The Lord of the
Rings is possibly one of the greatest stories ever told and this is not simply
my personal opinion. Almost everyone seems to be in agreement over this:
experts, the public and even… history have adequately proved that the epic
story of life and war in the Middle Earth is of unique beauty; its charms and
its depth have won over the respect and the admiration of most of us and have
proven resistant to the test of time.
Lord of The Rings
J.R.R. Tolkien, the
writer of Hobbit and the three books
that complete the trilogy of The Lord of
the Rings, is today considered to be a genius, a writer that managed to
speak about the serious matters of his times through the creation of a fantasy
world that, in some ways and metaphorically speaking, resemble ours. To put it
differently, we might not be living among hobbits and elves, and thankfully
there are no orcs or Uruk-hai around neither, however, basic elements of human
life just like death, war, greed, ambition and most of all friendship are incorporated
in Tolkien’s unique literary universe. We might all hide a little Hobbit (which
reflects our kindness) inside us and, unfortunately for all of us, some people
do resemble to orcs in terms of their nastiness and potentially destructive
behavior.
Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, Book Covers
Our generation came
in contact with the legendary tales of the Hobbits and men through the movies
of Peter Jackson that managed to transfer the magic to the big screen for the
first time with the success that the books always deserved. That said, even after
you watch the movies, reading the books is still highly recommended. Only by
reading Tolkien’s books one can get fully acquainted with his mysterious world;
only in there you will be able to grasp his visionary imaginary world at its
full glory.
On the other hand,
I wouldn’t want to underestimate the power of the moving image, not at all! I
myself have watched the Lord of the Rings
trilogy multiple times and of course I didn’t feel like waiting not even for a
day when the fourth installment of this epic story came to our screens last
Christmas. At this point, I do want to state that the last movie, Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (which
actually narrates the story before the time the fellowship of the ring joined
forces in order to save Middle Earth from the almighty evil of Sauron), even
ifexciting, it did feel that it was
slightly less impressive than the first three movies. This is what I felt when
I saw the film a few months ago, but something tells me that this could
potentially change in the near future and after I will have the chance to watch
the movie again… and again… and again!
Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
What is more, with
the second movie of the new Hobbit trilogy coming next Christmas, one must
admittedly be patient a little bit. Nevertheless, there is a way out of the stress
of waiting till this moment comes: one can head to New Zealand where all of
Jackson’s films were shot! By booking early your GoSeeDo Attraction tickets you will have the chance to take
the Middle Earth Filming Locations Tour
and live the legend! As a big fan of Tolkien’s stories as you probably are, a
guided tour will help you bring in mind all of the glorious battles you watched
on the big screen as you will explore the beautiful Wellington region.
The Hobbit Holes. Photograph: Pr
The Hobbit Holes. Photograph: Ian Brodie/PR
A 13m-long sculpture of
Gollum diving to catch a fish awaits passengers at Wellington airport. Photograph: Marty Melville/AFP
A sheep farm near Matamata, doubles as the Shire in both The Lord
of the Rings and Hobbit trilogy. Photograph: PR
There might be
numerous regions in this world that get to be perceived and described as
paradises. For Americans, for example, Hawaii is the paradise, while for some
North Europeans the Greek Islands of Cyclades are those lands that resemble the
most to an earthy Garden of Eden. What is for sure, though, is that in the case
of New Zealand most of us would agree that we’re dealing with a geographical
region that is unique and renowned for its wild natural beauty. Its attributes
and characteristics can only bring in mind a place that doesn’t belong to this
earth, but to a rather imaginary paradise, where souls meet in the afterlife
for a bit of relaxation.
What is more is
that there is also a second choice for the Lord of the Rings fans and New
Zealand aficionados. If you choose the Palliser
Bay Seals and Lord of the Rings Sites Day, you will once again visit places
like the Great River Anduin, Riverndell and Helms Deep. However, this time you
will also enjoy a visit to a huge fur seal colony located at the Cape Palliser
Bay. Let me put it this way: fur seals are much better than orcs, don’t you
think!?
Rangitikei River Bend in New Zealand, used as River Anduin in LOTR
Kaitoke Regional Park in New Zealand, used as Riverndell in LOTR,
History means
heritage and this is definitely an issue to be taken seriously, as it builds
our identity and shows us the way – past paths with a view towards the future.
No wonder that there are so many cities worldwide proud of their own unique
history! As there is a sense of pride in paying tribute to one's own past and
identity. It is in such places that we find our inspiration, that we usually
connect with ourselves and manage to see clearly towards the future, as the
remnants of old civilizations are usually able to trigger not only theimagination, but also a broader vision
towards life and the course of things.
From the once
almighty Rome to classic Athens and from China to the Pyramids of Egypt, the
world hosts innumerable monuments worth exploring. And what makes us feel even
more fulfilled and pleased when visiting a historical place is the sense that
the mere story of the place is being well taken care of, mingled in the webs of
present moment, as if still an ongoing story that we – visitors – can also be
part of. Cultural events are the glue of the past with the present, making us
feel part of something grand that still brings life and energy to places that,
otherwise, might give one the impression that gave their all already. Bath is
one of these places with a breathtaking story that, somehow, still manages to
breath – and it does it fully, by all means!
Bath is an historical city of England. Located in the Somerset County, in the South Western
part of England, Bath is already well known to the informed tourists. Bath
flourished as a famous spa town during the Georgian era and the city’s Roman
Baths are the region’s most visited touristic attraction up till today.
Moreover, the whole city of Bath has been declared a World Heritage Site by
UNESCO in 1987. Thus, wherever you may find yourself walking in Bath, bear in
mind that you are taking a stroll through history, witnessing the miracles and
wonders of it, created for us to enjoy.
We might all know
by now that holidays in England can mean a trip to history and an embrace of our modern culture just as well; it feels in no way different when visiting
Bath. Culture manages, with its always transforming vibrant events, to adapt
places to an adopted moment in the present, and it surely plays a special role,
even in a place such as Bath, which have already a story and a voice of their
own. In Bath, a number of cultural events are offering the chance to locals and
visitors alike to feel that the city cares deeply about its past, its story and
its status as a place with a unique cultural heritage. As for hotels in Bath
for your stay to be worth it, my recommendation would be to keep it simple and
search for a Travelodge hotel in Bath
where comfort meets reasonable prices. After all, it is all about visiting
Bath, not the expensive hotels!
Let’s now take a
look at what qualifies as the most renowned festival that takes place in Bath
year by year: the Bath Literature Festival!
Bath Literature Festival
Established in
1995, the Bath Literature Festival is by now a very prestigious international
literature event. Over the years, a number of leading writers and intellectuals
have been giving lectures in front of those audiences that are always thirsty
for knowledge. Influential figures such as Doris Lessing, Margaret Atwood,
Tariq Ali, the late Anna Politkovskaya and Eric Hobsbawm, Steve Bell and Wendy
Cope among many others have participated in this celebration of literature.
This year, the
festival was held in the first week of March and was met with significant
success. The two most prominent figures that naturally stole the attention were
Hilary Mantel and J.K. Rowling.
Hilary Mantel
Hilary Mantel is
the only female writer that won twice the Booker Prize, one of the most significant
of all literature awards. Her books belong to the historical fiction genre, but
her splendid writing skills make these books the exact opposite of a book
filled with boring, endless information about facts of historical relevance.
Recently, she found herself in the middle of a storm due to a highly critical
statement that she made against the Duchess of Cambridge. Hopefully for her
(and her fans), though, during her lecture at the festival the audience didn’t
seem to care a lot about the controversy.
JK Rowling
As for JK Rowling,
well… you know what they say: it is difficult to write her name in a sentence
that doesn’t include the words “Harry Potter” as well! The publishing
phenomenon of the last decades, Rowling, for good or for bad, will always be
linked with the books that made a generation of kids and teenagers or those who
always feel teenagers at heart to fall in love with reading (while forgetting
about their game consoles for a bit)! To be honest, I don’t think people will
stop asking her questions about the books that made her rich and famous, no
matter how many years will have passed. After one of these types of questions
during her speech at the Bath Literature Festival, Rowling rejected the idea of
writing a prequel to Harry Potter’s adventures. As far as it concerns her
latest book, the first after the Harry Potter series, it took mixed responses
from the critics, but it still sold fast!
Nevertheless, the
Bath Literature Festival is not the one and only cultural event taking place in
Bath, but just the most prolific. However, there are other festivals held in
Bath that are worth the attention, such as the Bath International Music Festival and the Children Literature Festival. With all these cultural events taking
place in such a marvelous location, Bath does sound like a very attractive
destination!
My dreams are as clear as the Mediterranean blue sky:
to travel everywhere and to see the world. I would like you (all of you,
people!) to join me! By seeing the world I only hope to understand it better,
to feel life in my veins the way I feel the breeze in my hair and the sun on my
face. I sometimes feel that Europe is my playground, as I love the whole of it
and it feels so familiar! It’s where my dreams originate from in the first
place: my dreams draw from the glorious history of Europe, ever since its
mythological birth - marvelous Ancient marbles shining in the Mediterranean
light are to account for the birth of the Old Continent , known once as 'The
Old World', as if a spring of dreams that were to be spread and to build New
Worlds by just being turned into visible reality, in the pursuit of happiness
as a plain and simple purpose in one's life. Ever since then, so many things
have happened - things that gave meaning to our modern lives… I can only think
now of the United States and all I can say is that my dreams head towards that
direction way too often! My dreams (those born in Europe) head towards that
direction: the U.S.!? I often wish I could cross all of the States by bike and
live my own American dream! Again and again! Route 66, baby!
Some other times, I wish I could take life more or
less seriously, I wish I could go on studying … forever. Lying on the pathway
of my dreams I often find myself in Oxford. And I first fly there, not knowing
absolutely anyone from before … and then I picture myself lodged in a Travelodge Oxford hotel, lying in my bed thinking of my first day at the university...
How will it be? Will I make friends? Will I manage to dig deep into the secrets
of knowledge and how deep will I dive? Will I step on the steps of Oxford’s old
students, many enlightened thinkers among them, Nobel Prize winners as we all
know it well … And what will I bring new to humanity? Will I get to discover
the place where some of my favorite writers – dreamers themselves, I gather
used to hang out? T S Eliot, John Le Carre, Aldous Huxley, C S Lewis, J R R
Tolkien, just to mention a few... oh boy… what a dream!
While I dream, I try to cherish what I have… and these
feel plenty as I offer, as they feel fewer and scarce if I only keep to myself.
So, allow me, please, to share with you the sun, the sky, good healthy
laughter, expectations, wishes and desires, rhythms and music, deeply rooted
beliefs awaiting to be challenged, wine and roses, ladies and gentlemen that
you see in the window of a fancy restaurant, girls and boys camping on a
pristine beach on their fluffy clouds of sand and all the knowledge and
teaching all these bring along. Wish I could cherish these and many more to all
those ready to take their path and keep walking, sightseeing the wonders of
life, diving into the beauty of journeys on roads that never end, but keep on
taking you to truths you might have never thought of before. Since it is mostly
about the journey and not the destination, one will find out on the way the
meaning of walking lightly. There is meaning in the lyrics of a song I have
always loved:
“I will be the fisherman
With light in my head,
With you in my arms... “
Let's all sail together, dance on the music of my
dreams! The steps will bring us joy! Enjoy!
