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Just a 2 hour (and 2 pounds!) bus ride west of the Golden City of Prague, the charming spa town of Karlovy Vary (also known as Karlsbad) is once again getting dressed up for its 43rd annual Karlovy Vary International Film Festival to take place July 4-July 12 2008.

by NoblePiranha

For 33 pounds, you receive a pass for the entire 9-day festival, which includes tickets to 3 screening per day and discounts or free entry to a host of events–concerts, exhibitions, theatre, etc–surrounding the flurry of films. Or you can pay just over 2 pounds to catch an individual screening. Known as the Cannes of central Europe, this fabulous festival features world-renowned filmmakers and actors each year, and this summer, guests include acclaimed actors Christopher Lee and Robert DeNiro among many others. Check out http://www.kviff.com/en for film schedule and more details.

Written by Suchi Rudra Vasquez

Little did I know when I wrote a post entitled Iceberg Spotting for the Wandalust blog last week that I would be doing some iceberg spotting myself in Holland the following week.

Floating in front to the Dutch Parliamnent in The Hague is a iceberg sculpture by Matthijis Bosman. The piece called “A good story is like an iceberg” is part of the Freedom exhibition running over the Summer

Just across the road, in Buitenhof Square, there was construction of several sand sculptures. Within a few metres you can step from an Artic environment to memories of building sandcastles on a sunny beach (or maybe a windy, cool, wet beach if you’re Scottish like me).

The installation is due to be completed on 27 June and will be on display until the 31 August. The theme is the skyline of The Hague.

A big thank you to the Happy Hotelier, fellow blogger and friend, for showing me around his beautiful home town of The Hague. If you’re in Amsterdam for a few days I recommend that you visit The Hague. It has a completely different atmosphere to Amsterdam and it’s not so touristy. Or why not consider staying in The Hague instead of Amsterdam?

No I hadn’t just emerged from a pot smoking session in an Amsterdam cafe and there really were orange cows nestling the trees above the cafe tables.

I wonder if the the cows are part of the celebration of the Dutch team playing the Euro 2008 football tournament as I did see various flags painted on the sides of the cows.

Cow Parades seem to be very popular recently as there were 100 life sized cow sculptures all over Edinburgh, the Scottish capital, in 2006. The aim is to make art accessible and fun to all.

Have you any bovine sightings to report from other cities?

The year’s Umbria Jazz Festival takes place between 11 - 20 July 2008 in the beautiful Umbrian city of Perugia. I first heard of the Jazz Festival when we stayed at the Holiday Inn in Perugia in May 2008 as the hotel displays photos taken at the Festival in the public areas and the bedrooms,

Pallo in Piaizza Novembre by Enrico Maioli

The Festival has been running since 1973 and one of the highlights of year for jazz fans in Europe. Concerts take place at various locations around the historic city centre.

The 4th annual Border Green Festival will be taking place at the Five Arches playing fields in Berwick upon Tweed in North Northumberland on Sunday 29 June 2008.. There will be a free bus service from the railway station to the venue.

Border Green Festival 2007 with Royal Border Bridge in background

There will a variety of activities and workshops on offer such as a recycling game, art frame construction, organic gardening advice and displays, shadow puppet making and African drumming. Twelve local bands, including the Brigantines, will perform. There are stalls selling food and a beer tent. The admission charge for adults is £2, kids under 14 years of age enter free.

Scotland is gearing up for the “Year of Homecoming” in 2009 for the biggest ever celebration of Scottish achievements and culture. It’s hoped that some of the 100 million people worldwide with blood links to Scotland will be tempted to visit the old country by a wide array of cultural, sporting and historic events. The celebration is timed to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the birth of the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns.

Loch Garry, Scottish Highlands

Of course being Scottish I’m biased but I don’t think you need an event to prompt a visit to Scotland as there’s so much natural beauty all over Scotland from the Borders to the Highlands.

Coldingham Sands, Scottish Borders

However I do appreciate that it’s important for destinations to be branded and marketed as travellers have such a wide choice of destinations. Let’s hope that the campaign is successful as it’ll cost around five million pounds.

Do events such as “Year of Homeconing” influence your travel decisions?

I interviewed Angela K Nickerson, author of Journey into Michelangelo’s Rome, during a live blog on Wednesday 11 June at 20:00 British Summer Time (which is one hour in advance of Greenwich Mean Time).

Angela’s book is a blend of biography, travel guide and the history and art of Rome and Florence during Michelangelo’s lifetime. You can read my review of A Journey into Michelangelo’s Rome on the Wandalust UK travel blog.

Please come along, the live blog will appear inside this post, you don’t need any special equipment or software to watch and it’s easy to make comments and ask questions.

I received a complimentary copy of the book for review purposes as part of Angela’s virtual book tour.

Until the 29 June 2008 the work of two local artists is being exhibited in the Powerhouse at the Prestoungrange Industrial Museum, a few miles east of Edinburgh in the East Lothian village of Prestonpans. Admission is free of charge and opening hours are 11am to 4.30pm seven days a week. The Visitor Centre has toilets and a cafe.

Sea Change by Susheila Jamieson features stone carvings and mosiacs based on the adjacent. East Lothian shoreline.

Sea Change by Susheila Jamieson

Wonb Waves and other stories is the creation of Jacquelyn Rixon. The exhibits portray the waves of euphoria and despair and the monotony of everyday routine experienced by Jacquelyn as a woman and a mother.

Womb Waves by Jacquelyn Rixon

We were amazed by the number and intricacy of the inflorata or pictures made from flower petals which covered the streets of the Tuscan village of Fucecchio. The floral pictures lay in then centre of streets through which the Corpus Domimi Communion Procession wound its way up the church.

Sometimes getting lost can pay off. Last Sunday the 25th May we were driving from Tirrenia on the coast near Pisa to Siena when we were confused by signs for the autostrade and superstrade heading east towards Firenze from Livorno. After taking about 2 hours to cover a distance which should have taken 30 minutes we decided to stop in the village of Fucecchio. It couldn’t have been better timing if we planned it for as we wandered around the streets we witnessed the Corpus Domini procession and all the beautiful floral street art.

So next time you get lost don’t despair because you end up seeing something wonderful but totally unexpected.

The 3 Harbours Art Festival runs from 31 May to 8 June 2008 in the three coastal villages of Prestonpans, Cockenzie and Port Seton, in East Lothian a few miles east of Edinburgh. The Festival was highlighted as one of the “Best Outdoor Arts Events” in the Guardian.

The Festival theme is the sea, an integral part of life in the three villages. There are many events and workshops on offer. Cockenzie Power Station will be illuminated in the evenings. There is a paper boat competition, Murals Trail walks, a Gala day, music events and art exhibitions. From Monday 2 June - Friday 6 June there is a daily John Muir Trail bus tour from 10.00 to 18:00 with various stops at at a cost of £20 including lunch.

Prestonpans Pottery Mural

I’m attending a two day Mosaic workshop on Wednesday 4 and Sunday 8 June which are free of charge. On Saturday 31 May and Wednesday 4 June there is a Women’s Art Workshop, costing £3 per session, which explores the themes of femininity and womanliness The Workshop is led by local artist Jacquelyn Rixon. I attended art workshops run last Summer by Jacquelyn and they were wonderful as Jacquelyn engenders a very relaxed yet supportive atmosphere which enables all participants to explore their creative talents.