John Hillman looks back on previous eruptions and discovers some remarkable similarities between then and now

The last time that the Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajökull, erupted was back in 1821. At the time it had very little impact on Briton’s travel plans, as ferries to France were, and still are, completely unaffected by volcanic ash. The concept of being strapped in to a hurtling metal box at 35,000 feet hadn’t yet caught on.

Yet a look back on the events of 1821 leads to the discovery of a number of events that bear an uncanny resemblance to goings on today.

George IV was crowned King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. A rather pitiful character, he is remembered for his extravagance and licentiousness during a time of extreme financial difficulties for the country. It is said that as an underemployed prince he often visited Parisian brothels, where he was entertained in a specially commissioned bath filled with champagne.

Prince Harry, who was recently accused of similar profligacy, when allegedly seen splurging £10,000 on champagne in fashionable South Kensington nightclub, would do well to heed the obituary written for his ancestor in the Times. It was a less than endearing eulogy, one which could easily apply to another recently departed leader, one G. Brown of Dunfermline East:

“There never was an individual less regretted by his fellow-creatures than this deceased king. What eye has wept for him? What heart has heaved one throb of unmercenary sorrow? … If he ever had a friend—a devoted friend in any rank of life—we protest that the name of him or her never reached us”

But the cyclical similarities don’t end here. The summer of 1821 saw the people of Greece in open revolt against their foreign rulers, openly fighting in the streets in a ferocious attempt to gain independence from the Ottomans, an empire famed for being every bit as greedy and bloated as the banking empires that have brought the people of Greece again, 189 years later.

Elsewhere a one of Europe’s great symbols of its empirical ambition lay dying on the Island of St Helena. As the ash cloud of Eyjafjallajökull continues to blow across Europe, the second pocket sized conqueror of the EU, namely the euro, looks in severe danger of going the same way. Its demise would probably be greeted with as much mirth on this side of the Channel as Napoleon’s undoubtedly was all those years ago.

There’s no doubt that the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull heralds a time of great change and upheaval. But it’s nice to know that some things remain constant, and P&O Ferries passengers can rest assured in the knowledge that, whatever happens at 35,000 feet, ships will still be linking Britain to the continent just as they always have been.

Image credit: fridgeirsson

Tags: Britain, France, P&O Ferries, Science by Gabriel Grant
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This post is not for those with a lack of willpower; well, when it comes to shoes. Rosie Khdir struggles against her own shoe-buying addiction as she reveals Holland footwear gem, Shoebaloo.

When you think of Holland and shoes, a heavy wooden clog probably springs to mind. But no more. From now on when you think of the Netherland, you shall think of Shoebaloo!

Shoebaloo is shoe haven for anyone who appreciated exclusive brands like D&G, Prada, Dior and Jimmy Choo. Items almost hover in the windows of this futuristic shop and you feel more like you’ve entered a museum of luxury shoes, than a store.

It started out in the 70s as a small 30m² shop, situated in Jordaan the “hippy quarter” of Amsterdam and sold Spanish boots called Botas Camperos – very popular at the time I assure you.

A men’s shoe store at the Koningsplein followed, and then later a store at PC Hooftraat selling both men’s and women’s luxury footwear and a women’s store in Leidsestraat.

In 2005 a Shoebaloo store opened on the Cornelis Schuystraat which specialises in men’s and women’s bags and accessories. The most recent shop to open is the Flagship store on the Kruiskade in Rotterdam.

So if you are looking for a high end shopping experience with all your favourite big names, Shoebaloo is the place to go. To get there with ease, and to save more of your money for Shoebaloo purchases, P&O Ferries provides a great value service from Hull – Zeebrugge.

Image credit: tomcole

Tags: History, Lifestyle, Netherlands, P&O Ferries by Rosie Khdir
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It’s associated with worthy but dull European institutions like the European Parliament but Strasbourg is a fascinating historic city, writes Tomas Mowlam.

There’s been a town here since the Romans were trying to pacify the truculent German tribes. From the early medieval period it became a major centre of the Holy Roman Empire, and it’s weathered the religious upheaval of the Protestant Reformation, the Thirty Years War, fire and plague, the French Revolution and Allied bombing during WWII.

This makes it all the more amazing that the beautiful historic inner city known Grande Île (literally the Grand Island) has survived. In 1988 UNESCO classified the island as a World Heritage Site, and it’s still linked by the medieval stone bridges across the river to the rest of the city. Many of the traditional black timber framed and white walled German buildings have also survived the ravages of time, giving the town a historic feel.

These marvels however are all dwarfed by the huge sandstone gothic Cathedral of Our Lady. It stands 142 metres tall, towering over the skyline, and it took from 1176 to 1439 to build during the glory years of Gothic cathedral construction in Europe.

For a city of its size, Strasbourg has great selection of museums ranging from the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, with a huge number of Gustave Dore’s works, to the Archaeological Museum which displays thousands of finds from the original Roman settlements here.

But it’s not all museums and old architecture; the University of Strasbourg is the largest in France, and a sizeable student population, both French and international, keeps the town feeling young and vibrant with plenty of concerts and good nightlife.

Strasbourg: a surprising city, and well worth the drive.

Let P&O get you there; a crossing from Dover to Calais in a car with up to nine people starts from just £30.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Tags: Uncategorized by tmowlam
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In this day and age, where life is a constant run around, a nice relaxing holiday is always what the doctor orders to de-stress. Rosie Khdir unwinds in the Belgian town of Spa.

Spa is famously known as the Ville d’Eaux, meaning “the town of waters” due to its site at the hot healing springs. The spring were popular worldwide but it was during the 16th Century that a sort of tourism grew, and brought with it the likes of Christine of Sweden, Charles II of England, Peter the Great, Joseph II, Giacomo Meyerbeer and Victor Hugo.

This town may be small but it is steeped in history from back to when the Romans ruled Europe right up to the First World War, when it was occupied by the German Army. The town today shows its history through its architecture and quirky museums, such as the Museum of and Folklore and Musée de la Lain, which is concerned with the history of wool processing.

In Spa you will find bustling street markets, churches, the beautiful 19th Century Leopold II Gallery and of course “Les Thermes de Spa” (see image).

The spa was renovated recently and now has around 8600 square feet of hot swimming pools, with water temperatures of 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Visitors can spend a few hours or a full day relaxing in the bells of water, geysers, bubbles seats and cannons that help you unwind and tone up. The water that comes from the “Clementine” spring is filled with natural minerals that are great for your skin and are thought to have powerful healing properties.

If you fancy putting a more racy spin on your holiday you can try your hand at the Casino of Spa, which is the oldest in the world, dating back to 1763. Spa is also home to Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, which hosts the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix every year.

To top it all off Spa will also host the finish of Stage 2 of the 2010 Tour de France on July 5th.

If you want to experience both the thrilling and relaxing attraction of Spa, you can get the Belgium easily with P&O Ferries. There is a Hull – Zeebrugge route, or alternatively via Dover to Calais from where it is just a short drive along the E40 to the Belgian border. Prices start at just £30 for a car and up to nine people.

Image credit: Belgapixel

Tags: Belgium, History, Lifestyle, P&O Ferries by Rosie Khdir
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Yes it’s that time of year again, when all the beautiful people of Hollywood grace the south coast of France. Rosie Khdir anticipates many wonderful films, elegant gowns and gleaming smiles at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Today marks the beginning of the 63rd Cannes Film Festival where films of every calibre, language and style are shown to an excited star studded audience.

Jean Cocteau once said of the event:

“The Festival is an apolitical no-man’s-land, a microcosm of what the world would be like if people could contact each other directly and speak the same language.”

This history of the festival dates back to September 1946, when it stood as the first international cultural event of the post-war period. The festival is a non-profit organization and is managed by a Board of Directors.

Every year a guest President of the Jury of selected and this year it is visionary cinematographer Tim Burton. He was chosen based on his innovative work in merging traditional acting and new technologies – for example in his recent hit Alice in Wonderland – and for his unique film signature.

Burton will be joined by Kate Beckinsale and Benicio Del Toro, who will help him decide the winner of the Palme d’Or, the prestigious top prize of the festival, out of a group of 18 films all the way from Hollywood to Thailand.

The film that will launch the event this year is Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood starring Russell Crowe (sans tights). Do not fear all of you who aren’t lucky enough to have a ticket to the festival; Robin Hood comes to UK cinemas on Friday 14th May.

Other highly anticipated films – that unfortunately won’t grace cinema screen until a bit later in the year – include Wall Street – Money Never Sleep starring Michael Douglas, You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger directed by Woody Allen, Hanna starring Cate Blanchett and Biutiful starring Javier Bardem.

So if you fancy going to the south of France to soak up some rays and spot some celebs then P&O Ferries can help you get there: a crossing from Dover to Calais in a car with up to nine people starts from just £30.

Image credit: tangi_bertin

Tags: France, History, P&O Ferries by Rosie Khdir
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Take a P&O ferry to Rotterdam and head north, says John Hillman, and you’ll soon reach Germany’s wild and dramatic North Sea Frisian islands. There you’ll discover a land of mudflats, crashing waves, fine sandy beaches and abundant wildlife that was also the setting of the world’s first ever modern literary thriller.

The Frisian Islands consist of four large islands and ten smaller ones, or inlets. Situated high on Germany’s coast near the Danish border in the Wattenmeer National Park, they are known as the Jewels of the North Sea.

The combined beauty of marshlands, vast sand dunes and unspoilt countryside creates a tangible atmosphere of the remote and the romantic; nature at play beneath endless acres of open sky.

It was along these shores that Erskine Childers took the inspiration to write his famous 1903 thriller The Riddle of the Sands, navigating the rugged coastline with his brother Henry, on their thirty foot cutter Vixen he hatched the plot involving a pair of friends who accidentally discover a secret German plan to invade Britain.

The book was a roaring success. Not only has it never been out of print, and was made into a 1979 film starring Michael York and Simon MacCorkindale, Winston Churchill credits it with being an important motivator of public opinion, which allowed the British Government to establish naval bases in various North Sea coastal regions of Britain.

Today the Frisian Islands are still a favourite holiday destination for sailing enthusiasts, cyclists and birdwatchers, as well as being a source of inspiration to the many photographers and artists who flock each summer to capture the area’s extraordinarily magical light.

With strong tides and unpredictable weather sailing holidays, although incredible rewarding, are only recommended to experienced mariners. For the rest of us the islands remain an area of outstanding natural beauty worth visiting for the picturesque thatched villages and wild coastlines alone.

Northern Germany and the Frisian Islands are easily reached by car from P&O Ferries ports of Rotterdam, Zeebrugge or Calais as part of an adventurous driving holiday. Go on, explore your continent!

Tags: Belgium, Britain, France, Lifestyle, Netherlands, P&O Ferries by John Hillman
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In the last week of May, Paris’ busiest and most famous road will become an idyllic rural scene. Tomas Mowlam finds out more.

From the 22nd – 24th May the Nature Capitale project will be bringing a broad stroke of green to Paris’ urban centre. The Champs-Elysées from the Arc de Triomphe to the roundabout, for a few brief days will be closed to traffic – green and serene.

Eleven thousand young trees, 650 mature trees and 150,000 seedlings are all going into the three hectares of lush, green vegetation in the heart of Paris. It’s all to celebrate 2010 as the UNESCO Year of Biodiversity, and May 22nd as World Biodiversity Day, to draw attention and celebrate the environment.

If you want to hang on to the memory there are 8000 parcels of plants up for auction, though watch out as the parcels measure are over a metre tall and a metre wide.

The artist behind it, Gad Weil, has form with this sort of urban idyll; almost twenty years ago he turned the Champs-Elysées into a huge field of corn, in a project called La Grande Moisson (the great harvest).

“Nature Capitale is certainly not about making people feel guilty or anxious,” Weil told the magazine Parisien Salon, adding that “it is a time for expressing joy, for optimism and enthusiasm which are also the terms used by UNESCO to define this year of biodiversity. It will be a carefree, amazing and stunning walk, a grand leisurely saunter for all.”

Two million visitors are expected, from awestruck tourists to Parisians seeing a whole new side of one the capital’s most famous sights.

It’s on Av. des Champs-Élysées, Paris 8th (from the Rond-Point to place de l’Étoile), check out naturecapitale.com for details.

With P&O Ferries you can get a crossing from Dover to Calais in a car with up to nine people starting from just £30 – it’s then just a short drive to Paris.

Image Credit:dmytrok

Tags: France, P&O Ferries by tmowlam
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Holland is famous for its flat terrain and endless paved cycling paths that allow you explore the country in a liberating way. Rosie Khdir pedals through the Netherlands.

Holland is definitely a cyclist’s dream destination. It is the most bicycle friendly country in Europe, with around 20,000 kilometres of paths and lanes and there is parking outside every shop. It is not uncommon for children to cycle to school and even the over 65 age group journey by bike.

This country accommodates its cyclists much better than in Britain, with our skinny sections of road that disappear after a few yards. Many people who visit the Netherlands prefer to go city to city via bicycle and nearly every road has a cycle path called a ‘Fietspad’ which links most villages and town, and are actually separate from the roads themselves – much safer I feel!

The distinct lack of hills makes it an easy activity for all the family and on most minor roads the cycle paths have priority and these are marked with give way triangles on the road surface.

Cyclists can enjoy the beauty of the Gelderland forests and heaths and the De Hogue Veluwe Veluwezoom National Parks north of Arnhem, as well as the paths along the North Sea coast.

There are a number of companies, such as Tulip Cycling, that can provide you with routes, maps and other information to help you on your journey.

Remember that P&O Ferries provides a service from Hull – Zeebrugge route, so you could even take you own bike aboard.

Image credit: d_vdm

Tags: Lifestyle, Netherlands, P&O Ferries by Rosie Khdir
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