Only an hour’s drive from Lisbon, we discovered an area little known in Portugal, but one that is certainly worth visiting. It’s a place to get lost in whilst taking in the incredible landscape. Alentejo has become a refuge for celebrities such as Valentino, Christian Louboutin and Sarah Ferguson. Even Spain’s Queen Letizia has been spotted around these parts.

In Portuguese, Alentejo means ‘Beyond Tajo’. It was the furthest point reached beyond the Tajo River during the reconquista. It’s a beautiful region blessed with endless planes, heavenly beaches and lots of sunshine. It is the perfect place to escape from the hustle and bustle and enjoy its local food and unique character.

With well-maintained historic streets and dozens of incredible shops where you can purchases artisan products, Évora is the most visited city in Alentejo. If travelling to Alentejo from Spain via Badajoz, the first city you encounter is Elvas, which is also well worth visiting. Builton high ground, its old military fortifications remain, reminding us of Spanish-Portuguese skirmishes over the centuries. Between Elvas and Évora lies Évora Monte, a tiny yet utterly charming village. Other destinations for the visitor include Portalegre, Monsaraz and Marvão, as well as the fascinating Estremoz and Vila Viçosa. It’s here that we make a stop to seek out the highly recommended Joao Portugal Ramos winery.Famous all over Europe, this bodega houses a number of wines of exquisite quality, and here you can see how they are made.South ofÉvora, in lower Alentejo, take a detour to Beja, Serpa, Moura, and above all the incredible town of Mertola.

One of the major reasons to visit this gorgeous part of the world is the beaches. In reality, they are an extension of Algarve, but a lot less crowded.Alentejo has remote beaches, where you can sunbathe, surf or simply get lost. Vila Nova de Milfontes isknown as ‘The Princess of Alentejo’ for its crystalline waters and sand dunes. It is a place you won’t want to leave. Instead, lose yourself in this slice of paradise.

WHERE TO SLEEP

If you do come to Alentejo, take the opportunity to sleep in one of the famous Pousadas Portugusesas and especially the Pousada Flor da Rousa in Nisa. This beautiful town is famous for its ceramic work, cheeses and local stew. But it also has a curious connection with France (in fact it is named after the French city of Nice). In 1199, after the conquest of the Sancho I and the Templars, a fort was built where Nisa now stands. Its first inhabitants came from Nice, and still today French culture seeps throughout this beguiling town.

If travelling from Lisbon, the Pousada da Nossa Senhora da Assunção in the village of Arraiolos, the Pousada Convento dos Loios in beautiful Évora or the Pousada Raínha Santa Isabel in Estremoz are good options. All are reasonably priced and all possess a certain type of magic.

GASTRONOMY

Alentejo's local food is not complicated. On the contrary, it’s simple, somewhat humble, yet delicious and abundant. It tends to be flavoured with herbs and other earthy produce. A good example of this is the typical açorda alentejana – a dish made with breadcrumbs, eggs, garlic, coriander and olive oil. It’s an explosion of flavours that everyone loves!

In Alentejo you will find exceptional bread, very good olive oil and mouth-watering pork. There is also a certain Arabic influence in the local cuisine, a sign of the long Moorish occupancy in the region. This can be appreciated in dishes such as migas à alentejana (paprika-spiced pork with breadcrumbs,) lamb stew and in the soups and local bread. Fish is also on the menu, best enjoyed at the fishermen’s bars situated close to the beaches.

Standout desserts include Pan de Rala from Évora or Sericaia con la Ciruela, a local speciality in Elvas. Or really any one of sweet treats from ovens of the local convents – abundant in this region! If you like good food, Alentejo is the place for you.

So there you have it, a fantastic plan for a short break. What are you waiting for? Book your seat now with Vueling.

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

The capital of Tuscany is a striking city packed with appeal which is well worth spending a few days in. Awaiting you, among other inducements, is Michelangelo’s famed David, Spring by Botticelli, the Ponte Vecchio, the famous dome of Santa Maria del Fiore and the Piazza della Signoria with its bold Perseus by Cellini. A highly manageable city which lends itself to strolling about and can be enjoyed both day and night – the latter has a charm of its own. And, of course, it has to be tasted and savoured.

Wine is part of the city’s DNA, as is art, and you are duty bound to stop and have a drink in any of the salumerie (delicatessens) or wine bars, where they also offer boards of local sausage, cheeses and panini, which spice up the drink experience even more. There are loads of them but, to help put you on the right track, here are some recommendations:

Ino

Hidden in the back streets near the Uffizi gallery is this eatery – a must-visit – run by chef Alessandro Frassica, who you will see behind the bar counter or dancing in front of it. Panini made on the spot, with a long list of more or less classic options. When we were there we wolfed down one with bresaola (a cured beef), ricotta and zucchini, and another with mortadella e salsa al tartufo (mortadella and truffle sauce) which tasted divine. The food is freshly cut, the bread is good, a great atmosphere and a very trendy ambience. Needless to say, you have to wash down your panini with two glasses of local red wine.

Alimentari Uffizi

A delightful store with just three tables where you can purchase wine and drink it on the spot for an uncorking surcharge. To go with it –tastings of cheese, sausage, olives and a delicious homemade sobresada.Behind the counter is the helpful Alessandro, ready to guide you successfully through your culinary choice. Pure produce.

All’Antico Vinaio

One of Florence’s oldest wine bars, now run by a group of youngsters who have set a new seal on the business while maintaining its centuries-old essence. Chalked up on the blackboards are a host of panini options with seasonal ingredients which you can combine at will. Don’t let the queue in this eatery put you off, as it is well worth the wait. Order some wine and enjoy – it is sited in one of the liveliest streets for “wine crawling”. Apart from wine, they also have anosteriaif you prefer to eat at a table.

A Special Dinner at Il Santo Bevitore

We left the panini behind – but not the wine – and sat down in a restaurant offering Italian specialities in order to taste regional Florentine cuisine. And we made the right choice! A young, lively atmosphere and a cuisine that soars above the Italian standards we are used to, as well as a wine list with hundreds of Italian varieties. We followed their recommendations and ended up with a table full of terrina di fegatini de pollo (a tasty, typical Tuscan paté on a bun), tagliatelle alle castagne and risotto ai porcini (field mushrooms). The menu changes with the season and their wine bar on the same street is handy for whetting one’s appetite.

Shopping at Il Mercato Centrale and Sant’Ambrogio

So, we went shopping. The Central Market, located in the heart of San Lorenzo, is the most important market in Florence. Their display ranges from pastas of all types, cheeses, wines and olive oil to fresh delicatessen, fruit and vegetables, as in any market. One of their main draws is the food area on the first floor, influenced by street-food culture, where you can find all kinds of snacks. Another must-visit venue that will delight even the most seasoned foodies is the Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio. Located on the Piazza Lorenzo Ghiberti, it features both inside and outside stalls where locals crowd around in search of the best titbits. Genuine and lively – before you leave, make sure you buy at least some olives and a birra (beer). Have a seat in the surrounding area and soak up the atmosphere. And, while you’re at it, head for the Trippiao Pollini street stall and pluck up the courage to try their tripe sandwich – you won’t regret it!

Let yourself get carried away by the flavours of Florence – check out your Vueling here.

 
Text and photos by Silvia Artaza of Gastronomistas.com

On account of its historic legacy, Prague is a jewel sculpted by the passage of time and one of the leading tourist destinations. If you happen to be in the capital of the Czech Republic, you are bound to visit its popular castle, cross the well-known Charles Bridge and have a revitalising Pilsner in any of the city’s myriad beer halls. But, when you are done with the typical tour for flip-flop and sock-wearing guiris, set off to explore the Prague which Czechs usually keep to themselves. This is the city, as fascinating as it is alternative, which we reveal in the following.

David  Černý
David Černý has turned Prague into his own huge museum. A St Wenceslas on an upside-down horse, a statue of two men peeing facing each other, Freud hanging from a building, babies transformed into machines… These are but some of the works which the most widely acclaimed yet corrosive and controversial contemporary Czech artist has strewn about the streets, avenues and public spaces of the Czech capital.

DOX
DOX is housed in a refurbished building in the working class suburb of Holešovice. Inaugurated in 2008, Prague’s contemporary art centre boasts the largest collection of modern works in the country. This is a must-visit venue for all art lovers. We recommend you end the visit by making a foray into their interesting shop – their café is nothing to scoff at either.

The Dancing House
Originally known as Fred and Ginger, in honour of the famous dancing couple, it was eventually named The Dancing House. This construction with its fascinating curved forms is highly conspicuous in a city celebrated for its centuries-old buildings. It was designed by Frank Gehry, the architect behind Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum, who executed the project in collaboration with the Croatian-Czech architect, Vlado Milunić.

Malá Strana
The Malá Strana district is a refuge for the inhabitants of Prague when inundated by droves of tourists. A backwater of calm and quiet in the heart of the city, it is bounded by several green areas, notably Kampa Island. The latter is separated from Malá Strana by a channel popularly known as the Devil’s Stream and its basks in bucolic beauty all year around. It is the ideal spot to get away from it all and to enjoy a stint of reading while sipping a coffee in one of the inviting cafés secreted along its streets.

Náplavka
This spot in the south of Prague’s Old Town, on the right bank of the river Moldava, was once the major meeting place of hippies. It has now become the focal point of hipster Prague. The area has a thriving art and culture scene and the best time to visit is on Saturdays, when the so-called Farmer’s Market is held from ten in the morning until nine in the evening. It is devoted to regional farm products, with stalls selling organic produce, craft beer and street food. You are likely to even gobble up the paper serviettes (recycled ones, of course).

Cubist Prague
When it comes to Cubist art, what normally springs to mind are works by such figures as Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Jean Metzinger and Juan Gris. And, if we push it a little further, the sculptures of Alexander Archipenko, Jacques Lipchitz and Henri Laurens, and the literary experiments of Guillaume Apollinaire. However, we hardly ever think of Cubism as applied to architecture which had in Prague once of its paramount expressions, thanks to the architectural trio made up of Josef Chochol, Pavel Janák and Josef Gočár. Visitors can delight in a number of their constructions around the city, but you should make a special point of seeing the building which epitomises the movement, Gočár’s House of the Black Madonna. Located on the corner of Celetná Street and Ovocný Square in the heart of Prague, it now houses the Czech Museum of Cubism.

SoNa
Wallpaper Magazine rated it one of the classiest districts in the world. Indeed, SoNa (short for “South of Národní”) is worthy of that distinction, what with its winding streets, cafés bustling with lively folk and exotic restaurants where you can sink your teeth into specialities from some of the remotest spots on earth. And, if you feel like doing some shopping, wander down Karoliny Svetle, where you will come across the stores of the most avant-garde local designers.

Vyšehrad
No alternative guidebook to Prague would leave out a visit to Vyšehrad, the Czech capital’s “other castle”. Rather than a castle, it is actually a ruined fort. Apart from interest in the landmark itself, Vyšehrad affords some of the finest views of Prague and the river Moldava.

The Alternative Tour

If you’re keen on delving further into alternative Prague, you can get help from Prague Alternative Tours. They will take you through the flip side of the Czech capital, past the walls displaying the city’s most amazing street art and to the flashiest clubs. They will also get you into the most innovative contemporary art galleries, and community centres where you can meet the most promising young local creators.

Book your Vueling to Prague and gear up to discover the alternative side of the Czech capital.

Text by Oriol Rodríguez

Images by Nan Palmero, Marmontel, Jose Mesa, Achim Hepp

What remains of Pink Floyd 45 years on? In truth, very little. With Roger Waters touring half the world with his 3D show,The Wall,and Richard Wright’s disappearance eight years ago, of the avant-garde rock band which dominated the show scene in the 70s and part of the 80s, only Nick Mason and the lead, David Gilmour, are left from the original group to spearhead the effort.

A Touch of History

Pink Floyd is one of the best bands of all time; no doubt about it. This is attested by their records and their endurance in the top positions among the benchmark groups for decades. Granted, they didn’t invent the concept album – The Who had invented it just before them – but it was they who exploited it to its full expression.

Pink Floyd has some records to its name. Perhaps the most striking one is having had a disc on the Billboard list for 889 weeks (over 17 years) in a row; indeed, their album was on the list longer than any other disc ever. With an estimated 50 million copies sold, The Dark Side of the Moon is Pink Floyd’s most successful album and the top-selling rock disc ever, coming in second in worldwide record sales behind Michael Jackson’s Thriller. But, their success is not limited to that 1973 album. They were famous before that, too. At the end of the sixties, they were the flagship of the British psychedelic scene. Their early records, when Syd Barrett also played in the group, acted as a magnet for a whole seething mass of new ideas and experimentation. Likewise, The Dark Side of the Moon wasn’t their only pinnacle of success – their subsequent albums were on a par, although they weren’t able to match the level of sales. Thus, the decade of the seventies was theirs – with the permission of Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones – thanks to such legendary tracks as Animals, Wish You Were Here and, above all, The Wall, which was made into a film directed by Alan Parker and starring Bob Geldof.

What Happened in Pompeii?

It is a well-known fact that Pink Floyd’s live concerts were in technological terms the most spectacular shows for several decades. They actually reigned supreme until the early nineties, up to the time that U2 staged a tour with their album, Achtung Baby. Live performances were always one of Pink Floyd’s fortes right from the outset, when the original crew delighted the crowds on London’s university and underground circuits. Those were the days of British psychedelics, and their concerts were a veritable sensorial experience, thanks to the support of screenings and performances. To get a better idea of what they were like, it is worth seeing the film, Tonite Let’s All Make Love in London, directed by Peter Whitehead, which includes performances by the London band from those times.

In the seventies, by then without Syd Barrett, the group continued to flourish. Their music shifted from psychedelic to progressive rock, while technological devices became gradually more entrenched in their live shows. But, before becoming one of the stadium bands par excellence, they embarked on a project that ended up becoming one of the great milestones in rock history. They joined forces with the movie director, Adrian Maben, with a view to shaping a film project they were working on. The result was Pink Floyd Live at Pompeii, set in the mythical ruins of the Roman city which was devastated by the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in AD 79.

The project was hatched quite coincidentally. The director, Adrian Maben, had simply phoned Stephen O’Rourke, Pink Floyd’s manager, in the early seventies, and suggested making a movie with the group. At that time the idea was to produce a very arty piece and to elicit the participation of artists of the standing of Magritte, De Chirico,Christo and Jean Tinguely who would create on a visual level what Pink Floyd created in sound. But, they never managed to reach an agreement. Months later, Maben went to Italy with his girlfriend of the time and visited the ruins of Pompeii. That evening he discovered he had lost his passport and, thinking back, he decided he must have left it in the Pompeii amphitheatre. He went back to the spot at dusk and there, among the monuments, sculptures and paintings of a place that had frozen in time, Maben experienced his great moment of inspiration – it was the ideal spot to film Pink Floyd. In the near mystic silence of nightfall, he realised that Pompeii had it all – death, sex and oodles of latent life. And there, in that amphitheatre, Pink Floyd could bring it all back to life.

45 Years Later

Last March, Italy’s Minister of Culture, Dario Franceschini, confirmed in his Twitter account that the 70-year-old British guitarist, David Gilmour, would play in Pompeii on 7 and 8 July. There, you have it – Pink Floyd’s lead will again perform at the legendary archaeological site, forty-five years after having been the leading light in the shooting of the movie, Live At Pompeii. On this occasion, he will be presenting the tracks from his latest release, Rattle That Lock. However, the possibility that he might also play songs by his former band has not been ruled out. Recall that Gilmour and Nick Mason still hold the operating rights to practically the whole of Pink Floyd’s legacy.

Be sure to relive the magic of one of the best concerts ever. You can also enjoy a tour of the most famous Roman archaeological site in the world. Check out our flights here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS