Today´s route takes us into one of the most bucolic places of the French capital: Père Lachaise cemetery , the largest one in Paris and one of the best known and most visited in the world.

We left a little of the bustle of the Parisian streets and headed to the twentieth district, east of the city, particularly at number sixteen Rue du Repos (resting Street), where we find the main entrance to the cemetery.

Upon entering, we feel that the place has a special energy, and walk quietly through their streets is a wonderful thing. Curiously, we will say that Parisians use it as a park, so it is not surprising to find locals strolling, reading, drawing ... Or even watching tourists with their maps in search of the most famous tombs.

And like good tourists that we are, we did what we were supposed to do and bought a map of the camp, which helped us not to be lost and to locate the graves of many celebrities who are buried there.

I have to confess that, even before arriving we had already chosen some tombs that we wanted to visit, we were surprised by the large number of known characters that lie among its more than 70,000 graves.

Among the personalities who inhabit this posthumous Walk of Fame, are Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, Marcel Proust, Molière, Maria Callas, Chopin and Isadora Duncan.

One of the most visited places, is the legendary leader of The Doors, Jim Morrison, and it is a pilgrimage place. There you can read the inscription "Kata ton Daimona eaytoy" (according to his own mind). A few years ago, you could see a bust of the singer, but it was stolen and never recovered. Now, instead, find a security guard to prevent further vandalism.

One of the most famous landmarks is the Mur des Federes in tribute to the dead of the Commune of Paris from 21 to 28 May 1871 or memorial tribute to the French volunteers in the International Brigades in Spain between 1936 and 1939.

Père Lachaise Cemetery is very well preserved, although there are areas where the trees seem to gain ground to tombs.

One of the most beautiful mausoleums is home to the love story of Abelard and Heloise.

However, we also find creepy sculptures that horrorized us: winged children in memory of those gone too soon, or some with their faces covered by the anonymity of those who rest there.

It is getting dark at Père Lachaise and silence would absolutely if not for the incessant cawing of crows flying over our heads. To make matters worse, in this Halloween postcard, we realized that tens of smug cats have started appearing all over the place ...

Call us superstitious, but I think it's time to leave.

By Nadia Polo

Pictures by Ricce and Rama

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One of the most representative meals in Viennese gastronomy is wiener schnitzel (or Viennese escalope). In fact, is the national food, even is originally from Austria, actually.

Is a common recipe in many countries: in Spain is known as San Jacobo or cachopo, also seen as the Japanese tonkatsu, the Argentinian escalope or the Italian cotoletta, among other examples.

The origin has become an intense debate among culinary historians. Most of the agree to point the origin in Spain, where it was introduced by Arab traders, who already covered meat on bread during the Middle Age.

Then we have the legend, which says it was imported from the Italian "costoletta milanesa" by marshal Joseph Radetzky, who sent the recipe to Franz Joseph I of Austria. They said he liked it so much that he incoroporate it to the Austrian gastronomy under the name of winer schnitzel.

Therefore, many countries claim the origin. This happens often for any new invention even sometimes, what happens is that it appears in different countries simultaneously, a each country looks for old gastronomy books to claim the origin.

However, there’s no doubt that is a delicious and crunchy dish, wanted by any tourists that arrives in the city.

To prepare it, a thin slice of veal is softened with a mallet, then is dipped in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, and finally fried in butter. It’s served with potatoes, salad and lemon slices and seasoned with vinaigrette.

Generally, these dishes are easy to cook and delicious, but not so glamorous. That’s not the case with schnitzel, presented as an haute cuisine specialty. It might be because of the elegant way Viennese people cooks it.

Even the veal is the main ingredient for the classic version of this dish, pigmeat is often used and is more popular. There is also a version made of chicken or a veggie made of tofu, seitan or soy.

In Vienna you can try this meal anywhere in the city centre. This is a list with some of our favorites so you don’t leave the city without trying the Viennese schnitzel.

Figlmüller
Wollzeile 5, | Bäckerstraße 6, Vienna

Schnitzelwirt
Neubaugasse 52, Vienna

Gasthaus Poschl
Weihburggasse 17, 1010, Vienna

Strandcafé Wien
Florian-Berndl-Gasse 2,1220, Vienna

Café Einstein
Rathausplatz 4, 1010 Vienna

There is not only wiener schnitzel in Austria gastronomy. Even it’s a little country, it has a long culinary tradition, mixing many European specialties. You shouldn’t miss a chance to try more typical dishes like tafelspitz (boiled beef), milling trout (Forelle nach Müllerin Art), Kaiserschmarrn (sweet), Palatschinken (Crêpes), Apfelstrudel (apple cake) or Sacher cake. Yummy!

Picture by Kobako

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Even the towns at the interior of Mallorca, like Valldemossa, Fonalutx or Biniaraix, are under the shelter of Tramuntana mountain range, are those which kept better the interesting traditions and costumes, by the shore there are little places that survived the urban growth.

Therefore, idyllic images of Mediterranean fishing villages have gradually disappeared as tourists arrived massively. However, there are still charming spots in Mallorca bays, keeping the essence. Visiting them is necessary in order to understand the cultural heritage of the island.

Es Jonquet

Next to Santa Catalina quarter, in Palma, and enclosed by Sant Matgí street, the border between both areas, there is Es Jonguet, one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city, which has conserved all the charm of a fishing quarter. This is a humble neighbourhood, with low-lying houses and irregular streets, rising proud under the mills (old flour mills) that welcome travellers arriving from the sea.

S'Estaca

Do not confuse this old fishing village, near Valldemossa, with the huge mansion that actor Michael Douglas owns in this area and is named the same. The village has about twenty old fishermen shelters where it seems that time has stopped. A magic place between Sa Foradada and Port de Valldemossa.

Porto Petro

Porto Petro is at the town of Santanyí, southeast of Mallorca. Even it’s not a fishermen port as it used to be, it has respected, surprisingly, all its original essence. There are not huge residential areas; only little stores and familiar houses. This is a place for people who want to relax in the nature, with many coves nearby. Closely, however, there are the real tourist areas, like the cove of Mondragó or Cala d'Or, which have a lively activity on summer nights.

Port des Canonge

Passing by Banyalbufar, southwest of Tramutana, the mountain range gets to the sea at Port des Canonge. To get here you have to follow a windy road to discover, at the end, the old houses that fishermen used as shelter and now are a little residential area, with the beauty intact. The quay and a nice beach made of gravel and boulders, make this spot a very quiet place.

Closely, you will find little coves or walk through pine forests following "Volta des General", a nice route that goes from Banyalbufar to Port de Canonge.

Porto Petro by Magnus Manske | Es Joquen by Chixoy | Port des Canonge by mallorcaesasitambien

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Genoa City is the gateway to the Italian Riviera and the great communication route between the Mediterranean and Europe. In 1992, to mark the fifth anniversary of America’s discovery, was completely refurbished to become one of the main city’s entertainment areas, in the heart of the city. One of the elements that attracted the most attention is the beautiful wooden galleon built for Polanski’s film Pirates.

But the true symbol of the city is the Lantern, the great lighthouse of Genoa, with its 76 meters high San Benigno, is the pride of the Genoese and offers fantastic views over the city to visit it. Next to the tower you can visit the Museo della Lanterna.

In this city so related to the sea, we find the largest aquarium in Europe of aquatic biodiversity, theAquarium of Genoa which is in the same port, with over 15,000 animals of 400 different species among sharks, penguins, manatees, Antarctic animals, jellyfish and tropical fish, a journey which takes about three hours. Galata is located next to the Museum of the Sea and Navigation, dedicated to the deep sea and Genoese navigation history.

Another place closely related to their maritime culture is the Museo Delle Culture Del Mondo, at Castello d’Albertis, Florentine style. Enrico d’Albertis was another Genoese writer and navigator and circled the world three times and circumnavigated Africa in search of archaeological excavations. The museum includes these interesting ethnographic and archaeological collections Enrique d’Albertis collected in his travels around the world.

The historic center of Genoa is especially beautiful, though a bit chaotic with this mix of buildings and streets that form a labyrinth. Here lived the rich merchants of the time, in sumptuous Gothic buildings have been converted into museums or modern shops.

Finally, a note on the Genoese cuisine made with fresh and simple products. You have to try a vegetable focaccia with a splash of olive oil or the different types of pasta stuffed which one you like best, such as ravioli or corzetti. Vegetable dishes and numerous seafood recipes, fish soups, fried fish or crispy cod fritters and specialties like ciuppin or buridda.

Picture by Twice25 & Rinina25

A place well worth discovering! Check out our flights here.