Events
Fishy Tales Copenhagen HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN wrote a fairy tale about her, Disney produced a film and has a statue in her honour. The Little Mermaid who rescued a shipwrecked prince has captured many hearts, and fi rst appeared on the Danish shores in 1913. Sculptor Edward Eriksen designed the bronze statue and she sits [...]
Fishy Tales
Copenhagen
HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN wrote a fairy tale about her, Disney produced a film and has a statue in her honour. The Little Mermaid who rescued a shipwrecked prince has captured many hearts, and fi rst appeared on the Danish shores in 1913. Sculptor Edward Eriksen designed the bronze statue and she sits on a granite stone at Langelinie Pier, staring wistfully out to sea. Whether her prince will ever turn up has yet to be seen, but the crowds always do and many will gather on 23 August (www.visitcopenhagen.dk) to celebrate her birthday. This much-loved fi gure will be honoured with a huge water show, while well-wishers sing `Happy Birthday’ and release balloons. Join in the celebrations as she may soon be moved, for the 94-year-old has had some tough years. She has been decapitated twice, doused in paint seven times and had her arm sawn off. We may just fi nd that she takes matters into her own hands and as the tale goes, turns into foam and disappears into the sea forever.
August is the month for…Street parties
HOLD YOUR HANDS in the air and get ready to dance like you just don’t care, as a party is coming to the streets and waterways near you. Zurich grinds to a halt on 11 August, as half a million revellers pack the streets at the largest global open-air party (www.street-parade.ch) in the world. The highlight of Amsterdam’s Pride celebrations (www.amsterdamgaypride.nl) takes to the water on 4 August, as decorated barges and costumed dancers go along the city’s waterways. If you’re looking for a taste of the Caribbean, head to London on the bank holiday weekend of 26-27 August for the Notting Hill Carnival (www.nottinghillcarnival.org.uk). Started by Trinidadians, the two major features of carnival are Mas, the costumes and masquerade, and Soca, a colourful mixture of Soul and Calypso. The streets will be alive with dancing, so get down and boogie.
Also in the diary…
TRAVEL TO THE heart of Latin America in Brussels at the Fiesta Latina (www.fiestalatina.be), 18-19 August. The Place du Châtelain will vibrate with salsa rhythms and overflow with caipirinhas and mojitos. In contrast, the Kristiansand Festival (www.kirkefestspill.no), 23-26 August, brings together national and international musicians and composers from within the field of church music.
NUMBER CRUNCHER
3,000 PIPERS HAVE TAKEN around 12 months to learn the skills necessary to play the bagpipes and turn the nine notes in the piping scale into tunes. Bands of eight to 40 people will compete in the Piping Live Festival in Glasgow (www.pipinglive.com), 6-12 August, so be ready to do the Highland fling.
