Half an hour south of Barcelona lies the Penedès DO wine region, primarily noted for being a leading producing centre of cava, one of Spain’s most celebrated sparkling wines. A mainstay of all major celebrations in the country, the origins of this “Catalan champagne” go back to the mid-19th century. French champagne arrived in the area around 1820 and a certain Luis Justo Villanueva of the Instituto Agrícola Catalán de San Isidro was one of the first vintners to try out and advocate the traditional champenoise method required to produce this innovative product. However, it was the Reus-based firm Soberano & Cía, run by Domènec Soberano i Mestres and Francesc Gil i Borràs, that first marketed the product, presenting it at the Paris World Fair of 1868.

Initially, the same grape variety was used as in champagne, but, owing to the phylloxera epidemic of 1887 which ravaged the local vines, the use of indigenous grape varieties was introduced, endowing the cava we know today with its distinctive personality. The main varieties are macabeo, parellada and xarel·lo.

It was originally known as champagne but, as a result of French champagne being awarded “protected geographical status” in 1972, the Catalan variety began to be called cava, named after the cellars (cavas) where the wine reposes during its production.

Well, what’s in it for anyone wishing to set out in search of those delicious bubbles? For starters, there is the product itself, a worthy equal to its French counterpart in terms of quality. And, those who are not particularly fond of sparkling beverages can always embark on tasting sessions of the region’s other wines, which deserve a section of their own. Then there is the scenery, characterised by vineyards stretching across the land and the proximity of the Mediterranean, in addition to the villages where the wine cellars are located. And, if you’re eager for still more, you can explore the region’s culinary offerings and the enotourism activities hosted there, noteworthy being the Wine and Cava Routes, a set of ten trails taking you through the different vineyards. What more could you ask for?

The town of Sant Sandurní d’Anoia is regarded as the “cava capital” of the DO Penedès wine region as 75% of the area’s production is concentrated here. It is thus a fitting point of departure for embarking on any route associated with this fine sparkling wine. You could make an initial stop at the Cava Interpretation Centre, a 1,200-square-metre space where you can learn about cava production, as well as its history, origins and other details.

Before or after visiting some of the wine cellars, we recommend taking a stroll in the town centre as a number of interesting Modernist buildings are located there. Noteworthy examples of such Art Nouveau edifices include the Lluís Mestres House, Cal Rigol, the Escoles Noves building and the headquarters of the Ateneu Agrícola.

Then comes the time for venturing into some of the myriad wineries in the town. Among the most popular is Cava Codorniu, which dates back to 1872. Apart from its cava, one of its standout features is the building itself, designed by the Modernist architect, Puig i Cadafalch. A curiosity you will discover on a visit to this winery are its 26 kilometres of underground cellars. The other great winery, of international fame, is Cava Freixenet, which first opened in 1861. The building, in Noucentista style with Modernist touches, is one of the leading works of the architect, Josep Ros Ros.

The following list features all the wineries and cavas making up the DO Penedès, showing their location and contact details, to help you plan a trip through the region and visit your favourites.

Make a point of striking a trail through the DO Penedès in search of its main cavas and wineries – book your Vueling to Barcelona here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Angela Llop, MARIA ROSA FERRE

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

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

Any sojourn in Madrid should include a brief escape to one of its best known parks, El Retiro. This huge green area, opened to the public in 1868, is not only effectively the city’s lung. It is also a well-trod social meeting point for many a Madrilenian, and tourists too. It also provides an immersion in nature, and is a well-known venue for sport and for hosting contemporary art exhibitions. Following is a rundown of the main reasons for counting this park among the highlights of your visit to Spain’s capital.

1. A Short Walk From Downtown Madrid

Having a 125-hectare park in a big city is quite a luxury – having it just a stone’s throw away is even more so. Indeed, any day of sightseeing in Madrid can easily be rounded off by taking a pleasant stroll through these splendid gardens, relaxing on the grass as you take in your natural surroundings or having some refreshment at one of the kiosks in the park. What more could you ask for?

2. Put a Garden in Your Life

Like any great green expanse, El Retiro boasts several landscaped areas in different styles which are well worth visiting. The most prominent ones are La Rosaleda, the French Parterre – site of the Ciprés Calvo (Bald Cypress), Madrid’s oldest tree – and the gardens of Vivaces, Cecilio Rodríguez and El Arquitecto Herrero Palacios.

3. Nature and Much More

To take literally the saying, no todo el monte es orégano (“not all the hills are oregano”, although this actually means “it’s not all plain sailing”), in this case not all of El Retiro are trees. Among the many sights you will across on your walks there is the Crystal Palace and the Velázquez Palace, annexes of the Reina Sofía National Art Museum which both act as exhibition areas. The park’s walkways and squares are also adorned with a large number of statues and fountains and you should also make a point of seeing its centrepiece, the “Estanque Grande” (Great Lake), surmounted by a statue of Alfonso XII.

4. One Big Outdoor Gym

El Retiro is a great spot for doing sport. At any time, but particularly at weekends, it is common to see people doing all kinds of sport in the park, from running to tai chi, yoga, kung fu, cycling, skating and even rowing on the Estanque Grande. Don’t hesitate to put on your sporting gear and take the chance to get fit in such agreeable surroundings as these.

5. In Search of Lucifer

If you happen to go to El Retiro with a local, it’s more than likely he or she will end up taking you to one of its landmark pavilions, especially the one housing theFountain of the Fallen Angel.This sculpture, the work of Ricardo Bellver, is one of the few extant depictions of Lucifer, which is why it tends to attract numerous passers-by. Executed in 1877, it was inspired by some verses in John Milton’s Paradise Lost (1667).

6. A Romantic Boat Ride

A perennial classic is the Estanque Grande, the veritable nerve centre of El Retiro. Here you can boldly treat your partner to a romantic ride in one of the rowing boats moored along the jetty.

Now that you know some of the reasons why you should include El Retiro on your Madrid itinerary, you can book your Vueling and look forward to experiencing it first-hand.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by bjaglin, Alex Bikfalvi, Teo Ruiz

Holy Week coincides with the onset of spring, a season associated with milder temperatures. Although you should still pack some warm clothes – jerseys, jacket, raincoat, gloves, cap and scarf – it’s unlikely to snow in Warsaw, unless you’re in the higher mountain areas. And, by early April, the days are quite long and sunny. Unlike in other European countries, during Holy Week in Poland both the Thursday and Friday are working days and most of the museums and shops are open to the public. Visiting hours at churches may be different, however, as in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, where the largest Good Friday procession of all Poland is held.

As in other areas where the Catholic festivities are traditionally observed, Palm Sunday is celebrated here in style. Like in Spain, in Poland the faithful carry palms, but here they are far more elaborate. Dried flowers and paper flowers go into their careful making by hand. They are so popular here that many towns and villages organise palm contests. We recommend taking the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Łyse, in the region of Masovia, where you can find palms of up to 6 metres high.

Cultural activity also revolves around Easter. The keynote event is the Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival. Held in Warsaw, as well as in Krakow and Gdansk, it attracts classical music virtuosos from all over to perform a number of works based on Holy Week themes. The festival alone makes it well worth visiting the city. Over the festive period churches host classical music concerts. The programme features religious works, pride of place going to the staging of the Lord's Sepulchre. This is undoubtedly a good reason for visiting the holy precincts of Poland’s capital city. Even under the Communist regime the uncensored sepulchres stood for the most important political events of the time.

Another high moment of the holy celebration is the blessing of the food. Starting on Easter Saturday morning, crowds of people congregate at the churches bearing adorned baskets containing, in addition to the classical hand-painted Easter eggs, bread, salt, pepper, sausage and an endless assortment of Easter pastries to have them blessed. Once the ritual has been completed, they may then eat meat. In bygone days the baskets’ contents were indicative of the purchasing power of the various families – the greater the amount and variety of food, the high their economic status.

Easter eggs are decorated in different ways and this is often the favourite activity of the younger members of the household. Once boiled, the easiest thing is to colour them with polychromed powders dissolved in water. These colours are sold in small sachets at this time of year. A more natural technique is to boil the eggs in a pot with onion skins, giving the eggshells a dark tinge and, the more onion skin you use, the darker the colour. After the eggshell has dried out, it can be drawn on or incised using a sharp needle.

Easter Monday is noticeably more playful in character and closely linked to rural traditions. In Polish it is known as Lany poniedzialek – “Water Monday” – as Slavic tradition has it that throwing water over the girls is believed to ensure their health and fertility. So, make sure you keep your eyes skinned because even today you can have a bucket of cold water thrown over you.

Cuisine is important in Poland at Easter and tables are decked out with Easter eggs, symbols of a new life. Confectionery also plays a major role, particularly mazurek, a cake based on butter and very thick cream, eggs, sugar and flour. It is also stuffed with nuts, chocolate and fruit (orange or lemon). Another cake typically made during this festive season is kaimak. Although similar to mazurek, the dough contains liquid toffee.

Are you eager to go? Check out our prices here!

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by Polish National Tourist Office