Jazz was of course born in the United States. However, if you care to read the finer print, you will discover that something happened in the 1930s in Europe which was to revolutionise American jazz. In the gypsy camps on the outskirts of Paris – now the city’s 18th arrondissement – the young Django Reinhardt improvised a fusion of swing and traditional Eastern European music on his banjo. He taught himself, paying special attention to finger position, and inadvertently invented jazz manouche or gypsy jazz, a genre which elicits virtuosity in the playing and is pleasant on the ear.

Django lost two fingers on his left hand when his caravan caught fire, prompting him to develop an unusual way of playing the guitar. His original style, agility and speed at producing notes earned him the epithet of “father of gypsy jazz”. Together with the violinist, Stéphane Grappelli, he created the legendary Quintette du Hot Club de France, the first gypsy jazz club.

The Festival Django Reinhardt was first inaugurated a few years after his death. It was held at Samois-sur-Seine, 50 kilometres south of Paris, where he spent his final years and where he is buried. The 38th edition of the festival will be held from 6 to 9 July 2017 and, although last year it had to be moved to the Fontainebleau Chateau gardens – 50 kilometres from Paris and well connected by public transport – the original essence of the festival has survived intact. The venue is a place of pilgrimage for Django devotees and the world’s hub of gypsy jazz. This year’s lineup will see the likes of bassist Avishai Cohen, Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca, the guitar virtuoso trio of Jean-Luc Ponty, Biréli Lagrène and Kyle Eastwood, Woody Allen’s pet gypsy jazz favourite, Stephane Wrembel and the Django Memories Project, made up of the prestigious musicians who produced the soundtrack of the recently premiered film, Django. But, at this festival the music overspills the stage – artists and devotees from across the globe hold jam sessions all over the fair grounds, beating out gypsy rhythms and reliving Django Reinhardt’s musicality.

If after that “authentic gypsy encampment” you are game for more, we have made the following selection from among the many gypsy jazz clubs Paris has to offer.

La Chope des Puces

This is unquestionably the temple of Django Reinhardt in Paris. The resident guitarist, Ninine Garcia, who hails from one of the top Parisian manouche families, leads the jam session every weekend from 12.30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Located in the Marché aux Puces, guests share a table – to taste traditional French cuisine – in a very squashed vital space, among guitars, violins and photos hanging on the walls recalling the master. Tucked away in the back room is a guitar workshop and a manouche jazz school. A venue that oozes genuine charm! 122 rue des Rosiers, Saint-Ouen

MONK – La Taverne de Cluny

Located in the heart of the Latin Quarter, MONK is a bar devoted to the world of beer. It boasts over 50 types of bottled beer, and 10 types of draught. But La Taverne de Cluny is also a jazz club. Every Thursday and Sunday, the small stage in this typically French bar, with upholstered little tables and chairs, fills up to the sound of top-notch gypsy jazz produced by such reputable artists as Christophe Brunard, Sébastien Giniaux and Samy Daussat, among others. A must-visit spot!  51, rue de la Harpe

Café Artistique l’Apostrophe

This small, cosy musical café located just a few metres from the Canal Saint-Martinin the 10th arrondissement provides live music from Wednesday to Saturday. Over the last four years, the programme has been featuring gypsy jazz concerts from 8.30 p.m. on Fridays. L’Apostrophe has been graced by all the leading lights of the Parisian manouche scene, as well as gypsy jazz guitarists from the United States, Britain and Brazil, among others. Albert Bello, Spain’s top gypsy jazz exponent and the director of Festival Django L’H, the only festival in Spain dedicated to Django Reinhardt, has also performed there. And, the first Thursday of each month sees a jazz jam with the vocals supplied by Barbie Camion. 23 rue de la Grange aux Belles

Aux Petits Joueurs

Aux Petits Joueurs is a restaurant in the 19th arrondissement, a bistro in the purest French style where you can taste salads with hot goat’s-milk cheese, cheese boards, duck confit, tarte tatin and crepes, to name just the ABC of French cuisine. The restaurant features a jazz concert, ranging from Latin music to gypsy jazz, each day of the week except Mondays – when it is closed. The venue has seen performances by the leading figures of this genre, notably Adrien Moignard, Sébastien Giniaux and Pierre Manetti, among many others. Tuesdays and Wednesdays feature jam sessions at which some artists invite others, and it all ends up in a full-blown manouche festival. 59 rue Mouzaïa

Les Idiots

A highly popular micro-bar, among other reasons for their reasonable prices – quite a feat in Paris – and their homemade meals. Located on the Boulevard de Ménilmontant, it is a favourite haunt amongbobos(from “bourgeois, bohemian”). A young, relaxed atmosphere frequented by veritable hordes of guests. The limited capacity does not deter them from hosting jazz sessions, led by guitarist Michael Gimenez and with the participation of various gypsy jazz artists, in a corner of the bar each Monday from 9 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. 115 boulevard de Ménilmontant

Book your Vueling to Paris and get into the swing of the gypsy jazz featured across the city.

Text by Teresa Vallbona

“Det finns inget dåligt väder, bara dåliga kläder”, this Swedish phrase means there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes that don't keep you warm. So there's no excuse not to have an unforgettable time during mid winter in a city like Stockholm, which brings in the new year with joy and hope (despite the cold).

For anyone who wants to have an unforgettable time bringing in 2015, Stockholm is definitely one of the best options in Scandinavia. Its streets fill with life, with excellent restaurants and little places to drink glögg (mulled wine) and eat pepparkakor, the typical ginger biscuits eaten at Christmas.

While it is true that most New Year festivities in Stockholm take place in hotels, clubs or friends' house, the city also prepares great New Year celebrations.

The church in Storkyrkan de Gamla Stan – Stockholm's old quarter – is the venue for the New Year's Eve concert called Nyårskonsert. The City of Stockholm also organises a fireworks display to welcome the New Year. The resulting image is unforgettable, as the light from the fireworks creates a dramatic contrast with the snow covering the entire city.

After the chimes have struck, most of the big parties take place in the alternative neighbourhood of Södermalm. One of the best known is the Södermalmstorg, which takes place on Götgatan Street. Music and fun are guaranteed to keep going till dawn.

On January 1st, the open-air Museum of Skansen hosts the Ring Out Wild Bells concert, with a reading of the New Year's poem of that name by Tennyson, which is broadcast live. This event also closes with a fireworks display.

For more sporty people, another option for January 1st is to go ice-skating in Kungstradgården, a kind of Central Park and one of the most popular places in Stockholm.

By Eddy Lara Brito from DestinosActuales.com

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Welcome to Poblenou, Barcelona’s most vibrant creative district! A time-honoured district, removed from the city centre but near the seaside, where the working-class character mingles with cutting-edge trends. An area in constant transformation, from its industrial past to its cosmopolitan present, where Barcelona’s modernity and tradition fit perfectly together.

Its cityscape continually mutating, with avant-garde projects mushrooming on every corner, Poblenou is living out its finest moment. We tour the area to learn its secrets – let’s get going!

Plaça de les Glòries, Kilometre 0

Forget the Plaça Catalunya, the Ramblas and even Passeig de Gràcia. When Ildefons Cerdà devised his master layout for modern Barcelona in the 19th century, he staked out “les Glòries” as his geometric centre. That is where Els Encants Vells has relocated. With a history of over seven centuries, it is one of Europe’s oldest flea markets, where customers can still haggle! A stone’s throw from there stands “La Grapadora” (the Stapler), a grey-skinned building which houses the Disseny Hub, a must-visit shrine for all lovers of fine design.

The phallus, the suppository, the torpedo… there are no end of nicknames for the Torre Agbar. Indeed, this skyscraper, designed by Jean Nouvel, is an endless source of comments. Nouvel claims his forms pay tribute to the Sagrada Familia and the mountains of Montserrat. While we don’t know to what extent that is true, the fact is that ever since its construction, Barcelona’s skyline has become a tad more “masculine”.

Art, Design, Music and Much More

We had breakfast at Espai Joliu, a concept store where plants and a love of good coffee reign supreme. Here they serve up Nømad Coffee, roasted a few steps away and sold at Røaster’s Home. Next door, the premises of a former print shop operate as an art gallery. This is La Plataforma, a venue where art offerings are paired to all kinds of culinary experiences.

Shopping addicts can buy Scandinavian furniture at Noak Room, revamp their wardrobe with colourful prints from Brava Fabrics and augment their collection with vinyls from Ultra-local Records, a meeting point for local music lovers specialising in independent labels.

If you happen to be a culture vulture, Sala Beckett offers the latest in contemporary theatre in a top-drawer modernist setting. More urbane are the offerings at La Escocesa, an erstwhile factory now hosting art ateliers. Each year they hold the festival of murals, when their centuries-old walls become plastered with graffiti. The most innovative trends feature at Hangar, an avant-garde visual arts centre housed in one of the most renowned former industrial complexes in the city.

Needless to say, we wind up the day in Razzmatazz, a veritable clubbing institution where all young Barceloners worth their salt have spent at least one night on their legendary dance floors. Be it indie, electronic or live performances, good music never stops playing at Razzmatazz.

And, with the beat still resounding in our head, we leave the industrial Poblenou and head for the hub of district life here, the Rambla del Poblenou!

The Rambla del Poblenou

In this, the undisputed nerve centre of the district, the laid back rhythm and the sight of people chatting in the sun are the giveaways that this was and still is a village. At weekends, it gets crowded out by groups of friends having a beer on the bar terraces, while during the fiesta mayor in September its streets are taken over by community suppers, parading street bands and nocturnal revelry. This is also the area with the highest concentration of iconic hangouts, where we stopped to recharge our batteries.

Our first stop is a classic among classics – Can Recasens, a delicatessen founded in 1906 which by night becomes a restaurant serving Catalan cuisine. Their assortments of cheeses, cold meats and wines is amazing and you can also buy the products you have tasted during the dinner.

No less popular is the Orxateria El Tio Che, the palace of tigernuts. These purveyors of tigernut milk prepare a 100% craft product based on a recipe which has not changed for 5 generations. Summer sees endless queues of people lining up to seek relief from the heat in this natural refreshment.

And, from the sweetest corner to the corner with the longest history. Across the road stands the Casino l’Aliança del Poblenou, a meeting place which transports the visitor to the times of the Athenian working classes and the struggle for freedom of assembly. If you happen to be passing by, be sure to go inside – its walls breathe a part of Barcelona’s recent history.

Those wishing to wade into the sea up to their calves should press on down the Rambla. A few minutes ahead you come to the beaches of Bogatell and Mar Bella, the least crowded in the city. In summer, the sand is peppered with beach bars and runners trot along the water’s edge to the rhythm of the sea breeze.

Maritime Poblenou

We return to terra firma in the direction of the Plaça Prim, the site of fishermen’s cottages in the 19th and 20th century. The square has withstood the test of time and is home to Els Pescadors, a former fishermen’s tavern and one of the most long-standing fish restaurants in town. Here, the speciality is fresh fish and seafood sourced daily at the neighbouring fish auctions.

Nearby streets are seemly frozen in time, swathed in a tranquility typical of coastal villages. However, the hush is in stark contrast to the hubbub of Calle Marià Aguiló, the emblematic shopping precinct where you will come across La Pubilla del Taulat, a wine cellar which opened in 1886 (the oldest in Poblenou) and where you can have wine and tapas any hour of the day.

No less legendary is the bar, El Timbal. Located alongside the former textile mill named Can Felipa, their patatas bravas (spicy sautéed potatoes) are acclaimed throughout the city. They are baked in their jackets and topped with a finger-licking all-i-oli (oil and garlic sauce). You can accompany them with reasonably priced homemade dishes while you have a few beers on their crowded terrace.

From Palo Alto to the Fórum – Industrial Past, Creative Present

A red-brick chimney welcomes us to Palo Alto. This former textile mill is a one-of-a-kind urban island. Remodelled as a creative hub, its former industrial bays have been infused with new trends by a host of resident designers, architects and artists. Stroll through their jungle garden and try the menu at La Cantina, a restaurant offering traditional cuisine which serves a delicious paella on Fridays. Palo Alto is also the site of the crowded Palo Alto Market, a monthly gathering of the city’s “beautiful people” who come to discover the latest trends set by local designers.

And, when you feel low on energy, be sure to seek food and shelter at Bar Tras Paso, a colourful, bohemian eatery with French culinary flavours where you can end the evening with a duck magret and chat into the wee hours, glass of wine in hand.

But, if you still have the strength, you can go up the Torre de les Aigües del Besòs, witness to the area’s industrial past and the spot where the 90s British band Blur recorded their music video, On Your Own. The 60-metre-high water tower has an observation platform with stunning views of the city.

And, from the heights, with the sea a stone’s throw away, and with the Diagonal Mar skyscrapers, Mt Tibidabo, Montjuïc and the esplanade of the Fórum in the background, we take our leave. We have reached the city limits and now it’s time to change course.

Book your flight to Barcelona – you’ve got daily Vuelings here!

Text by Núria Gurina 

Photos: Matt Cornish, filippsh, Adrià Goula, Joanbrebo, Espai Joliu, Santmarti.info, Selbymay/Wikicommons, Mathieu Thouvenin

Based on the statistics, we could say that the country’s national sport is beer consumption and the average 132 liters a year per person confirms it. Considered by many part of their national heritage, the Czech Republic has ideal conditions for growing hops and that is why the tradition dates back hundreds of years, being the oldest brewery in Prague "U Fleků".

Despite having become a place of pilgrimage for tourists (including a gift shop), this huge place has been opened since 1499 and still retains the atmosphere of yesteryear with live music and traditional food to accompany your jar. Find out how to go undetected, there are certain things you should know before ordering beer ... 'Jedno prosim pivo'!

1. Let the waiter keep serving you without saying a word: This applies to both Czechs and tourists. Of course, if you do not want to end up really wasted let them know that you have had enough or just put your coaster over your jug.

2. Their menu is measured in degrees. And this does not mean anything other than the amount malt. Keep in mind that the more degrees ... more alcohol.

3. After touching glasses with everyone you should touch the table and look into the eyes of your companions as you say "na zdravy". If you do not, your sex life will suffer. Or so says tradition.

4. The foam is a must. Do not even complain because for them it is very important and has to be very thick. If it continues intact once you are done the server did a good job.

5. Do not forget to tip. From a 10 to 15% is the usual, but they always thank generous customers.

Image from Zobacz Zasady

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