European festivals and for the New Year

Feature by Renata Rubinowicz Out & About

Revels by the sea in England’s Cornwall The little Come to the in fishing port of St Ives in Cornwall in England’s far west, The tradition of splendid dances in lovely palaces continues in founded by St Ita in the 5th century, has a worldwide Vienna, mainly between New Year and Lent, although these reputation because of the artistic community which grew up days one does not have to be royal or a member of the there from the 1920s onwards. Now it is home to an aristocracy to attend.You can simply buy a ticket and rent a outpost of the Tate Gallery and the Barbara Hepworth frock. Despite this democratic change, balls are still held in museum and sculpture garden, but it still has traces of its the grand manner - liveried footmen greet the guests, who ancient Celtic heritage, celebrated each year at St Ives Feast come in ballgowns or immaculate evening dress, and a fanfare with a game of Cornish hurling. Played with a ball the size of announces the first dance, usually a polonaise reserved for an orange, made of applewood and coated in silver, the game white-clad and their partners.When they hear the begins with the blessing of the ball at the holy well of St Ita, cry “Alles Walzer”, everyone else joins in.The highlight of the then the Mayor throws it into the crowd from the ball season is the ,which will be held on 15 churchyard wall.The ball is passed from hand to hand February and broadcast live on television (details at: between the large teams on the beach and, when the tide is www.wiener-staatsoper.at), but other dances include the in, through the streets.Whoever is holding the ball at noon Pharmacists’ Ball, which will be held on 20 January at the when the game finishes gets the traditional prize of five Imperial Palace (details at: www.apotheker.or.at), and the shillings from the mayor. St Ives Feast, 5 February: Viennese Coffee House Owners’ Ball, which will be held on 9 www.visit-westcornwall.com February (details at: www.kaffeesiderball.at). There are also some more raunchy and modern “alternative balls” that now Mimosas bloom on France’s Riviera February can be a challenge the traditional events. For details of other ball dank month in most of Europe, but on the French Riviera dates and links, visit: www.info.wein.at the weather is better than in most places. Even so, it is an anxious waiting time for the people of Mandelieu-La Consider Cologne for Napoule whose community depends on the flowering of the If you are a man, don’t wear a tie in Cologne on 15 February mimosa. Since the 19th century when it was introduced – it might be cut off by a woman playing the fool – and you from Australia, they have grown less fruit and jasmine and will still have to buy the drinks. For this is Women’s Carnival concentrated more and more on mimosa.Today about eight Day, when females in fancy dress make for the town centre million bouquets are exported every year.When the yellow for the opening of the carnival, at 11.11am, by the three flowers finally bloom, there are excursions to inhale the leaders of festivities - the Prince, the Peasant and the Virgin. scent of the nearby mimosa forests of Esterel and Tanneron, The celebrations go on to Rose Monday, on 19 February, as well as 10 days of singing and dancing finishing with a big when huge parades of giant figures, masked fools and brass parade. bands throw sweets and flowers into the crowd, and finish on Mimosa Festival, 16-25 February: Ash Wednesday, 21 February, with fish suppers all round. www.mandelieu.com Cologne Carnival, 15-21 February: www.koelntourismus.de Painted mysteries in Padua Padua is preparing a rich banquet for the imagination at the Giorgio de Chirico Grab your skates for an icy marathon Palazzo Zabarella, with a retrospective of the work of La Nostalgia del poeta (La Nostalgie du poét) More than 10,000 skaters are expected to take part in this Giorgio de Chirico, founder of the scuola metafisika art year’s 24th International Ice Marathon events on Lake 1914 movement.After studying in Athens, Florence, and Munich, Kallavesi at Kuopio. Everything begins and ends at the and under the influence of the ideas of Nietzsche and Passenger Harbour near the city centre and anyone can take Schopenhauer, the Greek-Italian painter returned to Italy and part on the first two days of the event, when about 7,000 began painting the first of his many enigmatic works.The architecture of Florence and Turin schoolchildren join in the fun and an evening spectacle on ice with music and lights is followed inspired a series of cityscapes which won him critical praise and the attention of Apollinaire who by moonlit skating in a torchlight procession. Saturday sees the Finnish Kick-Sled Championships introduced his work to the Surrealists. His work continued to inspire artists, including Dali, Ernst, and the big skating competitions over distances of 200km, 100km, 50km, and 25km, with Magritte, and the film director Antonioni. De Chirico, 20 January to 27 May: competitors drawn from throughout Europe, Canada, and the US. www.palazzozabarella.it Ice Marathon, 14-18 February: www.finlandicemarathon.net

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