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3 best seasonal swims ...
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Coney Island Every January 1, America’s oldest winter bathing organisation, the Coney Island Polar Bears, hosts a New Year’s Day Swim. These salty stalwarts brave the Atlantic from November to April, with non-members welcome to join their New Year’s dips. Suggested donations $20, all proceeds to Camp Sunshine. polarbearbeachclub.org
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Lido Beach New Year’s Day at Venice’s Lido starts off elegantly, with a Viennese waltz, before descending into the madness of sub-temperature seas and – often – novelty costumes. Each year at 11am, the “Ibernisti” swimmers submerge themselves into icy oblivion before having their cockles warmed by wine and a stew of sausages and lentils. lidovenezia.it
sche: The Heritage – FAST LOVE Expo Ferdinand Por oworld, Brussels, charts the From Electric to Electric at Aut boasts 40 vehicles, seven rise of the sports car legend and . and late-night pop-up events generations of Porsche 911s, 4. ferdinandporsche.be December 6 to January 19, 201
FAMILY
The great pretenders
RICHARD HAUGHTON
The acts at the 38th London International Mime Festival couldn’t be further removed from the white-facestripe-sweater image popularised by Marcel Marceau. Contemporary, cutting-edge and for all ages, the innovative programme kicks off with Compagnie Non Nova’s L’AprèsMidi d’un Foehn, which sets airborne, plastic bag “ballerinas” to Debussy (January 8-11). What follows is 25 days of eyepopping performances, including eight UK premieres and six London premieres, such as Amit Lahav’s dance piece Missing, about a woman coming to terms with her past in order to confront her future, pictured. The festival runs January 8 to February 1, 2014. mimelondon.com
PHOTOGRAPH BY VALERIE O’SULLIVAN
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the Forty Foot Fortunately, the waters below The Forty Foot promontory in Sandycove, Dublin Bay, are no longer the “snot-green” of James Joyce’s Ulysses – but they’re still not for the fainthearted. Hardy bathers go for a bracing dip each Christmas Day as per the time-honoured tradition, although you can see swimmers here all year round too. outdoorswimming.ie
WALKS
A breath of fresh air Who ate all the (mince) pies? Come January 1, something’s got to give, and not just our waistbands. So blow away those Christmas cobwebs and extra kilos this New Year’s Day with a brisk walk in some awe-inspiring scenery. Ireland boasts some of the most handsome guided treks – weather permitting – among them through Co Carlow’s Blackstairs Mountains, Mount Leinster, above. Starting from The Old Rectory Killedmond, Borris at 2pm, €45 per adult, €12 for children over twelve, free for kids under twelve, price includes festive drinks and afternoon tea (ecoactiveireland.com). Hidden Ireland Adventures is hosting two different rambles on New Year’s Day, one a three-hour mind-clearing schlep through the Gap of Dunloe, the Black Valley and Killarney Valley, meeting at Kate Kearney’s Cottage at 10am, €35; the second, a moderate fourhour hike around the Dingle peninsula, meeting at the Dingle Tourist Office at 10am, €50 (hiddenirelandadventures.com).
How charming!
SCooter €39
SYdNeY oPerA HouSe €39
SAIL BoAt €45
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December 2013/January 2014
StAtue oF LIBertY €39
All charms are by Pandora, and are available at Marks & Spencer and pandora.net.