Picture Yourself There

Berlin Marathaon

After gorging yourself on chocolate (see yesterday’s post), it might be a good idea to dig out those running shoes you haven’t worn in six months and start burning off those extra calories. If you’re the kind of person who gets exhausted just walking to the chip shop, perhaps pace yourself and start with some brisk walking or jogging – on the other hand, if you’re more iron man than Michelin man, you might be interested to know that fellow fitness fanatics (or freaks – you be the judge) will be taking part in the Berlin marathon on Sunday 30th September.

Beginning and ending next to the Brandenburg Gate, the course takes runners around some of the city’s historic sites such as Reichstag and Berliner Dom. However, the participants are probably more excited about the fact that, as marathons go, it’s extremely flat. Perfect for beginners, then – so you’ve got no excuse…

On your marks… Get the NavPix here…

Eurochocolate Fair, Perugia

Now, gentlemen. Pay attention. If you’re looking to woo the woman of your dreams, you can ditch the dozen roses. Dump the diamond necklaces (well, OK, maybe not dump them, just save them for later). If you really want to make the lady in your life swoon, then take her to the fabulous Eurochocolate Fair in Perugia where she’ll find the town transformed into an enormous open-air patisserie, all in celebration of this, the ‘food of the gods’. With events such as exhibitions, cookery classes and banquets all taking place between 13th and 21st October – along with the all-important opportunity to sample the goods – this is one event dedicated chocoholics won’t want to miss.

OK, so you’ll have to listen to her whining all the way home about how she feels like she’s put on four stone, and how it’s going to be salads for the pair of you from now on (that it, after this 500g bar of 75% cocoa is finished with). But at least munching on all that chocolate will keep her quiet for a while.

Get the NavPix here…

Sex Pistols to play at Brixton Academy, London

We’ve had the triumphant Take That, the less successful All Saints, and soon it’ll be the turn of the Spice Girls… all these bands we had thought (and hoped) had finally hung up their microphone cables are coming out of the woodwork for ‘comeback’ shows. But we were pretty surprised to hear that this list of 90s pop starlets will soon be followed by none other than punk legends the Sex Pistols.

Love them or hate them, this is a band which changed the course of music history. To mark the 30th anniversary of their seminal album (which we can’t name, since this is a family show), the four remaining members of the group will perform at the Brixton Academy on 8th November.

Get the NavPix here…

Fire Walking, London

Some kind-hearted people will do just about anything for charity. Sitting in a bath of baked beans for 24 hours, going to work in a Bob the Builder costume, even running a marathon… and while all such efforts should be applauded (although, yes, the beans thing is a bit weird) the fundraisers who’ll be gathering at Toynbee Hall on 1st November deserve an extra special mention. In aid of the organisation, which works to improve conditions in local communities, these brave – and, er, perhaps bonkers – people will be walking across a strip of either burning coals or broken glass.

Well, that’s one way of getting that dry skin off your feet. We might just turn up to the Fire and Ice party, and watch the fearless firewalkers from the safety of the sidelines (where there also happens to be a selection of cocktails and some live music – just to show that cowardice does pay). But if you’re feeling bold, you can get more details of how to take part here.

And the rest of you can get the NavPix here…

White Truffle Festival, Alba

If your idea of gourmet cooking doesn’t really stretch beyond your signature dish of ‘pasta el Dolmio’ (along with a generous helping of cheese – usually mild cheddar), then perhaps you’ve got some work to do before thinking about today’s NavPix. If, on the other hand you can knock up some medallions of lamb with a redcurrant confit in the time it takes to say ‘Marco Pierre White is a scary, scary man’, then you’re halfway there. Thing is, as well as some culinary sense, you’ll also need a nice fat wallet…

Because on 29th September, the White Truffle Auction, Festival and Market begins in Alba, Italy, where some of the world’s greatest chefs will be trying to get their hands on the finest of these delicious and highly coveted ingredients. Sample some of the foods and wines of the region, but don’t expect to take home a truffle of your own – at £1600 per kilo, you’d be living on beans on toast for the rest of 2007.

Get the NavPix here…

Oktoberfest, Munich

While some of the details about the annual and famed Oktoberfest seem to err on the curious, they all have a perfectly valid explanation. While you might think the event oddly named, given that it begins on 22nd September, this is apparently in order to take advantage of the more agreeable weather. Fair enough. More to the point, why, you might ask, do locals and tourists alike continue to celebrate the marriage of the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig to an unpronounceable princess (Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen, to be precise) when it took place in 1810 and is therefore ancient history? Well, dear readers, that’s because this marriage is commemorated with beer. Lots of it.

Head for the Schottenhamel tent at noon, and see the lord mayor of Munich tapping the first keg of Oktoberfest beer. Then, and only then, will the remaining thirsty revellers be invited to charge their own glasses. With weekday tents open from 10am until 10:30pm, these are long days, so pace yourselves. You don’t want to tire yourselves out by lunchtime – that definitely wouldn’t make any sense.

On a serious note, if you’re planning to sample the beers on offer, don’t forget to find yourself either a designated driver or a taxi. Get the NavPix here…

James Dean Festival, Fairmont USA

They say they don’t make ‘em like they used to. And maybe it’s true. Let’s face it, in the sixties, Bob Dylan was the moody musical poet du jour – these days, that title seems to fall most readily to ‘Potty’ Pete Docherty (despite the fact that, due to an apparent preoccupation with the Crown Prosecution we’ve seen little music or poetry lately… or, in fact, ever). And as for singer-songwriter guitar heroes, they had Nick Drake… we have James Blunt. Enough said.

Little wonder then, that we still turn to the past to find our heroes. And for four days beginning September 27th, Fairmount Indiana will be filled with fans celebrating the life of one of the greatest icons of all time, James Dean. Visit the Fairmount Historical Museum and be inspired all over again by the man who advised us to dream as if we’d live forever, and live as if we’d die today.

Get the NavPix here…

Mascot Grand National, Huntingdon Race Course

The training is gruelling. The course is tough. The crowd are hungry for blood, sweat and tears, but the competitors are hungrier for victory. As the spectators roar and the weak fall at the fences, the bookies look eagerly on… this year, who will take the title? Will it be Sammy the Shrimp, Graham the Gorilla or even Chaddy the Owl?

Born in 1999 at Huntingdon Race Course, The Mascot Grand National is probably the only event in the world where you’ll find a squirrel racing a hornet, chased by a chicken and (curiously) an imp. On Sunday 7th October, mascots from across the country will career down the track, taking on hurdles while wearing their not-particularly-streamlined costumes, in a bid to take the crown.

We don’t know where you’re going to find a costume to rival champion Mickey the Monkey. But you can get the NavPix here…

International Talk Like a Pirate Day

Avast, me hearties. Have a gander at this for an unusual event. No, International Talk Like a Pirate Day, isn’t something from a Monty Python sketch, it’s a real annual event which takes place every September 19th and is celebrated across the world (and, presumably, the seven seas). Despite particularly humble beginnings – it seems as though the event was created 12 years ago by a bunch of mates for, erm, a laugh – the date has clearly hit the right note with people everywhere desperate to connect with their inner Blackbeard. As well as fancy dress parties and charity events, pirates will even be pillaging the cyber-seas of social networking site Second Life, looking for digital booty.

For inspiration, why not set sail for the spot which spawned not just a pirate craze, but also a number of blockbuster hits and a cracking performance from Johnny Depp: the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Walt Disney World resort. Go on, get involved in the pirate-fest and you'll be hooked. Even if the whole thing is a bit biz-aaarrr (sorry, really couldn't help it).

All aboard, and get the NavPix here…

Navman Loves - The Brick Lane Curry Festival

We know that, in these modern times, men are happy to get in touch with their feminine sides. They wear pink shirts. They use hair products, and even - maybe - use moisturiser. However, one whiff of a masala and it’s Men Behaving Badly all over again – so, ladies, brace yourselves when the Brick Lane Curry Festival begins tomorrow, and the capital gets testosterone-tastic.

But why stick to Brick Lane when we’ve got great restaurants across the capital (here, here and here?) – by Jove, we can even show you where to get a darn fine dopiaza in Amsterdam should the fancy take you. We particularly like Masala Zone in Westminster – great if you’re looking for a bargain bhuna without skimping on flavour, this is one of the best inexpensive curry houses in the capital.

Get the NavPix here…