Berlin clearly lived through one of its most bizarre periods during the Cold War. Bizarre, in that erecting a wall dividing a city into two parts, separating families and neighbours and setting them in opposing universes, is an Orwellian experience to say the least.

Each part of the city obviously developed in a very different way. On the one hand, East Berlin stagnated within a system based on obsessive control by the regime, a pattern shared by the rest of the communist bloc. West Berlin, for its part, evolved in similar fashion to the rest of the capitalist world.

West Berlin – From the Mecca of the Underground to Hedonistic House

From the seventies on, in line with the new trends in England and the United States, a new musical scene began to gain currency in Berlin, based on creative freedom and the aesthetic of a clean break with the past. Berlin became one of the leading centres of punk and all its subsequent ramifications. Their outsider and underground art culture sediment attracted performers of the calibre of David Bowie, Brian Eno, Keith Haring and Lou Reed throughout the seventies. By then, a good number of bands were feeding such exciting circuits as those of London and Sheffield.

At the end of the seventies, the music of Joy Division and dabblers in electronic and industrial music were adopted as icons of the flourishing alternative scene of an open Berlin. Unlike the British or American varieties, German post-punk was characterised by a tension between politics and culture and aesthetically owes much to krautrock, as many of its themes are endless repetitions at a heady pace, notably Geld/Money by the arty band, Malaria, or the early recordings of DAF.

As of 1980, the exciting Berlin scene was always on the move, spawning an inexhaustible string of bands like Einstürzende Neubauten– headed by the controversial Blixa Bargeld – Die Unbekannten, Nina Hagen, Die Krupps, Mekanik Destrüktiw Komandoh, Die Tödliche Doris, Geile Tiere and Die Arztewith their punk funk distinguished by sarcastic lyrics.True to say, the scene was not made up of musicians alone, but by film stars and directors, writers, philosophers, artists and photographers, too. By the mid-eighties a process of disintegration had set in. Music became ever more commercial and groups began to sign up with multinationals. However, it was not long before a new sound revolution arose which had a marked impact on the city – the advent of acid house and techno. Recall that Berlin’s Love Parade was the first mass parade of electronic music in the world. The first Love Parade was in 1989. The event started out as a clamour for peace and mutual understanding through music. Just a few months later, the Wall came down and West Berlin was consigned to history.

The legendary SO36 was still going strong at that time. The club, located on the Oranienstrasse near Heinrichplatz in the Kreuzberg district, took its name from the area’s famed postal code – SO36. The district of Kreuzberg is historically the home of Berlin punk, and of other alternative German subcultures. SO36 was initially dedicated mainly to punk music. As of 1979 it attempted a crossover between punk, new wave and visual art. In those days the club rivalled New York’s CBGB as one of the world’s leading new wave spots. Others on the Berlin circuit included Metropol, the disco, Kino, the club 54 Kantstrasse and the Sputnik alternative cinema, where the cult film Christiane F. premiered.

Period Document on the Big Screen

The 13th Beefeater In-Edit Festival will be held in Barcelona from 29 October to 8 November. Prominent among the many films to be shown is B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin 1979-1989, a documentary directed by Jörg A. Hoppe, Heiko Lange and Klaus Maeck on music, art and chaos in the Wild West of Berlin in the decade of the 1980s, the walled city that became a creative crucible for a special type of pop subculture which attracted brilliant dilettantes and world-famous celebrities of all kinds. However, prior to the fall of the Iron Curtain, artists, squatters, poets, music creators and hedonists came together to enjoy a highly unconventional lifestyle in Berlin. They all knew it would be short-lived but, who’s worried about tomorrow? It was a case of living for the here and now.

Featuring mostly unreleased television material and original footage, photos and interviews, B-Movie chronicles life in a divided city, a cultural interzone where anything seemed possible – a place different from anywhere else in Europe. It is a fast-moving collage of stories about a frenzied but creative decade starting with punk and ending with the Love Parade, in a city where days are short and nights are interminable.

Berlin is currently experiencing a youthful resurgence in terms of cultural activity – and music, too! Why wait to discover it all? Check out our tickets here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by B-Moviem, SO36

The island of Gran Canaria offers all the rural leisure amenities you can imagine and more, including adventure sports and trekking.

From Sea to Sky

One breathtaking route stretches from the Gran Canaria coast to the top of the island’s highest peak, a secluded spot which is the closest you’ll ever get to a lunar landscape. In the municipality of Tejeda, some 44 km from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, you can easily find yourself trapped by a sea of clouds. Tejeda can be reached mainly by the Centro GC 15 main road, a somewhat winding route flanked by stunningly beautiful scenery which takes you through the towns of Santa Brígida and Vega de San Mateo. The most exciting part of the journey starts here, as you begin to climb so steeply that the clouds recede below you. The 44-km drive takes about an hour. It can also be reached by public transport from the Guaguas station in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

El Roque Bentayga and the Archaeology Park

Tejeda is a must-see if you come to Gran Canaria and more so if you’re interested in archaeology. Here you can find vestiges of burial caves, rock carvings, paintings and dwellings. The Roque Bentayga provides an excellent sampling of all this. This unique, natural rock precinct was sacred to the original inhabitants, as it was here that they prayed to their gods. The Parque Arqueológico del Bentayga is an ecomuseum built next to the Roque. It also serves as a venue for performances, both for the archaeological rock complex (Bentayga, Andén de Tabacalete, Cuevas del Rey and the Roquete) and its surroundings. It also affords wonderful views of the southern and western reaches of the island.

Culture and Mysticism

The symbol of Gran Canaria is also to be found at Tejeda. This is the Roque Nublo, a huge basalt rock in the form of a monolith stretching 70 metres into the air. On its north-eastern side stands another monolithic rock known as El Fraile (the Friar), as it physically resembles a monk. While you’re here, take the chance to roam through the Inagua and Ojeda pine forests and, further north, that of los Pechos, for here you are bound to fall in love with the views.

Art and culture also make their presence felt in Tejeda. Here you can visit the Abraham Cárdenes Sculpture Museum, dedicated to this Canary Island sculptor, who hailed from here, and also the Ethnographic Museum, where you go on a journey of the town’s and the island’s history. Here, too, the Degollada de Becerra is another spot well worth visiting. It is situated on the main road between La Cruz de Tejeda and los Llanos de la Pez, and features a viewpoint affording spectacular scenery and, more importantly, a centre where you can learn about local ethnography. Lastly, the town boasts a Centro de Plantas Medicinales, where you are invited to discover the varieties of plants, herbs and flowers indigenous to Tejeda and the island and their varied use in medicine, religion and cosmetics.

Gastronomy

Establishments in Tejeda centre offer all types of craftwork and you can also find the typical sweets made here. You are also advised to stop at one of the bar terraces and restaurants located on the side of the Parador Nacional, a magnificent vantage point providing spectacular views of the whole island. 

Almonds play a major role in the cuisine of Tejeda, a town which has become one of the landmarks of Canary Island confectionery, noteworthy among which are the bienmesabes and marzipans. Both sweets are made using ground almond, the former also being one of the traditional accompaniments of local iced desserts. In Tejeda you can also sample any of the Canary Islands’ traditional dishes, the mainstay of which are beef and goat’s meat. Make sure to try such dishes as the caldos de papas (potato soup) and the potajes de berros y jaramagos (watercress and hedge mustard stews). If you’d like to sample good local cooking, a restaurant you should not miss is the Cueva de la Tea, where you can order a potaje de berros and their speciality, ropa vieja– chick peas, potato, hog’s head, chicken, tomatoes, peppers and onion. The average price per head is 12 euros and the helpings are generous. It also has the advantage of affording spectacular views.

What’s holding you back? Check out our flights here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images byPatronato de Turismo de Gran Canaria

Oran is still off the beaten tourist track, which makes it all the more appealing when it comes to planning a trip which avoids scheduled routines and well-worn tourist prototypes. During the French colonial period it was the capital of the Oran Department, and it is currently an important port city and commercial hub and boasts one of the leading universities in North Africa. Sunni Islam is the official State religion, although there are Christian and Jewish minority communities. A visa is required when travelling there.

The Spain Brand in Oran

The capital of western Algeria, Oran occupies a privileged, strategic location in the Mediterranean basin. It is regarded by Spaniards as the most Spanish city in Africa, given the wealth of Spanish vestiges still present right across the region. Indeed, traces of Spain linger in local culture, language and gastronomy. The Oranians eat cocas, a sausage similar to Spanish sobrasada, and claim to have invented the paella, a word derived from the Arabic baiya, consisting of rice and seafood. The city also sports a bullring – now in disuse – which was inaugurated in 1954.

In geographical terms, Oran is the point in Algeria closest to the Iberian peninsula and indeed, on a clear day, the city of Almería can be seen from Oran, or vice versa. Its privileged position has enabled it to build up all manner of land and maritime connections. Its bay opens to the north-east, while the western flank is dominated by the steep Aïdour mountain. The city lies sheltered between the old colonial city and the new developments, which lend it a more modern air. Not to be missed is a stroll down the seafront promenade with its delightful panoramic view of the harbour and the old city. From here you can walk to the interesting Pacha Mosque.

You should not pass over the occasion to visit the famous Santa Cruz Fort. Built atop a mountain adjacent to the city, where it has served as a faithful lookout for over four centuries, this is undoubtedly the masterpiece of Spanish military architecture in the city, and also houses the well-worth-seeing Chapel of the Virgin.

The Place de la Perle (or Plaza de Armas), once the centre of Oran, while the city was under Spanish rule, is another of the prime sightseeing spots. Together with the Spanish Gate, the Casbah, the Porte de Santon, the St Philip Garrison and the Tambour de San José, it is one of the best preserved places from that period, from the 16th to the 18th century. Most striking is this latter monument, due to its important role in the Spanish history of Oran. Radiating from there was a network of underground galleries which ran underneath the old citadel and connected the Qasr el-Bey (Bey Castle) to the Santa Cruz Fort.

Historical District

The old town features an alcazaba (citadel), a fortified urban enclosure built to house the governor’s residence, to defend a specific area and its surroundings and to garrison troops, making up a small military precinct. The cluster of buildings forming this citadel includes an 18th-century mosque.

The district of Sidi El Houari, the patron saint of the city, is the oldest in Oran. There are guided tours of the walls and tunnels dating from the Spanish period, the Spanish Gate, the Madrid Ramp, la Blanca, la Escalera, the Casbah, etc. In this historical district you can also see the old Saint-Louis school, and the Pacha Mosque, built during the 17th century. Before leaving Oran, make sure you visit the marabout or Moorish shrine of the city’s patron saint, Sidi El Houari and make a wish, as tradition dictates.

This district also houses some of the city’s most important museums. The Ahmed Zabana Museum, formerly known as the Demaeght Museum, has archaeological, ethnological and natural history collections from the Maghreb on display, as well as an exhibition area devoted to Oran. In the archaeology section, the Carthaginian and Roman collections take pride of place. The buildings date from 1933, while in 1986 the museum was taken over by the Ministry of Culture and renamed. It comprises seven sections focusing on Oran and its surrounding region – fine art, the Moudjahid, numismatics, pre-history, old Oran, ethnography and natural history. Another prominent museum is the Moudjahid, located in the USTO district, which is dedicated as a memorial to the struggle for independence during the Algerian War.

Discover one of the best kept secrets of the Mediterranean! Check out our prices here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Photos by Algerian Embassy

It is called White City because it houses a unique collection of Bauhaus style buildings, more than anywhere else in the world, including any German city, the birthplace of the Bauhaus movement.

Facing huge skyscrapers, we find the beaches in the city of Tel Aviv. Miles of white sand, by the mild climate of the city, let us take a bath and practice water sports nearly every day of the year. Tel Aviv does not stop at night: neighborhoods like Rothschild houses the best nightlife options in the city. Tel Aviv is a lively, active city with entertainment, culture and art, festivals and a rich nightlife.

Tel Aviv is history. You should visit such emblematic places as Bialik House, Ben Gurion and Dizengoff, the old cemetery on Trumpeldor Street, and Reuven’s house. Nature lovers will enjoy the garden of Abu Kabir, HaYarkon Park and Botanical Gardens near Tel Aviv University. Families with children can enjoy an amusement park full of action.

If you like learning about other cultures, a must-visit is the Museum of Tel Aviv, which explains the history of the founding of the Jewish people and the city’s development.

Step into the bustling outdoor market in Carmel, close to the bohemian neighborhood of Neve Tzedek, where you can find clothes, toys and accessories for the house as well as the colorful stalls of the market full of fruit, vegetable, fresh meat, fish and cheese . The market begins at the junction from deAllenby King George and gets to the end of Carmelit, where you will find bus terminal.

A few kilometers from Tel Aviv, at Jerusalem, you will discover a city that contains inside the most visited places in Israel, such as the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Via Dolorosa, Yad Vashem and Mount of Olives.

And if you want to eat a good kebab, you can try one of the best very near from Tel Aviv. It is served in Abu Ghosh , and they say it is one of the top 5 kebab restaurants in Middle Eastern, specifically located in the third position. The fact is that the Arab village of Abu Ghosh, on the road between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, is known for its hummus restaurants and is very popular with both locals and tourists. Here you have the guarantee that they will serve a memorable meat dish . They mix the beef with onion, parsley, pine nuts and some grease before threading the needle on an iron skewer. It is cooked on a grill and served with rice and salad, with a pinkish hue inside.

Imagen de wili_hybrid

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