Exploring the popular Triana district is a great opportunity to immerse yourself in the atmosphere and daily life of this part of Seville, amid the character of its people, its streets, the communal patios, the dance academies, pottery workshops and most iconic buildings.

At the same time, you will be surprised by the most famous stories and legends about the district; especially those related to the time of the Spanish Inquisition. A district full of art and charm, or as the people of Seville say: full of magic. The inhabitants of Triana, have a strong sense of identity. For them, Triana is more than just a district – it is a town with its own personality. Despite the modern buildings that continue to pop up all over the place, Triana has managed to preserve an old feel to it: low houses, geranium-laden balconies and patios. The Parroquia de Santa Ana, a Gothic brick-built temple known as the Catedral Chica is the heart of Triana, but the essence of the district is to be found in its streets, its squares and its inhabitants. Triana is still a district of ever-bustling streets, bars and taverns in which to enjoy tapas and offers dynamic and traditional shopping opportunities with old-fashioned shops. Triana is one of the birthplaces of Flamenco. Numerous Flamenco artists have been born here and there is a distinct Triana way of singing, dancing and playing. The Flamenco atmosphere lives on in the ‘peñas’ and ‘tablaos’ of the Triana district of Seville.

Image:Frobles

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Many books have been written and many films made with the city of Berlin as the backdrop, whether they concern the days of the Second World War or the subsequent Cold War . In all these stories, the wall that divided the city appeared as an undeniable symbol of those years of chaos that changed the world for ever. But if you had to choose one place that summed up the paranoia experienced in the German capital up until 1989, it would undoubtedly be Checkpoint Charlie: the most famous border crossing of all the checkpoints along the wall that used to separate the zone controlled by the USA from that controlled by the Soviets (where today it joins the districts of Mitte and Kreuzberg).

As a memorial to this recent past and the history of the German capital throughout the 20th Century, today you can find a replica of the border checkpoint booth standing in its original position. As a result, tourists strolling down the central avenue of Friedrichstraße can appreciate what it felt like to make the crossing from East Berlin to West Berlin and everything that this meant during those days of political tension. Furthermore, next to Checkpoint Charlie you can find the popular museum dedicated to the history of the Berlin Wall and the Cold War. A chaotic place (as its own history tells), but full of fascinating objects and images, such as a t-shirt signed by Keith Haring or the homemade ultralights that were made to fly over the wall undetected by the soldiers.

One interesting fact to tell you: this border post was christened Charlie as a result of the phonetic alphabet used by NATO. As it was the third checkpoint in the city, it corresponded to the letter C (as the first two were Alpha and Bravo).

By David Moreu

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The Stockholm Vasa Museum could be a good metaphor of what has happened today in Spain: a country that is sinking as a result of having failed to take care of what matters, how to sustain itself. The Vasa warship did not even manage to make it out of port. Loaded with 700 sculptures, 64 canons, 300 soldiers and 130 sailors prepared for their first voyage to dominate the Baltic Sea on 10 August, 1628. And it wasn’t even necessary to fire one shot at them, not even cross paths. The wind battered its sails just a few metres from the port and it slowly began to sink in full sight of the people and King Gustavus Adolphus II who had commissioned its construction. 333 years later, she was found intact submerged in the mud, still blushing from the insults of all the enemies of Sweden and the anger it arose in the Royal Family. She now rests in the same place as from where she started out, in the port of Smörland, and is the only conserved warship from the 17th Century and the perfect excuse to get to know the Scandinavian capital. In Piedra de Toque we take a trip to Stockholm to discover the other face of different European capitals with My Vueling City.

Stockholm is a city divided into thirds: one third fresh-water, one third sea and another third city. Made up of 14 islands it has more than 100 museums and among these is the highlight, the Vasa: constructed to dominate the Baltic and sunk beneath its own weight the same day as its launch.

Image: Holger.Ellgaard

By Iñaki Makazaga from Piedra de Toque

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By Ferran Imedio from Gastronomistas

And in case your appetite was not satiated with our last post The trendiest restaurants in the city I, we suggest you some more places that are equally trendy even though are low cost.

CURRY 36

 Its name makes it quite clear what to expect here. Curry is king. But, only applied to sausages of all kinds and chicken. Nothing else. They put it on the sausages, on the chips that go with them, in the ketchup… It’s a simple take away (you can also eat at high tables in the street, sheltered by an awning) but it’s always full of Berliners hooked on its way of preparing the hot dog and its variants, and on its prices that start from €1.20. Open every day from 9 am to 5 pm. If you don’t fancy this idea, right next to it there are similar places offering pizza and Chinese food.

Mehringdamm, 36

MUSTAFA

 Berliners love this little Turkish place. They travel kilometres to get to this street kiosk next to the entrance to Mehringdamm underground station and to try its shawarma. It’s famous for its queues. We went at 11:30 am an it took us 30 minutes, but friends in the city tell us that at busy times you can wait for up to two hours. 

The portions are huuuuuge, tasty and spicy hot (just enough). They have golden brown chicken with vegetables, sauces and spices Prices are between €2.80 and €4.30.
Open week days from 10 am to 2 am, and weekends from 11 am to 5 pm.
Mehringdamm, 34

STREET STALL

And if your budget runs low you can always grab a hot dog for €1.50 at a street stall like the one in the photo. You can see why it’s so cheap, when to sell a sandwich all you need is an umbrella and a hotplate, some sausages, mustard and ketchup. The one you see in the photo was in front of the cathedral, but they sell them for €1.35 in Alexanderplatz. You can’t beat that!

By Ferran Imedio from Gastronomistas

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