For the millions of RMS Titanic lovers around the world, April 15 is a very significant date. On that day it will be exactly 100 years since the tragic sinking of the ship that changed so many lives and sparked one of the most captivating stories in human history.
On March 31 the world’s largest Titanic visitor attraction, Titanic Belfast, will officially open its doors, thrusting the ship’s physical and spiritual home firmly into the global spotlight.
The striking $152 million piece of modern architecture stands majestically at the head of the very slipways where the Titanic first glided into the waters of Belfast Lough.
Inside, nine walk-and-ride-through exhibition galleries equipped with the latest 3D, CGI and video technology uncover the true Belfast story of the Titanic, from its conception and construction in the Harland & Wolff Shipyard to its famous maiden voyage and subsequent place in history.
A host of experiences are offered—a thrilling ride through the shipyard with the Titanic under construction, or an exploration of the sumptuous luxury and superb craftsmanship of its interiors.
You can be drawn deep into the stories of the passengers, crew and the heroes of the day or re-live the drama of its tragic end and visit its resting place in the North Atlantic in a unique Ocean Exploration Center with live links to contemporary undersea exploration.
Easter celebrations are among the oldest, most traditional and unique celebrations in Germany. A myriad of differing regional traditions, Easter markets and special celebrations start weeks before the four-day Easter weekend from April 5 to April 9. Many of the American Easter traditions, including egg decorating, Easter trees, Easter egg games and, of course, the chocolate Easter bunny, were brought to America by German immigrants.
In preparation for Easter, towns decorate their fountains and trees with eggs and wind crepe paper around the branches. On the Easter Eve, bonfires are lit celebrating the new and getting rid of the old. Easter markets throughout the country exhibit Easter eggs and spring-themed local arts and crafts in surroundings from historic cities and castles to landscape parks. The markets last either a few weeks or a weekend and are a favorite leisure time activity for locals and tourists alike.
Easter decorations
EASTER MARKETS Being one of the oldest Easter markets in Germany, the Haeferles Market in Nuremberg in Franconia is the first major event of the spring season. With over 80 stalls in the middle of the historic city center, this market offers everything around the Easter holidays, from hand-painted eggs to wooden decorations (March 23 – April 9). Further to the north in the charming town of medieval Wolfenbuettel, about two hours from Frankfurt, the Easter market takes place in a royal surrounding. In the courtyard of the 18th century residence castle of the Guelphs in the city center, over 60 artists and craftsman from the region display their works on the weekend before Easter (March 31 – April 1). Then, on Easter Saturday a huge rabbit emerges from an enormous nest and distributes candy to the children.
Lady in Sorbian costume handcrafts traditional Easter egg painting using wax-resist techniques.
EASTER DUCK RACE The festivities are closely followed by a duck race where the ducks are thrown into the river and race to the other side. One of the largest Easter Egg Fairs in Germany takes place in the beautiful landscape park Luisenpark in Mannheim from March 31 to April 4. The International Easter Egg Market at Mannheim’s Baumhainhalle hosts over 40 artists from Germany, Russia, France, Switzerland and Hungary.
St. Wendel fountain decorated for Easter
KREUZTRITT WALK PARADE A very special Easter culture exists in eastern Germany near the border with Poland. The Sorbs, a Slavic minority that has lived for generations in this area called Lusatia, celebrate Easter with a parade called the “Kreuztritt” (Cross Walk) on Easter Sunday. The men of the village dressed in traditional costumes of black jackets and top hats, ride horses in a circle from town to town announcing the resurrection of Christ. The Sorbs also are masters in the art of Easter egg painting. Sorbian artists from all over the region exhibit their skills during the Lenten season. The Egg Rolling and colorful Easter Market on Easter Sunday are wonderful highlights during the Easter weekend, April 7 and 8.
Dining in the Dordogne most certainly brings opportunities to pair wine with the other specialties of the area: foie gras, strawberries, walnuts and truffles.
In fact, the Perigord is known for producing the very best black truffle, an aromatic fungus resembling a small black potato. To experience this local treasure, I spent a delightful morning at Truffiere de Pechalifour, the truffle farm of Edouard Aynaud, learning the art of truffle hunting.
Truffle farmer Edouard Aynaud
After meeting the high-energy Edouard, we entered a glass-doored, yellow stone building, where Edouard snaps open the lid of a large plastic bowl holding several black truffles, and thrusts it in my face. “Smell this,” he says in French, insisting that once you have this scent in your head, you’ll never forget it.
Edouard’s truffle-sniffing border collie
The valuable black truffle, sometimes called the Black Diamond, can command 1,000 Euros per kilogram, since the demand is always greater than the supply. Our host holds up a kiwi-sized truffle and we play “how much is this truffle worth?” My husband wins with his guess of 10 Euros, when the small scale records the truffle’s weight as 10 grams.
Now the lesson begins: truffles grow at the base of oak and hazelnut trees. The spores of the truffle form a web of mycorrhizal filaments that permeate both the soil and the roots of the trees. These filaments help the trees obtain nutrients from the soil, and in turn, the trees provide the truffle with needed sugars. Once this network spreads, there is a telltale brown circular area around the base of the tree called a “burn.” In the wild, this symbiotic relationship occurs with luck.
Here on the 10-acre Pechalifour farm, Edouard’s father planted his first trees in 1968. Today new tree seedlings with truffle spores grafted onto their roots are planted in the hopes of increasing the truffle crop. Edouard holds up a 2-foot-tall oak seedling to illustrate, and tells us that you must plant it and pray, and maybe in several years (3? 6? 10?) the telltale “burn” will appear. He explains that sadly, not many young people are getting into this business because it requires so much patience and optimism.
Edouard, however, personifies optimism and joy, explaining his craft in rapid-fire French (admirably translated by our local guide) and punctuated with animated facial expressions and gestures worthy of Marcel Marceau.
Once the “burn” is identified, there are three methods to locate the truffles beneath it:
With a pig. Grinning, Edouard holds up a Cracker-Jack-toy-sized pink plastic pig to illustrate. Furthermore, he continues, it must be a female pig. Why? Because the truffle scent mimics that of a male pig sex hormone.
With a stick. Now he whacks a slender willow stick several times across the length of the table. Tapping a stick around the area of the “burn” disturbs a little brown fly that likes to lay its eggs on a ripe truffle, so that its larvae can feed on the nutrients. A short video illustrates that the fly’s brown color renders it invisible at rest. But once disturbed, the fly will rise up and then return to the location of the truffle, which must be harvested before the egg-laying, larva-eating process begins.
With a dog. The dogs must be trained while they are very young to recognize and search for the truffle scent. For that, Edouard uses the plastic film containers used before the age of digital photography. He pokes holes into the container and fills it with cotton that has been moistened with truffle oil. Then for one week he plays fetch with his canine student, rolling the container a little distance away, and rewarding the pup with treats and love when the prize is returned. The next week he hides the container in corners or behind something, and again rewards its return with treats and praise. The third week he buries the container outside under a little bit of soil and waits three days so that it no longer carries his human scent, but only the scent of the truffle, before sending the dog to find it. At the end of three weeks, with lots of praise and treats, the dog is trained.
Suddenly we are aware of a yellow labrador and a young black and white border collie snuffling around our feet, obviously eager to get to work. Edouard grabs a basket, some dog treats and a digging tool, and assuring us that he did not hide truffles ahead of time for us to find, we begin our spirited trek though the trees.
Pointing out brown fly in “burn” area where truffle lie
Walking slightly ahead of us, Edouard sees the telltale “burn” around the base of a tree, and gives his dog the command. Within seconds, the dog sniffs and puts his paw on a spot. Edouard scoops up a handful of the moist soil and sniffs it, crowing gleefully when he detects the scent of the hidden truffle. He pushes into my hands the special two-sided truffle-digging tool: pointed pick at one end, flat scraping blade at the other, and tells me to dig — but gently! We’re not digging up potatoes!
Tree with signs of a truffle underneath
Soon my delicate poking isn’t fast enough for him and he rakes his fingers through the mud until he isolates the prize. After pointing to exactly where I should look, he lets me make the final discovery. Voila! There it is — and it’s tennis-ball HUGE! But, alas, it is spoiled inside because of the recent unfavorable weather. Edouard rewards his dog with a treat and a cuddle, and then crushes the truffle with his fingers and reburies it on the spot, so its spores can sprout again.
The best months for harvesting ripe truffles in the Perigord is December, January and February, and then only if the weather conditions have been favorable — too much rain and they grow too fast and don’t ripen at the right time. All in all, it’s a business that needs luck — and lots of dog treats. www.truffe-perigord.com
PULTENEY BRIDGE WEIR The stunning weir beneath Bath’s Georgian Pulteney Bridge plays the part of the River Seine in the film version of Les Misérables. Pay Bath a visit and see it for yourself (but don’t jump in, like they do in the film!)
St. John’s Church
ST. JOHN’S CHURCH London’s St John’s Church in Smith Square was used in Atonement for the wedding scene. It’s a fine example of English baroque architecture and is a venue for concerts and recitals.
TEMPLE CHURCH Built by the Knights Templar in the 12th century, this historic church exudes mystery. It has a circular nave based on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and was used as a location in The Da Vinci Code.
Inverness
INVERNESS Inverness is a gateway to the Highlands and so makes a great base for exploring the surrounding countryside, historic battlefields and beautiful lochs. The Highland capital is friendly, welcoming, full of history and compact enough for wandering around by foot. Scenes for the TV drama Outlander were shot in and around the city.
MOMO Probably London’s most famous Moroccan restaurant, Momo is a glamourous spot to enjoy fine North African dishes. You might also recognize it as one of the locations in the UK film Bridget Jones’s Diary.
Rye
RYE One of East-Sussex’s most popular locations, Rye is a half-timbered medieval town full of unique shops and plenty of atmosphere. A great place to get a taste of traditional English life and to enjoy a good pub lunch or fish and chips overlooking the town quay.
OLD WARDOUR CASTLE Built in the 14th century as a luxury house, Old Wardour Castle slowly became a fashionably romantic ruin. It’s a beautiful place to spend a day, and you might even recognize it as one of the locations used in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
Inveraray Castle
INVERARAY CASTLE This magnificent stately home on the shores of Loch Fyne boasts tremendous views across the Scottish countryside. You might recognize its fairy-tale turrets from the Christmas 2012 episode of Downton Abbey when the Crawleys holiday in Scotland.
BROMPTON CEMETERY One of Britain’s Royal Parks is also a historic cemetery. Expect an atmospheric array of spectacular tombs and more than a few famous names. Look for Brompton in a suitably Gothic scene from the 2009 film Sherlock Holmes.
MI6 (THE SECRET INTELLIGENCE SERVICE) The HQ of MI6 (the Secret Intelligence Service) is off limits to visitors but you can get a great view of this imposing structure from the river. Take a speedboat tour with Thames RIB for fascinating anecdotes about Ian Fleming, the British Secret Service, and of course, James Bond himself.
Berlin, Germany’s capital, is the home to numerous impressive museums. With a section of Berlin dedicated to museums, Museum Island, as well as with museums around the rest of the city, it is easy to see the importance museums have on the cultural landscape of Berlin. The list of museums keeps growing as new ones continue to open and others re-open after renovations.
TSHOBAN FOUNDATION – MUSEUM FOR ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS Open since 2013 at the former Pfefferberg Brewery complex, the private Museum for Architectural Drawings houses the renowned Tchoban Foundation’s collection, as well as temporary exhibits from leading international cultural institutions. Conceived by Berlin- and Moscow-based architect Sergei Tchoban, the museum presents three changing exhibitions annually. The architecturally striking building extends from a fire-wall, seemingly latching onto a row of typical Berlin houses. Evoking the image of a set of oversized piled blocks, the four story building’s silhouette is defined by a regression and progression of a colored concrete and glass facade. Open daily, admission is approximately $5.
MAGICUM – BERLIN MAGIC MUSEUM Witchcraft and magical powers, mythical knowledge, secrets, the supernatural and ancient wisdom can be explored in the cellars of a historic former blacksmith building close to Berlin’s Hackesche Market. Open since summer 2014, Berlin’s Magic Museum features some 450 exhibits displayed over 6,500 square feet. Included are ritualistic objects and magic devices ranging from a Dutch witches scale and torture instruments to African totem masks, crystal balls and a historic Samurai sword. Curated to be more entertaining rather than strictly academic, the spellbinding exhibition encourages intuitive exploration. Open daily, admission is approximately $8.
Magicum Museum
KUNSTHAUS DAHLEM TO OPEN SUMMER 2015 Following extensive renovations, the Kunsthaus Dahlem will open in the summer of 2015 as an exhibition venue for Postwar German Modernism from East and West Germany (1945-61). The opening exhibition will focus primarily on sculptural works, complemented by paintings, graphics and photography. The historic building was constructed between 1939 and 1942 as a studio for infamous sculptor Arno Breker, who, alongside Josef Thorak, was one of the popular sculptors of the Third Reich, producing ornamental sculptures for Albert Speer’s monumental constructions. In addition to a café and a museum shop, there will also be a permanent exhibition on the building’s eventful past. Free admission.
BERLIN SPY MUSEUM Espionage has been the subject of many movies and books set in Berlin. Now the city is finally getting a museum that focuses on the mysteries of agents, double agents, betrayals, heroes and their stories, as well as the tools they used. The Berlin Spy Museum will feature approximately 21,500 square feet of exhibition space. One of the more well-known pieces on display will be the famous German coding machine “Enigma” from World War II, which was used for enciphering and deciphering secret messages. The exhibition will unveil the mysteries of intelligence services and espionage in the East and the West with a focus on Berlin during WWII and the Cold War. The interactive exhibits cater to all age groups, including children. www.deutsches-spionagemuseum.de/
MUSEUM OF DECORATIVE ARTS OPEN AGAIN AT KULTURFORUM After three years of renovations, Germany’s oldest museum of decorative arts, the Kunstgewerbemuseum Berlin, reopened in November 2014 with a new gallery dedicated to the history of fashion. Located at Berlin’s Kulturforum museum complex, the new permanent exhibition of dresses, hats, bags, gloves and accessories from the 18th to the 21st century is based on an international collection acquired by the museum in 2009. Since its re-opening, the Kunstgewerbemuseum has been providing an overview of the key achievements in European design, from the Middle Ages to the present day. In addition to the Fashion Gallery, the museum features new departments of Design and Jugendstil/Art Deco.
Museum of Decorative Arts
BERLINISCHE GALLERY REOPENS MAY 2015 After a year-long modernization, the Berlinische Gallery is scheduled to reopen on May 28, 2015. The gallery’s permanent exhibition focuses exclusively on art in Berlin from 1880-1980, ranging from late 19th century paintings, to Expressionism and the East European avant-garde, to post-war modern architecture and the “wild” works of the 1970s. Reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of the collection, the exhibition will illustrate a diversity of artistic styles and credos, but also tensions, polarization and fresh departures, which remain hallmarks of Berlin as an artistic hub. Two other temporary exhibitions are opening on May 25, 2015: Radically Modern, which focuses on building styles in the 1960s and an exhibition on contemporary German painter Bernhard Martin. A retrospective on Max Beckmann and Berlin will open November 20, 2015 and is poised to be a major highlight of Berlin’s cultural winter for 2015/2016.
European Traveler 