While Paris is the city of light, and Lisbon is the white city, Marrakech is known as “the red city” for the colour of its walls and many of its buildings. But, you only have to stroll about the city for a while to realise that the colour red falls way short. Here, then, we offer you a visit in full colour of one of Morocco’s most fascinating cities.

WHITE: You’re sure to whip out your camera the moment you arrive, as the Marrakech Menara airport is the first surprise you’ll encounter. One of the leading airports in the country, during a renovation undertaken from 2006 to 2008 it was endowed with a stunning white structure which combines traditional and modern elements which set up an interplay of light and shadow that generates a different effect at different times of day.

GREEN: Moroccans are very welcoming. As soon as you arrive at your lodgings, you will inevitably be offered mint tea. It will be the first, but not the last. It could safely be considered the city’s “official” beverage, and you are going to see mint all over the place. Apart from the mint they put in your tea, it is well worth venturing into the Souk in search of the mint stalls, housed in a small, less touristy corner of the market near the pyjama and olive stalls. The time we were there, lots of women came to choose the sprig of mint they liked best. It seems there are many different kinds, but neither the photographer nor myself were able to distinguish between them!

ORANGE: While mint tea is the city’s official drink, the beverage of choice in Jemaa el-Fnaa is orange juice. The city’s most famous and packed square is strewn with carts where you can get a delicious orange or grapefruit juice at any time of the day. It is impossible to refuse one, even if it is just to carry a glass around with you, because that is the only way they will stop calling out to you at the top of their voice from each fruit-juice stall.

BLUE: A stroll through Jardín Majorelle is enough to realise why Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé, fell in love with this place and decided to acquire and restore it. It is perhaps one of the most amazing spots in Marrakech. It bears the name of Jacques Majorelle, a French Orientalist painter who settled there in 1923 and in 1930 had a studio built in such a peculiar shade of blue that is was christened “Marjorelle blue”. The garden around it is a living artwork in itself, filled with exotic plants and rare species which the artist brought back with him from his journeys. There is also a small memorial to Saint Laurent, which was what spared the place from being swallowed up by a development project.

FUCHSIA: The city is laced with it, as this colour turns up in the most unexpected spots. The fuchsia will strike you when you sit down in the Nomad bar terrace, when you take in views of the city or when you go up the staircase to the terrace of the Maison de la Photographie (highly recommendable, by the way, although perhaps more for the terrace than the exhibits). The bougainvillea fuchsias pop up everywhere – on rooftops, window sills and on top of some garden walls. It provides colour highlights, making the bustling city seem even more lively.

BLACK: One of the least likely colours we would associate with soap is black, yet black soapis a traditional product widely used in Morocco. You’ll come across it if you decide to relax in a hammam, but it is not a “tourist product”. It is sold in markets and is used in the hammams frequented by locals (who have nothing to do with tourists. If you’re up for an experience beyond relaxation, venture into one – it’s something you won’t easily forget). The manufacturing process is mainly artisanal, based on black olives and oil. It is a good exfoliant and contains a lot of Vitamin E, so your skin feels like new.

BEIGE: If you stay in a riad, beige is likely to be the dominant colour during your sojourn. Riads are a highly recommendable alternative to hotels and are becoming more fashionable. A riad is a traditional Moroccan house or palace with a small patio or garden interior. To lodge in one of these is to live out the Moroccan experience more fully, in a genuine setting. Authenticity is imbued through respect for tradition. More and more westerners are opening riadsand, indeed, it is thanks to them that certain techniques, like tadelakt, have been preserved. For years, this lime-based plastering system was a symbol of Marrakech. However, it gradually fell into disuse and is now being recovered by foreigners, like Stephan and Xavier of Riad Snan 13. They opted for beige, the natural tadelakt colour, which has endowed their small riad and its priceless rooms with a warm, oriental ambience. It is well worth visiting for a stay and is very central. You will be lavished with fantastic breakfasts and, above all, their hospitality, with has the drawback that you won’t want to go home!

Don’t put off this unique experience! Check out our flights here.

Text by Anna Guitart

Images by Noemi de la Peña Fillat

Christmas in Tenerife is characterised by the mild climate and the lively, festive street atmosphere in all corners of the island. Cities like La Laguna and Santa Cruz are decked out in colourful poinsettias and Christmas decorations, endowing the streets with a special flamboyance. A host of cultural activities are scheduled for the season, including concerts, exhibitions, theatre plays, traditional celebrations, crib displays, craft fairs, etc. Among the standout events is the Christmas concert on 25 December at Puerto de Santa Cruz, performed by the Symphonic Orchestra of Tenerife. As is to be expected, the festive season also features a host of activities for the little ones, notably the Parque Infantil de Tenerife (Tenerife Children’s Park). To round off the experience, make a point of trying the traditional confectionery on sale at this time of year. Here are some of the features that make this season one of the year’s most engaging in Tenerife.

Activities for Children

Youngsters have a range of activities to choose from at Christmas time, but the one everyone waits for with baited breath is the PIT (Parque Infantil y Juvenil de Tenerife) (Tenerife Children’s and Juvenile Park), a genuine amusement park which is hosted in The Tenerife International Centre for Trade Fairs and Congresses from mid-December until the beginning of January.

The PIT first opened in 1989 and has staged innovative and extremely entertaining activities ever since. It is usually divided into forty-five entertainment and game areas where a team of 200 people chaperone visitors every day. Dozens of activities are hosted in this park, all of them designed for children or youngsters, although families will also find places where they can have a great time.

Another of our proposals is located in Puerto de la Cruz, specifically in the church of Peña de Francia, where the Children’s and Juvenile Choral Assembly is organised by the Reyes Bartlet Choir around this time each year.

And, lastly, in the south of Tenerife, in one of Spain’s most cutting-edge buildings, the Magma Arte & Congresos on the Costa Adeje, you can have a great time on the skating rink – 720 square metres of a 5-star ice rink where you feel as if you were opposite the Rockefeller Center in New York, the Natural History Museum of London or the Hôtel de Ville in Paris. A unique attraction for all the family which you should make a point of visiting. Take note!

Customs and Traditions

Needless to say, Christmas in Tenerife is charged with customs and tradition, involving theatre plays, masses, parades, etc. Many of the events that are held here have been celebrated year after year for centuries.

The misas de la luz (light masses) are one of the most popular religious events in the Canary Islands. They date from 1768, according to the last will and testament of the nobleman, Alonso de Medina. Running from 16 to 25 December, they are held at various points in the archipelago. Hundreds of people in the congregation gather just before six in the morning, when mass is due to start, and sing Christmas carols at the church entrances. One of the most exciting moments occurs on 23 December, when the retinue files through the towns and villages and takes part in communal singing and dancing.

Another long-standing tradition on the island is Christmas crib-making. A profusion of highly original cribs are displayed in numerous public and private buildings around Tenerife. Among the most famous of them is the one in the headquarters of CajaCanarias, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, or the one hosted at El Cabildo, also in the island’s capital, in addition to those exhibited in town halls and other public buildings.

Christmas Confectionery

The islands boast a huge variety of sweets and at Christmas the vast array of confectionery focuses on more specialised offerings. Homemade Christmas candies can be savoured in numerous corners of the archipelago and the most popular ingredients are millo (corn), almonds, honey and fruit.

One of the most typical Christmas candies on the island are the so-called truchas, although they can be found all year around. They consist of patties filled with sweet potato, angel’s hair pumpkin and, sometimes, custard. Their preparation is straightforward and they are usually made in all homes.

Get going and enjoy a Christmas getaway to Tenerife – book your Vueling here.

Text and photos by Turismo Tenerife

The idea is not new. For some years now, these artificial urban beaches have popped up each summer in Berlin, Hamburg and under the bridges of the river Seine in Paris. You won’t have to cram the whole family into your car, or embark on a long, hot journey to feel the sand under your feet and freshen up in the water. In Brussels, this tropical paradise is known as Les Bains de Bruxelles and it lasts for five weeks on the Quai des Péniches, along the Brussels Canal. It opens from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

True, there aren’t many waves, but some ingenuity has been applied to making the beach as attractive as possible; indeed, it draws an extremely diverse crowd of beach-goers. The 6,000 m² of sand are dotted with deck-chairs, palm trees and coconut palms, striped sunshades and beach bars serving vividly coloured cold beverages. The atmosphere is a family one during the day and sports activities include beach football, volleyball, boule and ping-pong, as well as games for young children. Pedalos and kayaks can be hired at reasonable prices on Sundays. You can also go for a ride along the canal on board the Bruxelles les Bains, which offers various tours – the short one takes 55 minutes; the longest one is a 2-hour cruise, and there is also a “cocktail cruise”, by night – while the harbour’s history and geography is expounded on by a guide.

This chill-out on the beach is accompanied by the Let It Beach festival, now in its third year. A variety of concerts liven up the evening on weekends, while on Fridays the music turns to folk, rock, pop and hip-hop. Jazz and world music take centre stage on Saturdays. The Sunday programmes target the younger set, with workshops, dances and, of course, more concerts. Night reverie is bolstered by free sessions of Croisetteke, every day from 6 p.m. on, in addition to theBoat Club,an exclusive floating club which hosts the liveliest parties in Brussels.

Not Without My Ice-cream!

When the thermometer seems to be driving endlessly upwards, another delicious way of keeping cool is to have an ice-cream. And, for those who can’t contemplate a day at the seaside without ice-cream, here are some of the best parlours in town:

Comus & Gasterea (Quai aux Briques, 86)

A place for trying the newest and most unusual flavours. It features some of the strangest ice-creams in the world, with such flavours as caviar, olive oil, Roquefort, lichi, wasabi aubergine and basil, home-made and free of additives or colouring agents. All you need is to be patient, as queues can sometimes build up outside its doors.

Capoue (Rue de Wand, 112)

Chez Capoue is one of the oldest ice-cream parlours in Brussels and, while at Comus & Gasterea you find the most unusual flavours, in Capoue they make the most daring combinations, notably bounty, blood orange and spiced bread. They are also have them sugar-free for diabetics, or lactose-free for those allergic to dairy.

Il Monello (Chaussée de Charleroi, 31 -33)

While Il Monello opened only recently, it has already made a name for itself in the city for its traditional pastries and homemade ice-creams. They also serve the latter atop a waffle for those seeking consistency (or calories).

Zizi (Rue de la Mutualité, 57A)

Zizi, a veritable institution in Brussels, is the city’s best-known ice-cream parlour. In the sixty years they have been open, they have never altered their manufacturing process. The flavours are natural and free of colouring agents.

Brussels Rules!

Brussels is a refreshing destination this summer, but not only because of its urban beach. Throughout the summer, every Friday from 5 p.m. to 11.30 p.m., the Apéros Urbains or animated afterworks are held in some of the most attractive spots in the city. Also featured is the Midis Minimes classical music festival, with daily concerts lasting 35 minutes from 12.15 p.m. (until 28 August), held in the Church of Saint-Jean et Etienne aux Minimes and in the Conservatorio Real.

Come and experience it for yourself. Come on! Pick up your towel and check out the flights to… Brussels!

Text by Scanner FM

Images by Eric Danhier

Situated in western Holland, on the final stretch of the river Meuse, the modernity breathed by Rotterdam is stunning, far removed from the usual image we have of European cities. Don’t expect to find a typical historic city centre, with a jumbled network of backstreets and time-worn buildings storied with its historical past. The city layout and its tall buildings are more reminiscent of New York’s Manhattan than other Dutch cities like Amsterdam or Utrecht.

The Bombing Raids and Nazi Occupation

The reason for this peculiarity – so to speak – goes back to the Second World War. On 14 May 1940, in a desperate attempt to secure the surrender of Rotterdam, the German air force bombarded the city to such an extent that hardly any building was left standing in the city centre. The air raids destroyed over 24,000 homes and led to the loss of around 800 lives.

Rising from the Ashes

After the city was liberated from the Nazis, unlike other European cities that set about restoring their historic centres as best they could, Rotterdam elected to start from scratch. In this respect, they did not hesitate to adopt the latest building trends, as evinced in every corner of the city. Herein lies Rotterdam’s chief appeal – a host of contemporary architectural discourses coexisting in harmony.

The Standout Features

As Rotterdam has a lot of architecture worth viewing, and one does not always have enough time to see it all, here is a selection of the major landmarks in the city:

The Erasmus Bridge – or Erasmusbrug – which connects the north and south parts of the city, is the work of Ben Van Berkel. Inaugurated in 1996, this imposing structure over the river Meuse has become a well-known landmark.

Near one end of the bridge are two emblematic buildings which can’t fail to attract one’s attention. One is the KPN Telecom Building, designed by Renzo Piano, one facade of which leans slightly towards the city. It is studded with green lights that generate different figures or messages. Just behind it stands “De Rotterdam”, a huge complex consisting of three inter-connected towers. Designed by Rem Koolhaas, it was inaugurated in 2013.

Another icon of Rotterdam, although of a much smaller size, are the Cube Houses (Kubuswoning), designed by the architect, Piet Blom. The original structure of these houses is the result of tilting the cubes 45 degrees and setting them on hexagonal pillars. The set of houses, made up of 32 cubes, has an unusual forest-like appearance. For those curious to see what they look like inside, there is one open to visitors.

The Kuntshal cultural centre, designed by Rem Koolhaas, is well worth seeing, both for the building itself and the collections it houses. The ample, 3,300 m², of available space enables five exhibitions to be hosted in parallel. While it lacks its own, or a permanent, exhibition, it does act as an expositor for the latest trends in contemporary art.

The Central Library exterior, with its huge pipes painted in bright colours, is reminiscent of the Pompidou Centre in Paris, which provided the Van den Broek studio with the necessary inspiration to design this building. Opened in 1983, it is Holland’s largest public library. A quaint detail is the giant chess board inside.

The dazzling red covering the spectacular structure of the New Luxor Theatre is the first thing that catches one’s eye when approaching it. Opened in 2001, it is the work of the Australian architect, Peter Wilson. There are guided visits of the theatre interior and, for those of you who visit on your own, don’t miss the views to be had on the roof terrace.

The outstanding feature of Rotterdam Central (Centraal Station) is the entrance ceiling – shaped like a boomerang, it is made of stainless steel and covered in red-cedar panelling. Three teams of architects were commissioned to undertake the recent extension and remodelling project, namely Benthem Crouwel Architects, MVSA Meyer en Van Schooten Architecten and West 8.

Don’t miss out on one of Europe’s finest showcases of contemporary architecture – treat yourself to a Vueling, here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Photos by bertknot, Franklin Heijnen, Luke Price, Tim van Vliet, Rory Hyde