walki-talki.com Travel Blog

“What’s your favorite city in Europe?”

We get that question a lot.

For some the debate might take hours: Do you go with an obvious jewel like London or Paris? Or perhaps a more discrete gem in the European crown like Heidelberg in Germany or Sintra in Portugal? What about a modern phoenix like Berlin or Barcelona? Not to mention Prague. And don’t even get me started on Italy.

Fortunately for me, however, the answer is simple: The best city in Europe is Edinburgh…in August.

August is Edinburgh is the time when the artistic universe aligns in the form of the Edinburgh Arts Festival. The festival is the largest in the world and is actually comprised of seven different festivals related to music, books, theater and the arts. For four weeks, the entire city is transformed into one giant arts venue where even the back of a taxi cab is liable to be the set of a roving one man show. The creative energy is contagious and you are guaranteed to see something amazing as Edinburgh attracts literally thousands of debuts acts from around the world. It is here the first stones are cast that will cause ripples throughout the art world for the rest of the year.

And the parties aren’t bad either.

Of course what makes the Arts Festival truly special is the setting itself. Edinburgh is a living museum that oozes with medieval architecture where the ghosts of Robert the Bruce, Robert Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson and countless others (not all named Robert) seem to roam at every wynd and cranny. The city is built along what’s called a crag and tail volcanic formation with a castle crowning the top of the rock. The main road leading up to the castle, known as the Royal Mile, is home to some of the earliest “high rise” residential buildings, built in the early 1500’s. After the castle and the Royal Mile, many first time visitors head to the area known as the grassmarket. This was once a large outdoor cattle market as well as the place where hangings, beheadings and all other manner of executions were carried out to the public’s satisfaction. Today the area is filled with pubs and restaurants.

Once you’ve had enough of the festival or are just looking for a break near the city, head to The Meadows, a large park near Edinburgh University and home to the worlds first golf course. Also near the city is the hill known as Arthur’s seat. This mini-mountain provides breathtaking views of the city and the Scottish coast.

For information about the main festival visit http://www.eif.co.uk/. For more alternative fare go to http://www.edfringe.com/ for info about the Fringe Festival, now the largest component of the seven-headed beast known as the Edinburgh Arts Festival.

Of course while you’re there, there’s no better way to get to know the city than by walking the walk with Walki-Talki’s Essential Edinburgh Walking Tour: http://walki-talki.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=33

Och-aye! See you there.

La Biennale di Venezia: Cinema. August 29 – September 8, 2007 Director: Marco Müller

The most preeminent film festivals in the world are the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, and the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy (linked above). How do you decide which to attend?

Cannes is a beautiful beach town, but the festival has associated with it a media feeding frenzy that is perhaps unbearable to most. Park City offers a spectacular natural setting for a festival, and Robert Redford has transformed the movie industry by creating the Sundance Film Festival as a showcase for independent filmmakers. However, many claim that the festival has lost its “independent edge”, and that, for example, the Toronto Film Festival offers a better variety and quality of films in North America.

This leaves, of course, the Venice Film Festival as the festival of choice because, frankly, few complain about it. And, if the lack of complaints is not incentive enough to visit the Venice Film Festival, consider the following. The Venice Film Festival is part of La Biennale, the biennial (the namesake) art festival in Venice. La Biennale is the biggest art festival in the world. It takes place over several months, and it covers every aspect of art: fine arts, design, architecture, dance, music, and film. Although each genre is fested at a different time, you are assured some overlap (art exhibit is from June 10 through November 21, 2007) and a dreamy setting to cleanse your palate between movies.

And, this year, there is a tribute to The Conformist, Bernardo Bertolucci. You can decide if you like him better for edgy films like The Conformist, the sex-laden movies like The Dreamers or Last Tango in Paris, or sentimental movies like The Last Emperor. It may be fun just contemplating.

And, if all of this is still not enough, then grab the walki-talki.com mp3 walking tour of Venice, and see Venice this year. It is a good time to visit.

Payam