Brussels and a music festival might seem an unlikely combination, but Couleur Café is a brilliantly exotic gathering right in the heart of Europe, writes Tomas Mowlam.

Between 25th and 27th June Brussels echoes to the sounds of what must be one of the most eclectic festival line-ups.

From “R&B, hip hop, world, afro, reggae, ragga, dub, dancehall, Latin, salsa, son, raï and rock” according to the organisers, Couleur Café has it. This year is no different with Rodrigo y Gabriela (above) on the Friday, hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg on Saturday and Nas & Damian Marley and George Clinton on the Sunday.

Tickets for the full weekend are sold out, but day tickets are still available for €34, so you can go for just a day, catch your favourite acts and then soak up the atmosphere of Brussels.

Music starts around 4pm and goes on until late with firework displays each night before the headline act. There’s also great food, art projects and workshops where you can join in with percussion and brass.

The festival has been going since 1990, when it first packed 5,300 festival goers into the old covered market – Halles de Schaerbeek. It rapidly expanded and moved location and this year over 80,000 people are expected to pack out the festival site.

Let P&O Ferries get you there with the Hull to Zeebrugge or the Portsmouth to Calais service, both of which are just a short drive to Brussels.

Image Credit: Kmeron

Tags: Belgium // Add Comment »

The name Waterloo strikes up different images in people’s minds, maybe ABBA at the Eurovision song contest or a busy London tube station, but Rosie Khdir rediscovers the Waterloo that was scene of an epic European battle 195 years ago.

This year mark the 195th anniversary of Napoleon’s Defeat by the combined armies of the Seventh Coalition, and this weekend will see Belgium come alive with celebrations of this victory.

The Battle of Waterloo in 1815 was the last stand that saw Napoleon toppled from his position as ruler of the French empire.

The armies of the United Kingdom, Prussia, the United Provinces, Hanover, Nassau and Brunswick fought in the fields at Waterloo, in modern-day Belgium, and in three days defeated his army of 72,000 men.

The celebrations start with an hour-long Battle of Waterloo-inspired firework and light spectacle at 10 p.m. Then on Saturday visitors are able to travel to the Napoleonic bivouacs, to discover the everyday life of a typical soldier in the imperial army.

Also taking place during the weekend will be a full scale reenactment of the battle with over 3,000 soldiers and Napoleon himself – who is often played by an American actor. Access to these events is free.

Visitors can also learn more about the battle and its participants via the Wellington Museum, which used to be the Bodenghien Inn and former headquarters of the Duke of Wellington during the Battle of Waterloo.

For more information visit the official tourism site for the Waterloo region.

P&O Ferries does a great value service from Hull – Zeebrugge, or you can take the Dover – Calais route 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.

Painting by Robert Alexander Hillingford

Tags: Belgium, Britain, France, P&O Ferries // Add Comment »

If you are visiting Paris this summer and are worried about the sweltering heat in the built up capital, fear not, as you can relax on the sands of the Paris Plage. Rosie Khdir discovers the summer tradition down by the shores of the Seine.

In the summer time, Paris is usually avoided due to the hot and humid weather and flood of tourists that take over the city. If you are a visitor this year, you can cool down from a day’s sightseeing or shopping on the sandy banks of the river Seine.

The Paris-Plages were trademarked in 2002 and are run by the mayor of Paris during the months of July and August. There was initially a single beach on the Rive Droite but on 2006 a second beach was added on the Rive Gauche.

These stretches of the river bank are coated in white sand and there are sunbeds and volleyball nets, comedy performers and even floating swimming pools. Every year new exciting features are added, attracting more and more visitors – in 2007 the figure topped four million.

The beach at La Villette Hosts a variety of water sports and boating, including Kayaks, pedalboats, sailboats, canoes, all available to the public at no charge until 9:00 p.m.

The more traditional beach stretches from Pont Neuf to Pont de Sully and features parasols and chaise longues, all free to rent as well as fountains and mini pools to help you cool off. Both beaches have waterside cafes for food and refreshments.

Topless sunbathing is not allowed and swimming in the Seine is not permitted due to safety reasons. The beach will be open from 20th July to 20th August 2010, daily from 8 a.m. to midnight.

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: Jean-David et Anne-Laure

Tags: France, History, Lifestyle, P&O Ferries // Add Comment »

John Hillman takes a wander around Biarritz and discovers the Imperial Resort & Spa known as the Hotel Du Palais one of the very finest hotels ever to grace a seafront holiday resort.

Those of you planning a trip to Europe this summer with P&O Ferries and in search of a little luxury along the way will find everything you could possibly wish for in Biarritz.

It was here, in 1854, that Napoléon III came with his new bride Eugénie. He fell in love with the fabulous coastline and immediately set about constructing a summer palace overlooking the ocean, on a piece of raised land, calling it La Ville Eugénie.

Today it is known as Hotel Du Palais, a palatial five star hotel that has played host to some of the most famous names of the last 200 years.

Hemingway, Stravinsky, Dali, Sinatra and an almost continuous stream of royals from the Windsors to the Habsburgs have stayed within this hotel’s sumptuous walls, today it still remains as one of the very best hotels in the whole of Europe.

Biarritz is a must-do on any itinerary that involves a drive around the Pyrenees Mountains and the Basque Country. Located in the French side of the mountains on the Atlantic Coast this superb town has everything.

Pretty streets are populated with small artisan shops, stunning coastal walks are broken up by the site of surfers riding one perfect wave after another. But no visit should really be considered complete without at least one night’s stay at the royal jewel in this town’s gentle old crown.

P&O Ferries’ passengers can plan a trip to Biarritz easily whether accessing the continent via the Portsmouth to Bilbao route or Dover to Calais.

Tags: France, P&O Ferries // Add Comment »

In La Valle des Singes there’s over 350 monkeys and apes wandering wild over 15 hectares of French forest. Tomas Mowlam takes a walk into the wild.

In the sunny weather it’s a great way to get out and explore the countryside, while guaranteed to keep the kids fascinated with regular primate sightings, especially at the regular feeding times.

Different species of primates are kept in separate ‘islands’ but are allowed to roam completely freely within them.

There are a huge range of primates here, from tiny monkeys like the silvery marmoset, measuring between 18 and 28cm and weighing a tiny 300 to 400 grams all the way up to gorillas which can weigh up to 270kg in captivity.

From South America there are species such as Ateles, Capuchins and Woolly Monkeys. The Yellow Breasted Capuchin is rated as critically endangered, only a breath away from being extinct in the wild. The wild population is confined to the Atlantic forest of south eastern Brazil, and there are thought to be only 300 left. La Valle des Singes has one of the only groups of the Capuchin in Europe.

There are African primates like the Roloways Monkey, also rated as critically endangered, Chimps, Colobus monkeys and White Nosed Mandrills. One of the highlights is the Madagascar Island, where Ring Tailed Lemurs and Crowned Lemurs frolic amongst the branches.

The Asian monkeys include the preposterously beardy White Whiskered Gibbons native to China and Vietnam.

The sad fact is that La Valle des Singes represents the closest most of us will ever get to these amazing animals. They may only be a few strands of DNA away from us, but poaching and destruction of their habitats is driving many species to the brink of extinction; some of the monkeys here have been rescued from the pet trade after being orphaned by poachers.

On a positive note La Valle des Singes has great success with breeding primates in captivity, including one baby gorilla.

La Valle des Singes is open daily from 27 March to 7 November 2010, 10am – 6pm March to June, 10am – 7pm July to August and 10am – 5pm September to November.

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: inottowa

Tags: France // Add Comment »

Been here before haven’t we? Hope and optimism are cruel, but maybe, just maybe this could be England’s year. Or it might not. Tomas Mowlam keeps his fingers crossed.

England are in Group C with Algeria, Slovenia and the USA. The first match comes against the USA on 12th June in Rustenburg, at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, with kick off at 19:30 our time.

All eyes will be on Rooney and Lampard to make this England’s year. The American’s are the major competition; in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup they beat Spain in the semis and led Brazil 2-0, before being beaten 3-2. No longer the odd ones out it seems.

Next the England team will have to slog south to Cape Town to take on Algeria on 18th June at the JEP stadium in Johannesburg, with kick off at 15:00 our time.

Finally we’re playing Slovenia on 23rd June at Port Elizabeth with kick off again at 15:00 our time.

If you’re in London and fancy watching a few gutted American fans weep over their defeat then check out the Sports Bar in Piccadily. Otherwise we’ll be impressed if you can find a pub that’s not playing the games.

Tags: Britain // Add Comment »

P&O’s brand new ferry floated out onto the water for the first time this week.

The 49,000 tonne Spirit of Britain, left the construction dock at STX Europe shipyard in Rauma, Finland.

The Spirit of Britain will serve the Dover – Calais route from January 2011. Construction will now also start on the second ferry the Spirit of France, due to operate from September 2011.

Helen Deeble, chief executive of P&O Ferries, said: “The two ships represent a major investment of more than €360 million by P&O Ferries and are designed for a life span of 25 years so we are taking a long term view.

“Their design incorporates a number of world firsts, particularly in terms of hull design and in being the first ferries to comply with new Safe Return to Port regulations.

“It was only last August that I attended the keel-laying of the first ship so to witness its float-out is breathtaking. We’re proud to be associated with everybody at STX Europe which is a truly world class operation.”

Image: Captain David Miller, senior master of the Spirit of Britain, celebrates the floating out of the new ship at STX Europe in Rauma, Finland.

Tags: P&O Ferries // 1 Comment »

Tomas Mowlam struggles with his antipathy towards the French football team and tries to tell you when the matches are, French chances of success and what to do in Paris should you feel like watching a game.

Fifa calls France’s qualifying “up-and down”. I call it cheating, but after devastating the hopes of Ireland with Gallas’ last-minute goal, despite a clear handball from Thierry Henry, Les Bleus are through. I’m just going to have to live with it.

France plays Uruguay in Cape Town’s Green Point stadium on 11 June, before taking on Mexico at the Peter Mokaba stadium in Polokwane on 17 June. Les Bleus final match is at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on 22 June.

Mexico will be the main threat and while I’m going to be praying for a victory against the Gauls, chances are good that France will end up top of their group.

France has got an interesting group with hosts South Africa and Mexico and Uruguay. Despite their shameful, sorry, close qualifying the French team are experienced with players like Thierry Henry, Nicolas Anelka and William Gallas they’re still group favourites. (Here’s hoping none of them repeat Zidane’s World Cup greeting – above).

Check out the Havana Café – sure it’s pretty commercial and not the cheapest, but it does have three massive screens. Find it on 70, boulevard auguste blanqui in the District 13ème – Austerlitz – Place d’Italie. Nearest Métro is Corvisart.

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: Sam sha-put-ski

Tags: France // Add Comment »