Santa Catalina is now Palma’s fashionable quarter. Located just outside the erstwhile walled city west of Palma, in recent years it has undergone a facelift, turning it into a more spacious, more integral, must-visit district of the city.

Owing to its proximity to the harbour, it was originally a fishing quarter. In the 18th century some industrial activity emerged in the area, as evinced by the iconic Es Jonquet windmills and the aptly named Calle Industria. However, it reached the peak of its industrial expansion and development in the late-19th and early-20th century. Dating precisely from that period are the Modernist-style houses spread across the district, some of which were built by the Indianos on their return from Cuba.

Santa Catalina is a district of one- or two-storey houses, with balconies and Majorcan blinds, and small interior gardens or patios. A stroll through its quiet streets attests to an unusual mix of people, including a good number of foreigners that have succumbed to this quaint old fishermen’s quarter and have decided to settle there.

The hub of the area is the Santa Catalina Market, a veritable neighbourhood meeting point. Housed in a building dating from 1920, it preserves much of its original charm and is the ideal place for shopping for fresh, seasonal produce, most of which is sourced locally.

One of the claims to fame of Santa Catalina is the large number of restaurants that have opened there in the last few years, making it the perfect spot for ending a day’s sightseeing through Palma with a rewarding culinary experience. Among the standout venues we find:

Cantina Patrón Lunares. Located on the premises of the mutual benefit society, Montepío del Arrabal, it features highly poetic interior design in which the maritime and industrial past merges to perfection with vintage furniture and craft objects. The restaurant offers traditional island cuisine enhanced with seafood dishes from further afield.

Restaurante Duke. Here, the menu faithfully reflects the taste of the owners, who are great travellers, as it is characterised by dishes from all over the planet. The small interior is decorated with surfing motifs and photos of their journeys and is the perfect spot for eating wholesome food based on original recipes in a peaceful setting. We recommend ending off the meal with a mojito, which are mouth-watering.

Restaurante Hanaita. Despite the plain, rather dowdy decor of this small venue, it is undoubtedly one of the best Japanese restaurants in Palma, featuring excellent quality dishes.

Restaurante Xoriguer. Located on the Calle Fábrica, this is one of Palma’s classics. It also features some excellent, traditional Basque cuisine, and a wide variety of splendid meat dishes, including the best Kobe and Black Angus beef.

Gin Burger. As its name suggests, this cosy, modern locale offers delicious hamburgers which you can wash down with a magnificent gin tonic – they carry a large variety of gins. The venue is suitable for all guests, including vegetarians and celiacs, who have also been catered for on the menu.

Apart from its culinary offerings, Santa Catalina has also become a hub of the city’s artistic activity, which is centred around the Teatro Mar i Terra.

Now that you’re genned up about Palma’s trendiest district, all that’s left is for you to book your Vueling and enjoy it.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Fabian Walden, Cantina Patrón Lunares, Fernando Vesga

After the hot, bustling Majorcan summer crowded with tourists seeking the sun and fabulous beaches, autumn arrives and, with it, tranquility, at one of the most beautiful times in the year to visit the island. The weather is still good enough to go on excursions around the island and the number of people you are likely to encounter is infinitely lower. Just one hitch – on any outing in this season, you are likely to find many beach bars and summer businesses closed. However, it is well worth taking the risk, especially if you’re hankering after some peace and quiet and are eager to relax amid some of the most picturesque Mediterranean scenery.

Stroll Around Palma

One of the first things to do on the island is to enjoy its capital city and seek out traces of its past in the historic centre. The many sites you should make a point of visiting on your itinerary include the formidable Cathedral – where works by artist Miquel Barceló are featured in the Santísima Chapel – the Almudaina Palace, the Lonja and the Plaza Mayor. And, be sure to head for Santa Catalina, the city’s trendiest district, where you can enjoy the varied culinary offerings, among other things.

Enjoy the Beaches

Have the last dip of the season on a solitary beach, enjoy a magnificent sunset or go into contemplative mode and delight in the splendid views – these are some of the pleasures to be had in Majorca at this time of year. Boasting almost three hundred beaches – be they sandy, rocky or shingle – and secluded coves, you are sure to find the ideal spot for switching off from everyday noise.

Take Part In Nature Activities

The island’s good weather all the year around and the wealth of possibilities it offers make it the ideal spot for doing sport in natural surroundings, particularly cycling and hiking. Devotees of cyclotourism can either check in their bike or hire one, and then set off on main or district roads, cycling comfortably from one village to the next while enjoying the scenery to the full.

Hiking enthusiasts should make a point of heading to one of the most beautiful spots on the island, namely the Serra de la Tramuntana mountain range, which has areas of acclaimed ecological value such as the island nature reserve of Sa Dragonera or Torrent de Pareis and the Fonts Ufanes, both of which are listed as natural monuments.

Birth-watching buffs take note – Majorca is a great spot for bird watching as it is a place of passage for numerous migratory species in the months running from autumn to spring. Among the various activities related to this pastime is the event known as the I Mallorca Birding Race, a bird-watching marathon held from 21 to 23 October.

Taste Their Wine

Majorca boasts some 70 wineries, a great reason for embarking on a wine-tasting tour of the island. The most popular route is through the DO Binissalem, which includes the following towns in the centre of Majorca – Santa María del Camí, Consell, Binissalem, Sencelles and Santa Eugenia. This route will take you to such classical wineries as José Luis Ferrer and Vins Nadal, and others which have not been on the market for so long, notably Celler Ramanya. Curiously enough, off this route and outside this DO is the 4Kilos winery, home to the enologist, Francesc Grimalt and one of the founding partners of SÓNAR, Sergio Caballero.

Fire up and take your autumn getaway to Majorca – book your Vueling here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Cristian Bortes

Who would have thought that, when they made their debut on stage at the Café Bizarre in New York, the young Lou Reed and John Cale would end up being the stars of an exhibition paying tribute to their band in Paris? That was back in 1965 when, having first called themselves The Warlocks and then The Falling Spikes, they had finally settled on a name that would identify and enshrine them for posterity. Incidentally, The Velvet Underground was the title of a book on sado-masochism written by Michael Leigh which had fallen into their hands by sheer chance. Nothing unusual, however, considering that drugs, prostitution, transvestism and homosexuality were rife in their New York haunts and would become the subject of many of their song lyrics, a fact which rattled more than one music producer.

Andy Warhol, a great one for moving in the New York underground and absorbing it into his parties and his works, particularly in the film pieces he shot with Paul Morrissey, was enthralled with the music of this upcoming band and added them to the prevailing fauna in The Factory. What’s more, he even took the bold step of taking over as manager of the group and in 1967 released his first production, The Velvet Underground & Nico, for which he did the cover design. Indeed, I am referring to the famous cover with the banana sticker, a veritable icon in the art world. But, the album’s value lies not only in its wrapping. Its content includes some genuine musical pearls like Sunday Morning, I’m Waiting for the Man, Venus in Furs and Heroin.One of the upshots of their collaboration with the pop artist par excellence were the videos he recorded with them, which ranged from ghoulish to arty, in which he enveloped the band in light and colour.

While the album was not a super-hit – only some 30,000 copies were sold – the band decided to  break with the core of Andy Warhol and The Factory to pursue their career as musicians. The Velvet Underground remained active until 1973, when differences between the leaders were responsible for precipitating a break-up – John Cale having had a more academic music training, while Lou Reed had followed a more rebellious line. They actually started moving in and out of the band, until they eventually decided to break up altogether.

Despite their short career and meagre success, at least as far as album sales is concerned, The Velvet Underground was one of the most influential bands of New York. Heirs to the beat generation legacy, they played a crucial role in New York’s counter-culture, far removed from the psychedelic hippie culture of the seventies that reigned in San Francisco, the other major hub of creativity in the United States. Among those who inherited their destructured sound and coarse lyrics were Ramones, The Voidoids, Dead Boys, The Heartbreakers, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, Bauhaus, The Contortions, Bush Tetras, Teenage Jesus and The Jerks, DNA, Sonic Youth, Spacemen 3 and Nirvana.

The Philharmonie de Paris is hosting a tribute to this band in the form of an exhibition entitled, The Velvet Underground. New York Extravaganza, which runs until 12 August. Audiovisual material has been carefully curated, with six films being purpose produced for the occasion, also featuring television file pictures, photos and portraits of the band members, objects from private collections and works by contemporary and later artists who were seduced by the charms of the band. This whole ensemble is designed to recount the story of the group and its lasting legacy. But, there is more – the exhibition will be supported by a parallel set of activities, including conferences, screenings and concerts.

Go back down memory lane and relive one of the outstanding rock bands of New York’s counter-culture by taking a getaway to Paris. Check out your Vueling here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

When thinking of museums to visit in Paris, the first thing that springs to mind are the great temples of art, notably the Louvre, epitomised by the enigmatic smile of the Mona Lisa, the Orsay Museum, featuring a stunning collection of Romanticism and Impressionism that will delight any art lover, and the Pompidou Centre, with one of the most comprehensive modern and contemporary art collections in the world.

However, apart from those grand institutions, Paris also has other venues where, in addition to art, you can discover the life and times of other personages associated with the city, or simply enjoy the works of private collections displayed in fabulous exhibition halls.

One of the trendiest districts of late is Le Marais, situated in the 3rd and 4th arrondissements on the right bank of the Seine. It boasts numerous venues where in some cases you can enjoy a different, less crowded and at once rewarding exhibition experience. Here, then, is our selection of some of the museums you should make a point of visiting while touring this colourful, cosmopolitan district.

Maison de Victor Hugo

Victor Hugo is the first protagonist in our selection as he is privileged to have his own museum in what is the nerve centre of Le Marais, the Place des Vosges. From 1832 to 1848, Victor Hugo lived on the third floor of the Hôtel de Rohan-Guéménée, where he wrote most of Les Misérables. Currently a museum, where visitors can gain greater insight into this essential figure of French literature.

Musée Picasso

Another great name, this time of one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, makes up our second option. The Musée Picasso, housed in the Hôtel Salé, has a large collection of 200 paintings, 100 sculptures – this is the most prominent section in the museum – and ceramics, and 3,000 drawings and engravings covering all periods. It also features the painter’s own art collection, with works by Paul Cézanne and Henri Rousseau, among others.

Shoah Foundation

What started out as a monument to the “Unknown Jewish Martyr” grew into the Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Shoah, one of the largest Holocaust documentation centres in Europe. The Hebrew word shoah, which means “catastrophe”, is used to designate the Holocaust. The entrance to the building is inscribed with the names of the 76,000 Jews that were deported from France to the Nazi concentration camps.

Museum of Jewish Art and History

Situated in Le Marais is the Jewish quarter, known locally as the Pletzl (meaning “square” in Yiddish). It is worth strolling around the streets in the area and enjoying the sight of the colourful shops. While in this quarter, we recommend a visit to the Hôtel de Saint-Aignan, located at 71 Rue du Temple, as it houses the Museum of Jewish Art and History, where you can learn all about the history of the Jewish communities of France, Europe and North Africa, from the Middle Ages until the present.

Musée Cognacq-Jay

Housed in the Hôtel Donon, the Cognacq-Jay Museum features the 18th-century collection of artworks built up by Ernest Cognacq and his wife, Marie-Louise Jay, from 1900 to 1925. Your visit will reveal more than 1,200 works and objects collected by this couple of art collectors, the standout pieces being paintings by Canaletto, Tiepolo, Boucher, Fragonard, Greuze and Reynolds.

Museum of Magic and Museum of Automata

The Museum of Magic reveals the secrets behind the art of magic, conjuring tricks and illusionism. On display are all manner of items used to perform magic tricks (magic wands, boxes, magic caps, etc.) and visitors are treated to live shows, too. Also housed in this building is the Museum of Automata, boasting a collection of 100 mechanical contrivances which will amaze you. Ideal for those travelling with children.

Book your Vueling to Paris, tour one of the city’s trendiest districts and venture into some of its unusual museums.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Assayas, Sailko, Guillaume Baviere