VAN GOGH + MUNCH

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Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands (left) and Queen Sonja of Norway. Photo credit: Fredrik Varfjell NTB / Scanpix / kongehuset.no

Her Majesty Queen Sonja of Norway and Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands on 9 May opened the exhibition entitled “Van Gogh + Munch” at the Munch Museum in Norway’s capital Oslo, the Royal Court of Norway reported on it’s website www.kongehuset.no 

The Dutch and Norwegian artists share a number of common traits.

On its website, the Munch Museum writes:

“Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) and Edvard Munch (1863-1944) are two distinctive and influential artists. Both created art with a strong emotional content expressed via a personal and innovative style, and both lived troubled lives. Yet despite these obvious common traits, which have been underscored time and again in art history and art criticism since the end of the 1800s, the more profound connections between the two artists have never been thoroughly illuminated in the context of an exhibition.

The exhibition “Van Gogh + Munch” will for the first time explore the similarities and connections between these two artists. The exhibition will encompass approximately 75 paintings and 30 works on paper, including about ten comparative works by other artists.”

Upon their arrival at the Munch Museum in Oslo, Queen Sonja and Princess Beatrix were greeted by the sisters Birgitte and Karoline Grimstad, who gave them flowers.

In the Festival Hall, Mayor of Oslo Fabian Stang welcomed the guests before the directors of the Munch Museum and the Van Gogh Museum, Stein Olav Henrichsen and Axel Rüger respectively, introduced the exhibition.

The curators, Magne Bruteig and Maite van Dijk, explained about the exhibition in greater detail, following a musical interlude by the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra.

Queen Sonja and Princess Beatrix undertook the official opening by unveiling a plaque bearing Van Gogh and Munch’s portraits.

According to the Munch Museum website, “Paris became a turning point for both artists. A confrontation with the new art trends liberated the potential they harboured within while simultaneously challenging them to formulate their own programme.”

“Although their works may be different with regard to motif and implementation, they were both preoccupied with giving expression to the condition of modern man, and they accomplished this by pressing painterly means to the utmost: a vibrant palette, a highly stylised idiom, personal and bold brushwork and unconventional compositions are characteristic of them both.”

The exhibition is the culmination of a lengthy collaboration between the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the Munch Museum.

Both museums are among the world’s leading monographic museums, dedicated to the life and work of a single artist.
The Munch Museum is home to the world’s largest Munch collection, with over 28 000 works. The collection also includes personal items, art tools and photographs taken by the artist. Edvard Munch himself created the basis for this collection, bequeathing all his works of art to the City of Oslo.

Similarly, the Van Gogh Museum is home to the world’s largest collection of Vincent Van Gogh’s works, comprising paintings, drawings and letters.

The collection also includes works by Van Gogh’s contemporaries that highlight his art and influence.

The exhibition will remain on display in Oslo until 6 September, when it will be moved to Amsterdam.

Kilde / Source: The Royal Court of Norway – www.kongehuset.no

The Munch Museum : www.munchmuseet.no

The Van Gogh Musueum, Amsterdam: www.vangoghmuseum.nl

#Amsterdam #Borgermester #By #Dronning #Ferie #Hovedstad #Kunst #Maleri #Munch #Museum #Nederland #Norge #Ordfører #Orkester #Oslo #Paris #Reise #Sonja #VanGogh

#Art #Capital #City #Holiday #Mayor #Netherlands #Orchestra #Queen #Travel

NORWAY’S AMBASSADOR IN PAKISTAN DIES IN HELICOPTER CRASH

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Leif H.Larsen. Photo: Royal Norwegian Embassy, Islamabad

Norway’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Leif Holger Larsen, died in a helicopter crash in Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan on Friday 8 May.

Press release from the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Pakistan – www.norway.org.pk

“It is with great sorrow that we received the news today that Ambassador Leif Holger Larsen has died in Pakistan. Our thoughts are with his close family and friends.

“Leif Holger Larsen was one of our best and most experienced diplomats. He was a much loved and respected colleague. Many people in the Ministry and in our missions abroad are grieving the loss of a good friend and colleague”, said Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende.

Mr Brende spoke today to Pakistan’s National Security and Foreign Affairs Adviser, Sartaj Aziz, who informed him that Ambassador Larsen had been on a trip organised by the Pakistani authorities, together with around 20 other diplomats, in the Gilgit-Baltistan area in the north of the country.

“We understand that several people have been killed or injured in the accident, and we offer our condolences to their families and friends”, said Mr Brende.

Ambassador Larsen had worked for the Foreign Service since 1984, when he joined as a trainee. He was Norway’s Special Envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan before he was appointed Ambassador to Pakistan in September last year.

Leif Holger Larsen was 61, and leaves behind him a wife and a son.

There was 28 ambassadors in the Three helicopters, together with 19 spouses and children of the diplomats. The Ambassador of the Philippines, Domingo Lucenaril, the wives of the Indonesian and the Malaysian ambassadors, the spokesman of the Pakistani military, Major General Asim Bajwa, the two pilots and one crew member also died in the helicopter crash in Naltar Valley in the Gilgit-Baltistan region on Friday.

#Ambassade #Ambassadør #By #Filippinene #Helikopter #Hovedstad #Indonesia #Islamabad #Malaysia #Pakistan #Utenriksminister 

#Ambassador #Capital #City #Embassy #ForeignMinister #Philippines

FYRSTELIG DÅP I MONACO

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Fyrst Albert II og fyrstinne Charlene med tvillingene Gabriella og Jacques.

I dag ble Monacos tronarving, prins Jacques og hans søster, prinsesse Gabriella, døpt i katedralen i Monaco. Tusenvis av mennesker hadde møtt opp for å få med seg den store begivenheten. 

Dåpsbarna med sine faddere på trappene til katedralen i Monaco i dag.

De fem måneder gamle tvillingene ble født 10.desember 2014. Selv om prins Jacques er to minutter yngre enn sin søster, er det ifølge Monacos grunnlov han som er tronarving. 

Deres fulle navn og titler er henholdsvis Hans fyrstelige høyhet arveprins Jacques Honore Rainier av Monaco, marki av Baux, og Hennes fyrstelige høyhet prinsesse Gabriella Therese Marie av Monaco, grevinne av Carlades.

#By #Dåp #Ferie #Fyrste #Fyrstedømme #Hovedstad #Katedral #Monaco #Prins #Prinsesse #Reise

EUMETSAT’S METSAT ARRIVES IN CAYENNE, FRENCH GUIANA, FOR ARIANE 5 LAUNCH

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File photo: Ariane 5

Arianespace’s ability to accommodate multiple missions and a full range of payloads at the Spaceport was underscored once again by the arrival of Europe’s Eumetsat MSG-4 meteorological satellite, which is to be lofted later this year by a heavy-lift Ariane 5, the www.spacedaily.com website reported.

MSG-4 arrived on May 6 aboard a chartered An-124 cargo jetliner that landed at Felix Eboue Airport near the French Guiana capital city of Cayenne. After a nighttime unloading process, the satellite was transferred by road for arrival at the Spaceport early this morning, where it will be prepared for pre-launch Processing.

The spin-stabilized MSG-4 will be orbited as one of two passengers on Arianespace Flight VA224. This continues the company’s role as the launch services provider for Meteosat platforms – which deliver vital data to ensure the safety of lives, property and infrastructure through their contribution to the “nowcasting” of high-impact weather.

As with other Meteosat spacecraft, MSG-4 carries the Spinning Enhanced Visible and InfraRed Imager (SEVIRI), which observes the Earth in 12 spectral channels; along with the Geostationary Earth Radiation Budget (GERB) instrument, a visible-infrared radiometer for Earth radiation budget studies.

From geostationary orbit positions at 36,000 km. above the equator, Meteosat satellites continually return detailed imagery of Europe, the North Atlantic and Africa every 15 minutes for operational use by meteorologists.

MSG-4 is the last of Europe’s Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellites, built by a Thales Alenia Space-led European consortium, and developed through a cooperation with the European Space Agency. After launch, it will be stored in orbit, ultimately being named Meteosat-11 when becoming operational to bridge the gap between Meteosat-10 (launched by Arianespace in 2012 aboard an Ariane 5) and the initial Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) spacecraft, which are scheduled to be orbited in 2019 and 2021.

The start of MSG-4’s checkout in French Guiana joins activity at the Spaceport this month for other Arianespace missions, including preparations for a heavy-lift Ariane 5 launch in May (designated Flight VA223) to orbit DIRECTV’s DirecTV-15 and SKY Mexico-1 satellites for digital television entertainment services; and the June launch of a lightweight Vega vehicle (referred to as Flight VV05) with Europe’s Sentinel-2A Earth observation platform.

Also this month, Arianespace performed an Ariane 5 mission on April 26 that carried the THOR 7 civil telecommunications and SICRAL 2 military relay satellites.

#By #Cayenne #Ferie #Flyplass #FranskGuiana #Hovedstad #Meteorologi #Reise #Satelitt #Space

#Capital #City #FrenchGuiana #Holiday #Travel

GOLF: YAOUNDE INTERNATIONAL OPEN IN CAMEROON UNDERWAY

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The 6th edition of the Yaounde international open golf tournament kicked off on Sunday May 3rd with the participation of over 60 athletes drawn from 16 countries with the largest contingent coming from Nigeria, the Cameroon Tribune reported. 

Yaounde

Speaking during the opening ceremony at the Yaounde golf club, the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Adoum Garoua, urged the officials of the federation to make the sport accessible to all saying golf has ceased from being an elite sport to one that can be practiced by anybody.

The president of the Cameroon golf federation, Assiga Ahanda Yves Martin said the objective this year will be to beat Nigeria which has won four of the six editions of the tournament so far. Cameroon’s hope for victory lies on Bella Desiré who emerged runner up during the last edition of the competition which took place in Tiko and Yaounde simultaneously to mark 50 years of Cameroon’s independence and reunification.

Also on hand to welcome delegates was the president of the Yaoundé golf club, Siegfried Etame Massoma who said it was an honour for the Yaounde golf club to host the tournament.

After the ceremonial opening on Sunday, the competition began in earnest with ‘caddy challenge’. This will be followed today by the training for the professional tournament while tomorrow will see the first round of the professional tournament begin.

The fourth and last round of the professional category as well as the second round of the amateur tournament will take place on Saturday. The tournament ends on Sunday with the award of prizes to winners and a grand gala at the Camtel hall.

HONDURAS CRACKS DOWN ON VIOLENCE – TOURISM BOOM EXPECTED

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Tegucigalpa, Capital of Honduras (wikipedia.org)

It has not been an easy time for the Honduran tourism industry in recent years, followed by the political unrest events of 2009, the country was constantly bombarded by international media over violence and even gained the title of “murder capital of the world.”, the Global Travel Industry News – www.eturbonews.com website reported.

Having such a reputation, prompted potential tourists to stay away, with the exemption of seasoned travelers who recognize that the crime situation anywhere is often magnified and not as bad as portrayed in the news.

The Honduran island of Roatan in the Caribbean, has actually seen a sharp increase on the number of vessels calling there.

Fortunately for Honduras, things seem to be improving over the last 24 months. The government, with the assistance of the United States, has taken drastic measures to reduce drug trafficking and other criminal-related activities, thus, seeing an immediate reduction in violence.

In a visit to Tegucigalpa, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon praised the country`s efforts to control violence and expressed he was happy to see the very positive outcome in such a short period of time. During his 2-day stay, Ban Ki Moon visited the Maya Ruins of Copan, a World Heritage site and one of the most iconic tourist destinations in Honduras.

The United States also congratulated Honduras for its achievement through a State Department: “Tourism is one of the most viable ways to improve the Honduran economy and bring prosperity to their people,” said Eduardo Rivera, CEO of Explore, a regional tour operator based in Honduras.

“We perceive that there is a political will to create the conditions for the long-awaited take-off of tourism in Honduras,” Rivera mentioned.

Despite the bad press, numerous investments in the sector are now taking place. A cruise ship terminal recently started operation in the Caribbean port town of Trujillo, and a new airport near Copan is scheduled to begin service in a couple of months. Several international chain hotels are being built in the capital and in the second largest city San Pedro Sula as well.

If the proper funds are devoted to promote the incredible diverse attractions that the country has to offer, there is no doubt that Honduras has a great chance to attract thousands of tourists for years to come.

#BanKiMoon #By #Cruise #Ferie #Flyplass #FN #Honduras #Hotell #Hovedstad #Karibia #Maya #Reise #SanPedroSula #Tegucigalpa #USA

#Airport #Capital #Caribbean #City #Holiday #Travel

EMIRATES MED DAGLIG A380-RUTE MELLOM DUBAI OG PERTH

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Emirates setter inn verdens største passasjerfly på ruten mellom Dubai i De forente arabiske emirater og Perth, hovedstad i delstaten Western Australia, i Australia. 

Det tror flyselskapets norgessjef nordmenn vil sette pris på, skriver www.travelnews.no                      

Perth er den fjerde australske byen som får en fast A380-rute.

– For nordmenns del betyr dette at turen til Australia blir mer smidig enn noensinne. Nordmenn liker moderne fly og få mellomlandinger, så dette tror jeg vil falle i smak, sier norgessjef for Emirates Terje Grue.

Flyselskapet samarbeider tett med det australske selskapet Qantas, og sammen tilbyr de totalt syv daglige avganger mellom Dubai og Australia.

Emirates var det første selskapet som bestilte det ikoniske storflyet, og er i dag den største tilbyderen av modellen med en flåte på 60 A380-fly.

For bare noen uker siden ble det kunngjort at Emirates vil ha én A380 i daglig rute mellom København og Dubai fra 1. desember i år.

Selskapet venter på ytterligere 80 fly som gradvis vil settes inn i ruter over hele verden.

Kilde: www.travelnews.no

#Airbus #Australia #By #Danmark #Dubai #Emiratene #Emirates #Ferie #Fly #Flyselskap #ForenteArabiskeEmirater #Hovedstad #København #Perth #Qantas #Reise #WesternAustralia

JETBLUE LAUNCHES NON-STOP FLIGHTS TO PORT-AU-PRINCE FROM BOSTON

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JetBlue will launch twice-a-week, non-stop flights from Boston to Port-au-Prince on 17 June 2015 through September 5, the Boston Haitian Reporter – www.bostonhaitian.com website reported.

JetBlue Flight 1147 will depart Boston at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays and arrive in Port-au-Prince at 2:15 p.m. Flight 1148 will depart Port-au-Prince at 3:15pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays and arrive in Boston at 7:40 p.m.

The new Haiti service will complement JetBlue’s existing daily flights from New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and twice daily service from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL).

“With Massachusetts having the third largest Haitian population in the United States, this news should be celebrated across the Commonwealth,” said State Senator Linda Dorcena Forry in a statement.

“JetBlue’s decision to offer this new, direct route from Boston to Port-au-Prince will not only help our Haitian residents maintain relationships with their families, but will support and strengthen new partnerships and business opportunities as well.”

Boston is the largest U.S. to Haiti air travel market without nonstop service. The addition of service to Port-au-Prince marks the 43rd international destination served nonstop from Boston Logan, a new record.

“Port-au-Prince is a destination we know appeals to many Bostonians, and we want to thank the governor, the mayor, Massport and Senator Linda Dorcena Forry for their large roles in getting this service off the ground, they deserve the credit.” said Dave Clark, vice president, network planning, JetBlue Airways.

“This is another win for Boston travelers. JetBlue isn’t just the biggest carrier at Logan, but we offer more than twice as many destinations as any other airline to 58 destinations across the U.S., Caribbean and Latin America.”

#Boston #By #Ferie #Flyplass #Flyselskap #Haiti #Hovedstad #Karibia #Kennedy #LatinAmerika #Massachusets #PortAuPrince #Reise #USA

#Airlines #Airport #Capital #Caribbean #City #Holiday #Travel

BERLIN’S YEAR OF HISTORY 2015: WAR’S END AND NEW BEGINNING

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VisitBerlin press release:

Overview of events and exhibitions in Berlin / 70 years end of World War II on 8 May / 25 years German Reunification

This year, Berlin is commemorating two significant dates in German history: the end of the Nazi regime and the Second World War on 8 May 1945 and the unification of the two post-war German states on 3 October 1989.

Numerous events for Berliners and visitors alike will focus on these turning points in German (and world) history and offer the perfect opportunity to learn more about German history where it was made.

War’s End and New Beginning in Berlin

Exhibitions, commemorative events, guided tours, and film series are planned across Berlin to mark these anniversaries. For example, the German Historical Museum is marking 70 years since the end of World War II with its exhibition “1945. Defeat. Liberation. New Beginning”, which focuses not just on events in Berlin, but also on what happened in other European countries. In addition, vivid photos of the final days of the war are on display on many places in Berlin’s city centre, including the Brandenburg Gate and Potsdamer Platz. A commemoration week under the title “May 45 – Spring in Berlin” until 8 May will offer guided tours, events, and films addressing the anniversary of the war’s end.

An overview of the events can be found at visitBerlin.com and www.berlin.de/mai45/en/may-45-spring-in-berlin.

Another turning point in German history will also be marked in Berlin this year: a quarter century since the signing of the treat that reunited the two post-war German states in 1990. The photo exhibition “Unification. German society in transition” will open on 28 May at the German Historical Museum.

The exhibition will look at everyday life as two economic and political systems came together with the merger of East and West. In autumn 2015, a permanent open-air exhibition will open in front of the Stasi Museum Berlin to tell the stories of the events and the leading players in the peaceful revolution of 1989-90 with photos, documents, and films.

More at revolution89.de.

Other Commemorative Sites and Events

There are many sites across Berlin commemorating German history which have become must-see attractions for visitors to the city. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe will be celebrating its tenth anniversary on 10 May 2015. The stelae were erected on a centrally-located city block between Potsdamer Platz and Brandenburg Gate. In the first year after its opening, it had already received 3.5 million visitors. The Topography of Terror educates visitors about the Nazi institutions of terror near their one-time headquarters. As of 27 April 2015, ten million people had visited the site since its opening in 1987.

Many other institutions in Berlin are also planning events and exhibitions in 2015 to address the two anniversaries. An overview of all events can be found at visitBerlin.com.

#Berlin #By #Ferie #Hovedstad #Museum #Reise #Tyskland #Verdenskrig

GUADELOUPE TO INAUGURATE CENTER FOR THE HISTORY OF SLAVERY

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Guadeloupe has announced what it calls the world’s largest presentation of the history of slavery “from Spartacus to Martin Luther King.”, the www.cruiseindustrynews.com website reported.

Located in Pointe-a-Pitre, the center will be officially inaugurated by the President of France, Francois Hollande, and the President of the Regional Council for Guadeloupe, Victorin Lurel, on May 10. It will be open for the public as of July 5.

Meanwhile, Guadeloupe sent a delegation to meet with the FCCA and to present its Memorial ACTe, the Caribbean Center for the Expression and Memory of the Slave Trade and Slavery.

The delegation included Olivier Michel, director of the cruise and nautical department of the Guadeloupe Board of Tourism, and Marvin Jno-Baptiste and Thierry L’Etang, representing the memorial center.

Pointe-a-Pitre is the commercial capital of Guadeloupe, situated on the southwest part of the island of Grande-Terre, while the French territory’s administrative capital is Basse-Terre, on the southwest corner of the same name.

Source: www.cruiseindustrynews.com

#BasseTerre #By #Cruise #Ferie #Frankrike #Guadeloupe #Hollande #Hovedstad #King #PointeAPitre #President #Reise #Slaveri #Spartacus

#Capital #City #France #Holiday #Travel