QMagazine

Lgbt news and travels - The blog of the first Italian gay friendly tour operator   en.quiiky.com

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Mardi Gras, the gay and lesbian parade

Sydney, Mardi Gras, one of the most famous festivity of whole Australia and known worldwide for the tradition it represents, the colors and the happiness that spreads all around the city. 

Mardi Gras 2016 is scheduled from February 19th to March 6th and we are going to see people dressed in feathers, living colors, confetti, strange ballets and a lot of incredible guys that will animate the LGBT Parade and the celebration days of the Mardi Gras. 

The event represents the opportunity to visit this incredible city, listed for years among the most livable destinations, a modern metropolis with all kind of services, warm sun almost all year long, a beautiful beach to relax or do sports, and amazing surroundings rich in nature and attractions. 

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Living a dream in French Polynesia

Something between romanticism and paradise lays in the French Polynesia, where an incredible nature turns a vacation into an escape from the real world. 

The best way to experience these wonderful lands is to book a cruise on a sail boat or a yacht, that gives the opportunity to sail among the islands and visit them, relish a bath among tropical fishes and little sharks (they’re usually harmless).

You won’t miss a visit to Moorea and Bora Bora, two of the most famous and reached destinations in French Polynesia. In Moorea you may experience some beach biking besides the beauty of the sea, while other activities are available in the other islands: wreck-diving in Raiatea and private-island paddle boarding in Taha’a.

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The New York Times crowns Turin

If 2015 had been the year of Milan for The New York Times, that listed the city of Expo as one of the destinations to reach in the past year, the 2016 is going to be the time to visit Turin.

According with the american newspaper, Turin is the city for 2016, the only destination in Italy, thanks to the urban renovation the city has been through since it was an industrial capital. Besides, Turin takes pride of its International Egyptian Museum, the second one globally after the one in Cairo. 

The New York Times also appreciate the galleries and the clubs, the contemporary art events and the music festivals, first of all, the Turin Jazz Festival.

Not only this. Turin has also been selected thanks to its richness in food and wine culture, with the Salone Internazionale del Gusto and the wine region of Langhe and Monferrato, Unesco World Heritage site, from where some of the best wines in the world come from. 

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LGBT pilgrimage in Southern Italy

Irpinia is a region of the Southern Italy just 40 miles from the famous Amalfi Coast, but it has a different kind of beauty. Here the territory is rich in mountains covered in green and a humid weather, lands the old population of the Osci populated in ancient times, leaving here some stone proofs of their passage. 

Here the most frequented touristic point is the church in Montevergine, where pilgrims use to reach through a hard walk over the mountains. But the most folkloristic aspect in here is of course the Madonna of Transformation, an icon that attract gay, lesbian and transgender pilgrims who gather here on the 2nd of February wearing lipsticks and feather boas. 

In the plaza of this little town you can find candles and chestnuts to buy in this period, and you can experience traditional ballets with tambourines performed by men and women using castanets to ancient rhythms.

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In the homeland of Zeus and Minos

When thinking about LGBT Greece thoughts usually go to its most famous islands, Mykonos and Lesvos, the two iconic gay and lesbian Greek islands, but often we forget about another beautiful and LGBT island, the largest one of all Mediterranean Sea: Crete.

The legendary homeland of Zeus and the Minoan civilization has so much to offer to the LGBT travelers in terms of entertainment, historical and archeological culture, amusement and clubs for gays and lesbians. 

Greek culture have always been open-minded for gay and lesbian people, something that has its roots deep inside Greek culture. Crete has 80 times the size of its famous neighbor Mykonos and that explains why a vacation in Crete can’t be done in less than a week. 

Archeological proofs of its glorious past satisfy those in search of history and culture, while wonderful beaches and clubs provide the entertainment and amusement part of the holiday.

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Where to find Pinocchio in Italy

Most people don’t know there is a place in the gay friendly Tuscany entirely dedicated to the most famous character from these lands, Pinocchio.

We talk about a park, originally built in 1953 for the 70th anniversary from the publication of the first part of the fable. It is located in the surroundings of Collodi, the Tuscan town the author of Pinocchio took his surname from, from Carlo Lorenzini to Carlo Collodi. 

Started with the two sculptures who won the contest in 1953, the park has been filled with several artworks, becoming a fantastic world to live the adventures of the most famous Italian puppet.

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A video shows gay love at Hawaai

In Hawaii same-sex marriage is legal since more than two years ago, and though its fame of being one of the most appreciated destinations for weddings, it still hasn’t had a homosexual testimonial.

But things are going to change. The Hawaai Visitors and Convention Bureau, an organization that works together with the Hawaii Tourism Authority, has recently arranged a gay wedding between Christian Alarid and Shayne Barnes, locals who served in military. 

Following, the couples uploaded the video of the wedding online, with the arrival of their friends and families from Honolulu included. 

The director of the video Michael Ni expressed his satisfaction on this initiative, saying the two men seemed to ‘exude love’.

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Gay8 in Miami, Latino LGBT

It is called Gay8, pronounced GayOcho, and will be hosted in Miami next January 17th. Gay8 is the first Latino LGBT festival to be hosted in Miami, in the neighborhood of Little Havana, of course. 

A party that will feature some of the Grammy-nominated bands like Palo, the Spam Allstars, Suenalo and Lucy Grau. Beside the music performance, Gay8 will bring in the city also a cigar lounge, a mini film festival and historic walking tours. 

“We wanted to offer a venue for South Floridians to connect across racial, ethnic, gender and socioeconomic lines.” said Damian Pardo, one of the festival’s organizer. “We wanted to have one day filled with great music, food, art and fun as a way of connecting.”

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Greece welcomes civil rights

In the night between the 22nd and the 23rd of December the Greek Parliament has approved a law regarding civil partnerships, with 193 votes in favor. It governs issues as legacy, retirement pension and medical assistance, while it doesn’t mention adoption for gay and lesbian couples. 

It is another step forward on civil rights in Europe, another member of the EU to embrace the trend in favor of homosexual couples. We hope soon all Europe could be united under the declaration of equality in front of the law for all the couples. 

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Palm Springs, Gay Pride all year long

Beside those who love winter and especially winter holidays, mountains, skiing and winter activities, there are others who think nostalgically to the past, warm and sunny summer. 

Fortunately, there is a place in USA that mixes a gay friendly offer and a nice and warm weather all year long. Palm Springs, California, is of course one of the main destinations known for being a perfect place for LGBT tourists and travelers.

It is awesome to be here just to relish some sea weather and some fun, and it also has a wide range of events during the year that attract people from all the country and beyond. 

The main next event will be the International Film Festival, on January, and in April it’s time for the Dinah Shore Weekend, a party for lesbians, and the White Party, the gay party in Palm Springs. Instead the Gay Pride is scheduled on the first week of November, although we can say in Palm Springs Gay Pride is all year long.  

The best way to experience a vacation here is to book in a private resort. Palm Springs has also dedicated resorts for Bears or for couples who travel together. 

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Being gay in Vancouver

The city of Vancouver, British Columbia, is for sure one of the gay friendliest destinations in Canada. This year, 2015, Canada is celebrating 10 years since it has approved same-sex marriages, and the country is of course welcoming for LGBT tourists from everywhere. 

Especially Vancouver has special consideration for the gay and lesbian community, providing lot of information on gay life in the city, starting from the Tourism Board of the city (www.tourismvancouver.com) with the ‘Out in Vancouver’ section.

There are other websites and weeklies providing news and infos focused on LGBT needs, such as The Georgia Straight (straight.com) and Vancity-buzz.com, where to find many useful information to live the LGBT life.

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Watching down Venice

The atypical project of Sebastian Erras, German photographer who visited Venice in a new way. Beyond the beauty of the decorations, flooring in Venice has also a technical function, because it protects the buildings and the streets from humidity and keeps temperature low during summertime.

This is why Erras wanted to catch this aspect of the city in his photographs, in an iconic walk watching at his own feet.  “I wanted to discover a new aspect of Venice, an unknown one, because we usually don’t pay attention to flooring”, Erras said regarding his photos. 

A map of the photographer’s walk is included in the project, to virtually follow the path walked along Venice’s streets. 

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The Medieval Venice

Just few steps north from Venice, a little town floats on a river, and it seems it wants to look alike its famous neighbor. Portogruaro takes its name because it was an important port on the sides of Lemene river and lot of cranes (gru, in Italian) used to leave here. 

Its most beautiful palaces are the one belonging to the Venetian age, with amazing colored with flowers mullioned windows. These palaces were the stores and the dwellings of the traders.

The best attractions of this little town are the Pozzetto del Pilacorta, the statue and the symbol of the city, and the old mills on the river, most of them that are now used for expositions. 

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St Peter between environment and photography

Stunning photographs appeared on the facade of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, during the opening of the Holy Gate at the Vatican for the 2016 Jubilee. 

The night of the 8th of December turned out this way to remember and make a point about the environmental threats the world is facing nowadays, while in Paris the world leaders gather to keep pollution under levels of control.  

St. Peter’s Basilica has been enlightened by the famous photos of Sebastiao Salgado, Steve McCurry, David Doubilet and Paul Nicklen, but the most notable part during the event was the one regarding the photographer Joel Sartore, whose photos have been shot worldwide in several zoos and have endangered animals as subjects.

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The floating part of Milan

The so called Darsena, the old canal in the city of Milan, is ready to host one of the best attraction of the city during Christmas time. 

This renovated spot in the city center has become one of the most frequented areas by the locals and the tourists, after it has been recovered in the past months for the Expo 2015. 

Until the 6th of January this place rich in pubs and typical restaurants, is going to be a hot-spot for citizens much more than it already was, thank to its boat on the old city canal turned out into a Christmas sleigh with (fake) reindeers, a floating ice rink and to the Christmas markets along the canal walk, with typical products suitable for Christmas gifts or to satisfy our own taste.

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Gay friendly and Baroque Sicily

Modica

There is a wonderful part of Sicily most of the non-local tourists don’t know and don’t consider for a visit when they go to this island. The South East Sicily is often consider in its most famous town, Siracusa, the city of Archimede and main spot of the Greek culture. 

Just few kilometers from Siracusa there are outstanding towns entirely built in the Baroque style, such as Noto, Scicli, Ragusa, Modica, Caltagirone, between the provinces of Catania and Ragusa. 

At the same time old and modern towns, with ancient Baroque architectures and a global and international lifestyle in their population: especially Noto, among these towns, has a flourish gay and lesbian community, glamour and stylish bars and restaurants in a stunning cultural environment. 

Noto

Scicli

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Amsterdam starts with the lights

The forth edition of the Light Festival in Amsterdam has started since few days and will last until the 17th of January. This is the event of the Christmas for the city, that enriches its streets with wonderful lights created by artists and designers from all around the world. 

The theme of this year that links all of these installations is ‘Friendliness’, with each one of the structures and lights that would recall this concept.

The Amsterdam Light Festival is an event that really takes the magic of Christmas in the city and it attracts every year thousand of tourists from everywhere who want to experience this lights show.