2010 Passion PlayThe famous Oberammergau Passion Play — presented every 10 years in the southern German town — is scheduled to be performed on 102 days in 2010, with the first show on May 15.
According to its Web site, www.passionsspiele2010.de, the famous play was the result of a vow made by the townspeople after they had suffered through a plague and the destruction of the Thirty Year’s War. They promised to put on a "play of the suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ" every 10 years if they survived.
In a change for 2010, the first part of the performances will be 2:30 to 5 p.m. and the second part from 8 to 10:30 p.m. Previous performances had been in the mornings and afternoons.
Oberammergau is offering one-night packages for performances on Friday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, the price depending on the hotel category. It starts at 199 euros per person (about $275) and includes one night’s accommodation, lunch or brunch, dinner, shuttle to the play, admission ticket, program book and admission to the Oberammergau Museum. A two-night package is good for Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday performances. It begins at 275 euros per person and includes an additional night’s accommodation and dinner.
Tickets without the package run from 49.50 euros to 165 euros. The Web site includes a complete schedule and further details.
Tapestry exhibitionToday, tapestries are generally used as just wall decorations, but in earlier times in Europe they had additional purposes.
They were used to communicate legends and historical and religious stories; to provide privacy in the bedroom and protection from drafts; and to cover an officer’s tent while he was on a campaign. The Flemish were among those famous for their hand-woven works of art, with big centers in Brussels, Oudenaarde, Mechelen, Brugge and Tournai.
From Nov. 21 to March 29, the Kunsthal Sint-Peters in Ghent, Belgium, is showing an exhibition of these textiles from the 15th and 16th centuries, gathered from several Spanish collections (the Catholic Spanish kings favored them) and from St. Peter’s Abbey.
"Warfare" is the recurring theme of "Flemish Tapestries for the Dukes of Burgundy, Emperor Charles V and King Philip II," with highlighted tapestries including the 202 B.C. Battle at Zama with the Romans fighting the Carthaginians under Hannibal, and the 1535 plundering of Tunis.
The exhibition will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. Entry is 8 euros for adults, 6.75 euros for ages 19 to 25 and free for those under 18.
Details at www.gent.be/spa.
Best BetsBELGIUM: How creative can one be while making a scarecrow? Find out Saturday at Brussels’ Grand-Place when competitors raising money for charity stuff straw into a variety of imaginative creations and show them off on the square. The event starts at noon and winners will be announced after 7:30 p.m. For a look at previous entries, go to www.epouvantails.be (in French) and click on "Photos."
ENGLAND: Check out the world’s top 2009 bike brands before they come out on the market at this year’s Cycle 2008, a major bicycle trade show open to the public Friday through the weekend at London’s Earls Court. Many of the booths allow attendees to try out the newest equipment: the Volvo/Tirol Mountain Bike Test Track, the Commuter Test Track for folding bikes and the Kid’s Test Track. Exhibitors will be showing the latest in bikes, accessories, fashion and cycling holidays. The show is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets at the door cost 14 pounds for adults, 7 pounds for children ages 5 to 14 and free for those younger than 5. Details at www.cycleshow.co.uk.
FRANCE: The romantic Parisian district of Montmartre, site of the only remaining vineyard in the city, has been holding its annual Harvest Festival this week, celebrating its 75th year. The theme is "Montmartre fête son cinema" ("Montmartre Celebrates its Cinema") and the festival has been featuring short film screenings as well as exhibitions and art shows centered on film. Set up around the hill are stalls offering wine and traditional French foods from the country’s various regions. Saturday is a highlight day with a grand parade at 3 p.m. and fireworks at the Sacré Cœur, accompanied by a band playing music from well-known films. For the program, go to www.fetedesvendangesdemontmartre.com (in French).
NORWAY: The largest examples of the king crab are found in the Varanger region of Norway, the biggest measuring almost six feet from tip to tip and weighing almost 31 pounds. In celebration of this big exotic crustacean, Vard∅ holds the annual Polar Spectacular, or king crab festival, through the weekend. The guests of honor land up in the biggest crab wok in the world from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Concerts, exhibitions, tours of fishing boats and crab fishing and the Nordic championships in "sauna sitting" round out the rest of the weekend’s program. Details at www.polarspectacle.no.
— Jayne Traendly