City Festivals

Sticky, icky, and almost shitty! I hate muds, ever since I was a kid. I always associate them to dirt and filth. So I don't know how exactly I was wheedled to attend the Boryeong Mud Festival! If not for my friend Lee, I couldn't imagine myself toying in Korea.

The only Korean I knew and I thought will ever know is Lee. I'd say that if there's one thing I do love about Lee, it's his soft, sensitive, baby skin. Almost perfect, I'd always say. But at least now, I don't have the hots for him! I could admit that I love Korean skin next to their Kimchi. So I don't know how they can daub their skin with mud!

As weird as their dancing antics and hideous Karaoke singing, I'd say that they know how to dig a shit of fun. It took a lot of fawning and pleading before I agreed to a mud pack. They say that Boryeong Mud Cosmetic had perked up the use of muds in skin and instead of filth, minerals help alleviate dead cells into shinier skin glow. Though I'm not an expert, I'll have to take their word for it. Besides, they have the nicest skin in town!

Apart from mud wrestling, games, and fireworks, I also loved the beach. I got into my trunks and went swimming all day long. I was lucky to meet a lot of Korean folks actually. But the surprise of all, I didn't know they have a wild side in them. And I love them more for their spontaneous chemistry for laughs and adventure!

Ever wonder why people go to food festival? Not because they want the food in the festival, but because they want to taste what is not their favorite. Why did I say so? It's because most of the time people are more curious about the festival's activities, particularly the prepared food, rather than the festival's mission. They want to eat unusual food that they haven't or rarely eaten in their common cuisines. It's about trying something out of the ordinary.

Such is the case with the Bread & Honey Festival in Streetville. My friend Joshua attends the festival every year and he is delighted with what the festival has, and not particularly about the bread and honey. He does not want to eat a bread filled with honey, but he attends the event because he believes that he will meet the woman of her dream through attending that festival. And though it is not his favorite jam, he eats honey nonetheless.

And so if you want to eat not your favorite, attend to a food festival. For sure, you will bite even the food is not your delight. Actually, food festival, like bread and honey festival, is not for people who wants to pig-out. It is for individuals who believe that food festival is an affair to encounter new experience, new people, new uncommon recipes, and the excitement it gives.

A garlic festival? Yes, it's real, and it's inviting you to come and celebrate with other garlic lovers out there. And I know, you will also love this festival because of several reasons. If luscious garlic-filled food will make you the happiest person, visit this annual festival. It celebrates with, what else, thousands of fresh and spicy garlics. This yearly celebration is certainly a memorable moment for all food fanatics.

For the past 27 years, this yearly festival has been giving first-time guests and festival veterans extreme fun with its different, exciting activities. Entertainment shows, craft and arts shops, and delicious recipes and cooking demonstrations are some of the highlights of the affair. Parents can also have the chance to enjoy the children's area, or pay visit to different displays made by its supportive sponsors.

I'm sure, you will also notice the warm welcome of the people in Gilroy. And through collective efforts of more than 4,000 volunteered members, the festival has always been an unforgettable experience. The merrymaking festival supports community projects, charities, and service groups in the city. With millions of visitors, this festival is undeniably one of the exciting occasions in this land. Different booths located in the festival venue add more thrill to the event.

If there is a celebration for apples, why not have an occasion for corns? Corn lovers should not be dismayed. It's because Zellwood celebrates it's New Zellwood Sweet Corn Festival for all corn munchers out there. As a sweet corn addict, I never miss this occasion, too. I also bring my family to celebrate this merry-making event.

My family enjoy all activities in this festival. I enjoy watching "Big Bertha" prepares her corns. While my kids have fun in amusement rides. There are many activities for both parents and children. This festival is packed with entertainment and a number of great outdoor activities for the whole family; adults and children have respective activities they can enjoy.

Every time I have a chance to attend to this affair, I always visit the Arts and Crafts section. I love to see the exhibits, and pick my choice. I don't forget to buy different items for souvenirs, too. And of course, there are some fresh sweet corns for sale in the festival. Long & Scott Farms provide all delicious Zellwood sweet corns for the festival. This means, you can buy sweet corns as many as want to take home with you, and enjoy those corns even if the festival is already through.

If food is your delight, you will surely enjoy the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. This occasion will bring back your appetite if you are in serious diet. World's famous chefs and wine producers are celebrating this yearly occasion. Indeed, this festival is also a much-awaited event in the city. And if you want to feed your hungry stomach, this kind of festival is your event.

It started in year 1993, with 12 joyous events. And from then, the festival developed into a more exciting occasion, bringing more than 120 fun-filled events. All festival goers are delighted with outstanding presentations and efforts of people in the industry. Also, this occasion gave an honor to Melbourne as a superior food and wine capital.

Yearly, this affair encourages food as well as wine masters from other countries to present their best products along with Australia's finest. As a matter of fact, the city was recognized as included in the list of cities with great and finest wines. Actually, I will never forget this festival. It is because, I met here a popular wine maker of the city. When I tasted his wine, I immediately liked it. It was a perfect wine. So I agree, Melbourne is a city of talented and skilled wine and food producers.

Every year, thousands of colorful festivals are celebrated in different parts of the world. Different themes, guests, activities, and programs make each festival more memorable and fun. Every country celebrates city festivals. People in London prepare a merry-making event every year to celebrate the City of London Festival.

This joyous festival is held annually. Thousands of people enjoy the festival's series of activities and programmes. Beginning in 1962, this annual occasion provides a typical summer festival of arts and music in different parts of the area. For the 2006 celebration, the festival will offer Japanese-inspired theme, which highlights the relationship of London and Tokyo. This joyous occasion will be held from June 26 to July 13. Visitors and guests can expect fabulous presentations from highly talented performers.

People attending this festival can enjoy different kinds of education and entertainment, from music to poetry. In addition, guests can enjoy visual arts exhibits, as well as movie screenings. These and other activities will complete this merry-making festival, and the increasing number of attendants every year make this event remarkable. My cousins were able to go last year and they absolutely had fun. I had no idea on the theme last year, but this years' Japanese theme sounds exciting and worth looking forward to.

Every year, there is a celebration in Charlottesville, Virginia that book enthusiasts will certainly enjoy. This event is attended by thousands of book lovers; educators, authors, readers, publishers, and other professionals. VA Book Festival recognizes the significance of books in the development of society. If your hobby is to read some books, this festival is also for you. You can bring your family and friends in this event, and encourage them to appreciate the writings of great authors.

This annual occasion for both young and adults celebrates different activities related to literature, and of course books. This significant and joyous event encourages schools to promote books, reading, as well as writing to children and young adults. It promotes literacy and education through book reading. Book lovers will definitely learn more from this fun-filled fest in this city.

Books are important in molding the young generation. Unfortunately, the presence of modern technology, like handheld online games and other computer games, divert the interests of our children to read some good books in the library. Nevertheless, the effort of the organizers of VA Book Festival is worthwhile. It's because they lead our young people to enjoy book reading as well writing.

I'm here in my room on its messiest state stacking my clothes on my Giorgio Armani luggage, and I'm having a hard time stuffing my think wool jacket in the package. My friend said that I'm not a wise traveler because whenever he see's my things, it gives him the impression that I always bring my whole closet wherever I go. Aside from that my driver is always complaining about the heavy load that he have to carry form my van to the airport, and he can't imagine how will I manage to have happy travel time with all the bags and luggage that I have with me. And like I care, I know I'm not wise enough to grab all the shirts and jackets my hands can reach and put them in my bag, but I'm not stupid to bring less clothes knowing that I change outfit four times a day and especially when I'll be traveling to an Asian country a million miles away from Beverly Hills where my good old father built his mansion.

Anyway, do you have any idea where my helper put my scarlet and gold socks? I've been rummaging my drawers for three centuries now and I haven't seen the shadow of my precious socks. Anyway, I'll be in the Philippines next week for a very important mission, not to visit the Boracay beach resort and absolutely not for another round of excruciating business conferences again. I'll be there to witness the world's famous Bangus Festival which is held every May 1st in Dagupan City. It started during the administration of the two-time city mayor Benjamin Lim last, I guess 2000. Bangus is the Filipino word for milk fish which is very abundant in the place. The famous event in the festivity is the longest milk fish grill which is their entry for the Guinness Book of Records. I'm not sure if they manage to have a place in the book's pages during their previous attempts but according to my brother-in-law who is a Filipino-American, the city will be defending their title for the second time now. Aside from the grilling of the freshly catch fishes, they also have activities like the milk fish rodeo where they will be having a sort of a beauty pageant of the milk fish (do they have crowns and sashes as well?), and the 101 ways to cook Bangus contest. Oops did I already mention that the activity is held every first of May? Oh, no, then that means I'm late again, sheesh, anyway, I'll go to Zambia instead.

I'm here in my room on its messiest state stacking my clothes on my Giorgio Armani luggage, and I'm having a hard time stuffing my think wool jacket in the package. My friend said that I'm not a wise traveler because whenever he see's my things, it gives him the impression that I always bring my whole closet wherever I go. Aside from that my driver is always complaining about the heavy load that he have to carry form my van to the airport, and he can't imagine how will I manage to have happy travel time with all the bags and luggage that I have with me. And like I care, I know I'm not wise enough to grab all the shirts and jackets my hands can reach and put them in my bag, but I'm not stupid to bring less clothes knowing that I change outfit four times a day and especially when I'll be traveling to an Asian country a million miles away from Beverly Hills where my good old father built his mansion.
(Searches for the pair of Gryffindor socks from Bossini in the drawers, and continue typing)

Anyway, do you have any idea where my helper put my scarlet and gold socks? I've been rummaging my drawers for three centuries now and I haven't seen the shadow of my precious socks. Anyway, I'll be in the Philippines next week for a very important mission, not to visit the Boracay beach resort and absolutely not for another round of excruciating business conferences again. I'll be there to witness the world's famous Bangus Festival which is held every May 1st in Dagupan City. It started during the administration of the two-time city mayor Benjamin Lim last, I guess 2000. Bangus is the Filipino word for milk fish which is very abundant in the place.

The famous event in the festivity is the longest milk fish grill which is their entry for the Guinness Book of Records. I'm not sure if they manage to have a place in the book's pages during their previous attempts but according to my brother-in-law who is a Filipino-American, the city will be defending their title for the second time now. Aside from the grilling of the freshly catch fishes, they also have activities like the milk fish rodeo where they will be having a sort of a beauty pageant of the milk fish (do they have crowns and sashes as well?), and the 101 ways to cook Bangus contest. Oops did I already mention that the activity is held every first of May? Oh, no, then that means I'm late again, sheesh, anyway, I'll go to Zambia instead.

If it's excellent artistry that you are looking for, then look no further. The Utah Arts Festival is here to come. The said event will be held on June 22nd - 25th of this year at the Library Square, Downtown Salt Lake City. Adults will be charged an entrance fee of $8, senior citizens will be charged $4, and children below 12 years of age can enter the event for free. The event will also feature a Special Admission Lunchtime (12nn up to 3PM) during Thursday and Friday. Admission for the said special entry will be $4.

Anyway, you can expect a variety of literary, visual, and performing arts during these days. Local artists as well as foreign artists will be featured for this fun-filled event. Programs for the Utah Arts Festival include Culinary Arts, Artist Marketplace and the Performing Arts programme. The aforementioned are considered to be the core events, which are annually improved to ensure the viewing public that they get their money's worth. Also, such developments will guarantee that excellence in the field of arts is preserved. Furthermore, the artistic works that you will see in this event are guaranteed to be of the best artistic quality, given the fact that these works are curated by several expert artists, as well as, administrators of the said field.

I love dogs. In fact, I have seven of them, and the most beautiful is Heidi the Poodle. Everyday, I want to display all my dogs on streets as if they are on parade. I also bring them in some dog occasions, like the famous dog day at West Chester. Annually, there is an event being held for man's best friend at West Chester. The Dog Festival is attended by thousands of dogs and people from Ohio, and other cities. The festival is participated by dogs of different breeds, dog lovers, cat owners, and families.

There are many activities being held during the affair. One of my favorite parts is the dog and dog owner look-alike contest. Heidi and I joined in that contest once, and we had a great time. There's also a prize for the most skilled and talented pet. You should also see other events that all pet lovers will really enjoy. I always have a memorable experience in this festival. Dog Fest organizers spend thousands of dollars to make sure that the festival is a merry-making event. This is a great bonding time with the world's most faithful friends, dogs.

I really love to go to different festivals. I learned to appreciate more the arts and crafts of people who are participating in the festivals. But among the festivals that I have attended so far, the Madeira Flower Festival is the most remarkable for me.

The Islands of Madeira is a Portuguese autonomous archipelago situated in the north Atlantic Ocean. Madeira holds many major events every year, and this gives its visitors a reason they should come again to the Island. But among all the colorful events in this beautiful island, the Flower Festival is the most celebrated. In fact, it's the most loved events of both local and foreign tourists in the land.

People of Madeira take the opportunity of spring time to get the best blooming flower for the affair. They make a long a parade and spectacular floats filled with different species of flowers. People enjoy the long parade passing through the roads of Funchal, the Island's Capital. They are several activities during the merrymaking day. Flower-carpet making, awarding of best-designed flower shop window, and other fun-filled activities are the things you can expect in the event.

Residences of Edmonton are closely attached to each other through streets, and bridges. People of this land are also tied by sports, arts, local media, and variety of festival. In fact, the Edmonton Heritage Festival is celebrated annually to recognize the Albertan's cultural heritage. This was first celebrated in 1974 at Fort Edmonton Park. The annual festival is celebrated every first Monday of August. And in 1976, 11 cultural communities joined the festival for 1-day show of their traditional dances and music, native foods, original crafts at Hawrelak Park. And since then, the population of people attending the festival has been growing.

Different people from different ethnicities and cultures are commemorating the affair every year. Thousands of residence and guest visit the province to witness the joy of drums, dances, foods, and other merrymaking events in the festival. Celebrating the cultural diversity has been the excitement of this festival. This celebration makes the residence and visitors of Edmonton enjoy the cultural diversity with lots of entertainment, luscious recipes, education, and cultural information. The festival gives appreciation to the values of Albertans, including their remarkable respect to different cultures.

If religious festivals celebrate and venerate holy religious relics, secular festivals glorify human achievements. Some of the secular festivals celebrate historic events such as revolutions. Secular festivals also celebrate the life and achievements of great men such as composers, conquerors, and scientists. The great thing that I enjoy about secular festivals is the freedom to express yourself to be creative. Musical festivals, for instance, create a venue for musicians to showcase their talents.

If you are a science buff like me, you will indeed be interested in attending a science festival. When I was studying in Britain, I attended the Edinburgh Science Festival. Although I was not a direct participant, I was one of those curious students. The science exhibits by some students were pretty much the routine basic science projects that cover electronics, chemistry, physics, and biology.

However, there were some very impressive projects that may someday become part of mainstream technology. Aside from the entry exhibits, there were lectures and science demonstrations about everyday phenomenon. The Edinburgh Science Festival is not intended for the scientists, but rather it is intended for the common people who have very little background in science.

Italy is famous not only for its grand architecture. Italy is also famous for the churches housing holy Christian relics. Although the historical validity of these relics is still questionable, people believe that these relics are sacred and miraculous. Many churches in Italy are proud to own a portion of vestment or bones of a particular saint. Some churches even claim to possess the actual blood of Christ. Italy is predominantly Catholic. Hence, it is not surprising why many of its festivals are religiously motivated.

One of the most important religious and historic festivals in Italy is Pentecost Celebration. The Day of Pentecost is a Christian celebration with Jewish background. Pentecost celebration is actually derived from the Jewish Shavuot festival. The day of the Pentecost is the commemoration of the bestowing of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other early Christian contemporaries of the Apostles.

The celebration of the Pentecost is held every fiftieth day after Easter. The whole account of the Pentecost can be found in the book of Acts in the New Testament. This year’s celebration of the Pentecost in Rome will be held on June 5th to 9th.

If an event is happening in the historic Cologne City, it has to be on a grand scale. The spirit of cooperation among the citizens of Cologne is the main reason for the colorful and fabulous festivities. The festivals of Cologne have both religious and historical implications.

The people of Cologne have always been vivacious even during ancient Roman times. Cologne became part of the Roman territories in the year 50 A.D. The city became a Christian diocese as early as 313 A.D. when a bishop of Cologne was elected.

The Cologne Carnival is held annually every November. Street parties and fairs highlight the carnival festivities. This carnival can be traced back to the Middle Ages when it was celebrated as a harvest festivity. During the week-long celebration, the people of Cologne act out their craziest antics. Some even assume different identities. The carnival is officially opened each year on the 11th day of the 11th month. The prelude activities to the climax of the carnival include procession of different colorful floats, representing the various schools and city boroughs. The kilometer-long parade also includes giant puppets and effigies.

The famous German composer, Ludwig van Beethoven, established his musical career in Vienna, Austria, but he was born in Bonn, Germany. This is not surprising considering that Vienna was a center of the musical arts in the European continent. Nonetheless, the formative childhood years of Ludwig were spent in Bonn. His father was his first piano teacher. The ambition of his father was to develop Ludwig’s talent as a musical prodigy. Ludwig gave his first public performance in Bonn when he was just eight years old. It was his first step to worldwide fame.

Today, the city of Bonn honors Beethoven by the yearly Beethoven Festival. The festival can actually be traced back as far as 1845. The first music festival in honor of Beethoven was three-day event that took place during the inauguration of monument on his 75th birthday. However, the modern Beethoven Festival started in 1998 when the Internationale Beethovenfeste Bonn GmbH was founded.

Since then, approximately 50 annual concert performances are rendered by international orchestras. Quartets and soloists also perform in the annual festival. New compositions are also played in the festival.

Barcelona is one of the historic Spanish cities with rich culture. The origin of Barcelona can be traced back as far as 230 B.C. with a settlement founded by the Carthaginians. The city has been invaded by different cultures such as the Visigoths and the Muslims.

However, the dominant people in Barcelona are the Catalans. The Catalans are the direct descendants of the French who invaded the city in the year 801 A.D. Hence, the closest linguistic relative of the Catalan language is the old language used in southern France.

Although Barcelona City was once ruled by the Muslims, the city is still dominantly Catholic. Roman Catholic traditions are deeply rooted in its festival celebrations. One of the most popular festivals in Barcelona is the Fiesta de la Merce. This festival includes many exciting activities that last for several days. The activities eventually culminate in the 24th of September with excellent firework displays. The activities include sport events and boat race. Parades and dances also highlight the occasion. The public squares are the common venues for dances and parades. Music and revelries echo throughout Barcelona for almost a week in Honor of the city’s patron saint, the Virgin de la Merce.

Heidelberg is one of the historic German cities that directly developed from medieval civilization. It is home to the oldest educational institution in Germany, the University of Heidelberg. This university is founded in 1386. On the other hand, the city itself was first mentioned in historical documents in 1196. Prominently standing in the city is a ruin of a medieval castle or rather castles. Heidelberg Castle ruin is actually a complex of many buildings. The first building was erected by Prince Elector Ruprecht III as his personal residence.

This castle ruin is also the center of an annual festival dubbed as Heidelberg Castle Festival. Each summer, the festival is highlighted by classic operetta and stage drama presentations. The Heidelberg Castle Festival is a celebration of classical music and theatre arts. It has an ambience of intimacy. The participants and audience are limited because of the space restriction.

Tickets are usually issued on a first-come-first-serve basis. The courtyard of the castle is the main center for the festival celebration. The regular feature of the festival is the famous musical, “The Student Prince”, written by Sigmund Romberg.

The historic Munich City is famous for many historical landmarks such as the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), a twin-towered cathedral built from 1468 to 1488. Munich is also showcase a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture, the St. Michael’s Church. You can also find different castles in Munich such as the Amalienburg and the Nymphenburg. Munich also has some world-class museums such as the Old Pinakothek and the Bavarian National Museum.

However, Munich is really a world-renowned place for Oktoberfest festival. Just imagine six million liters of beer. This is enough to fill a small lake or pour a glass for every person in Germany. This is the total average consumption of beer during the annual celebration of the Oktoberfest. You may say that Oktoberfest is a German orgy for drinking beer.

The Munich Oktoberfest is not complete without the voluptuous Bavarian waitresses clad in traditional costumes. Each waitress can carry 22 liters of beer at a time, the equivalent of 66 bottles of 12-ounce beer. The Oktoberfest was first held in 1810 to celebrate the marriage of King Ludwig, the king of Bavaria, and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hindenburghausen.

The Chelsea Flower Show in London is perhaps the greatest annual flower festival in the whole European continent. This festival the Great Britain dominion is already on its 83rd year of existence. The Chelsea Flower Show was organized in 1913 by the royal Horticultural Society.

However, the flower exhibition in London city has a long history and can be traced back as far as 144 years. The first flower show was called the Royal Horticultural Society’s Great Spring Show. This was first held in 1862 at the RHS garden in Kensington in 1862. In 1888, when RHS garden was closed, the show was moved to Temple Gardens near the Embankment. This garden became the home of the show until 1911.

The Temple Gardens show was cancelled in 1912 to make way for the Royal International Horticultural Exhibition. Sir Harry Veitch secured the grounds of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea for the event. The Great Spring Show was moved in Chelsea in 1913. The show was held there almost annually until the present day. The Chelsea Flower show gained international prominence. Each year, garden designers from all around the world compete for space in the Chelsea show.

Bastille Day is a national holiday in France, but it is mostly celebrated in Paris. Bastille Day is the commemoration of one of the important events of the glorious French Revolution. Historically, the siege of the hated Bastille castle by the French commoners was a pivotal point.

The event actually heralded a major change in European culture and society. Bastille Day celebration is annually celebrated on July 14. It commemorates the storming of the Bastille Castle in 1789 and it is regarded as a symbol of the start of the struggle of the French people against the abuses of the French monarchy and aristocracy.

Bastille Day celebration in France is more loud and vibrant than the celebration of the New Year. Aside from Paris, many other cities hold firework shows during the night. It is also customary during the celebration that firefighters organize dancing parties or balls. Colorful military parades are held on the morning of July 14. The largest of these parades are held on the Champs-Elysees Avenue in Paris. The main guest of honor for this parade is usually the president of the French Republic.

Festivals are happening all over the world. Perhaps because everyone in this universe loves to celebrate. During a fun tradition, all the people in that place will gather and celebrate. This is the time wherein people unit, promote, and proudly showcase their talents to expectators.

The archipelagic country of Philippines also celebrates many festivals. Almost all towns and cities of this country have festivals. One of the most famous is the Flower Festival or Panagbenga in Baguio City. It is usually celebrated during the third week of February because it is the season of flowers and the climate is cool. This festival takes almost three weeks. It is in this festival that the people of Baguio City show their rich culture, history, values, and traditions to other people which is really the reason why the festival is promoted. The highlights of this celebration are the street dance and float parade.

The street dancing is a competition participated usually by the different schools which are subdivided into three levels. These levels include college, high school, and elementary. The dancers wear colorful costumes decorated with the wonderful flowers. As days pass by, neighboring towns start to participate in the said competition. But their aim is not just to compete but to celebrate with the natives of Baguio as well. The float parade, on the other hand, is also fascinating because of the different flowers used to decorate the floats.

The city of Paris in France is sometimes called as the City of Lights and Gay Paris. Paris has always been a very jovial and festive city since the Middle-Ages. Paris has always been a center of expositions, fairs, and exhibits in Europe. Paris is a truly cosmopolitan city. Paris is a melting pot of European culture.

The violent French Revolution never erased the vivacious spirit of the French people. The city of Paris celebrates a wide range of festivals and events each year, from Christmas to Chinese New Year, from Gay Pride to music festivals. The Festival du Chopin a Paris is an annual music festival held in the Orangerie de Bagatelle in Paris.

This Festival is held between late June and early July. This music festival features candlelit piano concerts in honor of the great polish composer and pianist, Fryderic Chopin. The festival will be on its 23rd season this year. Last year’s festival featured 15 pianists -- both known and aspiring artists. Last year’s festival was devoted to elude, a music composition genre which was turned into a piano poem by Chopin.

The British Isles is separate from the European continent. British Isles occupy a relatively small land area of about only 241,600 square kilometers. The land area of the Great Britain Kingdom is slightly smaller than the land area of Texas. However, Great Britain was once a mighty world power. Its former dominions included Canada, American colonies, India, Australia, and other territories. The British people have always been busy with the affairs of the state that its capital, London, generally neglected the celebration of festivals.

However, many of the best public events in London capitalize on the river such as Chelsea Flower Show, Boat Race, and Notting Hill Carnival. All of these events utilize the river in some of their highlights. The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race is one major event in London that dates back in March 12, 1829. The idea of a boat race competition between the two universities was originated by two friends – Charles Merivale, a student in Cambridge University, and his Harrow school friend Charles Wordsworth. This annual boat race is a healthy way of taking a break from the rigors of academic life.