The French Riviera was a sanctuary and source of inspiration for many artists in the first half of the 20th century. Seduced by its light, and also its good climate and the magic of the Mediterranean, they succumbed to its charm. One of these was Henri Matisse, who arrived in Nice in 1917 seeking a cure for his bronchitis and remained there until his death in 1954. It was in Nice that he found the peace of mind and the light that would accompany him throughout his mature art period. He also used to visit other artists in the area who, like him, had moved their studio to this spot on the calm waters of the Mediterranean, whether in Nice itself or in neighbouring villages. Here, then, is a tour which retraces the footsteps of that fantastic artist of the Côte d’Azur.

Nice

Roman in origin and the region’s nerve centre, you would be hard pressed not to be enthralled by the charms of Nice. It is a pleasure in itself to just stroll along the streets in the old quarter in search of the Cours Saleya, a bustling square and site of both the popular flower market and the fruit and vegetable market. If you also take the chance to taste some of the local culinary specialities in one of the magnificent eateries in the area, a rewarding experience is guaranteed. Above all, make sure you try socca, a grilled chickpea-flour pasty, the perfect snack for a long sightseeing day.

The Promenade des Anglais is another of Nice’s popular landmarks. This elegant seaside promenade with its stylish period hotels and iconic palm trees inevitably transports you to a bygone era, a time when the first tourists started to frequent the city.

Matisse eventually took up permanent residence and set up his studio in the classy, aristocratic Cimiez Quarter after trying out other areas in the city. This quarter is home to the Matisse Museum, housed in a 17th-century villa, where visitors can delight in the artworks donated to the city by both Matisse himself and his heirs. Nearby is the Hotel Regina, where he actually lived during much of his stay in Nice. And, not far from there is the spot where he was buried, the cemetery of the Monastery Of Our Lady Of Cimiez.

Saint-Paul-de-Vence

This medieval village overlooking the Mediterranean is possibly one of the most picturesque in France, with the permission of Mont Saint Michel and Vézelay. Perched on a hilltop and ringed by a fortified wall, it preserves all the charm of the period when it was built. When strolling through its streets lined with old stone houses, it becomes clear how Matisse must have been captivated by its magic. But, he was not alone in falling prey to its allure, as so too did Picasso, Chagall, Renoir, Miró, Yves Montand and Cocteau. The passage of so many artists through the village led to a good number of art galleries springing up in its narrow streets. The finishing touch to any visit here is provided by the Maeght Foundation which houses one of the finest collections of 20th-century art, that of Marguerite and Aimé Maeght. The building, which was designed by the Spanish architect, Josep Lluís Sert, houses works by Pierre Bonnard, Henri Matisse, Georges Braque, Fernand Léger, Alberto Giacometti, Marc Chagall, Alexander Calder, Joan Miró, Wassily Kandinsky and Raoul Ubac, among others.

Vence

Matisse arrived in Vence in 1941, during one of the worst moments of World War II. Apart from sanctuary, he was seeking a place to heal, as he was ill. It was here that he found the right spot to recuperate, as well as inspiration. His stay in this small town yielded the creation of the Chapel of the Rosary, also known as the “Matisse Chapel”, where the artist once stated: “Despite all its imperfections, I regard this as my masterpiece”. Here, Matisse took charge of the whole project as he designed the building, the stained glass windows, the wall decoration, the furniture and even the liturgical accoutrements.

Cagnes-sur-Mer

Auguste Renoir spent the last few years of his life in this coastal town. He settled in the villa known as Les Collettes, now converted into the Renoir Museum, where Matisse visited him on several occasions and learned from the Impressionist master how to perceive the colours of the “Midi”. Among the standout features of this small town on the French Riviera is Haut-de-Cagnes, a quarter listed as a historic interest site, where the most prominent landmark is Grimaldi Castle.

As Matisse said: “Most people come here for the light. Being from the north, what attracted me were the radiant colours and the luminosity of daylight”. Now it’s your turn to discover it, so get your Vueling and let yourself be inspired.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Irene Grassi, r.g-s, m-louis .®, piet theisohn, Jumilla

Jazz was of course born in the United States. However, if you care to read the finer print, you will discover that something happened in the 1930s in Europe which was to revolutionise American jazz. In the gypsy camps on the outskirts of Paris – now the city’s 18th arrondissement – the young Django Reinhardt improvised a fusion of swing and traditional Eastern European music on his banjo. He taught himself, paying special attention to finger position, and inadvertently invented jazz manouche or gypsy jazz, a genre which elicits virtuosity in the playing and is pleasant on the ear.

Django lost two fingers on his left hand when his caravan caught fire, prompting him to develop an unusual way of playing the guitar. His original style, agility and speed at producing notes earned him the epithet of “father of gypsy jazz”. Together with the violinist, Stéphane Grappelli, he created the legendary Quintette du Hot Club de France, the first gypsy jazz club.

The Festival Django Reinhardt was first inaugurated a few years after his death. It was held at Samois-sur-Seine, 50 kilometres south of Paris, where he spent his final years and where he is buried. The 38th edition of the festival will be held from 6 to 9 July 2017 and, although last year it had to be moved to the Fontainebleau Chateau gardens – 50 kilometres from Paris and well connected by public transport – the original essence of the festival has survived intact. The venue is a place of pilgrimage for Django devotees and the world’s hub of gypsy jazz. This year’s lineup will see the likes of bassist Avishai Cohen, Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca, the guitar virtuoso trio of Jean-Luc Ponty, Biréli Lagrène and Kyle Eastwood, Woody Allen’s pet gypsy jazz favourite, Stephane Wrembel and the Django Memories Project, made up of the prestigious musicians who produced the soundtrack of the recently premiered film, Django. But, at this festival the music overspills the stage – artists and devotees from across the globe hold jam sessions all over the fair grounds, beating out gypsy rhythms and reliving Django Reinhardt’s musicality.

If after that “authentic gypsy encampment” you are game for more, we have made the following selection from among the many gypsy jazz clubs Paris has to offer.

La Chope des Puces

This is unquestionably the temple of Django Reinhardt in Paris. The resident guitarist, Ninine Garcia, who hails from one of the top Parisian manouche families, leads the jam session every weekend from 12.30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Located in the Marché aux Puces, guests share a table – to taste traditional French cuisine – in a very squashed vital space, among guitars, violins and photos hanging on the walls recalling the master. Tucked away in the back room is a guitar workshop and a manouche jazz school. A venue that oozes genuine charm! 122 rue des Rosiers, Saint-Ouen

MONK – La Taverne de Cluny

Located in the heart of the Latin Quarter, MONK is a bar devoted to the world of beer. It boasts over 50 types of bottled beer, and 10 types of draught. But La Taverne de Cluny is also a jazz club. Every Thursday and Sunday, the small stage in this typically French bar, with upholstered little tables and chairs, fills up to the sound of top-notch gypsy jazz produced by such reputable artists as Christophe Brunard, Sébastien Giniaux and Samy Daussat, among others. A must-visit spot!  51, rue de la Harpe

Café Artistique l’Apostrophe

This small, cosy musical café located just a few metres from the Canal Saint-Martinin the 10th arrondissement provides live music from Wednesday to Saturday. Over the last four years, the programme has been featuring gypsy jazz concerts from 8.30 p.m. on Fridays. L’Apostrophe has been graced by all the leading lights of the Parisian manouche scene, as well as gypsy jazz guitarists from the United States, Britain and Brazil, among others. Albert Bello, Spain’s top gypsy jazz exponent and the director of Festival Django L’H, the only festival in Spain dedicated to Django Reinhardt, has also performed there. And, the first Thursday of each month sees a jazz jam with the vocals supplied by Barbie Camion. 23 rue de la Grange aux Belles

Aux Petits Joueurs

Aux Petits Joueurs is a restaurant in the 19th arrondissement, a bistro in the purest French style where you can taste salads with hot goat’s-milk cheese, cheese boards, duck confit, tarte tatin and crepes, to name just the ABC of French cuisine. The restaurant features a jazz concert, ranging from Latin music to gypsy jazz, each day of the week except Mondays – when it is closed. The venue has seen performances by the leading figures of this genre, notably Adrien Moignard, Sébastien Giniaux and Pierre Manetti, among many others. Tuesdays and Wednesdays feature jam sessions at which some artists invite others, and it all ends up in a full-blown manouche festival. 59 rue Mouzaïa

Les Idiots

A highly popular micro-bar, among other reasons for their reasonable prices – quite a feat in Paris – and their homemade meals. Located on the Boulevard de Ménilmontant, it is a favourite haunt amongbobos(from “bourgeois, bohemian”). A young, relaxed atmosphere frequented by veritable hordes of guests. The limited capacity does not deter them from hosting jazz sessions, led by guitarist Michael Gimenez and with the participation of various gypsy jazz artists, in a corner of the bar each Monday from 9 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. 115 boulevard de Ménilmontant

Book your Vueling to Paris and get into the swing of the gypsy jazz featured across the city.

Text by Teresa Vallbona

Just mentioning that you are travelling to Lille [Lil] will provoke the inevitable question of ‘where is it’?. Close to the Belgian border, it couldn’t have better communications: 20 minutes from Belgium, 1 hour from Paris and 1 hour 20 minutes from London, Lille is the perfect union of the French and the Flemmish.

Arras

We’d been travelling for 3 days and had time to visit Arras. We arrived on a Tuesday and we were taken directly (thanks to a kamikaze driver that drove faster than Fernando Alonso) to Arras. A city (a small one) that over 4 years was destroyed by the war (as in the rest of the north and border country) and which has been entirely rebuilt. We were taken through the tunnels that been home to thousands of soldiers and to the museum that houses the carriages of the Palace of Versailles… Ohhh, they were spectacular (the rich, although this was 600 years ago, already living like real and privileged kings of the 21st Century).

The carriages will be at the Fine Arts Museum of Arrasuntil November: traps sculpted into the shape of animals, sedan chairs and horse harnesses, including the coaches from the wedding procession of Napoleon I, the coronation carriage of Charles X and the impressive funeral carriage of Luis XVIII. Literally impressive: we were taking pictures of the biggest carriage in the museum (they had to bring it in piece by piece) and we turned around and saw the funeral carriage. We were amazed. Was it a curiosity? The children’s’ carriages were pulled by… ponies?? No. By goats. An incredible exhibition that we can’t recommend too highly.

The bell tower of the City Hall is part of the national UNESCO heritage. And it comes as no surprise. You just can’t resist going up it and, apart from enjoying the view, touching the bell and its enormous clock. If you are lucky enough for the bells to chime just as you are descending the spiral staircase, you’ll see how intensive and deafening it is. It is here where the soldiers hid inside these stone tunnels. The most interesting aspect is its history and this place simply breathes it.

To see all this, you will have passed through the Grande Place. Destroyed in the First World War, this square built in a Flemmish-Baroque style is an architectural marvel. Every Wednesday and Saturday morning you can enjoy its market and in addition, if it rains, there’s no problem as the arches that encircle the square mean that the market can be moved to a covered area.

The most interesting aspect is that it is not only the exterior of the square attracts your attention. It also has underground walkways that were, in their day, first reserved for the carriages, but secondly, they were used as store rooms, refuges and hospitals during the 1944 bombardments.
5 hours is enough, don’t you think?

Transportation

The following day we awoke in Lille at dawn. The city has two metro lines. Don’t take them as there’s no need. Walk through the streets to start with and enjoy its architecture. Don’t waste your time and money on the metro. You can see they have a community bicycle system or “bicing”, just like in many other cities. We’d recommend you hire one rather than use your own as it’s much, much cheaper.

If anyone feels like taking the tour bus, it’s best they don’t. It takes almost 1 hour in which you see everything, but from a long way away. But walking around for the morning, you can enjoy every corner. We were able to see just how patient the residents of Lille are: a lorry unloading at 10:15 in the morning and after almost 15 minutes not one car had hooted, not even a gentle beep, nothing. Amazing patience.

Going out (eating and drinking)

It’s not easy to eat out well and cheaply in Lille. The best option is to go to one of its typical taverns that provide meals for the workers and where each tavern makes its own beer. Do you like beer? If so, you’ll love the Lille taverns.

Estaminet is an example of a good, nice and cheap tavern. What about salads? Just one serving can feed 3. And what’s the typical dish? Meat cooked in its own homemade beer with potatoes is a delicacy to be enjoyed by people with a healthy appetite. In addition, there is one cold dish they serve in gelatine (even today): with different types of meat, this is a dish that will definitely rekindle your energy. For dessert, as in any restaurant in the city (something to remember), either ask for a coffee or a gourmet coffee: they will serve you your coffee together with a board with 4 mini desserts on it. Yummy… This is something we should definitely import ipso facto.

Chicorée is the ideal place to have a beer and try its crème brûlée. Delicious.

If your gourmet coffee hasn’t filled you up enough, go straight along to Meert: one of the oldest patisseries in the country that has been in business since 1761 to make everything you see before you irresistible. You can’t see them, but inside there are two dining rooms where you can sit and enjoy their pastry delights at any hour of the day. What’s the most typical? Their vanilla and caramel waffle. But be warned these are not like the waffles we know in Spain but are thinner and with two together make a vanilla and caramel sandwich.

The rue Solferino is the street where you can find most of Lille’s pubs and discos. Taking a walk through the Vieux district without having a beer somewhere along the line is almost impossible.

Visits

As regards what you should not miss and what is an example of how to make the best use of space is Le Piscine. A swimming pool that was going to be demolished, transformed into a museum: sculpture, painting and clothes collections are organised and structured with a logical order that is breath-taking. A place that, even if it hadn’t been converted into a museum, is worthy of a visit: with its huge swimming pool, the men’s and women’s changing rooms, the first jacuzzi and the shower rooms exude the history of everything that took place within. Marvellous.

The best thing of all is that, in the centre, you can find: the Opera House, the Stock Exchange, French and Flemmish architecture (you will be able to identify it because of its typical colours, gilded with red brick) its fountain and the statue of the woman that looks over the square.

Before you reach the Museum of the Comtesse de Lille Hospice (a hospice and orphanage dating from the 15th Century), an intact building and one we recommend you arrive at 1 hour before it closes (if not, they get upset and only let you visit two rooms), we’d advise you to go inside the cathedral Notre-Dame de la Treille: situated in the old heart of Lille, the main facade is the least attractive we have seen for a long time. Certainly it would put you off going in. Bad idea. The interior of the cathedral hides a view of the facade that we are not going to reveal to you here. It’s so worthwhile having a look. You’ll be astonished at how a facade that looks as though it belongs to a factory can hide away so many surprises.

Shopping and markets (the biggest in Europe)

In the Grande Place, you will find Furet du Nord, the biggest bookshop in Europe. This is a talking point. You’ll find it hard not to come across a book that you didn’t even know existed.

Ombre Portées is a very special perfumery. For expert noses of scents, this is the most exclusive perfumery in the north of France: everything that is not found on the commercial circuit, they have here. Personal service and a selection of scents and perfumes that, if you like this sort of thing, you just have to go in and ask. You won’t be disappointed.

Philippe Olivier is a cheese shop that you barely notice as you walk by. 30 seconds away from the Meert Patisserie, in a tiny street, means that you might pass right by without even seeing it. Small but with the best selection of cheeses in Lille, you have to go in, listen to the recommendations and walkout with a delicious cheese.

In the Place du Concert, you can enjoy a typical regional market every Sunday morning.
It’s a university city in winter, and if everything we’ve explained here is not enough for you, during the first weekend in September, Lille hosts the biggest market in Europe. Yes it does. It’s 100 kilometres in length with 10,000 vendors and one tradition: eating mussels and chips. Without a shadow of a doubt, we’ll be back in September.

By Elisa G Martin

We’re going so why don’t you come along too Have a look at our flights here.

There's no doubt that the hipster and hipster fashions are here to stay. While the "hip" subculture dates back to the 1940s, the movement is again on the rise and is clearly marking out its territory.

Bilbao’s fame as a cultural mecca has reached as far as China and beyond, but people may not realise the extent of the hipsterisation of this former industrial city in the Basque country on the northern Spanish coast, thanks to the transformations undertaken in recent decades and the quirky, youthful pulse of contemporary Bilbao. Even the football team, known by its English name of “Athletic Club de Bilbao”, or “Athletic” for short, fits the hipster mould thanks to its peculiar philosophy. And it’s the sole team in the Spanish league that fields only local players.

There are plenty of place for visitors to sleep. One of our choices would be Basque Boutique, a small hotel located in the heart of the Casco Viejo or old city centre. Guests are immediately immersed in the culture, since each of its eight rooms is dedicated to a particular aspect of Basque life or gastronomy: the Karola (a giant red industrial crane that still stands), Marijaia (the rotund figure of the legendary lady who presides over the city’s annual fiesta), or the baldosa de Bilbao (the city’s traditional geometrically patterned paving blocks). The hotel achieves a perfect fusion of tradition and the avant-garde, mixing vintage décor with such modem comforts and television, Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, and en suite bathrooms. It’s an unforgettable experience you sholn0’t miss.

Another spot that exudes charm is the little Pensión Caravan Cinema. Also in the city’s old quarter, it uniquely combines history, atmosphere, and comfort. Each of the five rooms is dedicated to a contemporary Spanish film director: Pedro Almodovar, Alejandro Amenábar, Alex de la Iglesia ,Julio Medem, and Fernando Trueba. Both comfortable and surprisingly economical. If you’re into Spanish movies, this is definitely for you.

Now that we’ve unpacked, it’s time to sample Bilbao’s famed mini food portions, known as tapas in the rest of Spain but pintxos in the food-obsessed Basque country. One place everyone should try is Brass, on Licenciado Pozas street. For breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon aperitif with a pintxo or three, this is where to go. Talented DJs also perform there after sundown, evenings, and you’ll probably want to stay all night. It’s the most hipster establishment of Bilbao, and the prices are quite reasonable.

On the same street is the la tabernilla de Pozas, an old-fashioned tavern that will take you back to the Bilbao of many decades ago. Instead of pintxos, what you’ll find on the high, wide bar are sandwiches made with tuna or anchovies (bocadillos de atún or anchoas), but you’re have to ask for them –there is no sign or indication.

Charlotte, in calle Heros, serves breakfasts, and then pintxos, as well as the most scrumptious pastries. It’s also famed for cocktails that some rank well above those concocted in New York. It’s American-style décor adds to its popularity amongst the local hipster community.

We mustn’t omit Mr Marvelous, on the same street , which is lined with interesting places. A variety of delicious croquettes, incredible loin of venison, poached eggs with truffle and mushroom sauce –you won’t be able to stop eating!

If you still have room after the pintxos, you may want a proper meal in one of Bilbao’s many excellent restaurants, such as la Camelia, for ecological sushi and the organically grown and exquisitely prepared vegetarian dishes. Who knew healthy food could taste this good?

Bascook,in Barroeta Aldamar street, belongs to the famed chef Aitor Elizegi, whose skills and inspiration have won him dozens of awards. Bascook combines traditions and innovation. The food is delicious and the atmosphere cosy. There a very affordable prix fixe luncheon menu.

For the gastronomically adventurous there is Kokken, where fine dining and fine art go hand in hand. The cuisine is Scandinavian and so is the décor –modern, functional, and very welcoming.

One further proposal is that you try Colombo, on Rodríguez Arias street. You won’t know how good croquettes, hummus or ceviche (marinated raw fish) can taste until you’ve tried them here. And the wait staff couldn’t be more attentive and charming!

When we’re able to rise from the table, we might think about hitting Bilbao’s astounding profusion of shops, Hitz for example, sells stationery supplies, gifts, and perfumes in a vintage atmosphere, set off by old steamer trunk, typewriters, and other antiques –totally hipster!

Another must is Flamingo Records, selling vinyl disks –including rare treasures and first editions– In every musical category and style. You won’t leave empty-handed.

The hipster clothing store par excellence is Arizona Vintage Clothing. It features 100% American style gear and accessories.

In the Bilbao La Vieja or Ibaiondo district you’ll find Vacas Flacas, the city’s most spectacular second-hand clothing shop, where goods of the highest quality can be purchased at bargain prices. But you must telephone an hour in advance for an appointment.

One of Bilbao’s most unusual establishments which no visitor should miss is La Casa de Atrás, with a huge selection of old books, many of them out of print for decades, as well as numerous vinyl records. There’s also an on-site tattoo parlour. Could you ask for anything more?.

One of our favourites is the famed furniture and decorations shop Almoneda Campos, on calle Bertendona. Its speciality is old-fashioned lamps and chandeliers, but there’s much, much more to see and fall in love with.

Time for a snack? How about one of city’s most hipster –and friendliest– bars,Residence, on calle Barraincúa, and very close to the Guggenheim museum. The best place in town for a tall gin and tonic or an exotic imported beer. Live music, too!

Another very special spot is La Catedral de la Cerveza, (“the beer cathedral”), a mecca for serious beer aficionados, on Carnicería Vieja street in the old quarter, featuring brews from Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Scotland, Sweden, and the Basque Country itself. You can even buy kits to make you own beer.

Let’s not forget bar Marzana, on the street of the same name, which has become a marvellous amalgam of the old and new. Don’t worry if there’s no table. You can sit on the street and enjoy the incredible river view.

A last drink, but where? How about La Karola? It is named for the famous crane that still towers above the site where Bilbao’s Euskalduna shipyards once stood, and which was named in its day for the young lady who used to cross the bridge over the river every day, and whose beauty transfixed the district's industrial workers and passers-by. The bar, opened 40 years ago, has enviable views of the river and food so delicious it will take you breath away.

But there are still more places to visit, such as the café-theatre La Ribera, in the lower part of the La Ribera (“the riverbank”) market. Great food and live music –chiefly jazz and indie. For atmosphere, there’s nothing like it in Bilbao.

If you happen to be visiting the city on the last Sunday of the month, you won’t want to miss The Sunday Market, inspired by such street markets as London’s Brick Lane or Spitalfields. The theme “A passion for pretty things” applies to everything you’ll see there, from decorative items and antiques to vintage clothing, cupcakes, handicrafts, gadgets, art, flowers, charming little shops, bars, and restaurants, live music, etc. Another street market, thel Dos de Mayo is set up on the first Saturday of the month, and is a great excuse to tour the neighbouring shops like Atakontu, Cultto, or Trakabarraka,and perhaps to sample a vermouth at one of the many local bars. If it’s a sunny day the atmosphere is amazing.

And here we end our hipster tour of Bilbao, first reminding you that there’s much more to this fascinating city that you’ll discover for yourself when you come. Now’s the time to book a ticket on vueling!

Photos: Fernando Sanz
Text: Tensi Sánchez de actitudesmgz.com