Monthly Archives: April 2010

Get ready for Cannes Film Festival 2010

Posted on April 29, 2010 | 8 Comments

If you’re visiting the south of France in May, then Cannes on the fashionable French Riviera should be dominating your travel to-do list, owing to it hosting the 63rd edition of the famous Cannes Film Festival from 12 – 23 May 2010. Head to this world renowned festival to experience true Cannes glamour, catch an exciting new feature or to try and even spot a film star or two!

Founded in the 1930s indirectly as a result of the rise of the fascist regimes in Europe, Cannes Film Festival started life as Le Festival International de Cannes as a reaction to the interference of Italian and German governments in the films chosen for the Mostra del Cinema di Venezia.

After various interruptions due to the wars and budget problems, Cannes Film Festival really gained esteem in the 1950s and has since then become an integral showcase for European films – so don’t miss your opportunity to get in the screen spirit.

This year you can expect big glossy block busters to steal the show, such as Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood and Oliver Stone’s Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps. Cannes Festival regular Woody Allen’s You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger is set to be one to watch, as are works by French veterans Bertand Tavernier, Mathieu Amalric and Rachid Bouchareb.

Of course this is only the tip of the artistic iceberg and you can expect to see breakthrough works from directors, writers and actors from all over Europe, in the film festival that everyone wants to be seen at.

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Turin hosts Giocoteatro Theatre Festival 2010

Posted on April 20, 2010 | Leave a comment

If you’re lucky enough to be visiting Turin in Italy this month, don’t miss the annual Giocoteatro International Theatre Festival which this year, is being held in Turin until 25 April 2010. Here you can enjoy the works of 100s of different actors who are getting involved with the project. If you enjoy theatre you’ll love this festival where you’ll catch new and quality performances for around a mere €10 (£9).

As well as fantastic theatre performances, if you fancy yourself as a bit of an actor, you can also take part in the various workshops and public performances that will be available! Also look out for several installations which will be set up at the Casa del Theatro Ragazzo which is the very heart of the whole event.

Although a great portion of the actors will be Italian there will be many international directors and actors too, so it’s a chance to capture how different interpretations are from around the world.

The Giocoteatro is likely to be very popular so make sure you get there early to buy tickets!

Do you like theatres? Or perhaps you’ve visited Turin? Let us know below!

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Celebrate Italian Liberation Day

Posted on April 20, 2010 | Leave a comment

Celebrated throughout the whole of Italy each year, Italian Liberation Day remembers 25 April 1945, which was the day the German-Fascist rule ended in Italy.

 To mark this date, during the day cities all over Italy will be overflowing with parades, important speeches and ceremonies, which will honour the revolution of partigiani and various other anti-fascist groups that helped collapse the Mussolini regime.

Of course the celebrations will be the biggest and best in Italy’s capital, Rome. Even the President himself will make a visit to the Ardeatine Caves Mausoleum in Rome, which is where it will certainly never be forgotten that the Nazis massacred 335 Romans in 1944. The rest of Rome will host various events throughout the day, so look out for posters and crowds as you explore the city.

Wherever you are in Italy, you’re sure to run into some entertaining yet still very poignant celebrations, which will surely become a highlight of your trip to Italy.

Let us know how you celebrated Italian Liberation Day below in the comment box!

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Florence Tango Festival

Posted on April 20, 2010 | Leave a comment

Every year tango lovers from all over Italy head to the Florence Tango Festival, which brings together top dancers from around the world to Florence’s most distinguished theatres, including the vast Saschall theatre.

From 22 – 25 April 2010, Florence Tango Festival’s programme will feature art exhibitions, workshops, dinners and free tango classes as well as the stunning tango shows and performances that you’ll inevitably enjoy.

This year the theme is ‘Pure Emotion’, so you can expect to see some of the finest dancers in the world such as Damian Gustavo, Rosas and Gisela Natoli, Javier Rodriguez and Stella Missè as well as Sebastian Missè and Andrea Reyero, give the most moving and impressive routines you’ve ever seen.

Even if you’re not an avid tango fan, it’s easy to get drawn in to all the passionate fun that a whole weekend of traditional tango offers.

Do you tango? Or did you go to the Florence Tango Festival? Let us know in the comment box below. We’ll promote the best comments on our message boards!

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Football fever at Palio of Rome

Posted on April 20, 2010 | Leave a comment

Whether or not you’re a loyal follower of football, it’s a sport that’s never far from the minds of many Italians. The Palio of Rome will give you the chance to get involved in Italy’s favourite game, in an annual event which is bigger than any football competition you’ll have experienced before.

Every April, a football tournament of epic proportions takes place in Rome and this year it’s as big as ever. On 21 April, the Palio of Rome involves four teams from each of the city’s 94 neighbourhoods. This makes a total of 376 teams playing a colossal 1608 matches!

The grand final will take place at the Stadio Olimpico on the city’s birthday and promises to be the kind of unmissable event that you’ll be talking about for years to come.

Be part of the festivities whether you like football or not; a game of this size is sure to get you in the spirit!

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Welcome to the Trafalgar blog!

Posted on April 20, 2010 | 1 Comment

Hello and welcome to the brand new Trafalgar blog!

We’re thrilled to be able to share our passion for travel and our great-value tours with you, through our blog.  We can now keep you updated with insider Trafalgar news, events, brochures and offers as they happen, as well as the latest travel news and must-go events from around the world.

Since 1947, Trafalgar has offered unforgettable, great-value tours to worldwide destinations, and our team of travel experts will guide you on your perfect authentic escorted tour. Read more about Trafalgar here.

Want to be more involved? Subscribe to an RSS feed of our blog to stay updated automatically. If you want to set up your own blog so you can write all about your experiences on a Trafalgar tour, click here. Alternatively, use our Message Boards to share travel stories and photos! 

We hope you enjoy reading our new blog. As always, we welcome your feedback. You can either email us at web@trafalgartours.co.uk or leave a comment after the blog post you’ve read. We’d love to know what you’d like to see more of on the blog.

Happy travelling!

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