DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

    Each July, tens of thousands of spectators line the banks adjacent to the Stari Most, the Old Bridge that crosses Bosnia-Herzegovina’s beautiful Neretva River in the city of Mostar. Undeterred by the Balkan sun, onlookers keep their eyes locked on the apex of the single-arch bridge where, one by one, divers enter the water in a spectacle of machismo and local tradition as they vie for title in the world’s longest-running high diving competition: the Ikari.     As one of the oldest venues for extreme sporting events, the Stari Most has been the place to go for male rites of passage since it was first built back in 1566. Set in the Ottoman Empire’s regional capital, the Old Bridge connected the Neretva River’s two banks at its narrowest point, a strategic location that marked the centre of the city’s earliest development. The name Mostar comes from the “mostari,” or bridge-keepers who held watch over the structure from the Halebinov...

    "Piazza del Campo" is still used today for the well known Palio horse race which is one of the most famous popular Italian manifestations. It takes place every year on July 2 and August 16. The Palio is run to celebrate the miraculous apparition of the Virgin Mary near the old houses that belonged to Provenzano Salvani. The holy apparition was therefore called "Madonna di Provenzano" in whose honour the very first Palio was run on August 16, 1656. The Palio was run for the first time in 1701 in honour of the "Madonna dell'Assunta" the patroness and Advocate of Siena through all the tragic events since she protected the Sienese militia at the famous battle of Monteaperti on September 4, 1260, against the Florentines.    The Palio is a historical secular tradition strictly connected with the origin of the Contradas of Siena (districts into which the town is divided). The Contradas are spectacular agonistic institutions each ...

August is the hottest month in the U.S., that means some really hot and happening food holidays too. National Sandwich Month We all love them so now lets learn about them. The term sandwich is occasionally used (informally) in reference to open-faced sandwiches; these normally consist of a single slice of bread topped with meat, salad vegetables, and various condiments. These differ from a normal sandwich in that they have a single slice of bread instead of two, with toppings instead of a filling. The open-faced sandwich also has a ..... National Peach Month Are you ready to add some peaches to your menu this month? A medium peach (75 grams), has about 30 calories, seven grams of carbohydrates (six grams of sugar and one gram of fibre), one gram of protein, 140 miligrams of potassium, and 8% of the Dietary Reference Intake for vitamin C. National Catfish Month Catfish is eaten in a variety...

This month has some funny, exciting, and wacky holidays to celebrate all month long. In fact, there is at least one holiday to observe each day during the month of August (with the exception of the 2 nd ). Here are some suggestions for celebrating each day in August. August 1: World Wide Web Day - Celebrate this holiday by spending your day exploring the World Wide Web. August 2: Make Your Own Holiday - This one's obvious... August 3: Watermelon Day - Try different recipes using watermelon. Eat watermelon at every meal. Don't just eat it - drink it! August 4: National Chocolate Chip Day - You can't go wrong with chocolate chips. If you don't have time to bake cookies, they aren't bad alone! August 5: International Beer Day - This should be a fun day for some of you. August 6: National Fresh Breath (Halitosis) Day - Offer everyone you meet a stick of gum. August 7: Lighthouse Day - I'm not really sure how...