Long queues have begun to form lately outside Nº 164 on Calle Girona in Barcelona with dozens of people, half of them Japanese, waiting patiently for Ramen-ya Hiro to open its doors. It’s the latest buzz on the streets of Barcelona: Hiro makes the best ramen in town.

‘Ramen’ is a type of soup that is served in a bowl with noodles. The dish, originally from China, has become one of the most popular in Japan and the small restaurant run by Hiroki Yoshiyuki has captured the very essence of Japan. To start with, they only serve one culinary speciality – as is the case in most restaurants in Japan. The focus here is on two varieties of ramen: one with miso stock and another with soy sauce stock, accompanied with vegetables, some meat and a naruto. Gyozas (small meat and vegetable pasties) are the perfect side dish for ramen and are served five at a time on a Japanese ceramic dish.

Among other things, the menu also includes edamame, onigiri, kimchi and chasu-don (a bowl of rice with strips of pork and onion). Also on the menu is a small selection of typically Japanese desserts, such as strawberry daifuku and green tea ice-cream.

So, what is the secret to the success of Ramen-ya Hiro? The excellent culinary skill and the tradition that goes into preparing the food. The noodles are prepared traditionally every day, as is the stock which is cooked for over ten hours. The flavour of the ramen at Ramen-ya Hiro is so good that just tasting it will transport your mind to Japan.

Ramen-ya Hiro
Address: 164 Calle Girona, Barcelona.
Opening times: Monday to Saturday from 13:30 to 15:30 and from 20:30 to 23:30. Closed Sundays and Wednesday lunch-times.
Price: basic ramen €7.50; plate of gyozas €4.50. They offer a set lunch menu for €10.50 with ramen and gyozas.
www.facebook.com/RamenYaHiro

By Isabel Romano from Diario de a bordo

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Santiago’s zone of influence stretches through a score of municipalities, ranging from A Coruña to Pontevedra, all articulated around the river Ulla, while various branches of the Road to Santiago run nearby, too.

Hardly 10 km from the city lies a magical spot – Pico Sacro, a legendary hill as far as Galician culture and the Jacobean tradition are concerned. Located south-east of the city, its unusual outline rises sharply to a height of 533 metres. Santiago and the skyline of its Cathedral towers are visible in the distance from its summit.

Galicia is green, and the city of Santiago is also surrounded by green. Nature lovers can go on outings from the city to such amazing spots as the Fervenzas do Toxa, or to Insua; to unique forests like the Fraga de Catasós, with chestnut trees towering over thirty metres, or to mountain ranges like O Candán, with its ancient landscapes and great open spaces.

In a radius of just fifty kilometres you can discover the monumental wealth of such historic towns as Padrón or Melide, both directly related to the Road to Santiago; pazos (country homes) like the Pazo de Santa Cruz de Ribadulla, noteworthy for its camellias and centuries-old olives trees, and even places of quiet and repose like the Carboeiro Monastery, surrounded by splendid natural scenery.

Needless to say, being Galicia, it is also worth planning outings to try the delicious and abundant cuisine in Santiago’s environs, characterised by the use of fresh produce in season. Be sure to try the Padrón peppers, trout and lamprey, cocido (stew), beef, cheeses, melindres (honey fritters), filloa crêpes, almendrados (macaroons) and rosquillas (a ring-shaped pastry), and to end your trip by toasting with a local spirit.

Come and discover all these gems for yourself! Check out our flights here.

For further information on Santiago: www.santiagoturismo.com

For further information on the environs of Santiago: www.areasantiago.es

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.

Makes you want to go, right? Do it! Check out our prices here!

Picture by Olivier Aumage

The Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood, or the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, was commissioned by Tsar Alexander III between 1883 and 1907 on the exact spot where his father, Tsar Alexander II, was fatally wounded.

Located next to the Griboedov Canal and visible from Nevski Prospekt, the building was constructed according to the traditional Russian style and inspired by Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. It therefore stands as one of the most striking Baroque and Neoclassical buildings to be found in Saint Petersburg. The structure includes three semi-circular apses and is crowned by five domes. It is one of the churches housing the largest number of mosaics in Europe, which bring together both Byzantine and Art-Nouveau styles.

In the past, the church was only available for private use but was opened to the public following the revolution. The building was used for various purposes throughout the communist era and eventually fell into complete disrepair. In 1970, responsibility was passed to Saint Isaac’s Cathedral and a series of restoration projects began that were to last for 27 years.

It is currently open as a museum and entry costs 250 roubles (350 if you visit during the White Nights Festival). We recommend that you rent an audio guide (200 roubles) so as not to miss any of the interior details or alternatively join one of the guided tours offered on the website of Saint Isaac’s Cathedral.

By Isabel Romano from DiariodeaBordo

 Makes you want to go, right? Do it! Check out our prices here!