It’s a fact that gastronomy is in vogue in Madrid, as we saw for ourselves on our recent trip to the capital. The classical, long-standing bars, restaurants and fondas have been augmented by new venues for enjoying good food and drink – gastrobars, gastroclubs, gastronomic events and gastronomic markets. It was this latter concept we investigated on our trip, with very rewarding and tasty results, too.

Market of San Miguel. Or how to pamper yourself at a unique venue.
(Plaza de San Miguel, s/n)

Located next to the Plaza Mayor, this is definitely the tourists’ choice. Housed in a unique building, it is Madrid’s only surviving ironwork market. Renovated in 2009 and turned into a gastronomic precinct, it still preserves its original charm from the time it was built, in 1916. Inside you will find mainly Spanish haute cuisine. Taste the delicate cheeses and sausage, enjoy the specialities of a Madrid classic like the Lhardy, choose from a large assortment of croquettes, savour the tapas in the Pescado Original, have an aperitif at La Hora del Vermut and a delicious array of etceteras.

Market of San Antón. Chueca’s cultural and gastronomic space.
(C/ Augusto Figueroa, 24)

Located in the heart of the Chueca district, it is divided into three distinct sections. The market itself, which offers first-rate fare, is located on the first floor. The gastronomic section, where you can taste the cuisine of different regions (Canary Islands), countries (Japan, Greece) and specialities (seafood, roast chicken) is on the second floor. The third floor features a magnificent lounge-terrace where you can enjoy the views while sipping a cocktail. Also sited there is the restaurant, La cocina de San Antón, where we recommend you pick a cooking, by which you select the meat or fish you want in the market and they will cook it for you in the restaurant, accompanied by whatever side dish you choose from the menu.

San Ildefonso Market. Taking a breather during your shopping spree.
(Fuencarral, 57)

Smaller than the previous two markets, it can go unnoticed on the Fuencarral shopping street. Once inside, go up to the first floor, where you will come to a small but inviting area, inspired by London or New York street markets, with an array of different gastronomic stalls. You can have a gourmet hamburger at Gancho Directo, nibble at the cured Iberian ham at Arturo Sánchez, taste a brochette at La Brochette, or have the finger-licking egg dishes at La Granja Malasaña. The atmosphere is young and modern, in keeping with the Malasaña district it is located in. There is also an interior patio for those who like to have a beer and a smoke, and a bar counter where you can try their cocktails.

El Huerto de Lucas. For organic lovers.
(C/ San Lucas 13)

A small market specialising in the sale of organic produce, which also features La Cantina, where you can taste the magnificent wares displayed in their stalls. Here, the food is not the only organic element – so, too, is the architectural project, completed by Paula Rosales’ More&Co studio. The space is designed to minimise environmental impact, both in terms of construction and its day-to-day operation. We were impressed with the hanging bosque de cintas (forest of ribbons) and the warm decor.

Platea Market. Fanfare and haute cuisine in Serrano.
(Goya 5-7)

Set aside from the rest, this erstwhile cinema – that was its original mission – was converted into a space dedicated to gastronomic leisure. The former Carlos III cinema was remodelled by the interior designer, Lázaro Rosa-Violán, as an array of restaurants for tasting haute cuisine. No less than six Michelin stars and twelve Repsol suns have been awarded to the chefs that work there, which include such celebrities as Paco Roncero, Pepe Solla, Ramón Freixa and Marcos Morán. Two storeys, three stalls and a section specialising in confectionery to immerse yourself in and enjoy, not only the food and drink, but also the live music and DJ sessions.

Wouldn’t you just love to dive into this flavour-filled world? Check out our Madrid flights here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Photos by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación and Mercado Platea

Dreaming of a holiday that mixes fun, culture and relaxation? Marseille, in the south of France, is for you. Its benign climate, situation and special light have been inspiration for celebrated artists, including Braque, Cézanne, Derain and Marquet. Founded by the Greeks, it is one of the oldest cities in Europe and the second oldest in France. (It is also the second most populated French city). Its rich history and great number of monuments, beauty spots and museums have put Marseille on the international tourism map.

Marseille is the third largest port in Europe (after Rotterdam and Antwerp). This constant flow of ships and passengers from across the world has lent it a cultural mix that is palpable in its people, neighbourhoods and architecture, making an all-together cosmopolitan city.

Five days is about the right amount of time to spend here. The best bet is to divide your itinerary into different areas. Public transport is very good; you can get around in the metro, by bus and by ferry. The best way to do this is with a Citty Pass; it's cheap and will also get you into museums and out to the islands.

Booking a well-situated hotel is key to navigating your way around this marvellous city. The Beauvau Marsella Viejo Puerto is perfect. It has stellar service and is located a few steps from the Vieux Port metro station – a major hub. You'll find masses of stalls selling oysters and whatever else you can think lining the streets that lead down to the port – at really great prices.

In the same area there are dozens of restaurants where you can eat exquisite fresh fish or a superb bouillabaisse. Here are two that are recommended:

Une Table au Sud: This restaurant has fantastic views over the port and offers modern, creative, mouth-watering cuisine. Standout dishes include a chestnut and sea urchin soup.

Le Miramar: They say it’s the best restaurant in the city to try bouillabaisse. Take that onboard and find out for yourself.

An easy stroll through the port leads you to the Fort Saint-Jean. Constructed during the reign of Louis XIV, it is also the location of the MuCEM; the first major museum dedicated to Mediterranean civilisations. Its wide focus spans anthropology, history, archaeology, art history and contemporary art. The museum is housed over three sites in different parts of Fort Saint- Jean, connected via a pleasant walkway through a Mediterranean garden.

Another pathway, starting from the Royal Gate, takes you to the neighbourhood of La Panier and the Saint-Laurent church. Despite its shady past, this neighbourhood is today a mix of traditional streets and squares with new design boutiques, restaurants and museums – all in all lending it a decidedly bohemian air. A must see.

Cours Julien is another interesting neighbourhood. A garden has taken over the centre of its main square that also hosts fashion boutiques, theatres and terrace cafes. Rues Bussy l'Indien, Pastoret and Vian stand out for their alternative vibe, with various clubs, cafes and more shops. Take note of the street art!

Marseilles geographical situation makes it a perfect base for outings in a boat. From Vieux Port you can take one of the urban ferries. One excursion you shouldn't let slip by is to Chateau d'If, where you can still see the hole that one of one of the prisoners dug in the cell wall. He was the inspiration for 'The Count of Montecristo', the classic novel by Alexander Dumas.

From here you can continue on to visit the Frioul Islands where you can spend the afternoon visiting various inlets, beaches and sandy creeks – the perfect way to end the day. It's a place of freedom and total relaxation.

Two must-sees are the Basilque Notre-Dame de la Garde and the Chateau Longchamp. The first is the city's architectonic emblem. Situated up on the hill, it affords marvellous 360º views, watching over sailors, fishermen and all the people of Marseille. Its Roman-Byzantine style is a perfect example of the large-scale buildings Napoleon III imposed in Marseille. To get there, take the bus from Vieux Port. The palace, dating from 1869, commemorates the canalization of the Durance River to Marseille. It also houses the Museum of Fine Arts and the Natural History Museum as well as a botanical garden. Ad hoc street markets are all over the city, selling fruit, fish, and clothing and brick a brac. Dive in and rub shoulders with the locals – you are bound to find something unique to take back home!

Don't leave without discovering the famous Marsella soap. It history goes back to the 16th century. Find out more in one of the company's seven factories.

The city's tourist office is situated very close to Vieux Port. Pick up a City Pass here as well as plenty more info on what to do in Marseille.

So, what are you waiting for? Reserve a Vueling flight to this magnificent city here!

Text: Tensi Sánchez de www.actitudesmgz.com
Photography: Fernando Sanz

We have all heard about Jack The Ripper, surely the first media serial killer in history. His dark legacy has been an inexhaustible source of narrative material for over a century. Those mournful events have spawned both literary marvels and graphic novels such as From Hell, by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell, in addition to movies and TV series and even the odd opera. There may be a dose of morbidity involved in the interest aroused by anything relating to the subject. However, what stokes the flames is undoubtedly the fact that the perpetrator of those crimes has never been found, sparking a host of theories on the matter.

While the identity of the culprit remains unclear, what is known is the names of his victims and the spots where their bodies were found. Theme tours are based in Whitechapel, the scene of those atrocities. In the late-19th century, the district was a veritable hotbed of crooks and a limitless breeding ground for venereal diseases. Fortunately, it is now a salutary area and one of the major arty districts in London, with the Whitechapel Art Gallery at the forefront. In fact, it has become a must for day trippers, thanks to its second-hand market, which runs up to the Whitechapel Market, where you can pick up bargains from Monday to Saturday in over 80 street stalls, selling anything from fruit to electronics, rugs and jewellery. It is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Dark Route

Regarding the question, Who was Jack the Ripper?, you probably won’t find out after a tour of the area, but you will get an idea of what it was like there in the year 1888, when the deeds took place. Various tours can be joined in Whitechapel. Following are details of some of the areas you will visit if you dare to relive the horrific story.

Osborn Street

This is where the first body of the two under investigation was found, although it wasn’t among the “canonical five” – of all the cases related to the Ripper, five are considered to be canonical, as they have several traits in common. The victim in question was Emma Elizabeth Smith, a prostitute who was attacked and raped in the street on 3 April 1888. She was found dead, with her ears cut off. Currently sited on this street is one of the most fashionable basement spaces in London, Apples and Pears, a designer bar with Japanese decor which is a cocktail bar by day, and a club by night. It has been graced by the likes of Kate Moss and David Beckham.

The Old Truman Brewery

This is where the second victim, Annie Chapman, was found. Over the last fifteen years, the 10 acres of derelict buildings from the former Truman Brewery have been refurbished as offices, retail outlets and venues for leisure and events, as well as art hatcheries. It is now a thriving complex of creative businesses, independent stores, malls, markets, bars and restaurants. At weekends it becomes the nerve centre of flea markets and tapas bars. Business and leisure combine to perfection here.

Durward Street (formerly Buck’s Row)

This is where the body of the 43-year-old Mary Ann Nichols – the first of the canonical five – turned up. The bodies of these women had their throats slit and presented mutilations on the abdomen and genital area, with facial disfigurement or a missing organ. Such was the modus operandi of the macabre butcher.

Mitre Square

On 30 September 1888, the body of Catherine Eddowes, aged 46, was found. She had a slashed throat and a large, deep wound on the abdomen. Her left kidney was missing. The police found part of her bloodied apron at the entrance to a house on Goulston Street. Also murdered on the same day at Dutfield’s Yard – now Henriques Street – was the 44-year-old Elizabeth Strice. Death was caused by an incision on the left side of the throat, which severed her carotid artery. A postcard was received by the Central News Agency by the alleged culprit, who claimed responsibility for the crime.

The Ten Bells Pub

Jack the Ripper and some of his victims are thought to have frequented various pubs in the area, notably The Ten Bells (84 Commercial Street), which has remained open on the same premises since 1752. It lies just a few yards from the Liverpool Street Underground station.

And Also…

Other landmarks you will see include Tower Hill Underground Station, the place chosen by Scotland Yard and the City of London Police to start their beat in search of the culprit, and St Botolph’s Church, a favoured haunt where the prostitutes of the time touted for customers. More information about the tour.

Whitechapel now stands for an alternative setting in the heart of the city. It is both classical and avant-garde, an area with a large number of mosques and such historic buildings as the Royal London Hospital. We urge you to come and discover it, even if you’re not particularly interested in Jack the Ripper. It’s a good opportunity to explore the streets of London’s famous East End, a charismatic district full of history and stories, like the one about the celebrated “elephant man”, as well as the Spitalfields and Petticoat Lane street markets andthe world famous Brick Lane, a street with a marked Asian presence, full of Indian and Pakistani restaurants, at really affordable prices. (There are menus for six pounds which include two or three dishes to choose from, plus rice and a drink.)

Why wait to discover it all? Check out our flights here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

In summer, this beautiful island, with pristine white towns clinging to formidable cliff faces, welcomes the European jet set who come to bathe blithely in spectacular private pools with sea views. In parallel, another sector of the population ekes out a living offering donkey tours to Japanese tourists. These are the two faces of contemporary Greece, a land which still preserves that majestic profile of a lingering past, despite things crumbling around it, which has in Santorini a jewel that has not fallen prey to the horror of mass tourism and urban development. Following is a selection of four venues located in the salient spots in this piece of paradise where you can delight in the wonderful local cuisine.

Tranquilo (Perissa)

On a trip to Santorini, sooner or later you happen to find yourself in the vicinity of Perissa, its main claim to fame being its beaches – the Red Beach and the Black Beach. Perissa puts up more modest tourists than those who stay at the fantastic boutique hotels in beautiful Oia, Fira and Imerovigli. Hence, it is a good place to spend the night, as it is full of pretty, picturesque hotels, like the charming Kouros Village where we stayed, whose breakfasts on the terrace we still fondly recall.

By night, its seaside promenade speckled with restaurants is a good place to take cover from the exorbitant prices of other spots on the island and enjoy their down-to-earth Greek cooking. One such venue is Tranquilo, a beach bar with sea views where reggae sounds out continually and their friendly dreadlocked staff follow slow-food precepts to the letter, serving up delicious 0-km organic Greek food at laughable prices. Be sure to order youvetsi (Greek pasta) or one of their bio macro-salads.

Sphinx Wine Bar (Oia)

This restaurant in Oia, which opened just a few months ago, is the perfect spot for indulging in Greek wine and cuisine with creative flourishes based mainly on fish. It does not have sea views, but it does have a magical terrace in an alleyway in that beautiful, fairy-tale village, and its success is endorsed by that of its big brother – the Sphinx Restaurant in the capital, Fira.

This secluded corner, decorated in exquisite taste and with a cellar tailored to sybarites, has a spectacular wine list, which Panagiotis, their sommelier, knows by heart and will lecture you on in depth. Their array of dishes ranges from lobster with octopus to carpaccio and the odd nod to vegan and vegetarian cooking, as well as salads as their super-foods and desserts with such suggestive names as When Mango Meets Citrus.

The Wine Bar (Imerovigli)

At the Hotel Heliotopos in Imerovigli we came across an area called The Wine Bar which we advise you to try with an open mind and palate, prepared to taste more-than-interesting Greek wines. Located in a small natural cellar, which contributes to preserving the wine and endows the experience with a touch of magic, you can taste countless marvels produced from the local grape variety known as Assyrtico. We recommend you take your glass with you onto the terrace at dusk, to witness one of the best sunsets on earth.

Koukoumavlos (Fira)

In Fira, the capital, you have to tread carefully. There, all the restaurants look wonderful, with spectacular views over the sea, but you have a good chance of ending up with an apology for a moussaka. The capital of Santorini is crammed with dubious tourist draws, like the donkey ride that took us to the ferry which leads to a volcano, or the exorbitantly priced restaurant tourist traps. You should avoid making the mistakes we did, like becoming spellbound by the views and letting yourself be cajoled by a bearded waiter, a cross between Bardem and Varoufakis. So, take our advice and go for Koukoumavlos, a superb choice. Their €68 menu is a good way of enjoying the essence of this restaurant’s offerings. They have specialised in Mediterranean cuisine for the last 30 years, have endorsements from the public and critics alike, and the spot affords fantastic views of the volcano.

Text and photos by Laura Conde of Gastronomistas.com