Well, yes – Madrid’s culinary offerings can be overwhelming. Between glasses of beer and tapas – which come in all shapes and sizes – we often forget to set aside some time for delighting in the Madrilenian stew known as a cocido, an essential classic here. This hypercaloric dish, made up of soup, chickpeas and a variety of meat and vegetables, pampered over a long, low fire and served up in two or three scoops, in venues that can vary from vintage to chic, is one of those gastronomic experiences you are not likely to regret. If you happen to be in an eatery which does not specialise in this tasty stew, bear in mind that it usually appears with the onset of the cold weather (October) and lasts until the early heat in May. No wonder, as the dish is purpose designed to beat the cold and build up your strength, so that restaurants offer it as a seasonal delight. Here, then, is a selection of some of the spots where you can enjoy a great cocido.Bon appetit!

La Bola

Located in the area of the Palacio Real and the Plaza de Oriente, La Bola is one of the most popular cocido eateries in Madrid and a compulsory destination on any wish-list for this much loved stew. Founded in 1870, its outstanding feature when compared to the same dish in other restaurants is that it is made adhering to a strictly traditional method, cooked over a charcoal fire in individual stewpots.

Lhardy

Our second option is a venue that has also been open for many years. Founded in 1839, it offers both cocidos and other delicacies. Located on Carrera de San Jerónimo, Lhardy is just a stone’s throw from the Puerta del Sol. It boasts some magnificent classical-style salons, attesting to the fact that cocido can also be an elegant dish, particularly when you eat it using silver tableware. Royal figures such as Isabella II and Alfonso XII have graced these fine, history-packed premises, where they serve up a delicious and surprisingly light stew which is well worth the price.

Malacatín

Open since 1895, Malacatín is a small restaurant in the district known as La Latina which oozes venerable charm throughout. The cocido ladled up in three scoops is celebrated both for its excellence and generous helpings, so hungry guests are not likely to leave the eatery in a hurry. Their prices are more than reasonable compared to the competition and there is a story doing the rounds that whoever manages to finish a whole cocido here will have it on the house.

Casa Carola

While running for far fewer years than the previous spot – it opened in 1998 – the Casa Carola matches others restaurants for quality. It is situated in the heart of the Salamanca quarter and is a surefire destination for anyone wishing to try an exquisite variety of this dish. Their cocido is served in three scoops and among its star ingredients are their fabulous homegrown chickpeas from Segovia.

La Gran Tasca

Open since 1942, La Gran Tasca is another must-visit eatery for seekers of fine cocidos in Madrid. Located in the Chamberí district, their stew is ladled up in two helpings and is up there with the greatest, particularly their excellent soup. The interior design is markedly traditional, including bullfighting motifs.

Book your Vueling to Madrid and get ready to taste one of the most traditional dishes in town.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

With the setting sun as an idyllic backdrop, the beaches of Bajo de Guía, La Calzada and Las Piletas as unique race tracks, and swimming costumes as the main attire of the onlookers, the horse races of Sanlúcar de Barrameda are a must-see classic of summer in Cádiz. This horse-racing competition, designated an International Tourist Interest Event on account of its setting, with the Guadalquivir river mouth and the Doñana National Park in the background, is also one of the oldest competitions of any kind in the country, dating back to 1845. It now draws a crowd of around 30,000 visitors each year, eager to spend a lovely evening in which the horse races are the perfect excuse for soaking up the scenery, watching thoroughbreds in action and – needless to say – betting on the winning horses.

This year will see a total of 23 races, to be held from 3 to 19 August and divided into two cycles of three days each – the first, during the first half of August, on the 3rd, 4th and 5th, and the second, in the second half of the month, on the 17th, 18th and 19th. The races are run between six thirty in the evening and half past nine at night, a time when the low tides fall on weekends in August.

Manzanilla Sherry Cellars, Nature in the National Park and Much More

In addition to the spectacular summer horse races, Sanlúcar de Barrameda has a lot to offer visitors to the city, located on the mouth of the river Guadalquivir. This seafaring resort, a witness to Columbus as he embarked on his third voyage to the Americas, as well as Magellan and Juan Sebastián Elcano on their first circumnavigation of the world, still harbours signs of that period of splendour related to the discovery of the New World. Indeed, the city’s heyday accounts for much of its historical legacy, as attested by the 16th-century Church of Santo Domingo and the 17th-century Church of La Merced. There are also examples of earlier constructions, notably the Church  of Nuestra Señora de la O, with its spectacular Mudéjar coffered ceiling, and the 15th-century Ducal Palace of Los Medina Sidonia, the former residence of the nobility of Sanlúcar.

Sanlúcar’s importance is also enhanced by its proximity to the Doñana National Park, reached by boat from the city. This accounts for a large portion of the visitors who come here each year. The claim to fame of this priceless national park includes the fact it is one of the leading passage areas of migratory birds in Europe. Make a point of signing up for any of the host of excursions running from Sanlúcar to Doñana, which range from outings to observe the fauna and flora to bicycle tours of the area.

To offset so much nature, you always have the option to indulge in an enological tour of the manzanilla sherry cellars. Manzanilla is the wine par excellence of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, where the leading wine cellars are Barbadillo, Hidalgo, Argüeso, and La Guita. By chance, the dish that best pairs with this variety of sherry is another classic of the area, the “langostinos de Sanlúcar” (Sanlúcar prawn).

Book your Vueling to Jerez de la Frontera, hardly half an hour’s drive from Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and revel in these spectacular horse races.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Guillén Pérez

The moment you set foot in the airport you are surrounded by design. Suffice to look at the street furniture, a clear example of Finnish design. Their design philosophy is so consistent they have even created a design district. Confident of the value of their brand, in 2005 they created the Design District, founded by a group of entrepreneurs, which includes the Design Forum Finland, an organisation that has endeavoured to promote Finnish design for over 120 years. The area currently functions like a “mini-city” in the centre. It is made up of over 20 streets and some 200 establishments run by young entrepreneurs and local merchants who conceive of commerce as promoting Finnish design with great impetus and creativity.

They are all identified by a sign on the door. The Design District features quaint establishments, florists, restaurants, fashion stores, design and publicity agencies, photographic studios, art galleries, and such interior design spaces as the famous Artek, and even the Design Museum.

Beyond the DD circuit itself, one can’t fail to notice other significant Finnish design and architectural works. Here are some of the landmarks you shouldn’t miss:

The Kamppi Chapel (Chapel of Silence), in Narinkkatori Square, is a must-see. It is a refuge from the city bustle which was inaugurated in 2012, the year Helsinki was designated World Design Capital. It is built entirely of timber to resemble an igloo. No religious symbol features in its interior, and its maxim is peace and silence.

The older Church of Temppeliaukio, popularly known as the Church of the Rock, is visually stunning, resembling a UFO embedded in a rock, the only design of its kind in the world. Prominent between the roof and the rock is a thick glazed front that lets natural light into the interior. This is one of the most widely visited buildings in the city.

Another of Helsinki’s majestic constructions is its famous train station. This veritable gem of the Art Nouveau – which the Finns oddly call “National Finnish Romanticism” – was designed by the Finnish architect, Eliel Saarinen. Presided over by four huge sculptures, the exterior stands out as grandiose, while the interior is also admirable.

The Kallio District is acclaimed as one of the most hip districts on the planet. Indeed, it bears all the traits of this sub-culture, with its a-thousand-and-one Indie music nightspots, organic food, vinyls, brunch, food trucks, vintage, design, etc. One worth highlighting is Made in Kallio, a radical design store which doubles as a café and a studio belonging to a design collective. This space hosts events, including exhibitions and flea markets. Here, you’ll be anything but bored.

Helsinki’s design hub, where it all started, is undoubtedly the Arabia Centre, where you can find such brands as Iittala, Fiskars and Arabia, which account for a 90% presence in Finnish homes. Here, too, is one of the most prestigious design universities in Europe, the Alvar Aalto University of Art and Design. It can be reached by tram and is worth devoting a morning to. You can visit the factories and purchase the odd Finnish design article.

If you’re an unconditional fan of art nouveau, this is your ideal city, as Helsinki boasts one of the most prolific repertoires of this style in the world. Download the most emblematic routes, here.

In closing, to approach contemporary design, you should not pass up the chance to see the Kaisa House university library, a majestic building which breathes design throughout. It is Finland’s largest library and its architecture has been awarded several prizes.

I would take Vueling and turn up there right now. Helsinki is one of the most wonderful cities I have ever visited, with endless opportunities for outings and sightseeing. What’s more, it is near St Petersburg, opposite Tallinn and just a short jaunt away from Stockholm.

Text by Tensi Sánchez of actitudesmgz.com

Photos by Fernando Sanz

The Atlantic Ocean is blessed with a group of islands – Madeira – whose main draw is their natural beauty, with a stark contrast between the leafy green vegetation and the deep blue of the Atlantic waters. Not for nothing has it acted as a place of refuge, rest and inspiration over the last few centuries, seeing the passage of such figures as Napoleon Bonaparte, the Empress Sissi, Emperor Charles I of Austria, the writer George Bernard Shaw and Winston Churchill, among others. You could be the next traveller to become captivated by these isles. Here are the main reasons it is worth flying to Madeira:

1. Good Climate All Year Around

The geographical location of these islands and their mountain relief have endowed them with a tropical oceanic climate, featuring pleasant temperatures all year around, ranging from 17°C in winter to 25°C in summer. This means that any time of year is suitable for visiting and enjoying the archipelago.

2. Funchal, the Capital

The capital and one of the largest cities in Madeira is Funchal, which lies in the south of the archipelago. Standout landmarks in the city’s priceless historic centre include the 16th-century Sé Cathedral – noteworthy for its Mudéjar-style, wood-panelled ceiling – and the Igreja do Colégio collegiate church, its interior studded with gold panelling and tiles.

One of the inevitable rituals for sightseers when they come to the city – assuming they are bold enough and don’t suffer from vertigo – is to go up in the cable-car that leads to the lofty suburb of Monte. The hill affords spectacular views of the bay and it is worth visiting the local Monte Palace Tropical Garden and Leite Monteiro Park. The return trip down the hillside can be negotiated on an unusual form of transport – a kind of wicker toboggan driven by two men dressed in white called carreiros who steer the cart down the slope.

3. Unique Fauna and Flora

One of the highlights of the island is the presence of indigenous animal and plant species. A must-see is the World Heritage Laurisilva Forest. Another must-visit are the Desertas Islands, a marine nature reserve which boasts indigenous shellfish and sea birds like Cory's shearwater and the  Madeiran storm-petrel. Animal species also include the monk seal, indigenous to the archipelago.

4. Porto Santo Beach

Curiously, the island terrain limits the number of natural beaches to the island of Porto Santo, which has 9 kilometres of fine, golden sand and crystal-clear water. The beach has rightly been considered one of the most beautiful in Europe.

5. Cuisine

Of the typical Madeiran dishes, we can recommend the swordfish, preferably combined with banana, in addition to caldeirada (a fish soup), bife de atum e milho frito (tuna fish with fried corn) and espetada (charcoal-roasted beef on a bay leaf skewer). For dessert, we can heartily recommend a typical sweet known as bolo de mel (a honey cake with Madeira honey).

6. Madeira Wine

Ever since the sugar cane plantations went into decline in the 17th century, having been overtaken by the sugar farming in Brazil, grape-growing and viniculture came into their own and still play an important part in Madeira’s economy. Notable local grape varieties are the Bual – which is similar to Port – Verdelho, Sercial and Malmsey, the most popular of all.

Ready to discover this lost paradise in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean? Check out your Vueling here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by David Stanley, Greg_Men, penjelly, Krzysztof Belczyński, Hannes Grobe