Turbo Travelguide

Archive for the ‘Europe’ Category

In Tate Britain, Linbury Galleries, is a Henry Moore exhibition from 24 February till 8 August 2010. Supported by The Henry Moore Foundation Sponsored by British Land Company PLC, Finsbury and Goldman Sachs With additional support from Tate Patrons and The Henry Moore Exhibition Supporters Group. Radical, experimental and avant garde, Henry Moore (1898-1986) was one of Britain’s greatest artists. This major exhibition will re-assert his position at the forefront of progressive twentieth-century sculpture, bringing together the most comprehensive selection of his works for a generation. Henry Moore will present over 150 significant works including stone sculptures, wood carvings, bronzes and drawings.
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To celebrate the opening of Nottingham Contemporary we’re giving away a weekend break for four people with Christmas Dinner including a bottle of house wine at Alea. Nottingham Contemporary is the most exciting new contemporary art gallery in the UK and we’re proud to be host to David Hockney’s work from 14 November 2009 to 24 January 2010. The exhibition displays over 60 works by the Yorkshire artist and includes the iconic painting ‘A Bigger Splash’ (pictured). It’s the first time that his early work has been brought together for over 40 years.

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Londonbook

That’s what most people look for: A free travelguide for London. It’s the most downloaded book on this site, where you can find free books for other destinations too. “London is a colossal metropolis with a taste for everyone. Enjoy shopping, visit Hyde Park or try to catch a glimpse of Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace. In this free travel guide you find inspiring ideas for how you could spend your time in England’s capital. The guide contains a historical outline, several daytrips and comprehensive maps.” You can find it here.

All years round truffles can be found in Istria, but the season of the hottest and most exclusive white truffle starts now. The white truffle is the most expensive truffle and can cost € 1500 per kilo. But the cheaper black species are found in Istria. Once the truffles were exported mainly to Italy, nowadays 70% of the find were bought by Croatian restaurants. The vegetarians in this region has also expanded enormously. The truffle is also an important “weapon” in the struggle to get guests from the coastregion. The season thus immediately becomes an attractive holiday. The key word here is small. Agro tourism, family hotels in Old Istrian (land) that houses are homes that flourish in the truffle season. Besides enjoying the truffles in many restaurants there are also truffle festivals to attend. Ingredients of these festivals are usually a fair truffle, truffle competitions (who has the biggest and the best), baking the world’s largest truffelpie or demonstrations of truffle searching with dogs. www.istra.hr

Lobster from Norway

From October 1 till 4 in the northern Norwegian city Vadsø the King Lobster Festival as a  “Polar Spectacle” is held. During this celebration in the extreme tip of the county of Finnmark lovers of good food can  learn all about this culinary delicacy. Moreover many forms of crab can be tasted anywhere. Many other polar products during the festival will stand in the spotlight, including dishes with reindeer, grouse, varangerlam and special spices from the northern region. Besides the culinary program there is a contest of  ’sauna sitting’. More information

The Picasso Museum in Paris, one of the major tourist attractions of the French capital, closed its doors on Sunday for a restoration that will last until February 2012. The museum hopes for a better welcome after the renovation for the approximately half million visitors who come each year. Also, the spaces for educational and cultural activities are adapted.  The museum is housed in a Baroque mansion in the Marais district. In the coming months, the collection of approximately five thousand works will be moved elsewhere and after that the construction will begin early next year.

French tree-house

Enjoy the freedom and roam accross the region of Poitou-Charentes. The French region offers from now until October to two 7-day covered wagon arrangements. Pulled by a horse, accommodation for 5 persons and equipped with kitchenette, it is a special attraction for a caravan trip with the whole family. Lovers for a fixed place for the night can choose for a tree-house. A 5-person horse-drawn carriage for three days in high season (July-August) can be booked from € 393.55. Families in the autumn to make this special trip after paying € 317.28 (starting price).
In the midst of the “Parc Floral de la Belle”, south of the city of Poitiers, there are several tree for two – but also for family use (maximum 6 people). The wooden cottages are 4 to 6 meters from the ground and can be reached by a staircase. The high altitude huts all have a perfect view over the 25 hectare forest. Consumers find more information on www.tourisme-deux-sevres.com (horse-drawn carriage), www.tourisme-vienne.com and www.tourisme-vienne.com (tree).

Pod hotels are coming to Manchester. Birmingham-based operator Nitenite, which offers rooms just 70 sq ft in size, is planning to open in the city centre, and has identified a site near Piccadilly Station. The group only operates one other UK hotel, in Birmingham, which opened in 2007. All the rooms offer free Wi-Fi, films and bottled water and rooms will have a rack rate of about £55. The company, which would not disclose the exact location of its Manchester hotel, said its concept was “not about being the most budget hotel on the market”, although it did want to be affordable. Colin Hatt, Nitenite’s chief executive, told Crain’s that its rooms were based on “a luxury yacht cabin” and said it was positioned away from the “no-frills” end of the market. [source]

Van Gogh painted himself

The Royal Academy of Arts in London presents from January 23  2010 a major exhibition on Vincent van Gogh. It is the largest exhibition on the Dutch painter in Great Britain since 1968, reported the English art establishment Friday.
The Royal Academy of Arts shows ‘The real Van Gogh: the artist and his characters’ 65 paintings, thirty drawings and 35 letters of Van Gogh. Most of these letters the artist wrote to his brother Theo. The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam offers from October 9 2009 an exhibition devoted to the letters, at the end of fifteen years research into the correspondence of the painter.

Follow Ásta Andrésdóttir on her trip around Iceland: “Every true Icelander must make a certain trip at least once in his lifetime.  A trip on Iceland’s Ring Road, or Route 1. When I was four years old, back in 1980, my opportunity came. I remember it like yesterday when my parents, my seven-year-old sister and I got in our burgundy colored Volvo, in our matching Hummel jersey tracksuits. Burgundy-colored of course. We were a team, the four of us, ready to take on Iceland.Many of my most precious childhood memories were made during that trip. Some of them I remember vaguely. Other parts I remember vividly. I remember the weather (it was always sunny); the pop tunes on the radio.  It was a trip of discovery, a realization that there was more to the world than the playground behind my apartment building in central Reykjavík.” Read the complete story