Among the host of outings to go on in Madrid’s outlying area is one to Aranjuez, with its panoply of artistic, cultural and ecological heritage sites. Not for nothing was it listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Landscape in 2001.

The Strawberry Train – Experiencing a Bygone Age

For enthusiasts of both old times and new experiences, there is an alternative and highly original way of travelling from Madrid to Aranjuez, which is by taking the Strawberry Train. But, what makes this means of transport so different from the others? First, it runs on the second railway line to be built in Spain, inaugurated on 9 February 1851. The first line to come into operation was the Barcelona–Mataró line, opened in 1948. The aim of the second route was to connect Madrid to the coast, with Alicante as the final destination. In its early days, its importance lay in the produce it transported to Madrid from the market gardens in Aranjuez, prompting it to be known as the Strawberry Train.

Its other big draw is that the train operating this line was built in the early 20th century. Having been restored, it gives you the feel of what train travel was like in bygone days. It has a rakish engine with wooden carriages. And, during the journey, passengers are offered strawberries from Aranjuez by hostesses dressed in period costume. The Strawberry Train runs at weekends in May, June, September and October and leaves from the Railway Museum or Museo del Ferrocarril. The timetable is posted here.

Aranjuez, An Area of Courtly Recreation

Aranjuez’s fortunes changed when Philip II awarded it the title of Royal Site. It was turned into the Spanish monarch’s country residence, thus becoming a royal precinct, particularly during the reigns of Philip V (17th-18th century) and Charles III (18th century). It was precisely these kings who commissioned the creation of the areas which are now the city’s must-see sights. In line with prevailing tastes during the Enlightenment, the inner city was designed in a reticular layout which has survived to the present and never fails to surprise visitors.

Among the standout monuments is the Royal Palace, designed by the architects, Juan Bautista de Toledo and Juan de Herrera. It also features a later extension, including the wings added in 1775. The interior houses such curiosities as the Porcelain Study – the capital work of the Royal Porcelain Factory in Madrid’s Buen Retiro – and the Arab Study, inspired by the Hall of the Two Sisters in the Alhambra of Granada.

Also worth visiting is the Real Casa del Labrador (Farmer’s Lodge), set in the so-called Prince’s Garden, the work of Juan Villanueva and Isidro González Velázquez. Lastly, another notable landmark is the Church of San Antonio, commissioned by Ferdinand VI in honour of St Anthony of Padua.

Another standout feature of Aranjuez is its Royal Gardens. There are four in all, namely the Parterre, the King’s Garden,the Island Garden and the Prince’s Garden, situated on the Tagus riverbank and within the Royal Palace precinct. They were all designed as recreational areas for the Court and attest to a blend of French taste acquired from the Bourbons and Italian influences, yielding a stunning result which is worth strolling around and enjoying.

Wait – There’s More!

For those who aren’t satiated by monuments and gardens, another feature of Aranjuez is its huerta or market gardens, among the most important in Spain. Situated between the Tagus and Jarama rivers, the fertile soil produces such crops as asparagus – here known as pericos– and strawberries, introduced by the French Bourbons. The latter also patronised farming research and experimentation on this land, as evinced in the surviving Renaissance layout of the allotments.

Don’t fail to make a gastronomic stopover to savour the fruit of this land. A classical option is Casa José, one of the most celebrated restaurants in the Madrid Community.

Ready for a getaway with a period twist? Check out our flights here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by Eric Titcombe, M a n u e l, Andrés Gómez - Club Ferroviario 241

Holy Week, the Seville Fair and the endless bullfighting afternoons notwithstanding, Seville has also kept up with the times and become a modern, cosmopolitan city. A stroll through its streets reveals a blend of tradition and the latest trends coexisting amid the flavour and colourfulness for which Seville is famed.

Whether or not you have been to Seville before, you ought to know that the Cathedral, Real Alcázar, Torre del Oro and Triana Quarter are must-see landmarks. But, today, Seville is far more than that. It is a major hub of artistic creation and a place where you can delight in the sight of avant-garde buildings and Indie venues – welcome to modern Seville!

Where To Look

To find the more groundbreaking Seville, your epicentre is the Plaza de la Encarnación, in the heart of the central Alfalfa quarter. There you will come across the Metropol Parasol, better known as Las Setas, designed by the Berlin architect, Jürgen Mayer. The structure raised heckles even before it was built on account of such a groundbreaking design being earmarked for the old, historic centre. The complex is made up of a market, restaurants, a viewpoint and the amazing Antiquarium, an archaeological museum where visitors can view the Roman subsoil of the city.

Continuing along our route, we come to fashion stores and bars with alternative decoration in the Alameda de Hércules and surrounding area. On the Calle Feria, for instance, enthusiasts of second-hand garments – designer apparel or otherwise – should make a point of visiting such stores as Ropero Sevilla and Crispa2 vintage. Or, if you are a 50s furniture and decoration devotee, you are sure to find the odd curio in Retrogrado (C/ San Luis 81). In the El Arenal quarter, taverns with a long-standing tradition rub shoulders with contemporary art galleries. So, don’t be surprised if you get served a chamomile tea with a fusion tapa in some trendy bar. When in Seville, the best thing is to just switch off and let the city lead you where it will.

Modernity, 178 Metres Up

The Pelli Tower, located near Las Setas de la Encarnación and between the Triana quarter and La Cartuja, is the other major indicator that Seville is at the forefront of modern trends. But this skyscraper was controversial, too, as, apart from La Giralda, the city has never had tall buildings and the tower’s construction drew the criticism that it severed the horizontality of the skyline. A stroll through this area will also bring you within sight of the buildings left behind from Expo 92, an era which spawned such noteworthy constructions as the New Airport Terminal, designed by Rafael Moneo, the Santa Justa Train Station, by Cruz y Ortiz, and the famous Alamillo Bridge, by Santiago Calatrava.

Eating and Sleeping

Seville has a huge gastronomic assortment but, if you want to try a reworking of traditional culinary classics, Yebra is the restaurant to go for. Without luxuries or frills, it is the sort of eatery that only locals frequent. Go in, rub shoulders with the people and enjoy! La Macarena is one of the most grass-roots districts in the city and you will soon feel at home.

And, for your sleepover, there is the Gran Meliá Colón, a revamped Seville classic featuring furniture by designers of the likes of Philippe Starck, Marcel Wanders and Edra. Then you have the Eme Catedral Hotel, a 16th-century building with cutting-edge fixtures and fittings where you can relax and luxuriate like a true king.

All that’s left is for you to pack your bags and book your flight to Seville.

Text by Aleix Palau for Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by losmininos

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

Nobody knows for sure why that is the name of the neighborhood. The literal translation is “the pipe”, it is told that because of the form of its streets. And as any pipe, it has its own drain. De Pijp finds its drain in the oasis of Sharphatipark, an English-style garden where you get away from the daily bustle.In it, it is easy to see single mothers after school, aesthetes with dog, teenagers wanting to be rappers and the couple of policemen from the neighborhood, of course, by bicycle.

Process, although is familiar to us, is always surprising. It had been a working class neighborhood, if ever with some students and budding artists searching for cheap rentals. Towards the decades of the sixties and seventies of last century, it welcomed a great number of immigrants. Today the neighborhood has become bourgeois. In all these changes, the metamorphosis is very simple: muffins are now called cupcakes, modern people circulate in fixed pinion bicycles, the rim of the glasses fattens and dogs acquire odd shapes: they shrivel dogs, stylize their figure and even have session at the hairdresser, sorry, the hair stylist, and the psychologist.. As if by magic, rents go up a 300 percent and the area acquires a right to be called bohemian.

We now have the island in the middle of the city, competing for the night out between renowned artists and the very neighborhood of Joordan. And when I say the island is not metaphorical, De Pijp is connected to the rest of the city by 16 bridges that pass over the very familiar channels representing the exported image of the Dutch capital. About the renowned artists is not from now. Piet Mondrian founded the magazine De Stijl, which served as a speaker to the eponymous group of artists, in a small study on the channel Ruysdaelkade.

But in the end, what gives personality to the neighborhood is the market called Cuypmarkt Albert and a real United Nations gastronomy distributed throughout the neighborhood, inside discrete premises, with more or less charm. The market has that English style, similar to Notting Hill . A little walking around there and you will become friends with the shopkeeper, the florist will reserve the best tulips, not those sold by weight to tourists, tourists who incidentally rather spend time here. The baker will have the bread ready for doneness that you like and will offer good cheese wedges perfect for taking a wine in good company. The simplicity of the little details. In Albert Cuypmarkt, you may buy everything. We talk about the biggest daily street market in Europe, Amsterdam’s kitchen. You will realize that you are fully integrated when you come down to enjoy the haring (raw herring) with neighbors.

As for restaurants, think about any dish in the world. They say up to 150 nationalities are now living in the neighborhood, many of them with its own place. A thousand of different smells from spices, pad thai, durum or sate. Choose any. Although admittedly that Amsterdam and good food are not close friends, it will be almost impossible to come out of De Pijp without having found your own site. Almost the least of it, anecdotal, is that the neighborhood start in the very touristy Heineken Experience museum, the limit for each side of the neighborhood, the barrier between mass tourism that walks around Leidseplein and bohemian in the hipster garb who stroll through the neighborhood.

By Rafa Pérez from El Fotógrafo Viajero

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