Let them eat cake … in North Yorkshire!

NORTH YORKSHIRE has proclaimed itself Britain's Capital of Cake, championing 50 tastes of cake and the places where one of the nation's favourite treats can be enjoyed.

Each year thousands of homemade cakes are served to and eaten by the seven million holidaymakers and day-trippers who visit the North York Moors and coast.

The North York Moors Tourism Network, a voluntary organization supporting more than 400 tourism and related businesses, together with 

the North York Moors National Park Authority (NYMNPA), are championing the region’s cake-capital

claim.

Catriona McLees, NYMNPA's head of promotion and tourism explains: ‘Our prowess in cake-making probably dates back to the Vikings, who are said to have invented Yorkshire Parkin, the ginger tea-bread which remains one of the most popular cakes across the region today.

‘We've created a website listing 50 of the most popular types of cake eaten and the places where some of the tastiest treats can be enjoyed throughout the North York Moors and on the coast.’
www.capitalofcake.com

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Picture Credit: Brownieby Minseong Kim - Own work via Wikimedia Commons, Fountains Abbey vieby Klaus with K - Own work via Wikimedia Commons

Coming up on the Mount

JUST 400 yards off Mount's Bay in Marazion, St Michael's Mount is a Cornish landmark and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the South West. Its spring season kicks off with the annual Cadbury Easter Egg Trail (April 3, 5, and 6).

Spring will see a spotlight put on St Michael's Mount - www.stmichaelsmount.co.uk - unique terraced gardens, which open on April 20. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet members of the gardening team, including new head gardener, Lottie Allen. Learn what they do day-to-day and hear about the garden's history and current design.

For many visitors, it is astonishing that a garden exists here, but despite the gales and salty winds, the Gulf Stream tempers the climate so that frosts are a rarity and the rock acts a gigantic radiator – absorbing heat by day and releasing it at night creating a micro-climate in which unlikely plants flourish. Puya, agave and aloe rear out of the bedrock, agapanthus wave their heavy heads, and binding threads of rosemary, lavender and coronilla tumble down the terraces.

A Garden in a Castle Festival (May) will bring the glories of the mount's sub-tropical planting into the castle itself.

With 30 islanders calling the village their home, the mount is a living community. On the village tours (daily at 11am and 2pm) hear about the families which live here, explore the buildings that have played many roles in the village's history, and discover what life here today is like.

At low tide, a cobbled causeway appears from the sea and the mount can be reached on foot. When the tide comes in, boatmen ferry visitors across the water to the island.

Tickets/Opening Times: St Michael's Mount castle, shops and restaurants are open daily (except Saturdays) until November 1.

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Notts on show

THE Nottinghamshire County Show (May 9-10) in Newark is a traditional show promoting farming, food, rural life, and heritage.

From dog displays to show jumping and equine and livestock showing classes, there will be plenty to explore for the 50,000 visitors the annual show attracts.

www.nottinghamshirecountyshow.com

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Picture Credit:Courtesy of and via nottinghamshirecountyshow.com

What’s cooking in Spain?

TRUJILLO VILLAS ESPANA is launching a menu of gourmet experiences for guests interested in learning more about authentic Extremaduran cuisine.

Trujillo Villas Espana [www.trujillovillasespana.com], the only villa rental company in the town, has introduced foodie treats for holidaymakers staying at the company’s five villas. 

*A Conquistador's feast delivered to guests at their villas

*Cooking lessons with a local chef

*A private viewing of the cellars of two Michelin-starred restaurants

*Visits to a ham curing house and local markets

Trujillo is a medieval walled hilltop town overlooking the plains of Extremadura three hours south-west of Madrid.

The agency’s villas range from a one-bedroom artist's studio to a Conquistador's mansion sleeping eight.  

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Picture Credit: "Trujillo streetscape" by Joe Mabel - Photo by Joe Mabel. via Wikimedia Commons

Light up the village!

THE Dunster by Candlelight Festival takes place on December 5 and 6. Stilt-walkers lead a procession through the cobbled streets of the Somerset village to light the lanterns, which take the place of electric street lamps for two evenings every year.

The village’s medieval streets throng with carol singers, choirs, and street entertainers, as well as food and craft stalls. Profits from the sale of the festival programme go to the local St Margaret's Hospice.

No cars are allowed in the village during these two evenings, so visitors get there on one of the special buses (£3 per person) which leave from neighbouring Minehead, Watchet, Wheddon Cross, and Porlock.

www.dunsterbycandlelight.co.uk

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Picture Credit - From Top: 'Dunster by Candlelight' - www.dunsterbycandlelight.co.uk; 'Musicians accompanying the Morris Dancing at Dunster' by Basher Eyre via Wikimedia Commons

June delights in Devon

Devon in June

• Wade in for the Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships on Dartmoor.Devon’s lakes and rivers are known for their excellent trout fishing, and have been chosen to host the Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships (June 2-9).

• Discover how the Victorians amused themselves by attending the Ilfracombe Victorian Celebration (June 7-15). There are vintage cars, tea parties, parades, magic shows, Pearly kings and queens, and a Grand Ball.

• The Babbacombe Festival (June 14-12) has something for all ages. There’s the Babbacombe Regatta, Proms Night, Fish and Chips on the Downs Music Festival, guided walks around Tessier Gardens, and a German Oompah night. Help to raise money for good causes, support the Armed Forces, and enjoy a rousing finale by attending the Festival Funk party.

• The Teignmouth Folk Festival (June 20-22) offers a lively weekend of bands, international musicians and folk dancing in the streets.

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May in Italy …

THROUGHOUT May, the Italian medieval walled town of Castiglion Fiorentino in eastern Tuscany celebrates its history and heritage with four weeks of events including exhibitions, concerts, sports competitions, and festivals.

For holidaymakers wishing to take in these festivities, Vintage Travel is highlighting Madonna del Bagno – a renovated classic stone house surrounded by olive groves and situated just outside the town.

 www.vintagetravel.co.uk

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Take a journey back through time

A PLAN to develop more than 500 tourism villages has been published by the Indonesian government. The aim is to help visitors discover traditional life in villages where residents maintain indigenous cultures and live just as their ancestors did centuries ago.

Each village will receive IDR75-100 million (£3,950-£5,260) in funding, plus training sessions in foreign languages, art, culture and culinary skills to support low-income residents and enhance tourists' enjoyment of the rural area.

Spread throughout Indonesia, traditional villages offer the chance to explore places where age-old beliefs, rituals and practices still dominate daily life. The people who live in these areas maintain ancient ethnic customs, wear traditional clothes and produce exotic arts and crafts, such as intricate batiks, allowing visitors to experience distinctive cultures that remain free from the influences of modern life.

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