To start, let’s recall that Edinburgh is both a World Heritage Site and also the first place to be designated by UNESCO as a “City of Literature”, because of its numerous well-preserved buildings and monuments and its age-old literary traditions.

The city is best seen at a walking pace, and as a pedestrian you’ll find its hidden nooks and crannies and perchance the spirits of the city’s famed authors and even more famous creations, such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his shrewd detective Sherlock Holmes, Robert Louis Stevenson and the two-faced Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, or Sir Walter Scott and his heroic Ivanhoe and Rob Roy characters. And there’s even a chance you’ll see some of the city’s literary figures in the flesh, for we shall start our tour in the café with the red façade where the contemporary author J. K. Rowling penned many of her early stories and planned her books about the boy wizard Harry Potter.

1. Few people noticed the young Rowling scribbling in her notebooks at a table in the unprepossessing Elephant House café. The establishment, which opened in 1995, remains a favourite of literary types, thanks to its selection of the city’s best coffees and teas, which continue to stain many pages of manuscript. Huge breakfasts are also served, as well as hot midday and evening meals, plus the usual sandwiches and cakes, etc. And there’s an excellent wine list, too. No excuse for not sitting down and writing your book!

2. Or you might prefer to take a stroll down Edinburgh’s legendary Royal Mile, linking the city’s two most popular monumental sites, Edinburgh Castle, standing above the city atop the towering volcanic basalt plug known as Castle Rock, and, at the other extreme, Holyrood Palace, the official Scottish residence of the British monarch. A slow and attentive walk down the four stretches of the Royal Mile, called Castlehill, Lawn Market, High Street, and Canongate, will infuse you with the unique, friendly atmosphere and stony charm of this historical city.

3. If you appreciate the macabre, on your walk down the Royal Mile you must stop at Mary King’s Close, a warren of gloomy underground streets and enclosures widely believed to be haunted by the ghosts of the past. Once a thriving market, the close was named for a woman who lived there and traded in cloth in the early 1600s. According to urban legend, when the plague struck the area in 1645, the authorities walled it off, leaving scores of people inside to die. Since, then reports of strange lights and noises have fuelled beliefs that the zone remains haunted. Visitors often brings dolls to calm the ghost of the legendary Annie, a child plague victim thought to have been left by her parents to die in the Close, and whose heart-rending cries can still be heard. Perhaps.

4. For a Facebook-worthy selfie showing Edinburgh Castle in the background, the place to go is Princess Street, Edinburgh’s main shopping street, which featured in the 1996 film Trainspotting. Apart from the shopping opportunities there, the street happens to be the best place from which to capture a panoramic view of the castle, since there are no buildings on the castle side of the street, but only gardens and monuments.

5. If you’re looking for quirkier and more out-of-the-way shops, head for the wildly picturesque Victoria Street, a curving slope just off the Royal Mile that is a favourite of photographers because of its colourful specialised shops selling liquors, cheeses, handicrafts, and all sorts of treasures. You’re sure to find bargains in the several charity shops selling used clothing and other items, the proceeds from which are donated to worthy causes. Harry Potter’s creator J.K. Rowling acknowledged that this street was her inspiration for Diagon Alley, where her wizards bought their magical gear.

6. Edinburgh is not made entirely of stone, despite initial impressions. It also features expansive green zones, such as the parks of Calton Hill and Arthur’s Seat, where the city’s joggers, cyclists, and dog-walkers go. Both offer fantastic views of the city from on high. The 251-metre Arthur’s Seat is the peak to which, according to legend, King Arthur used to repair when he needed time alone to think. Atop Calton Hill are two monuments to British victories over the French, Nelson’s Tower, commemorating the battle of Trafalgar, and Scotland’s National Monument, an unfinished construction modelled on the Parthenon in Athens, built in the 1820s to honour Scotland’s dead in the Napoleonic wars.

7. At Ocean Terminalin the Port of Leith, Edinburgh’s harbour, stands the Royal Yacht Britannia, used by the British royal family from 1954 until 1997 when it was converted into a floating museum that is well worth a visit –don’t miss the little bedroom where Queen Elizabeth II slept during her nearly 1,000 state voyages.

8. To finish up, you might visit Greyfriars Cemetery and have your picture taken next to the statue of one of Edinburgh’s heroes, Bobby, a Skye terrier traditionally believed to have stood watch by his master’s grave for no less than14 years, until his own death in 1873, after which he was buried next to his master.

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Text and Photos: Nani Arenas

What makes Málaga an essential visit for art lovers are these magnificent collections. Might their presence be due to Málaga being the birthplace of one of the 20th century’s leading art geniuses? To be sure, if Picasso were there to see it all, he would be proud of his hometown being so privileged. Here is a rundown of the five not-to-be-missed art spaces, two of which have just opened!

Picasso Museum of Málaga

In 1953, Pablo Picasso and Juan Temboury Álvarez, the Provincial Fine Arts Delegate for Málaga, laid the groundwork for the creation of a museum to house part of the artist’s work. But it was not until many years later – 50 years, to be exact – that the project bore fruit. This was largely thanks to the endeavours of Christine and Bernard Ruiz-Picasso, the Malagan painter’s daughter-in-law and grandson, who provided an endowment totalling 285 pieces covering 80 years of work, from 1892 to 1972. The premises chosen to house the collection were the Buenavista Palace, a Renaissance building dating from 1487, erected over the remains of a Nasrid palace of which some details have been preserved. Listed as a “national monument” in 1939, it was subsequently refurbished, enlarged and converted into a museum to house the artist’s work, as well as temporary exhibitions. During one of the latest extension works, Phoenician and Roman remains were unearthed; they now form part of the items on display on the museum circuit.

Picasso diehards should also visit the house-museum where Picasso was born, the Fundación Museo Casa Natal de Picasso.

Málaga Contemporary Art Centre (CAC Málaga)

Housed in the former wholesale market building, the Mercado de Mayoristas de Málaga, the CAC Málaga is dedicated to the plastic arts, and visual arts as a whole, from the last three decades of the 20th century until the present.

Inaugurated in 2003, it contains works by such artists as Louise Bourgeois, the Chapman brothers, Gerard Richter, Paul McCarthy, Anish Kapoor, Jason Rhoades, Raymond Pettibon, Ron Mueck, Rachael Whiteread, Yoshitmo Nara, Roni Horn, Daniel Richter and Rodney Graham. Based on the model of the German Kunsthaus (house of art), it also offers complementary activities, including film cycles, courses and conferences.

Carmen Thyssen Museum, Málaga

This selection of works selected from the collection of Carmen Thyssen is housed in the historical Villalón Palace, built in the mid-16th century. With a total of around 230 works on display, this museum features Spanish artists mainly from the 19th and early-20th century, distributed in these categories: Old Masters, Romantic Landscape and Genre Painting, Précieux and Naturalist Painting, and Fin-de-Siècle.

Lastly, a curious detail – like the Picasso Museum of Málaga, the basement also features Roman ruins, which are open to the public.

Centre Pompidou, Málaga

Following in the footsteps of the Louvre, which already has a second branch in Lens (France), and another on the way outside France, in Abu Dhabi, the Centro Nacional de Arte y Cultura Georges Pompidou has just unveiled in Málaga its third branch, and first outside France. The museum is housed in El Cubo, a new building dating from 2013, noteworthy for its crowning device, from which it derives its name – a steel-and-glass cube which acts as a skylight.

On display in this space is a total of 80 paintings and photos by such artists as Francis Bacon, Georg Baselitz, Constantin Brâncuși, Alexander Calder, Marc Chagall, Giorgio de Chirico, Max Ernst, Alberto Giacometti, Jean Hélion, Frida Kahlo, Fernand Léger, René Magritte, Joan Miró, Francis Picabia, Pablo Picasso, Antoni Tàpies, Jean Tinguely and Kees Van Dongen. From two to three temporary exhibitions will also be scheduled, as will a number of multidisciplinary activities.

Saint Petersburg State Russian Museum Collection, Málaga

In Málaga you can now enjoy a piece of Russia’s art production. To be inaugurated on 28 March, in the former Tabacalera (tobacco factory), it will feature works from the State Russian Museum of Saint Petersburg. This compendium of 500 years of Russian art history will range from icons of Byzantine inspiration to the social realism of the Soviet era.

The permanent exhibition of one hundred works will be augmented by two annual temporary exhibitions focusing on some of the leading figures in Russian art.

Book your flight now and get ready to take in all this beauty!

Text ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Photos © Área de Turismo. Ayuntamiento de Málaga, Museo Carmen Thyssen Málaga, Museo Picasso Málaga (© David Heald), CAC Málaga

At certain times in the 20th century, Prague took on a leading role as one of the major design production centres in Europe. During the Art Nouveau period, it was among the leaders, together with Vienna, Brussels and Barcelona. Now, the Prague design scene is again emerging on an international level. We went there to take a look at what’s been happening of late.

On our arrival in the capital of the Czech Republic, we decided that the best way of discovering the trends in Czech design over the last few years was to visit The Museum of Decorative Arts, a beacon for enthusiasts of the arts and applied design. However, we found that the museum was closed for renovations and will only re-open to the public in 2017. Instead of feeling disappointed, we took the setback as a more stimulating challenge and set about unearthing less well-known places associated with the past and present of Czech design. Just opposite the Museum stands the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design, whose students are destined to influence the future course of design, architecture, fashion, jewellery, graphic arts and the fine arts. Apart from presenting the work of its students and graduates, some of the Academy exhibitions are contextualised in terms of references from the past and present.

From Cubism to the Influence of the Brussels School

There are still many sites from that period on display. The Czech Republic – or Czechoslovakia, as it was then known – was a hub of multi-cultural design during the two World Wars. Even prior to World War I, the Czech Cubist movement played a vital role and creators such as Josef Gočár, Pavel Janák and Vlastislav Hofman designed unique works of architecture, furniture and ceramics. The furniture which Jindřich Halabala began to design for the United Arts and Crafts Manufacturing Plant between the wars influenced several generations. For further details of the key players in the design field during the interwar period, there is a publication entitled “Czech 100 Design Icons”. But, we also recommend having a look at the stores Modernista and Kubista, where you will find a wide variety of replicas from that period.

Czech design also came to the fore in the 1950s and 1960s, making itself felt on the international scene, particularly at the Brussels World Fair of 1958, while eight years later its consolidation earned widespread recognition in the film, Czechoslovak New Wave.It was not, however, until democracy was restored in 1989 that the following resurgence of Czech design occurred.

New Age of Splendour – Studios and Shops

Events unfolded apace after the return of democracy to the country. Thus, in the nineties, design flourished in the Czech Republic. A host of stores, designers and architectural and design studios emerged, notably Olgoj Chorchoj, Studio Najbrt and Maxim Velčovský, which continue to play a decisive role. At the same time, the design world continues to be augmented by young, upcoming talent provided by the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design, which organises the Great Design Prizes competition each year.

On the contrary, fashion designers have been late in catching the wave. While in the nineties and the early years of this century they were practically nowhere to be seen, nowadays there are some stores of note. These are Timur et Grupo, Sister Conspiracy, Hana Havelková, Klára Nademlýnská, Denisa Nová and Liběna Rochová, to name but a few.

Design Markets

The 17th international Designblok exhibition, with “Freedom” as the theme, will take place in October this year. The event is aimed at both the professional sector and the public at large and will be given over to design from a broad perspective, ranging from fashion to furniture design, to jewellery, home accessories, product design, lighting, etc. Also to be featured there are installations of a character halfway between design and the plastic arts.

While Designblok holds its presentations in upmarket establishments, the Dyzajn market focuses on the sale of original creations. Here, the leitmotif is the open-air format. But, if you’d like to see it, you’ll have to wait until next year, as it is held on the first two days of August. This year’s location was Střelecký Ostrov. Lastly, the next DesignSUPERMARKET is scheduled for this December and will be hosted in Kafka’s House. These three events provide an opportunity to see the exhibitions and also to make design purchases.

Prague design is waiting to be discovered. Check out our flights here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by Wendy, Kubista, Academia de las Artes, Arquitectura y Diseño de Praga, Museo de Artes Decorativas de Praga

Le Marais is the most cosmopolitan and modern district in the city of Paris.It is where Gus Van Sant filmed Paris, je t’aime. Let us take you on a tour of some of the most iconic places, shops, restaurants and cafés in this part of town.

The Saint Martin Canal is one of links between the Ourcq Canal and the River Seine and is somewhere that always has a great atmosphere: young people, street artists, cycle paths, cafés and terraces for enjoying some food and drink beside the canal. It’s a great place for a walk, a cycle ride or a spot of rollerblading. More than 2 of the total 4.5 kilometres are underground, while the rest of the journey also crosses metal walkways and bridges.

Located in the centre of Paris, the Comptoir General is a shared work space for social entrepreneurs spanning 650 m2 with a capacity for 200 people. Its mission: to welcome all the events that relate to sustainable development, social progress, the spread of cultures from around the world, illumination and inspiration.

Chez Prune is a popular restaurant with views of the Saint-Martin Canal where you can choose to eat one of their four daily specials: fish, meat, salad or a vegetarian dish. By night, it is the perfect place to have a drink in a relaxed and truly Bohemian atmosphere.

Pop In is one of the best bars in Paris, with a great atmosphere, concerts and exhibitions. The place truly stands out because of its atmosphere and permanent offer of art and culture.
The bar is on the ground floor. There is a first floor room with comfortable sofas that look like small living rooms in which to enjoy moments of privacy and another room for the concerts and theme nights organised by the venue.
Of course, despite the name of the place, they don’t only listen to pop music here! Pop In offers a range of musical styles from glam, pop rock and garage to punk for a young and cool clientele!

However, the most fashionable part of Paris has now relocated to Rue Vieille du Temple and surrounding streets with a large offer of galleries, shops and such modernist bars and restaurants as La Perle; the most chic place in town at the moment. This charming establishment enables patrons to watch the world go by and is always full of the chic crowd.

At the heart of Marais, you will find this tea room with its Bohemian and nostalgic atmosphere. The 70s posters and furniture give the place a slightly chaotic but cosy feel.

Another of the most fashionable restaurants is Derrière. With its eclectic décor, Derrière looks just like an enormous apartment. On the ground floor, for example, you will find a ping-pong table for enjoying a quick game between courses. Another room looks like an office with piles of paper everywhere and there is even a living room for a perfect TV dinner. You really get the feeling that you are eating in someone’s house. Heading upstairs, you will find a bedroom with an enormous bed that doubles as a dining room.

The art galleries include Gayte Lyrique, a place dedicated to digital culture and modern music, and Le Bal de Foto, which is dedicated to the representation of reality through image in all its forms: photography, video, cinema and the new means of communication.

If you want to buy books in Paris, we recommend Shakespeare & Co and OFR. Shakespeare and Company appears in the Woody Allen film “Midnight in Paris” and can be found in the Latino district. It was founded by the eccentric US bibliophile George Whitman in 1951 and still has that chaotic spirit and a sense of being somewhere special for filling your rucksack with books.

For going shopping, there is nothing like the legendary Colette or, better still, the Merci – a store concept located in sombre, industrial surroundings. Kiliwatch is a true temple for the lovers of vintage but they also sell new clothes and books. You’ll always find something to take away with you!

When night falls, one of the best places to go out for a dance or a few drinks is the Social Club, where you’ll discover new bands and artists. We were told by Liset Alea (singer with Nouvelle Vague) that this is one of her favourite places. A strange and eclectic night out.

Image: Marimarina

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