In times when being a tourist has become so passé – the learned traveller wisely tries to avoid crowded places when seeking out the heart of a city – you could do worse than hunt for cinemas with character when visiting another country. Traditional cinemas have vanished in many places. I am referring to the ones with just a single auditorium – or two at most – which are not owned by some international conglomerate. Architecturally quaint buildings where cinema-goers felt like pilgrims going to a special place.

Berlin is a cinema lover’s capital in itself. Directors such as Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Wim Wenders were obsessed with it. Indeed, Wenders immortalised the city in his Wings of Desire and Faraway, So Close! (a sequel to the former), which have spawned articles and tours that point up the importance of Berlin’s architecture and real landmarks from the films – the Victory Column, Brandenburg Gate and Staatsbibliothek, designed by Hans Scharoun. With such a cinema tradition behind it, no wonder the city has so many movie theatres to choose from. More so, those that pamper their appearance and their movie listings. Following is our choice of five of the best which, to wit, offer some added value, such as screening films in English or featuring subtitles in that language. So, if you’re a devotee of the seventh art with a smattering of English, or merely wish to visit the buildings and their cafés, this rundown is for you.

Ladenkino

One of the city’s most prestigious cinemas, which screens original-version movies. It comprises three, small but well-equipped auditoriums, as well as a bar-café and a video library with a large selection of films on DVD and Blu-ray. The interior is amazing – some of the rooms look like a set from a film by David Lynch. Ladenkino is located in the Friedrichshain district, very near Boxhagener Platz, where a well-known open-air flea market is held every Sunday.

Odeon

Located in Schöneberg, one of Berlin’s most charming quarters –Marlene Dietrich and Helmut Newton were both born here – the area is also celebrated for its attractive culinary offerings. The Odeon captivates from the outset, prominently featuring a green neon light and an old-school awning displaying screening times, and witty phrases and questions, setting the scene for cinema-goers. Their forte is signature films and independent cinema.

Kino Central

The punkiest cinema in this list, wholly in tune with Berlin’s industrial imagery, artistically speaking. They have two auditoriums and a highly varied programme based on American and English films far removed from all grandiose Hollywood blockbusters, save for the odd exception. Located a few metres from Hackescher, a beautiful square in Berlin’s Mitte quarter which also hosts a market. Kino Central is one of the city’s film lovers’ secret haunts.

Babylon Kreuzberg

The cradle of Berlin’s punk movement, the Kreuzberg district boasts a healthy culture scene, so be sure to visit the legendary SO36 club, where Iggy Pop and David Bowie were regular clients in the seventies. The Babylon cinema is one of its nerve centres and features two auditoriums in a three-storey building with a history, which offers a bit of everything, from Indie cinema to the re-screening of classics and also horror movies (a festival of this genre is held every October).

Kino International

“Spectacular” is the word that best defines this small palace, seemingly a throwback from former times. In effect, its history stretches back several decades and both the auditorium and other facilities are markedly vintage. This is a peerless setting for raising the cinema experience to another level. It is sited in an awesome location, hard by the legendary Alexanderplatz, which makes it a compulsory landmark for any inquiring sightseer.

Fire up and discover these temples for movie lovers – book your Vueling here.

Text by Xavi Sánchez for Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

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

Fuerteventura’s cuisine is as contrasted as their landscapes. A cuisine based on simple but very tasty products with a culinary tradition that goes back centuries. It has taken advantage like no other the agricultural and livestock resources and has preserved the traditions for processing. It is the case of "gofio amasado", the diet of the ancient inhabitants of the island that has been developed with flour from grain toast from long ago.

The typical dishes are the papas arrugadas (wrinkled potatoes)-a variety smaller than the common boiled with salt until the skin is wrinkled-, and served with a spicy sauce called Mojo. The word comes from the Portuguese molho, which means just gravy. There are generally two types of mojo: green prepared with green pepper and that is usually accompanies fish and the red mojo, with paprika that gives meat flavor.

The Majorero Cheese is elaborated in Fuerteventura, one of the most popular cheeses everywhere because of its very aromatic milk fat that majorera goats produce roaming freely around the fields.

Between the products of the land stands out the majorero tomato, grown with care in a fertile land with volcanic stones, which give an intense flavor and a great consistency and color.

But its flagship product comes from the sea. The fish is prepared in Fuerteventura in every conceivable ways: fried, roasted, sauteed or cooked and in classic recipes such as the Sancorcho, that you definitely have to try if you visit the island.

The commitment to sustainable fisheries has been successful and has allowed the proliferation of many species. Some typical are the amberjack, the dentex, the red fula , the “morena” or red pomfret, that you'll find really fresh in their restaurants.

To have a good meal in Fuerteventura, you should get away from the tourist areas and into the island. In small towns of the interior, it is still possible to find places to try truly traditional food.

To have a good meal in Fuerteventura, you should get away from the tourist areas and into the island. In small towns of the interior, it is still possible to find places to try truly traditional food.

Casa Isaítas
Calle Guize 7, Pájara
www.casaisaitas.com

Great majorera cuisine based in fresh and seasonal products. Try the local cheese, salads with products from the garden, the grilled cheese with green mojo, goat meat with sauce or a version of a dish, as it is the Ropa Vieja, but vegetarian to please everyone. To have between stone walls or in its interior and enjoy the best majorero environment.

Restaurante la Playita
Muelle Chico, La Oliva

From the sea to the stove. This area is rich in fish and at the Playita Restaurant they prepare them great. Try "la cabrita", deeply fried with good oil and from wich you can eat everything from the head and bones. And with stunning views to the sea as it is practically on the sand of the beach.

Casa Santa María
Plaza de Santa María, Betancuria

A farmhouse from the XVII century now restored and converted into a restaurant that has been awarded as the most beautiful of the island. In the historical center of Betancuria you will find this cuisine that blends traditional and experimental. Try the house specialty, the roasted kid.

Casa del Queso
Betancuria

There is also an ideal place for a quick stop and to try some of the specialties of the island in Betacuria. The Cheese House is a small venue that is located off Betancuria on the way to Pajara where you can taste the cheeses that are made in the village. If you're interested, they will explain the features of each, and if you want to take a piece home, they will vacuum pack it for you.

Picture mojo verde by Abhay Kumar | Mojo rojo by Fernando Carmona Gonzalez | Sancorcho by Canario1

A place well worth discovering! Check out our flights here.

When we hear the word “Palio” mentioned, what instantly springs to mind is a picture of the Piazza del Campo di Siena thronging with jockeys dressed in colourful period garments participating in a vigorous horse race. To our surprise, we discovered that the Palio is not exclusive to Siena and that Ferrara has its own, which also happens to be the oldest in Italy. Surprised? Both festivities go back to the Middle Ages and have endured over the centuries. They are nowadays the perfect excuse for letting ourselves be transported back to a time filled with gestures, horses, beautiful damsels and rivalries between the variouscontrade(parish districts.)

Il Palio di Ferrara – the Origins

The first Palio di Ferrara was held in 1259, the year in which Azzo VII da Ferrara, commander of the papal troops, defeated Ezzelino III da Romano, known as “il Tiranno”, commander of the imperial troops, at Cassano d’Adda. To celebrate the victory, parades were organised all over the city, as were donkey and horse races. This way of celebrating immediately became very popular and for a time was applied to Ferrara’s two major festivities – St George, the city’s patron saint, and the Assumption, known here as the “Virgin of August”. In some instances they were also extended to births and weddings among Ferrara’s most powerful families. However, as of 1600, the races were gradually phased out and replaced by parades. The races and the Palio were only reinstated in the early 20th century, eventually becoming the festivity that we know today.

May in Ferrara – Games, Parades, Sbandieratori and Races

What are we likely to find if we visit Ferrara in May? To start with, the perfect setting for being transported back to another era, as this city in Emilia Romagna boasts a historic centre full of medieval and Renaissance landmarks. The Palio festivity involves eight competing teams from the contrade (four rioni or parish districts within the walled city) and borghi (four districts located outside the city walls). Throughout the month of May, every weekend features a parade, game or flag-waving competition at which the rival contrade are San Giorgio, San Giacomo, San Paolo, Santo Spirito, Santa Maria in Vado, San Luca, San Giovanni and San Benedetto.

Particularly stunning is the Historical Procession at which about a thousand people in Renaissance costume parade from the Porta degli Angeli along the Corso Ercole I d’Este to the Castello Estense. Also a must-see are the competitions at which the sbandieratori show off their flag-whirling skills in the course of a veritable display of dexterity, beauty and colour.

The Palio festivities reach their climax in the races staged on the last weekend in the month. The large Piazza Ariostea, designed by the architect, Biagio Rossetti, is the magnificent setting for this event. A total offour races are held: the Boys’ Race (Palio di San Romano), the Girls’ Race (Palio di San Paolo), the Donkey Race (Palio di San Maurelio) and the Horse Race (Palio di San Giorgio).  The prize, a large hand-painted cloth, is known as the Palio, from which the tradition takes its name.

Discover Ferrara and one of its major festivities!

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by Il Palio di Ferrara (photographer: Geppy Toglia)