Events
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March 2010
Running 42km through the streets of Rome gives a whole new meaning to the “Eternal City”. Starting at the Colosseum, this race hits every major landmark before completing its loop. And with an eight-hour time limit you’ll have plenty of time to take in the Trevi Fountain or Spanish Steps before crossing the finish line. If the mere idea of this makes you feel tired there’s also a 4km fun run/walk — and don’t worry, free cookies and drinks are still passed to the non-marathon runners!
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March 2010
Central to this event at the Grand Palais is the concept that art is more than something you hang on a wall so expect the unexpected. Parisian galleries and artists will team up with guests like fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld and artist Vladimir Zidlicky whose Special Communion No3 is pictured left .
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March 2010
Join celebrity paranormal investigators such as Dr Ciarán O’Keeff e from Living TV’s Most Haunted on this bone-chilling adventure through Edinburgh’s spooky underworld. About 30 events will be luring true believers and sceptical doubters alike, with highlights including a night of storytelling aboard the Ghostboat on the Union Canal, a paranormal tour of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society vaults, and a “Close” Encounter with renowned medium Chris Conway at The Real Mary King’s Close. Maybe aft er all that you can decide for yourself whether Edinburgh’s spinetingling tales ring true or not.
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March 2010
Join fellow chocolate lovers at the Southbank Centre for this biannual event that packs in stalls, demonstrations by top chefs using Valrhona chocolate, sculptures, workshops, tastings and more.
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March 2010
Semana Santa takes place all over Spain leading up to Easter Sunday, and Seville hosts the most vibrant celebrations. All week, parades depart from churches around the city accompanied by bands playing flamenco-style hymns. The climax comes on Good Friday, when groups set off at midnight, making a triumphant arrival at the cathedral at daybreak. And the all-night parties ensure this is not your typical Sunday mass.
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March 2010
Norway is the land of Vikings, fjords and the darkest, most brutal metal: black metal. Every year hundreds of people from around the world flock to Norway for Inferno Metal Festival, aka “Black Easter”. It’s four days of double-kick-drumming madness as 45 black metal bands from Norway and beyond take the stage to bring headbangers a performance of theatrics, fire and the raw evil of their instruments.
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March 2010
Leave the nylon shell suit in the attic this Easter Sunday, unless you want to go up in a puff of smoke. In Florence, the ancient tradition of Scoppio del Carro, or the “Explosion of the Cart” takes place each year outside the cathedral, and does exactly what it says on the tin — a 10m-high cart is loaded with fireworks and, well, explodes when ignited by a mechanical white dove on a zip wire.
The story goes back to the First Crusade of 1099, when Pazzino di Ranieri de Pazzi received three holy flints as a reward for hoisting the Christian banner over Jerusalem. Back in Florence, the stones were used to kindle a holy fire that was distributed to homes around the city at Easter.
These days, beady-eyed Florentines are said to watch the cart until the last firework has exploded. If it burns brightly until the end, it symbolises a good year ahead!
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March 2010
Ladies, dust off your most stylish hat. Gentlemen, break out your new suit. You’re headed to one of the biggest sporting and social events in the UK. About 150,000 racing fans will be descending on Aintree Racecourse this spring to show off the latest fashions, quaff Champagne and have a flutter on the horses. At the centre of it all is the world’s greatest steeplechase — a thrilling display of equine agility and human skill that is packed with surprises every year.
