When it comes to celebrations, we Aussies know a thing or two. It’s fair to say we make a good fist of any fiesta. There are plenty taking place in the world’s other hemisphere over the coming months - June, July and August are festival-time in the north. So, if you’re out to enjoy your travels as much as possible, you might like to try a spot of festival-hopping. Here's a little something to whet your appetite...
Start by hopping on a plane to Hong Kong. June 19 is the day for the hugely colourful (and hugely popular) international Dragon Boat Festival. The already-vibrant city goes wild for this event, and the harbour boils with activity. Go there and experience it; it really is something. And it’s on the cards there’ll be Aussies competing.
From Hong Kong, nip across to the UK and head to England’s south-west for the extraordinary Glastonbury Festival (27th - 29th June). This is a celebration of contemporary performing arts – music, theatre, circus and much, much more. Stages sprout like mushrooms around the enormous festival site, and there'll be some 2000 performances of one sort or another over the three days. Glastonbury Festival isn’t everyone’s cup of tea – don’t go if you’re a deluxe-hotel kind of soul – but it’s a fab experience if you’re prepared to rough it for a day or two.If you’re interested, you check out the registrations requirements soon, as they're quite strict.
Photo by russelljsmith
For those with a mystical bent, Glastonbury is in the heart of the UK’s Arthurian country and is also an important place of pilgrimage for Christians. So, even if you give the festival a flick, the town itself, outside festival time, is well worthy of a visit. And no, I haven't muddled the pictures. Appearances can be deceptive. It's not the dragon boats; it's Glastonbury Festival in full swing.
Get out your glad rags after Glastonbury, and festival-hop across the channel to France, heading south to Aix-en-Provence (27 June – 23 July) for some of the world’s finest opera. The Aix festival is celebrating its 60th birthday this year, so the programme should be a boomer. Prepare for stunning performances plus a really great atmosphere - more fun than Bayreuth, and you might even see some Wagner. Aix is a gorgeous place in its own right - and Provence needs no introduction. So, with this one, you simply can't lose.
Next, head across the border into Italy and Siena for that medieval spectacle, the Palio (2 July and August 16). If you’re horse-lover in the habit of biting your nails, wear very thick gloves. If you’re a horse-lover with a calm disposition, you might soon not be. And if you think you’re not a horse-lover, you might soon discover that in fact you are. Your heart will certainly go out to the 10 equine competitors in this wildest of all street-races. It’s absolutely terrifying, absolutely thrilling and – to put it mildly – absolutely mad. For pageantry, drama and Italian fervour at fever-pitch, it can’t be matched. But I’m not exaggerating the scare-factor where the horses’ safety is concerned. And the riders (all of them bareback) have a pretty rough time too; check out the photo. The Palio is very, very popular. If you want to see it, get under starter’s orders here:
Photo by G.i.o-S.p.o.t.s
After surviving the Palio and reconstructing your shattered wits, board a plane and head back to the staid old UK. You’ll need a nice cup of tea and a sit-down before hopping over Hadrian's Wall to festival number four: the Edinburgh Fringe (3rd - 25th August). Go here to see all sorts of stage entertainment, from dance to drama, and everything in between - it's the largest festival in the world. Comedy is one of the biggest draw-cards. Oh, and Edinburgh is a very special city at any time of the year.
Right-oh, that’s enough fun for one day. Draw a deep breath and start planning your personal festival-hop. I’d love to divert you home through Montreal for the jazz, but the dates don't coincide; more about that tomorrow.
Photo by raymcrae