Le Marais is the most cosmopolitan and modern district in the city of Paris.It is where Gus Van Sant filmed Paris, je t’aime. Let us take you on a tour of some of the most iconic places, shops, restaurants and cafés in this part of town.

The Saint Martin Canal is one of links between the Ourcq Canal and the River Seine and is somewhere that always has a great atmosphere: young people, street artists, cycle paths, cafés and terraces for enjoying some food and drink beside the canal. It’s a great place for a walk, a cycle ride or a spot of rollerblading. More than 2 of the total 4.5 kilometres are underground, while the rest of the journey also crosses metal walkways and bridges.

Located in the centre of Paris, the Comptoir General is a shared work space for social entrepreneurs spanning 650 m2 with a capacity for 200 people. Its mission: to welcome all the events that relate to sustainable development, social progress, the spread of cultures from around the world, illumination and inspiration.

Chez Prune is a popular restaurant with views of the Saint-Martin Canal where you can choose to eat one of their four daily specials: fish, meat, salad or a vegetarian dish. By night, it is the perfect place to have a drink in a relaxed and truly Bohemian atmosphere.

Pop In is one of the best bars in Paris, with a great atmosphere, concerts and exhibitions. The place truly stands out because of its atmosphere and permanent offer of art and culture.
The bar is on the ground floor. There is a first floor room with comfortable sofas that look like small living rooms in which to enjoy moments of privacy and another room for the concerts and theme nights organised by the venue.
Of course, despite the name of the place, they don’t only listen to pop music here! Pop In offers a range of musical styles from glam, pop rock and garage to punk for a young and cool clientele!

However, the most fashionable part of Paris has now relocated to Rue Vieille du Temple and surrounding streets with a large offer of galleries, shops and such modernist bars and restaurants as La Perle; the most chic place in town at the moment. This charming establishment enables patrons to watch the world go by and is always full of the chic crowd.

At the heart of Marais, you will find this tea room with its Bohemian and nostalgic atmosphere. The 70s posters and furniture give the place a slightly chaotic but cosy feel.

Another of the most fashionable restaurants is Derrière. With its eclectic décor, Derrière looks just like an enormous apartment. On the ground floor, for example, you will find a ping-pong table for enjoying a quick game between courses. Another room looks like an office with piles of paper everywhere and there is even a living room for a perfect TV dinner. You really get the feeling that you are eating in someone’s house. Heading upstairs, you will find a bedroom with an enormous bed that doubles as a dining room.

The art galleries include Gayte Lyrique, a place dedicated to digital culture and modern music, and Le Bal de Foto, which is dedicated to the representation of reality through image in all its forms: photography, video, cinema and the new means of communication.

If you want to buy books in Paris, we recommend Shakespeare & Co and OFR. Shakespeare and Company appears in the Woody Allen film “Midnight in Paris” and can be found in the Latino district. It was founded by the eccentric US bibliophile George Whitman in 1951 and still has that chaotic spirit and a sense of being somewhere special for filling your rucksack with books.

For going shopping, there is nothing like the legendary Colette or, better still, the Merci – a store concept located in sombre, industrial surroundings. Kiliwatch is a true temple for the lovers of vintage but they also sell new clothes and books. You’ll always find something to take away with you!

When night falls, one of the best places to go out for a dance or a few drinks is the Social Club, where you’ll discover new bands and artists. We were told by Liset Alea (singer with Nouvelle Vague) that this is one of her favourite places. A strange and eclectic night out.

Image: Marimarina

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

Slow Tourism – What’s That?

Who has not felt stressed at the end of some trip? We tend to arrive at our destination and set about “logging” all the monuments and places of interest marked in our guidebook. This goes on, day after day, until, when we return home, we suddenly realise, exhausted, that our mind is cluttered with haphazard recollections of everything we have seen and done.

There is an alternative to conventional sightseeing known as slow tourism, an offshoot of a cultural trend called the Slow Movement, which aims to overturn all that. In essence, it involves taking our time when visiting a particular city or region, enabling us to imbibe more deeply the spaces we encounter, our contact with people and our forays into local culture. This is clearly a more sustainable form of tourism, closely related to nature activities, although not limited to them.

In northern Italy, in the region of Emilia-Romagna, the province of Ferrara offers two major spots where we can engage in slow tourism – its capital, Ferrara, known as one of Italy’s most tranquil destinations, and the Po river delta, with an endless variety of nature activities. If to this we add the calm temperament of its inhabitants and their rich gastronomy, we have no excuse not to take our time getting to know that province.

The Valli di Comacchio, a Stroll through Nature

One of the mainstays of the economy in the province of Ferrara is thePo river delta,a highly fertile land for cultivating fruit and grain, and an ideal area for fishing. It also stands out for its wealth of flora and fauna, leading it to be listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999.

Lying south of the Po Delta Regional Parkbetween Comacchio and the Reno river lies the Valli di Comacchio, an area well worth visiting on account of its uniquely beautiful landscape. This is a marsh area stretching for some 11,000 hectares of typically flat land where the waterbody alternates between brackish and seawater. The best way of negotiating the area is by bicycle, for which several routes have been designed for fairly comfortable cycling. Outings by boat, on horseback and walking tours are also organised. One of the major activities here is bird-watching, the main birding species including mallards, flamingos, herons and cormorants.

In the middle of this natural space lies the town of Comacchio which is picturesquely built on 13 islands interconnected by a series of bridges and canals. That accounts for it being mentioned in several guidebooks as a “little Venice”. Fishing is one of the main activities in the area, so don’t forget to try out their foremost culinary speciality, anguilla marinata (marinated eel), which is still prepared according to a traditional recipe. If you’re curious to learn more about how this delicacy is made, we can recommend a visit to the Manifattura dei Marinati.

Ferrara – Serenity, Renaissance and Bicycles Galore

Ferrara is perfect for those interested in a city which combines serenity and a generous measure of art. Medieval in origin and ruled in the past by the Este family, this city is characterised by an urban-planning project designed by the architect, Biagio Rossetti, who crafted it into one of Italy’s prime Renaissance destinations. A must-see is the Castello Estense with its moat, in the city centre, in addition to the Duomo, the Via delle Volte and the old Jewish ghetto. Prominent among its magnificent Renaissance palaces, most of which have been turned into museums, are the Palazzo del Comune, the Palazzo della Ragione and the Palazzo dei Diamanti with its distinctive diamond-shaped blocks.

A feature of Ferrara which strikes one immediately is the large number of bicycles plying its streets, reminiscent of Amsterdam. We recommend hiring a bicycle and going on a delightful tour of the city walls – you won’t be disappointed.

When it comes to culinary delicacies, you must try the pasticcio di maccheroni (baked macaroni with Parmesan cheese), salama da sugo (roast pork sausage, usually accompanied by mashed potato) and Ferrara bread, with its distinctive flavour and unusual, four-crusted shape.

Perk up and explore this beautiful region – check out our flights!

Texts ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Photos Photo Archive of the Province of Ferrara

For those who wonder whether there is any life in Venice beyond the tourist-infested squares, streets and canals, the answer is “yes”. And, for those who think tapas are a wholly Spanish invention, you are sorely misguided. If you’re the kind of sightseer who loves wandering around the city, you’re likely to come across another Venice with quiet corners and spots where the locals lead their lives, far from cruise vessels and selfie sticks. This is the Venice of the bacari or tapas bars. A tour of these locales takes you on a trip into the heart of a city with a life of its own, far removed from its crowded centre. The bacari are Venetian territory and, although you might bump into the occasional tourist, they have largely resisted the passage of time. The first thing to know when you enter one of them is that the snacks are called cicchetti. Indeed, a common saying among Venetians is andare per ombre e cicchetti, meaning to go tapas hunting.Cichetti are fish snacks, usually accompanied with a glass of white wine costing no more than one or two euros a glass, so this is a good way of eating at an affordable price in a city famed not only for its beauty, but also for being rather pricey.

There are many types of bacari, from those frequented by family regulars to others catering to the young set. Each has its own speciality, although all of them serve baccalà mantecato, a type of codfish paste spread on bread, the city’s star dish.

We have selected the five best tapas bars in Venice, just to make sure you don’t miss them.

Osteria Al Portego

A four-minute walk from the Rialto Bridge takes you into the Castello quarter and to one of the favourites among Venetian students. With just a few tables, this tavern is a stand-up place in essence. The owners are young and, among their specialities, you must try the seppie al nero (squid-ink calamari), the tunafish a la livornesa or the spectacular lasagna. Washed down, of course, with a glass of prosecco, the house champagne.

Calle della Malvasia Castello 6014, tel. 041 5229038

Al Merca’

Sited next to the Rialto Market, Al Merca’ is one of the smallest bacari in Venice, but it features a broad selection of wines and beers. The standout dishes of the house are polpettine di carne (meatballs) and tiny ham, cheese and pancetta (bacon) sandwiches. The cocktail de rigueur here is spritz, the Italian national drink.

Fondamenta Riva Olio (Mercato di Rialto), tel. 3468340660

Osteria alla Vedova

Very near Ca’ D’oro, the most famous Gothic palace on the Grand Canal and seat of the Galleria Giorgio Franchetti, lies this delightful bacaro. The baccalà mantecato or sarde in saor (sweet-and-sour-based sardines and onion) are always served with polenta here. It’s finger-licking delicious!

Cannaregio (Ca’ D’oro) 3912, tel. 041 528 5324

Osteria Al Timon

The Osteria Al Timon is one of the meeting points for the city’s modern set. It is located on Cannaregio, alongside the Jewish ghetto. The griddled polenta with fish, and the duck pâté, are their specialities. You can even enjoy them while lounging in one of the boats moored on the canal in front of this bacaro. Things that can only happen in Venice!

(Fondamenta dei Ormesini), Cannaregio 2754 tel. 39 041 524 6066

Il Bacareto da Lele

You simply can’t leave Venice without dropping in on Il Bacareto da Lele. Sited opposite the church of San Nicolò da Tolentino, very near the train and bus stations, the speciality in this snack bar are their panini mignon. These sandwiches, which can be ordered to taste, with bacon, artichoke or pepperoni, are favourites among Venetians and students from the nearby Iuav University.

(Campo dei Tolentini) Santa Croce, 183

I bet we have whet your appetite. Come and relish the best tapas in Venice – check out our flights here.

Text and images by Aleix Palau for ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

“The moon? Mars? Iceland? No, it’s Lanzarote!” You will often catch yourself thinking this as you roam this fascinating island along roads traversing uninhabited places, without anyone for miles around you. You will also wonder what it might be like to live in this pleasant land of disturbing beauty, surrounded everywhere by raging Atlantic waves relished by surfers from all over the world.

Tracts of lunar land alternating with stretches of desert, and others carpeted in vegetation, where palm trees stand side by side with lava fields, wild beaches, small fishing villages and, of course, the ubiquitous seaside developments catering to mass tourism.

And, as you contemplate the impossible patterns forged by centuries of intermittent lava flows in the rocks, and you hear the roar of the waves while munching on papas con mojo,you regret that the incomprehensible tourist dynamic should have earmarked Lanzarote as the almost exclusive preserve of family holidaymakers and honeymoon couples. That is when you wish Lanzarote would bare its Indie streak, without renouncing its conventionalism, and that we “Peninsulars” – that is what we have been dubbed by the witty locals – would make the trip at least once a year to this island overflowing with charm, which also has its less predictable side. And this chart of rankings proves it.

1- El Chupadero. Its owner, Barbara, is a former model and erstwhile German New Yorker. One day in the eighties, she came across a derelict building in the middle of the island and fell prey to its charm. She decided to refurbish it with her own hands and settle there permanently, along with her two small children. That was how this restaurant was born, unwittingly hipster to the marrow, where every corner is a marvel of good taste and the menu the epitome of indigenous cuisine based on excellent produce.

2- Bar Stop. At the other end of the island, in Yaiza, lies this legendary establishment, which dates from 1890. It has a homely feel and more than reasonable prices and appears not to have changed one jot since its beginnings. Bar Stop is a place where you can enjoy deliciously rustic home cooking any time of the day while you eavesdrop on the locals chattering away – they also seem to have come fresh from 1890, brimming with friendliness and hospitality.

Plaza Ntra. Sra. de los Remedios (Yaiza).

3- La Lupe. Going to Lanzarote only to end up eating in a Mexican, considering the oodles of papas arrugadas that are shouting to get our attention, may seem rather reckless. But, once you’ve tried La Lupe’s delicatessen and sense that it comes hot from the heart of Mexico City, you realise that you have found an exceptional Mexican cuisine. Carefully crafted tacos, enchiladas, moles and other delicacies in a highly recommendable Mexican restaurant. Ideal for dining to a Tequila rhythm before lighting up the night at Noise.

4- NoiseClub Lanzarote. This is what we might term Lanzarote’s underground concert venue, whose owners fight daily to create an Indie atmosphere in the very heart of the capital, Arrecife. Noise is a small, inviting venue featuring live performances on Friday and Saturday after 11.30 p.m. Performers are often musicians from the Peninsula, in line with the open-minded approach of the artificers of Noise and their urge to bring out a less conventional side of Lanzarote. Performances are variegated, ranging from funk to techno.

5- Lagomar. One of the world’s greats who succumbed to the charms of Lanzarote was Omar Sharif. Indeed, he ended up building a formidable house at the seaside, by way of a large, stunningly beautiful fortress, now turned into a restaurant and wine bar. Every nook in the maze-like interior of Lagomar is a fiesta, from the elegant dining-room to the small bar counter surrounded by armchairs, the beautiful gardens and the pool crowning the patio. It is the ideal spot for having a well crafted glass of wine and for enjoying, any day of the week, the pleasant temperatures of Lanzarote and the anachronistic aura – in the best sense of the word – which still pervades this legendary precinct.

Where to Sleep

Sands Beach Lanzarote: This stunning, four-star resort on the Costa Teguise, just 15 minutes from the airport, will play havoc with those who have difficulty getting their bearings. Six huge swimming pools – one of which is heated – a spa, gaming hall, supermarket, activities at all hours and enormous rooms with a kitchen make up this complex with its private beach, where guests are treated like kings and prices are actually affordable.

Text and photos by Laura Conde of Gastronomistas