Amid Italy’s abundance of churches and chapels, mansions and museums, and the marble and bronze sculptures accumulating over the centuries, sometimes you need a break. And when you’re in Milan, the best place to go for a breath of fresh mountain air is Lake Como, a 146 km² Y-shaped body of water overlooked by the snow-capped Rhaetian Alps. Nestling on the verdant hillsides around the lake shore are a number of appealing towns such as the exquisite Bellagio, atop a hill in the crux of the “Y”, and the town of Como itself, the largest in the region. The lake, also known as Lario, is one of the prettiest places in all of Lombardy. The glacial, pre-alpine lake, as much as 400 meters deep, is ringed by mountains up to 2,700 metres tall, where you get magnificent views of the lake below. The area is rich in history and tradition, and is a favourite spot for recreation and relaxation. Splendid 17^th C. lakeshore villas, many with lush gardens, abound, as do rural Romanesque churches.

If you have time on the way to the lake or back to Milan, a journey taking about an hour by car, you should explore the green landscapes of the Brianza zone, dotted with villages and castles on the banks of the Adda and Lambro rivers.

A Trip on the Lake

There are numerous options for moving around on the lake. We recommend crossing it by ferry or hydrofoils. The Navigazione Lago di Como company operates services all year round from the dock on the northern extreme of the Piazza Cavour. You can also choose a Venetian-style vaporetto to get around the lake, stopping at the several charming towns on the shore, such as Cernobbio, Tremezzo, Cadenabia, and Menaggio. Visit a café for capuccino and a brioche, or a restaurant for a plate of good fresh pasta for lunch –served at midday in Italy– while drinking in the natural grandeur of the lake and surrounding landscape.

A Stroll through Como

There’s plenty to see in the elegant and prosperous town of Como, with a population of some 90,000. City walls built in the 12^th C. still stand around the old quarter. For several centuries the city’s main industry has been the weaving of silk items, and you can buy silk scarves and neckties at discount prices. Blankets of flowers in the spring and summer make the lakeshore town even more picturesque. The tourist office will help you plan a walking or cycling tour of Como, which is sure to include the Duomo, with its magnificent marble front. Inside it you’ll find architectural elements and decoration in Baroque, Romanesque, and Renaissance styles. A few hundred metres south of the city walls, behind the Viale Innocenzo XI, is the beautifully preserved 11^th C. Romanesque Basilica di Sant’Abbondio, with 14^th C. frescoes depicting scenes from the life of Christ. Another must-see is the 6^th C. Basilica di San Fedele, with three naves and three apses, a lovely 16^th C. rose window, and frescoes.

A Place to Eat

Much to be recommended is the Ristorante Sociale, next to the city’s theatre. A favourite with locals as well as visitors, its exposed brick walls are adorned with allegorical frescoes you can admire while dining, along with the curious baroque fireplace. A dish you should sample is the excellentrisottowith chicory. The average cost per person is 25-30 euros.

Come to Como! Check out our fares to Milan here!

Text:  Isabel y Luis Comunicación

Photos: Italia Agenzia Nazionale del Turismo

A walk around Rennes, the capital of Brittany, takes you back to medieval times. A large number of houses with wooden framing are still preserved in the streets of the historic centre. Wood was a popular building material in this region until the mid-17th century, when it was replaced by stone after the large fire of 1720 that burnt down more than 900 houses in the city centre. However, these old wooden buildings can be seen in the streets running from Rue de Chapitre and Champ-Jacquet square, with a statue of John Leperdit, the mayor of Rennes during the French Revolution.

Rennes has some beautiful spots, one of my favourite being the Place des Lices, where terrace cafés are jam-packed with the arrival of the good weather. In summer, evenings in Brittany are endless and the sun doesn't go down until after 10 p.m. Some centuries ago, this place was the setting of medieval jousts. Nowadays, its market is the second most important in France, bringing together more than 300 local and regional producers.

Two of the symbols of Rennes' medieval past are the Duchesne tower and the Mordelles Gates –Portes Mordellaises– which were part of the city walls in the 15th century. The Neoclassical Cathedral of Saint-Pierre is close by, as is the Basilica of Saint-Sauveur, both landmarks of the city's religious architecture.

The fires of the early 18th century marked a turning point in Rennes' urban design. After that, constructions were built in stone, notably the city hall, by the royal architect – Jacques Gabriel – who designed it to be immortal.

Another must-see is the Palace of the Parliament of Brittany, with lavishly decorated rooms representative of 17th-century French pictorial art. This building is an emblem of the historical region of Brittany, which has a culture and a language of its own. Some street names in Rennes are in Breton, as well as in French, the former being the only surviving Celtic language outside the British Isles.

Contemporary art has a notable presence in Rennes. Examples of this are the Parmiggiani fountain, the Cap Mail building, by the prestigious Jean Nouvel, Quai Ouest by Christian Hauvette, and Champs Libres by Christian de Portzamparc. The Champs Libres premises are divided into three areas: the Musée de Bretagne – with a surface area of 2,000 square metres – a six-floor library, and an area devoted to science, with a planetarium. Rennes also has a great art gallery in the Museum of Fine Arts, an old university palace designed by Vincent Boullé, featuring works by Rubens, Veronese and Picasso, among others. In music, the city is well known for Les Transmusicales de Rennes, a festival that has been offering new and eclectic music for its last 32 editions.

Finally, Thabor Park, a very pleasant spot, is one of the most important green areas of the Breton capital. This 10-hectare French-style garden, which used to belong to the monks of Saint-Melaine– features a rose garden, an aviary, statues and greenhouses, amongst other attractions. Musical comedy and dance performances are held here on Sundays in the months of May and June; many people attend these entry-free events.

Rennes is a city with lots of charm and can be easily discovered in a single weekend! Check out our flights here.

Text by María Jesús Tomé

Images by María Jesús Tomé / Oficina de Turismo de Rennes

Santander is making its debut, a long overdue debut at that. The project, commissioned in 2012 by the deceased Emilio Botín, was slow in taking shape and transforming the waterfront of Santander bay, until it was finally unveiled on 23 June this year. A good thing is worth waiting for, or so they say, so this might well be the key to the secret of the Botín Centre, which has materialised in the Cantabrian capital and imbued this beautiful city of northern Spain with a cultural boost and a new lease of life.

A Signature Building
The first thing that strikes the eye about this new cultural space is the building housing it. The architectural project was obviously intended to not go by unnoticed and it drew both praise and criticism, like anything which entails a certain element of risk. This work by the Pritzker prizewinning Renzo Piano, who happens to be truly enamoured of Santander, was developed in conjunction with the studio of Spaniard Luis Vidal. It has endowed the city with a touch of modernity in one of its most emblematic spots – its bay. The building comprises two large volumes, connected by an ensemble of walkways and spaces that act as a main distributor. The western volume houses a big, 2,500 m² exhibition hall, with shopping and restaurant areas in the basement. The smaller module on the east side, which will be given over to educational activities, sports a large, protruding terrace with splendid vistas over Santander bay. Supported on pillars, which make it look as if floating in the air, its highlight is the large glazed frontage, affording privileged views of the coastline and the city, while the outer cladding is rendered in white porcelain shards.

However, this fabulous building, which acts to articulate the city centre with the harbour, doesn’t quite steal the show on its own. Its construction has been paralleled by an extension to the Pereda Gardens, located in the vicinity of the Botín Centre, which has seen its surface area increased from two to four hectares. Landscape gardener Fernando Caruncho and artist Cristina Iglesias have been tasked with making the approach walk to this new cultural space a veritable delight on the senses.

The City’s New Exhibition Venue
The Botín Centre made its debut with two opposing exhibitions – one classical, dedicated to the great master of modern painting, Goya, with his drawings as the centrepiece, and the other, more contemporary show dedicated to Carsten Höller, the first monographic of this Belgian artist’s work to date in Spain. Running parallel are a number of scheduled activities of all kinds, from workshops to film screenings, concerts, etc.

Ahead lies a long road and the project has spawned the question of whether it will experience the “Guggenheim effect”, providing yet another enticement to travellers on their visit to Santander, as well as giving extra momentum to tourism and the city itself. For the time being it has become the talk of the town this summer, as well as the venue that is willy-nilly pulling in visitors from among both locals and holiday-makers.

Fire up for an escape to Santander to discover this new art centre – book your Vueling here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

The Galician district of Salnés, in the province of Pontevedra, has the honour of being the cradle of one of Spain’s supreme varieties of white wine – albariño. Made from the grape variety of the same name, these wines are young, fresh and fruity, with the right touch of acidity, making for a delightful experience on the palate and pairing to perfection with one of the region’s main products – seafood. Apart from the wines, touring this grape-growing region is packed with enticements as the land is redolent with spectacular scenery, dominated by the presence of the Arousa estuary and its typical country homes, known as pazos, as well as its hórreos (granaries raised on stilts), its cuisine and, needless to say, the affable character of its people.

You are bound to have a host of experiences in the numerous wine cellars you will encounter on your way. The Pazo de Rubianes is the most spectacular example by far. Designated a “Garden of International Excellence”, and with a history going back 600 years, this priceless country manor is surrounded by gardens likely to enchant any nature lover. For its part, the magnificent example of 16th-century Galician stately home that is the Pazo de Señoráns will take you back in time. In the town of Sanxenxo stands the Adega Eidos, built in a far more modern style than the preceding ones as its facilities date from 2003. It affords some excellent views of the Pontevedra estuary. Also built in more contemporary style is Paco & Lola Wine Cellar and Vineyards, founded in 2005, with over 22 hectares given over to vineyards and wines increasingly more in vogue.

And, in between moving from one wine cellar to the next, we recommend stopping off at the Cambados Wine Museum where you can learn about the history, art, geography, grass-roots culture and all viniviticultural aspects of the Rías Baixas DO.

A Pause Along the Way
Man does not live by wine alone and at some point you will need to refuel, so your best option is to do so in the typical ambience of a local pazo. One such manor that is well worth visiting is the Pazo Carrasqueira, a fine example of typical Galician architecture. Built in the 18th century, it has now been turned into a nine-room hotel, with its own albariño cellar of course. Another interesting option is Lagar de Costa, a family winery with lodgings that offer a tour of their vineyards and the island of A Toxa.

The Festa do Albariño in Cambados
Each summer the heartland of albariño wine production is given over to the Festa do Albariño in Cambados.Designated a Tourist Interest Site in 1990, this is the crowning event related to albariño wine-making. What started out in 1953 as a contest between wine producers, promoted by Bernardino Quintanilla Álvarez and Ernesto Zarate, is currently a full-blown festival, with concerts and all kinds of activities suited to all audiences. This year the festival takes place from 2 to 6 August and provides the ideal excuse for tasting the great local albariños in an incomparable setting and ambience, a great final fling after a route through this spectacular wine-growing region.

Book your Vueling to Santiago de Compostela, less than an hour away from Cambados, and gear up to tour this viticultural region dotted with pazos and homesteads full of charm and great wines.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS