Who would have thought that, when they made their debut on stage at the Café Bizarre in New York, the young Lou Reed and John Cale would end up being the stars of an exhibition paying tribute to their band in Paris? That was back in 1965 when, having first called themselves The Warlocks and then The Falling Spikes, they had finally settled on a name that would identify and enshrine them for posterity. Incidentally, The Velvet Underground was the title of a book on sado-masochism written by Michael Leigh which had fallen into their hands by sheer chance. Nothing unusual, however, considering that drugs, prostitution, transvestism and homosexuality were rife in their New York haunts and would become the subject of many of their song lyrics, a fact which rattled more than one music producer.

Andy Warhol, a great one for moving in the New York underground and absorbing it into his parties and his works, particularly in the film pieces he shot with Paul Morrissey, was enthralled with the music of this upcoming band and added them to the prevailing fauna in The Factory. What’s more, he even took the bold step of taking over as manager of the group and in 1967 released his first production, The Velvet Underground & Nico, for which he did the cover design. Indeed, I am referring to the famous cover with the banana sticker, a veritable icon in the art world. But, the album’s value lies not only in its wrapping. Its content includes some genuine musical pearls like Sunday Morning, I’m Waiting for the Man, Venus in Furs and Heroin.One of the upshots of their collaboration with the pop artist par excellence were the videos he recorded with them, which ranged from ghoulish to arty, in which he enveloped the band in light and colour.

While the album was not a super-hit – only some 30,000 copies were sold – the band decided to  break with the core of Andy Warhol and The Factory to pursue their career as musicians. The Velvet Underground remained active until 1973, when differences between the leaders were responsible for precipitating a break-up – John Cale having had a more academic music training, while Lou Reed had followed a more rebellious line. They actually started moving in and out of the band, until they eventually decided to break up altogether.

Despite their short career and meagre success, at least as far as album sales is concerned, The Velvet Underground was one of the most influential bands of New York. Heirs to the beat generation legacy, they played a crucial role in New York’s counter-culture, far removed from the psychedelic hippie culture of the seventies that reigned in San Francisco, the other major hub of creativity in the United States. Among those who inherited their destructured sound and coarse lyrics were Ramones, The Voidoids, Dead Boys, The Heartbreakers, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, Bauhaus, The Contortions, Bush Tetras, Teenage Jesus and The Jerks, DNA, Sonic Youth, Spacemen 3 and Nirvana.

The Philharmonie de Paris is hosting a tribute to this band in the form of an exhibition entitled, The Velvet Underground. New York Extravaganza, which runs until 12 August. Audiovisual material has been carefully curated, with six films being purpose produced for the occasion, also featuring television file pictures, photos and portraits of the band members, objects from private collections and works by contemporary and later artists who were seduced by the charms of the band. This whole ensemble is designed to recount the story of the group and its lasting legacy. But, there is more – the exhibition will be supported by a parallel set of activities, including conferences, screenings and concerts.

Go back down memory lane and relive one of the outstanding rock bands of New York’s counter-culture by taking a getaway to Paris. Check out your Vueling here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

We travelled to Tel Aviv, Israel’s most European city, an island of hedonism in the heart of the Middle East where you can delight in the seaside, numerous art galleries, designer stores, discos… and restaurants.

Benedict

Israelis breakfast with gusto. That’s why at nine in the morning you will catch sight of bars and restaurants packed with customers breakfasting as if they were having lunch. The queue outside this venue, while not very long, speaks volumes of this restaurant’s popularity. It is the perfect place for breakfasting on good eggs Benedict in all its variations, accompanied by salad, bread and a beverage. It opens 24 hours, seven days a week.

Minzar Bar

Open every day and at all times, which is why it is a perennial meeting point for sharing a beer and a chat. Located next to the Carmel Market (Shuk Ha'Carmel), it is a prime meeting place for Tel Aviv intellectuals.

Espresso Bar

The elegant Rothschild Boulevard is brimming with lively, colourful establishments. One of these, on the corner of Herzl Street, is the place for an eggs Benedict and salmon breakfast on their peaceful terrace. Open every day from 6 a.m. to midnight.

La Gaterie

A small café serving marvellous croissants filled with cheese, ham, salami and egg… Ask for a local wine – you’ll be surprised. Open every day from 9 a.m. to 1 in the morning. Located on King George Street, which links the Dizengoff Centre to Kikar Rabin, the City Hall square, replete with bars and a ground zero for street protests.

Dalton

In the morning they serve up hearty breakfasts, as Israelis like them, while Italian cuisine is available for lunch and dinner. This restaurant with its retro decor lies in the heart of the Neve Tzedek quarter, a quiet and somewhat bohemian neighbourhood in Tel Aviv. Open every day from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Pines Street 27.

Dallal

Tel Aviv’s beautiful people (celebrities included) frequent this house with two patios to taste their Mediterranean dishes or have a cocktail. It is five minutes from the beach and opens every day from 9 a.m. to 11.30 p.m.

Night Kitchen

One of the fashionable restaurants in Tel Aviv is Night Kitchen. Modern and informal, it offers seasonal, proximity products, particularly vegetables. Open every day from 7 p.m. onwards.

Suzanna

Newcomers to this restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine are usually wowed by their terrace, embellished by a giant tree affording good shade… and by their soups! Located in the Neve Tzedek district, next door to the Bat Sheva Dance Company.

The Old Man And The Sea

Several restaurants are sited in Jaffa Port. This one, which recalls Hemingway’s novel, The Old Man and The Sea and specialises in seafood cuisine, presents diners free-of-charge with a jug of lemonade and 22 side dishes, along with your order. The prawns and calamari are very fresh, and the mussels are served with garlic butter. Tea and coffee are also on the house. Open every day from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The Prince

You hesitate when about to step into this particularly dark, rickety entrance. If you’re a daredevil and cross the threshold, on the first floor you come to this venue, with one of the quaintest terraces in Tel Aviv. There you can enjoy a cocktail or beer, apart from ordering something simple to eat. Open every day from 5 p.m. to 11.30 p.m.

Aria

A two-storey house with two distinct proposals – upstairs is a gastronomic restaurant featuring delicate, modern, elegant and balanced international dishes based on locally sourced produce. Downstairs is a lounge bar. A tad more expensive than the rest, but a good option for giving yourself a treat. Opens at 7 p.m.

Book your Vueling to Tel Aviv and indulge in their culinary offerings.

Text and photos by Ferran Imedio of Gastronomistas.com

The province of Málaga has a coastline stretching for no less than 161 kilometres. This sizeable chunk of seaboard is bathed by the nearly always calm waters of the Mediterranean and boasts a climate with fine weather lasting long after the summer has gone. No wonder, then, that it is a perfect spot for switching off and taking a breather any time of year. Known worldwide as the Costa del Sol – as it has no fewer than 300 days of sunshine a year – it features a large number of beaches to suit all tastes – secluded, urban, long sandy beaches, small coves, crowded and uncrowded ones… With such a variety of options, you are bound to find one to your liking where you can plant your towel and sunshade, and have a refreshing dip.

Guadalmar Beach, Málaga
This beautiful beach is located on one of the main bird migration routes, between the golf course and Guadalmar development estate and the Guadalhorce River Mouth Nature Reserve. In summer it is dotted with hire sunbeds and sunshades to aid in one’s relaxation even more. It is the nudist beach closest to Málaga and is also recommended as a LGBT destination.

La Malagueta Beach, Málaga
The famous beach of La Malagueta lies just ten minutes from Málaga. It is ideal for those visiting the city for a few days who want to have a swim, take in the congenial atmosphere and indulge in some culinary treat like sardines on the skewer or espeto de sardinas, a speciality in the city, available at any of the host of beach bars scattered across the white sands.

Artola-Capobino Beach, Marbella
Sited in the protected area of the Artola Dunes alongside Cabopino harbour is one of the best beaches in both Marbella and the whole Costa del Sol. It has fine, golden sand, and some sections are suitable for devotees of naturism. This priceless natural setting also boasts an item of considerable historic interest – the Torre Ladrones, a defence tower from the Roman period which is designated a Cultural Interest Site.

El Duque Beach, Marbella
Marbella, an upscale tourist resort, also has a beach where you can both strut your stuff and eye the other beach-goers. This is the wonderful El Duque Beach with its golden sand and spectacular backdrop of palm groves studded with beach clubs and bars suitable only for the well-heeled. Next door is Puerto Banús, which sparkles on account of its mega-yachts, glamour and luxury shops.

Bil-Bil Beach, Benalmádena
Located in the heart of Benalmádena, this city beach is perfect for family groups as it has all the amenities. A prominent landmark is Bil-Bil Castle, from which the beach gets its name. Of Moorish inspiration, it was built in 1927 and subsequently converted into an exhibition venue.

Maro Beach, Nerja
In the Nerja area of the eastern Costa del Sol lie several coves which meet all the expectations of lovers of secluded areas, where they can soak up both the sun and nature. One such spot is Maro Beach, located in the town of the same name. The best option for exploring this stretch of the Costa del Sol is by touring it in a kayak, as this is the only way to gain access to the Cueva del Lobo Marino (Sea Lion Cave) and the Cascada de la Doncella (Maiden’s Waterfall), a spectacular freshwater spring that plunges into the sea.

Fire up and enjoy the rich assortment of beaches along the coast of Málaga to the full – book your Vueling to Málaga here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Hernán Piñera

The Hermitage Museum is a must-visit for sightseers in Saint Petersburg. It is one of the best ways to delve into the country’s past – that of the Czars – to get an idea of the opulence and splendour they lived in. The figures speak for themselves: the Hermitage has over three million artworks, from both East and West, including paintings, sculptures, archaeological pieces, Greek and Roman antiquities, jewellery and weapons – imagine that! The art gallery rates among the finest in the world, leaving behind other great art museums such as the Louvre and the Prado. What’s more; only about 3% of that huge number of artworks are actually on public display.

That enormous private collection, which became a State Museum in 1917, dates from 1764, when Catherine the Great acquired 225 Dutch and Flemish paintings. It was also during her reign that construction began on the massive architectural complex where the collections are now housed. It is made up of seven buildings: the Winter Palace – the former residence of the Czars – the Hermitage Theatre, Old Hermitage, Small Hermitage, New Hermitage, General Staff Building and the Menshikov Palace, once the residence of the governor of Saint Petersburg.

The Hermitage Cats

What strikes visitors to this magnificent museum – apart from its wealth, splendour, fine execution and antiquity – are the cats that roam about there. In case you think they are there by chance – no, they are there by design, as they are tasked with hunting down rodents to prevent any artworks from deteriorating. Thus far, it might just sound like some quaint story but there is actually a long history behind these feline guardians. In fact, they are the only tenants of the Palace that have survived all the upheavals of the country’s past – the Napoleonic invasion, the Russian Revolution and the German invasion during World War II.

The first cat to appear in the royal palace was brought there by Czar Peter I from the Low Countries. But, it was his daughter, Czarina Elisabeth Petrovna, who in 1774 decreed the use of cats to rid the palace of mice, which she was genuinely terrified of. Cats have lived in the Winter Palace ever since and have witnessed the passage of Czars, courtesans and the Bolsheviks. Nowadays they share the premises with the museum staff and visitors. Only the siege of Leningrad, which lasted nearly 900 days and sowed famine throughout the city, caused them to vanish temporarily.

There are currently over 60 cats of different breeds roaming through the basements, the offices and the area surrounding the Hermitage, although they are not allowed into the exhibition halls. They even have their own caretaker, Irina Popovets. While the museum does not have a budget for their upkeep, funds are raised for this purpose by different means. They are supported through private patronage and the association, “Feline Friends of the Hermitage”. They have even had exhibitions held in their honour.

Whether you like these whiskered creatures or not, we recommend you book a Vueling to Saint Petersburg to discover one of the world’s largest and finest art collections.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by James Byrum, Brent Ozar, Jorge Cancela, RachelH_