Limoges Finer Than Its Porcelain
A city of art and history located in the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Limoges is internationally renowned for its whiteporcelain,which first entered production in the late 18th century, thanks to the discovery in the city’s environs of abundant kaolin deposits.
Hence, if you travel to Limoges, be sure to take one of the tours which reveal the secrets of porcelain and explain just how important it was to this land over the last few centuries. The highlight of this tour is a visit to the Adrien Dubouché National Museum which, after a recent refurbishment, features the richest collection of Limoges porcelain in the world. This includes works representing the great periods in the history of ceramics. The museum tour takes you on a journey through time, starting in antiquity, crossing continents and civilisations and gradually leading up to the most contemporary creations. Curiosities include a ceramic sternum and electrical insulation made of porcelain.
Another place of technological and historical interest on this unique route through Limoges porcelain is the Musée du Four des Casseaux, home to one of the last surviving porcelain kilns in the area. This industrial building dating from 1904 pays special tribute to its workers, particularly those who died young of lung diseases caused by inhaling silicas. Here, visitors can witness the two firings used to make porcelain – the first at 980°C and the second at 1400°C.
Your itinerary around the Limoges porcelain scene should be rounded off by a visit to the points of manufacture and sale of these valuable wares. One of them is Bernardaud, a company whose savoir-faire is perpetuated in their refined lines, subtle colours and original forms, in keeping with the times. Another emblematic house of porcelain is Jacques Pergay, located on the outskirts of Limoges, which produces elegant, unique pieces and ever more beautiful whites.
Limoges – A City of Hidden Corners
The fame of its porcelain has not eclipsed the beauty of one of the most picturesque cities in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, although it is still scarcely frequented by Spanish tourists.
The city is divided into districts, of which the Cathedral District and Butchers District are among the most emblematic. Prominent in the former, as its name suggests, is the Gothic Cathedral of Saint-Étienne and the Palais de l’Évêché museum and botanical gardens, located on the banks of the river Vienne, in addition to the Musée de la Résistance. On the Rue de la Boucherie you can visit the traditional Butcher’s House, featuring a recreation of the living conditions of an 18th-century butcher’s family – the butcher’s guild was the most powerful one in Limoges at the time.
Before leaving Limoges, make a point of visiting its unusual Art-Deco train station, as well as some interesting buildings adorned with porcelain features, such as the City Hall, Central Market and Louyat Cemetery.
Book your Vueling to Bordeaux and make your getaway to Limoges.
Text by Tus Destinos
more infoPère Lachaise. Celebrity cemetery.
Today´s route takes us into one of the most bucolic places of the French capital: Père Lachaise cemetery , the largest one in Paris and one of the best known and most visited in the world.
We left a little of the bustle of the Parisian streets and headed to the twentieth district, east of the city, particularly at number sixteen Rue du Repos (resting Street), where we find the main entrance to the cemetery.
Upon entering, we feel that the place has a special energy, and walk quietly through their streets is a wonderful thing. Curiously, we will say that Parisians use it as a park, so it is not surprising to find locals strolling, reading, drawing ... Or even watching tourists with their maps in search of the most famous tombs.
And like good tourists that we are, we did what we were supposed to do and bought a map of the camp, which helped us not to be lost and to locate the graves of many celebrities who are buried there.
I have to confess that, even before arriving we had already chosen some tombs that we wanted to visit, we were surprised by the large number of known characters that lie among its more than 70,000 graves.
Among the personalities who inhabit this posthumous Walk of Fame, are Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, Marcel Proust, Molière, Maria Callas, Chopin and Isadora Duncan.
One of the most visited places, is the legendary leader of The Doors, Jim Morrison, and it is a pilgrimage place. There you can read the inscription "Kata ton Daimona eaytoy" (according to his own mind). A few years ago, you could see a bust of the singer, but it was stolen and never recovered. Now, instead, find a security guard to prevent further vandalism.
One of the most famous landmarks is the Mur des Federes in tribute to the dead of the Commune of Paris from 21 to 28 May 1871 or memorial tribute to the French volunteers in the International Brigades in Spain between 1936 and 1939.
Père Lachaise Cemetery is very well preserved, although there are areas where the trees seem to gain ground to tombs.
One of the most beautiful mausoleums is home to the love story of Abelard and Heloise.
However, we also find creepy sculptures that horrorized us: winged children in memory of those gone too soon, or some with their faces covered by the anonymity of those who rest there.
It is getting dark at Père Lachaise and silence would absolutely if not for the incessant cawing of crows flying over our heads. To make matters worse, in this Halloween postcard, we realized that tens of smug cats have started appearing all over the place ...
Call us superstitious, but I think it's time to leave.
By Nadia Polo
A place well worth discovering! Check out our flights here.
more infoTerritorios Sevilla Essentials
The team behind the Territorios Sevilla Festival tells My Vueling City about some of the most modern venues with the greatest tradition in the cityso that visitors from afar can leave Seville with lingering memories. This route includes some of the best options for transforming the festival into a non-stop 48 hours in Seville.
Food and Tapas
Sol y Sombra (151 Calle de Castilla). Immerse yourself in tradition at this cosy place with typical Andalusian tapas at excellent prices and very close to the festival. The bull-fighting atmosphere runs deep in this traditional district of Triana.
La Bulla (28 Calle Dos de Mayo). At the heart of Seville, only 150 metres from the Torre del Oro, the Cathedral and the Maestranza Bullring, La Bulla is the perfect place to discover and enjoy the best gastronomy in the city.
Pura Tasca (5 Calle Numancia). Good tapas and great taste in the Triana district at a place with a 1970s theme.
Traditional Seville
Casa Vizcaíno (27 Calle Feria). A legendary wine bar if ever there was one. The carpet of peanut shells on the floor confirms this place as one of the most traditional bars in the Andalusian capital that simply must be seen. It is perfect for tapas and wine on Thursdays when a second-hand market is organised. This is the most bizarre, authentic and oldest such market in the city as it has been held all the way back to the 13th Century.
El Mariano (3 Plaza del Pumarejo). Great for a lunchtime beer washed down with their emblematic tapas dish of the season: snails.
Popular Places
Enjoy an afternoon coffee (or something stronger!) in the city centre on the Alameda at Central (64 Alameda de Hércules), Habanilla (63 Alameda de Hércules), El Corral de Esquivel (39 Alameda de Hércules) or Café República (27 Plaza de la Alameda de Hércules).
Unmissable and Underground
The place also offers somewhere to have a drink and mingle with the Bohemian culture scene in Seville.
Shopping & Culture
SohoBenita is an initiative from the businesses on Calle Pérez Galdós, Calle Santillana, Calle Ortiz de Zúñiga and Calle Don Alonso el Sabio, in the heart of Seville, where visitors will find shops, hotels, places to eat, tapas bars, galleries, etc.
Image: Jebulon
Why not take a trip to Sevilla? Have a look at our flights here!
more infoChristmas Escape To Málaga
The city of Málaga is a great choice for spending a delightful Christmas break, far from the crowds and crowding of the big capitals but with an equally broad gamut of cultural, culinary and leisure offerings to get the most out of these holidays. Here, then, are the keys to spending a wonderful Christmas vacation in a welcoming city which winter seems to have bypassed.
A Storied History
Málaga is one of the oldest cities in Europe. Founded by the Phoenicians in the 8th century BC, you will come across monuments attesting to the various civilisations that were drawn by its strategic location and settled there. Witness the Roman Theatre, from the times of Augustus, Gibralfaro Castle, built in a former Phoenician precinct, the hillside Alcazaba, located at the foot of the castle and dating from the Moorish period, and the Jewish Quarter, situated in the Old Town between Calle San Agustín and Calle Alcazabilla. Your itinerary through the city’s past should also take in a visit to Málaga Cathedral, a jewel of the Andalusian Renaissance known locally as “La Manquita” (the Little One-Armed), as one of the towers on the facade was left unfinished.
Museums Galore
Another major draw in Málaga is its plethora of museums, the list including such illustrious venues as the Picasso Museum, the Carmen Thyssen Museum, the Málaga Contemporary Art Centre (CAC Málaga) and the newly opened Centre Pompidou and Russian Museum of Málaga.
Come to think of it, the list continues to grow as only a few days ago the long awaited Museum of Málaga was opened to the public. Among the star exhibits of this, the fifth largest art gallery in Spain, is The Judgement of Paris, by Peter Paul Rubens.
Fine Cuisine
Make a point of tasting Málaga’s local cuisine, from simple but wholesome cooking to splashing out at one of the city’s latest Michelin-starred restaurants. Needless to say, you should treat yourself to the fried fish dish known as pescaíto frito, a delicacy here, in addition to espeto, as in Málaga sardines are traditionally eaten skewered (espetadas) on a reed – a real pleasure on the palate. And, be sure to make room for the city’s traditional Christmas confectionery, such as borrachuelos, patties filled with “angel-hair” pumpkin strands, which is truly delicious.
And… A Shopping Spree
At this time of year you’re bound to go shopping on the most popular and crowded street in Málaga, Calle Larios, the city’s commercial thoroughfare and inevitable destination for anyone doing some serious shopping. Other arteries to consider on your shopping route in the surrounding area are the Guadalmedina riverbank and the Carretería, Álamos and Alcazabilla streets.
Book your Vueling to Málaga here and get into luxury Christmas gear in this splendid city.
Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS
Images by Bob Sponge
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