From Blanes to Portbou, the Costa Brava is an idyllic place thanks to its beautiful coves, nature, exceptional cuisine and many charming towns.

Urban beaches, idyllic little coves, rolling hills, mountainous landscape, lunar landscape, sunsets, forests, mountains, fairy-tale paths and friendly locals. The Canaries have it all!

How to define Catania? A city of a thousand faces, a thousand flavours, a thousands treasures. A city of the sea and of a volcano, port on the Ionian sea, and capital of Etna. A city of tradesmen, countryfolk and fishermen who have always lived in symbiosis with the water, the fire, the sea and the mountains. A city of a thousand hearts of a multiethnic culture, multicultural, multi-religious, home of Bellini, of Sicilian Baroque, and of street food. From the sea to the mountains, the endless fields of orange groves and vineyards of the Etna coast, the black cliffs of volcanic rock and the long stretches of white sand, the Roman ruins and the Baroque churches, the festival of Saint Agata, and the city centre markets, all this is Catania.

You probably already know the Baroque, the churches, the palaces, the streets, the balconies and the traditions that give life to the city centre. Instead, choose one of the many alternative experiences of Catania, unearthed by sicilying.com, the portal to the best experiences in Sicily. Here we have three suggestions for you.

Suggestion one:take a walk down the streets of the city centre with your nose in the air, to explore the city by the scents that invade it.
The food and culinary traditions found here are a treasure trove of many cultural influences: Greeks, Phoenicians and Romans, Normans and Arabs, Spanish and French, have all left their mark. Peasant cooking and aristocratic cuisine, rich and poor ingredients blend together to create authentic and intense flavours. Sophisticated restaurants are complemented by genuine traditional taverns, and alleyways are brought to life by the most extraordinary street food.

Catania is the home of "street" food. Entrusting yourselves to the best of specialized tour operators, you will be able to combine a Catania tour with the discovery of the best food and wine that the city can offer. You can visit the Sicilian Baroque in Piazza Duomo or Via Crociferi, cross the famous fish market ("la pescheria") and taste the "sangeli" (pig's blood) or "zuzzu" (meat jelly). In Piazza Stesicoro, with the Roman amphitheatre, you can stop in a traditional bar to sample the street foodpar excellence: the “arancino”, the “cartocciata”, the “cipollina”, and all the sweet and savory varieties of "walking" food. Or let yourself be guided by local chefs through the traditional markets of the centre, to then be put to work in preparing Sicilian cuisine yourself.

Suggestion two:immerse yourself in the green countryside of Catania, in search of the roots of the most famous Sicilian wines. Many wineries of Catania trace their origins back to the 1700s: their vineyards are located on lava rock 700 metres above sea level and are cultivated according to methods handed down from generation to generation. The typical micro-climate and the favourable characteristics of the volcanic soil allow the cultivation of a high quality grape.

Beyond the vineyards and you will find old “bagli” (isolated old buildings in the Sicilian countryside), Fourteenth Century monasteries, now “agriturismi” farm homestays. The wine tasting in a cellar on Mount Etna is a wonderful experience, giving you the chance to savour "on the land" some of the most famous products of this region - Nero d'Avola, Inzolia, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Etna DOC red and white – all washed down with typical cuisine tastings.

Suggestion three:after having eaten and tasted some wine, it's time to get out of the city and climb in mountain bike the “muntagna”, Mount Etna! Mount Etna, the mountain of fire, with a summit of 3,300 metres above sea level, the highest active volcano in Europe.

With its lunar landscapes at high altitude, and woods along the coast, the trails and unique landscapes, the typical products and the historical centres of the little towns, Etna is in every season a fascinating visit, for travellers and nature lovers, for lovers of food and wine, for lovers of outdoor sports in unique surroundings.

The lava flows have greatly influenced the land, making it extremely varied, rocks, lush vegetation and landscapes, are always in continuous change as the substrate moves over time, as temperatures, precipitation and exposure also vary at these altitudes.

Making an Etna tour by bike along the stunning trails (the “Pista Altomontana”) led by an expert guide, or try an Etna bike tourdescending from the volcano to the sea, either way it'll be an extraordinary experience that you will remember for years to come.

Would you rather see Sicily from a completely unique point of view, unusual and absolutely breathtaking? Then book a mongolfiera tour in an hot air balloon! The flight will give you the chance to live a totally extraordinary experience, giving you an unforgettable view of the whole of Sicily; on landing a glass of fine Etna wine will be waiting for you, along with some special typical local products, and you will be awarded a “flight baptism certificate” signed by the pilot.

Come on, don't just settle for the usual stay: Catania is a city to enjoy to the full!

Along with Madrid, Milan is the city with the most European cups and Champions League trophies. While Madrid’s ten trophies are held by the competition’s overall master, Real Madrid, in Milan the spoils are divided between the two continental greats – AC Milan (with seven trophies) and Inter Milan (with three). The balance will of course tip in favour of the Madrilenians on 28 May, but the hottest question right now is whether Atlético Madrid is capable of finally ending its run of bad luck and conquering the greatest of finals to be crowned emperor of football on the continent. We’ll know the answer in a few days’ time.

At My Vueling City, we know only too well that the king of sports moves masses, and that hordes of people will be descending on Milan to witness one of the greatest spectacles in the world. We are aware that fans will be going on a lightning visit which, in many cases, will be less than 24 hours. No problem, as Milan has a lot to offer. Following are some tips for making the most out of this getaway. The idea is you get to see something more than the area surrounding San Siro, the stadium hosting the final.

Lightning Visit

San Siro stadium is quite far from the city centre, but it is well connected. You can get there easily by taking buses 95, 49 or 72. Tram no. 24 also has a stop there. But, the metro is clearly the fastest way of reaching the stadium – the recently unveiled Line 5 goes there direct. Curiously, the two great local soccer clubs share the stadium and, when it is Inter Milan’s turn to do so, it changes its name to Giuseppe Meazza. During the soccer season, both teams play there on alternate Sundays. On the day of the final, there are unlikely to be any guided tours but, if you visit the stadium any other time, we can recommend two. Both include a tour of the stadium, built in 1920, and visits to the players’ changerooms and to the AC Milan and Inter Milan Museum.

For those of you who will only be around for a few hours, we can recommend a walk through the inner city to give you a taste of the capital of Lombardy. Start with a stroll down the Corso Buenos Aires. This broad avenue is the backbone of the shopping district. Be sure to stop off at the Torrefazione Caffè Ernani, at Corso Buenos Aires 20. A visit to the café is essential if you want to perk up fully after the trip. They serve their own coffee, ground and roasted on the premises. Their espresso is highly aromatic and the best thing of all is the price – just one euro. Continuing down the avenue towards the centre, you will go through the Porta Venezia gateway, a sign you are entering the city’s historic centre. On the right (to the north) you will see a stunning park, the Indro Montanelli Gardens, a green lung which is ideal for having a picnic or for going for a run. Inside the park stands the impressive Villa Comunale, which currently houses the Natural History Museum. Further along what has now turned into the Corso Venezia, the avenue is lined with the storefronts of such exclusive brands as Dolce & Gabbana (which features a barber’s shop) and Vivienne Westwood. After crossing the Piazza San Babila, we recommend heading straight along the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II where big brand stores have taken over the street level. Here, the tall buildings house a number of shopping malls or galleries. The street eventually leads into the Piazza del Duomo, presided over by Milan Cathedral or Duomo di Milano with its characteristic spires. This formidable construction built of pink Candoglia marble rivets the attention of most tourists who flock to the square. Another building well worth visiting is the Museo del Novecento as it affords the best views of the Cathedral. We realise that time is at a premium and that trippers will have their mind on nothing but a ball and 22 players. However, with a view to going back to Milan at a later date, we recommend you visit the museum as it features works by some of the leading artists of the early European avant-garde, notably De Chirico, Fontana and Marinetti. Lastly, take a stroll in the Quadrilatero d’Oro, undisputed as the most acclaimed shopping precinct in the world. The “Golden Quadrilateral” with its cobbled streets roofed with translucent barrel-vaulting leaves sightseers open-mouthed.

This route will surely have whet your appetite to see more of the city, but football is football and you probably don’t have much more leeway if you’ve come specifically to see the final. Further posts about Milan will follow soon, so keep your eye on the blog. If you fancy seeing the city for yourself, check out our flights here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS, John Seb Barber, Jose Luis Hidalgo