|
Aside from the various art exhibitions staged in the major galleries of Virgin Express city destinations, there are additional seasonal events too. In France, 40 countries from five continents participate in the multicultural 82nd Marseille International Fair (22 September-2 October, www.foire-demarseille.com) in Parc Chanot. Here, you can discover music, art and handicrafts from around the world. Contemporary art fans might prefer Spain’s annual Estampa (30 November-4 December, www.estampa. org), the International Salon of Contemporary Print and Art Editions in Madrid’s Casa de Campo. Alternatively, over in Portugal, Arte Lisbon (8-13 November, www.artelisboa.fil.pt) is an important event showcasing Portuguese and Iberian contemporary art, at the FIL exhibition centre, in the Park of Nations. Looking for design ideas for your home? Then join the other 300,000 visitors at Geneva’s Foire de Geneve (9-19 November, www.foiredegeneve.ch) at the Palexpo Exhibition Centre. You’ll find the latest designer furniture, bathroom and kitchen fittings, gadgets and lots more. For the best in truly stylish Portuguese furniture, homewares and product design, Intercasa (17-22 October, www.fil-intercasa.com) is the fair to head for at Lisbon’s International Fair.
Beer, beer, glorious beer. If you love a pint or five of the foamy stuff, then this is your season. The 8th Belgian Beer Weekend takes place in the historic Grand’Place in early September (1-3 September, tel: +32 2 511 49 87, www..weekenddelabiere.be). Sample the wares of no fewer than 48 breweries, but perhaps not all at once. Meanwhile, Munich hosts probably the greatest beer festival in the world, Oktoberfest (16 Sepember-3 October, www..oktoberfest.de) which dates back to 1810 and takes place in a series of tents. The highlight is the Oktoberfest Costume and Rifleman’s Parade on 19 September. If wine is your preferred tipple then you’ll love the Catalan Wine and Cava Show (19-28 September, tel: +34 (0)93 225 81 00), held in September to coincide with the grape harvest. You can sip delicious sparkling cavas and rosé wines at Maremàgnum, in Port Vell. Foodies might prefer to fly to Italy where they can indulge in North African cuisine at the Cous Cous Festival (19-24 September, www..sanvitocouscous.com) in beautiful San Vito Lo Capo, not far from Palermo in Sicily. It’s not just about delicious couscous, but tasting lots of other regional specialties, and enjoying musical and cultural entertainment. Over on the mainland, Naples celebrates its native dish, the pizza, at the annual Pizzafest (7-17 September, www..pizzafest.info), so get munching.
Liven up your autumn with dance and drama spectacles across Virgin Express destinations. You can see everything from classic drama to performance art at Geneva’s Batie Festival (1-16 September, www.batie.ch). Lovers of dance should visit the French Riviera in November to catch exciting choreography by more than 150 dance companies at Cannes’ Festival of Dance (dates tbc, www.festivaldedanse-cannes.com). Less contemporary is the Traditional Greek Dance Festival (until 24 September, www.grdance.org), where you can witness ancient dance and folk music from the many regions of Greece, performed at the Dora Stratou garden theatre against the dramatic backdrop of the Acropolis.
|
