Alicante is a synonym for Mediterranean cuisine and is not in vain that one of the best chefs worldwide, Ferran Adrià, said Alicante is, without question, the Spanish province where you eat better.

We love Mediterranean cuisine and this is why we want to offer a selection of 5 products that you have to try in Alicante, and we also advice you where to try them. Some of the products and restaurants might be missing, but take this approach to the gastronomy from Alicante as a starter. In this situation, a local would tell you: “anem a fer una picaeta” (a tradition from the little town of Alcoi, based in a round of tapas, toasts and little sandwiches).

Rice: The rice grows in Valencia and cooks in Alicante, or so it goes in a popular saying. If we want to fully discover the cuisine from Alicante, we must try paella at Restaurante Casa Riquelme. In paellas you can find all kind of ingredients, from fish and seafood to fresh products grown in the fields of the country, accompanied by chicken, rabbit or even snails. Eating at Casa Riquelme (Vázquez de Mella, 17), any midday from Wednesday to Sunday, is a synonym for fine dining. Find more information in this link

Wines: With its own protected designation of origin since mid-20th century. In Alicante you can taste a wine that mixes two kind of grapes, original from the region: monastrell and moscatel. The mistelle wine is original from this land. At Bodega de Meyos (Avenida Condomina, 40) in Alicante we can taste wine by the glass and accompany it with good food, all for a very fair price. We can also buy wine bottles; in fact this was originally a wine shop. 

Horchata: In hot weather, is common to see locals tasting a horchata in any terrace. This precious beverage made of tigernuts (chufas) is one of the most exported products. Don’t forget to go to Horchatería Azul (Calderón de la Barca, 36) to drink this refreshment and accompany it of fartons or the delicious almond pastry (coca de almendras). It’s closed on winter, but is considered for many people the best horchatería in Alicante, a traditional place.

Nougats: Another product Alicante is well known for. This is one of the main products to eat on Christmas, in Spain, and is always in the dinning table with the own local varieties: Jijona nougat and Alicante nougat. If you are in Alicante, try them at Espí (Avenida Alfonso X el Sabio, 4) and, if you want to make a very good impression, buy some as a gift for the upcoming Christmas time.

Pastry: cocas de tonyina (a fine pie stuffed with tuna) are very typical food for the Hogueras de San Juan, on the summer solstice. We can eat them at La Ibense (Calle de Portugal, 38), not only on summer. In this place you can also try delicious pizza portions or the traditional pastry (coca de mollita) with chocolate.

We could continue with other typical products of the region, like the worldwide known stuffed olives from Alcoi o the chocolate Valor, but we can keep that for upcoming gastronomic visits.

For now, as locals in Alicante say: “que aprofite”!!!!

Image from Les Haines

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After a long day wandering around Birmingham, visiting its museums, discovering its industrial past and browsing in its shops, it is time to take a breather and enjoy the other side of the city – the more playful side, given over to flavours and experiences and to meeting its people. Not to be outdone by other destinations, Birmingham has many watering holes that break with the conventional, whether in their decoration, menu or location. Here is a selection of some of those which are well worth stopping at to replenish.

The Rose Villa Tavern
(172 Warstone Lane, Jewellery Quarter)

Located in the Jewellery Quarter, a must-see district, as it concentrates the largest number of jewellery stores in Europe. This pub is the perfect marriage between tradition and modernity. The interior is decorated with stained-glass windows, strikingly coloured floor tiles and the classical collection of wooden fixtures and vintage furniture charmingly highlighted in coloured tinges. The menu features traditional American food, accompanied by homemade beer and magnificent cocktails.

The Jekyll and Hyde
(28 Steelhouse Lane)

Endowed with two distinct personalities and, to do its name proud, this bar contains two well differentiated areas. The interior, distributed on two floors, is a classic Victorian-era pub. Hidden at the back of the first floor is a small outside patio with decoration that cannot fail to catch your attention, as it is inspired by Alice in Wonderland. But, there is more. In the afternoon you can have tea and a selection of homemade sandwiches and cakes. If, however, you are inclined towards stronger stuff, you can go for the cocktails served in unusual vessels. On Fridays they open the upstairs Gin Parlour, which features a large variety of gin brands and gin cocktails.

The Plough
(21 High St, Harborne)

The Plough is an inviting, modern bar. The interior is decorated with a profusion of details, many of vintage inspiration, such as the lamps, tables and floor tiles. The other forte is their patio which, weather permitting, you should not fail to visit. This is the perfect spot for having a brunch based on gourmet hamburgers, homemade pizzas or just some beer, while soaking up the patio ambience.

The Victoria
(48 John Bright Street)

This 19th-century theatre bar is located in the city centre and is the ideal spot for winding up a long day’s outing by having a pizza and a good homemade beer. As a curiosity, film- and music-lovers can put their knowledge to the test at the “Sound and Vision” contest held every Tuesday afternoon. By the way – keep your eyes skinned because they say there’s a ghost lurking in the walls of the bar!

Sugarloaf
(12 Bennett’s Hill)

A bar inside a restaurant? Well, yes, Sugarloaf is a Mexican-themed bar tucked away on the lower floor under the Mexican cantina, Bodega, which also features Mexico as the theme on its menu. It opens Wednesday to Saturday and, in addition to the classic, essential skulls ornamenting the locale, you will find tequila and mescal cocktails and DJ sessions.

PureCraft Bar & Kitchen
(30 Waterloo St)

This establishment, which specialises in homemade beer – of which you will find an extensive domestic and international list – is simply decorated, with a certain industrial air about it. Don’t hesitate to augment your pint by ordering one of their dishes, based on British cuisine and using local produce, with a refined touch and impeccable presentation.

Fancy exploring the coolest, tastiest  side of Birmingham? Get your tickets here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by The Rose Villa Tavern, The Jekyll and Hyde, The Plough, Bodega Cantina, Pure Craft Bar & Kitchen

You’ve spent the whole day traipsing about the city, tracking down the legacy of the Habsburgs in Vienna, soaking up its architectural gems, like Schönbrunn Palace, and visiting such splendid museums as the Albertina. The heat is oppressive – recall that it is not always cold in Vienna and in summer it bears its brighter side, as long as it doesn’t rain. You are also starting to become fatigued. Maybe it’s time to take a breather and chill out on your visit to Europe’s “musical capital”. You have heard a lot about the city’s magnificent cafés and the weighty tradition surrounding them, but what increasingly draws your attention is the sheer number of ice-cream parlours scattered about the Austrian capital. Time to check out whether Viennese ice-creams have anything on the popular Italian ice-creams. And, you are amazed to find that the Italian fare has found a stiff competitor in Vienna!

In a nutshell, this could be the experience of many tourists or other travellers passing through the city on discovering the Viennese penchant for this refreshing confectionery. You might wonder how ice-creams ever arrived here in the first place, and how they got to be so good. After doing a bit of research into the history of ice-cream, the first thing you realise is how muddled are the references when it comes to establishing a place and time when that creamy delight first appeared on the scene. However, it transpires that it first came to light in Mesopotamia around 4,000 BC in the form of boiled rice mixed with spices and milk, all wrapped in snow. This is one of the diverse forms the original recipe seems to have acquired. It was the Italians who spread it across Europe, while the French started adding some fresh ingredients to the blend. What all the sources consulted coincide in is that ice-cream reached Vienna in the 19th century, brought here by northern Italians, and that the city played an important role in applying new techniques to ice-cream making. It would not be amiss to conclude that the Viennese flair for crafting confectionery, added to the skills of the Italians when making ice-cream, inevitably led to such a successful final outcome.

So, if you’re planning to escape to Vienna, be sure to add to your to-do list the task of venturing into the heart of its myriad ice-cream parlours and trying out their refreshing delicacies. The city is said to have the largest concentration of ice-cream parlours in Europe. Among the most popular venues are Eissalon am Schwedenplatz (located in the Schwedenplatz), Zanoni & Zanoni,which is at Lugeck 7, and the Gelateria Hoher Markt,on Hoher Markt. Another well-known chain of parlours is Paolo Bortolotti, which has three venues on Mariahilferstrasse. And if, in addition to getting tasty ice-cream, you would like it served up in an ambience charged with design, then Eis Greissler is your spot. When it comes to choice, there are even vegan ice-creams to be had – the place to go is Veganista, located in the Seventh District.

Incidentally, for those of you who are fans of Empress Elisabeth – better known asSissi,whose presence is one of the leading draws on any visit to Vienna – one snippet of her lifestyle claims that, as part of her unusual and limited diet, she regarded violet ice-cream as one of her few favourite foods. So, you might want to try that original flavour.

Venture on a getaway to Vienna to savour their tempting ice-creams. Book your Vueling here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

The river-and-sea route along the Arousa estuary and the river Ulla commemorates the sea landing in Galicia of the mortal remains of the Apostle, James the Elder, after his martyrdom in Jerusalem in the year AD 44. James was a fisherman of Galilee, an apostle of Christ, and a preacher of the Gospel in the West. Herod ordered his assassination in the year AD 44.

This is undoubtedly one of the less trodden pilgrim’s routes to Santiago. No ordinary route, it is negotiated mainly by boat, against the magnificent backdrop of the Arousa estuary. The subsequent stretch negotiated on foot is only 26 km long, the distance separating Pontecesures from the holy point of arrival in Santiago de Compostela.

The Sea Route

The route starts in the O Grove fishing village. It has pleasure boats that make most of the journey, with stopovers at mussel rafts, tastings included. But, if you’re hankering after a more genuine adventure, the best approach is to make friends with a local fisherman to negotiate the stretch on a small boat. This is the best way to hear the scores of tales about a route celebrated the world over. And, the shallow draught of the vessel means that reaching the picturesque village of Pontecesures does not involve any major difficulty. It is safest to sail up the river during high tide.

The first few paces of the journey are incredible, sailing right past the shellfish harvesters rummaging between the rocks for clams and velvet crabs on the riverbank. You then wend your way among the mussel rafts, a veritable tangle of floating platforms beneath which you can make out sizeable loads of delicious mussels. From Cortegada Island on, a number of pilgrim’s crosses set on islets and on the shores of the Ulla estuary show the way, traversing the mythical Western Towers of Catoira and the nature reserve of Brañas de Laíño, until you reach Padrón and then on to Compostela.

Feet! You’re Now Required!

The half-ruined towers of the Catoira fortification mark the end of the most maritime estuary. From here on, the two riverbanks start moving together, as if to form a river. The stretch up to Padrón is no longer navigable after the river Sar channelling works were undertaken, but you can reach Pontecesures along the river Ulla. This is the landing point. According to ancient Christian traditions, reworked in medieval texts, after his martyrdom, some of St James’ disciples recovered his decapitated body and took it across the Mediterranean and up the Atlantic coast of Iberia as far as Iria Flavia, in the vicinity of present-day Padrón. They made the voyage in a celebrated “stone boat”, which might have been one of the vessels used for transporting minerals between Galicia and other areas of the Roman Empire. The stone or “Pedrón” is housed in the Church of Santiago de Padrón. Tradition has it that the Apostle’s boat was moored to the stone after its long voyage.

Padrón is a modern town. The boat was moored to a stone or pedrón, which is actually an altar stone that can now be seen under the altar at the Church of Santiago. Padrón, the former Iria Flavia, was one of the great Roman metropoli in Galicia. There are also vestiges of St James at the Fuente de Santiago (Fountain of St James) and in Santiaguiño do Monte, where a shrine and megalithic complexes recollect the Apostle’s early preachings. This maritime route was also plied by the Portuguese, who also celebrate it as the route taken by disciples who brought St James’ relics with them.

Don’t miss out on this maritime route reaching Santiago de Compostela after sailing up the Arousa estuary. Check out our flights here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Photos by Turismo de Galicia, Turismo de Santiago