Next week will see the 19th installment of Crossing Border, a literary and arts festival spanning both Holland and Belgium, tickets are on sale now; we suggest you hurry though this year’s line up is attracting a lot of attention so tickets won’t last.
The Dutch installment of Crossing Border lasts from 16th-19th November and then it moves over to Antwerp over the 19th-20th.
Crossing Border is hosted in multipl locations in The Hague’s Theatre Quarter, comprised of Royal theatre (Koninklijke Schouwburg) and the National Theatre (Nationale Toneel Gebouw). And the festival continues in Antwerp’s Toneelhuis theatre.

This arts festival is true blend of creative disciplines, including film, music art and literature. It encourages flourishing talent, workshops, talks and Q&As are all a part of it. There will also be readings and performances from celebrated artists over the course of the festival.

The lineup has now been confirmed so for more information look at the Crossing Border website, some of the stages that have drawn our attention include this year’s Pulitzer winner Jennifer Egan as well as novelists Ali Smith and Paul Murray. We’re also going to be fighting our way to the front of the crowd to see Laura Marling, Emmy the Great and CAKE performing on stage.

Tickets are selling like hot cakes but there’s still time to get to this amazing festival. P& Ferries is an ideal way to get across the Channel on your way to Holland or Belgium.

Image credit: Ludovic Hirlimann

Tags: Belgium, Lifestyle, Netherlands, P&O Ferries // Add Comment »

After we recommended you the Lille Christmas market the other week, P&O Ferries would now like to point you in the direction of another town that should help you get in the festive spirit: Strasbourg.

Due to its location close to the German border, Strasbourg’s Christmas market has a distinctly German touch – but that’s definitely an advantage, since the Germans do Christmas markets better than almost anybody else.

Combined with Strasbourg’s lovely cathedral, alleyways and market squares, this expertise in all things Yuletide makes for a fantastic experience leading up to the holidays. Taking part from 26 November until 31 December 2011, the Strasbourg Christmas market might be a bit out of the way for some P&O Ferries users, but it’s definitely worth the trip.

The main Christmas market is held in the area surrounding the town’s cathedral and has been going for more than 400 years. There are, however, 11 more markets spread around the city, including a market dedicated to the guest of honour, the country of Switzerland. Every year at the Strasbourg Christmas market, a country is awarded the opportunity to bring a bit of its own festive spirit to Alsace. The Swiss Village will offer artefacts and Swiss delicacies to punters – there will be traditional lumberjack tea and of course different cheese and chocolate treats.

There will also be the chance for parents to spend some quality time with their children in one of the many activities organized specifically for kids at the Strasbourgh Christmas market. There will be an ice skating rink as well as an ice garden containing tunnels and sculptures, and there will be shows put on in the dedicated Christmas village every Wednesday, Saturday at Sunday at 2.30, 4 and 5pm.

In addition to all this, there will be free classical and choir concerts, theatre performances, carols, organ recitals, and much, much more. One last highlight we’d like to point out is the huge Christmas tree in the place Klebér, beautifully decorated and illuminated by Antoinette Pfimlin.

As you can see, there is more to Christmas markets than mulled wine and handicrafts (of which there will of course also be plenty) – why not take a little trip to the continent to get into the spirit?

To get to Strasbourg, you can take a P&O Ferry to Calais and drive to Strasbourg via Dunkirk and Lille (around 5.5 hours).

Image credit: Francois Schnell

Tags: France // Add Comment »

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 // Add Comment »

Bruges has carried the title of Europe’s chocolate capital for centuries. What, you didn’t know that? Then why not cross the channel over to Belgium with P&O Ferries and see for yourself?

From this week until early December, Choc in Brugge (Bruges) is a month-long expo dedicated to the good stuff where people can wander around the city, take part in workshops, visit museums, learn about chocolate history and of course sample some of the local produce. And with Christmas fast approaching, what better time to treat yourself to some sweet treats and maybe grab something for the kids to snack on during those cosy winter evenings?

For example, there is the chocolate museum Choco-Story, which traces the 400 year history of chocolate in Europe, including its different variations and applications throughout the years.

During Choc in Brugge, more than a dozen local high-end restaurants will have special items on their menu that will get every chocolate lover’s juices flowing. Whether it’s ’filet steak, duck or scallops, the Michelin-decorated chefs have a number of chocolatey delicacies on offer.

On 11, 12 and 13 November, the Choco-Laté festival will take place in Bruge. Chocolatiers, pastry chefs, sculptors and many other artists will present their artwork to the public, who can also check out the latest trends in the fields of fair trade and wellness.

To get to Bruges for the Choc in Brugge event, you can take a P&O Ferry from Hull to Zeebrugge, from which it’s only 10 miles down the N41 motorway.

Image credit: Kristina D.C. Hoeppner

Tags: Belgium // Add Comment »

A canal in Haarlem

No, this is not the Spanish Harlem Elton John sang about in “Mona Lisas & Mad Hatters”, but a city in the Dutch province of North Holland you should include in the itinerary for your next ferry trip to Europe.

Haarlem’s proximity to the coast gives it a vibrancy and variety that many other European cities lack, and there’s a wide range of museums, historic sites and pleasant cafes and bars inviting you to sit down. Only an hour’s drive from P&O Ferries’ Dutch port in Rotterdam, it’s a great stopover if you’re on your way to Amsterdam (20 miles drive or 15 minutes by train) or even as a destination in itself.

The Corrie ten Boom house is a place worth visiting for everyone – it tells the story of the ten Boom family, who during WWII provided a hiding place for Jewish families, resistance fighters and anyone else deemed in danger. This inspiring story should be heard by as many people as possible, and with free guided tours available, you’d be a fool to miss it!

Art lovers will be pleased to hear that the Frans Hals Museum contains a fantastic collection of European paintings. The artist who gave the museum its name lived in the 15th century and is particularly famed for his sumptuous, incredibly detailed group portraits, but the museum features work from other Dutch and European masters as well (e.g. Monet, Pieter Bruegel) and is housed in a gorgeous mid-19th century building. A must for art lovers.

Walking around Haarlem’s canals is a pleasure – trees line many of them, and the atmosphere is a lot less busy than in Amsterdam, leaving you to take in the fresh air, the reflections, buildings and bird sounds. If you’re into your classicist and gothic buildings, you can take a look at the Nieuwe Kerk (based on a Jerusalem temple), and the St.-Bavokerk, located on the main market square.

All in all, Haarlem is like a smaller, more relaxed and less touristy Amsterdam. The local beer is fantastic yet cheap, and all main sights (as well as the hidden ones) can be reached by walking.

To get to Haarlem, you can take a P&O Ferry from Hull to Rotterdam, from where it is only a short drive. A highly recommended winter trip!

Image credit: Bogdan Migulski

Tags: Netherlands // Add Comment »

The holiday season is upon us, and with it comes a great offer from P&O Ferries for all of you who are planning a little day trip to France to stock up on local delicacies for those cold days. Everybody knows that a bit of nice cheese and a glass of wine will help ward off that dreaded Sunday afternoon blues, and where better to shop for these precious goods than with our French neighbours who are experts in these fields?

From £19, you could cross the channel for a spot of shopping and bag of six free bottles of wine of your choice (red, white or rosé)! In addition to that, you will also receive a buy-1-get-1-free voucher for either an English Breakfast or a portion of Fish & Chips onboard the P&O Ferries food court.

This special offer ends on Thursday 1st December, with travelling at the discounted rate valid until 15th December.

For more information about this great offer, click here.

Image credit: Joopey

Tags: France // Add Comment »

The early heralds of Christmas are upon us. We’re going to have to ignore Halloween and Firework’s night draws up too many Balotelli allusions so we’re looking ahead to Lille’s Christmas Markets. They start on the 19th of November and are open every day except 25th December right up until New Year’s Eve.

83 Wooden chalets are set up for independent market stalls and all the shops of Lille compete to have unique and exciting window displays. You’ll be able to find all manner of Christmas presents in Lille, whether you’re after something special or on the hunt for a bargain. The Christmas market is set up in the Place Rihour,if you have trouble finding it, it’s the one with the 18 meter high Ferris wheel and ‘Marche De Noel’ written everywhere.

The market is small in comparison to some of the German Christmas markets you may have been to, but the city of Lille has lots to offer. The city has a rich history with signs of original settlement dating well before the Middle Ages. The cities involvement in major French and European events are well recorded here, so it’s certainly worth droping by a museum or exhibition before travelling home.

There are a number of hotels available if you intend to stay the night or wish to make a long weekend of it. P&O Ferries offer a £35 each way fair, which allows you to stay as long as you need – the price includes transport for your car and up to 9 passengers. Alternatively you could make a daytrip of your shopping, the £25 daytrip fair is definitely one of the best deals for getting yourself, your car and your kids on to the continent.

P&O’s channel crossing from Dover to Calais is an hour and half journey, so you might want o book an early one for your trip to Lille’s Christmas markets.

Image credit: Stéfan

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

If you feel a restive city break on the continent coming up, a journey to Europe’s 3rd richest city Brussels, could be on the cards.
As you may have seen from the iAmsterdam post last week a tourist card is a very economical way to get a feel for a new city and Brussels offer a similar deal.

A Brussels Card can be purchased to last, for up to 72 hours, and will entitle you to free entry to 30 of Brussels’ museums and offer discounts to many more. You’ll also get free transport on underground, bus and tram. For this reason you may want to pre-order your card so it can be picked up upon arrival at either the airport, train station or a Brussels Tourist information office, the details are given to you upon purchase. Alternatively you can just buy your card upon arrival at any of the mentioned locations – but there is a discounted online price.

Your Brussels card will also entitle you to discounted meals and drinks in participating locations as well as certain designer boutiques, exhibitions and attractions.

A P&O Ferry can get you to Zeebrugge, and you can tour through Belgium on your way to Brussels, pick up your card and absorb as much culture as you can take.

Image credit: John.Karakatsanis

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