Happy Easter!

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Celebrate Ireland's Viking past this Easter

FROM the ancient Viking traces of Waterford city in Ireland’s Ancient East, to the foundations of medieval Dublin, #Ireland invites the world to celebrate its Viking past this Easter, with two wonderful events: the Viking Festival 2018, Waterford (31 March-April 2nd) and Dublin city’s Dublinia VikingFest 2018 (30 March-April 2nd).

Not sure how the #Vikings came to be part of this island’s legacy? Well, far from being just rampaging warriors, the Vikings also brought civilisation, founding many of Ireland’s towns and cities as time went on. It all started for Ireland in the late 8th Century, when the Vikings realised there were lands not far away that were richer in land, stock and provisions than their own. And so their journey overseas – and to Ireland – began.

These mighty Nordic warriors battled chieftains, forged alliances and settled into the history of Ireland’s rich heritage. And despite their terrifying arrival in Ireland, the Norsemen were settlers by inclination. The result, Limerick, Cork, Waterford, Wexford, Youghal, Arklow, Wicklow and Dublin all have Viking origins. Even place names give notice to their Nordic roots (Waterford ends with a variant of fjord).

The key event will be in both cities. Follow the Vikings, a live outdoor spectacle involving film, dance, live animation and battle reenactment takes place at both events. Save the dates for live action on Saturday 31 March at the historic Wood Quay amphitheatre in Dublin, and in Waterford’s Apple Market on Easter Monday 2 April.



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Easter delights in London

EASTER egg hunts and special Easter events for kids and grownups, to the best chocolate shops and Easter opening hours in #London, plan a fun-filled #Easter break in the capital.

• Watch a spectacular free performance of The Passion of Jesus, featuring 100 performers, in Trafalgar Square on Good Friday.

• Join an Easter weekend service at one of London’s churches or cathedrals, including Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, St Martin-in-the-Fields and Southwark Cathedral. March 30 -Apr 1

• Visit London’s top chocolate shops for beautiful chocolate eggs and Easter treats.

• Look out for chocolate-themed afternoon teas in London at Easter, including May Fair Kitchen’s Charbonnel et Walker afternoon tea and a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory afternoon tea at One Aldwych.

• Hunt down Lindt chocolate bunnies and learn some chocolate-themed history about the palace’s past at Hampton Court Palace.  Mar 26 - Apr 15

• Follow the Peter Rabbit trail among spring daffodils and crocuses at Kew Gardens, stopping off for lots of fun activities along the way. Mar 30 - Apr 15

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Happy Easter!

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On the runway . . .

MORE than 100,000 passengers are expected to use Bristol Airport this Easter weekend (Friday 14 April - Monday 17 April) an increase of over 18% growth on the same period last year.

The recently commenced Ryanair flight to Zadar, as well as the Thomas Cook flights to Malta offering Fly Cruise holidays adds additional choice and options to passengers wishing to get away this summer.

But it’s not all one way traffic. Bristol Airport is expecting an influx of visitors from around the UK and overseas as travellers head for the South West to catch up with friends and family or enjoy the region’s attractions.

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Fifth Avenue not just for shopping

EACH year on #Easter, falling on Sunday, April 16 this year, celebrants don festive attire and show off their very best bonnets along Fifth Avenue at the Easter Parade and Easter Bonnet Festival. 

Immortalized by Irving Berlin (with some help from Judy Garland and Fred Astaire), the pageant is a #NewYork City tradition that stretches back to the 1870s. 

Starting at 10am and continuing until 4pm, the #parade marches north on Fifth Avenue, from 49th Street to 57th Street. The best place to watch is from the area around St. Patrick's Cathedral; better yet, bring your bonnet and join the parade.

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Easter in Prague

THE capital city of the Czech Republic has a number of annual #Easter markets the most popular of which take place on three of Prague´s most famous squares – Old Town Square, Wenceslas Square and the Square of the Republic.

At Old Town Square there will be more than 90 stands offering traditional #Czech products such as beautifully decorated Easter eggs, laces, wooden toys and puppets and various Easter decorations. 

With over 10,000 people a day looking for some great shopping as well as entertaining cultural programmes, the schedule includes music and dance performances, demonstrations of old arts and crafts, decorating Easter eggs and making candles. There are also activities for younger visitors in the children´s workshop in Old Town Square where they can try some of the crafts themselves.

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Easter Bunny Adventure

Rabbit juvenile - Richard Bowler

Spend your Easter with a truly wild Easter bunny!

Skomer Island is renowned for its breath-taking #wildlife and stunning scenery. People come from all over the world to witness the waddling walk of a Puffin and hear the mysterious calls of the Manx Shearwaters. With dolphin sightings from the cliffs, perching razorbills and the slender guillemot, the island really is a true wildlife haven to behold.

But what some visitors may often be surprised about when visiting #Skomer is the abundance of rabbits on the island, and the diversity of colours within them. From an ordinary sandy brown right through to white collared rabbits and even black rabbits, the variety is intriguing.

Rabbits were introduced to Skomer around 700 years ago by the Normans and the island was used as a rabbit farm, or coney island.  Skomer rabbits only produce one litter, usually in April, consisting of about three kittens (baby rabbits).

Rabbits have numerous positive effects for nature conservation on Skomer and they have a three main beneficial effects in maintaining Skomer’s wildlife diversity:

Puffin & Rabbit - Charles Thody

1. Although Manx Shearwaters and Puffins can dig their own burrows, they will also use old rabbit burrows as well.

2. By keeping the vegetation low when eating rabbits allow plants to have access to light which increases the botanical diversity of the island.

3. In good rabbit years it is thought that less seabirds are predated upon by the islands top predators.

April is also a special time on the island for seabirds, especially Puffins as they will return to land where their courtship takes place. The bonus of staying overnight is that at this time of year, Puffins will often spend their days out at sea and then return to Skomer in the evenings, sometimes putting on a spectacular wheeling display in North Haven.

So why not spend Easter on an island surrounded by rabbits and Skomer’s truly amazing wildlife! April is a great time to visit the island and watch as the Puffins settle into their summer houses. 

To book a stay on Skomer this spring call 01656 724100.

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Easter in the garden of Eden

VISITORS to the Eden Project, #Cornwall, will be invited to free-range all over the gardens this #Easter holiday (April 1 to April 17) for a collection of cracking egg-themed activities. 

Traditional fairground games will be available throughout the holiday, as well as Egg Scramble: teams will have two minutes to hunt for as many eggs as possible in our crazy Easter garden, full of inflatables, ball pools and more!, Slide Eggs: will you be able to crack the egg and chuck it on target as you bounce down the inflatable slides? and the Golden Egg Hunt: every day there will be 12 fabulous golden eggs hidden across the Eden landscape. 

All Easter activities are included in the standard Eden Project admission fee. 

www.edenproject.com. 

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Easter disruptions on the railways

OVER the Easter bank holiday weekend, Network Rail will be delivering more than 200 projects across Britain as part of its Railway Upgrade Plan.

This will provide faster and more frequent services to help relieve over-crowding on Britain's railways. 

More than 95 per cent of the railway will be unaffected but passengers are being advised to plan journeys carefully as there will be changes to some services.

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Easter Celebrations . . .

TOURISTS and pilgrims will flood into the Vatican City on the Saturday before Palm Sunday, cramming inside St Peter's square for the open-air mass. The non-stop services of Holy Week peak in the pope's Stations of the Cross (Via Crucis) and mass at the Colosseum late on the evening of Good Friday.

On Pasquetta (Easter Monday), tradition coaxes Romans (outside the city gates) to feast upon lavish picnics of such specialities as torta pasqualina (cheesy bread, with salami and hard-boiled eggs) and fave e pecorino (broad beans and cheese).

Main tourist sites such as the Coliseum, Roman Forum, Galleria Borghese and other archeological sites and museums keep normal hours. The Coliseum and Forum are open on Easter Sunday and Monday, although the Coliseum will close early on Good Friday to prepare for the Pope's procession there.  Saint Peters' Basilica will be open throughout the Easter holiday, but the Vatican Museums (where the Sistine Chapel is), will be closed on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday.

It's free to attend all the masses at the Vatican (Palm Sunday Mass, Chrismal Mass on Holy Thursday, Papal Mass on Good Friday, Holy Saturday Mass and Easter Sunday Mass) but tickets are required.

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Happy Easter!

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