#Sirena Tour

[iamwinklebottom]

“I spoke with Mother Water and she said there’s a time to be selfless and a time to be selfish. She said when opportunities come, pick wisely and to love yourself while making these divine decisions. She said there’s a lot that you know and there’s more to know. More knowledge is always on the horizon. Pay attention to days and nights.”

This is a channeled art piece that I finished quite a while ago, knowing I was channeling water, but not knowing I was channeling a specific aspect of it.

What’s callin out to you the most: shapes, colors, patterns?

I’m grateful for my connectivity and as I become more connected, my connectivity is grateful for me.

[mappinglasirena]

The Stairs Under the Bridge

If you've been following my blog for a while, you know that one of the many mysteries/points of discussion that come up repeatedly is: what is happening in the space under La Sirena's bridge? There's a door leading there from the mess hall and we see Picard walk through it in S01E06, "The Impossible Box", but we never find out what that space is being used as.

(At least, we don't know what its in-universe use is. We know from set plans that in the studio, the space apparently held the playback setup.)

We got a glimpse of a cross-section of the ship in the Blu-ray set tour, which has some impossible geometry happening under the bridge...

(That is not a proper floor and something is definitely clipping through it!)

... and if you remember my post from a while back, I speculated that the most likely explanation is that the model has an extendable ladder there, that would allow people to board/leave the ship by a means other than the loading ramp. This would fit with the early idea of the season 1 writers to have Picard board La Sirena in a space port, rather than beam him on board while she's in orbit.

Well, a couple of weeks ago, we got confirmation that this is indeed what the production team originally intended.

Dave Blass, the production designer for PIC Seasons 2 and 3, tweetet some images showcasing a cross-section of the Sirena set/model:

As you can imagine, this gave me enormous joy (and a not too small amount of glee)! I have long insisted that the panorama windows, i.e. the exit the Motley Crew use to get off the ship once she crash-lands on Coppelius, don't really work as a proper access point to the ship. There is a three foot drop right inside the window the crew needs to bridge, no proper hatch, no ladders, etc. The only reason it makes for such a convenient exit is that Sirena is buried in a few metres of dirt, bringing the window level with the ground.

And indeed, La Sirena has, or at least was originally intended to have, a proper access to the front of the ship, one with a ladder and hatch and everything! And it's located in the mysterious space under the bridge!

But, me being me, this schematic also immediately raised a question: Isn't that ladder a bit too short?

If you remember this post, it seems like one of the changes made during Sirena's design process was that the wings were dropped quite a significant amount. Where the early concept art has the ship sitting fairly low to the ground, she is raised much higher when she reaches her final form.

Essentially, we went from a configuration that might have looked something like the version on the top to the actual model on the bottom:

This change increased the ship's clearance significantly.

For the non-imperial-measuring among us, the height of the ladder given in the schematic shared by Blass, 14' 10 1/2", translates to about 4.8m. However, when you line up the orthogonal view of the ship with the cross section, the length of the ladder is not really enough to reach the ground once the ship has landed.

(The green line indicates the bottom of the stairs.)

There is some speculation that maybe Sirena can fold up her nacelles for landing, and that might be true. There are rooms extending into the wings that would end up at an odd angle, but I suppose with artificial gravity, anything is possible -- if somewhat unlikely.

Still, if we presume Sirena's wings are rigid in general, the distance from the tarmac to the belly of the ship (here: the stage floor in the schematic) is a bit larger than 4.8m.

I wanted to adapt the ladder accordingly, but getting good measurements by converting between feet, pixels, and metres is a bit of a hassle. So instead, I simply used the measurements already on the schematic and extended the ladder so that the ship's clearance would be 5.5m or around 18ft.

This brings the total length of the ladder to about 21ft or 6.5m, and overlaid on the orthogonal ship view, it looks like this:

(The green line once again indicates the bottom of the stairs.)

As you can see, this length requires for the outer engines to fold up a little bit and would have the lowest point of the nacelles basically sitting on the ground. I personally think that would make a lot of sense, and in season 2 we did see that the outer engine pods are on hinges and can definitely fold down.

(It's subtle, but they do move back into their resting position towards the end of the gif.)

It was never confirmed that the engings can fold farther up as well, but looking at how they're attached, I think it makes sense that they could.

Now, in the adjusted S1 concept art of Sirena at the space port, the outer engines are in their normal positions and the wings are actually fully off the ground, with the ship resting on extended landing gear:

So, my extended ladder is the absolute minimum length needed to account for the dropped wings. In all likelihood the ladder would have to be even longer than that, because the clearance would be over 5.5m.

One thing that playing around with all of these views and measurements made me realize, though, is that La Sirena is quite a bit larger than I usually picture her. I have this realization about once every two or three months, so to make it easier to internalize, I asked the wonderful @regionalpancake to assist me.

Google helpfully suggests that 5.5m / 18ft is about half the size of a telephone pole or of three Michael Jordan's standing on each other's shoulders. It is also the size of...

... one average adult giraffe. (This is more or less helpful, depending on when you last went to the zoo, but I really enjoyed that as a visual aide.)

And because Regionalpancake is a good sport (and extremely proficient at adding animals to La Sirena), she also gave me this second edit:

(She also helpfully removed the spacedock workers who were a little to tall in comparison to Sirena. Hopefully, the friendly Averagely-Sized Adult Giraffe will make the ship's real dimensions slightly easier to gauge.)

So, now we have an idea of what might lurk beneath La Sirena's bridge!

I imagine in-universe, there is more stuff stashed under there than just the stairs, though. Perhaps the space gives easier access to the phaser banks in the nose of the ship, or to some other flight control or power distribution machinery. And there's still the question of why Picard, after a very emotionally draining conversation, chooses to head into this space rather than going straight upstairs to his cabin or to his study on the holodeck. (Yes, I know the Doylist answer is because it was the more dramatically satisfying blocking/staging choice, but on this blog, we like to dig for Watsonian explanations, too!)

My personal guess is still that there's some communal washroom down there, because those have to be somewhere on the ship, and that space would actually make sense, being in such close proximity to the bridge and mess hall.

But, since we never saw any of it on screen (and won't ever see La Sirena on screen again), I guess the space under the bridge will always remain a canonical mystery -- and thus available for any interpretation your writing /mapping/ headcanon might require ;)

[graciedaily]

ERAS TOUR OUTFIT DETAILS: Los Angeles, CA Night 4 (08/07/23)

Orseund Iris La Sirena Top: $295 SHOP

[avengersfluff02]

Masterlist (add to it later)

MARVEL:

Steve (haven’t seen The First Avenger):

Bucky (same as Steve; haven’t seen FATWS):

Tony (haven’t seen Iron Man 3):

Clint:

Natasha:

Wanda (haven’t seen MOM):

Pietro:

Peter P (haven’t second half of second slo movie and haven’t seen third solo movie, and haven’t seen What If):

Yelena:

Cast:

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STARKID: (add characters and actors later)

Little White Lie:

AVPM (not seen)

Me and My Dick:

AVPS:

Starship:

SPACE tour:

Holy Musical Batman:

Apocalyptour: 1

AVPSY (not seen):

Twisted:

Ani (haven’t seen):

Trail to Oregon:

Firebringer:

The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals:

Starkid Homecoming:

Black Friday:

VHS Christmas Carol:

Nightmare Time 1 (have seen Witch in the Web):

Nightmare Time 2 (have seen Abstinence Camp, and Killer Track):

Jangle Ball Tour:

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Tin Can Brothers:

Flop Stoppers (haven’t seen it):

Spies Are Forever:

Solve it Squad (haven’t seen it):

Wayward Guide for the Untrained Eye (haven’t seen it):

This Could Be on Broadway (haven’t seen it):

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Shipwrecked Comedy

Edgar Allen Poe’s Murder Mystery Dinner Party (haven’t seen it):

The Case of the Gilded Lily (haven’t seen it):

Headless: A Sleepy Hollow Story (saw first episode):

Unsolved Babesteries (haven’t seen it):

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House of the Dragon (add characters after and cast?)

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Game of Thrones (add characters after and cast) (I have only 3 more episodes of season 8 left...)

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We Are The Tigers (add characters after and cast)

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Heathers (movie/musical) (add characters after and cast)

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Pretty Little Liars (add characters after and cast) (seen season 1)

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Supernatural (been jumping around, but seen most of the series, and saw season 15) (add more characters and the cast later)

Dean:

Sam:

Cas:

Jack:

Gabriel:

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H2O: Just Add Water (I know all the lore, but have only seen season 1 so far)

Cleo:

Emma:

Rikki:

Bella:

Claire Holt:

Cariba Heine:

Phoebe Tonkin:

Indiana Evans:

Others that you want:

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Mako Mermaids (Mako Island of Secrets) (I know all the lore, but am halfway through season 2 (on season 2, episode 9))

Lyla:

Nixie:

Sirena:

Zac:

Ondina:

Mimmi:

Evie:

Weilan:

Rita:

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Vampire Academy (2014 Movie)

Rosemarie "Rose" Hathaway:

Vasilisa "Lissa" Dragomir:

Dimitri Belikov:

Christian Ozera:

Mason Ashford:

Zoey Deutch:

Lucy Fry:

Danila Kozlovsky:

Dominic Sherwood:

Cameron Monaghan:

Sarah Hyland:

(Anyone else you want)

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Vampire Academy (2022 Peacock Series) (I have not watched the series yet)

Rosemarie "Rose" Hathaway:

Vasilisa "Lissa" Dragomir:

Dimitri Belikov:

Christian Ozera:

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Vampire Academy Book Series (2007 - 2010)

Vampire Academy

Rosemarie "Rose" Hathaway:

Vasilisa "Lissa" Dragomir:

Dimitri Belikov:

Christian Ozera:

Mason Ashford:

(anyone else)

Frostbite: (I will start reading Frostbite sometime this week)

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Other TV shows (that you request/I forgot to add)

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Other musicals (that you request/I forgot to add)

[darkhearthorns]

Sirena walks for the first time around the fairy forest, enchanted by every flower, tree and animal she meets, she is sometimes distracted by watching the butterflies but she must find the prince. She walks barefoot and slowly, her legs are not used to walking for so long but finally she sees him.

Sitting among the flowers, Maverick looked majestic, divine, with little fairies fluttering around him, she admired his horns from behind the tree where she watched him, the sunlight illuminated him, she did not want to disturb him, the prince looked serene.

But it was necessary to talk to him. "Ya look really magical... Odile told me I could find you here." The Siren whispered as she walked towards him slowly. "How have ya been?..."

At first, the prince was doing what he told he will do, which was being more down to earth and immersing himself with the fairfolk. Most of them were sweet and innocent, with very little discerning them from flowers and animals. The sunlight seemed to bless them for being in such harmony, and he never felt better. He was actually smiling, which was rarely seen when he was in the middle of a council meeting or walking around and doing rounds in the palace.

Sirena being here only made it better, and he patted the space beside her so sit instead of getting up. The small fae children flocked towards her, admiring the shells in her hair, the sparkle of her dress and earrings that Maverick got just for her, and they even matched her stares and were covering their eyes and giggled loudly.

Why were they covering their eyes? Because the Dark Prince had leaned over and kissed the siren's cheeks. "Greetings, my beautiful Selene. I'm happy you've joined us, just in time for the fancy tea party. I see you're getting a crown being made..." he pointed at the three small fairies that worked together to make a halo out of blue, purple, and yellow flowers of the pea plant.

"Now you're the one who looks magical. Did you just come from the palace? How did you think of my home? I should have given you a personal tour but when I didn't see you the next morning, I came here." He placed the crown on her head, daintily fixing it, "did you go for a swim then?"

@mere-lullaby

[lavander-yarn]

🦋 hello Ferrrrr<3 I hope you are doing well !! I miss you !! for the music ask : 2,8,9,11,14,17,22,30 🦋

Hi Chuck!! The weekend was hard, but I'm back to the tracks. How are you doing/feeling? I really miss you too :( but I'm glad we can talk from time to time 🦋🖤💚💜

Ok, let's get started

2. an album you wish you could hear again for the first time: Mellon collie and the infinite sadness 🌠🌌 that was really magic

8. name an artist/band that isn't touring at the moment who you'd really like to see in concert: my bloody valentine, deafness is worth the experience (that's what people say)

9. name a musician who is no longer living who you wish you could see in concert: Elliott Smith

11. what's a song that your favorite band doesn't perform live, but you really wish they would? The pumpkins never perform their Gish songs, or adore songs (besides the singles), and it's too much to ask if James Iha sings one of his songs. Meh

14. is there any band/musician who you really strongly dislike? if so, why? I HATE MUSE, what kind of music is that?? When I worked at the coffee shop, one of my worst ex coworkers loved them, and i hated him more for that

17. if you could go back in time and attend any artist/band's concert that you were unable to attend, who would it be and when? Cocteau twins in the late 80's, or i would choose lollapalooza '94, that's the good one right?

22. name a song that reminds you of one of your best memories: ohhhhhh there are a few ones, but I'm going to choose Norwegian wood by the Beatles, reminds me of my dad

30. name an album you really love that you haven't listened to in awhile: sirenas from the Mexican band division minúscula. Here, listen to one of the many beautiful love songs in my language ♡

Thank you!! 🦋💜💚🖤 Have a nice day/night 🖤💚💜

[regionalpancake]

✨Fanwork that has stuck with me✨

@thelaithlyworm wrote and recorded Big Gran’ma Energy - if I’m having a bad day I’ll curl up with this story and mentally join the La Sirena cuddle pile, it’s such a comfort to return to again and again. Also Una Viudita has the line “After a long, honey-sweet, honey-sticky time…” describing Rios and Agnes in bed and I think of this line almost every day when I add honey to my tea. Can’t say I mind ;)

@jazzfic wrote little cliches and the odd ills of the galaxy which has Agnes running up and down La Sirena’s stairs. If I’m in a rush at work, dashing up the stairs, I think of this fic! Can’t forget take your rest to the stars and those places unseen which is a wonderful visit to Picard’s chateau with the motley crew. I remember reading this with a glass of wine on a summer evening - and on summer evenings since I’ve remembered this fic fondly.

@curator-on-ao3 ’s The Light Before Dawn has some beautiful imagery - Chris in the warm light of his New York apartment window really left an impression on me. Sometimes when I’m driving home, I see the light in our kitchen window, and I think of this lovely story.

@song-spero has forever RUINED (affectionate) the Borg and xB’s for me. Canon has zero hope of living up to the nuance that song-spero lovingly gives the xB’s. Human (n.) is an all time favourite and now whenever I make myself jasmine tea I think of Hugh.

@moonxshape is responsible for making me unable to walk past cherries in the supermarket without daydreaming of B’Elanna - Treat Night is a sweet, fluffy, poly, tour de force!

@weimarweekly frequently hits me where I live - in the intersection of food, architecture, and found family and Things Elnor Knows To Be True changed my brain chemistry around photography with line “The image is of Seven, who is younger but less beautiful”. I think about her writing other times too, like the when my dyslexic ass used tablespoons instead of teaspoons of gochugaru and I created noodles so spicy that my husband described them as “delicious… after the pain goes away” and I immediately thought of Las Penas Con Pan Son Menos!

(Shoutout also to the extended ElnorBreadverse - I think of all those Elnor making flatbread references whenever I make pitta)

@asteriski created gorgeous fanart for my fic Bitter/Sweet showing Raffi sitting on the floor with Seven’s arms slung around her shoulders; and every time, EVERY TIME, I sit on the floor I think of that artwork (a frequent occurrence as I am a certified Can’t Sit Properly bi) I remember her messaging me saying about slouching in a chair at work to get the reference for Seven’s pose just right. Agh! 💕

@frogfrizz wrote The slow walk towards a better life which as well as being one of my favourite Saffi works ever, has ruined all Star Trek space battles for me! There’s a moment where Rios is chatting and suddenly there’s an explosion and the action and suspense is Just So Good. Now when a spaceship takes damage in an actual episode I always think “eh, it’s ok, but frogfizz did it better.”

When (inevitably) I grow too many courgettes I immediately think of @droids-in-disguise ’s DS9 fic Cucurbita pepo (before I make like Garak and inflict the glut on everyone I know)

@grissomesque has made it so that every time I see Tom Paris I think of J/P - this is a mighty feat achieved through utterly stunning fanvids

@the-goofball writes kink negotiation so well it warms my heart. A Stolen Moment in Time is a SG1 Sam/Janet fic that springs to mind when I see clothes pegs.

In 2020 @procrastinatorproject wrote Game Night and I made fanart for it. In 2023 she visited me for the second summer running- I have such happy memories of her standing in my art studio and choosing which cucumbers to pick for lunch. Kudos on that fic can’t show that! Fanwork interactions are so much more ✨

So grateful to all these fan creators! Hopefully this is a reminder that the little AO3 ‘❤️’ or even a comment doesn’t tell the whole picture of how much your work sinks into the fabric of other peoples lives.

Tagging anyone who reads this and would like to join in :)

To any fic writers who worry they are wasting their time... I read a fic for a relatively small and inactive fandom about three years ago. And there was one specific scene where a character watched another dancing like an idiot to a beyonce song and it was so sweet and loving that even now years later I have that song on one of my spotify playlist so every once in a while it will play and remind me of that fic, and every time it does I smile and feel a little happier.

The stats on a fic will never really tell you if your writing touched someone. There's no numerical way to show you what impact you made. Maybe you are wasting time, or maybe you are writing something that someone will remember for a long time, something that will never fail to make them smile.

[sevenstarae]

https://sirenasports.com/why-you-should-book-a-jet-ski-tour-in-abu-dhabi-sirena-water-sports/

[sukiatravel]

Experience Nature: Sirena Station Overnight Tour

Join the Sirena Station Overnight Tour for an unforgettable adventure in Costa Rica’s Corcovado National Park. Immerse yourself in lush rainforests, spot diverse wildlife, and enjoy guided hikes. This tour offers the perfect blend of relaxation and exploration, making it a must for nature lovers seeking a unique experience!

[bkale12]

Savor Virtually: Restaurant Tour Experience

Savour the experience before you even arrive with our virtual restaurant tour. Take a mouthwatering journey through our ambiance, decor, and culinary delights from the comfort of your screen. Discover the perfect setting for your next dining adventure, all with the click of a button.

[lamilanomagazine]

Cannes 77: Sorrentino in Concorso con Lanthimos, Coppola e Cronenberg

Cannes 77: Sorrentino in Concorso con Lanthimos, Coppola e Cronenberg. Cannes 77 si terrà dal 14 al 25 maggio e vedrà come presidente di giuria Greta Gerwig, regista di "Barbie". Il presidente del Festival Iris Knobloch e il delegato generale Thierry Frémaux hanno annunciato il programma che presenta Paolo Sorrentino in Concorso con il suo "Parthenope" insieme a nomi importantissimi del cinema mondiale come Yorgos Lanthimos, David Cronenberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Paul Schrader. Camille Cottin sarà la madrina delle cerimonie di apertura e chiusura. George Miller a Coppola, il ritorno dei grandi maestri americani Il festival vede anche altri grandi ritorni come quello di George Miller con l’atteso spinofff di Mad Max: Fury Road, Furiosa con protagonista Ana Taylor-Joy, ma soprattutto Francis Ford Coppola con il tormentato e molto atteso Megalopolis in concorso e il regista greco Yorgos Lanthimos che rinnova il sodalizio con Emma Stone e Willem Dafoe nel nuovo progetto Kinds of Kindness. Parthenope di Paolo Sorrentino Girato tra Napoli e Capri con una cast internazionale formato da Dario Aita, Celeste Dalla Porta, Silvia Degrandi, Isabella Ferrari, Lorenzo Gleijeses, Biagio Izzo, Marlon Joubert, Peppe Lanzetta, Nello Mascia, Gary Oldman, Silvio Orlando, Luisa Ranieri, Daniele Rienzo, Stefania Sandrelli e Alfonso Santagata. La trama: La vita di Partenope, che si chiama come la sua città, ma non è né una sirena, né un mito. Dal 1950, quando nasce, fino a oggi. Dentro di lei, tutto il lunghissimo repertorio dell’esistenza: la spensieratezza e il suo svenimento, la bellezza classica e il suo cambiamento inesorabile, gli amori inutili e quelli impossibili, i flirt stantii e le vertigini dei colpi di fulmine, i baci nelle notti di Capri, i lampi di felicità e i dolori persistenti, i padri veri e quelli inventati, la fine delle cose, i nuovi inizi. Gli altri, vissuti, osservati, amati, uomini e donne, le loro derive malinconiche, gli occhi un po’ avviliti, le impazienze, la perdita della speranza di poter ridere ancora una volta per un uomo distinto che inciampa e cade in una via del centro. Sempre in compagnia dello scorrere del tempo, questo fidanzato fedelissimo. E di Napoli, che ammalia, incanta, urla, ride e poi sa farti male. Il programma: Film d'apertura Le Deuxième Acte (Second Act) di Quentin Dupieux In concorso Megalopolis di Francis Ford Coppola The Apprentice di Ali Abbasi Motel Destino di Karim Ainouz Bird di Andrea Arnold Emilia Perez di Jacques Audiard Anora di Sean Baker The Shrouds di David Cronenberg The Substance di Coralie Fargeat Grand Tour di Miguel Gomes Marcello Mio di Christophe Honore Caught by the Tides (Feng Liu Yi Dai) di Jia Zhang-Ke All We Imagine as Light di Payal Kapadia Kinds of Kindness di Yorgos Lanthimos L’Amour Ouf di Gilles Lellouche Wild Diamond di Agathe Riedinger Oh Canada di Paul Schrader Limonov: The Ballad di Kirill Serebrennikov Parthenope di Paolo Sorrentino The Girl With the Needle di Magnus von Horn Fuori concorso Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga di George Miller Horizon, an American Saga di Kevin Costner (serie) She’s Got No Name di Chan Peter Ho-Sun Rumours di Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson, Guy Maddin... #notizie #news #breakingnews #cronaca #politica #eventi #sport #moda Read the full article

[destinationsomeplace]

Festivals in Puglia - Italy

Puglia, the land of the marvellous Trulli (traditional, dry stone dwellings with conical roofs), like all of Italy, loves festivals, and in Puglia, there is a whole range of festivals taking place every single year.  This article gives you the specifics on some of the festivals in  Puglia by month and location.  Dates and locations are approximate, so always confirm dates and timings with the local tourist office before you make firm plans.Due to Puglia’s great climate, the majority of festivals are outdoor proceedings and take place in the warm Summer months, and often focus on the twin Italian passions of food and religion.This post may contain affiliate links to things like hotels, tours or products.  These help us earn a small commission at no additional charge to you and help keep the lights on at Destination Someplace.

Festivals in Puglia

January

Lecce – Puccia dell’Ampa Festival:  In mid-January, the attractive town of Lecce takes an entire weekend to celebrate ‘Puccia dell’Ampa’, which is local wood baked bread, often stuffed with aged ricotta or pickles.  An excellent event for all the foodies out there. Putignano –Carnivale di Putignano: This is said to be one of the oldest carnivals in the world, this annual event is nothing short of spectacular, featuring processions of elaborate, allegorical floats featuring an array of over-the-top characters such as priests, nuns, widows, madmen and cuckolds. The festival officially starts on the 26th of December (but really gets into gear from January 17 th, with the feast of Sant'Antonio Abate, and finishes on Shove Tuesday.RESOURCES - PUGLIAAccommodation:  Booking.comActivities: ViatorFlights: SkyscannerTrains: Rail EuropeBus: FlixBusCar Hire: AutoEurope

February

Celenza Valfortore – Fest  della Pignata:  Puglia has a well-deserved reputation for being the best in seafood and this particular festival is dedicated to the eight-limbed mollusc - the octopus.

Flag throwing, often a part of festivals in Italy

March/April

Easter is a massive celebration throughout the whole of the Italian peninsula, and this is equally true for the festivals in Puglia:San Marco - “Fracchie” Procession: Taking place on Good Friday, the town of San Marco in the north of Puglia plays host to the ‘Fracchie’ procession, where the townsfolk split cone-shaped tree trunks in two and stuff them with kindling, splinters and dry branches, and turn them into enormous, fiery torches for a spectacular procession through the town and to illuminate the path of the Madonna.There are too many festivals celebrating Easter in the Puglia region to mention here, so if you do find yourself in this part of the world over the Easter period, be sure to check in with the local tourist office to see what other festivals are happening locally.Alongside the religious Easter celebrations, there are many other festivals in the region over this period including the ones below:Vieste – Festival of San Giorgio:  This festival celebrates the humble ‘frittato’, which is an omelette a little similar to the Spanish tortilla.Alberobello – Sagra dei Tarallucci e Vino: This festival, which usually takes place in late April, celebrates the traditional ‘taralli’,  ring-shaped biscuits – in either sweet or savoury variants and taken with wine.

Foodand wine = the pefect festivals

Where to stay in Puglia

Puglia (aka Apuglia) is a diverse and geographically long region, so there are many options for staying in the area.If you want to be near the beach, then the Hotel Sirena located near Peschici is a good option.Or if you head South, then the Signuria Dimora Esclusiva which is in the provincial capital of Lecce could be a great base.  If you are staying in Puglia for anything more than a few days, it may be worth considering booking two bases (North and South of the region) to minimise any long drives and make the most of Puglia.  As always we recommend Booking.com for maximum accommodation flexibility.

Summer: The Busiest Time For Festivals in Puglia

May

Bari – Festa di San Nicola:  This festival is in honour of Bari’s patron saint (who also happens to be the patron saint of sailors).  This very popular event is one of the key festivals in Puglia and draws visitors from around the world with flotillas of boats, parades and of course, the obligatory fireworks. Ortranto – Truffle Festival:  Yet another food festival, this time the focus is on that pungent, expensive and hard-to-find delicacy, the truffle.  No sniffer dogs (or pigs) are required for this festival, as the streets will have plenty of stalls dedicated to this delicacy.Leverano, Conversano, Turi and many other towns – Sagra della Ciliegia Ferrovia Festivals:  Taking place in many towns throughout Puglia in May and into June, the region celebrates the wonders of the unassuming cherry.  The town of Turi is the epicentre of this Cherry-Fest, as it is home to the most cultivated cherry in Italy, known as the ‘Railway Cherry’ due to it being originally found growing close to the railway tracks heading south-east towards Sammichele di Bari. 

Getting to Puglia 

Fly:  At the last look at flights started from £20 from destinations including the UK to the main airport in Puglia - Bari (also known as Karol Wojtyła Airport), although not all flights are direct.  We generally check with Skyscanner for flights and if you are flexible with your travel dates, use the 'search by month tool' to find the cheapest flights.Train: Train connections, like the rest of Italy, are generally good, especially between the major hubs. However getting to the smaller, out-of-the-way towns may not always be possible on trains. Use Rail Europe to search for trains in Puglia and Italy.Bus: The Flixbus service covers the main towns and also can get you from/return you to the main hubs of Bari and Brindisi.  Otherwise, the local bus services are also very good and inexpensive.  

How to get around Puglia

Puglia is a very long, thin region, so we often find the best way to travel is by car, especially if you want to catch some festivals in Puglia.  That way you have the option of travelling to the less well-known spots in Puglia such as appear in this guide.  If we hire a car we tend to use AutoEurope as our first choice as this website compares car rentals across Europe and further afield.If you planning to visit the main towns then local buses or trains as above will generally suffice.

June

Brindisi – Negroamaro Wine Festival:  Usually taking place in the first half of June (but it does vary, so check with the tourist board), this festival celebrates with streets lined with wine tasting stations (of course), street food and live music and dancing.Otranto - Festa San Pietro e Paolo: Featuring a series of events based around food (of course) and folklore, this festival combines fun and culture with great local food, and usually takes place towards the end of June.

July

Crispiano – Carnevale del Brigantino:  The Carnival of the Brigantino, takes place at the end of July (check locally for exact dates).  This festival features a masked procession that winds through the streets of the town, along with wine(of course), music art and local delicacies such as liver, sausage, snails and bread.

August

Felline – Sagra della Polpetta: This festival focuses on one of my Italian food favourites – Polpette! (also known as meatballs).Sannicandro di Bari – Orecchiette:  This small town pays tribute to the local Orecchiette pasta (literally ‘little ears’ because, well, that’s what they look like).Melpignano – Taranta Festival: Involving around 15 towns of the Lecce province this month-long festival of dance culminates with a grand finale in the town of Melpignano.  Featuring late-night dancing in the streets and piazzas until into the early hours celebrating the region's unique folk music and dance known as the "tarantella" or "pizzica", whose origins are centuries old, and believed to date from pagan times. One of the best-known festivals in Puglia.

Top Tips - Puglia 

Use Omio to compare buses versus trains, very useful.For Hotels including self-catering apartments we use Booking.com, where you can filter by review score and many properties have a pay later/late cancellation policy should your plans suddenly change.For travel insurance we use and recommend using  Staysure - specialists in over 50's travel insurance, as we have always found them fair and easy to deal with.   Check our resources page for more budget tips and discounts from our days in transit! 

September

Bari – Sammichele: The port town of Bari celebrates its local sausage speciality in this festival, culminating in a great feast with mozzarella and plenty of vino rosso.

October

Muro Leccese and Ortelle  - Maisle Celibrations:  Both these towns celebrate roast pork (maiale), a traditional dish for many generations, now used to create speciality dishes in many Puglian restaurants.Whenever and whichever festivals in Puglia take your fancy when you visit Puglia, always check dates and times with the local tourist boards when making your plans.  This is especially important due to the disruption over the last few years or so due to the Coronavirus pandemic. We endeavour to keep this list current and accurate, but it’s always best to check before dates and locations locally. Read the full article

[ginaraemitchell]

Mei's Mermaid Mission by Crystal Z. Lee | Spotlight #ChildrensPictureBook #MeisMermaidMission  #mermaidbooks #AsianMythology @iReadBookTours @crystal.z.lee 

Mei's Mermaid Mission by Crystal Z. Lee | Spotlight ~ Giveaway 2 Books, 1 Winner | #ChildrensPictureBook #MeisMermaidMission  #mermaidbooks #AsianMythology @iReadBookTours @crystal.z.lee  The mission of the Mermaids International Rescue Alliance (MIRA) is to guard the ocean and protect the sea creatures. There are many mermaid members in MIRA from all over Asia, such as Princess Hwangok (Korea), Roro (Indonesia), Jiao (China), Ningyo (Japan), Songkhla (Thailand), Duyung (Malaysia), Sovann Macha (Cambodia), Sirena (the Philippines), and Mei (Taiwan). Mei's Mermaid Mission is an exquisitely illustrated picture book that follows Mei as she travels all over the Asia Pacific region to gather the team of heroic mermaids in order to stop the pirate from polluting. Can Mei and the MIRA mermaids stop the pirate in time? Over twenty sea animals and over twenty locations in Asia are introduced in this story, as well as Asian mermaid mythologies in the book's backmatter. Children and adults will delight in this cultural story emphasizing empathy, friendship, collaboration, and environmental protection. Enter #giveaway for a chance to win! @crystal.z.lee @iReadBookTours @AcornsiReadBookTours

Mei’s Mermaid Mission by Crystal Z. Lee | Spotlight ~ Giveaway 2 Books, 1 Winner | #ChildrensPictureBook #MeisMermaidMission  #mermaidbooks #AsianMythology @iReadBookTours @crystal.z.lee  A book blog tour from iRead Book Tours. Thank you to the author, publisher, & Lauren at iRead for providing me with the information for this tour. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Book Details Quick Summary: Over twenty sea…

[silviascorcella]

Marco De Vincenzo p/e 2018: stile libero dentro un’estate siciliana

È questione di caparbietà a sapersi divertire con l’equilibrismo perfetto come fosse un piacevole trastullo giocoso: è una dote, semplicemente, quella di reggersi gloriosamente in bilico tra l’istinto puro che dalla profondità del cuore, come fosse un’incantevole voce di sirena, richiama alla necessità irrinunciabile di raccontare la propria creatività con l’arte della stoffa e dei materiali pregiati, e la contemporaneità del mondo fuori che esige sempre nuove forme di bellezza frettolosa. 

{photo backstage © shotbygio e Elle}

È questione di talento: intenso e caleidoscopico, sincero e per questo sempre più applaudito. Questa è la mischia caratteristica e imprescindibile di Marco De Vincenzo: che dalla sua vocazione sartoriale passa attraverso l’instancabile mente creativa e si trasferisce in forme d’eleganza sempre nuove, eppur sempre mirabilmente riconoscibili.

Forse forse…si potrebbe sospettare un lieve penchant squisitamente personale nella penna che sta tracciando questo ritratto: ed in parte è vero, grazie ad in incontro in un’esordiente intervista di svariati anni fa che, oltre ad essere un ricordo prezioso, è una riconferma felice di come l’essenza estetica e stilosa di Marco De Vincenzo muti nel tempo in nuovi racconti, senza mai osare diventare altro dalla fedeltà alle proprie passioni e al desiderio di sorprendersi. E di sorprendere: come accade felicemente nella collezione Primavera-Estate 2018!

Un carosello di creazioni sartoriali che nascono da un’ispirazione solo in apparenza rischiosa, ma che nella sostanza si è rivelata… una bellissima sorpresa, per l’appunto. La collezione sorge da un viaggio di ritorno a casa, in quella terra sicula che di Marco De Vincenzo è terra natìa, ma che nella moda è spesso fonte di citazionismi perigliosi: ma eccola la cifra stilistica che lo contraddistingue, qui la Sicilia non è macchietta da tour turistico pregno di folklore, bensì è la delicatezza di una miscela sensuale, di ricordi e piacevolezze intime, personalissime, che diventano una sorta di storia di un’estate siciliana trasognata e vissuta nelle percezioni piene, libera nei pensieri e nelle non-regole d’abbigliarsi, attraversata da guizzi per nulla retrogradi di memorie pop.

 Il tipico piglio colto, però, resta: nel pretesto che dà il titolo alla collezione, ovvero due fra i numerosi antichi nomi che l’isola ha ricevuto lungo la storia, Ultrapharum e Triskelion. 

Cosa farne? Di certo non c’è bisogno di accorrere a tomi antichi per approfondire le conoscenze storiografiche e mitologiche racchiuse nell’etimologia: bensì, basta divertirsi a vederli tramutarsi in caratteri pop assai vivaci che invadono le t-shirt, stampe dalle tinte psichedeliche che a loro volta diventano motivi grafici che sanno di clubbing e anche un po’ di Seventies, patch con l’emblema della Trinacria immerso nel glitter e applicato a mo’ di decoro sulla giacchetta in scuba o moltiplicato in sequenze optical. 

La collezione è dunque un omaggio alla sua Sicilia interiore, ai contrasti intensi che la rendono unica, a quegli stessi contrasti che della poetica stilistica di Marco De Vincenzo sono il segreto della sua sofisticata, perfetta imperfezione.

La cornice estiva che rievoca lunghe feste e nonchalance di guardaroba giustifica la levità dei tessuti fluidi, la camicia maschile sbottonata, i pantaloni che rivelano la caviglia e quelli che terminano in un’ampia corolla mentre scoprono l’ombelico: poi arriva l’amore per l’ornamentalismo, che arricchisce tale semplicità con dorsi di macramé, con ruches che profilano i cardigan morbidi e diventano balze nell’abito lungo, con quelle sue frange sottili e brevi, fitte fitte a pennellare gonne e abiti di tinte degradé e per questo assai chic proprio come i sandali -da quelli flat agli stiletto vertiginosi- che ne sono percorsi, con i bagliori del lurex per le maglie a mo’ di vestito e con la rete per i top. 

La dote dell’equilibrismo vien fuori anche nel saper bilanciare quel sentimento del colore, che Marco De Vincenzo usa come fosse un vero maestro d’arte, con un gesto d’affettività semplice condivisa: guardatele bene quelle borsette a mano, guardate l’immagine creata dai ricami, e divertitevi tutte con i richiami ai manifesti cinematografici dei grandi classici sempre imperdibili, da guardare nei cinema locali in una stellata notte d’estate siciliana.

Silvia Scorcella

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