A walk around Rennes, the capital of Brittany, takes you back to medieval times. A large number of houses with wooden framing are still preserved in the streets of the historic centre. Wood was a popular building material in this region until the mid-17th century, when it was replaced by stone after the large fire of 1720 that burnt down more than 900 houses in the city centre. However, these old wooden buildings can be seen in the streets running from Rue de Chapitre and Champ-Jacquet square, with a statue of John Leperdit, the mayor of Rennes during the French Revolution.

Rennes has some beautiful spots, one of my favourite being the Place des Lices, where terrace cafés are jam-packed with the arrival of the good weather. In summer, evenings in Brittany are endless and the sun doesn't go down until after 10 p.m. Some centuries ago, this place was the setting of medieval jousts. Nowadays, its market is the second most important in France, bringing together more than 300 local and regional producers.

Two of the symbols of Rennes' medieval past are the Duchesne tower and the Mordelles Gates –Portes Mordellaises– which were part of the city walls in the 15th century. The Neoclassical Cathedral of Saint-Pierre is close by, as is the Basilica of Saint-Sauveur, both landmarks of the city's religious architecture.

The fires of the early 18th century marked a turning point in Rennes' urban design. After that, constructions were built in stone, notably the city hall, by the royal architect – Jacques Gabriel – who designed it to be immortal.

Another must-see is the Palace of the Parliament of Brittany, with lavishly decorated rooms representative of 17th-century French pictorial art. This building is an emblem of the historical region of Brittany, which has a culture and a language of its own. Some street names in Rennes are in Breton, as well as in French, the former being the only surviving Celtic language outside the British Isles.

Contemporary art has a notable presence in Rennes. Examples of this are the Parmiggiani fountain, the Cap Mail building, by the prestigious Jean Nouvel, Quai Ouest by Christian Hauvette, and Champs Libres by Christian de Portzamparc. The Champs Libres premises are divided into three areas: the Musée de Bretagne – with a surface area of 2,000 square metres – a six-floor library, and an area devoted to science, with a planetarium. Rennes also has a great art gallery in the Museum of Fine Arts, an old university palace designed by Vincent Boullé, featuring works by Rubens, Veronese and Picasso, among others. In music, the city is well known for Les Transmusicales de Rennes, a festival that has been offering new and eclectic music for its last 32 editions.

Finally, Thabor Park, a very pleasant spot, is one of the most important green areas of the Breton capital. This 10-hectare French-style garden, which used to belong to the monks of Saint-Melaine– features a rose garden, an aviary, statues and greenhouses, amongst other attractions. Musical comedy and dance performances are held here on Sundays in the months of May and June; many people attend these entry-free events.

Rennes is a city with lots of charm and can be easily discovered in a single weekend! Check out our flights here.

Text by María Jesús Tomé

Images by María Jesús Tomé / Oficina de Turismo de Rennes

The Galician district of Salnés, in the province of Pontevedra, has the honour of being the cradle of one of Spain’s supreme varieties of white wine – albariño. Made from the grape variety of the same name, these wines are young, fresh and fruity, with the right touch of acidity, making for a delightful experience on the palate and pairing to perfection with one of the region’s main products – seafood. Apart from the wines, touring this grape-growing region is packed with enticements as the land is redolent with spectacular scenery, dominated by the presence of the Arousa estuary and its typical country homes, known as pazos, as well as its hórreos (granaries raised on stilts), its cuisine and, needless to say, the affable character of its people.

You are bound to have a host of experiences in the numerous wine cellars you will encounter on your way. The Pazo de Rubianes is the most spectacular example by far. Designated a “Garden of International Excellence”, and with a history going back 600 years, this priceless country manor is surrounded by gardens likely to enchant any nature lover. For its part, the magnificent example of 16th-century Galician stately home that is the Pazo de Señoráns will take you back in time. In the town of Sanxenxo stands the Adega Eidos, built in a far more modern style than the preceding ones as its facilities date from 2003. It affords some excellent views of the Pontevedra estuary. Also built in more contemporary style is Paco & Lola Wine Cellar and Vineyards, founded in 2005, with over 22 hectares given over to vineyards and wines increasingly more in vogue.

And, in between moving from one wine cellar to the next, we recommend stopping off at the Cambados Wine Museum where you can learn about the history, art, geography, grass-roots culture and all viniviticultural aspects of the Rías Baixas DO.

A Pause Along the Way
Man does not live by wine alone and at some point you will need to refuel, so your best option is to do so in the typical ambience of a local pazo. One such manor that is well worth visiting is the Pazo Carrasqueira, a fine example of typical Galician architecture. Built in the 18th century, it has now been turned into a nine-room hotel, with its own albariño cellar of course. Another interesting option is Lagar de Costa, a family winery with lodgings that offer a tour of their vineyards and the island of A Toxa.

The Festa do Albariño in Cambados
Each summer the heartland of albariño wine production is given over to the Festa do Albariño in Cambados.Designated a Tourist Interest Site in 1990, this is the crowning event related to albariño wine-making. What started out in 1953 as a contest between wine producers, promoted by Bernardino Quintanilla Álvarez and Ernesto Zarate, is currently a full-blown festival, with concerts and all kinds of activities suited to all audiences. This year the festival takes place from 2 to 6 August and provides the ideal excuse for tasting the great local albariños in an incomparable setting and ambience, a great final fling after a route through this spectacular wine-growing region.

Book your Vueling to Santiago de Compostela, less than an hour away from Cambados, and gear up to tour this viticultural region dotted with pazos and homesteads full of charm and great wines.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

To see such homes, you no longer need to wrack your imagination or resort to infographics or 3D mock-ups. The small town of Granadilla de Abona in Tenerife already boasts some fully ecological buildings. While we still resort to electric radiators and vitroceramics, such dependencies have been eliminated in the Iter futuristic homes. Available to prospective tenants is a catalogue of over twenty bioclimatic homes, each with its own name (La Estrella, La Duna, El Cangrejo…), allowing clients to choose whichever suits them best. And, they all come with the best gift of all – a resplendent starry sky, which has turned the town into a prime Starlight tourist destination (a UNESCO listing for destinations with optimum conditions for gazing at the night sky).

A Visionary Idea

The revolutionary idea was first implemented through an international tender put out by the Cabildo Insular de Tenerife (Tenerife Island Council) and the Instituto Tecnológico y de Energías Renovables – Institute of Technology and Renewable Energy (ITER), which owns the land where the development has sprung up – endorsed by the International Union of Architects. The objective was to set up a laboratory of bioclimatic homes adhering to the principles of bioclimatic architecture and adaptation to environmental conditions, capable of energy self-sufficiency. And, the experiment has been successful and the results obtained will be used as a blueprint for future sustainable construction initiatives.

Of the 397 projects submitted for tender, 25 were selected and now form part of the development. Each of the homes is different from the others in terms of design, materials, techniques for harnessing natural resources and the architectural integration of thermal and photovoltaic solar energy. So, every single home is the outcome of full dedication by architects from all over the world, backed up by the labour of local interior designers, who have personalised the interior of each building. They have developed eclectic living spaces characterised by a blend of classical contemporary design and local craft elements. The result is surprising and engaging, each home redolent with its own character and style. This makes the development a unique enclave in the world, as it is living proof of the direct application of highly diverse bioclimatic techniques.

Everything has been thought out, down to the last detail. Each of these houses is fitted with sensors to detect certain common parameters, and others specific to each building, in accordance with its distinctive features. Another essential criterion for choosing the winning projects is related to environmental impact – the distribution and orientation of each home was carefully surveyed to ensure full integration in the landscape, while special attention was devoted to designing a microclimate around the homes. As for gardens, indigenous vegetation was used as far as possible, reinforced by a watering regime suited to its structural features.

New Eating Experiences

Here, things are anything but conventional, and cuisine is no exception. When it comes to food, various options are available in this development. Thus, for instance, there is an organic basket made up of produce from neighbouring farms, an option to go to the fishing village of El Médano just 10 kilometres away, and an à la carte menu booked a day in advance and delivered to the home.

What to Expect

The bioclimatic homes, located facing the sea and alongside the Montaña Pelada Natural Monument – an ancient, dormant volcano – form a bioclimatic development with energy self-sufficiency and zero CO2 emissions. It is a unique enclave conducive to peace and calm.

The development lies between the sea and the mountains. It encompasses 45,000 m2 covered in indigenous vegetation which regales the area with sweet-smelling plants. The home surroundings are embellished by streaks of water, ponds and channels, making up a breathtaking scenic composition.

The are also several scarcely frequented sandy beaches within a short walking distance. What more could you ask for? Why wait to discover it for yourself? Check out our flights here.

Text by Turismo de Tenerife

Images by Iter

By Panenka www.panenka.org
Ilustration by Pep Boatella / @pepboatella

Panenka, the football magazine you can read, leads us through its passion for the soccer to other countries, this time to the Russia's capital, Moscow. They show us their ideal eleven for places related to sport king as for the most touristis ones.

SPORTING ELEVEN

1 PFC CSKA Moscow: The new stadium for PFC CSKA was due to open in 2010. It still hasn’t, nor does it have an official name.
2 CSKA Ice Palace: Home base of the CSKA Ice Hockey team and a sports venue with lots on offer.
3 Megasport Arena Pavilion: With capacity for 14,500 spectators, this is where CSKA basketball games are thrashed out.
4 Dynamo Park: A statue of Lev Yashin, the only Russian goalkeeper to win a Ballon d' Or, is next to the future Dynamo Stadium.
5 Krylatskoe: This is where Dynamo's five a side team plays their matches. The team is trained by the Spaniard Tino Pérez.
6 Monument to the 'stadium deaths': Homage to victims of the tragedy that occurred in the Luzniki Stadium during a UEFA Spartak-Haarlem game.
7 Luzhniki Stadium: Home of Spartak and Torpedo. This was the main stage for the 1980 Olympic Games and has hosted a UEFA final and Champions League matches.
8 The House of the Unions: This is where Kaspárov and Kárpov played out he mythical World Chess Championships in the 1980s.
9 Olimpiysky: This venue hosted basketball and boxing events during the 1980 Olympic Games, as well as numerous finals of the Davis Cup.
10 Otkrytie Arena: This is the stadium of Spartek and one of the venues where the World Cup will be played in 2018.
11 Eduard Streltsov Stadium: Torpedo's home ground. It bares the name of one of the team's greatest players, also known as the 'Russian Pelé.

TOURIST ELEVEN

A Cosmonauts Memorial Museum: The ‘Monument to the Conquerors of Space’ – dedicated to launch of the Sputnik – sits outside.
B Museum of Vodka: Moscow is a very cold city, and at any given moment you are going to want to warm up. With a lack of beer, vodka will do.
C Bolshoi Theatre/National Theatre of Russia: One of the largest and most significant opera and ballet theatres in the world.
D Kazan Cathedral: An orthodox church reconstructed in 1993 after being destroyed in 1936 and substituted with public baths.
E State History Museum: The museum has 39 galleries spread over two floors, together telling the history of Russia.
F Red Square: The true heart of Moscow. From here, all the city's main streets depart.
G Saint Basil's Cathedral: Ivan 'the Terrible' ordered the construction of this cathedral in the 16th century. It is UNESCO classified.
H The Kremlin: Seat of the Russian government. It has been recently walled and includes four cathedrals, four palaces and a military museum.
I Cathedral of Christ the Savoir: Built in the 19th century, this is the highest Orthodox Church in the world.
J Novodevichy Convent: This architecturally significant monument has been a World Heritage site since 2004.
K Kiyevskaya Metro Station: This station forms part of the circular line and is one of the most famous in the world for its spectacular architecture.

We’ll be there. If you want to come too, check out our flights here.