Apart from such irresistible cities as Venice and Verona, which tend to hog all the tourists’ gazes and flashes, Veneto also has other jewels to be seen and discovered and places which will quench your wanderlust. Not far from one of the leading lights of the region lies the Brenta Canal, linking Venice to Padua. It is well worth getting off the beaten track to discover it.

The river Brenta, which rises in the province of Trentino and flows into the Adriatic, was channelled between Venice and Padua in the 16th century to facilitate travel and the flow of goods between the two cities. Noble Venetian families then started building grand villas along the banks of the river. They served both as the agricultural headquarters of farming estates and as leisure resorts where their owners arrived in the summer months and where lavish parties were held. Over time, the canal became known as the “Riviera del Brenta”, where aristocrats flitted from party to party in luxury barges called burchiellos.All this splendour came to an end with the arrival of Napoleon, but those opulent villas, some of which have priceless gardens, have survived to the present and become a tourist draw in the area.

The best way of touring the Brenta Canal is obviously by barge. This will enable visitors to see first-hand the unusual system of locks, as well as the villas that are still standing, which number about eighty in all. You can take a barge either from Padua or the Venice ferry terminal and some of them include villa tours on the ride. Here, then, are the the standout villas, among those open to the public:

Villa Foscari

This beautiful villa, the work of Andrea Palladio, is nicknamed “La Malcontenta” because legend has it that Elisabetta Dolfin, the wife of Nicolò Foscari, was confined there allegedly for being an adulteress. Built from 1555 to 1560 on the Brenta riverside, it is noteworthy for the huge pedestal it is set on and its spectacular portico in the form of a classical pronaos, surmounted by a pediment, reminiscent of an ancient temple. The interior boasts some magnificent frescoes depicting mythological themes executed after 1566, the work of Giovanni Battista Zelotti.

Villa Pisani

Built in the 18th century and commissioned by the Pisani family, this spectacular villa with a certain Versaillesque air is an obligatory visit. Among the marvels to be seen in its interior is Tiepolo’s Glory of the Pisani family, which adorns the ceiling of the Dance Hall. Other highlights of this building include the enormous gardens, with ponds and a large maze which invites visitors to get lost in search of its Minerva statue, which crowns the belvedere. The stables, too, are worth visiting.

Villa Widmann Rezzonico Foscari

This villa was built in the early-18th century by the Scerimanns, a family of Venetian nobles of Persian extraction. The simple lines of its exterior strike a contrast with the richly ornate interior, decorated with French-inspired frescoes and Rococo stuccowork.

Book your Vueling to Venice to see the wonders of the Brenta Canal and its spectacular villas.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Alongside the perennial pubs, Dublin has a profusion of cafés, eateries specialising in particular bites, and signature cuisine gastrobars where you can spend hours on end. If, however, you have only a few hours to spare in the city, here are some spots no food or drink devotee should fail to visit.

The best coffee. 3fe lavish extreme care in making and serving it up in their two premises – one of which offers market cuisine, too. Their coffee comes from a variety of sources and they feature a huge selection of flavours and aromas to suit the customer. You can taste some on the premises or buy it as a takeaway. You will also enjoy excellent coffee at Kaph, a large café with good pastries.

The best chocolate. To be had at Cocoa Atelier, bang in the city centre. They offer it in slabs, as chocolates or as a hot chocolate beverage to drink, take away or gift. These are craft products and largely creative, judging from the combinations they propose. The shop alone is well worth the visit.

The best burger. In terms of great value for money, you will jump at the hamburgers in Bunsen. All their eats fit on what is virtually a calling-card-type box, served up with sauces and chips – also homemade. The fires burn around the clock in a venue which is always crammed with customers.

The best brunch. The most popular custom in these climes and the most practical option for locals; so, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Many establishments serve brunches beyond Sundays and the classic is to be had at Odessa, where you will taste the purest Irish tradition.

The best views. For a table with great views, even outdoors, go for Sophie’s. A 360° panorama over the capital with open kitchen, a stately bar counter for your aperitif, post-prandial liqueur or afterwork cocktail, and a rooftop terrace with heaters, just in case. They dish up generous helpings of Mediterranean-style food. Ideal for a date, a get-together among friends and even a Sunday brunch.

The best tea. We had one at Clement & Pekoe, where they also show you the proper way to make it. Variety, nuances, homemade pastries to go with it and a convivial atmosphere in the city’s most commercial precinct.

The best author cuisine. Both Forest Avenue and Forest & Marcy have a charm of their own, grounded in a common philosophy. These bistronomic restaurants seat few, far removed from the fast food concept and the classic pub, so it is essential to book in advance. An establishment on the outskirts of town, Heron & Grey, stands out for its haute cuisine and Michelin star, but you won’t get a table before next September. Another interesting option is the gastropub, The Old Spot.

The best cocktail. You can grab a pint anywhere, and anyone can even quaff one in the middle of the street without waiting for nightfall. But, if you’re looking for something other than the clichéd black ale, head for the bar counter at refurbished The Pichet and order one of their signature cocktails in the heart of Temple Bar, before moving on to the very crowded The Ivy.

Get ready to delve into Dublin’s culinary facet – book your Vueling here.

Text by Belén Parra of Gastronomistas

London is in a class of its own when it comes to cultural offerings. This list of exhibition spaces to visit may seem overwhelming, but it is well worth seeing some of these museums or exhibition halls whenever you happen to be in London. One such privileged spot is the Victoria & Albert Museum, dedicated to art and design, which has been hosting an endless stream of exhibitions lately. This alone warrants at least a brief visit to London.

This is true of Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion, the latest jewel put out by the V&A to steal our hearts, cajoling us into making room on our agenda to delight in the work of this brilliant couturier. The exhibition, inaugurated on 27 May and running until 18 February 2018, pays tribute to Cristóbal Balenciaga, one of the great visionaries of haute couture. A contemporary of Coco Chanel and Christian Dior, he managed to seduce everyone with his technically perfect minimalist designs based on polished lines and new materials. His craftsmanship once prompted Coco Chanel to remark, “He alone was a couturier in the truest sense of the word… the others are simply fashion designers”.

On display at this exhibition, curated by the fashion specialist Cassie Davies-Strodder, are a hundred garments and twenty hats, most of which come from the V&A collection. Among the curiosities at this show is the chance to discover some of Balenciaga’s dresses and hats in detail, thanks to the collaboration of artist Nick Veasey who uses X-ray imaging techniques to reveal the complexity hidden in the designs.

This is the first exhibition in the United Kingdom dedicated to Balenciaga, who opened his first boutique in San Sebastián a hundred years ago, while eighty years have gone by since he arrived in Paris, fleeing from the Spanish Civil War. It was there that he eventually set up his own workshop and earned international fame. However, recognition was late in coming to this outstanding couturier. Acclaimed for his meticulous craftsmanship, he always shunned the limelight, despite boasting such customers as Marlene Dietrich, Ava Gardner and the millionaire, Mona von Bismarck.

New Design Museum in London

Still within the confines of design, to make the most of your London getaway we recommend you take the opportunity to visit the new premises of The Design Museum, which opened its doors on 24 November. Housed in the former Commonwealth Institute, the building has 10,000m² of floor space and a parabolic ceiling. Renovation work on the premises was assigned to British architect John Pawson. The goal of this reconversion was to turn the museum, previously housed in more modest premises in the city, into a veritable beacon of design, by way of a Tate Modern of design and architecture. Apart from revelling in the new design space, you can also visit the newly unveiled exhibition, Designed in California. It explores how the ideals of the 1960s counterculture morphed into the tech culture of Silicon Valley, and how the “Designed in California” concept became the global phenomenon we know today.

Fire up and make your getaway to fine design – book your Vueling to London here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Photo: Dovima with Sacha, cloche and suit by Balenciaga, Café des Deux Magots, Paris, 1955. Photograph by Richard Avedon © The Richard Avedon Foundation

Like clogs, windmills and bicycles, the tulip as a symbol is intimately linked to one’s image of Holland. This bulb, which originated in Anatolia and the Middle East, reached Europe in the 16th century and was met with marked admiration, particularly in the Low Countries. There, just one century later, it sparked a phenomenon that came to be known as “tulip mania”. As a result, the flower became a veritable cult object, fetching exorbitant prices and eventually being listed on the stock exchange. This ended up triggering the first recorded economic bubble in history, on account of the speculation that emerged around this product.

Nowadays, tulips inundate the Dutch countryside each spring, turning it into a genuine explosion of colour. It is well worth a getaway to the Netherlands just to contemplate it. For those eager to savour this priceless flower to the full, we have put together a selection of places you can’t fail to include on your must-see list.

Keukenhof, a Park With Over 7 Million Flower Bulbs
Keukenhof is located in Lisse, between Amsterdam and The Hague, in the heart of what is known as the “Bulb Region”. Here you will encounter an amazing 7 million plus flower bulbs, the sight of which is overpowering. This is a must-visit site for flower lovers and nature devotees in general. But, Keukenhof is not celebrated just for its huge number of flowers, but also for its landscape design, featuring lakes, fountains, walkways and windmills, making up a surprisingly heady ensemble. The only drawback is that this marvellous garden is only open to the public at the time of the tulip blossom; that is, from mid-March to the end of May and, owing to the large crowds that flock here, it is advisable to book well in advance.

En Route Through Bollenstreek, The Bulb Region
The area known as the Bulb Region (Bollenstreek, in Dutch) is another destination you should make a point of visiting in spring. Situated 30 kilometres south-west of Amsterdam, between Haarlem and Leiden, the area is characterised by the presence of clayey earth which, in conjunction with the prevailing maritime climate, makes for perfect tulip-growing conditions, in addition to other bulbs, notably crocuses, daffodils and hyacinths. The time of year to come here is in April, when the tulips reach their maximum splendour. Touring this land by car or bicycle is a veritable delight on the eyes, as you come across field after field of myriad tulips in all shapes and colours – an astonishing sight for any visitor to behold. Organised tours from Amsterdam ply a fairly comprehensive circuit through the towns in Bollenstreek.

Tulip Museum
If you are eager to know the history and all the ins and outs of this popular, highly prized bulb, make a point of visiting Amsterdam’s Tulip Museum before you leave Holland. Located in the Jordaan district, hard by the Anne Frank house museum, it is an essential resource for learning the thrilling history of this priceless flower.

Book your Vueling to Amsterdam and gear up to savour spring in Holland.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Photos by Robert Lyle Bolton