Culture and Art in London 2012

Claire — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 20:30:51 +0000

The cultural scenes in London include a number of different mediums. These include architecture, music, museums, and festivals. The art lover will be offered a huge selection of opportunities to sate their artistic tastes and immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of classic and contemporary artistic pieces. The visit to the English Isle will not only offer a wide variety of sounds and tastes, it will also introduce them to some of the best up and coming artists of today. One such artist is Damien Hirst. His paintings are innovative and cutting edge. They are also on display throughout England in many of the fine museums and art galleries.

BT Art Box Celebrating a British icon The Smile of a Tear, London by Martin Pettitt

When speaking of art and culture many think of this as being secondary to the philosophy and opinions of the local culture. This is not so in England. Art is an integral part of the Brit’s way of life. England has long been known as the place where innovative ideas and creativity flourish. One can see this through their architecture, sports, philosophy and even in their folklore.

London offers many opportunities for the young Brits to become immersed in the artistic way of life. One such project that exists to enhance creativity and artistic ability is the Tate modern. Here one can see fine works from the past and learn about new modes and mediums of the artistic movement today. There are also a number of different art festivals that one can visit as well. Go to see some classic works, hear music and song, as well as dancing and stand up comedy.

If a show is what you desire, London theatre tickets can offer a number of different options. Shows like the Lion King and Cats are long running favourites of the locals and are sure to enthral and please visitors and guests. London theatre tickets can also get the best deals for groups, and in some cases even offer a tour or hotel stays along with the tickets.

Whether one is seeking a showing of Phantom of the Opera, a food festival where the cuisine of the island can be tasted or just a tour of a museum, they are sure to find what they are looking for in London. London theatre tickets can aid in acquiring passes to many of the cultural events and secure tickets for theatre performances. Be sure to book ahead of time to ensure that tickets will be available when you are visiting.

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An Italian Summer of Festivals

Claire — Thu, 03 May 2012 06:30:58 +0000

Italy can sometimes be a country that is overlooked for summer holidays, with travellers favouring some of the more notoriously hot weather areas in Europe such as the Canary Islands and mainland Spain. Although temperatures by the sea tend to be cooler than inland areas such as Florence, there is plenty of heat to enjoy in the months of June to July where high temperatures reach 29°C and rain fall is at its minimum. With warmth pleasant enough for sun bathing, but not so sweltering that moving around is problematic, Italy offers the perfect climate for a varied summer vacation.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Kevin Poh

Italy Summer Festivals

One thing Italians enjoy is being Al Fresco. Throughout the summer Italian towns and cities make the most of the warmer days and evenings by holding a range of outdoor concerts and music and art festivals. The venues for the festivals are exciting and innovative and range from ruins to public spaces. The type of music on offer varies from classical composers and opera shows to new live music.

Festival dei Due Mondi

Translated as “The Festival of Two Worlds”, this performing arts festival takes place in Spoleta and showcases a broad spectrum of artistic disciplines, from ballet, opera, films and art. The festival has been running for over 60 years, and celebrates the amalgamation of European and American art. Festival dei Due Mondi usually takes place in June and July each year.

Soundlabs Festival

Usually in August, Soundlabs is a more contemporary festival that celebrates the international independent music scene in the rural area of central Italy. Soundlabs usually hosts popular acts from the UK, US and Italy and is popular with European tourists.

Verona Opera

The Verona Opera series is a true taste of authentic opera in Italy’s most elegant open air arena – the Roman amphitheatre of Verona. Shakespeare fans will be pleased to visit this popular town to be steeped in history and rich Italian poetry in motion.

Summer Accommodation in Italy

Unless roughing it and making most of the camp sites at some of the more alternative music festivals appeals, there is a good choice of accommodation in Italy to suit all budgets. The most popular cities to stay in are Rome, Florence and Venice, and all of these areas have large (and expensive) hotel chains such as Hilton and Grand that can provide luxury and convenient accommodations.

For those wanting to break away from the confines and expense of a hotel room, clever travellers opt for schemes like LoveHomeSwap.com that offer home exchange Italy services allowing owners of holiday apartments and second homes to swap locations for their holidays in whichever cities across Europe and elsewhere in the world they choose to visit and can find a suitable swap in.

Summer Sight Seeing

A trip to Italy can be finished off with a trip to the leaning tower of Pisa to see it for real. The Tower is open until 11pm in the summer, and in the same trip tourists can also visit the Cathedral, Cathedral museum and Baptistery.