It takes 180 square meters of the south wall of the Chiesa di Sant’Antonio Abate-the convent of the Friar Servants of Mary of the Church of San Antonio in Pisa. The art of Keith Haring, the renowned artist from New York, left the imprint in this pisan wall with a work that wants to give out a message of peace and citizen participation.

Tuttomondo is the only mural painting of the artist thought to be a permanent work, unlike his early works he executed quickly with white chalk on the Subway’s commercials. Haring was identified from the beginning with the Street Art, avant-garde art of the 80s that rebelled against the traditional system of exhibition galleries. So was born a way of counterculture related to graffiti and hip hop . His art seeks graphic simplicity that can be understood by everyone at first sight; uses images as graphic symbols.

The large mural was created in 1989, a year before he died, and took a week to be finished. Tuttomondo thereby became the last public work of Keith Haring. Everything came after a casual meeting in New York with a student from Pisa who proposed the idea. Thus the idea of ​​ Tuttomondo was born, a word that sums up the idea that the artist had about interaction with his audience, and in it 30 figures are represented to symbolize peace and harmony in the world . Each figure has a role within its gear, in this way men with dolphin represent man’s relationship with nature, the figures “human scissors” are a symbol of solidarity to defeat the snake symbolizing evil-or the woman with the baby represents motherhood.

Colours are also very important, and that was his election, Haring chose the tones of Pisa’s buildings, to keep harmony with the environment.

Image: Cutiekatie

A place well worth discovering! Check out our flights here.

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

A place well worth discovering! Check out our flights here.

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

A place well worth discovering! Check out our flights here.

Budapest is said to be one of the most beautiful capitals in Europe, and with good reason. The rise of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1867 and the subsequent union between the cities of Buda and Pest turned the newfound metropolis into one of the continent’s leading magnets. Aside from its grand avenues, luxury palaces and bridges over the Danube, its appeal lies in its 118 springs spouting 70 million litres of water a day, at temperatures that vary from 20°C to 78°C.

The Spa City

Budapest has more thermal and medicinal water wells than any other world capital, earning it the title of “Spa City” in 1934. However, the properties of those waters have been known since ancient times. The Romans built thermal complexes during the period they settled there, as did the Ottoman Turks. Vestiges such as the Turkish baths have been preserved until today and are still operating at full steam.

However, the real boom in spa resorts took place in the early-20th century, coinciding with an upsurge in the city’s development and the foresight behind the decision to harness these waters for treating all kinds of diseases.

Planning Your Visit

Nowadays thousands of Budapesters and tourists from all over Hungary and the rest of the world come to delight in the city’s waters. There are obviously more spa guests in summer, but any time of the year is suitable for having a dip.

Each spa has its house rules, but most of them hire towels, have lockers for storing your clothes, and provide swimming caps. Check out the website of each establishment when planning your visit. While most resorts are mixed, some have different days or times of the day for men and women.

Here are the five thermal baths you simply cannot fail to visit:

Gellert

Remember that famous Danone advertisement from the early nineties, in which some hard-bodied models were swimming in a dream pool? Well, the pool in question happens to be the main one in the historic Gellert spa baths. Built in 1918, it is one of the city’s most elegant. It boasts 9 therapeutic pools, including a thermal bath, a bubble pool, a paddling pool and even a wave pool, flanked by statues and adorned with mosaics and stained glass windows.

It is also one of the more expensive baths. Admission varies from 3,800 to 4,200 forints (€13.20 to €14.60), but you simply can’t leave the city without visiting it.

Széchenyi

Inaugurated in 1913, it is one of the largest thermal bath complexes in Europe and the most popular one in Budapest among tourists. This does not, however, detract one bit from its charm. Bathing in one of the large outdoor thermal pools at Széchenyi is a wonderful experience. And, as it is the only spa in the Pest side of the river, you can sightsee this area before heading to the baths.

The admission fee depends on the services you hire, varying from 2,900 to 3,750 Hungarian forints (€10.10 to €13.05).

Rudas

Built by the Ottoman Turks in 1550, the Rudas Baths feature an octagonal pool covered by a dome, transporting one to A Thousand and One Nights. This spa is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for men only, and on Tuesdays for women (wearing a swimming costume is not required). Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are mixed. One option is to visit the spa baths on Friday or Saturday evening and extend your stay into the night at the Romkert, open from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. It is an open-air disco where you will be dancing at the foot of Mt Gellért.

Király

Together with Rudas, the Király are the most famous Turkish thermal baths. Opened in 1565, they resemble the Rudas Baths, although on a smaller scale, so you are advised to book ahead and take your own towels with you. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are set aside for men and indeed this spa has become one of the major gathering places for gays. Király is also among the more economical baths in Budapest: 1,300 HUF (€4.50).

Lukács

Specialising in digestive disorders, the Lukács are famous for having been a meeting place for intellectuals in the 1950s and for being one of most popular resorts among tourists. With its seven pools set in a beautiful park, this is one of the best spots for coming into touch with Budapest society.

Now all that’s left is to pack your swimsuit and get ready for a dip. Check out our flights here.

Text by Aleix Palau for Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS