Italy's best-kept secret? The volcanic island locals love and tourists overlook
Our hearts raced at the first glimpse of Baia di Sorgeto.
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People — the size of ants from this vantage point — were lounging in the water among the shiny, black rocks.
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The warmth radiates out around the rocks creating a natural hot tub where people lounge and languish in waters reaching 37 C and higher, looks of Zen on their faces while they intermittently chat in Italian, German, Dutch — rarely English.
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My wife, Kerry, our two grown-up kids, Alex and Grace, and I stripped down to our swimsuits and joined them for a splash and a soak that's invigorating and therapeutic all at the same time.
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With shrivelled fingers and toes, we eventually exited the thermal bath and retreated to the terrace of the bar overlooking the bay for refreshing glasses of Biancolella white wine and Peroni beer.
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Japan Forward
2 days ago
- Japan Forward
Whale-Themed Festivals Make a Special Summer Splash Across Japan
このページを 日本語 で読む This summer, coastal communities across Japan are celebrating their enduring ties to whales with a series of vibrant local festivals. From ancient legends to traditional whaling reenactments, each event offers a unique window into the region's maritime culture. Why not dive into Japan's whale-themed festivities of 2025? This lively festival, held annually on July 14, gives thanks for abundant catches and prays for safe voyages at sea. It is actually rooted in a local legend passed down through generations — the story of Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy, who once appeared riding a whale. A giant whale float — featuring a parent-and-child pair — parades through the streets to the rhythm of the Osatsu Ondo, danced by the region's famous female ama divers. The highlight comes when the floats are carried into the sea for a maritime procession, complete with a dramatic kujira (whale) spouting performance. Held in Toba City's Osatsu Town district, the festival also features karaoke, food stalls, and a dazzling fireworks show, making it a fun-filled day for all. Participants in the Osatsu Tenno Kujira Festival parade the whale around on a cart. (©Kujira Town) Date: Monday, July 14, 2025 Time: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM (Fireworks begin at 8:30 PM) Location: Osatsu Town in Toba City, Mie Prefecture 517-0032 Access: By bus: About 35 minutes on the Kamome Bus from Toba Bus Center. Get off at Osatsu. By car: Around 30 minutes from the Toba exit on the Ise-Futami-Toba Line (via Ise Expressway Ise IC). Reference: For past festival videos, see these [in English] and [in Japanese]. History comes to life in this festival with a reenactment of traditional whaling practices. Festivities are centered in Kayoi, a coastal area once known for the whales that entered its bay-like waters. During the Edo period, the town thrived as a base for organized whaling. The spectacle features participants in red fundoshi loincloths recreating whale hunts using harpoons and nets. Later in the program, performers sing the Kayoi Kujira Uta, a folk song traditionally sung in remembrance of whales taken in the hunt. It's a powerful look into Yamaguchi's maritime heritage and its complex relationship with whales. Collage of the Kayoi Kujira Festival in Nagato City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. (©Kujira Town) Date: Sunday, July 20, 2025 Time: 9:00 AM – 12:15 PM Venue: Kayoi Koura Reclamation Grounds (about 100 meters from the Whale Museum) Address: 382-1 Kayoi, Nagato City, Yamaguchi Prefecture 759-4107 Access: By bus: Around 30 minutes from JR Nagatoshi Station (San'in Line). Take a Kayoi-bound bus and get off at Koura. The venue is a short walk away. By car: About 60 minutes from the Mine IC on the Chugoku Expressway. Reference: For past festival videos featuring different generations celebrating whales in their culture, see these [in Japanese] and [shorter, also in Japanese]. A signature summer event in Mie, the Great Yokkaichi Festival takes place annually on the first Sunday of August. It also includes the preceding Saturday. The first day, known as Dance Day, features performances and parades from local dance troupes. Sunday, the second day, focuses on cultural heritage and traditional performing arts. It includes ornate floats and o-neri processions with portable shrines unique to Yokkaichi. A highlight in 2025 is the return of the Seishu-maru, a whale boat-shaped float from the Seishu-gumi group. (The group is based in the city center.) Historically, Yokkaichi's whaling floats were operated by three groups: Myojin-maru (based in Minaminaya Town), Shoichi-maru (Higashifukuro Town), and Seishu-gumi (Kitanaya Town). According to tradition, each group reenacted whaling scenes under different weather conditions — rain, sun, and storm. The original Seishu-gumi float was retired in 1962 and later transferred to another district. About a decade ago, local volunteers in central Yokkaichi revived the tradition. With the support of whale boat enthusiasts across the city, they brought the float back to life in the new Seishu-maru. Great Yokkaichi Kujira Festival in Mie Prefecture. (©Kujira Town) Dates: Saturday, August 2 and Sunday, August 3, 2025 Note: For venue details and full schedule, please visit the official website. Reference: Videos of past festivals can be viewed at these sites [for 2024] and [for an earlier festival video]. First held in 1953, the Oshika Kujira Festival honors Ishinomaki City's longstanding ties to whaling. The event honors the spirits of whales, commemorates lives lost at sea, and promotes the preservation of local culture. Now in its 64th year, the festival begins with a solemn memorial service for the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake, followed by a ceremony honoring the spirits of whales. Throughout the day, local students perform taiko drumming and traditional dances on a stage near the historic whaling ship on display. Visitors can also enjoy free samples of chargrilled whale at a dedicated tasting corner — available while supplies last. As the sun sets, fireworks light up the sky over Ayukawa Port. From morning until night, the festival offers a full lineup of events and experiences for all ages. Learn more on Whale Town Oshika, the city of Ishinomaki homepage, and on Poster for the Oshika Kujira Festival, Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, on August 9, 2025. Date: Saturday, August 9, 2025 Time: 8:40 AM – 8:30 PM 8:40 AM – Memorial service & whale spirit ceremony (Nyoirinzan Kannon-ji Temple) 10:00 AM – Opening ceremony 10:10 AM – Stage performances begin 11:00 AM – Chargrilled whale tasting (while supplies last) 7:30 PM – Fireworks display Venue: Kujira Town, Oshika, open area in front of the whaling ship Address: Ayukawa Hama Minamiji, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-2523 Reference: For past festival videos, see this one from August 2024 [in English and Japanese] and also this overview [from 2023]. This article was first published on Whaling Today, a JAPAN Forward website about whales in Japanese culture and communities, in cooperation with the nonprofit Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR). Author: Whaling Today このページを 日本語 で読む
Global News
2 days ago
- Global News
Quebec language watchdog now says it's OK to use ‘go' to support sports teams
Quebec's language watchdog has changed its tune on whether it's acceptable to use the word 'go' to cheer on sports teams. In a new guideline posted in its online dictionary, the Office québécois de la langue française says that while 'allez' is the preferred term, it's now 'partially legitimized' to use the English word to show encouragement. The flip-flop comes after the office took a hard line with Montreal's transit agency, pressing it for months in 2024 to scrub the word 'go' from the electronic signs on more than 1,000 city buses. The watchdog confirmed it had changed its position after The Canadian Press obtained a series of emails through access to information legislation, revealing it gave the transit agency a green light to use 'go' in June. The reversal followed a public outcry on the eve of the Montreal Canadiens' first playoff home game in April, when the Montreal Gazette reported how the transit agency had replaced 'Go! Canadiens Go!' with 'Allez! Canadiens Allez!' to stay on the watchdog's good side. Story continues below advertisement The revelations prompted French-language Minister Jean-François Roberge to intervene, declaring that the expression 'Go Habs Go' is part of Quebec culture, and that any future complaints about the slogan would be dismissed. That statement verged on political interference and placed the watchdog in a difficult position, according to one expert. 'The office had to respond to a political order,' said Benoît Melançon, emeritus professor of French literature at Université de Montréal. 'The minister said, 'You will accept this,' so the office had to find a way to accept it.' The transit agency says it hasn't decided whether it will put the word 'go' back on its bus displays. On Wednesday, a spokesperson said the agency is now 'beginning its reflection on the subject.' Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy In an April statement, Dominique Malack, the president of the language office, agreed that the slogan 'Go Habs Go' is anchored in Quebec's history. Still, she went on to say that the word 'go' is an anglicism, and that public bodies have an obligation to use 'exemplary' French, which includes using only French words in their signage. Emails released to The Canadian Press show the transit agency asked the watchdog in May, following the uproar, for authorization to start using 'go' again. A month later, on June 6, the language office directed transit officials to its new entry for the word 'allez' in its online dictionary of terminology, a reference guide for the proper use of French in Quebec. Story continues below advertisement The page notes how the anglicism 'go' has been used in Quebec since at least the 1980s and is 'well-established' in common parlance. 'It is considered to be partially legitimized,' the entry says. When asked by The Canadian Press to comment on the newly released email correspondence, the watchdog confirmed it had updated its position. 'The office now considers that a public body can use the interjection go in a context of encouragement … without this compromising the duty of exemplarity incumbent upon it under the Charter of the French Language,' spokesperson Gilles Payer told The Canadian Press in an email. Payer confirmed the entry was newly published on May 30. 'The media coverage of the case concerning the use of the borrowed word 'go' in a sports context led the office to officially assess the acceptability' of the word, he said. Melançon, the French literature professor, said the new rationale – especially the term 'partially legitimized' – suggests the office was uneasy with the change. 'This must have given rise to some pretty intense internal debates,' he said. ''Do we take into account what the minister is telling us or do we not take it into account? If we don't take it into account, what are the consequences? If we do, how do we justify changing our minds?'' At least one transit agency official felt dubious about the original complaint, which related to a bus displaying the words 'Go! CF Mtl Go!' in support of Montreal's professional soccer club. She called the issue a 'grey zone' in a June 2024 email to colleagues. Story continues below advertisement 'We've been using the word 'go' for years without a problem,' she wrote. 'Are we going to change everything because of one complaint?' But by later that month, the agency had decided to scrap the word, which involved manually updating the display on each of more than 1,000 buses over a period of months. The agency has said no further change will be made before the buses undergo regular maintenance in the fall. The language office has received at least two other complaints about the word 'go' in the last five years, according to a response to a separate access-to-information request. In 2023, someone complained about the slogan 'Go Habs Go' appearing on an outdoor billboard. That complaint was dismissed because the expression is a trademark. A similar complaint in 2021 targeted the hashtag #GoHabsGo that appears in oversized letters outside the Bell Centre in Montreal, the home arena of the Canadiens. The person who filed the complaint suggested that to comply with Quebec's language rules, the expression 'Allez les Habitants allez' should appear alongside the English slogan, in larger letters. 'And yes, I'm serious, if the law applies, then apply it! :)' the person wrote. According to the language watchdog, that complaint was resolved following an intervention, though it provided no details. A spokesperson for the hockey team declined to comment. Story continues below advertisement The #GoHabsGo sign remains in place. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 3, 2025.
Vancouver Sun
2 days ago
- Vancouver Sun
Quebec language watchdog says it's OK to use 'Go' to support sports teams
MONTREAL — Quebec's language watchdog has changed its tune on whether it's acceptable to use the word 'go' to cheer on sports teams. In a new guideline posted in its online dictionary, the Office quebecois de la langue francaise says that while 'allez' is the preferred term, it's now 'partially legitimized' to use the English word to show encouragement. The flip-flop comes after the office took a hard line with Montreal's transit agency, pressing it for months in 2024 to scrub the word 'go' from the electronic signs on more than 1,000 city buses. The watchdog confirmed it had changed its position after The Canadian Press obtained a series of emails through access to information legislation, revealing it gave the transit agency a green light to use 'go' in June. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The reversal followed a public outcry on the eve of the Montreal Canadiens' first playoff home game in April, when the Montreal Gazette reported how the transit agency had replaced 'Go! Canadiens Go!' with 'Allez! Canadiens Allez!' to stay on the watchdog's good side. The revelations prompted French-language Minister Jean-Francois Roberge to intervene, declaring that the expression 'Go Habs Go' is part of Quebec culture, and that any future complaints about the slogan would be dismissed. That statement verged on political interference and placed the watchdog in a difficult position, according to one expert. 'The office had to respond to a political order,' said Benoit Melancon, emeritus professor of French literature at Universite de Montreal. 'The minister said, 'You will accept this,' so the office had to find a way to accept it.' The transit agency says it hasn't decided whether it will put the word 'go' back on its bus displays. On Wednesday, a spokesperson said the agency is now 'beginning its reflection on the subject.' In an April statement, Dominique Malack, the president of the language office, agreed that the slogan 'Go Habs Go' is anchored in Quebec's history. Still, she went on to say that the word 'go' is an anglicism, and that public bodies have an obligation to use 'exemplary' French, which includes using only French words in their signage. Emails released to The Canadian Press show the transit agency asked the watchdog in May, following the uproar, for authorization to start using 'go' again. A month later, on June 6, the language office directed transit officials to its new entry for the word 'allez' in its online dictionary of terminology, a reference guide for the proper use of French in Quebec. The page notes how the anglicism 'go' has been used in Quebec since at least the 1980s and is 'well-established' in common parlance. 'It is considered to be partially legitimized,' the entry says. When asked by The Canadian Press to comment on the newly released email correspondence, the watchdog confirmed it had updated its position. 'The office now considers that a public body can use the interjection go in a context of encouragement … without this compromising the duty of exemplarity incumbent upon it under the Charter of the French Language,' spokesperson Gilles Payer told The Canadian Press in an email. Payer confirmed the entry was newly published on May 30. 'The media coverage of the case concerning the use of the borrowed word 'go' in a sports context led the office to officially assess the acceptability' of the word, he said. Melancon, the French literature professor, said the new rationale — especially the term 'partially legitimized' — suggests the office was uneasy with the change. 'This must have given rise to some pretty intense internal debates,' he said. ''Do we take into account what the minister is telling us or do we not take it into account? If we don't take it into account, what are the consequences? If we do, how do we justify changing our minds?'' At least one transit agency official felt dubious about the original complaint, which related to a bus displaying the words 'Go! CF Mtl Go!' in support of Montreal's professional soccer club. She called the issue a 'grey zone' in a June 2024 email to colleagues. 'We've been using the word 'go' for years without a problem,' she wrote. 'Are we going to change everything because of one complaint?' But by later that month, the agency had decided to scrap the word, which involved manually updating the display on each of more than 1,000 buses over a period of months. The agency has said no further change will be made before the buses undergo regular maintenance in the fall. The language office has received at least two other complaints about the word 'go' in the last five years, according to a response to a separate access-to-information request. In 2023, someone complained about the slogan 'Go Habs Go' appearing on an outdoor billboard. That complaint was dismissed because the expression is a trademark. A similar complaint in 2021 targeted the hashtag #GoHabsGo that appears in oversized letters outside the Bell Centre in Montreal, the home arena of the Canadiens. The person who filed the complaint suggested that to comply with Quebec's language rules, the expression 'Allez les Habitants allez' should appear alongside the English slogan, in larger letters. 'And yes, I'm serious, if the law applies, then apply it! :)' the person wrote. According to the language watchdog, that complaint was resolved following an intervention, though it provided no details. A spokesperson for the hockey team declined to comment. The #GoHabsGo sign remains in place. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
