In Santander, we have met one of these persons who knows the town like the back of his hand. While he is talking about history and curiosities of Santander, he takes us through different bars and taverns in order to show us every specialty of each place.

At a dramatic pace we go from one tavern to other while he recommends us tasting the best bite of cod, or he warns how rude is the waiter in that place but let´s going in because they have the best seafood! Or “here there is the bestpiconcheese you can ever taste” There is no time to waste because in Santander there are many good taverns and he wants to show us all of them (or, at least, he will try)

The tavern tour is not quite expensive, because in Santander bites and plates are cheaper than in other northern towns. Bites cost between €1 and €2,50 and plates between €6 and €18 depending on what is ordered.

From beautiful Plaza Porticada (arcaded square), that hosted the International Festival of Santander for many years, to the popular neighborhood of Puertochico let´s walk around the excellent cuisine of Santander!

El Marucho
Calle Tetuán 21

Typical restaurant and bar without any comfort but where you can enjoy some exellent fish and seafood well-priced. Here we tasted some extraordianr rabas. During the high season it is not easy to find a place.

La Flor de Tetuán
Calle Tetuán 18

The specialty of this bar is fish and seafood. Prize is higher than in other local places but they serve the best grilled shrimp in Santander (plate costs about €12). Rabas, barnacles, spatter ... all the seafood is great!.

La Bodega de Santoña
Calle Peña Herbosa 21, enfrente del edificio del Gobierno Regional

Typical products from Cantabria like cheese and anchovies.

Casa Lita
Paseo de Pereda 37, al lado de Puerto chico

Great assortment of tapas and snacks from the more classic ones, like the bite of tortilla (Spanish omelette) to their own specialty Cantabrian bite. His chef, Joseba Guijarro, has one Michelin star and Casa Lita has awards for the quality of its bites.

Bodega Fuente Dé
Calle Peña Herbosa

Here we find picón cheese, an excellent blue cheese made in Cantabria. When you get into Bodega Fuente Dé, a hard mix of smells of cheese and pickles bits your nose. Few minutes later, this smell develops in an addictive fragance.They also serve tapas and typical dishes like cocido montañés, cocido lebaniego or picadillo de Potes.

El Solorzano
Calle Peña Herbosa 17

Vermouth with siphon. Great assortisment of tapas, mussels, rabas (squid rings), (tentacles), and many others.

El Diluvio
Calle General Mola 14

Just like Casa Lita, this place is a pioneer in Santander in serving elaborated tapas as País Vasco style. La Cigaleña
Daoiz y Velarde, 19

Un auténtico museo del vino en el que probar especialmente la tapa de bacalao rebozado. Riquísimas.

Tapas y Vinos
Calle Marcelino Sautuola

Rioja wine well-served and excellent tapas. The best one is the Spanish omelette with pork rinds.

El Tivoli
Calle Marcelino Sautuola

Exquisite squid rings and tentacles and very well served portions of ham.

La Conveniente
Calle de Gómez Oreña, 9

With to El Marucho, it is one of the most frequented by Santander visitors. Good plates of anchovies and fried bites served on big tables, that we ate all together listening a piano music.

El Cañadio
Calle de Gómez Oreña, 15

Excellent tapas cooked by one of the best chefs in the town. Here we ended the tapas tour because we ate too much not because there were no more bars or restaurants.

When we were returning home, he still recommended us to go to El Riojano (that looks like a museum with its painted by celebrities barrels), La Gloria, El Cantabria, Las Hijas de Florencio, La Malinche, Días de Sur, La Bodega de Jesús Quintanilla...

So you feel like visiting Santander, do you? Book your flights here!

Fuel Fandango is a duo made up of the producer, Alejandro Acosta (also on the Mojo Project) and the Cordovan singer, Cristina Manjón, better known as Nita. The project has been ongoing since 2010 and the duo have built up one of the largest fan bases in Spain, with a large following beyond its borders, too. They made their recording debut in 2011 with a disc and publication of the same name. It was an instant hit with its bold style blend of funk, electronic, flamenco and copla. “Trece Lunas”, an even greater success, emerged two years later. Here at My Vueling City we love Fuel Fandango, a fact that prompted us to ask them for a rundown on the spots they liked best in Sofia during their concert tour there.

“This is the third time we’ve played in Sofia. We love the city and each time we discover new parts of it with a charm all their own. The people are very hospitable and warm. We always feel welcome whenever we come here”, Fuel Fandango told us on their return from the Bulgarian capital. Theirs was a working trip: “We played in the Sofia Live Club, one of the most delightful spots we’ve visited. It’s like a New York jazz club, but on a larger scale, with spectacular sound and a pleasing stage. Most of the international stars that tour Sofia have played at that venue.” However, they also found time to enjoy themselves.

Eating Away

Yoghurt,lukanka (a kind of sausage) and salad are some of the most typical foods in Bulgarian cuisine. Fruit and vegetables are also plentiful, thanks to the good climate. Very popular, too, are barbecues of pork, chicken and lamb. “We went to several typical Bulgarian restaurants – gastronomic tourism is our thing! The first night we went to Bulgary, an inviting, traditional-style eatery founded in 1922. Bulgarian food and wine are wonderful!” But things did not stop there: “We also visited another Bulgarian restaurant; this time, a more modern one. We can wholeheartedly recommend it – it’s called MoMa and the decor is really cool. It combines traditional design elements with contemporary ones.” Also characteristic of Bulgaria’s gastronomy is the variety of local wines and other alcoholic drinks like rakia, mastika and mint. Bulgarian has some fine wines, prominent among them being Dimiat and Mavrud.

Hidden Treasures and the Crown Jewel

They also found time to sightsee and uncover some small gems: “We also stopped off at record shops, as we always do when we tour abroad, to seek out new music and hidden treasures. They took us to this basement store, in a really out-of-the-way place. In the second-hand section, Ale went to town, coming away with some authentic jewels, including some vinyls of traditional Bulgarian music.” The store is called Dukyan Meloman, said Nita, adding: “The city centre is rather small, but it’s really nice to wander through its streets, with small shops of all kinds. It’s very lively.” Although Alejandro would have liked to stay on longer in that bargain basement, they still had time to see other charming spots in the city. “In the square with the Alejandro Nevski Cathedral (one of the largest orthodox churches in the world, and really priceless), there are antique stalls with loads of intriguing objects from the old Soviet Union.”

It was clearly an emotionally charged trip: “We’ve played in Sofia three years on the trot and each time it gets better. We’re still blown away when we see fans in the front rows singing our songs. One girl sang one of our tunes and her mother said she had signed up for Spanish classes at the Instituto Cervantes because she wanted to learn our songs. These are the stories we find the most touching.” The Instituto Cervantes is a Spanish state institution with the mission to promote and teach the Spanish language, and to spread Spanish and Latin American culture. It played a major part in organising and publicising this concert. They also helped us get in touch with the group.

Come and discover Sofia now! Check out our flights here.

Text by Fuel Fandango e ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by Fuel Fandango, n-Off Entertainment, Dennis Jarvis, Bulgary, MoMa, Instituto Cervantes

Located between Middle East and the Mediterranean Sea, Israel has adopted the culinary traditions from many parts of the world.

To this culinary blend, Arabs have contributed with the traditional recipes of hummus or falafel, while adopting, in the other hand, traditional food from Jewish arriving from Hungary and Poland, taking the culinary arts of their home country.

In this past few years, Tel Aviv has become in the gastronomic capital of the country, with luxury restaurants and delicious street food, mixing products and flavours from all over the world.

CLASICS

Falafel

The humble falafel is, as happens with the regional food in each country, a matter of dispute and controversy. Everyone has their favourite place and they can argue long and hard why it’s better. This is a cheap and fast snack but however it’s not less delicious than other food. Furthermore, now you can find falafel for anyone, like made of wheat or gluten-free pita.

And if you want to eat a good kebab, you can try one of the best very near from Tel Aviv. It is served in Abu Ghosh , and they say it is one of the top 5 kebab restaurants in Middle Eastern, specifically located in the third position. The fact is that the Arab village of Abu Ghosh, on the road between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, is known for its hummus restaurants and is very popular with both locals and tourists. Here you have the guarantee that they will serve a memorable meat dish . They mix the beef with onion, parsley, pine nuts and some grease before threading the needle on an iron skewer. It is cooked on a grill and served with rice and salad, with a pinkish hue inside.

Another of the most remarkable places is HaKosem, with fresh falafels made of chick peas from Spain, very spiced with cumin, cilantro, garlic, paprika, onion and sesame seeds. In Yahaloma, in the other hand, it’s prepared following the Egyptian style. Yahaloma Levy has the store next to the Levinsky market and falafels are only served on Tuesday and Wednesday, as a tribute to the owner’s mum, who was born in Alexandria. The falafel balls are served with marinated arugula with lemon, pickles, tahini and spicy homemade sauce.

Or in Gabai, where generous falafels are served since 1946, you’d have plenty of it! Pita is also filled with a large amount of vegetables and a delicious spicy sauce.

Hummus

The best places to try hummus are closed once they finish the stock. It’s necessary to get there early to not miss your portion of this delicious food with an Arab origin that, nevertheless, was adopted by Israel almost as a national dish.

In Ali Karavan/Abu Hasan, for instance, hummus is served with lemon juice and onion or with beans and chickpeas as a topping, fresh & creamy. However, there will be always a waiting queue, don’t despair. The queue ends fast because people just eats and leave to let new costumers eat.

Ali Karavan/Abu Hasan, an old family business in operation for almost 40 years since 1966, serves what is considered the best hummus in Tel Aviv. This is a small place, a bit noisy sometimes, but it’s a must-go place when you are in the Jaffa area.

Ali Karavan/Abu Hasan
1 Dolfin Street | Jaffa, Tel Aviv 6813
Schedule: from 7:45 until the hummus is finished

MODERNS

Vicky Cristina
Prof. Yehezkel Kaufmann 2
vicky-cristina.co.il

A place with two different areas, just like in Woody Allen’s movie. Vicky is the tapas restaurant and Cristina is the bar. While the restaurant Vicky was inspired in Park Güell, with "trencadís" white tables and a relaxing patio outside, Cristina bar is where the nightlife takes place.

Dallal
10 Shabazi Street, Neve Tzedek
www.dallal.info

The place where artists and bohemians meet up in Zedek, the southwest quarter in Tel Aviv. The restaurant is in an old inn from the 19th century restored with patios and an outdoor bar, lively during nigh time. You can order a wide variety of delicious salads, gourmet dishes and a great wine menu, good value for money.

Nana Bar
1 Ahad Haam
www.nanabar.co.il

Also in Neve Zedek quarter you can find Nana Bar. A relaxed interior is a genuine oasis to celebrate gatherings or dinners with friends, also with a gardened patio. The decoration is delightful, with artwork or odd and exclusive furniture. Fresh and unpretentious food, with a wide variety of fish, vegetables and delicious desserts are served here.

Picture pita de falafel por Ted Eytan | picture falafel por Gopal Venkatesan

Why not take a trip to Tel Aviv? Have a look at our flights here!

The seaboard of Olbia, unfamiliar to many, stretches for several hundred kilometres via an endless string of stunning beaches and cliffs. It includes a protected marine area dominated by the 500m high Tavolara massif. But Olbia stands out primarily for its beaches. Those of Pittulongu, Bados, Marinella, Lo Squalo and Mare Rocce, characterised by their fine white sand and crystal-clear water, lie on one side, with Salinas, Costa Romantica, Poltu Casu and Porto Istana located further south.

There is also Porto Rotondo,one of the resorts coveted by upmarket tourists. As for Olbia, beyond its industrial belt lies an attractive town with a historic centre spangled with boutiques, wine bars and squares lined with cafés. But, above all, Olbia is a genuine, economical alternative to the artificial tourist centres of the north and south. Turquoise, emerald, sky blue and sea blue are the colours of the waters bathing the coastline, with countless varieties of fish, shellfish and mussels eagerly sought after by underwater explorers and sports fishermen. There is also an immense variety of brightly coloured marine flora forming a virtually unspoiled natural swathe.

The Five Most Caribbean Beaches in the Mediterranean

White sandy beaches are prevalent in Olbia, but the seaboard also presents stretches of eroded rock, ranging from peaks to cliffs plummeting spectacularly to the sea, making this coastline a veritable paradise on earth. Here are five of the finest beaches:

Pittulongu

Also known locally as “La Playa”, this is undoubtedly the favourite seaside resort among the Olbiesi. Here the sand is fine-grained, very white and rich in tiny shells. It is shaped like a crescent moon and is fully serviced. Typical beach stalls rub shoulders with far more sophisticated bars. It is very well connected to the city by public transport, which plies the 5 km ride along the provincial road no. 82. Nearby are hotels, restaurants, pizzerias and a few small markets. The beach offers courses in diving, windsurfing, sailing and canoeing. In short, a genuine coastal leisure paradise.

Porto Istana

Porto Istana is actually the amalgam of four beaches separated by small rocky outcrops. The beach is made up of fine white sand and slopes gently towards the emerald-coloured water, to the obvious delight of budding Instagrammers. The water is shallow and thus ideal for children. Located opposite the protected marine area of Tavolara, it attracts surfers and enthusiasts of underwater sports. A large variety of services are available, including equipment and boat hire. Nearby hotels and tourist apartments are plentiful. It is well connected and has a free parking lot.

Marinella

Located in the gulf of the same name, it lies just four kilometres from the famed Porto Rotondo. Here the sand is also white and fine-grained. We recommend heading for the playa as it is not as crowded as the other beaches. The water here is shallow and therefore suitable for children and there are amenities for playing with them on the beach. To get here from Olbia, head north towards Palau for about 7 kilometres, as far as the access to provincial road no. 73 in the direction of the Emerald Coast. Continue towards Porto Rotondo and turn right at the first intersection; four kilometres further on, take the detour towards the Gulf of Marinella.

Bados

Situated at the municipal limits of Golfo Aranci, it is reached by taking the SP82, after which you turn right near the main-road sign and continue another 500 metres. The beach is extremely wide, with very fine-grained, grey-ochre-coloured sand. It is also one of the most popular so it is worth getting there early in the day to find a good place. The resort also features a number of spas with offers for all budgets. The shallow seabed makes this ideal for children bathing and paddling. There are several markets in the area.

Mare Rocce

The Mare Rocce beach is another of those treats you should indulge in during your stay in Olbia. It boasts fine, greyish sand and crystal-clear water. The beach is well connected by road and by reliable public transport. Take the SP82 for about 7 kilometres, turn right and continue along the road for another 1 kilometre. If you’re arriving by car, there is also a free parking area.

All you need now is to grab your tanning lotion! Check out our flights here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by City of Olbia, Ross Huggett, Michele Testini, damn_unique