, covering a total distance of 3,500 kilometres.
In 2009, the Tour de France begins on 4 July and for the first time in its history, will set out from Monaco.
Spring has arrived in Canada but the Barrie Examiner reports that, following a major funding announcement, snowmobile clubs in the Ontario area are already looking forward to next winter.
The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs will receive $3 million from the provincial government to help attract more sports and adventure tourists to use the province's 40,000 kilometres of snowmobile trails. It is part of an initiative to promote the province as a prime snowmobile tourism destination.
The Land Rover G4 Challenge is an exciting global adventure competition with driving at its core, run in support of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
The programme begins with a gruelling series of selections and culminates in the three-week long Challenge Finals, when teams of two competitors from each of the 18 entered nations will compete for victory. The Challenge Finals are due to take place in Asia over remote and rugged terrains that will provide stunning scenery, exciting locations and test off-road driving with activities such as mountain biking, kayaking, climbing, orienteering and abseiling, pitching competitor teams against each other in tests of driving skill, initiative, strategic thinking and physical fitness. Anyone with a passion for adventure, that is interested in competing, should visit www.landroverG4Challenge.com and register using the online form.
Tonight, 25 January is Burns' night, honoring the birth of the great Scottish poet Robert Burns. Born in Alloway, Scotland, this son of a poor tenant farmer grew to be Scotland's answer to William Shakespeare and is today toasted throughout the world; he authored Auld Lang Syne and many other well known poems and lyrics. Next year will be the 250th anniversary of his birth.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne
For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne, we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet, for auld lang syne.
Here's a fun vid on which to end the week, from Theme Park Review. It does a great job of recreating the atmosphere at Universal Studios Orlando, Islands of Adventure & Halloween Horror Nights. Including Incredible Hulk, Dueling Dragons and some of the best roller coasters footage I have seen.
The producers note that the onride footage in this video was taken with permission from the park and filmed by professional ride photographers. They stress that you should never attempt to take video on roller coasters without proper permission from the park because filming on rides can be extremely dangerous. I would add that the danger is not just to yourself.
Back in May, 2007, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Universal Orlando Resort, announced that they are constructing a Harry Potter theme park at Universal Studios (Islands of Adventure) in Orlando, Florida, occupying over 20 acres, it is described as a theme park within a theme park and is to be called "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter". It is Scheduled to open in 2009.
Scream and scare events have long played a part if the Halloween celebrations in the USA and Fright Nights have now spread to the UK, with a number of seriously frightening events being organised for this weekend.
Children under 10 can enjoy a spellbinding Trick or Treat, cooked up by friendly witch sisters Toil and Trouble, 45 minutes of interactive theatrical experience. featuring songs and games designed to enthrall the young ones. Families and young adults looking for an adrenalin kick will find their blood runs cold as they experience Dead Alive: Legend of the Pumpkin Man, a fright fest set amid 8 acres of rotting mist covered cornfields, where lies the ghostly ruins of Strangleweed Hollow.
Strictly Come Dancing's Flavia Cacace and Vincent Simone took to the dancefloor of the Hotel Piccadilly in Bournemouth, UK, as instructors on a dancing holiday. The vacation, included Tango workshops and a black tie five-course gala banquet and dance cabaret. 
Organizers are looking for a billion commitments to do something green, actually doing something rather than just thinking about the problem. The Earth Day commitments form part of a year long initiative tagged "The Green Generation", which leads up to the 40th anniversary of Earth Day in 2010.
Anyone with a passion for adventure, that is interested in competing, should visit www.landroverG4Challenge.com and 
