Dublin Bus launches ‘The 1916 Tour - Beyond Barricades’

‘The 1916Tour - Beyond Barricades’ is latest addition to Dublin Bus Tours. Replete with history, the bus is a throwback to Easter 1916 - the historical rebellion that would shape a nation on board a specially designed bus. It will have performances by award-winning theatre company ANU Productions. 

The 1916 Tour - Beyond Barricades grabs you by the epaulettes and throws you into the fight, guiding you through a side of the Rising you’ve never heard before.

Easter 1916, Dublin is in flames and revolution is spilling onto the streets. From the moment guests arrive at the first stop they are thrown into the midst of Easter 1916, as prominent Irish republican Helena Molony, who fought front and centre during the rebellion, guides them onto the bus in the midst of the sound of gunfire and commotion. 

Thus begins a thought-provoking and interactive 90-minute tour taking in some of the most prominent scenes of Easter Monday 1916 and its direct aftermath, including City Hall, Dublin Castle, St. Stephen’s Green, Four Courts, North King Street and the GPO. Hear the real stories of people behind the Rising including the struggle of the female leaders and the tearful words of Nora Connolly’s last goodbye to her father James.

1916 is undoubtedly the most renowned period in our country’s history. As it approaches the centenary of the week that led to the birth of the Irish State, people are looking to find out more about the events surrounding the Rising, any possible family connections to what went on and the experiences of the men and women who fought at the GPO and other landmark sites. Dublin Bus’ 1916 Tour Bus is a welcome addition to the commercial services the company already has in place and promises an accurate and convincing portrayal of the rebellion to Dubliners and those coming from further afield’.  

Year 2016 is a year of great celebration in this Capital City and The 1916 Tour - Beyond Barricades would be the perfect addition to its Sightseeing Tours offering. The tour guarantees historical accuracy from script to costumes, on board a specially designed bus that transports you back to 1916 from the get go. ANU Productions, specialists in historical dramas, were a natural choice to help set this tour apart from other 1916 tours.

Tours takes place daily and the tickets are priced at  €25 for adults. Special rates for children , family tickets and senior citizens are available.

10 things to do in New Zealand!

Bollywood actor Sidharth Malhotra has been sharing his love for New Zealand ever since he was appointed the Tourism New Zealand brand ambassador for India.  Here's what he did when he visited New Zealand...

Skywalk
This is the most magnificent bird’s eye view of the gorgeous Auckland city. It takes place 192 metres above Auckland City whereby visitors walk the circumference of Auckland’s famous Sky Tower. The Sky Tower stands tall at 328 metres in the heart of Auckland and is the tallest building in the southern hemisphere.

Having fun on the Sky tower

Sky Dive
The free fall at NZone Skydive center in Queenstown is known as one of the best and safest places in the world to try this adrenaline-pumping adventure sport. NZONE has been offering tandem skydiving in Queenstown since 1990. Having jumped over 250,000 customers’ to date, NZONE is New Zealand’s most experienced Tandem Skydive Company.

Diving
Sidharth found his calm as he cut himself from this world and dived deep into the heart of the ocean. A whole new world opened its doors to him under the surface of the water. The corals and tiny, colorful sea creatures make one admire the wonders of nature. New Zealand’s Poor Knights Island region with Dive Tutukaka is one of the top 10 diving destinations in the world! The region has the largest sea cave of the world and is home to the only living dinosaur species; the Tuatara

Sidhharth is greeted in Maori way by Bill

Haka Dance
The Haka is a type of ancient Māori war dance traditionally used on the battlefield, as well as when groups came together in peace. Haka is a fierce display of a tribe's pride, strength and unity. Actions include violent foot-stamping, tongue protrusions and rhythmic body slapping to accompany a loud chant. The words of a Haka often poetically describe ancestors and events in the tribe's history.
Each country has its own form of local culture in which music and dance are important elements of entertainment. Similarly in New Zealand, the Māori people are known for the ‘Haka’, a war dance that is not only a challenge to opponents, but also a mark of respect. 

Hot air ballooning
Another must do is sunrise hot air balloon ride in Queenstown.  This ride offers panoramic views of Queenstown and its surroundings such as "The Hobbit" filming locations, Southern Alps, Lake Wakatipu, and The Remarkables mountain range. The balloon rises to altitudes of over 6000ft and drifts with the breeze.

Sidharth playing cricket with Stephen as the wicketkeeper

Weta workshop
A die-hard fan of sci-fi movies and fantasy films, how can Sidharth forget to mention the enchanting Weta Workshop where all the legendary characters come alive? In fact, Sidharth had an opportunity to actually dress up like an elf warrior.  
The Weta Team brought The Lord of The Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit Trilogy to life and helped put New Zealand on the map as a film tourism destination. The team at Weta has won 36 awards including 5 Oscars and 4 BAFTAS. The Weta Cave Workshop Tour is a movie based visitor experience in the heart of Miramar, Wellington. A 45 minute guided tour starts and finishes in the famous Weta Cave and provides a unique behind-the-scenes glimpse into the workings of Weta Workshop. 

Onsen hot pools
Onsen Hot Pools is located high on a cliff-side overlooking the magnificent Shotover River canyon, providing views over breath-taking alpine scenery and the perfect vantage point to watch the Shotover Jetboats on the river below. Onsen Hot Pools are Queenstown’s only indoor/outdoor hot pools and with the push of a button the front wall and roof retract to reveal incredible views. The pools are filled with a mixture of mountain spring water, rain water, and lake water.

Get inked
One of his impulsive decisions was to get a temporary Maori tattoo done. It was a fun experience and Sidharth believes that it helped him get closer to the local culture. 

Sidharth gets a Maori tattoo from renowned tattoo artist Steve Maddok

Barbeque picnic
What can be better way than to spend a lazy holiday afternoon to hog on scrumptious fresh sea food while you lay in the sun sipping one of the world’s finest wines. According to Sidharth a riverside barbeque lunch with your buddies is a one of a kind experience. 
With more than 14,000 kilometers of coastline, New Zealand is home to some amazing seafood while the country’s wine is known for its purity, vitality and flavor. 

Visit to Tane Mahuta
Last but not the least, one of Sidharth’s most memorable experiences in New Zealand is his visit to Tane Mahuta, a 2000 year old tree that is known as The Lord of the Forest. He suggests his friends to experience the peace and serenity that the forest has to offer. This is the largest Kauri tree in the world. 

Cardiff tasting tours on the menu

What’s more scary? The world’s fastest zip wire or tasting laverbread?

Year 2016 is the Year of Adventure in Wales and people are being asked to “find your epic”. Well, how about “finding your epicurean” adventure on one of Loving Welsh Food’s Cardiff Tasting Tours? The tours run every Friday*, re-starting this year from January 15 to November 25, 2016 and include plenty of walking (to work up a good appetite) and some delicious tasters.

The aim of the tour is to enable guests to visit the capital city and enjoy the different foods on offer. There’s a strong emphasis obviously on Welsh food, but the cosmopolitan city of Cardiff has a thriving food scene - ethnic and continental foods, traditional and street markets and festivals. The tastings include charcuterie, cheeses, Welsh beverages, cockles & laverbread (seaweed) and more. 

“All the guests like the variety, trying new dishes and discovering the best places to eat, drink and shop” says Sian B Roberts from Loving Welsh Food. “Conor and Rachael from RIT Vacations in Canada were on their first visit to Wales recently. Conor wasn’t sure which was the most frightening – the zipwire in North Wales or trying the laverbread on our tour!  Rachel, who loves all kinds of fish and seafood, was a big fan. Conor - not as keen! He said the Brains beer tastings just before visiting the market, helped him face the challenge!  

As well as trying different foods, we walk past key landmarks during the tour, including Cardiff Castle, Bute Park, the majestic Civic Centre, the stunning Victorian Arcades and Principality Stadium ‘the home of Welsh rugby’.   According to Sian “It’s not just visitors that come on the tour.  People who have lived in Cardiff for years enjoy re discovering the city and seeing the city from a tourist’s point of view”.  Jenny Yeo joined us in November. “Stunning Autumn colours reminded me of the many facets our Capital city has to offer, Sian was a knowledgeable guide and I learnt much about Cardiff despite having lived here for 35 years”. 

*except from Friday 26, February due to Rugby International Day

The tours start at 10:30am at Cardiff Castle and end at 14:30pm. Cost is £30 per adult, £12.50 per child and includes all tastings and guide. 

Private tours can also be arranged. Tours are also available in Welsh, French, Italian, Spanish and German. For more details, contact Sian B Roberts at sian@lovingwelshfood.uk.

Only in Wales: 16 weird and wonderful things to do in 2016

1. Learn Welsh
Welsh is a Celtic language, and one of the oldest languages in Europe, spoken by an estimated 560,000 people in Wales. Learn some Cymraeg at Nant Gwrtheyrn, a heritage centre on North Wales' beautiful Llˆyn Peninsula. Gwych! (Excellent!)

2. Visit a castle
There are more than 600 castles in Wales: more per square mile than anywhere else in the world. For fairy tale turrets, head north of Cardiff to 19th-century Castell Coch.

The historic Harlech Castle in Cardigan Bay, Mid Wales, saw the longest siege in British history from 1461-1468, while in North Wales, visit opulent neo-Norman Penrhyn Castle and see a one-tonne slate bed that was made for Queen Victoria.

3. Trampoline in a slate mine
At Bounce Below you can unleash your inner child on giant trampolines, walkways, slides and tunnels made of netting in a 176-year old disused cavern. Intrigued? There's only one way to satisfy your curiosity.

4. Experiment with seaweed
Laverbread, made from seaweed found clinging to rocks, is a crucial component of ‘the full Welsh breakfast', along with bacon and cockles. Try the Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company's ‘Welshman's Caviar', a dried version they serve in burgers at beachside shack, Café Môr in south-west Wales. For something stronger, sip Dà Mhìle seaweed gin available at stores across Wales.
5. Be dazzled by beauty
The UK's first designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) was the Gower Peninsula in south-west Wales, which marks 60 years as an AONB in 2016. Visit Rhossili Beach, which came third in TripAdvisor's Top Ten Beaches in the World in 2013 and continues to scoop awards. And, when the tide's out, walk to Worm's Head to spot seals and seabirds aplenty.

6. Make an appointment with the Doctor
The Doctor Who Experience at Cardiff Bay, a stone's throw from BBC studios where the series is filmed, takes visitors on a hair-raising interactive journey through 50 years of adventures in space and time, virtually accompanied by none other than Peter Capaldi as the Time Lord. You can also book to see the genuine TARDIS used in filming.

7. Walk this Wales
The first country to offer a dedicated footpath around its coastline, the Wales Coast Path is 870 miles (1,400 km) of varied and beautiful landscape. Add Offa's Dyke, a path along the Welsh-English border, and you circumnavigate the entire country. Or just dip in wherever you please: the Pembrokeshire Coast Path in south-west Wales is particularly picturesque, or you can spot dolphins from the Ceredigion sections in Mid Wales.

8. Pray for rain
Then be in the right place to enjoy it. Waterfall Country in the Brecon Beacons is especially fun following a downpour. Don't miss Sgwd Henrhyd, which featured in The Dark Knight Rises as the entrance to the Batcave; walk behind a curtain of water and hear the roar as it thunders down.

9. Don't sleep; birdwatch
Just off the coast of Pembrokeshire, west Wales, Skomer Island is unlike anywhere on earth. Stay there in July and hear the incredible night-time symphony of thousands of Manx shearwater birds returning to the island after hunting. In autumn, watch Atlantic grey seals make their way home to give birth, and coo over cute puffins from May to July.

10. Catch some waves inland
The very first of its kind, Surf Snowdonia is an inland lagoon, set in the picture-perfect Conwy Valley in North Wales. Add a two-metre wave peeling over the surface for more than 150 metres and you have a surfers' dream! Enjoy the thrill of the surf whether you're a beginner or a hardened wave-junkie; open from spring 2016.

11. Listen to Welshmen
Wales started the trend of singing an anthem before a sporting match - doing so first in 1905 when Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau was sung at rugby games. The Welsh male voice choir tradition holds strong and there are concerts all over the country throughout the year. Stay at Llangoed Hall, Mid Wales, over Christmas and be treated to carols by the local Male Voice Choir.

12. Race a horse
In 1980, Britain's smallest town, Llanwrtyd Wells in Mid Wales, decided to stage its first Man vs. Horse contest. Now well known for its regular staging of wacky events and the biennial World Alternative Games, visit in 2016 to take part in Wife Carrying, Bog Snorkelling, Stiletto Racing and more!

13. Cwtch in a cupboard
Cwtch is one of Wales' favourite words, roughly equivalent to a cuddle (i.e. ‘give us a cwtch') and also meaning a cupboard or cubbyhole. Which is why it's doubly fun that you can ‘cwtch in a cwtch' at Wonderfully Wild's glamourous lodges in gorgeous Anglesey, north Wales. Sleeping up to six across three bedrooms, the lodges all feature a cosy cupboard in which a double bed is neatly installed!

14. Go to the best book, food, music and... Elvis festival
Wales really likes to celebrate, be it writers and great literature at the Hay Festival, Mid Wales, all things edible at the Abergavenny Food Festival, Mid Wales, or music and dancing in fantastical Portmeirion, north Wales, at Festival No. 6. But an event to clear your calendar for has to be the Elvis Festival in Porthcawl, south Wales, an annual celebration of The King - and the biggest of its kind in the world.

15. Tick off 200 listed buildings
Conwy in north Wales is one of the best preserved medieval fortified towns in the whole of Britain, with more than 200 listed buildings that date from the 14th to the 18th centuries including the splendid Conwy Castle. It's also home to Britain's smallest house, which measures just 10 ft. x 6 ft. 

16. Pronounce this
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch on Anglesey, north Wales, boasts the longest place name in Europe and the second longest in the world. It means ‘Saint Mary's Church in the hollow of the white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio of the red cave', but most people stick to Llanfairpwll. The longer form is an early example of a publicity stunt - it was invented in the 1860s and has been drawing in visitors ever since.

Move over Oktoberfest, Stuttgart Beer Festival is here

Everyone knows about the Oktoberfest beer festival that takes place in Munich every year. But a little-known beer festival that is held in Stuttgart annually is where the spotlight is likely to be now.

Stuttgart's traditional festival is one of the biggest in the world. Held from September 23 to October 9, 2016, the Cannstatter Wasen is held on a 37-hectare site on the banks of the Neckar. Oh, and its free entry!
 

For 17 days, visitors from many different nations and generations will laugh, sing and make merry in the exuberant atmosphere of the Cannstatt Beer Festival. Around four million people from all corners of the globe visit the 'wasen' which translates to festival in English. 

The original harvest festival has developed into a popular public celebration with an international impact. On the last Friday in September the seven beer tents, the two wine tents and the Alpine Village will open their doors to the public and the fairground rides will get under way. 

Round about the Fruit Column, the historic symbol of the traditional festival, 330 showmen, hosts and stallholders have a wide variety on offer. A double-looping roller coaster, autoscooters or Chair-O-Planes: modern attractions or old favourites – they're all here at the Wasen. In the festival tents hearty dishes such as grilled knuckle of pork, fried steak or Swabian 'Maultaschen' (filled pasta) are served to go with the mugs of beer.

The first festival on the Cannstatter Wasen was held 198 years ago. Originally the idea of King Wilhelm I of Württemberg and his consort, Queen Katharina, it began as a combination of a festival for the general public and an agricultural fair, with horse racing and prizes awarded for cattle breeding, and was intended to aid the recovery of Württemberg's battered economy in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars.

The very first Stuttgart Beer Festival opened on 28th September 1818, the day after the king's 36th birthday. The fact that 2015 is the 170th and not the 197th anniversary of this merry traditional festival is easily explained: by order of King Karl, the Wasen was held only biennially from 1882 onwards, and this continued up to the king's death in 1891. This, along with the repercussions of the two World Wars, resulted in Stuttgart having to go without its festival for 28 years in all.

Festival opening times:
Monday to Thursday: 12 noon to 11pm
Friday and prior to public holidays: 12noon to midnight
Saturday: 11 am to midnight
Sunday and public holidays: 11 am to 11 pm

Facts:
Total seats: 35.000
Festival tents: 7 beer tents, 2 wine tent, an Alpine Village

7 hot facts about Iceland

If the thought of Iceland conjures up visions of a dull, frozen expanse, think again. Hot springs, colourful skies, delightful contrasts and lush green valleys punctuated by milky waterfalls are characteristic to Iceland. 

You’re sure to catch a glimpse of some of Iceland’s wonders as it makes it to the big league of Bollywood alongside Sharukh Khan and Kajol in Dilwale in the song Gerua and he chose Iceland based on its incredibly majestic appearance. 

There are more wonders to this Nordic superstar than the astounding black and blue landscape that forms the dramatic backdrop to a large portion of Gerua. 

Iceland is one of the world’s great stages for Northern Lights
Who wouldn’t be bedazzled by the sight of a night sky coming alive with colour? Iceland offers you a good chance to view one of nature’s most specatular shows in action – the northern lights or aurora borealis. 

Iceland is home to one of the world’s bewitching black sand beaches
Vik (or Vík í Mýrdal) at the extreme South of Iceland, is often been referred to as one of the most beautiful places on earth. Its dramatic beauty emerges from its vast stretches of basalt sand. Away from the coast, stacks of basalt rock have been lent texture and jagged edges because of the ocean sweeping constantly against them, Vik lies in close proximity to the Katla volcano which has not erupted since 1918.

Hot springs offer you a mineral-rich respite during the cold
The Blue Lagoon is Iceland’s most famous hot spring. Other notable geysers (as they are also called) include Reykjadalur which is right near the capital Reykjavík – it involves a little bit of a hike. Seljavallalaug is also near Reykjavík and offers you the added incentive of absolutely stunning surroundings. 

Grjótagjá is a long distance from the capital and closer to the north of Iceland but it offers the distinction of a hot spring experience in a cave.
You can also enjoy a swim in hell if you like… at Víti, meaning hell, in Askja. It is quite a trek up through pumice beds, ash sand and old lava and when you finally arrive at the edge of the crater that forms Viti, it genuinely looks like Lucifer’s own steaming cauldron with its steaming surface and sulfuric gases. 

Iceland’s thundering waterfalls will ‘let you in’
At 60 metres tall, Seljalandsfoss is overpowering and indomitable. But, it turns out that you can scramble behind the plume to find a beautiful cave adorned with hundreds of little flowers (saxifrages to be precise) blooming amidst a carpets of moss and curtains of ferns. The sight of the ocean through the watery veil is sure to give you goosebumps.

There’s a birdy dance on in Mývatn
Mývatn is a lake formed by a massive volcanic eruption that took place 2300 years ago. Besides its stark, beautiful volcanic landscape, Mývatn is a bird-lover’s haven (in the summer) and comes alive with over 100 species of water birds. 

Folklore has it that that the elves reside in Borgarfjörður Eystri
One of Iceland’s captivating local legends states that the Queen of the elves lives in the charming little town of Borgarfjörður Eystri. It is easy to believe when you see the gravity-defying positioning of the rocks in Dyrfjöll, here. Hvítserkur resembles a dinosaur frozen to stone half-way through a drink of water. 

You can watch the midnight sun in Iceland
The trip to Grímsey rewards you with a double-whammy: you will be crossing over to the Artic Circle and will catch the midnight sun. It is a two-day road or boat trip but is well worth the experience. You need to get to Akureyri and catch a plane or ferry here. Obviously, this one is time-bound: you need to travel between 15 June and July 1.

It’s a good place to have a (blue) whale of a time 
Skjálfandi is already beautiful with its fringe of mountains but most tourists make a beeline to this bay in order to see the whales between May and September. Mink whales, blue whales and humpback whales can be spotted fairly easily here. You might also catch sight of a dolphin. 

Pause, reflect and sip

Promoting the idea of taking a break and enjoying life, Pause Wines launched a portfolio of 14 varietals grown and blended in its vineyard in Dindori near Nasik. Pause Wines journey began in 2005 when Rajesh Patil, a gourmand, experimented with the idea of setting up a winery in Nashik. The goal was to offer a variety of custom-made wines suited to the Indian palette and ultimately spread the wine culture in the country.

In 2007, he started Pause Wines. Today, with over nine varietals, the wine-maker has built a portfolio that includes reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot and its award winning Shiraz, whites like Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc, as well as a Rosé – Pause Ruby Red, all which are currently available in Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka.

The winery
Pause vineyards are spread over 100 acres of fertile farmland in Dindori near Nasik. Located about 25 kms from the vineyards, the Pause winery has a capacity of 60,000 liters and can accommodate 10 wine varietals. It has a processing set-up with imported equipment from Italy for an authentic taste of wine.

Speaking about how he would set his wines apart in a growing market like India, Patil says, “We guarantee quality wines. Customers will get exactly what the label on the bottle says – with absolutely no mixing, which is currently a norm in India.” He adds that his vineyard also has access to fine quality grapes, a wide range of wine varietals, and in-house Vignerons and sommeliers on hand.

The strategy
Patil plans to reach out to hotels and restaurants apart from retail. “We are already talking to five-star hotels and fine-dining restaurants in metros and tier I cities. We already conduct training and tasting sessions with bartenders everywhere.”

It will soon expand to have presence in places like Delhi, Rajasthan, UP, Chandigarh, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh by next year. This includes tourist destinations like Agra and Khajuraho that gets a lot of international tourists. For now though, Pause Wines is busy preparing to a launch a sparkling wine and wine tours at its vineyard.

Speaking about his perspective on the Indian wine market, he says, “While wine is increasingly becoming popular, it is yet to become an integral part of Indian people’s regular lives. Countries like France have a consumption of three to five litres per  person, but India stands at a mere 0.2 mm per person. However, the aspirational middle class are setting in motion a routine shift in wine consumption ratio and drinking habits. We want to propel that growing trend of acceptance and make it more accessible to the diverse populations of India.”

Pause Wines wants to reach out to mature wine-drinkers who are already wine consumers as it is “difficult to cultivate new drinkers”.