Cinque Terre (Five Lands) is the name of the 10 kilometers long seacoast that goes from Punto Mesco to Punta di Montenero, including five villages: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore, aligned in this order if you come from Genoa.

They are part of the Liguria region -with Genoa as the capital city- and not just five random villages. Along with Portovenere and the islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto, the setting was declared World Heritage site and it’s considered one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

These five traditional villages have some odd architectural characteristics. For instance, most of the houses were built on the steep rocks of the coast and are somehow suspended between the sea and the land.

These are little fishing villages, very well preserved over the years, protected against the massive urban growth and not altering the delicate ecological balance.

From Genoa you can reach Cinque Terre easily by train, taking the regional train that goes from Genoa to Pisa and across all these villages. This is the best option to get to Spezia province, because traffic to vehicles in the narrow cobbled streets of the Cinque Terre villages is limited.

Therefore, the best option is to walk within the routes that connect all the five fishing villages, to discover stunning landscapes, beaches, hills and pines forests. The most famous is the Blue Route, a 12 kilometers walk. Or, if you’re looking for something easier, get the Via dell'Amore, between Riomaggiore and Manarola, with a nice view over the Liguria coast.

At Cinque Terre you’ll enjoy a colorful mosaic in one of the most beautiful areas in the Mediterranean Sea. Also the gastronomy, with regional specialties and great fresh fish from the area or wines with their own designation of origin, like the delicious Sciacchetrà.

Riomaggiore by rdesai | Manarola by Mathias Ripp | Corniglia by sailko | Vernazza by AnticheSere | Monterrosso by Mauricio Pellegrinetti

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The quality and diversity of Bordeaux wines are recognized around the world. The wine region of Bordeaux Vignoble produces each year around 800 million bottles of wine, some of them considered the most prestigious in the world and that’s why, occasionally, one gets to pay exorbitant amounts of money. With absolute devotion of its wine growers and thanks to the accumulation of excellent climatic conditions for the growth of the vine, Bordeaux is associated with winemaking excellence.

In the same city, we will find the quartier des Chartrons , which has been traditionally wine merchants’ neighborhood and home of local business, with its warehouses and stores. During the eighteenth century these traders built here beautiful palaces and stately homes that still conserve. And you should get into its Sunday market and taste, alongside the Bordeaux people, a plate of oysters accompanied by white wine.

From the city of Bordeaux , you can visit the vineyards of Bordeaux, the largest vineyard in the world . Real dreamy places like Merloc – with its stunning castles – Blaye Bourg – and its beautiful hillsides covered with vineyards and charming stone villages with Romanesque churches , Dordogne – and the medieval town of Saint-Emilion, famous for its excellent wines and the numerous historical monuments in there – orEntre-Deux-Mers – the largest wine region of Bordeaux bounded by the Garonne and Dordogne rivers – .

To raise awareness of this wine’s treasure, Office Bordeaux Tourist Information regularly organizes trips to various wine regions , in which you can taste their wines and that it will delight oenophiles or amateurs , who want to understand better the wine.

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Picture by Olivier Aumage

By Tensi Sánchez from actitudesmgz.com

Lisbon is changing. In it´s streets you can smell art and culture wherever you go. The new generations want to show to the rest of the world the greatness of the capital and the economical situation won´t be able to make the ilusion flater. LX Factory is the best example of how in times of crisis the best and most creative ideas can appear.

Alcantara was an industrial area in the XIX century located under the 25of April bridge, but nowadays this zone represents the hotest cultural area in the city. The 23.000 square meters space was meant to be demolished thanks to the Alcantara XXI project to turn it into a multipurpose area. But recession delayed the regeneration and Mainside agency took advantage of the decadent and industrial atmosphere, to rent corner for 12 euro the square meter for young artists and entrepeneurs.

The result? A huge space in which almost 80 companies related with culture, literature, art, fashion and design gather, to offer the most underground and Berlin style experience. The prizes are affordable and anybody can enjoy the hipster atmosphere.

The must places are the Cantina: an old workers dining room which incluyes food for vegetarians and or the breathtaking three floor Ler Devagar bookstore. In the night going to Lollipop disco it is a good option as long as you are included in the guests list. But there is always a chance to go to La Sala de las Columnas where different kinas of deejays will play music for a memorable night.

The Open day is an event which is held twice a year and organizates different workshops and expositions.

A different and magical place, that speaks for itself about a new Lisbon that is rosing form it´s ashes. A city that albergates the most contemporanean culture without leaving appart tradition.

By Tensi Sánchez  from actitudesmgz.com

Photos by Ricardo Junqueira

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Green pastures and sharp cliffs are the regular landscape of Wales, a land full of myths and legends. At Snowdonia, northeast of Wales, it is said that King Arthur was born. Here you can find the tallest mountain in England and Wales, and the highest lake in Wales. It is located exactly at Snowdon – which refers to ‘snowy hill’ in old English – is the highest point of the park, which is named after it.

The best way to discover Wales is follow the coastline path, the longest in the world. To fully enjoy this wonderful natural environment, a 1.350 kilometers long path was inaugurate in May, 2012, Wales Coastal Path, which follows stunning landscapes.

It’s easy to get to the Welsh coastline. You should take into account that everybody around here doesn’t live further than one hour away to the beach. This is one of the most recommended destinations to nature lovers, as it goes by 11 natural parks and many other natural reserves, this route is accessible to hikers and parts of it are also accessible by bike, trolleys or people with reduced mobility.

Wales Coastal Path right from Chepstow (South Wales) to the mouth of river Dee, in the north, that is by the border between Wales and the Cheshire Country, in England. The route follows all the Welsh coastline in a path that will take you to the Gower peninsula – with sandy beaches by the area of Pembrokeshire-, the strait of Menai in the isle of Anglesey – that links to the land by an iron suspension bridge -, the seafront in Cardiff bay, the cliffs in Porthcawl or the Brecon Beacons National Park.

Along the way, you can enjoy rich and varied wildness species. The cliffs, bays and sandy beaches are great viewpoints to sight sea birds like guillemots, puffins, razorbills, gulls, glaucous and shearwaters. The popular Cardigan Bay is famous for the dolphins, gray whales and porpoises that visit the shore often to play with the waves.

Picture from Wales Coastal Path by Hogyn Lleol | Strumble Head by Hogyn Lleol | Pembroke by JKMMX

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