Subscribe

Belgium: Brussels’ Affordable Art Fair offers the perfect opportunity to buy a piece of original contemporary European art that you thought you couldn’t manage financially. With prices between 100 and 5,000 euros, works from 80 galleries will be on sale Friday through Monday in the Tour & Taxis in Brussels. In addition to the exhibitions, the fair includes workshops, performances and children’s activities. It’s open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday. Tickets cost 13 euros for adults and are free for those younger than 18. The fair’s Web site is www.affordableartfair.be.

England: It’s not just time to dream about future vacations, it’s time to check out how to take them. The Destinations Holiday and Travel Show through the weekend at London’s Earls Court features the best in travel possibilities. Whether it’s a cooking school in Italy, hiking and biking in France or crossing Russia by train, you’re bound to find somewhere that fits into your vacation budget among more than 300 exhibitors. Celebrity speakers will share their experiences and there will be activities and entertainment from seven areas of the world: Asia and the Pacific, Africa and the Indian Ocean, Latin America, North America, Europe and the United Kingdom, the Caribbean and the Middle East. There also will be presentations on adventure travel. The fair is open 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Tickets cost 12 pounds for adults and are free for children 12 and younger. The show moves to Birmingham March 5-7. Find details at www.destinationsshow.com.

Italy: "Sensation: 6 Sense for 6 Sestieri" is this year’s theme for one of the most celebrated carnival festivals in the world, the Carnevale de Venezia. The events run through Feb. 16 and highlight the city’s six quarters. In addition to the sweeping schedule of masquerades, balls and dinners this week, Sunday features a water pageant and gastronomy festival in the Rio di Cannaregio at 11 a.m.; the annual Volo dell’Angelo (Angel Flight) from the Torre del Campanile at the Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square) at noon; and the Marie Parade, a historical procession at 2 p.m. that leaves from San Pietro di Castello church, arriving at 3 p.m. at St. Mark’s. For the full 10-day program, go to www.carnivalofvenice.com and www.carnevale.venezia.it.

Meanwhile, if you believe studies that say eating chocolate can improve your mood, there’s no better time to raise your spirits than at Florence’s annual Chocolate Fair, which runs through the weekend in Piazza Santa Croce. Start your visit with a gentle gymnastics lesson followed by bread and hot chocolate, or skip the exercise and head to the sampling area where more than 50 chocolate makers will be offering their wares. A photo show, installation of chocolate lamps, workshops and a simulated medieval joust also are on the program. The fair is open daily 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Entry is free.

Sign Up for Daily Headlines

Sign up to receive a daily email of today's top military news stories from Stars and Stripes and top news outlets from around the world.

Sign Up Now