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

By Mariana Calleja from TravelThirst

Barcelona has given me almost four years of experience. Experience that came along with a dream, and how not to love a place you once dreamt of and next thing you are standing right there?

I have had the chance the embrace this place, to have it all for myself and to sense it from head to bottom, from mountain to coast line, from iconic places to hidden undiscovered corners.

So please let me take you into these gothic old streets, into the most perfectly built neighborhood and into some greatest spots in history, in art, in culture, in food-n-drinks tasting. Let me get you inspired into sensing this unique city we all have heard about: Barcelona!

See

Definitely a great quantity of things to see in this city, but you all know where to find the usual stuff, right? So let’s not stop here and let’s keep moving forward to what you won’t find on a common travel guide.

Montjuic Magic Fountain: the best and most beautiful free water fountains we have seen in our travels, these fountains in Barcelona are not to be missed. With a winter schedule (Friday-Saturday 7-9pm) and a summer schedule (Thursday-Sunday 9-11:30 pm) you will have an endless opportunity to enjoy this show. Music, colors and water become alive all together in a beautiful set of artistic display.

View of Barcelona from down under the W Hotel. Right on the corner of Barceloneta Beach, you will find a surprising spot, not as touristy as one might think, with plenty of coffee places in order to enjoy the afternoon, winter or summer. Even a mojito if you please on a new “chiringuito” or beach bar for quite a low budget. Feel free to walk, rent a bike, roller skates, or even take the bus. Just make sure you don’t miss this secret spot. One city view you won’t get from anywhere else in town!

Castellers: traditional and local human towers! You read that right. Declared as a Human Heritage, this local activity has it all for your sight: from amazement to stressful balancing moments. Every neighborhood and every town has its own group of castellers. They don’t perform daily or weekly, but you can definitely search or ask for the next presentation closest to you. And it is always a free attraction, so write this down as I write and you read.

Smell

Unfortunately, salty-sea smell is not an option here. Despite being such a salty sea, the Mediterranean Sea has not a great or strong sea-like aroma. But it doesn’t really matter when you have such a city right on its side.

Barcelona has appeared to my nose as a fantastic lab many times, even for all senses. But I have found out it is mostly about the scents on the street. Like what? Well, bakery and chocolate shops. Not to leave fresh fruit markets aside of course. But to me, bakeries, pastry shops and bread shops are the winners to my scent-album! So many of them throughout town and all of them so worth even a little taste, not only a deep smell.

Besides, it’s quite cheap! So don’t hesitate on trying any good “patisserie” whenever in town (even better if hidden from main touristy streets or areas). Sit down peacefully or why not, take away to that little corner at the beach. It will all be worthwhile and you will enjoy the moment forever.

Also, do not doubt indulging your nose with some fresh market scents. It is all about juicy fruits, jumping next to the fish section with quite a different smell. Then hitting the isle down to the sausages and meat stands, just to finally and happily end up at the chocolates stand. Open your lungs, close your eyes, grab your purse and take a long deep breath right there. Your soul will regain energy afterwards.

Listen

Traditional castellers’ music: a small band particularly known as “cobla” are the ones in charge of playing some air instruments with one unique kind of sound, as part of their human towers ritual, setting the right time and rhythm of the ascending. Nothing like we have heard before. It certainly gives some emotion and feeling to the whole event. Once more, castellers and their music is worth mentioning here. As a free activity, you can put two senses to good practice while enjoying this incredible performance.

Sagrada Familia’s bells during christmas time: no words needed in order to describe this one. As simple as it sounds. So if you are around during christmas time, make sure you go visit and sit somewhere around this church, preferably on the night of December 24th. Then just sit and let go into an overwhelming experience as the church become alive to the sounds of bells playing the Holy Night.

Taste

Food and flavors in Barcelona is all about one thing: Traditions. And with these, let me give you a few but tasty tips on what to taste, depending on the season you are visiting the city. Don’t worry, there is something for everyone!

Calçots: a winter onion-like dish full of fun! Get your glove and bib ready to dip these onions into the most exquisite homemade special sauce.
Fideua: a paella made with tiny noodles and served with alioli. Couldn’t get better!
Cava with lemon sorbet: happy new years! Unbelievable fresh and classy drink, easy to make and ready to welcome a new year full of adventures.
Panellets: Easter week time brings some delightful little pastries of several kinds. They are called panellets and are sold by weight. Go by a pastry shop and buy one of each, then head to the nearest park and enjoy with a nice cuppa coffee or even some more Cava. Cozy, warm and sweet flavor.

Feel

The toughest sense to discover and describe, but also the most memorable one within our sensory album of life.

Barcelona is the heart and home for Modernism, which brings a special detail to be touched. Something you will barely find in any other place in the world.

Trencadís: this is the name for the very popular technique by Antonio Gaudi, the one with lots of ceramic pieces, with tons of colors and images, even hidden messages. This technique makes a unique surface, which can be found extensively at the Parc Guell mainly, but also at many other of Gaudi’s art, such as Casa Batlló and La Pedrera.

San Jordi’s City Door: a magnificent historical monument at the the Crown’s Archive building right in the heart of the Gothic neighborhood. Made with bronze in 1975 by Josep Maria Subirachs, this huge door gives a great overview to the history of Catalonia, all within the Sant Jordi legend: a saint who defeated a dragon in order to save an entire town and a princess. Its greatest figures and irregular surface lets people enjoy some learning while touching history itself.

After these experiences, you will certainly have some great stories to share and many memories through the senses that will make you want to come back to Barcelona.

By Mariana Calleja from TravelThirst

Why not take a trip to Barcelona? Have a look at our flights here!

By Iñaki Makazaga from Piedra de Toque

The most visited figure in Denmark and the main tourist attraction in the city of Copenhagen sits totally oblivious to the world at the end of a pier in the port (Langelinie). The Little Mermaid avoids all eye contact as she looks out to sea, almost with her back turned to her visitors. Perhaps this is because only she knows the true price of her fame (decapitated twice, mutilated three times and thrown out to sea several times) and the real story behind her own history. We decided to get on our bikes in search of answers and found the true face of Copenhagen: a city with a barbaric past that has now become a haven for peace.

We began our journey on the banks of the Sankt Jorgens Canal overlooked by the mansions reflected in its waters as we ventured out among the families, people enjoying sport and ducks picking at the grass. We pedalled along on the bicycles we rented from one of the 110 locations dotted around the city – one of the measures aimed at obtaining the title of ‘capital city with the best environmental quality’ in 2015. Every turn of our wheels left behind yet another tree as we travelled along the green corridor created by the canal. We took in the sights and decided to turn right at the third bridge to eventually arrive at the Botanical Garden and Museum (Botanisk Have) at 128 Gothesgade.

More than 20,000 different species of plant life now thrive in the grounds of these old city fortifications. The walls contain spacious gardens and the moat is full of aquatic and wetland plants, each with its own little information sign stuck in the ground nearby. We parked up the bikes at the entrance and walked in. It was March and there was a hint of change about everything as the snowy season began to loosen its grip. The earth was all churned up, the trees were leafless and the sky was grey. An enormous three-story greenhouse with four glass pavilions appeared in the distance where 1,000 varieties of cactus, coffee plants, pineapples and even palm trees are incubated and studied. We were overcome by temptation and bought two bags of seeds from the shop on the way out: one of Asian bonsais and another of red orchids. Maybe we thought we could take away our own part of the peace that reigns in this park and whose roots still soak up the blood of the people who fought to defend the city from enemy invasion.

We returned to our trail. We left behind the garden and the botanical museum to pedal our way through the areas surrounding Roseborg Slot, the royal palace built by Christian IV in 1606 as a summer residence that now also serves as a large museum. It houses thousands of objects related to the oldest monarchy in Europe and is full of paintings, furniture, weapons and jewels. The traffic light turned from amber to green and so we pedalled on.

The peace of the botanical gardens now changes to the hustle and bustle of central Copenhagen. The cars give way to cyclists between the buildings from which emerge the strong>spires of the Marmorkirken, a church inspired by Saint Paul’s in Rome and which was originally planned to be built using Norwegian marble. They soon realised there was a far simpler way to celebrate the 300-year reign of the family of Frederik V and the Norwegian marble was switched for Danish marble a century later in order to get the place finished. However, no expense was spared on the steps: 260 to reach the bell tower. The views of the city make the exhausting climb well worth it. We took the opportunity to check our map. We felt the call of the thriving city centre, with the pedestrianised Strøget street full of shops and terraces filling the cobbled medieval squares of Kongens Nytorv and Radhuspladsen. We left those for nightfall and continued towards the port where the Little Mermaid sat waiting for our visit.

We dismounted and walked the bikes for a while. We were in Nyhavn, the New Port, which was opened by soldiers between 1671 and 1673 so that ships could unload their goods in the city centre. It became the darkest part of Copenhagen for years, inhabited by sailors and ladies of ill repute. Cheap rooms, dark taverns, tattoo parlours and brothels. Nyhavn has emerged from its murky past and now offers one of the most attractive faces of the capital along the 300-metre stretch of port-front properties with narrow, colourful houses and pavements full of terraces. No matter how cold the weather is, a blanket, a heater and a candle embrace all visitors. Around the edge of the port can be found evidence of that era in the form of wooden ships such as the 19th Century lighthouse ship that has been converted into a restaurant. An anchor that belonged to a Danish frigate also recalls the maritime past and pays tribute to all those who lost their lives during World War II. We took photos of the brightly-coloured houses. Maybe Hans Christian Andersen himself looked out from one of them to look at the sky while penning his tales. The truth is that even the walls whisper their stories in this part of town.

Now back on our bikes we pedalled along the canal towards the sea with the humid wind blowing in our faces. The tide greeted us at the shore, together with a number of new pavilions. We entered the Citadel (Kastellet), another great fortification to protect against attack from the Swedes. The five-pointed star-shaped fort has also witnessed great swathes of history in this country. Used by Nazi troops as a main headquarters during World War II, it now belongs to the Danish army although the gardens and walls are open to the public. In the 19th Century, it was also used as a prison and small sculptures now speak of the horrors of war. A museum depicts the activity and names of the people who led the resistance against the Nazis. And the Little Mermaid, nowhere to be seen.

We kept on pedalling. It started to snow and a hoard of tourists announced we had reached another point of interest. At the end of the pier, resting on a rock and with her back to the tourists we finally met the star of one of the most famous stories written by Hans Christian Andersen. The very one who fell in love with a prince and who now waits for him to return looking out to sea. The snow continued to fall. The grey sky opened as if in slow motion: rain, snow, more rain.

Walt Disney tells us of a happy mermaid surrounded by seafaring friends who struggles to make her dreams come true. The reality proved to be much different. The colour of copper, alone, her nakedness constantly illuminated by camera flashes from the tourists. Yet she doesn’t smile. The thing is, Hans Christian Andersen wrote a different ending. The prince she gave up being a mermaid for ended up marrying another. The Little Mermaid died alone, without breaking the spell that would let her return to the sea without killing the prince. She preferred to wait, convinced that another ending would find her sooner or later. Like the Little Mermaid, Copenhagen has preferred to keep every palace, every fortification that speaks of its Viking and Barbarian past in order to convert them into gardens and museums that grow a new history of peace and tolerance. We joined the Little Mermaid and gazed out at the horizon in silence.

COPENHAGEN BY BIKE:

Time: 2 hours

Route: Sankt Jorgens Canal in Norrebro, Botanical Museum, Roseborg Slot, Marmorkirken, Nyhavn, Kastellet, The Little Mermaid.

Recommendations:

- Visit the museums mentioned: open from 10:00 to 16:00.
- Get a Copenhagen Card.
- Explore the city by bike and have lunch in the New Port after finishing the tour.

By Iñaki Makazaga from Piedra de Toque

Picture by Henrik Jessen

Why not take a trip to Copenhague? Have a look at our flights here!

Bologna is one of the most beautiful cities in northern Italy. Celebrated for having the oldest university in the world, its other hallmarks include its porticoes and red facades, which change hue with the passage of the sun – a small city with a great history, making it convenient and attractive for sightseeing and highly recommendable for a family getaway.

The past is still alive in the city’s streets, in the medieval inner city, in the Renaissance palaces and villas, the Baroque churches and the squares and gardens. Bologna breathes a young, revolutionary and somewhat bohemian atmosphere. Modernity rubs shoulders with the old, of which its inhabitants can be proud.

The point of departure for touring the city is the Piazza Maggiore which boasts some of Bologna’s major landmarks, notably the Palazzo dei Banchi, Basilica of San Petronio, Palazzo dei Notai, Palazzo d’Accursio, which houses the City Hall, and Palazzo del Podestà. The latter houses the city’s tourist office where they kindly inform visitors of all the possibilities open to family groups. If time is at a premium, there are two options – first, a family friendly guided tour of the city organised by the collective, Mammacult and, second, the 48-hour Welcome Card, which includes free entrance to museums and a guided tour of the historic centre, or the 72-hour Card, which also allows access to the tower and the tourist bus. Each of these is valid for an adult and a child under 12 and either of these cards is worth taking out.

Adjoining the main square is the Piazza del Nettuno, featuring a fountain dedicated to the god of the sea, and the presiding Palazzo Re Enzo, once the hub of Bologna’s economic life and now transformed into a plush multimedia public library. It’s a great place for taking a breather when the fatigue kicks in or in bad weather, as its interior includes a wonderful area for toddlers and babies. And, if you want to keep on reading children’s stories, you only have to go out onto the street again and around the Palazzo Re Enzo, as on the Via Rizzoli you will find the Giannino Stoppani Libreria per Ragazzi. No wonder that each year the world’s leading Children’s Book Fair is held in Bologna.

Pressing on down the same street in the direction of the University Quarter you come to another icon of the city, the medieval Due Torri (Asinelli and Garisenda), the tallest of the twenty towers in Bologna. For the slightly older and bolder young ones, it is great fun to climb up the 498 steps leading up to the Torre Asinelli to see the splendid views of the city. If you get peckish on the way down, you can stroll along the shopping precinct of the Quadrilatero area, the city’s old market. Here, you will be treated to tasty views of fruit, confectionery, fresh pasta and even fresh fish.

Also worth exploring is the “T area” shopping precinct, bounded by the Via Ugo Bassi, Via Rizzoli and the long Via dell’Indipendenza. Walking under the stately porticoes, you will see anything from global brand outlets to long-standing Italian fashion stores, cafés and pastry shops, grocery stores and pharmacies offering a panoply of wares, with plentiful fruit and vegetables awaiting you when you get to the Mercato delle Erbe. There is also a route of old establishments restored in good taste as vintage-style shops. One of these is Les Libellules, a children’s tailored clothes atelier located on the Via San Vitale near the Due Torri.

Another spot well worth visiting is the Finestrella di Via Piella, a small window with canal views located between Via Zamboni and Via dell’Indipendenza which reveals one of the city’s best kept secrets – the underground water streams which once flowed through open-air canals similar to the ones in Venice. We also recommend heading for the Piazza Santo Stefano, presided over by the basilica of the same name, made up of four (formerly six) churches from different periods – a veritable gem! On one side is the Corte Isolani with a covered gallery linking the Strada Maggiore to the Via Santo Stefano. Sited there is La Gallina Smilza, a really cute store with all kinds of items for decorating the home and children’s rooms. A bit further along, at number 70, is one of the most famous and delightful ice-cream parlours in Bologna, the Cremeria Santo Stefano – they have flavours to suit all tastes.

Heading towards the south side of the city you come to the beautiful Margherita Gardens, the ideal spot for a family picnic or for having an aperitif at Vetro, an old greenhouse converted into a bar-restaurant. They have a fine open-air terrace with garden tables and lights inside flower pots, a great ambience for relaxing at the end of the day. It is part of Kilowatt, a coworking facility and idea accelerator based on social, cultural and environmental values which is self-managed under the auspices of the public programme Incredibol, hosted by the Bologna City Council.

Bologna also boasts numerous museums which are highly interesting and attractive for children. Located on the Via dell’Archiginnasio, in the historic centre, is the Archaeological Museum of Bologna which provides insight into the history of the city. A bit further on is the palace of the Archiginnasio, once the main building of what is the oldest university in the West, founded in 1088. There you can visit the Anatomical Theatre, where anatomy classes used to be given. Bologna is designated a UNESCO Creative City of Music, a prestigious title awarded for the wealth of current musical offerings and the excellence of the city’s past, as embodied in the International Museum and Library of Music, with a carefully curated collection of over eighty ancient musical instruments. If what you’re really sold on is art, be sure to visit the Bologna Museum of Modern Art (MAMBO) which hosts a great variety of children’s workshops and other activities.

To claim the icing on the cake to your tour of Bologna, take bus 87 to the Gelato Museum, located on the premises of the famous Carpigiani company, a former manufacturer of machinery and equipment used to make famous Italian “gelato”, the creamiest and most flavourful ice-cream in the world. This edifying museum is dedicated to the study and analysis of the history of craft ice-cream. They also hold a workshop geared to families, which includes a guided tour of the museum and an ice-cream-making workshop based on the original recipe. Enjoy the experience!

Fire up and make your escape to Bologna – book your Vueling here.

Text by Mar Domènech