My Vueling City and Mondo Sonoro will be joining forces over the next few months to focus on the music and pop culture aspects of some of Vueling’s destinations. It couldn’t be otherwise – the alliance made its debut in London, the cradle of pop music. For this premiere we decided to spend a weekend accompanying Joan S. Luna, chief editor of this established music magazine. It was a heady few days during which we found time for everything – culinary variety, from Spanish gourmet drawn through an English filter, to fusion to fast food of dubious excellence, to comics and long strolls along Bankside, Oxford Street and Dalston, the district that is chalking up points to become the British capital’s new Soho. We often got lost in the maze-like network of public transport, and also ended up at the odd party, of course. Here, then, is what we did over the 40 hours we spent in London.

The Warm-up

We hit the megacity on a Friday afternoon. What with the time change, however, it was more night than afternoon. It was a typical London day – cold and rainy to different degrees. But, that was of no consequence to us. We had planned to meet the Mondo Sonoro crew at the magnificent Ibérica Victoria restaurant, the latest to be spawned by the family of Ibérica establishments, the talk of the town in London and Manchester. This is where we first met Joan S. Luna, the protagonist of this post. For him it was “a pleasure to savour the fantastic menu offered by Ibérica. Friendly service, great food and a decor that impacts from the outset. The interior design is really striking”. Indeed, the reception counter is crowned by a sort of cloud made up of all kinds of kitchenware. The restaurant was designed by the architect, Lázaro Rosa Violán, from Barcelona’s Estudios Contemporain. Here you can delight in the finest Spanish cuisine, but with an English flourish, considering that 95% of the guests are local. The head chef is none other than the Michelin twice-starred Nacho Manzano. Prevalent among his offerings are the meats and carefully crafted tapas. Make sure you try their croquettes – Marcos Fernández, Ibérica’s Managing Director, revealed that their secret lies in having a chef dedicated exclusively to tapas. We can also recommend their “twice cooked lamb”, marinated in cherries, tomatoes and red peppers from the Bierzo region. Once we had eaten to the full, the wisest thing was to retire to build up our strength for the Saturday, which we knew was going to run well into the early morning hours.

Just Another Hipster Day

London has been at the forefront of grass-roots European culture since the seventies. The length and breadth of the city is graced by neighbourhoods that operate as veritable incubators of trends. Here it is decided what the “in thing” for the next few weeks is to be. A short while ago it was all the rage to grow a beard, return to a traditional lifestyle and submit to vintage interiors. So, who knows what the trend is now? Maybe stamp collecting will suddenly become the hipster fashion.

We decided to begin with a bit of pop culture, so we spent the morning at the Tate Modern where we saw the exhibition, The World Goes Pop. “More than the exhibits themselves, it was quite an eye opener to discover the somewhat hidden face of the Pop Art boom, or how its shock wave yielded fruit in such countries as Spain, Poland and Japan”, remarked Joan when we emerged from the stunning building, a former power station dating from the forties. We then took a stroll through Bankside, where we came across one of the city’s numerous Christmas markets. “For me Bankside is one of the most attractive areas. You can roam its streets and end up wondering whether you are actually in a big city or a small coastal town”.

Motley Afternoon

After lunch, we set off to indulge one of Joan’s great pursuits – manga, comics and sci-fi. We got to Tottenham Court Road station and, after getting lost for the umpteenth time (along Oxford Street, on this occasion), we managed to locate that temple of cult entertainment, the nerdy store par excellence, Forbidden Planet. “This is obviously a landmark for enthusiasts of comics and fantasy literature. Once a compulsory reference point, it may have lost some of its clout to the slew of similar establishments that have popped up in other cities across the world. Despite that, it is an entertaining venue where time really flies”. And indeed it did. We then headed along Denmark Street and were taken aback by the sight of so many music shops – there were even some specialising in basses. After that we made for Dalston, the city’s new wicked precinct. Dalston is an ugly street, so don’t expect a pretty sight. It is full of Turkish restaurants touting döner kebab. However, it is well known for its night scene and for being one of the gay areas. “It was surprising to see how a suburb – or small satellite town – like Dalston has grown into a burgeoning hub of nightlife with noteworthy cultural offerings”. It boasts loads of sleazy joints consisting of narrow basements and endless lines of revellers queuing up to get in. After ambling about, we decided to whet our whistles at The Victoria. “It was a real surprise, set in the heart of Dalston. A grand programme hosted by DJs of diverse styles and some underground concerts to write home about”. We were also splendidly chaperoned by David García, the floor manager.

Experiencing London’s Nightlife

We then went to dinner at The Richmond, “a restaurant where everything works to perfection, from the delightful before-dinner cocktails to the assortment of unusual and highly elaborate dishes”. In effect. Impressively, some of the cocktails were named after groups. The one we liked best was the Sage Against the Machine, based on Wolfschmidt Kümmel, Cocchi Americano, fresh lime and sage. Of the dishes we tasted we can recommend the Galloway beef sirloin matured for 35 days with brine-soaked onion rings and marrowbone. After the tuck-in, and the excellent service dispensed by Vanita Prasad, the locale’s head waiter, we rushed off to The Scala, “one of the most emblematic multi-purpose venues in London offering a balanced set of diverse events in the various areas. The concerts I saw there are still fresh in my mind”, Joan recalls. Incidentally, that is where the last Mega Spanish Party of 2015 was held, organised by Rock Sin Subtítulos Productions Ltd, a promoter dedicated to hosting Spanish artists in London. Joan S. Luna was actually billed to DJ the best hits from here and there at the party. The night went off well, with a packed venue and the satisfaction of having made the most of our short stay in London.

Recommendations

Above all, we advise you to have a map handy (preferably an analog map, to avoid having to frantically search for free wi-fi areas to follow Google Maps from your mobile). London is a colossal city with – shall we say – an unusual urban layout. If you want to use public transport, you need to first take out a diploma, as understanding its workings is for advanced users only. We recommend you take your time moving from A to B, as you are likely to get lost at some stage or spend some time getting your bearings. If you’re going for a weekend or just a few days, the best thing is to take out an Oyster Card. They can be topped up and this is undoubtedly the fastest, most comfortable and economical way of funding single rides by bus, underground, DLR, tram, Thames Clippers, Emirates Air Line and most National Rail services. Another economical and efficient way of moving about the City is by Uber London, a more flexible alternative to taking taxis. Using their mobile app, you can located the nearest vehicles and calculate the estimated waiting time, fare and journey time. And, you have it all recorded, in case you need to file a complaint.

This, then, is the first of a series of joint experiences between My Vueling City and Mondo Sonoro. Our next stop will be in 2016. Music will of course be the pretext for our forthcoming post. But, where are we headed – Paris, Manchester, Berlin, Ibiza…? Stay tuned, and you will soon find out.

Oh! I nearly forgot – it you want to enjoy all these fun spots in London, check out our flights here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación, Wikipedia Commons, Ibérica Food & Culture Ltd.

The upcoming 14th International Beefeater In-Edit Music Documentary Festival will be featuring the best music documentaries from the past and present. This time around, what caught our attention is the large number of punk-related documentaries. No wonder, as we happen to be celebrating the fortieth anniversary of this genre. You heard it – forty years have passed since a group of mates got together and crafted a band to start a riot. And, indeed they did. The Sex Pistols lit the fuse in late 1976 and, just two years later, the musical paradigm had changed radically. The system was transformed from a scene dominated by intellectualised, ultra-professional hard rock and progressive rock bands such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Genesis or Emerson, Lake and Palmer, into another, totally alternative and largely amateur scene. And, London was the nerve centre of this new circus act.

Some documentaries dealing with this genre will feature at this year’s In-Edit Festival. Check out the programme here. Following is a rundown of the documentaries in which London acted as the backdrop. It’s amazing to see what the City was like at such a major turning point in its history, just when it it seemed more like a time bomb on the verge of blowing up, on account of the wrangling between different political trends and the high unemployment rate, particularly among young people. Remind you of anything?

Jubilee (Derek Jarman, 1978)

Rather than a documentary, this is actually a feature film, albeit 100% punk. Its director skilfully captured the spirit of the moment in this marvellous dystopian movie in which Elizabeth I travels 400 years into the future and lands in a desolate, nihilist Britannia where gangs of evil girls and killer police roam the streets.

The Filth And The Fury (Julien Temple, 2000)

Set at the pinnacle of this documentary genre, this film was a watershed in its day. It does true-to-life justice to the story of the Sex Pistols, the band which caused a sea change that rocked the foundations of the music industry in just one and a half years. The documentary is crammed with references to the punk scene in London. Highly recommended.

Rough Cut Ready Dubbed (Hasan Shah and Dom Shaw, 1982)

This film documents the post-punk period (1979-1982), which saw a convergence between various urban tribes, notably the Mods, Rockers, Punks and Skinheads. The editing is markedly punk, while it’s interesting to see the prevailing looks and the way the folks moved in their milieu. The main characters are scene celebrities (press, musicians, DJs, etc.) and the movie is recorded in Super 8. Stills in motion from a fleeting period marked by upheaval.

Rude Boy (Jack Hazan & David Mingay, 1980)

Set in London in 1978 and early 1979, with The Clash as co-protagonists. The movie opens by setting the scene in the electoral context that London was steeped in at the time, with nationalist, anti-communist and even xenophobes on one side, and anti-racist and anti-Nazi protests on the other. The film blends fiction with documentary and also chronicles tours by The Clash.

Punk: Attitude (Don Letts, 2005)

This documentary makes the perfect introduction to the genre for the uninitiated. It features a huge gamut of celebrities who were involved in some capacity, notably Captain Sensible (The Damned), Mick Jones (The Clash) and Siouxsie Sioux (…and the Banshees), brought together by the hardened documentalist and DJ who mediated between punks and Rastafarians in the first year of London punk.

Four Accessories For the Punk Experience in London

1. Dr. Martens Boots

Worn by many of the lads that feature in the In-Edit documentaries. Nowadays you can buy them at the official Dr. Martens Store, and also at the Camden and Portobello street markets, sold by the odd specialty stall.

2. Second-hand Punk Records

If your thing is vinyl, with mangy, well-bent edges, the best deals can be found at All Ages Records in Camden.

3. Pubs

A number of pubs became part of the haunts of the punk movement in the 70s and early 80s, particularly those in the vicinity of the 100 club on Oxford Street, or The Roxy, in Covent Garden. If you still feel the urge to down a few pints among leather jackets with studs and crests, we recommend you head for The Elephant’s Head in Camden.

4. Garments

As much as some voice the opinion that punks were anti-everything – and even anti-fashion – we all know that was not true. The Sex Pistols were the first to be put through the fashion wringer. They were the living mannequins of Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood, who owned the Sex punk boutique at 430 King’s Road. Today, such designers as Westwood herself or Jean Paul Gaultier still display punk influences. There are currently a number of stores that carry iconic garments, but we recommend a futuristic update of this trend at Cyberdog.

Be sure to put on tight leather pants and spike your hair.  Discover the wild side of London – check out our flights here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

When it comes to Germany’s underground, everyone thinks of grand Berlin with its hipsters strolling through Kreuzberg, especially when it was alternative and arty – now Neukölln has taken over – its endless art galleries, flohmarkts and variegated events staged on any derelict or decadent-looking site.

However, it might occur to a few of you that Hypezig – from “hype” and “Leipzig” – has become Berlin’s major rival in the last ten years. The city is ideal for soaking up street art or homing in on radically alternative galleries, far removed from the bustle of the capital and beyond the tourist trail. A city where throngs of students, artists and musicians have been mingling for a long time.

Mom, I Want to be an Artist in Hypezig!

Spinnerei

This former cotton mill – once the largest in Europe – is a paradise for any art lover. Nearly a hundred artists and many galleries coexist in this emblematic spot. And, if you happen to stop by, you should not miss the ASPN Galerie, headed by Arne Linde, as this was a beacon of Leipzig’s art scene when it first got off the ground. Also a must is the Galerie Kleindienst, the city’s “New Leipzig School” of artists involved with all kinds of media and materials. At the Spinnerei you will also come across small establishments offering creative products, as well as a cinema and a bistro to act as your watering hole.

Weißcube Galerie

This gallery, housed in a white cube in the middle of a Bauhaus villa garden, is a must-see landmark. Apart from providing viewers with a fine example of outsider art, the dialogue set up between the building’s architectural pieces and its surroundings will leave no one indifferent.

Ortloff Galerie

On display in this gallery are exhibits ranging from graphic design to sculptures, to installations of all types. Many of the exhibiting artists are graduates of the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig (HGB), the city’s visual arts faculty.

But, perhaps the best way to soak up the art is to stroll through Leipzig’s streets. When you least expect it, you are likely to turn a corner and bump into such works as “Mural of the peaceful revolution”, by Michael Fischer, or Blek Le Rat’s “Madonna and child” graffito, which was restored and placed behind a protective glass screen.

Dancing in the Night

And, since man does not live by art alone, getting into the swing of the city’s nightlife is a good way of rounding off the day.

Elipamanoke

This is one of the first locales to be opened in the east of Leipzig, an area characterised by its industrial past and transformed into one of the city’s hot districts. The underground parties in Elipamanoke move to the rhythm of minimal techno and house, although you can also hear drum’n’bass or electroswing.

Institut fuer Zukunft

Their rule forbidding taking photos and their access policy make this an exclusive club which prides itself on being an alternative to the current club scene. The lineup at Institut fuer Zukunft features local and international DJs who gift experimental sessions of house and techno. During the day, they host conferences and debates on gender, club culture and electronic music.

Villa Hasenholz

The best parties are usually held at venues that were not originally clubs. Thus, this kulturhaus and biergarten called Villa Hasenholz, which is also a residence for artists, hosts rave-ups of all kinds. Making use of either the interior or their outside garden, the premises can operate as a disco, a concert hall or a multi-purpose festival venue, outside the established circuit and idyllically located in a forest.

Leipzig is the ideal destination for a weekend getaway where you can steep yourself in a bohemian ambience of art and music. It is also one of the iconic cities for its classical music or for lazing in its parks and gardens, like the Clara-Zetkin-Park, where jazz is played every Sunday. But the city offers, above all, a markedly alternative Germany, alien to any stodgy clichés. It also brings home the fact that smaller cities such as Weimar, Dresden or Bremen are also likely to raise the eyebrows of more than one cosmopolitan hipster.

I’m sure you’re eager to plunge into the city’s cultural effervescence. Make haste – check out our flights to Leipzig here.

Text by Carmen Gómez for ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Photos by Elipamanoke, Institut fuer Zukunft, di.fe88, GlynLowe, Pfauenauge

This, the first part of the post focuses on the rich music scene in the Icelandic capital. As we shall see, it is an enchanting, visitor-friendly city, full of contrasts.

To some extent, if you’ve only seen Reykjavik, you haven’t really seen Iceland. What you have seen, though, is its openness to the world, its warmer, more friendly side, making you feel comfortable despite being thousands of kilometres from home. For, once you leave the welcoming streets in Reykjavik’s city centre, the distances between built-up areas grow exponentially, with population centres distributed like in the United States. Reykjavik itself is the largest city on the island, with a population of 130,000 inhabitants – 215,000 if you include its surrounding areas. Once you leave the limits of Reykjavik, nature rules, but that is another story we will deal with some other time.

While the freezing winter temperatures preclude the sort of sightseeing we Mediterraneans are fond of, a visit to Reykjavik in spring, summer and early autumn can be a fantastic experience. In early October, temperatures in the city are still bearable for Spanish tourists, ranging from a minimum of two degrees to a maximum of ten. Well, that’s cold, but not untowardly so. With that in mind, and given the scarce sunlight hours, you will feel like walking up and down the street and peeking into the shop windows ranged one after the other in the city centre. Craft stores, fashion stores and boutiques with a huge variety of apparel. Those selling jerseys with colourful, handmade patterns come highly recommended. Then there are the restaurants, musical bars, art galleries and even record shops, making downtown Reykjavik a large business emporium, although worlds apart from the crowding of the large European city centres. Here, everything is carefully thought out, but endearingly so – shops all have their own personality and service is warm and friendly. You won’t be overwhelmed by ghetto-blasting piped music, endless queues or intrusive, frenzied marketing campaigns.

When you’re ready to grab a bite, your options range from strong-tasting local fare to Italian-style pizzas, like those served up at Primo Ristorante, while appetising Nordic- and Slavic-style soups are also much in vogue – be sure to visit Svarta Kaffi, at Laugavegur 54, where the soup is served in bread. Also worth trying are the hot dogs at Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur (Tryggvagata 1), a street stall where, according to George Clinton, they make the best hot dogs in the world. And, don’t worry about the service. Apart from the fact that you can come across people of various nationalities – among them, quite a few Spaniards – Icelanders are friendly yet discreet people. And, don’t be surprised if the waiters or waitresses seem very young by Spanish standards. While work may be considered ennobling, in Iceland they appear to have learned this earlier than in other European countries.

For those who don’t fancy walking about, Reykjavik has several bus lines covering the city centre and surrounding areas.

A trip to Iceland could start in the streets of Reykjavik and then strike out necessarily across the island, one of the most beautiful in the world for those seeking tranquility, a magical atmosphere and nature in the raw. In the city, buildings are painted in various colours, so you can come across one with blue walls adjoining another in stately white, tainted by the passage of time. In the wild, the white of snow and ice, the bright green of the vegetation, volcanic greys and browns and the one thousand and one hues of freely flowing waters combine to create a colour palette which underscores the majesty of this land’s natural surroundings, which Icelanders have long protected, a sentiment deep-seated in their hearts.

While your first port of call may be the city, you should also consider taking the chance to venture out into Iceland’s wild, free interior. To go no further, Reykjavik harbour provides numerous options of three- to five-hour boat rides to go whale-spotting. The idea is to observe various types of whales swimming freely in the cold Arctic waters; whales of different sizes, as well as an amazing variety of dolphins. But, don’t get your hopes up too fast – the animals aren’t just out there waiting for you to come along. It’s up to the gods of the sea whether you will be lucky enough to spot them, or whether your trip will be successful. Indeed, you are more likely to get the desired results by going on an outing to the areas where those “little Atlantic friars” the puffins live and nest. Some eight to ten million puffins are believed to inhabit the territory.

But, there is a lot more to do in a city like Reykjavik. From there you can watch the fantastic northern lights and, if you are lucky, you will coincide with one of the few occasions when the city lights are switched off to enhance everyone’s viewing experience of this natural wonder. You could also visit Hallgrímskirkja Church – with grey tones on the outside, and striking forms and interior spaces – or have a dip in the warm waters of any number of thermal baths, both in the city and outside it.

Our next post will focus on one of the most prolific and interesting music scenes on the planet. Fire up and discover the world’s northernmost capital – check out our flights here.

Text by Joan S. Luna (Mondo Sonoro)

Images by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS