“The Metamorphosis”, by Franz Kafka (1883–1924), is undoubtedly one of the major works of the 20th century. Kafka took just 21 days to write it, yet nothing would be the same in literature after that, for, in this concise story, he soared to the heights of the genuine literary titans like Kleist, Dickens and Flaubert. Also the author of “The Trial” and “The Castle”, Kafka features among the leading figures of world literature. His theatre of operations and his inspiration were centred on Prague, the essence of which has thankfully has been preserved practically intact.

What is “The Metamorphosis” About?

“When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin”. Thus begins the “metamorphosis” of a man who “thinks about nothing but his work”. Gregor Samsa is actually a person who stands for all of humanity. One fine day Gregor discovers that he has turned into something repulsive which should be hidden from everyone else. But, what does that suffocating story actually refer to? The novel sets out to make us aware of what we really are. The transformation into an insect involves an awakening. It is only then that Gregor sees the profound metaphysical horror he is living in. And, as he is the only person that notices it, he becomes a social outcast.

Kafka’s Prague

Prague was the centre of both his literary world and his life – a mysterious city, but also a dazzling one for its entangled layout and fanciful architecture. In his short stories and novels, Kafka does not name the places he describes, except for a select few. Nevertheless, Prague emerges in his work as an ever-present, imaginary city charged with metaphor and allegory. Indeed, if we look at his writings closely, it is easy to retrace the famous author’s footsteps through the maze of streets in the old city and the picturesque spots where Kafka lived and wrote.

The Old City and its Square

Kafka spent most of his life in Prague’s Old City. U věže, the house he was born in, was located on the corner of Maiselova and Kaprova street. After the city’s facelift in the late-19th and early-20th century, the only part of the building still wrought in the original stone is the facade – emblazoned on it is a simple commemorative plaque.

While the Kafkas moved often, and usually did so within a few houses of the original one, the trail of Franz Kafka is present at virtually every step through the Old City, but mainly around the Old Town Square. For instance, in the period 1880–1896, the Kafkas lived in the charming Minute House, very near the City Hall, which stands out for its beautiful sgrafitto decoration. The future writer lived just a stone’s throw from the German Institute, the present-day Kinský Palace. His father, Hermann Kafka, ran a haberdashery on the ground floor of the same building. Today the palace houses the National Gallery. On Široká street, between the narrow Maiselova street and the luxury Pařížská Avenue, stands the must-see Kafka Bookshop, virtually next door to the Maisel Synagogue and within view of the High Synagogue. Travellers are also urged to visit the Church of the Holy Spirit and the Spanish Synagogue, on Dušní street, which houses the school that Kafka frequented.

In Kafka’s Footsteps – the Museum and Castle

The famous writer’s work brings to life both the old Prague Ghetto and the Malá Strana quarter and Prague Castle. The Franz Kafka Museum is located near Charles Bridge in Malá Strana. A Kafka exhibition entitled “The City of K” was organised by the Barcelona Contemporary Culture Centre (CCCB) in 1999 and, after touring New York’s Jewish Museum, it arrived in Prague in 2005. The exhibition was arranged in two distinct parts – the first showed how Kafka was influenced by the city and how it affected his life, while the second part reviewed the way Kafka describes the city without actually mentioning the names of places that emerge in his novels and short stories.

The characters in Kafka’s novels often follow routes leading up to Prague Castle. While it is often said that one of the places he lived and worked in was the tiny house at 22 de Zlatá Ulička – Golden Lane – the house actually belonged to his sister and Kafka used to sometimes take refuge there to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre. The stories dating from that period were later published under the title “A Country Doctor”.

In 1917, the writer went down with pulmonary tuberculosis and later died in a sanatorium in Austria. His mortal remains lie in a family pantheon in the New Jewish Cemetery of Prague-Strašnice.

If you’re eager to experience a feeling of being shrouded in mystery, make sure you visit Prague. Check out our flights here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by Czech Tourism, Nico Paix, Jose Mesa, Roman Boed

Thessaloniki is redolent with a chaotic – and even decadent –  air, set in the West but facing the East, proud of a past characterised by Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman influences, yet imbued with modern, contemporary momentum.Thessaloniki (or Salonika) is not as popular as the capital, Athens, and does not exert the same draw as the absolutely exquisite Greek islands, but its streets are full of the delights that warrant flying there to be able to stand before the White Tower. Here, then, are some of its myriad charms.

Although a typical drink throughout the country, in Thessaloniki, frappé coffee is a religion. You will see them everywhere and at all hours, local folk sipping away at them in huge glasses, stuffed with a sort of evolved, iced cappuccino topped generously with foam. Cafés, bars, restaurants, ice-cream parlours… it is served in all kinds of establishments, but the best of them all is Paradosiako, an exquisite café and ice-cream parlour located in Aristotelous Square, the hub and heart of the city.

Thessaloniki is a city of churches. Marvellous churches, like Agios Panteleimon, the Church of the Acheiropoietos and Agios Athanasios. However, the most iconic church in the city is clearly the monumental Church of the Rotonda or Agios Giorgios. Designated a World Heritage Site in 1988, together with the Arch of Galerius (just over 100 metres from the Rotonda), this is the oldest church in Thessaloniki or, as some sources would have it, the oldest church in the world.

Sport is taken seriously in Greece, and in Thessaloniki, no less so. It is quite an experience to visit that volcano of passions, the Toumba Stadium, to see PAOK FC playing. Or, if your thing is basketball, head for the clamorous Alexandreio Melathron arena, home to the historic Aris FC.

Adjacent to Aristotle Avenue stands the Ladadika, the former oil market. You can find all kinds of shops and stalls in this maze of alleyways, a blend of Western market and Arab souq, with wares ranging from food to garments, and from spices to implements. On the south side, near the sea, is an area with the most contemporary restaurants in the city.

The epitome of the Mediterranean diet, Greek food is an orgasm on one’s taste buds. Bent on savouring one of the most widely acclaimed cuisines in the country, it would be a sin to visit Thessaloniki without tasting such local delicacies as xoriatiki salata, melitzanosalata, moussaka, youvetsi, bouyiourdi or mydia saganaki.There are excellent restaurants and taverns all around the city, but Neos Galerios (Apellou 3) is one of those small family restaurants (a variation on the Spanish Casa Pepe) where you can eat plenty and well for a moderate price.

In 1917 Thessaloniki was devastated by a fire from which only the upper district of Ano Poli was spared. Ringed by part of the old Byzantine and Ottoman walls, this jigsaw of steep, winding streets, and one-storey houses with colourful patios, enjoys privileged views of the rest of the city down below. You can walk up to Ano Poli, but the climb is likely to wear out your shoe soles. Your best bet is to take bus 50 which follows a circular route past the city’s cultural landmarks.

Thessaloniki is Greece’s cultural capital, particularly when it comes to the world of cinema. The majestic Olympion Theatre, located in beautiful Aristotelous Square, is the site of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, the leading event of its kind in the country. Less than five minutes away lies the old harbour which has been partly remodelled and given over to cultural activities. One of the old shipyards now houses the Thessaloniki Cinema Museum. The rest of the refurbished shipyards host such events as the local editions of the Barcelona In-Edit (a music documentary film festival), and OffsideFest, a football documentary film festival.

The symbol of Thessaloniki is the White Tower, the sort of landmark which visitors to any city are bound to come across, even unwittingly. Once used as both a fortress and prison, the structure you see today was built during the period of Ottoman domination by Suleiman the Magnificent, most likely on the site of a pre-existing medieval construction. The White Tower is the point of departure for a walk down the Nikis, a promenade which stretches for several kilometres along the city’s seafront.

Mt Athos lies about three hours’ drive from Thessaloniki. Sacred to the Greek Orthodox Church faithful, this mountain rises from a rocky peninsula alongside the Aegean Sea. Around twenty monasteries are located on this mountain, including some of the oldest and remotest monasteries on earth, which are home to about 1,500 monks. The Holy Mountain enjoys a form of local autonomy and access to it is restricted. Women are not allowed to set foot on the mountain, while access to male visitors is limited to 200 Greeks and 10 foreigners per day.

Don’t wait to experience the magic that is Greece – check out our flights here.

Text by Oriol Rodríguez for Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by L'imaGiraphe, Tilemahos Efthimiadis, Stella Vardaki, Dmitry Artyukhov

Turin has two football teams – Torino FC, and the more famous Juventus FC. Most Turinese are Torino FC fans, despite the fact that Juventus is far better known around the world. Witnessing either of them playing a home match is quite an experience. But, let’s focus on the latter, as it has now regained its place among the finest teams and because it’s playing style is dazzling.

The Juve or Vecchia Signora – “Old Lady”, as it is known among the Turinese, shuns the customary dictates of the catenaccio – the typically Italian, ironclad defensive system – instead engaging in a more flashy, attacking play more in keeping with Dutch or English football teams.

The 80s – Italy Sparkles; Turin Sets the Play

Juventus lived out its golden age in the nineteen eighties, when its lineup featured such figures as Michel Platini, who was awarded three Ballon d’Or in a row and captained his French national team to its first European title win in the 1984 European Cup. But, Platini was not the only major figure in that prodigious team. Also playing in that squadra were the likes of Stefano Tacconi, Cesare Prandelli, Zbigniew Boniek, Massimo Bonini, Gaetano Scirea, Sergio Brio and Antonio Cabrini. And, that in itself was nothing! Indeed, that squad of soccer wizards achieved what no other team had managed before – they won all possible international titles in a single year. In the 1985–1986 season, they lifted the European Cup Winners’ Cup (against Oporto), the UEFA Super Cup (against Liverpool), the UEFA Champions League – then known as the European Cup – (also against Liverpool) and the Intercontinental Cup (against Argentinos Juniors), a feat that has only since been equalled by the Guardiola-era FC Barcelona. Italian football was then at the pinnacle, way ahead of the rest. On a national level, its team had won the World Cup at Spain ‘82 while, on a club level, with Juventus and, later, AC Milan, the Calcio’s hegemony of Europe lasted until well into the following decade. In those days of slick football, Italy was on the lips of everyone. The boot-shaped country became the favourite European holiday destination; its fashion, led by such brands as Versace, began to set global trends, while even its music, in the form of Italo-disco, crowded out the first positions on continental hit parades.

Tears, and Some Joy

The distinction of being the club that has lost most Champions League finals earns it a special place in our heart. While the eighties saw it rolling in celebrations and titles, the nineties were more of a torment. It wasn’t until eleven years later that the Bianconeri managed to win Europe’s major football competition, and that was after a penalty shoot-out against Ajax; but, it was all misery thereafter. They lost three finals in the space of seven years – against Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid and AC Milan – while their supremacy in Europe fizzled out. That is, until this season, when they are again peerless Italian league leaders – they are more than ten points clear of the second placed team – and have once again classified for a Champions League semi-final, something they hadn’t achieved since 2003. What is this success down to? A combination of veterans –Buffon, Tévez, Pirlo– and new talent –Morata, Fereyra, Pogba. But, part of the reason lies with their coach, Massimiliano Allegri, who in his first season has set a seal of versatility on a team capable of attacking and defending at will.

The City of “Le Zebre”

Turin is a city that effectively revolves around its most international football team. The Calcio is still the favourite topic of conversation at any of its markets, cafés and restaurants. But, where you breathe the purest footballing atmosphere is of course at the Juventus Stadium. Located at 50 Corso Gaetano Scirea, this spectacular colosseum designed by the architect, Gino Zavanella, was unveiled in 2011 to replace the historical Stadio delle Alpi.

The stadium houses the J Museum, one of the most important soccer museums in the world. It was inaugurated on 16 May 2012 and comprises several rooms exhibiting trophies awarded to the club, as well as jerseys worn by the leading footballers in Juve’s history, and interactive areas full of historical photos of the Turinese club.

The area surrounding the stadium is traversed by a Walk of Fame featuring the names of the fifty most famous players inBianconerohistory, as elected by Juventus fans via the club’s website. Among the most illustrious names we find historical figures of world football such as Roberto Baggio, Zinedine Zidane, Michel Platini, David Trezeguet, Alessio Tacchinardi, Dino Zoff, Alessando Del Piero and Pavel Nedvěd.

Come and discover one of the cities with the greatest footballing spirit on the planet. Check out our flights here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by Juventus FC, forzaq8

By Clara Arnedo

I’ve just got back from Gambia and some of the sights still linger in my mind: the rainbow that appears onTanji beach every day at sunset, when fishing boats laden with fish come back to the port, and the whole town takes part in collecting and selling the fresh fish. These are just a few of the memories that this small but perfect country leaves with you, to help you get an idea of what Africa is really like. Now Vueling makes it easier for us to travel to the Gambia, with a new route connecting Barcelona and Banjul, the capital of the country.

The journey starts in the capital, Banjul, a city that is small and pleasant. And so is the country, with a population of 1.6 million. Banjul is a relatively safe and peaceful city, where it is worth exploring the crowded colourful markets selling all kinds of wares. The most outstanding is Albert Market, a large typically African market mainly selling fruit, vegetables and fish. When sellers and customers see us they are reluctant at first and quickly avoid our cameras. But after a while they gradually become more open and available. All they need is a little time.

Another attraction in the city is Arch 22, in honour of the president, the bodyguard of the former president, who took his position on 22 June 1994. Since then he has been the great protagonist of the Gambia: we see Yahya Jammeh everywhere – on posters stuck on walls and lampposts in every village and every town.

But the Gambia is especially a country with a coast that opens out to the Atlantic Ocean; a wedge-shaped country that cuts into Senegal and is divided in two by the river that gives the country its name – the Gambia.

First we go to the coast to discover the long, fine sand beaches of Banjul. There are hotels on the seafront, affording a spectacular view of the ocean. But the most memorable fishing scene has got to be Tanji, where you can find a flurry of colours and life every evening on the shore when the fish is brought in. It seems like chaos but there is actually an internal organisation and hierarchy, and laws that enable the same spectacle to happen every day at sunset. The men are strong and muscular and are in charge of carrying tons of fish from the boats to the beach, balancing the baskets on their heads. Once they are on the shore, the women collect the treasure to wash it and prepare it to be sold… young men run further to look for spots to set up and sell the fish. The children often follow, running fast at their heels, hoping to catch a bit of fish that might fall on the way. This makeshift fish market on the sand is the tip of the iceberg of this small country that is bursting with life. In the morning, in that same spot, a colourful fruit and vegetable market materialises, dominated by women buying and selling food. One of these women is Ida Cham Njai, a beautiful and energetic chef who offers the unique experience of accompanying her to shop in the market, and then spending a pleasant day cooking local produce with her at her home. The gastronomy and local produce are the best ways to learn a bit more about this pleasant destination.

A British redoubt in colonial times, it is now one of the smallest countries in West Africa. It also has one of the highest birth rates. The Gambia is full of children, and mothers who wrap them to their hips: it is a beautiful and typical scene of the country. The rest of the country is made up of the jungle, nature and many animals: monkeys, birds and even hippos. The further upstream you go, the wilder nature is, and the more rural the population is… it is a wild adventure to go up the river towards the town of Georgetown, because there are not many places for accommodation. Tourism is not widely developed in the Gambia, and that is part of its charm. In any case, you don’t have to travel very far from Banjul to discover the wild. NearSerrekunda, the largest and busiest city in the country, we find Bijilo National Park, or Monkey Park, which includes easy paths to walk around. In this area you can also visit a crocodile pond, and you can even touch one of the crocodiles! This is the other side of the Gambia, with its river and mangrove swamps; the more authentic Gambia, one of the least developed countries on earth, with a life expectancy of 54 years and a literacy rate of 40%.

But this is not the end of the journey, and the Gambia, despite being a small country, still has a few surprises in store for us. Can you imagine remote African villages invaded by Street Art and graffiti? Well, this is what you can find in the Gambia. Specifically in Bafuloto and Makumbaya – two names that are hard to remember, two villages with small and simple houses, streets made of sand and dirt, where children play under the sun. And on the walls of these huts is where the Wide Open Walls movement found one of its favourite canvases. Pictures that depict nature, with animals from the area and other motifs that fill these places with colour.

A great way of discovering the Gambia from different perspective. Another way of penetrating Africa through this small gateway.

By Clara Arnedo

Makes you want to go, right? Do it! Check out our prices here!