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THE BAVARIAN ALPS ~ MUNICH

Munich, the gateway to the Bavarian Alps, is a city with a great many historical associations—past and present—a city with an atmosphere completely unspoiled by bustling modernity. Lying midway between Strassbourg and Vienna, it is the most important town in southern Germany, also one of the largest European towns to be situated at so high an altitude. Founded in 1158, Munich was for centuries the capital of the independent kingdom of Bavaria, and in more recent times the birthplace of Nazidom. A heavy ring of munitions factories built by the Hitler regime made it an important target for allied bombings in World War II; however its protected location prevented much of the devastation suffered by other large German cities. After the Americans liberated Munich in 1945, the Temple of Honor, a memorial to the 16 Nazis killed in the “beerhall putsch,” as well as other remnants of Nazi rule, were destroyed. Today, Munich has regained much of its former prominence as a cultural center of world fame. This is a city rich in museums, art collections and exhibitions, theaters and concert halls. Especially famous are the Munich Opera, the art treasures of the Old Pinakothek and the Deutsche Museum. Every year the inherent “joie de vivre” of Munich is expressed in three typical festivals—the Munich Carnival, the bock beer festival held each spring and “Oktoberfest” in the fall is one of Germany’s gayest festivals


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The Land of Shenendoah

The land of Shenendoah is showcased in Page County, home to both Luray Caverns and the Shenandoah National Park. Winding along the top of the Blue ridge Mountains, Skyline Drive offers unrivaled panoramic vistas and access to ancient granite summits. 

A canoe or tube trip along the meandering  Shenandoah River provides a more timeless and fun filled sense of man’s oldest travels.

Enjoy these natural wonders as well as the history, heritage and talents of our people …visit our quaint towns, shops, historic sites, concerts, festivals, and fairs to see, hear, taste and savor the richness of our bounty. Leave the stress of city life; visit our communities of Luray, Stanley and Shenandoah where you are welcomed with small town charm.

Our accommodations are as varied as the landscape: whether you prefer elegant bed and breakfasts, fine hotels, rustic cabins or scenic campgrounds, you’ll find the perfect spot to stay, relax and enjoy!

For more:  http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/BRPA2010/section%201.pdf


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Wine and Food Festivals

NYC Wine & Food festival

In October, inter­national chefs and TV personalities converged to showcase their culinary chops. At the 100-Mile Brunch, all ingredients were sourced within 100 miles of NYC. Last held: October 8-11, 2009. nycwineandfood­festival.com/2009

Food & Wine Classic in Aspen

Five thousand foodies converge for three days of culinary trends, cook­ing seminars and wine tastings, with more than 50,000 bottles to be sampled. June 2010. foodandwine.com/classic

South Beach Wine & Food festival

In its ninth year, Miami’s “SoBe” Wine & Food Fes­tival draws culinary per­sonalities and winemakers from around the world for four days of seminars, tastings and live auctions. February 2010. sobewineandfoodfest.com

Singapore’s World Gourmet Summit

A celebration of interna­tional gourmet cuisine and wines, the Summit hosts more than 40 high-end events, including the Wildlife Gourmet Safari, over the course of 14 days. April 2010. worldgourmetsummit.com

Cornucopia, Whistler, Canada

Many seminars through­out the four-day festival. At night, meet acclaimed chefs and sommeliers at a tasting gala or two.  Last held: November 12-15,  2009. whistler-cornucopia.com


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Asheville and Music

To experience yet another form of passionate expression where the area reigns supreme, take note of the sounds around you.

In 2008, The Orange Peel Social Aid & Pleasure Club was named one of the top five rock venues in the nation – yes, the nation – by none other than Rollinq Stone magazine.

The reunited Smashing Pumpkins played a remarkable nine-show run at the landmark club, choosing Asheville and San Francisco as stops on their two-city U.S. tour.

Catch a live performance at the many intimate clubs, bars and brewpubs, representing genres from jazz to Appalachian mountain music.


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Festival Internacional Cervantino, Mexico

Festival Internacional Cervantino, in Guanajuato Mexico

Bargain prices at luxury properties (up to 70 percent off), value-added pro­motions, and dramatic drops in airfare (averaging 26 percent lower than last year) are part of the Mexico tourism board’s campaign to lure travelers back to its white-sand beaches, colonial cities, and ancient pyramids.

Every fall, more than 500,000 visitors descend on Guanajuato, in central Mexico, for the country’s preeminent cultural celebration, the Festival Internacional Gervantino (October 14-November 1). This year, posadas to five-star hotels are offering packages, starting from $95 per night, at www.festivalcervantino.gob.mx.


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Asheville, North Carolina Festivals

During any given week in Asheville, North Carolina there likely is a festival going on where you might see a top-notch film, enjoy gourmet food and fine wines, listen to music, or laugh at the jokes of a standup comedian.

Asheville’s tag line, Any Way You Like It, aptly describes the many events locals and visitors alike can take advantage of during the course of a year.

One of Asheville’s newest offerings is set at the spectacular Biltmore Estate. The inaugural Field to Table Festival was held Sept. 19-28, 2008, honoring Biltmore owner George Vanderbilt’s determination to make his estate self-sustaining. The event featured cheese making, canning, sorghum making, bluegrass music and demonstrations by the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project at River Bend Farm. Then, at the Biltmore Winery, cooking demonstrations, seminars, wine and cheese tasting and talks by noted Southern cookbook authors brought participants “to the table.”

The respected Asheville Film Festival celebrated its sixth anniversary Nov. 6-9, 2008, screening about 80 films at a variety of venues within walking distance of each other downtown. Character actor Brad Dourif, known as the voice of the doll Chucky in Child’s Play and for his role in the HBO series “Deadwood,” was honored with a career achievement award.

“The Asheville Film Festival is a way to highlight Asheville as a venue for films, but also to highlight some of the talent that exists here,” says Diane Ruggiero, superintendent of cultural arts in the city’s parks, recreation and cultural arts department.

Oter popular festivals include the Laugh Your Asheville Off Comedy Festival in July; the Goombay Festival, celebrating African and Caribbean culture, in August; the Great Smokies Craft Brewers Brewgrass Festival in September; and for the calendar-conscious, the Trinumeral Festival, a music and arts festival held on the date the day, month and year align.


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San Sebasitan, Festivals & Fiestas

 The Feria-Theatre Fair San Sebastian is an unavoidable event for the Performing Arts sector. July is the month of instrumental rhythm. Every year the Jazzaldia – International Jazz Festival, presents a brilliant and complete programme.

The good turnout at the Kursaal tickets offices around the time of the Quincena Musical (musical fortnight) demonstrate the love that the Donostiarran people feel for symphonic music. Concerts involving major musical artists and renowned orchestras bring together both old and young; the “no more tickets available” sign is inevitably displayed.

But the great cultural date which the city looks forward to with enormous anticipation every September is the International Film Festival. On those days the theatres overflow with spectators during morning, afternoon and night, and the city fills up with stars.

Another festival that is growing year by year is the Horror and Fantasy Film Festival that, with other activities, completes a year full of cultural events for all tastes. 

The festive calendar is inaugurated by the popular tamborrada, which takes place on January 20th, the Day of San Sebastian, the patron saint of the city. The fiesta starts on the previous night with dinners out in restaurants or gastronomi societies. At midnight the city’s flag is hoisted in the Constitucion Square to the rhythm of the San Sebastian march. In the morning an army of 5.000 children dressed as drummers take part in the children’s parade.

February marks the celebration of Carnival, the most important fiesta of the winter period. Carnival is announced by the riotous tinkers who, as the popular song goes, “come from Hungary”. The band of inudes and artzaias cavorting alongside (nannies and shepherds) recalls their entourage. And finally the Carnival fills the streets with colour, ushered in by the appearance of the God Momo.

The arrival of summer is marked by the festivities of June 23rd, the eve of the solstice, with the blessing of the Tree of St John in the Constitucion Square. This is followed by a performance of the traditional Basque dance aurresku and at midnight bonfires are lit throughout the city. Later on in the summer comes the principal fiesta of Donostia, the Semana Grande, which celebrates the festival of the Virgen de la Asuncion (Virgin of the Assumption) and takes place throughout the whole of the week of August 15th. A packed programme of street parties, performances and cultural and sporting events fill the day. But the most incomparable event takes place at night: The International Fireworks Competition.

In September, the feast comes with the Euskal Jaiak and their complete festive programme including sports and dances. It immerses the city into a big popular celebration. On the two first Sundays of the month, the celebration will be completed with La Concha Flag, the main rowing boats competition of the Cantabrian Coast.

Bringing the year to an end, the Santo Tomas fair, held on December 215t, is one of the most keenly anticipated of Donostia events. The fiesta commemorates the old market which used to be held in San Sebastian, when the farmers and ranchers of the province used to come down to the capital to pay their taxes and display the best of their produce.


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