Posted in Where I'd Rather Be on Apr 7th, 2009
Holy Week in Seville is one of the most highly trafficked events in Spain, but unlike most Spanish fiestas this is no street party thinly disguised as a Saint’s name day. Semana Santa in Seville is a religious ceremonial event that attracts Catholics by the thousands. The week is made up of a series of [...]
Posted in Where I'd Rather Be on Feb 27th, 2009
The Spanish have a thing for mixing raging parties and patron saints, and Las Fallas comes with the added touch of a burning effigy party and all things pyro. The fiery event has taken place since the city’s pagan days and incorporates a myriad of traditions in a show-stopping, heated event. It used to be [...]
Posted in Where I'd Rather Be on Feb 6th, 2009
Berlin is a fresh cosmopolitan capital of culture and in the middle of it all is Berlinale. This is not only the city’s largest cultural event, but also one of the most important dates on the international film industry’s calendar. More than 19,000 film professionals from 120 countries, including 4,000 journalists, are accredited for the [...]
Posted in Where I'd Rather Be on Jan 31st, 2009
Carnival is extravagant parades, colorful costumes and gyrating hips, but did you know carnival is also Catholic? The word carnival comes from the Late Latin expression carne vale, meaning “farewell to meat”, referring to the Catholic tradition of Lent when believers give up meat for 40 days preceding Easter. And what a farewell party it [...]
Posted in Where I'd Rather Be on Jan 30th, 2009
If your only experience with Polo is buttoning your shirt in the morning then you need to make your way to the jetsetters playground of St Moritz, Switzerland for the Polo World Cup. Traditionally considered at British elite pastime, polo walks a delicate line between power and grace, human control and animal instincts. What makes [...]
Posted in Where I'd Rather Be on Jan 18th, 2009
The Swiss have a reputation for being conservative and deliberate, which makes Switzerland the unlikely venue for what is perhaps the craziest ski race in Europe. The Inferno Race was held for the first time on 29 January 1928 by a group of “ski-crazy” Englishmen (okay, so the Swiss didn’t start it). Today, together with [...]
Posted in Where I'd Rather Be on Dec 13th, 2008
Seurasaari Christmas Path (Joulupolku) is a free pre-Christmas event offering a glimpse into the fairy-tale world of old-time Christmas. There are 28 different events along the Christmas Path this year, including Christmas, story-telling, horse cart driving, a candle path, and a slow-burning log fire.
The Christmas trees erected on the island await children’s Christmas decorations and the elves [...]
Posted in Where I'd Rather Be on Dec 5th, 2008
I must admit, I only have 1 tattoo and it is a wimpy one at that. Still, how could you not be at least a little curious about attending Europe’s largest tattoo convention? Over 150 tattoo artists from around the world come together to compete in tat design and execution in categories like “Best Asian,” “Best [...]
Posted in Where I'd Rather Be on Nov 27th, 2008
This is the final weekend of Sweden’s best film festival. It may not be “shorts weather” outside, but inside short films reign. Previous festival guests have included Dennis Hopper, Lauren Bacall, Gena Rowlands, Ang Lee, David Cronenberg, Roman Polanski, Terry Gilliam and Elia Kazan. But it’s not just about the big stars. In fact one-third of all films screened are from unestablished film [...]
Posted in Where I'd Rather Be on Nov 21st, 2008
Cannabis Cup is a 420 paradise for marijuana lovers of all varieties stemming from all nations. There aren’t many places in the world like Amsterdam, a city whose liberal attitude opens welcoming arms to getting high. Stoner magazine High Times organizes Cannabis Cup in celebration of weed’s wonderful worldwide accomplishments. Amsterdam’s 400-some coffee shops compete [...]
