The second Saturday of May in Holland is always National Mills Day. This event is also linked with National Cycling Day; the two are combined like some Dutch conspiracy to make you enjoy the Netherlands in the best way possible way.

Around 600 windmills and watermills will be open to the public for tours and a chance to look around areas not normally open to the casual passerby. The mills are all decorated with the flag of Holland and activities are organised to honour the heritage of Holland.

Mid May is a great time of the year to do a tour of the Dutch landscape; although we don’t advise you try and cycle to all of the mills in Holland, you will certainly get some wonderfully scenic views of Dutch country. A family bike ride on what will hopefully be a beautiful day with some light education on the history of mills in Holland will, we think, make for an absolutely great trip.

The mills are free to enter, though a donation is always appreciated, and with P&Os Hull to Rotterdam ferry you are just a short drive away from the scenic splendour of the Netherlands. There are hundreds of cycling tours of Holland, so have no fear about not being able to find a bike.

You can get the Hull to Rotterdam overnight ferry service starting from £149 each way and from here it is just a short train or car ride to Breda.

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Tags: History, Netherlands, P&O Ferries by Karim Beerahee
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For a relaxing holiday away from the throes of this mortal coil Karim Beerahee recommends the Loire Valley, France.

A gem in France – the Loire Valley is a little advertised but well known treasure near the centre of the country. The valley stretches around 170 miles and is host to some of the most picturesque views, astounding architecture and intriguing towns. A breath of fresh air in Loire and a relaxed outgoing approach to your holiday will rejuvenate the soul, sate the pallet and stimulate the mind.

For all you wanderers and cyclists, a journey through the countryside of Loire on foot or by bike will be a truly rewarding experience. Rolling fields, uniformed vineyards, tamed woods and panoramic views await you and are just a short trip with P&O ferries away. Now that the weather is slowly getting better, a countryside retreat to the heartland of France could be just the reprieve from the day to day mundanity.

The Loire Valley is host to over 300 châteaux dating back to the earliest of castle fortifications. Loire has been shaped by centuries of interaction between environment and man – the lush settings attracted some of the finest landscape architects of ages past, and to this day the valley remains a site of immense beauty, cultivated nature at its best.

Boat rentals and trips down the River Loire will make an excellent addition to your holiday. Stop off at one of the charming villages along the valley or head in to a larger town for the full benefits of the local produce. France is famed for its wine and cheese for a reason, but we’d also recommend game and fresh fruit when it’s on the menu.

A P&O ferry will take you from Dover to Calais and though it would take a good days drive to reach the Loire Valley you can make a decent road trip out of it. Stop off at Paris on the way for a rest and taste of urban life in France so that you can really appreciate the peace and tranquility of a break in the Loire Valley.

For accommodation a trip for two in a hotel will give you the chance to holiday in style and take in the surroundings at your leisure. Alternatively you can rent a cottage to relax with your family and enjoy the Loire Valley with the comfort of a cosy home to return to after a day’s exploration.

P&O ferries runs a Dover to Calais service five times a day, check out offers for a deal that can get you and the family, with the car, to France at discount prices.

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Tags: France, History, Lifestyle, P&O Ferries by Karim Beerahee
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Festival a/d Werf an annual event in Holland, it is a festival that brings minds together to talk about and view contemporary art at its most vibrant. The festival a/d Werf covers the city of Utrecht in culture through the mediums of art, theatre, dance and music for ten whole days.

Huis a/d Werf is the production house of this festival, for May 2011 the theme is Take it personal!! A trip to the Utrecht Festival will give you the chance to examine current socio-political issues affecting the world today. This theme incorporates all current affairs, war, migration and aspects of civil strife. The current programme is now available here

This will be the 26th edition of Festival a/d Werf running from the 19th of May to the 28th. This will be the first one to be run by the new artistic director Rainer Hoffman. His work will be presented which offers a lesson in awareness of social and political issues expressed in contemporary form.

For a mind expanding trip to the Utrecht Festival a/d Werf P&O ferries can get you to Holland with its Hull to Rotterdam ferry making Utrecht a short drive away.

Tags: History, Lifestyle, Netherlands, P&O Ferries by Karim Beerahee
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As a Roman Catholic majority country, France goes all-out at Easter. Their traditions are centuries old and quite different to our celebrations in England.

The build up to Easter begins at the very start of the April. In France this marks a time similar to April fools where people try to stick paper fish to the backs of as many adults as possible, without their knowing. This is an age old tradition and is marked by the availability of chocolate fish in sweet shops.

Today all the church bells in France are silenced in acknowledgment of Jesus’ death. The bells remain still until Easter Morning when the ringing of bells is cause for celebration and people embrace and kiss at the first peal. Children are told that the bells fly to Rome to see the Pope and on their journey back scatter beautifully painted Eggs about for them to find in their Gardens.

Easter is a well celebrated festivity for children in France, with traditional games, which mostly involve trying your best not to break raw eggs, either tossing and catching, or rolling down slopes.

Though it is a family based celebration, there is much for a tourist see and do over Easter in France. For the Religious aspects there are the important Chruch ceremonies, and also processions to see.

The On Market days near Easter, the master Chocolateers go all-out to present the beauty of their craft – an excellent opportunity to pick up something nice for loved ones.

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Tags: France, History, Lifestyle, P&O Ferries by Karim Beerahee
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A stopover in Belgium this Easter, for some of the finest chocolate to be had, could be just the family trip you’re looking for. Be warned, over the Easter holidays there will be a few closures so you won’t get the full experience. But if you’re in it for the chocolate, a hunt around the shops for the perfect Easter egg in the medieval atmosphere of the streets of Brussels will make your Easter a great one.

Belgium was listed in the Independent’s top ten places to visit over the Easter Break. Towns such as Ghent and Antwerp are beautiful all year round, at Easter chocolate is put even more at the forefront. It is also an excellent time to take in a bit of culture as well as cocoa, with various processions and Cathedral services going on throughout the religious holiday.

We would advise that since it will be Bank Holidays aplenty, make sure you have enough cash with you since the banks will be closed and cash machines have a nasty tendency to run empty in highly populated areas. The Easter market days in Bruges will be a particular highlight, and it would be a dreadful shame to miss out on a bargain because the ATM hasn’t been topped up.

P&O can get you to the chocolatey centre of Europe this Easter with its Hull to Zeebrugge ferry. Alternatively you can catch one of 25 daily P&O Ferries crossings from Dover to Calais and drive the short distance to the Belgian border.

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Tags: Belgium, History, Lifestyle, P&O Ferries by Karim Beerahee
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The 71st anniversary of the Dunkirk evacuation or ‘Operation Dynamo’ approaches. Last year’s 70th anniversary saw the recreation of the Dunkirk ‘little ships’ voyage from Ramsgate in Kent to France. Not quite such a grand scale celebration is in order for 71 years, but the evacuation of allied forces from the beaches Dunkirk is one of the most famous military migrations of the conflict , and late May is the time to pay homage.

Allied troops saw heavy fighting in the Battle of France, but eventually fell back to a perimeter secured around Dunkirk to mobilise a mass exodus off of the beaches and harbour in Northern France. The hastily assembled fleet rescued around 338 thousand soldiers in total, after the order from the War Office to evacuate British forces was passed on the 25th of May.

A rallying call of support, famoulsy referred to now as the ‘Dunkirk Spirit’, took over the country in May 1940, whereby countrymen and women offered mass prayers and a tremendous effort was launched to recover the soldiers who were outnumbered and surrounded on the beaches of Dunkirk

On June 3rd the last of the British army had left Dunkirk, but a recovery effort for the French soldiers defending the British evacuation was made, and though much of the rearguard was not saved, 26,000 French soldiers made it to safety.

The endeavour is still remembered today as a great achievement in trying times, and stands as a monument to the spirit of cooperation in times of adversity.

P&O Ferries Spirit of Britain crosses the channel to France five times a day, giving you the chance to visit Dunkirk for your own private act of rememberance.

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Tags: Britain, France, History, P&O Ferries by Karim Beerahee
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There are upwards of 70 breweries offering detailed tours in the crafting of fine beers and ales from the motherland of all good brews, Belgium. Karim Beerahee has a look.

One of the oldest and most renowned of brewers in Belgium are the Trappist monks. The popularity of their beers and ales has led to Trappist Ale becoming a protected produce.

Now of the 20 beers allowed to use the Trappist name, six of the seven breweries can be found in Belgium. The proceeds from the Trappist tours support the monks and their fine work. So you get an informative tour, some fine beer and the chance to support a good cause – if you have even a passing interest in beer those reasons are surely good enough to warrant a visit.

The Trappist breweries are definitely more historical in their tours, so for modern techniques, or just an alternative form of beer, a journey to the other breweries in Belgium will be well worth your while. These tours have a liberally portioned tasting session at the end, and some have playgrounds for your kids to play in whilst you sample.

Since Belgium is a rather small country you can visit a couple of breweries by taking a bike trip, since the Trappist breweries in particular have more scenic locations, a journey by bike will be all the more rewarding.

Some brewery tours require pre-booking so we recommend you check out their websites before travelling.

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Tags: Belgium, History, Lifestyle, P&O Ferries by Karim Beerahee
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One of the biggest and wildest street parties in the world is coming round again this April. The Queen’s day party in Holland is one of the most eagerly anticipated events to be found in the Netherlands. Karim Beerahee has a look.

On the 30th of April you’ll see Amsterdam burst in to a sea of Orange as people flock to the city in commemoration of the country’s monarchy.

The Queen’s day party is a long-lived tradition dating back to 1885, with the birth of Queen Wilhelmina, on the 31st of August. The date was moved to the 30th of April for the birth of Queen Juliana, and has remained the same despite the succession to Queen Beatrice, making the celebrations on the 30th of April a tribute to the Queen Mother.

The party starts the night before, so you will want to get down early. At 7 PM on 29th of April the first of the street parties begins. Some friendly advice to pace yourself is probably in order, the shindig lasts all weekend so don’t get spent on the opening party – and don’t forget that whilst it is legal drink in the streets only one alcoholic drink can be carried at a time so easy on the booze lest it be confiscated.

The next day you’ll find market stalls set up all over town. Have a wonder about and see if you come across any bargains. It is also a good opportunity to sort out your orange outfit, if you don’t happen to have that tone currently in your wardrobe.

As mentioned earlier try and get to the city early and pick up a walking route map, it’ll also give you the chance to plan what you wish to see. There are various staged events, as well as the spontaneous, in particular the outdoor concerts at Dam Square will be something to see.

Restaurants and bars will be open around the clock so have no fear about finding sustenance. Accommodation is highly sought after so close to the event, so make sure you find that first!

Time is running out to sort your plans for this years Queen’s day party, one event not to miss, for transport get the P&O ferry to Holland for one of the best parties of the year.

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Tags: History, Lifestyle, Netherlands, P&O Ferries by Karim Beerahee
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