Nice things to do.

One of the nice things that can happen to you once you have learned even just a modest level of Esperanto is that you can take part in some of the many international holidays which are organised throughout the world. In this manner you have an enjoyable holiday and make new friends from other countries. Convenient for British are holidays in France, Germany, Poland and Hungary but there are many others as well.

The following tend to happen each year:
In Poland in June there is the BALTIC ESPERANTO HOLIDAY in the small seaside resort of Mielno. Also, in a vastly different location in the Sudety Mountains in south west Poland in August is the KUDOWA SPA holiday. Kudowa is a spa and yhou can take the waters whilst practising your Esperanto!

In France there is KASTELO GRESILLON , an old mansion in the Loire valley, owned by the Esperanto movement , where there are about 3 months of different holidays during the summer.

In Germany there is the ESPERANTO FAMILIES’ HOLIDAY usually in July and in the lake district north of Berlin. There are also one or even two winter holidays which last from December 27th to about January 3rd to see in the New Year.

For the religiously minded there is an annual ecumenical gathering which this year is in Hungary

In Russia there is a lively and youthful holiday called EOLA which this year is 29th April to 5th May in Jekaterinburgh.

Details of these and literally 100s of other events can be found by logging on the Internet to www.eventoj.hu/2006.htm

4th Baltic Esperanto Forum.

July 22nd - 27th 2006. Bielostock, Poland. The name 'Forum' gives rather a wrong impression. Basically this is a holiday with 2 or 3 sessions of talks and discussion on the theme ' Zamenhof kaj la Nuntempo'. The rest of the time there are excursions and entertainments and of course plenty of time for making new friends from other countries, specially from those nearby such as Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland. This is a yearly event which moves around towns at the eastern end of the Baltic Sea.
Accomodation costs from 10 euros per 24 hour period. We don't seem to have a name for this but in Esperanto the word 'diurno' means just that. Annyway, 10 euros per day secures you a bed in a twin bedded room in a student hostel. Better quality is available in nearby hotels. Details from the organisers. Look on www.esperanto.org/Ondo and then click on 4th Balta Forumo. The participation fee is 30 to 40 euros depending on how soon you join. for info about booking etc email to esperanto,bialystok@interia.pl.
Cheap airflights to Warsaw are by Wizz Air from Luton. At 6 February the cost of a return flight is £56.98 which includes airport taxes but don't forget that as seats are sold or the flight date comes nearer, so the price rises.