A visit to the Colosseum, a stroll through the Vatican Museums or enjoying long walks along the Tiber riverbanks are some of the must-do activities on a Rome getaway. And, if you’re also keen on Italian food, you can taste all kinds of pizzas and pasta, and go crazy on the huge variety of Italian desserts, in any of the countless osterias and trattorias the city has to offer.

While best known for its millennial history and exquisite culinary tradition, Rome is also renowned for being one of the best places in Europe to eat ice-cream. The idea that ice-cream is only for the hot weather is now rather outmoded. Indeed, thousands of tourists and locals flock to Italian ice-cream parlours all year around, eager to enjoy the unique flavour of genuine Italian gelato.One, two or up to three flavours, and the irresistible touch of a panna (cream) topping, suffice to yield an unforgettable experience.

Finding a good ice-cream in the city is quite straightforward, but the choice is overwhelming and there is also the likelihood of being scammed. To play it safe, we recommend the following five essential ice-cream parlours in the big, beautiful and eternal Rome.

1. Giolitti
A classic among classics, this centrally located and famous ice-cream parlour is responsible for Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck having eaten ice-cream in the film, Roman Holiday. Open to the public since the year 1900, this spot is easy to find as it is always crammed with customers. Their ice-creams are made using 100% natural ingredients, and it shows. Via Uffici del Vicario, 40

2. Old Bridge
The English name of this establishment is no more than an excuse to try one of the most traditional ice-creams in Rome. No frills and additive-free, the ice-cream at Old Bridge is well known. You are likely to emerge from the parlour holding a three-flavour cone topped with a good dollop of homemade cream. Viale dei Bastioni Di Michelangelo, 5

3. Otaleg
At Otaleg you can see them making ice-cream using craft methods in their open-plan workshop. The sophisticated decor makes for the perfect all-enveloping environment where you can enjoy both classic flavours and more daring offerings, like a cheese and pepper ice-cream. As well, be sure to try their melon and raspberry ice-cream before leaving. Viale dei Colli Portuensi, 594

4. Gelateria della Palma
This ice-cream parlour is backed by more than thirty years of exquisite labour. With its menu of over 150 flavours and their loyalty to top-quality fresh ingredients, the Gelateria della Palma never fails to please. What’s more, apart from ice-cream, we also recommend you try their cassata (a traditional Sicilian cake of ricotta, sponge, marzipan, glace fruit and castor sugar), chocolates and famous tiramisu. Via della Maddalena, 19-23

5. Da Quinto
Next to the Piazza Navona, Da Quinto has been operating since 1915 and is one of the best known ice-cream parlours in town. The walls of the establishment are plastered with photos of famous people who have been there. One of their specialities is chocolate and orange ice-cream. Simply delightful! Via di Tor Millina, 15

Book your Vueling to Rome and get ready to try their magnificent ice-creams.

Text by Aleix Palau

If you travel to Trieste, don’t fail to visit its historical cafés. Part of their patina is due to their connection with literary figures – writers such as Svevo, Saba, Stendhal and Joyce frequented these establishments in search of conversation, inspiration and rest.

While these cafés enjoyed their moment of splendour in the late-19th and early-20th century, they have endured to the present, albeit with some changes, transporting their customers back to a bygone age. Visitors can admire their wooden furnishings, framed in tall architectural devices, the classic marble tables and an atmosphere redolent with the aroma of coffee.

Here are some of the standout historical cafés of Trieste:

Caffè Tommaseo (Piazza Tommaseo, 4/c)

Opened in 1830 by the Paduan, Tommaso Marcato, this is Trieste’s oldest café. It was decorated by the painter, Gatteri, who among other things commissioned the mirrors to be brought from Belgium. It was once a meeting place of merchants and writers and the first establishment in the city to serve ice-cream. It also used to host art exhibitions and concerts, a tradition still kept alive on its premises.

Caffè degli Specchi (Piazza Unità d’Italia, 7)

Founded in 1839 by the Greek, Nicolò Priovolo, it is located in one of the most privileged spots in Trieste, the Piazza Unità d’Italia, on the ground floor of the Stratti building. When you get to this café, you are hard put to decide where to sit – the interior is still tinged with the charm of its glorious past, while the terrace affords lovely views of the square and the sea. Curiously, during World War II it was used to garrison troops, and also as a warehouse and even a stable.

Caffè Tergesteo (Piazza della Borsa, 15)

Housed in the shopping arcade of the Tergesteo Palace, the former seat of Trieste’s stock exchange, it is famed for its stained-glass windows depicting scenes from the city’s history. It was once frequented during the day by businessmen who attended the stock exchange, and by night by the cultural elite.

Caffè San Marco (Via Battisti, 18)

The early years of this café were troubled ones. Having opened in 1914, the following year it was closed down and destroyed by Austro-Hungarian troops for having been the meeting place for the irredentists. It was rebuilt in the twenties, when its regular clientele featured such literary figures as Saba, Svevo and Giotti. It is now a café, cultural centre and library and still breathes the atmosphere of another age.

Caffè Torinese (Corso Italia, 2)

The first thing that strikes one when entering this bar, opened in 1915, is its Art Nouveau decoration, the work of the Trieste cabinet-maker, Debelli. Another stunning feature is the spectacular crystal chandelier that lights its comfortable interior. The current owners have managed to endow the locale with a cool, modern air in the guise of its cocktails and its wine list, which includes local wines.

How to Order a Coffee in Trieste

While this might sound outlandish, Trieste has its own names for different types of coffee and you should bear this in mind unless you want to end up gawking at the waiter who has just served up your order. An expresso is called a nero, while a capuccino is known as caffè latte. If you want a macchiato, you have to ask for a capo (capuccino) and, if you’d like your coffee served in a glass, you should specify “in a b”, as “b” is the abbreviation for glass (bicchiere) in Italian.

Ready for a good cup of coffee in Trieste? Book your Vueling here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Photos by dani7c3, Caffè Tommaseo, Caffè Torinese, Caffè degli Specchi

Menorca's lighthouses are part of the island's environment and its rugged coastline. That is why they are located in some of the most beautiful and wild areas, turning your route into an encounter with Menorca's nature and its diverse landscapes. Beyond the first function to point the way to the boats, they form a unique postcard in the already beautiful coast of Menorca.

All lighthouses are managed by the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands and on their website you can find the technical specifications of each.

Favàritx Ligthouse
Its location in the natural setting of the Natural Park of s’Albufera des Grau, the wettest part of Menorca, about 20 miles north of Mahon, makes it one of the most visited.
Key Point of the Island’s Biosphere’s Reserve, here we find a variety of waterfowl and raptors such as the osprey, the kite or the booted eagle

Cavalleria Lighthouse
About 14 kilometers from Es Mercadal, at the southernmost tip of the island, this impressive lighthouse stands on a cliff over 80 meters and with fantastic views over the sea.
If you visit the lighthouse of Cavalleria you will observe a curiosity: a few piles of stones facing the sea will surprised you. They are build by the tourists who come to the lighthouse because, according to tradition, who creates these forms and expresses the desire to return to Menorca to the Lighthouse, will see their wish come true.

Punta Nati Lighthouse
Opened in 1913, its creation comes from a tragic accident. And it is because in this area of ​​strong winds and ocean currents the modern French Général Chanzy steam was wrecked by a big storm three years before.

Days with strong wind from the north you can enjoy a natural spectacle when the crack near the lighthouse ejects water with great force, in a sort of bufador lambasting the headlight, which sometimes has been damaged by the pressure.

Illa de l'Aire Lightouse
On Mahon’s south, in the town of Sant Lluis, there is the touristic Platja de Punta Prima. From here you can observe perfectly Illa de l'Aire and its lighthouse’s silhouette surrounded by turquoise waters and rich marine life.
One feature of the island is to house an endemic species of Menorca and Mallorca: black lizard. But not only the small reptile inhabits the island, it also houses numerous birds on their migratory path.

Artrutx Lighthouse
With carachteristic thick black and white stripes, the lighthouse Artrutx is 7 kilometers from Ciutadella. It was built in the mid nineteenth century, in 1858, and at first, it worked with oil until 1930 that electricity came to the lighthouse. Now the Artrutx Lighthouse it is part of the historical heritage of Menorca.
Near the lighthouse there are the coves den Bosch and Son Xoriguer, one that has the greater waves and therefore enables windsurfing.

Sa Farola
It is located on the seafront of Sa Farola so you can get there calmly strolling about 30 minutes from the center of Ciutadella. During the trip you can enjoy the beautiful scenery or a swim in the Caleta es Frares with its platforms for the bathers located halfway.

Sant Carles or Mahon Lighthouse
Considered to be the first lighthouse on the island, it was built in 1852 on the ruins of Castell de Sant Felip, on the tip of Sant Carles. After some discussion about its location, it was replaced by a metal tower of black and white stripes.
Near the lighthouse there is Fort Marlborough, a unique hexagonal shape building surrounded by a trench dug in the ground and built by the British between 1710 and 1716, with galleries that you can visit.

Pictures by www.portsdebalears.com

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

Fez is the symbolic heart of Morocco, as well as the country’s spiritual and cultural centre. Green prevails on the mosque facades and domes and is regarded worldwide as the colour of Islam. This fact is also reflected in the Fez Festival of World Sacred Music, which attracts musicians from all over the planet every summer. This is a unique event which sets up avenues of dialogue between disparate cultures and religions from Islamic lands.

But, don’t start panicking! You needn’t expect slow religious concerts in the sense of Gregorian chant. Rather, this is a festival which, year after year, promises to dish out great chunks of entertainment. On previous occasions, the Fez Festival was graced by the participation of music stars of the calibre of Björk, Paco de Lucía, Patti Smith, Joan Baez and Youssou N’Dour.

Noteworthy among the cultural and musical offerings at this year’s festival – which features over 500 international musicians starring in more than 50 shows and 10 concerts – is the flamenco of Diego el Cigala, the rhythm & blues of The Temptations with their legendary seal of American Motown, the video artist Jean de Boysson and the Malian singer and songwriter, Oumou Sangare, among many others.

In Memory of Hassan Al Wazzan, Explorer of Al-Andalus

This the 21st edition of the Fez Festival will be held from 22 to 30 May. Under the slogan, “A Reflection of Africa”, the festival commemorates the journeys of Hassan Al Wazzan, the Andalusi explorer known as the Lion of Africa whose remains are buried in Fez.

The life of Hassan Al Wazzan, who lived in the 15th and 16th century, was one of a nomad who was forced to travel due to political and religious circumstances. He embarked on a diplomatic career while studying in a Fez madrasa and travelled across all of North Africa as an explorer and geographer. Finally, he went to Rome, where he was adopted as a son of Leo X. There he was baptised with the name Giovanni Leone de Medicis (or Leo Africanus), although he never turned his back on the Islamic tradition.

Alternative Activities

The music programme is supplemented by a comprehensive schedule of parallel activities, notably film screenings, conferences, exhibitions and children’s activities. An alternative cycle of free concerts will be staged throughout the festival in Bab Boujloud square, paralleled by the Nuits Soufies, featuring free, daily concerts in the Dar Tazi gardens, right in the heart of the Fez medina, a symbolic place providing a broad overview of the all-embracing Islamic culture.

Fez – the Cradle of North African Culture

With over a million inhabitants, the Fez el-Bali medina (Old Fez) stacks up as one of the largest inhabited medieval cities in the world. The district is listed as a World Heritage site and contains the world’s largest pedestrian precinct. Its interior is a maze of 10,000 backstreets, some of which are cul-de-sacs, while others seem to lead you back to your starting point. Getting your bearings in that labyrinth can be complicated, but that’s part of its charm.

Like Fez el-Bali, Fez el-Jdid is a walled enclosure. Set in the walls are a number of palaces, gardens, bazaars and Koranic schools, the architecture of which is more elegant than in the rest of the city. The most interesting sights in the area are the Dar El Makhzen Royal Palace and the Mellah or Jewish quarter.

One of the most popular places with tourists is the Chaouwara tannery. While not suitable for the squeamish, on account of the potent smell given off by the animal hides, a visit to this quarter comes highly recommended. Seen from a vantage point, the quarter is magical, resembling a painter’s palette.

Text by Scanner FM

Images by Phil Chambers, Deniz Eyuce, Pablo Jimenez, Elena, Adolf Boluda and Sergio Morchon