Gijón lacks the touristy sheen of some other Spanish cities, but it is well worth visiting. And, not only for its cute little Plaza Mayor which stands out in sharp contrast to the grandiose, monumental Universidad Laboral, located virtually on the outskirts, or for its broad, pleasant esplanade or the Cerro de Santa Catalina park, crowned with a sculpture by Eduardo Chillida, Eulogy to the Horizon.

Los Pomares

A 10-minute walk from the centre has its reward – the “Best Fabada in the World 2015”, an award they won from among 80 competing restaurants from all over Spain. Made of large La Granja beans orf abes,they are tender from almost five hours of simmering away in their gravy of 100% Iberian bellota (acorn-reared) morcilla (blood sausage), chorizo (cured pork sausage), lacón (shoulder of pork), panceta (streaky bacon) and tocino (fatty bacon). A long flavour with a spicy highlight and not at all rich, as they do not stir-fry. Also served up are squid-ink calamari, which leave you stunned, delicious Emmental and cauliflower croquettes and fresh fish and seafood which attract local pilgrims to the cider hall.

El Quinto

A winery offering both Asturian and international cuisine as Mariano Mier, their chef, just loves travelling (he has visited some 50 countries). His Gwao Bao – a sandwich made of Taiwanese steamed bread, with Astur-Celta-breed Gochu pork jowl, peanuts and cilantro – won the Madrid Fusión 2016 Spanish Tapas Championship, while his Okonomiyaki – an omelette with five vegetables and seven spices – was a finalist in 2015. El Quinto, which devotes thematic menus to several countries, was also a finalist in the Asturias 2016 Pinchos Contest, at which they entered their Ahi Poke Hawaiian salad, made of marinated tuna fish tartare, sesame oil, soy, sriracha sauce and spring onion.

Casa Trabanco

Learn all there is to know about cider. Situated in Lavandera, 10 kilometres from Gijón, a glance at their cider press reveals how apples are pressed – a 0.75-litre bottle is equivalent to a kilo of apples – and how they let the must ferment for 4 to 6 months in 40,000-litre wooden and stainless steel casks in a tunnel originally built to transport coal. The restaurant features produce from their market garden – onions stuffed with codfish or meat and arbeyinos (peas) served up with poached egg, cucharina (teaspoon) stews (fabada, pote…) and such dishes as T-bone ox, codfish omelette and diced nuggets.

El Candil

For those who like good fish, you’ve come to the right place. It is selected daily by José Luis Camacho, the life and soul of El Candil, who is obsessed with offering quality at a reasonable price. In addition to the fish dishes on the menu (sea bass, sea bream, alfonsino, sole…), he always has salmon he himself smokes in oak sawdust, as well as quality meats, stews such as fabada, chickpeas and green vegetables. At this downtown restaurant, which opens from Monday to Saturday, they offer products in season, while wines can be ordered from their continually augmented wine list by the glass, in half-litre jugs or by the bottle.

La Bolera

La Bolera is one of the best grillrooms in Spain. Its manager, Cuco, is an expert on beef and he applies his expertise as a geneticist and chef when offering dishes of Black Angus, German and Dutch Frisian, German Simmental, brown Swiss, Dutch Holstein and others. The dishes that come off his Cuban Marabú charcoal grill is capable of moving his diners– the 350 to 400-gram T-bone steaks are wolfed down in a trice, garnish included (the chips and red peppers are framers). Other noteworthy dishes include the codfish, capon and field-mushroom rice, and leeks stuffed with Iberian ham and cheese.

Hotel Blue Santa Rosa

A great accommodation option in Gijón is this functional, modern, bright, affordable 3-star hotel located in a central but quiet pedestrian precinct, a three-minute walk from the Plaza Mayor, on the San Lorenzo beachfront and marina. Customers have breakfast in their café-bar, while the lunch menu on workdays features stews (€6.90 for a single dish and €9.90 for two, both including dessert, bread, a beverage and coffee). The à la carte has pasta, sandwiches, pizza, hamburger and mixed grills which are never more than €8, and they are takeaways, too. Free high-speed wi-fi is included, while parking is optional.

Get going on your getaway to Gijón – check out your Vueling here.

Text and photos by Ferran Imedio de Gastronomistas.com

By Tensi Sánchez from actitudesmgz.com

t gives me great pleasure to debut as a writer for My Vueling City and, naturally, my first post is about Bilbao. Without boasting or bragging too much, it must be said that no other European city has anything of which “My City” could be envious of. See for yourself as you read on.

Bilbao has been able to reinvent itself to an extent that few other European cities have achieved. In less than fifteen years, Bilbao has gone from being an industrial city to a city where the focus is on services, and the constant change continues to this day.
There is no surprise then that the majority of large international companies have set up shop in Bilbao; the regional capital of Biscay. Bilbao can also claim to have put itself on the map as an architectural benchmark.
Residents and visitors alike can enjoy a highly varied lifestyle that includes a great combination of the modern, the traditional, good food and shopping.
Just one weekend is time enough to immerse yourself Bilbao’s lifestyle. Here are a few suggestions about my favourite places in the city.

Everybody knows that good food abounds in these lands and this is precisely one of the strengths in Bilbao. Restaurants can be found dotted all over the city and cater to a wide range of culinary tastes. Exploring the many options is a delight for all the senses as you are seduced by the cuisine and often spectacular visual treats.

Here are some great examples: Un Señor de Bilbao, La Cuchara de Valentina, Nerua, La chuleta sin espina and Shibui, the latter being the only place in the city to offer haute cuisine, Japanese-style.

Bilbao is also the perfect city for trend setters and trend followers. A clear example of mixing the modern and the traditional can be found at Enkarterri Concept Store; clothes, furniture and food, all franked by the Basque label.

When talking about fashion and design, I must mention Persuade, the quintessential temple to avant-garde fashion and, dare I say it, the most amazing shop I have ever seen in my whole life ( although not suitable for all budgets), and Shopa, which specialises in design, clothes, books, wine and much more, is located inside the iconic La Alhóndiga leisure building and was designed from start to finish by French industrial designer, Philippe Starck.

And finally Lu:la, Narata, Serie B, Charada, Cultto and Ah Moda are shops that exude fresh and different fashion.

After a hectic morning of shopping, treat yourself to brunch in Plaza Nueva in the old town. You cannot come to Bilbao and leave without trying the famous Basque pintxos! Just take a short walk and you’ll see for yourself that there are countless bars just waiting to be discovered.

Visiting one of the many contemporary art galleries is another option but Epelde y Mardaras is undoubtedly the most peculiar. Located in an enormous flat dating back to 1840 with the chance to order lunch or dinner, it really is an incredible experience.

For vintage style at its purest, go to Almoneda Campos – an intriguing shop full of all kinds of items from times gone by. However, if you’re looking for something more exclusive and modern in terms of decoration and design, I have two excellent suggestions: Urbana 15 and Mosel.

Enjoying a carefully-prepared evening drink is a must in this city. My favourites are to be had at Corto Maltes, La Gallina Ciega, El txoko de Gabi and, of course, on the terrace at Hotel Domine with those marvellous and unbeatable views of the Guggenheim Museum – the perfect place to round off an evening in Bilbao.

And if that’s not enough for you, there is always an online agenda of cultural and leisure activities happening in Bilbao, ilovebilbao.com. I recommend you sign up for free before planning a trip to Bilbao because it will help you find information about everything that is going on, up to a week in advance.

Vueling offers a large selection of connections to the city so there is no excuse for not planning your “perfect weekend”. Bilbao is in Fashion… ¿What are you waiting for? Book your flight now!

By Tensi Sánchez from actitudesmgz.com

Christmas in Tenerife is characterised by the mild climate and the lively, festive street atmosphere in all corners of the island. Cities like La Laguna and Santa Cruz are decked out in colourful poinsettias and Christmas decorations, endowing the streets with a special flamboyance. A host of cultural activities are scheduled for the season, including concerts, exhibitions, theatre plays, traditional celebrations, crib displays, craft fairs, etc. Among the standout events is the Christmas concert on 25 December at Puerto de Santa Cruz, performed by the Symphonic Orchestra of Tenerife. As is to be expected, the festive season also features a host of activities for the little ones, notably the Parque Infantil de Tenerife (Tenerife Children’s Park). To round off the experience, make a point of trying the traditional confectionery on sale at this time of year. Here are some of the features that make this season one of the year’s most engaging in Tenerife.

Activities for Children

Youngsters have a range of activities to choose from at Christmas time, but the one everyone waits for with baited breath is the PIT (Parque Infantil y Juvenil de Tenerife) (Tenerife Children’s and Juvenile Park), a genuine amusement park which is hosted in The Tenerife International Centre for Trade Fairs and Congresses from mid-December until the beginning of January.

The PIT first opened in 1989 and has staged innovative and extremely entertaining activities ever since. It is usually divided into forty-five entertainment and game areas where a team of 200 people chaperone visitors every day. Dozens of activities are hosted in this park, all of them designed for children or youngsters, although families will also find places where they can have a great time.

Another of our proposals is located in Puerto de la Cruz, specifically in the church of Peña de Francia, where the Children’s and Juvenile Choral Assembly is organised by the Reyes Bartlet Choir around this time each year.

And, lastly, in the south of Tenerife, in one of Spain’s most cutting-edge buildings, the Magma Arte & Congresos on the Costa Adeje, you can have a great time on the skating rink – 720 square metres of a 5-star ice rink where you feel as if you were opposite the Rockefeller Center in New York, the Natural History Museum of London or the Hôtel de Ville in Paris. A unique attraction for all the family which you should make a point of visiting. Take note!

Customs and Traditions

Needless to say, Christmas in Tenerife is charged with customs and tradition, involving theatre plays, masses, parades, etc. Many of the events that are held here have been celebrated year after year for centuries.

The misas de la luz (light masses) are one of the most popular religious events in the Canary Islands. They date from 1768, according to the last will and testament of the nobleman, Alonso de Medina. Running from 16 to 25 December, they are held at various points in the archipelago. Hundreds of people in the congregation gather just before six in the morning, when mass is due to start, and sing Christmas carols at the church entrances. One of the most exciting moments occurs on 23 December, when the retinue files through the towns and villages and takes part in communal singing and dancing.

Another long-standing tradition on the island is Christmas crib-making. A profusion of highly original cribs are displayed in numerous public and private buildings around Tenerife. Among the most famous of them is the one in the headquarters of CajaCanarias, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, or the one hosted at El Cabildo, also in the island’s capital, in addition to those exhibited in town halls and other public buildings.

Christmas Confectionery

The islands boast a huge variety of sweets and at Christmas the vast array of confectionery focuses on more specialised offerings. Homemade Christmas candies can be savoured in numerous corners of the archipelago and the most popular ingredients are millo (corn), almonds, honey and fruit.

One of the most typical Christmas candies on the island are the so-called truchas, although they can be found all year around. They consist of patties filled with sweet potato, angel’s hair pumpkin and, sometimes, custard. Their preparation is straightforward and they are usually made in all homes.

Get going and enjoy a Christmas getaway to Tenerife – book your Vueling here.

Text and photos by Turismo Tenerife

Some months ago we wrote about five must-visit restaurants in Gijón: Los Pomares, where the fabada is a winner; El Quinto, a wine tavern with globe-trotting tapas; Casa Trabanco, a cider mill with guided visits laid on and dishes based on ingredients from their own market garden; El Candil, which boasts the best fish in town, and La Bolera, a grillroom acclaimed throughout Spain.

Should the list not make the grade – it does, I can assure you – Gijón also hosts several gastro-events which provide an excellent pretext to visit.

Flavours of Arcu Atlánticu

Billed as a culture festival featuring a blend of literature, performing arts, fine arts, music and cuisine from the Atlantic regions of Spain, France, Portugal, Ireland and the United Kingdom, the festival also features star chefs in action. Graced with awards by the city of Gijón, they cook on an enormous stage in the Plaza Mayor before more than 1,000 people, flanked by giant screens, as if a rock concert were being staged. This year, it will be held on 1 August. The event has already hosted such celebrities as Elena Arzak, Eneko Atxa, Andoni Luis Aduriz and Dieter Koschina, the chef at the Vila Joya restaurant, until recently the only Portuguese eatery with two Michelin stars.

Natural Cider Festival

In the week from 22 to 28 August, Gijón tastes only of cider. Around thirty cider mills set up their cider-serving stalls in two urban settings – the Plaza Mayor and the marina (alongside a sculpture known as “The Cider Tree”, made up of bottles from 80 Asturian cider mills). For a token fee, visitors get a commemorative glass they can fill up free-of-charge at any of the stands throughout the day at the so-called Mercadín de la sidra y la manzana (cider and apple market). There are various activities during the week. The bus de la sidra or “cider bus”, which visitors can take to the local cider mills, cursos de escanciado (courses in cider-pouring) and cancios de chigre (cider tavern songs) when hundreds of people gather in the Plaza Mayor to sing the most popular songs of Asturias, while on Poniente Beach there will be an attempt to break the Guinness simultaneous cider-pouring record. Set in 2014, it brought together 8,448 cider pourers.

Gijón de sidra

The Gijón de Sidra festival is held for eleven days each October (this year, from 6 to 16 October), during which cider mills from all over Asturias are twinned with emblematic cider taverns in the city. Each tavern then offers a bottle of cider from the mill they represent, in addition to a homemade portion of food served in a cazuelina, all at a moderate price, accompanied by the singing ofcancios de chigre(cider tavern songs).

Gastronomic Workshops

You can always join some gastronomic workshop around the time of the traditional fiestas. The celebrations of Antroxu (Carnival), with pote (hotpot), picadillo (mince) and frixuelos (flour fritters); those of Holy Week, the Asturian de Pinchos contest (in February), the pinchos (meat on the skewer) contest at the Gijón Sound Festival (last held from 15 to 17 April), and the Pinchos de Gijón championship (in November).

The Cider Route

A good way of learning everything you need to know about cider, the Asturian beverage par excellence, is by indulging in it. Depending on the ticket you purchase, you can learn the secrets of cider making, visit outlets where it is sold, take part in tasting sessions or eat candies made with apple. (There are four types of ticket, which are sold at the Gijón Tourist Offices or online). Available throughout the year.

Gijón Gourmet

Epicureans have the chance to lunch or dine at seven of the best restaurants in Gijón (Casa Gerardo, Agua, Bellavista, El Candil, La Salgar, Casa Víctor, Ciudadela) at an attractive price – 50 euros in the case of Michelin-starred eateries and 45 euros in the others. The menu comprises two starters, two main dishes, dessert and wine. When booking, all you need to point out is that you want a Gijón Gourmet Menu (only tables of up to 8 diners are eligible for the offer).

Gijón Goloso

Gijón Goloso works in a similar way. Considering it is one of Spain’s cities with the most confectionery shops, sixteen of them were selected to make a special sweet which visitors can taste after buying a ticket online or at the Infogijón offices. Five tastings costs 7 euros, while 10 tastings costs 13 euros. The offer lasts all year long, so you have ample time to prepare your trip, as sweet-toothed tourists will never be short of their candies.

Text and photos by Ferran Imedio of Gastronomistas.com