By Fabiana Fierotti from METAL

New, cutting-edge beauty spots are one of the main things going on in Milan right now. It is not only about having your hair done or getting the perfect manicure, it is more about experiencing something involving all of your five senses, above all, taste. Here is a short list of places you should not miss while you are visiting the city, all with a special something that will definitely leave a mark.

Bahama Mama is a place for Nails, Taste and Beauty as the entrance sign itself says. It is the first nail bar ever opened in Milan and its philosophy is entirely linked to natural and “green” products. The best thing one can do is go there with your friends, have a manicure all together while sipping a glass of Prosecco and tasting Tuscany’s specialties. And, if you are up for it, you can also treat yourself with a little vintage shopping.

QC Terme Milano is a very special place right in the heart of Porta Romana, one of the historical sites of the city. The possibilities are many: enjoy a swim in an open-air warm whirlpool surrounded by Spanish walls built in the XVI century; an evening visit to the Wellness Tram, the world’s first bio sauna, while watching video projections; have a brunch or an aperitivi after a whole day in the spa… Whatever you do, one thing is for sure: you will forget about your everyday life and get lost in this paradise of wellness.

For the hair colour you have always dreamt of, you need to visit GUM. They may serve no aperitivi in here, but they definitely have the secret recipe for the perfect hair look. They even invented new colour techniques, Dirty and Daft, an hymn to the 90’s English aesthetic and dye, along with an organic products line to fit every client’s need, always keeping the retro style.

Speaking of secret recipes, if you have a sweet tooth for everything unique and tailor-made, you should visit Le Labo, a special corner and lab inside Milan perfumery Mecca: Profumo. As they proclaim in their manifesto: “In a world where luxury perfumes are mass-produced and sold in places that look like supermarkets (…) Le Labo has decided to take matters – and perfume – back in hand”. And they did, bringing together the very best noses and creating hand-made fragrances, no matter how much money or time it costs.

And it’s left to Bullfrog to add the masculine touch to the list. A ‘modern electric barber’ where you can shave (old school style!) and have your rockabilly hairstyle done, like you are back in the 50’s. You don’t want to miss on their secret weapon, the English barber James, or their Shaving Academy (two courses, base and advanced). Some real good men stuff.

Enjoy!

Bahama Mama
viale Col di Lana 1.
Tue – Sat 10am/8pm (Wed and Fri opened till 11pm)
closed on Monday
www.bahamamama.it
+39 02 89404538

QC Terme Milano
Piazzale Medaglie d’Oro 2.
Mon – Sun 9.30am/11pm
www.termemilano.com
+39 02 55199367

GUM
Via Vetere 9.
Tue-Fri-Sat 11am/8pm – Wed 11 am/9pm – Thu 12am/9pm
Closed on Monday
www.gumsalon.it
+39 02 36601940

Le Labo / Profumo
Via Brera 6.
Tue-Sat 10am/7pm
Closed on Monday morning
www.lelabofragrances.com
+39 02 72023334

Bullfrog
Via Thaon di Revel 3.
Tue-Fri 10am/8pm – Sat 10am/5pm – Sun 11am/5pm
www.bullfrogmilano.com
+39 02 36531983

By Fabiana Fierotti from METAL

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

We’ve often been asked by friends and acquaintances to recommend a getatable romantic destination for some special celebration with their partner. We always give them the same answer – the Amalfi Coast, in Italy’s Campania region. Indeed, you cannot help but fall in love with this slice of coastline, bathed by the waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea, with winding roads concealing some of Italy’s sublimest, most picturesque villages.

The best spot to start out on your itinerary is Sorrento. While not strictly on the coastal route, it is still a charming destination whose luxury hotels have attracted the big names in opera, notably Enrico Caruso and Luciano Pavarotti, acclaimed for his memorable interpretations of Torna a Surriento, one of the best known Neapolitan songs in the world. The balconies so characteristic of the seafront of this Neapolitan town afford some of the best views of Mt Vesuvius, a volcano which has scored the history of this land with fire.

Positano is the first village we come to on the Amalfi Coast or Costiera Amalfitana. Before driving into it, there are some wonderful viewpoints affording vistas of the village, with its houses clinging to the hillside, providing one of the most elegant and iconic picture postcards in Italy. Picturesque and unique, Positano is a must-visit spot on the Amalfi Coast and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997. Its steep streets are lined with fashion boutiques and shops selling typical products, while some of its “almost affordable” hotels are veritable backwaters of peace and quiet where many a couple have uttered their “Yes, I do”. This is the case with the Hotel Poseidon, run by the Aonzo brothers, who pamper their guests as if they were true friends.

We still recall how Marco kindly let us use one of his collector cars, a crimson red Alfa Romeo Spider, which we drove like celebrities of the Italian Neorealism to visit other legendary villages on the Amalfi Coast –Amalfi and Ravello. The former, after which this stretch of coastline in the Gulf of Salerno is named, is noteworthy for its flamboyant Piazza del Duomo and the staircase leading up to the Cathedral. Amalfi is the ideal place for shopping along its crowded streets, as well as for sitting down in some secluded restaurant with sea views to lunch or dine on some of the local specialities, notably fish in acqua pazza, washed down with a fine white Fiano di Avellino wine. The final gastronomic flourish is provided by the local queen of liqueurs, limoncello, made from the large, aromatic lemons grown in this area.

Another renowned village on the Amalfi Coast is Ravello, which has a gem in its Villa Cimbrone gardens, which are open to the public, and the marvellous Villa Rufolo, a spot that has enchanted poets, artists and musicians and has helped turn this part of the Italian coastline into one of the ideal places to get married.

Book your Vueling to Naples and make a tour of the Amalfi Coast.

Text by Tus Destinos

By Michael Schuermann from Easy Hiker

The French Riviera is best understood not as a region or an area but as a single town, a thin coastal strip of settlements never more than a kilometre deep that is stretched out over a distance of 50 miles, like an extruded French version of Los Angeles.

With two hours in Nice, the capital of the French Riviera, you can even play the game “which is which” – with Monaco standing in for Beverly Hills, Cannes rivalling Hollywood in movie star glamour and Menton probably coming closest to the more charming LA neigbourhoods such as Santa Monica or Venice.

And Nice, the largest town on the Côte d’Azur, would undoubtedly be the equivalent of downtown L.A.

If you are an American, you would probably find nothing strange about visiting the French Riviera without going to see its “capital” at least once. I have a friend who lived in LA for five years and had never once been to the downtown area. For Europeans like me, that is a strange, strange thought.

So we did go to Nice for a day-trip, and so should you if you can.

There are more glamorous towns along the coast, cuter ones too, but few that put all the things that make the French Riviera so great into a single, tight package: urbanity, openness, glamour, beaches. Nice has got it all.

Start at the train station, cross the road and head straight down the Avenue Durante to the beach promenade, ……

… the Promenade des Anglais, probably the most famous street along the Côte d’Azur. Take a brief turn to the right for a look at the Hotel Negresco and its famous pink cupola, rumoured to have been modelled after, ahem, les gazongas of the architect’s mistress (oh, the Belle Epoque!)…

… and the equally splendid Hotel Maison de la Mediterranee before turning back along the coast in the direction of the Old Town.

Key sites include the magnificent Opera on Rue Saint Francois de Paule …

… the Cours Saleya with its daily markets of flowers and antiques …

… and the atmospheric Place du Palais with the Palais Rusca, one of the town’s most famous landmarks.

Once you have explored the Old Town a little, it should be just about the right time for lunch. We suggest you go into one of the many shops that serve a local specialty called Socca, aromatic pancakes made from chickpea flour baked in a wood-fired oven. Served with nothing but a pinch of salt and pepper, it’s simply delicious.

If you have had any doubt as to whether Nice is an Italian town or not: Place Garibaldi with its colonnades and a statue of Italy’s national hero – who was actually born in Nice (when the town was still a part of Italy) –will provide you with all the evidence you need.

Walk from here to the Place Massena, another of the city’s main squares …

… and finally down Avenue Jean Medecin, the city’s main shopping street, back to the train station.

There are many sites for which you will not find the time within a two hour visit, such as the famous orthodox church (you will get a tempting glimpse when you depart or arrive by train), but you can always come back, of course. We know that we certainly will.

By Michael Schuermann from Easy Hiker

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

Santa Catalina is now Palma’s fashionable quarter. Located just outside the erstwhile walled city west of Palma, in recent years it has undergone a facelift, turning it into a more spacious, more integral, must-visit district of the city.

Owing to its proximity to the harbour, it was originally a fishing quarter. In the 18th century some industrial activity emerged in the area, as evinced by the iconic Es Jonquet windmills and the aptly named Calle Industria. However, it reached the peak of its industrial expansion and development in the late-19th and early-20th century. Dating precisely from that period are the Modernist-style houses spread across the district, some of which were built by the Indianos on their return from Cuba.

Santa Catalina is a district of one- or two-storey houses, with balconies and Majorcan blinds, and small interior gardens or patios. A stroll through its quiet streets attests to an unusual mix of people, including a good number of foreigners that have succumbed to this quaint old fishermen’s quarter and have decided to settle there.

The hub of the area is the Santa Catalina Market, a veritable neighbourhood meeting point. Housed in a building dating from 1920, it preserves much of its original charm and is the ideal place for shopping for fresh, seasonal produce, most of which is sourced locally.

One of the claims to fame of Santa Catalina is the large number of restaurants that have opened there in the last few years, making it the perfect spot for ending a day’s sightseeing through Palma with a rewarding culinary experience. Among the standout venues we find:

Cantina Patrón Lunares. Located on the premises of the mutual benefit society, Montepío del Arrabal, it features highly poetic interior design in which the maritime and industrial past merges to perfection with vintage furniture and craft objects. The restaurant offers traditional island cuisine enhanced with seafood dishes from further afield.

Restaurante Duke. Here, the menu faithfully reflects the taste of the owners, who are great travellers, as it is characterised by dishes from all over the planet. The small interior is decorated with surfing motifs and photos of their journeys and is the perfect spot for eating wholesome food based on original recipes in a peaceful setting. We recommend ending off the meal with a mojito, which are mouth-watering.

Restaurante Hanaita. Despite the plain, rather dowdy decor of this small venue, it is undoubtedly one of the best Japanese restaurants in Palma, featuring excellent quality dishes.

Restaurante Xoriguer. Located on the Calle Fábrica, this is one of Palma’s classics. It also features some excellent, traditional Basque cuisine, and a wide variety of splendid meat dishes, including the best Kobe and Black Angus beef.

Gin Burger. As its name suggests, this cosy, modern locale offers delicious hamburgers which you can wash down with a magnificent gin tonic – they carry a large variety of gins. The venue is suitable for all guests, including vegetarians and celiacs, who have also been catered for on the menu.

Apart from its culinary offerings, Santa Catalina has also become a hub of the city’s artistic activity, which is centred around the Teatro Mar i Terra.

Now that you’re genned up about Palma’s trendiest district, all that’s left is for you to book your Vueling and enjoy it.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Fabian Walden, Cantina Patrón Lunares, Fernando Vesga