Diary Dates Carnivals, bonfires, food festivals, dog-sled races… They are all happening here, in Southern Europe. Don’t miss out on these fabulous events in France, Spain, Italy and Portugal this month. Guadeloupe Carnival 1 January – 6 March, Guadeloupe, France Nothing compares to a Caribbean carnival. On the paradisiacal island that is Guadeloupe, they celebrate for two months straight. Colours, feathers, glitters, beads, masks, parades… There is no trick in the carnival handbook that the locals don’t know about. carnavaldeguadeloupe.com
Cirque du Soleil: Corteo 3-12 January, Lisbon, Portugal When clown Mauro passes, the circus is in mourning. To celebrate their friend’s life, 60 | Issue 11 | January 2020
TEXT: ARNE ADRIAENSSENS
lines, spectators aplenty support for their favourites. In between, there’s nothing but the jockeys, the dogs and deafening silence. grandeodyssee.com
they catch up on memories of all the nice times they had together. Cirque du Soleil’s latest show is a melancholic masterpiece whose acrobatic mastery will – as usual – leave you breathless. arnea.altice.pt
Grande Odyssée Savoie Mont Blanc 11-22 January, Mont Blanc, France La Grande Odyssée is one of the hardest dog sled races in the world, but it sure is one with a view. Spread over 12 days, the dogs and their jockeys make a snowy trip of over 375 kilometres. At the start and finish
Truffle Festival. Photo: Pixabay