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Saturday, August 21, 2010

Turku - European Capital of Culture for 2011

Turku will be the European Capital of Culture in 2011 together with Tallinn. The Capital of Culture programme is the EU's most significant cultural initiative with great international attention value. As the Capital of Culture, Turku has the chance to gain unparalleled international visibility in Europe.

Frederic Chopin Piano Competition Goes to Warsaw, Poland


 Frederic Chopin Piano Competition is one of the oldest and most prestigious music competitions in the world. It is also among the group of few monographic piano competitions dedicated to the musical performance of one composer. It will be held in Warsaw, from 2 through 23 October 2010.

The first Chopin Competition took place in 1927 at the Warsaw Philharmonic. Subsequent competitions were held, at five-year intervals, in 1932 and 1937. The fourth post-war edition of the competition was organized in 1949 and the fifth in 1955. From that year the Frederic Chopin competitions are held at regular five-year intervals. The Chopin Competition belongs to the World Federation of International Music Competitions.

The Chopin Competitions are accompanied by a number of events including fringe concerts, meetings and panel discussions. Since 1975, one of the fixed points on the program are the anniversary celebrations of Frederic Chopin's death. The 17th of October is included into the competition's calendar and is recognized as the day that hommage is paid the composer. On this occasion, a ceremonial mass is held at the Church of the Holy Cross during which Wolfgang Amadeusz Mozart's "REQUIEM" is performed.

Poland's Castles and Palaces - a photographic exhibition


This photographic exhibition of great historic residences from all over Poland is a selection of 36 residences notable for their splendid architecture and intriguing histories. The photographs on show include both archive and recent photographs, along with the site's historical context and descriptions in both English and Polish. Cautiously restored, those edifices embody the powerful legacy of history, maintained and cherished by their previous owners and present investors.

Ireland celebrates Rose of Tralee International Festival

Based around the famous song “The Rose of Tralee” this is one of Ireland's most popular festivals, connecting the global Irish community since 1959. Young women of Irish ancestry from all over the world, supported by their friends and families, take part in this personality-based event and a party takes over the Kerry capital.

The 2010 Festival offers a cornucopia of carnival, fun, gala events, exciting concerts, free street entertainment, fun fairs, parades, fireworks, circus and a rousing welcome from the people of Tralee. The highlight is the International Rose Selection on Monday 23rd and Tuesday 24th of August in the Festival Dome. The 2010 Rose of Tralee will be crowned live on RTÉ 1 television on Tuesday 24th.

Once again the magic and enchantment of the International Rose Ball on Friday night will provide a fitting start to the weeklong festival with music from Brass & Co, a 10-piece live band that offers a mix of music including big band, swing, disco, motown, r&b and rock & roll.

There will be an abundance of style on show in the Festival Dome at the Irish Examiner Autumn Winter Fashion Show in association with Victoria Jackson make-up on Sunday 22nd August.

Entertainment includes rock sensations The Coronas, internationally acclaimed Crystal Swing and children’s entertainers the Fanzini Brothers who will perform free of charge in the streets and parks of Tralee. Birds Amusements offer all the fun of the fair at their now familiar home on Dan Spring Road but will also be back in the town centre at the lower Abbey Car Park. Fossetts Circus will also be in Tralee, with the Big Top at the entrance to the Carlton Hotel on Dan Spring Road.

Festival runs from 20 August 2010 - 24 August 2010

Norway Tour Suggestions: Scenic Roads

There are six National Tourist Routes today, and by 2016 there will be 18. Running along fjords, coasts, mountains and waterfalls where time stands still and the past and present seamlessly intersect, these routes embrace Norway and its beautiful countryside, offering you world-class scenery and vistas.

The routes invite you to take a break from the hustle and bustle on the main roads.

Along these routes, exciting stopping places have been designed for taking breaks, parking for hikes and taking photographs. The designs follow a strict aesthetic standards in a way that harmonizes with the surroundings and reinforces travellers' appreciation of the great outdoors and unspoilt countryside.

Comfort Hotel Xpress opens in Oslo, Norway on January 2011

Opening January 2011, the Comfort Hotel Xpress welcomes you to a different kind of hotel experience. To a hotel put together by music, concrete, technology, social media, people and graffiti. Where cheap rates meet quality and urban design. Located in between Oslo’s many concert scenes, we open a hub for mobile travelers seeking urban, efficient and cheap accommodation.

The hotel offers 180 compact rooms with hip and urban design and innovative solutions. With the integrated connectivity panel on every TV , you can listen to your favorite music as loud as you want or watch your own movies in high-definition on our TVs.

Located downtown Oslo, the options are endless. Listen to a concert at Revolver, Internasjonalen or Rockefeller, play a game of pinball or Space Invaders while enjoying a cold one at Tilt, head on over to Karl Johans gate to do some shopping or watch an urban art exhibition at the Norwegian Centre for Design and Architecture. All within walking distance - and there's much, much more.

Welcome to Comfort Hotel Xpress – Oslo’s first choice for the modern, mobile and spend thrifty traveler.

Friday, August 20, 2010

New Museums, Shopping Centers - Cool Architecture in Germany’s Magic Cities defies ‘Normal’

Nothing is just ‘normal’ in Germany - museums, concert halls and even shopping centers are breathtaking architectural masterpieces in the cities belonging to Germany’s Magic Cities association, including Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Duesseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hannover, Leipzig, Munich and Stuttgart.

Combining form and function, cutting-edge design and attention to detail, great innovations in architecture and design from the Brandhorst Museum in Munich to the Elbphilharmonic in Hamburg manifest Germany’s main cities’ reputation as fascinating destinations.

Cool Architecture, Hot Shopping
World-class shopping is one of the main features of Germany’s Magic Cities. Trendy design stores or large shopping centers find their home in some of the most fascinating architectural masterpieces. The MyZeil shopping mall in Frankfurt opened in 2009 and is one of the most modern shopping centers in Europe, housing 100 shops, a movie theater, fitness center and much more on 105,000 square feet.

Designed by star-architect Massimiliano Fuksas, the MyZeil’s main feature is its fluidity, combining the different levels of the glass constructions beyond the traditional floor design.

Ambitious is probably the best word to describe the large glass construction of the Weltstadthaus in Cologne’s center, home of the department store Peek&Cloppenburg. Designed by Italy’s star architect Renzo Piano, the building is a savant blend of glass, steel, stone and wood: classic materials to dress a modern building, entirely dedicated to fashion. Finished in 2005, the 23,000 square feet building forms a giant slug with glass-facades, making it a true masterpiece of modern architecture.