Monthly Archives: December 2013

Where Will You Spend New Year’s Eve?

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There are several different ways to celebrating the coming of the New Year and every family does it differently. Most of us would be contented with simply sitting at home with the family and a glass of bucks fizz, or celebrating the countdown with friends at the local pub. However some of us are more adventurous, and like to spend the New Year off celebrating in a tropical location, or simply chilling on the other side of the world while sipping a cool cocktail. In readiness for the New Year we have put together a top five places to visit that host the best New Year’s parties worldwide.

5. Sydney – Australia

A country renowned for its beauty, Sydney in Australia puts on a fireworks performance that is like no other. The capital of Australia, which is famous for its Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House, offers a huge selection of parties, fair rides and nautical parades that ensures that there is something suited for every member of the family. Buy yourself a ticket to one of the Royal Botanic Gardens show, but hurry, because the spots sell out fast!

4. Cardiff – UK

Cardiff’s Flybe Winter Wonderland, the Christmas and New Year themed park, is open from the 14th November to the 5thJanuary, with an open air ice rink, a variety of different fairground rides and spectacular lights and fireworks displays on New Year’s Eve. Plus from 2013 Cardiff Winter Wonderland has opened a new traditional festive dining experience in the Alpine Village. German Beer and Bratwurst all around!

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3. Disney Theme Parks – Various

Widely known for their cheery celebrations and performances, a great place – especially for the kids – to spend New Year’s Eve is at one of Disney’s theme parks. Disney World in Orlando, Florida has a great variety of entertainment on, from Disney parades to the fantastic fireworks displays. Tokyo Disneyland is an extremely popular attraction on the 31st December, which is home to the special New Year’s Parade (Beginning at 11:30). Disneyland California is also celebrating the New Year with its “Ring in the New Year” fireworks spectacular.

2. London – UK

With the fantastic fireworks show illuminated by a backdrop that hosts spectacular sights such as Big Ben, the Tower Bridge and the London Eye, sometimes the best place to celebrate the New Year is closer to home than you think. Just be prepared to arrive early if you want a good spot seeing the festivities!

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1. Watching the Ball Drop; Times Square – New York (USA)

For over 100 years the huge disco ball has marked the final countdown into the New Year in New York, USA, and although several hundred other cities in America have adopted their own ‘ball drop’, New York still holds the prize for its significance. Arrive around lunchtime in the iconic New York taxi, or by hired car, as the streets will become extremely packed in order to follow the ball’s 70 foot journey down towards the New Year. When the moment finally arrives, confetti is released into the air, accompanied by the excited shouts and screams of attendees welcoming the New Year. An unforgettable experience!

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Merry Christmas From Penguin Car Hire – Christmas Trees

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It’s Christmas Day! And the turkey is ready and roasting in the oven, the children are busy playing with their stocking gifts and mum and dad are desperately trying to clean up the shredded wrapping paper lying all around. Maybe you are stuck in traffic, driving a hired car over to relatives to spend the day with them. Or perhaps you’re just starting off your day with a lazy breakfast of bubble and squeak from the meal the night before. Whatever festivities you and your family are enjoying on Christmas day, we have a very Christmas themed blog for you on this day to keep up with the Christmas Spirit!

Here is a short list of some of the most amazing documented Christmas trees from across the world, all in one place. Enjoy!

Largest Floating Christmas Tree

The Christmas Tree in Rio de Janeiro is an 85 metre metal cone that weighs a staggering 542 tonnes, and floats atop the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. It is decorated with a staggering 3.3 million Christmas lights, and Christmas doesn’t start in Rio until the Christmas Tree has been properly erected and lit up.

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World’s Biggest (to date) Christmas Tree

Lies in Gubbio, Italy. It is not a traditional ‘tree’ but is instead a tree decoration display situated on Mount Ingino, located above Gubbio. The ‘tree’ is 650 metres high and 350 metres wide, and can be seen from miles away. The shooting star at the tip of the ‘tree’ is made from over 25 lights and covers over 1,000 square metres.  The tradition of this hillside ‘tree’ has been going on for over 30 years, but this year the ‘tree’ has been the town’s biggest undertaking yet.

 

World’s Strangest Christmas Tree

There have been several competitors for this top spot, but the upside down Christmas tree is certainly worthy of the top spot, because it has all the aspects of a traditional tree, just turned on its head. The upside down Christmas tree is a great addition to any home, because it is also a space saving tree! 

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And one more, for those who really love sparing no expense at Christmas time…

World’s Most Expensive Christmas Tree

Located in the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, this tree has been decorated with over 180 items of jewellery and precious gemstones, and has been valued at 41,329,531 AED, which is approximately £6,975,880. The tree alone is worth over £6,000 but the majority of its wealth is accumulated through its furnishings.

Seeing the Northern Lights

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What is an Aurora really?

“Auroras occur when highly charged electrons from the solar wind interact with elements in the earth’s atmosphere” The colour of the aurora depends on the specific type of atom that is hit by the solar winds. The reason why the Auroras ‘dance’ is that they move along the atmospheric currents and follow the magnetic poles, which are called the ‘auroral ovals’.

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The winter months are the holiday season, the time of magic, and seeing the Northern Lights is always pretty high on the average person’s bucket list. Normally to see the Aurora you need to go north, but it may not be as far north as you think. With some careful planning and a little bit of luck, here are a few places you can get to, to see the Northern Lights, without having to empty out your bank account in order to do it.

Yellowknife in Canada

Why not go to the ‘northern lights capital of the world’, located in the North West of Canada? All you need is a starry night and you could be in with a chance of seeing the Aurora. Plus Yellowknife is known as the ‘diamond capital of the world’ as well. So there is no shortage of swanky shops. Take a taxi or hire a car in Yellowknife to be in the city centre in no time at all.

Ivalo in Finland

A place of beautiful scenery and fascinating wilderness and the hometown of expert Aurora Hunter; Andy Keen, who has several years of experience photographing Auroras, Ivalo is a great place to see the Northern Lights. He’ll take you out in search of the Aurora for £150, and with his expert knowledge in tracking Auroras, this could be invaluable if you have your heart set on seeing the Aurora.

Shetland in the UK

Surprisingly enough there is an ‘Aurora spotting’ location right in the UK. With the right latitude and closer to Norway than bigger cities like London, Shetland gets much less light pollution, so hunting for the Aurora is easier than expected if the conditions are right.

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Unfortunately the Northern Lights are a random occurrence, and so are unpredictable. You may not be lucky in that they don’t happen to come out when you want. With this in mind it is sometimes better to go to your destination with several other things planned; ice skating or seeing an opera for example. Because if you book a holiday just to see the Aurora Borealis and the Aurora doesn’t turn up for one reason or another, you will feel like it’s a wasted trip.

So get out! See the world!

Visit the Barcelona Christmas Market

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Christmas is so close we can almost hear those sleigh bells ringing. The leading retailers have been fighting for the most heart-warming advertisements on the telly and all the old, cheesy and adorable Christmas films are showing every evening. So what else can we expect in the lead up to Christmas?

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Why not take a trip to Fira de Santa Llúcia in Barcelona, one of the most renowned Christmas markets? Normally active between 25th November and the 23rd December, this prestigious Christmas fair has been running for over 200 years, first established in 1786!

It is situated in Avinguda de la Catedral and is home to more than 300 stalls selling a variety of merchandise and foods both traditional and contemporary. The Avinguda de la Catedral is located near the city centre and takes around 25 minutes by hired car to get to from Barcelona Airport, or only 5-10 minutes from any hotel located in the city centre.

Fira de Santa Llúcia also hosts a variety of parades, contests, exhibitions and traditional dancing and more, so for a real traditional experience with a modern day twist, there will be something there for the whole family. There is even a Nativity Scene production on at various evenings throughout the holiday season starting at 19:00 that runs for an hour and a half.

The fair’s named is derived from Saint Llúcia or the Saint Lucy, and so the best day to visit the fair is on the 13th December; the Day of Saint Lucy, where a variety of colourful performances will be on show, plus the reading of traditional Christmas stories.

log pinata fira de santa lluciaOne of the most popular stalls the Fira has to offer is the Caga Tió what looks like a giant humanoid log, complete with smiley face, hat and Christmas blanket. The tradition is that children will ‘feed’ a smaller version of the Caga Tió that they have at home with sweets, and then attack it with sticks on Christmas day until it bursts, showering them with candies and gifts. It’s sort of like a mix between a Pinata and a Stocking.

With four huge sections to explore; Simbombes, Greenery and Plants, Crafts and Nativity and Figurines, and with a wealth of traditional and cultural performances showing, a trip to the Fira de Santa Llúcia is not to be missed.