Don't worry about the cold and snow at this time of year because the festive season has its own warm glow. And besides, you can always arm yourself against the low temperatures with two essential classics available at every self-respecting Weihnachtsmarkte (Christmas market): mulled wine (Glühwein) and punch (Punsch). 

Everything about Paris is enchanting – its streets, stores, bistros, pastry shops, fashion – but, if there is one thing I’m crazy about its the cultural life. I could churn out post after post about the city’s theatres, street festivals and markets and underground concerts. But, today it’s time to open my diary and review the most exciting exhibitions due to grace the French capital in the coming months. There’s a bit of everything, from ancient classics to contemporary offerings. Pack your bags – we’re off to Paris!

1. Vermeer and the Masters of Genre Painting in the Louvre
Nobody was able to capture genre scenes of 17th-century Holland as masterfully as Johannes Vermeer. On display at the Louvre is an exhibition at which Vermeer and such contemporaries of his as Pieter de Hooch, Frans van Mieris, Gerrit Dou, Jan Steen and Gerard ter Borch face off in an interplay which denotes similarities and reveals influences. Until 22 May.

2. Iconic Henri Cartier-Bresson
One of the great milestones in the history of photography is the book, Images à la Sauvette. Iconic and defiant, Henri Cartier-Bresson’s title was published in 1952 and has now become a cult manual. With the cover design by Henri Matisse, it is the backbone of an exhibition which will appeal to devotees of both photography and the oeuvre of the father of photojournalism. At the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson. Until 23 April.

3. Cy Twombly – A Complete Retrospective at the Centre Pompidou
The Centre Pompidou is celebrating its fortieth anniversary in style. One of the flagship exhibitions in this celebration is the retrospective devoted to Cy Twombly, who rates among the most influential visual artists of the 20th century. A hundred and forty sculptures, drawings, photographs and paintings yield an exceptional view of this multi-faceted artist, providing a unique angle on one of the undisputed greats.

4. Rodin – The Centennial Exhibition
Any history of sculpture would be unthinkable without mention of Auguste Rodin. He goes down in art history as a fundamental artificer and this year marks the centenary of his death. On display at the Grand Palais are some of the most celebrated works of the forerunner of modern sculpture, in an exhibition which also features pieces by other great masters who were influenced by Rodin. Works by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, Antoine Bourdelle, Paul Claudel and Constantin Brancusi will share the space until 31 July.

5. Sky and Mysticism at the Musée d’Orsay
The sky and the stars are a recurring theme as of 19th-century symbolism. Such artists as Gauguin, Denis, Seurat, Monet, Klimt, Hodler, Munch, Van Gogh and Kandinsky were transported by the spirituality of nature and landscape. In the exhibition, Beyond the Stars. The Mystical Landscape from Monet to Kandinsky, the Musée d’Orsay, in collaboration with the Art Gallery of Ontario, provides a look at the more mystical side of the work of these artists.

6. Appel Returns To Paris
On loan from the Karel Appel Foundation of Amsterdam, the Musé d’Arte Moderne (MAM) of Paris is exhibiting twenty-one paintings and sculptures by this artist, who died in 2006. Karel Appel, a founding member of the Cobra group, which started in Paris in 1948 and disbanded in 1951, strove to break free of the academicism of the period and produce a more spontaneous, experimental art, including a set of practices inspired by primitivism. Until 20 August.

Book your Vueling to Paris and soak up the art in some of these magnificent temporary exhibitions in the city’s paramount art centres.

Text by Aleix Palau

Photo by Yann Caradec

“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”, Samuel Johnson once said. To paraphrase the celebrated writer, we can highly recommend delving into some of the outlandish activities that could only take place north-east of the Thames.

A Café that Only Sells Cereals

What can I tell you about the latest major hipster phenomenon in London that you don’t already know?

It looked like they had finally got rid of them. Around a hundred anarchists from the activist group, Class War, who set out to combat inequality, attacked the Cereal Killer Café last September. However, not only has the establishment emerged unscathed from the attack, it continues to draw long queues of patrons at its front door. How long the truce holds remains to be seen, although what on earth could be more innocuous than a Chocapics seller? Problem is, the 5-euro bowls of cereal in this unique café have grown into a symbol of the drama of gentrification besetting London.

However, you are sure to find so many cereal combinations that you’ll be able to eat for months without repeating any of them. They offer no fewer than 100 cereal varieties, 12 types of milk and 20 different toppings!

Here is the statement which Class War put out when calling for action against Cereal Killer Café:

“Our communities are being ripped apart – by Russian oligarchs, Saudi Sheiks, Israeli scumbag property developers, Texan oil-money twats and our own home-grown Eton toffs.

Local authorities are coining it in, in a short-sighted race for cash by regenerating social housing. We don't want luxury flats that no one can afford, we want genuinely affordable housing. We don't want pop-up gin bars or brioche buns – we want community.

Soon this City will be an unrecognizable, bland, yuppie infested wasteland with no room for normal (and not so normal) people like us. London is our home. Working class people are being forced out of our homes but we won't go out without a fight."

Protest video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhUT2YDDa6Q

The Hot Tub Cinema

40 degrees and oodles of champagne! Welcome to the most bizarre cinema in all London… the Hot Tub Cinema!

The intrepid cinema-goers daring enough to plunge into this unforgettable experience can choose from a host of inflatable tubs set out on the rooftop of the former Shoreditch station.

The dress-code, as you can imagine, is a bathing suit. But, if you really want to fit the occasion, the thing is to sport a 90s swimming costume, as only classics are shown in this cinema.

And, here goes the lowdown you were all waiting for… yes, the hot tubs are communal, and can hold up to six people!

A Cat Café

Walking into Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium is like stepping into the Internet. This is London’s first ever cat café, the haunts of twelve friendly feline creatures, all rescued from sanctuaries. The venue is in the popularBrick Laneprecinct and is becoming all the rage, so much so that you are advised to book ahead. Otherwise, you would be hard put to find a free table.

Perfect Your Zumba in the Neighbourhood Church

Think you could tone your gluteal muscles while purifying your spirit? Could there be any better form of redemption than to practise Zumba in a church? For those of you who have lost their faith, for further information, see here.

I bet you are taken aback by these proposals. But, there’s more to come, although we’ll leave that for another post. If you want to see it for yourself, starting packing your bags and check out our flights here.

Text and images by Isa Roldán for ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

On our latest escape to London we came across some foodie venues that were surprising and unexpected to say the least – porridge, cereals, crisps… The UK capital has bars specialising in these goodies and are a MUST-VISIT.

A Café Dedicated To Porridge

One of the trends of the year? Yes, porridge. Some may be puzzled by all the buzz surrounding what was once a breakfast associated with the more deprived, as attested in the famous work, Oliver Twist. However, people have succumbed to its charms in droves, particularly on account of its health benefits. So much so that the first ever porridge bar has opened in London. Here, you can choose from over 25 recipes of this modish delight for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Served with fruit, custard, all kinds of milk, and also bacon, eggs or meat… They also feature a large variety of seeds to round off the healthy experience. An ideal, energy-packed way to start the day and to explore one of the most emblematic specialities of British cuisine. Needless to say, this café is located in the ultra-cool Shoreditch district.

A Restaurant Starring Crisps

You’re a crisp fiend, are you? Well, get on a flight to London, which already has its own restaurant extolling this highly addictive speciality and it’s called Hipchips. The chef behind the concept is Scott Davies and his hangout is in the heart of Soho. Make no mistake – here, there are no industrial-grade bags; the crisps are made from a variety of different coloured potatoes: “vintage”, like (the red) Highland Burgundy 1936, Pink Fir Apple and (mauve) Shetland Black. They are served with sauce for dipping and come in six savoury and even sweet varieties, like the Nutella or cheesecake. A portion costs just over 5 euros.

Chocolate Paradise

Dark Sugars Chocolate Shop is an earthly paradise. That’s it. The shop sets out to showcase the evolution of chocolate from the raw state to all finished products imaginable. Here, you can taste pure cocoa, craft chocolates and truffles and hot chocolate beverages. There are even vegan options. The raw material is imported from the finest plantations in Africa and South America. Oh-my-God!

A Bar Which Compiles the World’s Most Emblematic Cereals

Are you a devotee of Special K? Or Cheerios? Froot Loops, maybe, or perhaps Frosties? You are especially attached to a cereal you tried in some other country which you were never able to find again? Cereal Killer Café unlocks the solution to each of these issues, as this is the only place in the world which has compiled so many cereal varieties. They have over 100 behind the counter from all over the world and you can eat them here in original bowls any time of day, bathed in over 30 different varieties of milk and accompanied with bits of fruit, chocolate… or any of the dozens of toppings on offer. A venue which is decked out – you might have guessed – in an assortment of eye-catching cereal boxes. The decor is a tribute to the 80s and 90s. A journey into the past, seen through the eyes of a child.

Extolling Coffee

Tap Coffee is London’s temple of coffee. A cosy, modern ambience where you can taste excellent coffee, ground and filtered on the spot, after having made your choice of variety and origin of the beans (Kenya, Colombia, Brazil, Rwanda, among others) and type of serving (long, short, milk, cold, hot…). Here, all the ingredients that go into making the coffee are of the finest quality, while the formulas are observed down to the minutest detail, to ensure the beverage is refined and perfect. It is not cheap (over 3.5 euros per cup) but, if you’re a coffee lover, this is your corner.

Book your Vueling to London and enjoy venturing into some of these unique sites, designed to lure enthusiasts of foodie experiences.

Text and photos by Laia Zieger of Gastronomistas.com