After a long day wandering around Birmingham, visiting its museums, discovering its industrial past and browsing in its shops, it is time to take a breather and enjoy the other side of the city – the more playful side, given over to flavours and experiences and to meeting its people. Not to be outdone by other destinations, Birmingham has many watering holes that break with the conventional, whether in their decoration, menu or location. Here is a selection of some of those which are well worth stopping at to replenish.

The Rose Villa Tavern
(172 Warstone Lane, Jewellery Quarter)

Located in the Jewellery Quarter, a must-see district, as it concentrates the largest number of jewellery stores in Europe. This pub is the perfect marriage between tradition and modernity. The interior is decorated with stained-glass windows, strikingly coloured floor tiles and the classical collection of wooden fixtures and vintage furniture charmingly highlighted in coloured tinges. The menu features traditional American food, accompanied by homemade beer and magnificent cocktails.

The Jekyll and Hyde
(28 Steelhouse Lane)

Endowed with two distinct personalities and, to do its name proud, this bar contains two well differentiated areas. The interior, distributed on two floors, is a classic Victorian-era pub. Hidden at the back of the first floor is a small outside patio with decoration that cannot fail to catch your attention, as it is inspired by Alice in Wonderland. But, there is more. In the afternoon you can have tea and a selection of homemade sandwiches and cakes. If, however, you are inclined towards stronger stuff, you can go for the cocktails served in unusual vessels. On Fridays they open the upstairs Gin Parlour, which features a large variety of gin brands and gin cocktails.

The Plough
(21 High St, Harborne)

The Plough is an inviting, modern bar. The interior is decorated with a profusion of details, many of vintage inspiration, such as the lamps, tables and floor tiles. The other forte is their patio which, weather permitting, you should not fail to visit. This is the perfect spot for having a brunch based on gourmet hamburgers, homemade pizzas or just some beer, while soaking up the patio ambience.

The Victoria
(48 John Bright Street)

This 19th-century theatre bar is located in the city centre and is the ideal spot for winding up a long day’s outing by having a pizza and a good homemade beer. As a curiosity, film- and music-lovers can put their knowledge to the test at the “Sound and Vision” contest held every Tuesday afternoon. By the way – keep your eyes skinned because they say there’s a ghost lurking in the walls of the bar!

Sugarloaf
(12 Bennett’s Hill)

A bar inside a restaurant? Well, yes, Sugarloaf is a Mexican-themed bar tucked away on the lower floor under the Mexican cantina, Bodega, which also features Mexico as the theme on its menu. It opens Wednesday to Saturday and, in addition to the classic, essential skulls ornamenting the locale, you will find tequila and mescal cocktails and DJ sessions.

PureCraft Bar & Kitchen
(30 Waterloo St)

This establishment, which specialises in homemade beer – of which you will find an extensive domestic and international list – is simply decorated, with a certain industrial air about it. Don’t hesitate to augment your pint by ordering one of their dishes, based on British cuisine and using local produce, with a refined touch and impeccable presentation.

Fancy exploring the coolest, tastiest  side of Birmingham? Get your tickets here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by The Rose Villa Tavern, The Jekyll and Hyde, The Plough, Bodega Cantina, Pure Craft Bar & Kitchen

Menorca's lighthouses are part of the island's environment and its rugged coastline. That is why they are located in some of the most beautiful and wild areas, turning your route into an encounter with Menorca's nature and its diverse landscapes. Beyond the first function to point the way to the boats, they form a unique postcard in the already beautiful coast of Menorca.

All lighthouses are managed by the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands and on their website you can find the technical specifications of each.

Favàritx Ligthouse
Its location in the natural setting of the Natural Park of s’Albufera des Grau, the wettest part of Menorca, about 20 miles north of Mahon, makes it one of the most visited.
Key Point of the Island’s Biosphere’s Reserve, here we find a variety of waterfowl and raptors such as the osprey, the kite or the booted eagle

Cavalleria Lighthouse
About 14 kilometers from Es Mercadal, at the southernmost tip of the island, this impressive lighthouse stands on a cliff over 80 meters and with fantastic views over the sea.
If you visit the lighthouse of Cavalleria you will observe a curiosity: a few piles of stones facing the sea will surprised you. They are build by the tourists who come to the lighthouse because, according to tradition, who creates these forms and expresses the desire to return to Menorca to the Lighthouse, will see their wish come true.

Punta Nati Lighthouse
Opened in 1913, its creation comes from a tragic accident. And it is because in this area of ​​strong winds and ocean currents the modern French Général Chanzy steam was wrecked by a big storm three years before.

Days with strong wind from the north you can enjoy a natural spectacle when the crack near the lighthouse ejects water with great force, in a sort of bufador lambasting the headlight, which sometimes has been damaged by the pressure.

Illa de l'Aire Lightouse
On Mahon’s south, in the town of Sant Lluis, there is the touristic Platja de Punta Prima. From here you can observe perfectly Illa de l'Aire and its lighthouse’s silhouette surrounded by turquoise waters and rich marine life.
One feature of the island is to house an endemic species of Menorca and Mallorca: black lizard. But not only the small reptile inhabits the island, it also houses numerous birds on their migratory path.

Artrutx Lighthouse
With carachteristic thick black and white stripes, the lighthouse Artrutx is 7 kilometers from Ciutadella. It was built in the mid nineteenth century, in 1858, and at first, it worked with oil until 1930 that electricity came to the lighthouse. Now the Artrutx Lighthouse it is part of the historical heritage of Menorca.
Near the lighthouse there are the coves den Bosch and Son Xoriguer, one that has the greater waves and therefore enables windsurfing.

Sa Farola
It is located on the seafront of Sa Farola so you can get there calmly strolling about 30 minutes from the center of Ciutadella. During the trip you can enjoy the beautiful scenery or a swim in the Caleta es Frares with its platforms for the bathers located halfway.

Sant Carles or Mahon Lighthouse
Considered to be the first lighthouse on the island, it was built in 1852 on the ruins of Castell de Sant Felip, on the tip of Sant Carles. After some discussion about its location, it was replaced by a metal tower of black and white stripes.
Near the lighthouse there is Fort Marlborough, a unique hexagonal shape building surrounded by a trench dug in the ground and built by the British between 1710 and 1716, with galleries that you can visit.

Pictures by www.portsdebalears.com

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

In times when being a tourist has become so passé – the learned traveller wisely tries to avoid crowded places when seeking out the heart of a city – you could do worse than hunt for cinemas with character when visiting another country. Traditional cinemas have vanished in many places. I am referring to the ones with just a single auditorium – or two at most – which are not owned by some international conglomerate. Architecturally quaint buildings where cinema-goers felt like pilgrims going to a special place.

Berlin is a cinema lover’s capital in itself. Directors such as Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Wim Wenders were obsessed with it. Indeed, Wenders immortalised the city in his Wings of Desire and Faraway, So Close! (a sequel to the former), which have spawned articles and tours that point up the importance of Berlin’s architecture and real landmarks from the films – the Victory Column, Brandenburg Gate and Staatsbibliothek, designed by Hans Scharoun. With such a cinema tradition behind it, no wonder the city has so many movie theatres to choose from. More so, those that pamper their appearance and their movie listings. Following is our choice of five of the best which, to wit, offer some added value, such as screening films in English or featuring subtitles in that language. So, if you’re a devotee of the seventh art with a smattering of English, or merely wish to visit the buildings and their cafés, this rundown is for you.

Ladenkino

One of the city’s most prestigious cinemas, which screens original-version movies. It comprises three, small but well-equipped auditoriums, as well as a bar-café and a video library with a large selection of films on DVD and Blu-ray. The interior is amazing – some of the rooms look like a set from a film by David Lynch. Ladenkino is located in the Friedrichshain district, very near Boxhagener Platz, where a well-known open-air flea market is held every Sunday.

Odeon

Located in Schöneberg, one of Berlin’s most charming quarters –Marlene Dietrich and Helmut Newton were both born here – the area is also celebrated for its attractive culinary offerings. The Odeon captivates from the outset, prominently featuring a green neon light and an old-school awning displaying screening times, and witty phrases and questions, setting the scene for cinema-goers. Their forte is signature films and independent cinema.

Kino Central

The punkiest cinema in this list, wholly in tune with Berlin’s industrial imagery, artistically speaking. They have two auditoriums and a highly varied programme based on American and English films far removed from all grandiose Hollywood blockbusters, save for the odd exception. Located a few metres from Hackescher, a beautiful square in Berlin’s Mitte quarter which also hosts a market. Kino Central is one of the city’s film lovers’ secret haunts.

Babylon Kreuzberg

The cradle of Berlin’s punk movement, the Kreuzberg district boasts a healthy culture scene, so be sure to visit the legendary SO36 club, where Iggy Pop and David Bowie were regular clients in the seventies. The Babylon cinema is one of its nerve centres and features two auditoriums in a three-storey building with a history, which offers a bit of everything, from Indie cinema to the re-screening of classics and also horror movies (a festival of this genre is held every October).

Kino International

“Spectacular” is the word that best defines this small palace, seemingly a throwback from former times. In effect, its history stretches back several decades and both the auditorium and other facilities are markedly vintage. This is a peerless setting for raising the cinema experience to another level. It is sited in an awesome location, hard by the legendary Alexanderplatz, which makes it a compulsory landmark for any inquiring sightseer.

Fire up and discover these temples for movie lovers – book your Vueling here.

Text by Xavi Sánchez for Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Genzano is a charming town built on one of Rome’s hills. Every year it hosts the Infiorata di Genzano, when its main street, the Via Italo Belardi, is carpeted by 2,000 square metres of enormous tapestries adorned with flowers. This artwork uses up nearly 500,000 petals, flowers and seeds meticulously placed to form intricate pictures inspired by religious themes. It is a collaborative venture involving many of Genzano’s inhabitants. Just as painters have their palette, for the Infiorata, different types of flowers are selected according to each colour – carnations are used for reds, broom for yellows.

For the three-day duration of the festival, the town’s shopkeepers set up their marquees from where they sell the region’s typical food products, such as olive oil or pane casereccio, a famous crunchy bread and one of the most emblematic of local gastronomic products. TheInfiorataremains on the streets until the so-called Spallamento, the moment when the music bands and the town’s children walk over the infiorata, until the whole carpet is trampled underfoot.

The Origin of the Flower Carpets

These colourful flower carpets are laid down in many other towns around the world. Notable examples are the Temps de Flors in Girona and the Alfombras de Sal in Lanzarote. Their origins go back to theCorpus Christicelebrations of the 13th century, when flowers were thrown during the Holy Week procession in Rome, a tradition that then spread to many other Catholic countries. Other towns in Italy also have their own infiorata, but the one in Genzano is the oldest and most famous, dating back to 1778.

The Historical Towns of Castelli Romani

Genzano is one of thirteen historical towns that make up the so-called Castelli Romani (Roman castles), which roughly correspond to the area of Colli Albani (Albanian hills) south-east of Rome. For centuries it has been a favourite spot for well-heeled Romans seeking a more temperate climate, to escape from the often suffocating heat of Rome and also to get away from the city bustle and dense traffic. The towns in the Castelli Romani Regional Park stand out for their medieval and Renaissance buildings and for their excellent wine, the so-called white Frascati. You can taste this wine, accompanied by olives, cheese andporchetta– a roast pork dish with herbs – at the local taverns or fraschette.

Genzano – A Charming Setting

Genzano, like other towns in the Castelli Romani, is set on the external slope of the Lake Nemicrater. Indeed, the volcanic origin of the soil is what endows the grapes used in the wine-making with their excellent quality. Its historic centre has a large number of historical and art vestiges for a town of its comparatively small size, including the Collegiata della Santissima Trinità (Collegiate Church of the Holy Trinity), the Annunziata, the Church of the Cappuccini, and the Sforza Cesarini and Villa degli Antonini palaces. Lake Nemi’s claim to fame is that two of the largest and most luxurious vessels from antiquity were found in the crater – both had belonged to Caligula. For 2,000 years they rested at the bottom of the lake before eventually being salvaged in perfect condition, on account of the mud found caked around them. You will delight in the natural surroundings of the Genzano area, which is ideal for cycling. A bike tour will take you along scenic routes featuring lakes, craters and forests.

If you don’t want to miss this year’s Infiorata di Genzano, prepare your trip to this picturesque Italian town for 13, 14 and 15 June 2015. You will enjoy a spectacular event that draws thousands of visitors. Check out our flights here.

Text by Scanner FM

Images by Fabio | Claudio Vaccaro | supermiagolator | supermiagolator | Malega | Deblu68 | Valerio_D