Superflat exhibition
Interested in anime and manga? Then don’t miss "Murakami," an exhibition at Frankfurt’s Museum fur Moderne Kunst (modern art) running until Jan. 4.
Japanese artist Takashi Murakami was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. With the 1970s and ’80s Japanese anime as his initial influence, he developed a post-modern art style called "superflat" that uses flat planes of color and graphic images derived from comic characters. The museum is showing 130 of his works, which range from sculptures and pictures to videos.
The museum is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is 8 euros for adults, 4 euros for children (free on the last Saturday of the month). Find out more at www.mmk-frankfurt.de.
Jogging to see Barcelona
Combine your morning run and sightseeing in Barcelona, Spain, on a jogging tour with Sightjogging, a company that provides a running guide to take visitors to some of the most popular sites in the city. The only requirement is that participants can run one hour, the duration of the shortest tour (breathers for a few minutes are allowed). The tours begin between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. when the air is coolest and the traffic is lightest.
Eight organized routes are available, rated from easy to medium-difficult. They cover areas such as the Old Town, Las Ramblas and Montjuïc, or follow a theme such as "From Gothic to Gaudi."
Prices depend on the number of runners. One runner pays 70 euros, two pay 50 euros each, three pay 40 euros each and four pay 35 euros each.
Details at www.sightjogging-barcelona.co.
Best betsENGLAND: In 1215, King John allowed London to elect its own mayor. To show his loyalty to the Crown, the new official had to travel from the City of London to Westminster to pledge his allegiance. Today, that 1.3-mile journey has transformed into a colorful procession of pageantry aptly named the Lord Mayor’s Show.
More than 6,000 participants make up the international multicultural marching bands, floats and dance and theater groups making the trek that starts at 11 a.m. Saturday from the Mansion House. Among them is the Lord Mayor himself, riding in his golden coach that was built in 1757. Traveling down Cheapside to St. Paul’s Cathedral to the Royal Courts of Justice (where the Lord Mayor swears his allegiance), the procession returns to the city and ends with a 5 p.m. display of fireworks over the River Thames between Blackfriars and Waterloo bridges.
To learn more, go to the Web at www.lordmayorsshow.org.
Join the pack mentality this weekend at London’s Olympia exhibition halls as dog lovers unite for the annual Discover Dogs show. More than 200 breeds will be part of the program, showing off their talents in agility, movement to music, team displays, training, competitions and rescue and therapy work. In addition, 240 stalls will be offering everything from dog toys, food and clothes to kennel and working- dog information.
If you’re just considering getting a dog, you’ll find plenty of help in learning about responsible canine ownership.
The show is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Advance tickets cost 9.75 pounds (about $16.50) for adults, 6.50 pounds for children 5 to 15 years. Weekend tickets also are available at 17.40 pounds for adults, 10.85 pounds for children. Note: The show asks that you not take your own dog. Details at www.discoverdogs.org.uk.
GERMANY: Calling itself "among the 50 most important international film festivals worldwide," the competitive International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg runs through Nov. 16.
The work of new independent film stars (and screenings of old films) are organized in the categories of "International Competition," "International Discoveries," "Special Screenings," a section on 1960s and ’70s films focusing on the hippie community and Flower Power, "Festival of Children’s Films" and "Special Events." Films in the first two categories will have English subtitles, unless the film itself is in English, while those in the children’s category will be dubbed in German. Others will vary.
For the schedule of showings and special events, got to www.iffmh.de.
