The beauty of the place, their archaeological and mythological value make the caves of Hercules an unusual place to visit in Tangier. The mythological comes as it is here where it is said Hercules rested after performing one of his 12 labors, after separating Europe and Africa , and waiting to perform the next task assigned – pick the golden apples from the Garden of the Hesperides .

You get there by a small road , 5 miles from Cape Spartel and 20 minutes from the city of Tangier . Although part of the cave has an artificial origin – rocks for making mill were extracted from here-, its origin is mainly due to the action of strong waves , which has shaped these caves in curious ways. For example , if you see the cave opening to the Atlantic, you will see drawn silhouette of African continenente flipped. Inside the cave , a handful of vendors and artisans offer their ceramic products , souvenirs and postcards with the image of this famous opening .

Picture: imad khleeh 

A place well worth discovering! Check out our flights here.

About 30 kilometres from Almeria is Tabernas, a very dry desert region of Spain that is one of the driest areas in Europe. In spite of that, the area has cultivated a certain tourism charm due to having been used as the set for numerous spaghetti westerns (including For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) and over one hundred westerns.

Some of those sets are still standing; three Western towns that Sergio Leone built for his films and that have since become a tourist attraction for people wishing to see live shows performed by stuntmen. They are: the town of El Fraile, the so-called Mini Hollywood, the first to be built and the set used on For a Few Dollars More; the larger town of Fort Bravo, which was used on ‘For a Few Dollars More’ and ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’; and Western Leone.

It is also possible to explore the Tabernas Desert nature reserve by following the numerous low-difficulty hiking routes that have been prepared for visitors.

Picture by Gordito1869

So you feel like visiting the Spaghetti Western towns? Check out our flights here!

Text: Andreas Schmidl

Since star photographer Jürgen Teller picked Frankfurt as the backdrop for a fashion story and documentary of the celebrated
Redlight District, all the signs are that Europe has a new power city. Frankfurt combines the raw and creative energy of art schools with financial power, leading worldwide ranks of living quality. Amidst strict but stylish businessmen, visitors encounter a crowd of experimental artists, high fashion lovers and flea market raiders.

Number one spot for the trend and fashion savvy is the concept boutique Hayashi – located directly in the heart of the city, opposite of the Stock Exchange. The ‘white box’ space with its prominent centre staircase is divided into a floating mid-level and hosts desirable womenswear labels like Acne, Helmut Lang, Theory and Kenzo as well as easy and affordable diffusion lines such as T by Alexander Wang, Sonia by Sonia Rykiel and Étoile Isabel Marant. Hayashi is also known and celebrated for its fashion blog and street photography, presenting the latest trends and newest looks, always with a little edge and tongue-in-cheek twist. A fun place to visit – in the real and virtual world.

Hayashi
Börsenplatz 13-15
60313 Frankfurt
Lu- Vi 11-19, Sat 11-18
Parkhaus Börse, U-Bahn Hauptwache
www.hayashi-shop.com

Text: Andreas Schmidl

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

Ai Weiwei is a controversial figure wherever he goes. While his activist streak has earned him more than one headline in the media, particularly in connection with the problems he has with the regime in his native China, his artistic facet has also put him under the spotlight in all the exhibitions he unveils, given the political denunciation behind his work. Last year it was the Royal Academy of London that enshrined him as the great international artist he is. Now it is Vienna’s turn as it hosts an exhibition, running until 20 November, of his latest works. This is the largest display of Ai Weiwei’s work so far in Austria.

A Temple in the Museum

Under the title, Translocation – Transformation, referring to the metamorphosis which people and objects undergo after a deliberate relocation, migration or expulsion, the event features several installations by Ai Weiwei distributed over different spaces in the Belvedere Gardens. The main feature of the exhibition, curated by Alfred Weidinger, is located in the former Austrian pavilion for the 1958 World Expo, currently used as a platform for promoting contemporary art under the name 21er Haus. Displayed in the interior is the Wang Family Ancestral Hall, an installation which is unlikely to leave the viewer unmoved. This 14-metre-high exhibit made up of 1,300 separate pieces is an ancestral temple from the Ming Dynasty. The temple, which belonged to the Wang family, a clan of tea merchants who were expelled from China during the Cultural Revolution, was thus abandoned. Ai Weiwei acquired it from an investor some time ago and transformed it into what we see today, a decontextualised work which coexists and communicates with other architectural environments.

Another exhibition site, the Upper Belvedere pond, showcases the installation, F Lotus, where the artist elicits a reflection on subjects unfortunately in the limelight in recent years, notably the refugee crisis besetting Europe. The work comprises 1,005 discarded life vests picked up on the beaches of Lesbos after being used by Syrian refugees on their sea crossing to Europe. They are set in a total of 201 rings linked to resemble the lotus flower, the overall structure forming a hugefin the water.

Another work displayed in the Upper Belvedere pond is the Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads, a veritable classic of Ai Weiwei’s oeuvre. Composed of twelve bronze heads standing for the signs of the zodiac in the Chinese horoscope, they are inspired by the fountain-clock at the summer palace of Yuanming Yuan which was ransacked by French and British troops during the Second Opium War in 1860. The treasures – including the heads – were looted and have never been returned since.

Eager to see the work of Ai Weiwei first-hand? Be sure to make a getaway to Vienna – book your Vueling here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS