Copious meals at Picos de Europa

It’s not a secret that Picos de Europa is a great place to eat. Only in the area of Cabrales, over 40 types of cheese are prepared, being the region in Europe with a greater variety.

It was clear that, before we feast on great food, we needed to make some kind of effort, first. The most common route to follow in the area is at Cares, uphill at the beginning but nice and relaxed the rest of the way. Is almost like a baptism to trekking, much frequented on the weekends.

We opt to follow the route from Poncebos to Bulnes, an uphill and amusing where we meet mountain goats several times. Bulnes is a small village, the only place in Asturias that is not accessible by car. There are many houses here but most of them are bars, inns and restaurants where you can eat very well. We tried delicious fabes and other specialties from the province, like a pot of octopus and potatoes, the small chorizos with cider and the scorpion fish cake.

Trying the best fabada in the world (and a great cachopo)

By chance, right next to the hotel where we were staying in Villaviciosa there is Bedriñana cider bar, which was awarded in 2014 for the ‘best fabada in the world’. That is something very remarkable in Asturias!

The fabada, obviously, was delicious and, to top it off, as a second course we ordered a cachopo to share. Cachopo (or cachopu) is a very typical dish from Asturian cuisine, only suitable to resistant stomachs. It is made of two veal filets that can be filled with cheese, ham or other ingredients. Furthermore, wine plus a side dish of potatoes, pepper and mushrooms. The two of us couldn’t even finish the half of the dish.

Then is when we realised that you have to be very careful when you order a dish. If an Asturian waiter tells you that you’re not ordering enough, be prepared. A big feeding feast is awaiting you.

For the great seafood, go to Tazones

Close to Villaviciosa, Tazones has the essence of a fishermen town, with pretty cobblestone streets and low-lying houses with colourful balconies, and is the place to go to eat great seafood and fish. The choices and quality are immense, any of the restaurants in town is provided by local fisheries.

Delicious cocktails in Gijón

We took advantage of a quick visit to Gijón to try some cocktails at one of the most frequented places in town. Its name is Varsovia and can be located by San Lorenzo avenue, exactly at Cabrales, 18, in an iconic historical building with an interior of eclectic decoration and a great variety of furniture, from Chester sofas to old wooden furniture. The large windows provide the best views over Gijón beach.

The menu includes a great variety of cocktails, provided in an unbeatable atmosphere and with a great music selection to enjoy.

The cider: customs & practices

A different matter is cider, the Asturian drink by excellence, and how it must be served. Cider in Asturias usually costs no more than 3€ each bottle, with a dark green colour and usually purchased to be shared. It has low alcohol content so you can order many and still remain not too much drunk.

The technique to pour cider usually leads to funny moments, especially among beginners who waste more cider than what is served. It is necessary to pour the cider right in the border of the glass, to enhance the flavour and smell when it mixes with the oxygen from the glass. When the cider is served you should ask ¿quién bebe? (“who drinks?”) and the glass must be empty in one sip or two, not more. It can be considered impolite to keep the cider for too long in the glass, because it loses the properties.

If you are not good at pouring cider, you better ask the waiter to serve you a “culín” or “culete”. If you dare to pour it yourself, you should know that the stream should be as high as possible and break right at the border of the glass. You don’t want to shower the rest of the diners.

Why not take a trip to Asturias? Have a look at our flights here!

Its markets are the best place to take the pulse of any city,places where you can experience the day-to-day life of the people and mingle with the local population. This is no less true in Saint Petersburg, where haggling is encouraged and stallholders will even offer you their wares without any kind of pressure to buy.

Kuznechny Market

The most central and representative of the markets in Saint Petersburg (and also the most expensive) is the Kuznechny Market where you will find flowers, vegetables, cheeses and natural honey for sale.

Numerous attractions are located close to the market: the Arctic and Antarctic Museum can be found in the former Church of Saint Nicholas and includes exhibits on the characteristics of the polar regions, the history behind the conquest of the Great North and the economy and culture of the Nordic people. The Floral Exhibition Centre, the Vladimirskaya Church and the Lensoveta Culture Centre at 42 Kamennoostrovsky Avenue are also worth visiting.

The Dostoevsky Museum is another nearby attraction – the place where this famous writer and author of such novels as ‘Crime and Punishment’, ‘Demons’ and ‘The Idiot’ lived and died. This house museum has been faithfully restored to how it was originally.

If you get hungry, why not try the Marius Pub or the Tres Amigos restaurant. However, if it is thirst that needs quenching, Mollie’s Irish Bar is a great place for a drink.

Sennoy Market

What was once an old hay market has now become a major food market with clothing stalls that fill the surrounding streets.

A large part of  ‘Crime and Punishment’ by Dostoevsky is set in the streets of the Sennaya district, where the Sennoy Market is to be found. It is more popularly known as the Dostoevsky District.

It is an excellent area for a spot of shopping in the large department stores. Sennaya Square is a bustling hive of activity where you can find the famous PIK and the large Sennaya Shopping Centre.

For some nice, reasonably-priced home-made food, you should head over to Kafe Adzhika.

If you’re up for a short walk, take a stroll over to Yusupov Palace, located on the edge of the River Moika and one of the most spectacular monuments to classicism to be found in Saint Petersburg.

Sitni Market

On the small Zayachy Island in the River Neva is the true historical centre of the city: Peter and Paul Fortress, the original citadel of Saint Petersburg. Peter I the Great ordered its construction in 1703 and it contains such remarkable buildings as the Peter and Paul Cathedral, where all the Tsars from Peter I the Great to Nicholas II and his family are buried. Standing 122 metres tall, the cathedral bell tower is the highest point in the city.

Although initially designed for defensive purposes, it never needed to be used for that but rather served as a prison until 1917. Its most famous prisoners included such individuals as Trotski, Dostoevsky and Bakunin.

Also nearby is the Saint Petersburg Zoo and the Political History Museum.

A good choice for something to eat would be the popular Salkhino restaurant where they serve Georgian cuisine. In the evening, you might want to try out the legendary Tunnel Club, the first techno club to open in Russia.

Vernisazh Souvenir Market

Less of a market and more a collection of souvenir stalls, this is to be found behind the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ or the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood and is one of the most popular tourist sites and an attraction in itself. Here you will find many traditional Russian gifts and souvenirs.

The Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood was built on the spot where Tsar Alexander III was killed. The interior and exterior mosaic decorations are fantastic, as are its stained glass windows. The temple was built in the Russian architectural style of the 16th-17th Centuries (pure Russian orthodox) and bears a striking resemblance to Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow’s Red Square.

Its five large bulbous domes decorated in numerous colours and gold, as well as the meticulous detail work that covers the exterior, are yet more features that make this an outstanding piece of architecture.

Imagen de iwillbehomesoon

 Makes you want to go, right? Do it! Check out our prices here! 

For twelve days, from 13 to 24 May, producers, film-makers and film stars come together in the city of Cannes to compete for the coveted Palme d’Or. The Cannes Festival is one of the most prestigious cinema festivals in the world. That is why, year after year, it draws great stars from the world of cinema, while millions of film enthusiasts the world over await the awards ceremony with baited breath.

Under the presidency of Louis Lumière, regarded as the father of cinema, the festival was first inaugurated on 1 September 1939, fatefully just one day before the outbreak of World War Two, which led to its cancellation until it was reinstated in 1946. The idea of the festival was to rival the Venice Film Festival, the oldest in the world. It was a way of expressing displeasure over the fact that the Italians had excluded some French gems from their festival, in favour of certain titles of a political and nationalistic character.

Showcase of the Famous

While the festival itself is for professionals, Cannes is inundated with hoards of film enthusiasts and onlookers eager to get a glimpse of their idols. If you’d like to see them all together, you’ll have to stake out a viewing spot during the opening ceremony at the entrance to the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès. The moment of greatest expectation is when the stars ascend the famous red carpet of 24 steps, comparable to the Oscar award-winning ceremony in Hollywood.

How to Enjoy the Festival

The major screenings are held in the Palais des Festivals and, as we intimated, they are generally reserved for professionals. You can, however, opt to view the open-air screenings, which are free of charge, in the Cinéma de la Plage, located on Plage Macé, where a film is shown every night as part of a themed programme. During the festival, Cannes throngs with art and culture and activities are staged all over the place. A week before it opens, the Cannes Festival website will be publishing its 2015 Official Selection of activities, which include master classes or film cycles, among other things.

What to Do in Cannes?

Cannes is a privileged city, located in the very heart of the French Riviera and just 27 kilometres from Nice airport. It is surrounded by picturesque villages, including Le Cannet, La Roquette-Sur-Siagne, Mougins and Vallauris, while the idyllic beaches of the French Riviera lie south of the city.

Discover the Old Town – Le Suquet

Set a top a hill lies the oldest quarter in Cannes, Le Suquet, a maze of alleyways and stairways running between the Riviera’s typical Provençal houses. This is a good area for having a meal as it is packed with bistros and restaurants, and also features one of the best views over the bay, the harbour and the Lérins Islands.

The Promenade de la Croisette

The Promenade de la Croisette is a palm-tree-lined esplanade that stretches for three kilometres, from Casino Palm Beach to the Palais des Festivals. Next to the palace is a promenade with Hollywood-style fame for the over 400 handprints it bears of such film stars as Charlie Chaplin, Julie Andrews, Sylvester Stallone, Catherine Deneuve, Liza Minelli and Meryl Streep.

Take a Tour of its Paradisiacal Islands

The Lérins Islands lie within easy reach of Cannes harbour.  They comprise an archipelago which lies opposite the city’s bay and are made up of four islands, of which only two – Île Sainte-Marguerite and Île Saint-Honorat – are inhabited. The first of these is the most visited, with its pleasant, forested areas. Here stands the Fort Royal, where the Man in the Iron Mask was once held prisoner for over ten years. The life of this mysterious character was the subject of a film by Leonardo di Caprio.

Surround Yourself with Luxury – Visit the Grand Villas of Cannes

Wrap yourself in luxury with a visit to the Villa Rothschild in the district of Croix des Gardes. The villa, in neoclassical style with magnificent gardens, was once home to Lord Brougham. His influence over the nobility of the period prompted other residences to be built, turning Cannes into the prosperous city it is today. Another one worth visiting is the Villa Domergue, designed by Jean-Gabriel Domergue and inspired by Venetian palaces. Its gardens are adorned with statues of the owner’s wife.

Text by Scanner FM

Images by Pedro Szekely, Titem, Pietro Izzo, Pierre Le Bigot, Sam2907, Mathieu Lebreton

Recently landed in Budapest, the Pearl of the Danube, we enter one of the most romantic cities of Eastern Europe with countless opportunities to enjoy our stay. If you’re asking yourself where to start, we have 7 essential sights to see during your visit:

1.- Admire the most emblematic monuments

The worlds third largest Parliament, a symbolic landmark of Budapest rises imposingly on Kossuth Sqaure, boasting a neo-Gothic style. The latter, together with the Buda Castle, an old residence of the kings of Hungary and Budapest’s oldest Chain Bridge define the personality of this city, which was indeed a major power during the Austro Hungarian Empire.

2.- Discover the Art Noveau

 Budapest is known for its numerous examples of art noveau architecture, a slightly peculiar style that intertwines elements of nature, asymmetrical shapes and sinuous curves, which decorate the facades of the buildings in the streets. The architectural merit of such exaltation is largely attributable to Ödön Lechner, also known as the “Hungarian Gaudí”, whose most famous work corresponds to the Royal Postal Savings Bank, which is full of floral patterns, colourful mosaics and some components of popular culture. Villa Balázs Sipeky and the Institute of Geology are other notable samples of the work of this brilliant architect. Our favourite example of art noveau is Walkó House, because of its facade, decorated with eight different varieties of animals.

3.- Relax your body in the Széchenyi Baths

Budapest has numerous thermal spas and baths for whenever you want to take a day of rest and revitalization after a long walk around the city. Széchenyi is the most majestic and largest spa in Europe, with fifteen indoor pools, ten saunas and steam rooms and three large outdoor swimming pools. It is common to see locals enjoying the spas, as they are a nice meeting point to chat.

4.- Go for a drink to the Bars of the ruins

If you want to immerse yourself in the most modern and happening Hungarian underground scene, you cannot escape from Budapest without going to one of these bars, which are located in old buildings, with a slightly worn out and decadent look but decorated in such a way that the vintage kitch look makes them very special. The best atmosphere in the city is definitely found in these bars, which are decorated with all kinds of Antique furniture, extravagant paintings and curious objects. We recommend the legendary Szimpla Kert Kazincy Street; the Instant bar, decorated like the wild west movies or the chaotic Púder, where there are also theatre performances and dj sets at night. 

5.- Visit the Muvesz Mozi Cinema

Budapest is known for its rich film culture, so it is definitely worth stopping by to visit one of their alternative cinemas. Intellectuals and big screen lovers residing in the capital visit Muvesz Mozi, where they show a large variety of movies- from old films that where made five years ago to recent independent films made by new and upcoming directors. In addition, this special cinema has a very cool café, decorated with different atmospheres to fit the different spaces, making you feel like a traveller through time and space.

6.- Visit the Sziklakorhaz museum, a hospital and secret bunker

This spectacular museum housed in what was once a hospital adjacent to a nuclear bunker in Budapest during World War II shows, in an extremely real and almost scary way, what was once experienced within these underground walls. The various facilities and rooms for the wounded, wax mannequins, medical devices and even the possibility to activate the emergency alarm at the end of the tunnel give you an idea of what happened, even if it mean getting goose bumps!

7.- Try the cuisine

The Central Market is one of the greatest culinary references in the city, where you can taste the typical traditional goulash or buy fresh groceries to cook at home. Kosher sweets are also a Hungarian specialty, we recommend the ones at Cukrászda Fröhlich. Last but not least, you must try the bread and butter with paprika and onion, which is served at any bar or restaurant. If you like spicy food, Budapest is the perfect place for your palate.

Why not take a trip to Budapest? Have a look at our flights here!

Picture by teofilo