For nearly half a millennia the Grand Place in Brussels has erupted in to a festival of pageantry in the first week of July to commemorate the ‘Joyous Return’ of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V to Belgium.

This year Ommegang will take place over 3-5th July. Since it’s held in a public place you’ll be able to see some of it for free, but naturally if you want good seats in the stands then you will have to book ahead. You’d do well to bear that in mind when thinking about planning your accommodation too, it’s likely the city will fill up.
On the 4th July, a pavilion is set up in the square and you can attend shows for jousting and falconry. A display of swordsmanship is put on as knights battle it out in Grand Place, and there’s a medieval fair of crafts and various other acts from jesters to magicians.

This is one of the oldest traditions in Belgium, Ommegang is a general term used in central parts of Europe for medieval pageants, but the one in Brussels is by far the largest and most famous. Over 1400 performers will make up the procession, they form an impressive sight garbed in traditional attire showing off feats of horsemanship and the choreographed dances of days gone by.

The people of Brussels go all out for Ommegang. The procession will be backed with live music from professional tenors Sebastien Romignon Ercolini and Dominique Corbiau, as well as an expert light show from director Giles Daoust. This promises to be one skilfully produced procession and a great evening’s entertainment.

The procession runs from 9PM-11PM and finishes up with a novel battle-royal of stilt-walkers. Great entertainment after the pomp and precision of the Ommegang pageant, a number of stilt walkers get in to a brawl trying to trip each other off of their 5m stilts until just one man remains.

Ommegang does run quite late in to the night, but the early stages of the procession will be well worth taking your kids to see. They promise a bit of historical splendour to encourage a greater appreciation of the cultural heritage of Belgium. Adults will be able to enjoy themselves too; this is Belgium after all, so expect a healthy stock of ales for you to sample.

Belgium is just an overnight ferry-ride away, you’ll pull in to the port at Zeebrugge and from there it’s just a short journey to Brussels

Image Credit: David Spender

Tags: Belgium, History, Lifestyle, P&O Ferries by Karim Beerahee
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If you’re looking for somewhere to go this summer and are not after sweltering beaches, may we advise that you consider the Dutch city Leiden?

Leiden is a well-kept secret, since it’s surrounded by the larger cities of the Netherlands like Utrecht, The Hague, Rotterdam and Amsterdam. This city has a rich history and is situated at a crossroads in Holland, so you’ll be able to get to all the other tourist hotspots in the country.

There’s plenty to see in Leiden. The city was founded in the 16th century and became a centre for the European wool trade. It saw a major decline but diversified its industries attracting artists, scientists and engineers who gave the city a major boost in culture and affluence in the late 19th century.

There’s a curious mix of old and new in Leiden. It is home to the oldest university in the Netherlands, with a fifth of its population forming the student body. This gives Leiden a vibrant nightlife which contrasts with the city’s aged setting.

The old industrial aspects of the city (e.g. the canal network) make a great way to tour through the city. When Leiden returned to wealth in the 19th century, many large and lavish buildings were constructed, making Leiden a picaresque city ideal for afternoon jaunts. It is a relatively small place easily traversed by foot or on bike.

The two main walking tours you can take are:

Muurgedichten – The Leiden is decorated with wall poems, and you can take a paid tour, have a bit of a poetry lesson, print out a map and see for yourself. Alternatively, you can just amble through Leiden with your eyes peeled.

Hofjeswandeling – A tour of the city courtyards, this will expose you to some of the finer architecture Leiden has to offer as well as some of the history and local lore.

This tour will take you through the Wan der Werff Park, named after the mayor who was accused of hiding food reserves when the town was under siege by the Spanish. To show the sincerity of his denials, he offered to cut off his arm and offered serve it to the public.

We would also recommend you visit the Burcht of Leiden, which is one of the best preserved Motte Castles in the Netherlands. It sits high upon an artificial hill and commands the best view of the city, with foundations dating back to the 9th century.

There are three National Museums in Leiden covering Natural History, Antiquities and Ethnology. The National Museum of Ethnology hosts one of the world’s largest collections of ‘the artefacts of man’ compiled and researched with the help of Leiden University.

Shopping and eating out is a varied experience in Leiden – it retains the ‘melting pot’ aspect of its early years with the local populace cooking up all forms of cuisine. Prices range from absolute luxury to those suitable for the city’s student population.

Shopping areas are but a 15 minute walk from the central station. You can make your way to De Slegte, a 3-floor bookstore found on the Breestraat. This shop has a large selection of second-hand books at great value.

Tourists out for a bit of exploration should stop off at Verswinkel for freshly made bread rolls made right in front of you – they’re among the very best in Europe. They’re represented at Leiden’s open markets held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. You’ll also be able to get there late on a Thursday, when most of the shops in the city remain open until 9pm.

Leiden is located near the centre of Holland so P&O Ferry’s can take you Rotterdam and you’re just a short trip from the wonders of Leiden.

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Tags: History, Netherlands, P&O Ferries by Karim Beerahee
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Every year on the second Saturday of May, the Netherlands opens up around 600 of its windmills for the public as part of National Mills Day.

In 2012, Nation Mills Day will be hosted on the weekend of the 12th May.

It’s normally safe to gamble on great weather during mid-May, and with the flat terrain that Holland is famed for we recommend taking your tour by bike. Last year, National Cycling Day was combined with National Mills Day as a bid to get more people on two wheels, and it went down a storm.

A family cycling holiday across open stretched country this summer could be a wonderful way to bond, relax and get some exercise at the same time. Plotting your course will be a breeze thanks to the National Mills Day maps which will be given out to participants.

Windmills in the Netherlands have a long history, dating back to the 18th century. They helped build Holland’s infrastructure, and many innovations in mill technology happened there first before spreading across Europe.

There are currently around 1150 functioning windmills in Holland, and the ones open for free entry this May will fly blue pennants to signal to passers-by.

Windmills have been developed for various industrial purposes; they don’t all just grind corn. You’ll be able to find out about the workings of watermills, how saw milling works as well as the mechanisms of mills designed for land drainage.

From Hull to Rotterdam you can catch a P&O ferry, an overnight trip will land you just a short drive away from the nearest mill. If you want to rent a bike out there then you could even start cycling from the port city.

Image credit: JASON ANFINSEN

Tags: History, Netherlands, P&O Ferries by Karim Beerahee
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The Vrijdagmarkt (Friday market) in Antwerp square is a tradition over 400 years old. The market is held each Friday throughout March and April (excluding public holidays) and is a great opportunity to pick up some bargains or just peruse some of the more unique items on offer.

Since Vrijdagmarkt, like the rest of Belgium, has such a rich history it makes sense that there’s such a flourishing antique trade at the Friday market. P&O Ferries have a deal which will let you and one other person travel from Hull to Zeebrugge (P&O Ferries’ Belgian port) with your car for just £119. From Zeebrugge it’s about an hour’s drive to Antwerp. So if you do decide to do a bit of shopping at Vrijdagmarkt then you can bring all your shopping back in the car without any fuss. A journey to the Friday market could be done as a single daytrip or you could make a weekend of it staying in one of Antwerp’s many fine hotels.

Vrijdagmarkt Square is located centrally in Antwerp, and you’ll be able to find it by looking out for the statue of St-Catherine patron saint of ‘old cloth-buyers’. The name of the square came from an appeal of the vendors who used to hold their auctions on Fridays.

After you are done shopping there’s much more to see: you can take a wander around the city’s galleries and museums and admire the Flemish architecture and, if you haven’t had your fill, check out another local market (Grote Markt).

P&O Ferries’ Hull to Zeebrugge crossing takes about 12 hours. From the major port city you can catch a connecting train across the city or drive to most major locations within an hour.

Image credit: antwerpenR

Tags: Belgium, History, Lifestyle, P&O Ferries by Karim Beerahee
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With brighter weather on the way, an outing to Versailles will make for a tranquil daytrip, filled with aesthetic wonderment and a rich appreciation of French culture and history.

Starting early this April and running through to October, the Musical Fountains Show will show the Gardens of Versailles in all their splendour. The fountains are coordinated to fire jets of water in rhythm with music to be played in the gardens from 11AM to 3:30PM on weekends. A real pleasure to witness, it brings an atmosphere of magnificence to invigorate the spirit. To make the most of Versailles, you can organise a tour or pick up a map and work your way through one of the most distinguished locations in France.

The symbolic value of the Versailles may not hold well with the Republic’s ideals but it cannot be denied – absolute monarchs know how to get a decent palace built. The Chateau de Versailles is considered one of the finest architectural achievements of 17th century France and stands as a tribute to the French monarchy. Each generation of the royal lineage added flamboyant extensions to the palace as a lasting imprint of their affluence.

If you tire of ambling and admiring, the chance to get some shopping done is available as well. Place du Marche is fairly central and you can pick up food for a picnic or do some antiquing there too.

The Gardens of Versailles also have their own arboretum. Today it holds around 15,000 specimens, if you make donation whilst there it’ll go to a good cause preserving rare and endangered species of plants.

P&O Ferries run a frequent crossing between Dover and Calais so you can make your journey to the splendid Gardens of Versailles at your leisure

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Tags: France, History, Lifestyle, P&O Ferries by Karim Beerahee
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So it’s December 1st already! Since Christmas is fast approaching there’s no time to lose booking some time off and getting yourself away for a midwinter break. There are lots to see in France, but if you’re after a quick jaunt across the Channel and perhaps a weekend or more in France then stay close to the coast and visit Calvados, it has plenty going on this December.

There are, of course, plenty of Christmas Markets on the go this time of year in Lisieux, Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives, Caen and more. Most have already begun and are running through to late December so there’s plenty of bargains to be had and exploring to do.

One event we’re interested to see is the annual racing of the Santas on Omaha Beach. This novel event happens on the 18th of December and involves a yacht race of folks dressed in Santa racing along the beaches of the D-Day landings, 2011 marks its fifth year running.

Calvados will also have Loisirsland return this year. Loisirsland is a France’s travelling leisure park, it normally sets up for school holidays, lots of fun if you have kids, it can be found in Caen from 22nd-31st of December.

Of course there’s lots more to see, Calvados is home to Guillaume le Conquérant Château a huge stage theatre which every December gets festive with a Sleeping Beauty theme. You could also visit the birthplace of William the Conquerer where there will be fireworks the Falaise Christmas Market and various showcases.

A trip to France is just a P&O Ferry away, their Dover to Calais service will have you well on your way to Calvados and a December filled with Christmas wonder!

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Tags: France, History, Lifestyle, P&O Ferries by Karim Beerahee
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Tomorrow will be the third Thursday of November, and you know that means? Beaujolais Nouveau is here again! And that means the 2011 store of Beaujolais Nouveau wine is soon to be uncorked for the first time…and drunk in abundance.

Traditionally, in the words of Bernard Ludwig Black “Old wine, is good wine” Beaujolais Nouveau, of course, being the exception. This is a youthful vintage bottled after a mere 6-8 weeks, it’s meant for immediate drinking, we’re speculating here but assumedly one winemaker couldn’t handle the wait, sampled it early and thought ‘That ain’t bad’ or at least something similar must have happened.

In France the Beaujolais Nouveau festivities kick off at the stroke of midnight. Towns that have the wine stocked crack into their stores and make merry until late into the night, in Paris restaurants stay open until late, there’s live music and fireworks.

The French government have passed regulations to ensure that the wine is only drunk after midnight on Thursday and the intention is to have the year’s harvest drunk by Christmas – excellent right?

It may be quite short notice for you to get to France in time for the Beaujolais Nouveau celebration, although P&O Ferries can take you across the channel at short notice, but this year’s yield of Beaujolais will still be knocking about well into December so there’s plenty of time to sample this year’s vintage.

P&O Ferries can get you to wine country in France from via the Dover-Calais service, so book now, our hats are off to you if you can get to the Beaujolais Nouveau festivities tomorrow night!

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Tags: France, History, Lifestyle, P&O Ferries by Karim Beerahee
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Remembrance Sunday has just passed and we approach Armistice Day this Friday to commemorate the ending World War 1. The Armistice signed between Allies and the Central Powers on the “Eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” is given special resonance with it being the eleventh year of the new millennium.

This anniversary brings veterans, historians and relatives of the fallen to France to continue the memory of deeds and sacrifices of our fighting forces. Both Belgium and France offer tours of some of the sites of the major battles of WW1. Over the remembrance period museums in Normandy offer special exhibitions and private collectors loan items such as military maps for the examination of the public. Though the Armistice of 11th November stems from WW1 the two minute silence invites us to reflect on the heroism and horrors of all armed conflicts from the Great War to those in continuance today.

If you wish to pay your respects at the site of these there are various daytrips and 3 or 4 day tours available which include the Somme and Ypres as well as noted locations of WW2 operations such as Dunkirk, Market Garden and Omaha beach.

If you wish to tour alone or in a private group the option of a personal tour or MP3 guide will give you a truly informative trip.

Some guided tours include overnight lodgings and coach trips back to Calais to keep things easy for your ferry trip back to Blighty

Image credit: Mike Knell

Tags: Belgium, France, History, P&O Ferries by Karim Beerahee
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