When you first set eyes on Versailles, you realise why it was the jewel in Louis XIV’s crown. Starting with what had been his father’s hunting lodge, the Sun King had Europe’s largest palace built. The opulent interiors and splendid gardens could accommodate up to 20,000 people. The king had the leading artists and architects at his disposal – Louis Le Vau and Hardouin-Mansart designed the building; Charles Le Brun, the interiors, while André Le Nôtre remodelled the gardens. Everything was ready to receive the court.

Europe’s Largest Palace

The main rooms in the residence were on the first floor. There we find the Chambers of the King and Queen, arranged around the Marble Court, the latter set behind the last railing in the access to the palace from the street. If you have seen films like Marie Antoinette, by Sofia Coppola, or the television series, Versailles (we can wholeheartedly recommend both), you will know that their chambers were anything but private. The queens of France used to give birth before the court, while the kings went through the daily waking routine known as le lever du Roi (the king’s rising), attended by courtiers and family members, who came to see the monarch getting up.

The king had areas where he worked, including the Council Chamber, where he received his ministers and family, or the room known as the Louis XVI Library, characterised by the sovereign’s globe of the world and its priceless Neoclassical panelling. The chambers of the king and queen are connected by the Antechamber or Oeil-de-boeuf(Bull’s-eye)Roomon account of the large round window. The story goes that, on the night of 6 October 1789, when a group of revolutionaries stormed the palace in search of Queen Marie Antionette, she fled through this room to her husband’s chamber and safety. The following day they abandoned the palace forever.

Also on the first floor, on the side of the palace giving onto the gardens, are the State Apartments. The most famous of these is the 73-metre-long Hall of Mirrors, with its views over the gardens, where major official ceremonies were held. It was there that in 1919 the Treaty of Versailles was signed, marking an end to World War I. Other rooms well worth seeing include the War Drawing Room, located next to the Hall of Mirrors and featuring a large relief of Louis XIV on horseback trampling his enemies under foot, the Apollo Drawing Room and the Hercules Drawing Room, which houses the monumental painting, Feast in the House of Simon, by Veronese, a gift from the Republic of Venice to Louis XIV.

Household Chapel and Opéra Royal

Also on the first floor is access to the Royal Chapel, used by the king and his family, and to the Battles Gallery, the outcome of a renovation by Louis-Philippe on former apartments used by nobles. It was turned into a gallery of historical paintings housing works by the likes of Delacriox and Gérard.

A must-visit site on the ground floor are the priceless Apartments of the Mesdames Adélaïde and Victoire, the daughters of Louis XV, who never married and lived here until the time of the Revolution.

Another grand edifice in the Palace of Versailles is the Opéra Royal. This theatre, built in 1770 to mark the engagement of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, is not open to the public. It does, however, host an interesting opera season which is the perfect excuse to spend an evening there and feel like a regular courtier.

Gardens, Fountains and Lost Palaces

After a visit to the palace, the best thing is to wander around the huge gardens and enjoy the fountains. Various shows are staged on different days, so it is worth checking out the programme before planning your visit.

The gardens are laid out in formal fashion, with geometrically-shaped pathways lined with tree groves, hedges, flowers, fountains and ponds. Fountains such as Neptune, Latona, the Colonnade and the Dragon Fountain provide some of the most impressive sights. It is rewarding to stroll among them and end off by heading for the Trianon, one of the jewels of Versailles. Here you will find two buildings – the Grand Trianon, a palace commissioned by Louis XIV as a retreat from court life and to host his mistresses, and the Petit Trianon, built for Louis XV but which became Marie Antoinette’s favourite retreat. She also had a quaint little theatre built in it. Be sure to also visit the Queen's Hamlet, where Louis XVI’s wife had an estate of twelve buildings modelled according to the aesthetic of a rural village, peasants and farm animals included. She would seek refuge here to get away from the demands of court life.

Book your Vueling to Paris and head for Versailles, which is just a half-hour’s train ride away. You won’t regret seeing such a splendid palace and feeling like a king for a few hours.

Text by Aleix Palau for Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Some months ago we wrote about five must-visit restaurants in Gijón: Los Pomares, where the fabada is a winner; El Quinto, a wine tavern with globe-trotting tapas; Casa Trabanco, a cider mill with guided visits laid on and dishes based on ingredients from their own market garden; El Candil, which boasts the best fish in town, and La Bolera, a grillroom acclaimed throughout Spain.

Should the list not make the grade – it does, I can assure you – Gijón also hosts several gastro-events which provide an excellent pretext to visit.

Flavours of Arcu Atlánticu

Billed as a culture festival featuring a blend of literature, performing arts, fine arts, music and cuisine from the Atlantic regions of Spain, France, Portugal, Ireland and the United Kingdom, the festival also features star chefs in action. Graced with awards by the city of Gijón, they cook on an enormous stage in the Plaza Mayor before more than 1,000 people, flanked by giant screens, as if a rock concert were being staged. This year, it will be held on 1 August. The event has already hosted such celebrities as Elena Arzak, Eneko Atxa, Andoni Luis Aduriz and Dieter Koschina, the chef at the Vila Joya restaurant, until recently the only Portuguese eatery with two Michelin stars.

Natural Cider Festival

In the week from 22 to 28 August, Gijón tastes only of cider. Around thirty cider mills set up their cider-serving stalls in two urban settings – the Plaza Mayor and the marina (alongside a sculpture known as “The Cider Tree”, made up of bottles from 80 Asturian cider mills). For a token fee, visitors get a commemorative glass they can fill up free-of-charge at any of the stands throughout the day at the so-called Mercadín de la sidra y la manzana (cider and apple market). There are various activities during the week. The bus de la sidra or “cider bus”, which visitors can take to the local cider mills, cursos de escanciado (courses in cider-pouring) and cancios de chigre (cider tavern songs) when hundreds of people gather in the Plaza Mayor to sing the most popular songs of Asturias, while on Poniente Beach there will be an attempt to break the Guinness simultaneous cider-pouring record. Set in 2014, it brought together 8,448 cider pourers.

Gijón de sidra

The Gijón de Sidra festival is held for eleven days each October (this year, from 6 to 16 October), during which cider mills from all over Asturias are twinned with emblematic cider taverns in the city. Each tavern then offers a bottle of cider from the mill they represent, in addition to a homemade portion of food served in a cazuelina, all at a moderate price, accompanied by the singing ofcancios de chigre(cider tavern songs).

Gastronomic Workshops

You can always join some gastronomic workshop around the time of the traditional fiestas. The celebrations of Antroxu (Carnival), with pote (hotpot), picadillo (mince) and frixuelos (flour fritters); those of Holy Week, the Asturian de Pinchos contest (in February), the pinchos (meat on the skewer) contest at the Gijón Sound Festival (last held from 15 to 17 April), and the Pinchos de Gijón championship (in November).

The Cider Route

A good way of learning everything you need to know about cider, the Asturian beverage par excellence, is by indulging in it. Depending on the ticket you purchase, you can learn the secrets of cider making, visit outlets where it is sold, take part in tasting sessions or eat candies made with apple. (There are four types of ticket, which are sold at the Gijón Tourist Offices or online). Available throughout the year.

Gijón Gourmet

Epicureans have the chance to lunch or dine at seven of the best restaurants in Gijón (Casa Gerardo, Agua, Bellavista, El Candil, La Salgar, Casa Víctor, Ciudadela) at an attractive price – 50 euros in the case of Michelin-starred eateries and 45 euros in the others. The menu comprises two starters, two main dishes, dessert and wine. When booking, all you need to point out is that you want a Gijón Gourmet Menu (only tables of up to 8 diners are eligible for the offer).

Gijón Goloso

Gijón Goloso works in a similar way. Considering it is one of Spain’s cities with the most confectionery shops, sixteen of them were selected to make a special sweet which visitors can taste after buying a ticket online or at the Infogijón offices. Five tastings costs 7 euros, while 10 tastings costs 13 euros. The offer lasts all year long, so you have ample time to prepare your trip, as sweet-toothed tourists will never be short of their candies.

Text and photos by Ferran Imedio of Gastronomistas.com

Exploring the Bretagne means reviving the exciting medieval European history, delving into its cultural roots, into its traditions and legends. You will discover stunning landscapes: its beaches, cliffs or amazing medieval towns like Vitre or Fougères, and you will get the most out of the beneficial effects for the body of Atlantic waters. Bretons are fond of spas and some of the best spas to relax and get purified are located in Dinard and La Baute .

The French Brittany is a large peninsula. Its 1,200 kilometers of coastline and its landscapes and gastronomy prove its close relationship to land and sea, as well as its ancestral traditions, dating back to its Celtic past, actually closer to Ireland or Wales that France itself.

The beauty of the breton coastline is prolonged for its islands, to the North Brehart or Ouessant and the South Sein, Glenan, Groix and Belle-Ile to, paradise of wild beauty with its protected bays and their headlights, and a history and personality. Its ports were strategic points for trade as for military defense and even lands of banishment.

Rennes, capital of Brittany, although it is located at the gates of the Normandy region and is a prominent place of the architectural heritage and witness of the history of the region. Around the two Royal squares, Parliament and the City Council, and their features wood and Renaissance mansions half-timbered houses, centuries of history are drawn.

30 Kilometres from Rennes lies the lush forest of Oaks and beeches Brocelandia, domain of myths and legends Celtic. It is here where are located many episodes of the novels of the round table, as the search King Arthur ordered to find the Holy Grail and was also the place where lived the fairy Viviana, Knight Lancelot and Merlin the Mage, friend and Advisor of the young Arthur, which say caught there for love.

By the magic Broceliande forest, you will go over hidden trails that will take you by the Bridge of the Secret, the village of Paimpont and its beautiful Abbey and castles of Brocéliande and the passage of Holly.

To the north, in the estuary of the Rance river one comes to Dinan, with its charming old town, and one of the best preserved medieval cities. For its walled enclosure you will discover fascinating monuments as the basilica of Saint-Sauveur or the tower of l’Horlage.

From here the Coast Emerald spreads, with its Green shores dotted with villages, which passes from the walled city of Sain-Malo to the Coast of Pink Granite, which owes its name to its peculiar rock formations of pink shades. And between them, countless sites to explore: the rocky cliffs of Cap Fréhel or Rochefort-en-Terre with its low houses with slate roofs and the charm of the old villages.

Another attraction of the route by the Breton coast is to follow the Way of the headlights, which starts in Brest and ends in Portsall, to take a walk through the half-hundred lighthouses that dot its coastline.

Great painters such as Paul Gauguin and Maurice Denis have immortalized like nobody the Brittany. You can rediscover them in at the Museum of Fine Arts in Pont-Aven. Pont-Aven owes its reputation to the painters’ school that Gauguin led in this fishing village, arrived from Paris and willing to follow his teachings.This population keeps on preserving the nostalgic mills that were happening along the river, which so many times these artists recreated, and its fascination for the painting, but also you will be able to enjoy its famous confectioner’s.

Finishing up the Arch of the Brittany coast to the South, is Carnac, town which houses more than 3,000 prehistoric remains of between 5,000 and 2,000 BC years TIt is the oldest archeological site of Europe, divided into four major areas: Le Menec, Kermario, Kerlescan and Le Petit Menec. You can also complete your visit in the Museum of the prehistory of Carnac..

Eating in Britain

The dilated Breton coastline, bathed by the waters of the Atlantic, mark the gastronomy of the region, which has succeeded like no other, preserve its gastronomic specialities. Fish and seafood take the menus of the restaurants as anywhere else. One of the best oysters in the world, the Belon, and of course, mussels collected here.

In general, all the shellfish and seafood as the spider crab, lobsters or crabs, is collected in its cold waters. This also translates into delicious fish soups. Although if there is a fish by the that the Bretons have a special fervour, that is the cod, which was prepared in all ways imaginable.

But, apart from the fish, in Britain prepares excellent cheeses, as the curé nantais, and butter, cider and delicious pastries. Their crepes, croissants or Sabres will delight the greediest.

Image: Emmanuelc

Somewhere well worth discovering! Check out our flights here.

Bordeaux can boast of having emerged from a sweet slumber, deservedly earning it the name of “the Sleeping Beauty”, later becoming the “Pearl of Aquitaine”. Here are the keys to enjoying a city that has become an irresistible tourist destination.

1. Taste Its Wines

Why deny it? Wine is the region’s economic driving force and the main reason for Bordeaux being famous all over the world. A trip to this city is clearly the perfect excuse for venturing into its extensive wine realm. The local tourist office has a roster of 60 different circuits for touring the viticultural region’s wineries that have edged their way onto the international scene. Needless to say, you don’t actually have to leave Bordeaux to discover its wines. All you need to do is head for one of the bars or bistros to find them. Here are our recommendations:

- The Bar à Vin du CIVB is a city classic and has an extensive Bordeaux wine list.

- For those who prefer to accompany their wine with some good cheese, Bistrot du Fromager is their best option.

- Those on a tasting tour who also want to take away the odd bottle as a keepsake should drop in on La Conserverie-Converserie.

- And, you can even sign up for a course in wine tasting at L’École du Vin.

2. Be Dazzled by the Largest Water Mirror in the World

The Place de la Bourse (Bourse Square). also known as the Place Royale, is undoubtedly one of the major landmarks in Bordeaux. It was designed by Jacques Ange Gabriel, royal architect to Louis XV, and built from 1730 to 1755.This square heralded the moment when the city broke out of its medieval walls, marking the start of its age of splendour. Rectangular in shape, one side opens onto the river Garonne, while the centre is taken up by the Fountain of The Three Graces. The main attraction, however, is Le Miroir d’Eau (Water Mirror), one of the largest in the world, with a surface area of 3.450 m². The interplay of reflections is fascinating and highly photogenic – if you’re travelling with children, it is sure to delight them.

3. Enjoy Its Heritage

After Paris, Bordeaux is the city with the largest number of protected monuments in France. One example of this is its harbour, known as the Port of the Moon, which was listed as UNESCO World Heritage in 2007. Set on a meander of the river Garonne, its nickname is derived from its crescent-moon or croissant shape. Most of the buildings in the harbour and environs reflect the ideals of the Enlightenment. Be sure to stroll through its streets and admire their unique beauty.

4. Take a Boat Ride Along the River Garonne

The river Garonne has long been a lynchpin of the city’s development. Indeed, in the 18th century, it was one of the most important ports in Europe. A novel way of viewing the city of Bordeaux is by taking in the different angles of it afforded by the river. All you need to do is turn up at the Port of the Moon and go on one of the available cruises. Of the myriad options to choose from, we recommend one that includes wine tasting and snacks while soaking up the views.

5. Be Inspired by Museum Offerings

Art lovers have a must-visit in the shape of the Museum of Fine Arts, noteworthy for its fine collection of Dutch paintings. If you’re an enthusiast of the latest in art trends, the place to be is the CAPC Musée d’Art Contemporain, located in a former warehouse for colonial goods. The Museum of Decorative Arts, housed in the Hôtel Lalande, is a showcase of bourgeois life in the 18th and 19th century, as seen through their decorative objects – furniture, sculpture, engravings, ceramics, cutlery and glassware.

6. Enjoy Nature in One of the Parks

Bordeaux has many parks where you can get a breather. The best known is the Jardin Public (Public Garden), set in the heart of the city. It was opened in 1755 and styled along the lines of Versailles, but subsequently re-styled as an English garden. It features an old carousel which children will love.

7. Eat Oysters in the Market

If you happen to spend a weekend in Bordeaux, make sure you head for the Marche des Capucines. This magnificent market offers top-notch produce and has a wonderful atmosphere. There, you will find stalls where you can taste oysters, seafood and fresh fish.

Book your Vueling here and see all the hidden charm of Bordeaux for yourself.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by SuperCar-RoadTrip.fr, Yann Chauvel, Bistro du Fromager