Monreale Cathedral
A forty-minute by bus ride from Palermo takes you to the Cathedral of Monreale. This cathedral was constructed during the reign of William II of Normandy, between 1172 and 1190, and is a living example of the fusion of cultures and religions that existed in Sicily during that period. It boasts a syncretic style as it was built by combining Norman architecture with aspects of Moorish art. It consists of a main nave with two wings and an apse. The most surprising features are the interior walls, as they are covered with more than 6,000 m2 of Byzantine gold mosaics inspired by those in the Palatine Chapel in Palermo. The mosaics recount episodes from the Bible, from the creation to the passion of Christ in chronological order from left to right. An impressive Christ Pantocrator crowns the apse leaving visitors speechless.
Adjacent to the cathedral can be found the cloister and its 228 columns, each one supporting a different ornament, along with a number of Arab-inspired arches.
You can travel to Monreale by bus (number 389), which passes by the Piazza Independencia in Palermo. It costs nothing to get into the cathedral but you can hire an audio-guide for 5 euros. Entry to the cloister costs 6 euros.
Image:Urban
By Isabel Romano from Diario de a bordo
A place well worth discovering! Check out our flights here.
Frida Watson- Bless this house Betty Draper
Words by Magda Albis from METAL
Santa Catalina, a few meters away from the sea, is one of the most emblematic and dynamic neighborhoods in Palma. Which once was the fishermen’s suburb, has now turned into one of the city areas with more character and personality. The Market acts as heart and hub of the district with a great number of attractive shops and restaurants filling the city streets.
One of these enchanting corners is Frida Watson, a cosy shop selling vintage furniture. Original pieces from the 50s, 60s and 70s land in Mallorca coming from all sorts of places worldwide and in perfect condition. Dressers, center tables, couches, as well as different decoration elements, are all collected and arranged along the various rooms that make the establishment. The carpets made by the brand Brita Sweden, produced in vinyl and with geometric patterns, are simply irresistible, together with the retro futuristic lamps imported from Denmark. A warm space were one can find classic design pieces and functional works of art, were one only feels like getting an “Old-Fashioned” cocktail and settle to live in.
Mon-Fri/ 10.00 am-2.30pm, 3.00pm-6.30pm, Sat /10.00 am-3.00pm
A place well worth discovering! Check out our flights here.
Words by Magda Albis from METAL
more infoToykio. Come play with us
- If shopping is supposed to be an experience rather than simply raiding the rails and shelves, there are only a few places that can live up to your expectations and truly surprise and inspire you. Toykio is one of them. After some successful years as an online shop and a pop-up gallery on Königsallee, the guys from Toykio built their new headquarter in the Japanese district of Düsseldorf, just off Immermannstrasse. With its shiny black ceramic tiles and colourful neon signs, it is a hybrid between toy store, art space and a café where you can find pretty much everything your inner child desires.
- Action figures, robots, Qee bears, labbits, comics along with coffee table books, vinyl records and premium poster prints – every item seems to be hand picked by shop owner Selim Varol. The gallery in the basement features a variety of more or less known artists from urban- and pop-art, lowbrow, surrealism and photography, just as Banksy, JR, Shepard Fairey, Swoon, Ricky Powell, KAWS, and D*Face. And though it is unlikely – if you ever should get tired in Toykio, you can just sit down and enjoy one of the best coffees in town at the very Brooklyn-like pastry bar.
- By Lukas Blasberg from METAL
A place well worth discovering! Check out our flights here.
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Venice, 120 islands and 177 bridges
From Iñaki Makazaga by Piedra de Toque
We walked Venice at MyVuelingCity with Isabel Sanchez to discover different places in which to recover the attractiveness of European capitals. This time she guides us through the 120 islands of Venice city connected by 177 canals, within the gulf of the same name, on the Italian coast of the Adriatic Sea. “The city is sinking two millimeters a year: you have to hurry to meet with all its beauty”
Venice has always been the city of artists, entrepreneurs, traders and restless travelers, like the famous Marco Polo, who helped open the doors of the fabulous Eastern civilization to European people. And it was this talent concentration that produced the splendid flowering of Venice’s architecture, especially between the centuries 11th and 17th, when the most notable buildings, still in good condition, were built.
From Iñaki Makazaga by Piedra de Toque
Makes you want to go, right? Do it! Check out our prices here!
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