Okay, so you’ve missed the Berlin Film Festival but do not panic, this year there is plethora of interesting and entertaining events not to be missed, across Europe and in the USA there is something for everyone.
You don’t have to be a cinematic expert to enjoy a good film, so why not hop on a cheap flight and book into an NH Hotel? Then start mingling with the stars!
Here are a few ideas of where you can go and of course where you can stay…
36 feature films and 110 shorts spanning over 13 days in central London. London’s Independent Film Festival is planning one of their biggest events to date. All films have a budget of less than £100,000 and there are sure to be some gems amongst the bunch.
The Italians sure know how to organise a film festival, this being the 67th edition of the Venice festival. NH has two hotels in Venice: NH Laguna PalaceNH Maninand with a view like this, how can you resist?
They don’t just do oranges in Seville, they do film festivals too! Check this one out, and as always NH will be there to provide you with a bed for the night, or two…or three.
At NH Hotels we are aware that our activities could, directly or indirectly, create an impact on the environment and the communities where we operate.
Inline with this statement, and in the context of our 2008 to 2012 Strategic Environmental Plan, we are on the verge of launching our brand new product: Ecomeeting. The plan, principally a gathering of people for information exchange purposes, but also characterized by four distinguishing parameters:
Efficiency in the usage of energy and water
Low impact materials
Fair-trade products
One of our parameters: Efficiency of water usage
The fourth element is offering optional…
carbon offsetting on client demand. Offsetting carbon strives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Companies’ offsets are typically achieved through financial support of projects that reduce the emission of greenhouse gases in the short or long term. For this purpose our preferred choice and what we consider the best way is through renewable energy projects.
This is why NH hotels financially support a hydropower plant located in the Rôndonia, Brazil. This renewable energy river hydropower project reduces greenhouse gas emissions by displacing power from higher emission fossil fuel sources on the national electric grid.
The state of Rondonia, Brazil where the hydropower plant supported by NH is based.
NH Hotels clients can now choose to offset the emissions created as a result of their meeting, by including carbon offsetting in the Ecomeeting purchase agreement. The fixed extra cost is 1€ per person for low or medium travelling impacts, 2€ for meeting where attendees are coming from long distances and 3€ for transoceanic.
The client can also opt for a more detailed analysis of their meeting and the offsetting needed, NH Hoteles can calculate the offset required for the specific client. NH provides all this information for the client. Information such as: client origin, destination and transportation used. Clients under this special purchase agreement will receive an official certificate issued by Carbon Clear, stating the specific amount of CO2 equivalent, compensated by the hydropower plant project.
For as little as €1 per person, use the Ecomeeting option and offset your CO2 emissions
Here is a list of NH Hotels already taking part in the offsetting scheme:
Milan: NH Milanofiori
Vienna: NH Danube City
Amsterdam: NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky
Noordwijkerhout: NH Leeuwenhorst
Berlin: NH Berlin Mitte
Madrid: NH Eurobuilding
Barcelona: NH Constanza
Mexico DF: NH Santa Fe
Buenos Aires: NH City & Tower
NH Eurobuilding Madrid, just one of our hotels which offers the Ecomeeting option
We expect to be able to extend this option to all NH Hotels portfolio very soon.
Thanks to this initiative at NH we involve our clients in our Environmental Strategic Plan, by giving them the opportunity to reduce the impact of their activities as well and to jointly become more sustainable.
For more tips on reducing your carbon footprint, check out Augusts blog on ‘Top Tips for Reducing your Carbon Footprint’
Ice creams, cocktails, local specialties…worried about all the excess that comes with a great holiday? Do not fret! If you follow our top tips, you can have a great time and stay in shape too!
Well, you know we like to spoil you at breakfast time here at NH, but don’t let your diet go down the pan while away. With our simple tips you can stay trim while on holiday, and all from the comfort of your hotel room!
Using a bit of imagination and the objects around you, follow our top tips…
**NB. Make sure you do all these exercises at your own pace and DON´T FORGET TO BREATHE…remember to exhale during exertion and inhale during release.**
Using the chair…
Heel Raise
Stand behind the chair with your feet 20cm apart, your right hand on the chair back, and your left hand on your hip. Rise onto your toes over 10 seconds, and then lower back down over 2 seconds. Repeat 15 times. For all those exercise fanatics out there try to push yourself a bit harder by doing the exercise on one leg, then change to the other.
...and if you have two chairs, do it with a friend!
Using the wall…
Wall Squat
Stand with your back toward the wall with your feet shoulder-width apart. If you like, place your hands on your hips to keep balanced. Bend your knees and tense your core muscles. Lower your body so that your thighs are just parallel to the floor (ninety-degree angle at the knee joint). Hold the position for as long as you can.
Harder than it looks!
If you feel you are not pushing yourself hard enough move away from the wall and do free standing squats. Follow the instructions below making sure not to put too much pressure on your knees and back.
Free standing squat
Stand with feet hip distance apart with your toes, knees and hips in a straight line. Contract your abdominal muscles. Slowly lower your body until your behind is parallel to your knees. Keeping the weight in your heels, slowly push your body back to starting position. Repeat the movement 10 to 15 times, performing 1 to 3 sets. Remember to take your time…don’t go too fast.
Which should look like this...
Using the bed…
Vertical leg crunch
Lie face up on the bed and extend your legs straight up with your knees crossed.
Keep your legs in a fixed position and imagine bringing your belly button towards your spine. Lower and repeat for 15 to 20 reps.
Don't close your eyes, you may fall asleep!
Chest Press
Bring your arms up to a 90 degree angle with your shoulders then clasp your hands together. Push the palms of your hands together until you can feel your chest muscles tensing, then release. Do this exercise in sets of 10 and keep going until you’re starting to feel tired.
Doing it with a smile makes it even more fun!
Standing up…
Arm Extensions
Pick up two bottles of water, one in each hand. Firstly cross your arms down in front of you. Then slowly lift your arms to a 180 degree angle above your head, hold for 10 seconds. Then lower your arms to a horizontal position. Hold for a further 10 seconds. Repeat this at least 5 times, if you’re not feeling tired yet, keep going!
1..................2..................3
Using the floor…
Sit ups
Lie down flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Hold your hands on your chest or beside your head; be sure not to pull on your head. Slowly raise your upper body towards your knees. Hold this position at the top of the movement for a second and squeeze. Slowly lower your body back to the floor. Repeat this exercise in sets of 10 until you feel your six pack starting to form!
Up, down, up down...keep going!
NeckExercises
Move your head forward so that your chin hits the chest and your face is staring straight down at the floor. Do this slowly five times then raise your head back up to normal position.
Down...
Next, slowly allow the head to go back until you are looking at the ceiling. Repeat five times.
Up...
Next, turn your head round to the right, hold for five seconds, then take it to the left, hold for a further five seconds.
and side to side.
Using the mirror…..
Facial Expressions
Take a good look at yourself in the mirror…then…raise your eyebrows and open your eyes as wide as possible. Open your mouth and stick your tongue out. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat.
Yes, you will look as silly as this!
Well, we have worked all the way up from the heels to the head. So now you can see just how easy it is to have fun while doing your workout!
We’ve seen the sausages of Spain and Germany, so now it’s time to check out the little country’s big sausage: the Netherland’s beloved rookworst.
Simply stunning
What rookworst is
Despite its immense popularity with the natives and its intense flavour, rookworst has not found as much favour in other countries as other national sausages. As a result, it hasn’t been modified for other cultures’ tastes (such as the frankfurter morphing in to the hot dog) and has remained largely the same since it first came into being.
All rookworst is traditional rookworst. Pretty much.
Like most sausages, rookworst is a combination of ground meat – in this case, pork – with spices, stuffed into a casing of some sort. Unlike most sausages, it is shaped like a horseshoe, and it is known for its exceptional juiciness, a result of the remarkable amount of fat in the sausage.
Pure fat has fewer calories than rookworst.
Two types of rookworst are sold today – vaccuum-packed, which are cooked before being shipped fromt he factory, and raw. Also called old-fashioned or butchers’ rookworst, raw rookworst is more similar to the historical rookworst, so it needs to be thoroughly cooked. It sometimes comes in an intestinal casing, rather than the modern bovine collagen casings.
I'm not sure where this bin is located, but I suspect it's heaven.
Origins of rookworst
‘Rookworst’ combines the Dutch words for smoke (‘rook’) and sausage (‘worst’), indicating its original method of preparation. Originally, the ground pork was stuffed into the leftover intestines of the slaughtered pig, along with the traditional spices, and was smoked and salted for longevity. These days, however, smoke flavourings are added to the ground pork and spices to replicate the flavour.
The haute cuisine interpretation
Gelderland, a county in the Low Countries, is famous for its rookworst. This area was great for farming and raising pigs, and the farmers regularly fed their pigs rye, potatoes and buttermilk, which gave the pork a distinct flavour.
These are actual Gelderland pigs, apparently.
Pigs were slaughtered at the farmers’ homes (though presumably outside) in November, the traditional time of slaughter, and then the sausage was made, salted and smoked. The farmers would eat the sausage after a hard day’s work by boiling it with kale and potatoes, which were also in season in November, in a dish called stamppot.
Stamppot. Sweet, sweet stamppot.
Stamppot is made by boiling potatoes, onion and kale, then mashing them all together with various spices (and sometimes bacon). Once the vegetables are on a plate, rookworst is placed either atop or to the side to make the completed dish.
How they eat rookworst today
If a more vegetable-heavy version of sausage and mash isn’t appealing, you can always try a traditional split-pea soup with bacon and rookworst called snert.
It's like a visual onomatopoeia.
Try it on a bed of curly kale, which the Dutch call boerenkool.
Like the best meals, it's nutritious and fattening at the same time!
Or you can have your rookworst like any good sausage:
In a bun, with a large building in the background.
If you enjoyed this, be sure to check out the posts on chorizo and bratwurst!
NH Hotels will donate 20,000 euros to this cause plus 3 euros for every euro donated by its employees and customers.
When faced with a catastrophe such as this, we often ask: Why them? Why this country?
As you know, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and is in need of our help. It is in turmoil and occupies the last place in any parameters of development.
Any contributions we make, however small, will be of enormous value to the Haitian community. It is vital that we act now and not later and that aid is immediately on hand. Therefore please contribute as soon as possible as to help with the reconstruction of this Caribbean country.
NH Hotels is working in collaboration with UNICEF and we are at your disposal using this account number:
“NH Emergency Haiti”
2038 0603 2660 0654 6155
If you wish to make a donation from outside of Spain, you may use these bank codes which are commission free.
It’s party time around the world so that must mean only one thing… CARNIVAL!
Inclusive of vibrant colours, fancy dress, music, dancing, scrumptious food and parades, carnival celebrations have been taking place for hundreds of years in places such as South America, Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean.
With its origins dating right back to Ancient Greece, where festivals were held in honour of Dionysius (the Greek God of wine) and then later adopted by the Roman’s who wished to celebrate with a big party in preparation for Lent, nowadays carnival comes in many different shapes and sizes, and is a time to rejoice and have fun.
Some of the biggest carnivals in the world are those of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Mardi Gras (New Orleans, Louisiana), Trinidad and Tobago,Carnevale di Viareggio, (Tuscany, Italy) .
Vibrant colours from the Mardi Gras
Carnival in Spain
One of the most well known carnivals in Spain is that of Cadiz. Here the whole city takes part in a two week long festival of which the main spectacle is that of ”The Chirigotas”. The Chirigotas are groups of people known for their sense of humour and satirical song lyrics about politics, news and everyday circumstances. Groups can be made up of anybody from family members to work colleuges, and can be found singing in the streets, squares and open-air tablaos (tableux).
Chirigotas in the "Teatro Falla"
Another famous Carnival in Spain is that of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Attracting around one million people each year and coming second in popularity to that of Rio de Janeiro, Santa Cruz de Tenerife carnival is definitely one of the biggest and most impressive carnivals in the world.
This year held from the 7th to the 21st of February the two-week long festival commences with a grand opening parade which involves marching bands, spectacular costumes carnival king and queen competitions and fun carnival chaos ..and carries on until “Ash Wednesday” when people bury a fish to signify the end of the carnival “entierro de la sardina” (burial of the Sardine).
Entierro de la sardina
Venice Carnival
Carnevale di Venezia is a two- week long festival which is held each year in the City of Venice. Apart from being one of the oldest festivals in Italy, Venice Carnival is traditionally known for having congregations of elegantly masked people swarming the streets.
The wearing of the mask dates back to the 11th century when it was thought if a way to make everyone equal to each other regardless of status.
One of the elegant masked costumes at Venice carnival
Warning…if soppy and romantic is not your thing, DO NOT read this article, we mean it, click away now!
Unlike some, here at NH we are suckers for love, and with St Valentine’s Day looming upon us what better way to celebrate it than with another amazing NH Blog article?
Valentines Day is celebrated by many people throughout the world on the 14th February. It is a day to spend with the one you love, a day to make that person feel warm, fuzzy and special inside, a day to send cards, roses, chocolates, presents as little or as extravagant as you want.
So for all you loved-up NH couples who just can’t get enough of each other we´ve decided to put together a list of Romantic destinations for you to enjoy this Valentines Day.
Couple in love
Romantic things to do in Paris:
Synonymous with romance, Paris is the perfect Valentine’s Day destination. Each year more and more couples flock to the “city of love” to proclaim their love for each other, so we advise that you plan your trip way in advance.
Take a midnight stroll
Paris being the beautiful city that it is, means that taking a nightime stroll around the city is sure to be memorable experience. Take a walk down to the LouvreMuseum visit the “Tuileries” gardens, go up to the picturesque 18th district “Montmartre” or you could even visit one of the oldest parts of Paris, “Le Marais” which is in the city´s 4th district.
Go for a cruise
Also, what could be more romantic than having dinner on the River Seine while floating by the EiffelTower? In Paris you can do just that.
With most cruises offering delicious French cuisine plus an authentic Parisian Cabaret Show, you’d be a fool too miss out on the opportunity to wine and dine your other half.
Louvre Museum
Romantic things to do in Venice:
Venice aka the “City of light” is the perfect romantic getaway this Valentines day. One of the most beautiful cities in the world and a favourite with honeymooners, Venice is sure to put a smile on the face of someone special.
St Mark’s Square
One of the most recognizable sights in Venice, packed with little cafes and bars, this is a great romantic hot spot to wine and dine your other half whilst listening to live music and watching the world go by.
Gondola Ride
In our opinion the most romantic and historic way to travel around Venice is in a Gondola. Although not cheap, this method of transport is a traditional way to soak up the city whilst being sweetly serenaded by a cute gondolier (if your lucky).
St Mark’s Cathedral
Take a guided tour with your partner around one of Venices´ most famous cathedrals. This beautiful cathedral is made up of intricate domes, striking arches and colourful alcoves and is definitely one not to be missed.
Gondolas in Venice taken by Rambling Traveler
Romantic things to do in New York City:
New York, The Big Apple, The city that never sleeps, so great they named it twice…despite all of these clichés in fact New York is also one of the most romantic cities in the world, so if you want to impress your sweet-heart this Valentines Day, New York is the place to do it.
Central Park
Central Park, by its very nature is one of the most romantic spots in New York City. Soon after entering the park, feel yourself unwind and your pace slow down. Leaving behind the harsh reality of the city, you can relax amongst interlaced tree branches and interwined walkways which become the perfect setting for heartfelt declarations and perhaps some subtle seduction.
Empire State building
If you are in New York this is one place you have to visit. Automatically associated with romance The Empire State Building has probably seen more kisses than Cristiano Ronaldo.
Featured in many Rom Coms such as the 1957 An Affair to Remember and then some years later in Love Affaire by Glen Gordon Caron,this buildings most famous appearance has to be in the film Sleepless in Seatlle as the meeting place for Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. With its amazing panoramic views and awe inspiring nature The Empire State is by far a must.
Other romantic places to visit in New York:
Brooklyn Heights Promenade- With an excellent view of the Manhattan Skyline, the promenade is one of the most romantic spots in town, so guys take note if you want to melt a girls heart, this is the place to do it.
Ice skating rink at the Rockerfeller Center- Even if you can´t skate gracefully, this is just a great excuse to hold hands.
Metropolitan Museum of Art- One of the world’s largest and finest art museums, home to more than two million works of art and situated to the East of Central Park this is a nice place to soak up a little bit of culture in NYC.
For all you musical fanatics outthereNH Hoteles is offering you the chance to stay 2 nights, in one of our participating Berlin Hotels with breakfast and a fantastic musical thrown in, all from just 149,50€!
Select from one of the following great musicals as your evening entertainment:
-“Der Schuch des Manitu” showing at The West Theatre- “The Shoe of [the] Manitou” is a 2001 German parody of western films, directed by Michael Herbig
-“Blue Man Group” showing at the Berlin Bluemax Theatre in Marlene-Dietrich-Platz- The Blue Man Group is best known for their widly popular theatrical shows and concerts which combine music comedy and multimedia theatrics to produce a totally unique form of entertainment.
-”Dirty Dancing” at the Potsdamer Platz Theatre- A timeless love story which sees a young girl “Baby” falling for her dance instructor “Johnny”. Full of funny, romantic and sweet moments, combining love, music and great dance routines it’s definitely one not to be missed.
So book now, sit back relax and enjoy the show with NH Hoteles.
All around the world New Year’s Eve is celebrated in many different ways; it’s a time for getting together with family and friends, eating, drinking and having fun until the morning comes.
So… if you’re stuck for something to do this New Year look no further as NH have decided to help out and let you in on what ticks in London, Paris, Rome, Berlin and Madrid …when the clock strikes 12!
Madrid, Spain
New Year in Spain, known as “Nochevieja” is celebrated traditionally by eating 12 grapes. On the last day of the year people usually gather ready and waiting at 11:59 to hear the clock chime from the Puerta Del Sol in Madrid.
Every second that the clock strikes people consume one grape and by the time that they have finished it is New Year and they have twelve grapes stuffed in their mouth.
12 Grapes (Uvas)
If you decide to go to Spain for New Year, and find something gold floating in your glass, don´t worry as it´s just a Spanish tradition! At New Year the Spanish usually drink the sparkling Spanish Wine “Cava” with a piece of gold jewellery in it for luck.
Like at Christmas the Spanish usually get together on New Year’s Eve for a “Cena Familia” ( Family Meal) which usually consists of yummy food such as ham, cheese and chorizo for starters, roast duck, chicken, turkey, prawns, soup, white asparagus, salad in tomato vinaigrette for the main meal and Turrón, Polvorones, and Mantecados for dessert (special Spanish treats). Here are some pictures to get those taste buds tingling:
Polvorones-Mantecados-Turrón
London, England
Nowadays in England at 11:59 you’ll probably find yourself counting down the clock, squashed up against hundreds of people receiving a big drunken kiss off the person standing next to you singing a somewhat slurred version of Auld Lang Syne, but don´t worry as we still celebrate the New Year in style.
More traditionally, on the stroke of midnight, people open the back door (to let the old year out) and open the front door (to let the new year in), and then ask the first dark haired man to be seen to walk through the front door carrying salt, coal and bread. By doing this it means that the following year everyone in the house will have enough to eat (bread), enough money (salt) and warmth (coal).
The New Year Parade, a free family spectacle which takes place every New Years Day in the heart of London. Commencing at 12 noon in Piccadilly and finishing around 3pm at Parliament Street, the 2010 Parade will be filled with marching bands, cheerleaders, clowns acrobats, balloons and much more!
In Trafalgar Square, and Piccadilly Circus crowds of people gather to stand around with arms linked ready to sing Auld Lang Syne, and listen to the chimes of London’s Big Ben announcing the arrival of the New Year. Auld Lang Syne is an extremely old Scottish song that was first written down in the 1700s and Tran scripted by Robert Burns, a good translation for the title is “times gone by”.
Paris, France
New Year in France, Le jour de l´An or the St. Sylvestre starts January 1st and ends February 1st.
At the stroke of midnight French people start exchanging bises (small kisses on each cheek) and wishing each other Happy New Year “Bonne Annee!”
Also at New Year in Paris the French usually have a grand feast called the Réveillon de Saint-Sylvestre which consist of food such as papillottes, which are food wrapped in parchment paper or aluminium and baked in the oven, foie gras, champagne and a very festive traditional cake called the La Galette des Rois which looks something like this:
La Galette des rois
If you want to be in the heat of things in Paris then you definitely need to head down to where it is all happening at the Champs-Elysees. Starting at around 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, people start to assemble on the famous street, bringing along bottles and test tubes full of drink! From many places on the Champs-Elysees, you can get a good view of the Eiffel Tower, which explodes into a sparkling dance of light at the stroke of midnight.
Eiffel Tower at New Year
Rome, Italy
In Italy, New Year´s Eve (La Festa di San Silvestro) is celebrated on December 31st, and usually sees families joining together for a huge feast which is sure to include lentils, as in Italy at New Year they symbolise money and good fortune for the coming year.
Traditionally, the dinner in many parts of Italy usually consists of cotechino, (large spiced sausage), or a zampone, (stuffed pig’s trotter), as the pork symbolizes the richness of life in the coming year.
Lucky Lentils
Another tradition in Italy is to throw the things that you rarely use out of the window! It is seen as a sign of starting afresh, getting rid of the old and being ready to invite the New Year in. So take care and be alert if you decide to go to Italy for New Year as you might get hit on the head with an old piano or something.
In Rome on New Years Eve the celebrations usually take place in the Piazza del Popolo, and carry on right into the night. Huge crowds gather to celebrate the coming of the New Year by listening to music, dancing and watching fireworks, whilst being entertained by performers and acrobats. Next to the Santa Maria del Popolo church you will also be able to see an exhibit of traditional nativity scenes from all over the world which runs up to the end of January.
Also be sure to wear something redas Italians believe it will bring you good luck in the following year!
Berlin, Germany
In Berlin at New Year millions of people unite at the Straße des 17. Juni, (one of the most famous, historical streets in Germany), between Brandenburger Tor and Siegessäule for arguably one of the most outstanding New Years Events in the world.
If you want to be entertained, Berlin at New Year is the place to be, with stage shows, video screens, a media centre, party tents, food and refreshment stands, light and laser performances as well as spectacular midnight fireworks as the ultimate highlight of the event, what better way is there to end your year?
With live bands, performances from international music stars, DJ´s, plus more than 500 journalists, TV and radio stations present, the Berlin New Year event has something for everyone, is open to all ages and it´s absolutely free!
Straße des 17. Juni between Brandenburger Tor and Siegessäule
