Any traveller stopping over at the city on the river Túria has their sightseeing venues cut out for them – The City of Arts and Sciences, The Cathedral, El Miguelete, The Silk Exchange, The Central Market, Torres de Serrano, Torres de Quart, The Port, The Bioparc – if you have kids in tow –  and, of course, The Albufera. Needless to say, all this should be accompanied by a good paella for lunch, and an horchata for afternoon tea.

But, Valencia is a lot more than this. Indeed, locals delight in a practice which is almost a religion – what is known here as the esmorçaret, a mid-morning sandwich with freshly baked bread, accompanied by a dish of olives or nuts, a beer and coffee… all for less than five euros.

Here is a our recommendation of 8 must-visit bars where you will gradually become adepts of that healthy practice which is usually indulged in between ten and twelve o’clock in the morning.

For Omelette Lovers

Bar Alhambra. Every day Benito, the owner of this small bar in the Juan Llorens area, prepares an average of six, two-and-a-half-kilo omelettes. The main kind is the potato omelette, but you can also choose between potato and onion, as well as potato and spring garlic, potato and sobrasada, (a spicy, pork sausage) and potato and morcilla (blood sausage),among others. Another of their finger-licking specialities is the apaleao (dry-cured pork loin).

Bar Rojas Clemente. Hidden in one of the city’s smallest markets, its bar counter provides a spectacle of myriad types of omelette, scrambled eggs, sausage and savoury pies, a local classic. Be sure to try the goat’s-milk cheese, candied-tomato and spinach omelette.

Under the Valencian Sun

Kiosco La Pérgola. Located in the tranquil, sought-after Paseo de la Alameda, this is one of the city’s classic venues, both for its food and sunny terrace. The “bombón” is the star bite – with pork loin, mushrooms, cheese and a special sauce. You can also elect to order the sandwich with just mushrooms, or with grouper or liver, which in La Pérgola is a whole delicacy.

Size Rules

Bodega La Pascuala. All the rage among elevenses devotees, this venue is located in the seafaring quarter of El Cabañal, just a stone’s throw from La Malvarrosa Beach. Their star performer is the “Súper”, an oversize sandwich comprising a whole stick of bread, with horse meat, onion, bacon, cheese and typical Catalan tomato bread. The peanuts and olives are on the house.

Michelin-Starred Brunch

Central Bar. A Michelin-starred elevenses is also doable. Run by the acclaimed chef, Ricard Camarena, this bar is in the amazing Central Market in El Carmen District, the city’s historic centre. The star sandwich is named after Ricard Camarena himself and features pork fillet, onion, cheese and mustard – a festival of flavours!

A Classic – Calamari Sandwich

Casa Mundo. Founded in 1953 by a football player and Valencia CF’s greatest ever goal-scorer, Edmundo Suárez “Mundo”, this bar in the city centre has held out admirably against the invasion of franchises. Noteworthy is their famous calamari sandwich, but also the blanco y negro (black and white) with broad beans, as well as the chivito (steakburger) and pepito de pisto (ratatouille meat sandwich), which has been made to the same recipe for over 50 years.

La Piulà. A wealth of sandwiches with juicy, crisp, homemade batter-fried calamari. The optional condiment is a mild mayonnaise. Also well worth trying is their ciclista, made of ham, omelette and tomato as the main ingredients.

Hidden in the Historic City

Tasca Ángel. The last stop on our route is a secluded venue near the Mercat Central (Central Market), a few metres away from La Lonja (Silk Exchange). This bar features what are possibly the best sardines in town – their great draw and speciality – but they have other delicacies worth trying, too. From griddled vegetables to tapas you’d be hard put to find elsewhere, notably the riñoncitos (kidneys) and lleterola (gizzard), a favourite in the Horta Valenciana rural district. Oh, and don’t pass up theirajo arriero(salt cod, potato and garlic paste).

Check out your Vueling here and join the culture of the “esmorçaret”.

Text by Laura Llamas for Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

By Tensi Sánchez from actitudesmgz.com

If Grimm brothers continue writing fairy tales, they might dedicate a special mention for the moors which hosts the enchanted city of Hanover , the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony; a city that has been rebuilt with the passing of time, but today it still retains that magical air so typical of small German towns.

The eclectic style of the city is present at every step, the center of the city called Stadtmitte has the peculiarCentral Station – Haupbtbahnhof , a key point for connecting for surrounding area trains and focal point of the life of the Germans, because in its interior there is a large underground shopping area full of exotic restaurants and many shops that extend to Kröpcke station , an amazing shopping gallery beneath the streets of Hanover. It is definitely the perfect place to eat very economically, do not hesitate to try the gastronomic variety Back Factory : the famous pretzel, the wide variety of snacks or sweets Sedans, plus in this shopping area you can visit its unusual shops and store underground for boys and girls One Green Elephant .

In the center of the city, we can find several commercial galleries such as Ernst-August- Galeri or Galeria Kaufhof leading the most exclusive streets of the German city, full of shops and fancy restaurants. Among downtown streets, you can find an exquisite women fashion store known as Zöe where you’ll discover the womenswear collections not suitable for all pockets!. You should not miss the stock shop T•k•maxx where you will access to large firms for men, women and children at unbelievable prices.

Around Kröpcke, we discover Hussel Chocolates, a real chocolate heaven, where we can choose from a wide variety of chocolates in all flavors: pralines, truffles, chocolate with orange … Ideal for gourmands!. Very close to Hussel, we find Butlers, a design shop, full of these curious objects that make our lives more fun: mugs, magnets, posters and postcards …

Not only can you enjoy the wonders that Hanover offers during the day, but at night the city dresses in fashion for a few drinks in the best pubs. To begin the evening, a move to to taste Loretta’s Biergarten’sdishes, as, for instance, their delicious goat cheese wrapped in bacon or tagliatelle with venison, together with an authentic German beer in their spectacular garden terrace. After dinner and if you feel like a night out, the best option is to go to the trendiest nightclub in Hanover, Osho Disco, three floors where you can dance to the latest music.

A few blocks southwest lies the old city, Altstadt, undoubtedly the favorite place to find small boutiques, antique shops and enticing restaurants. In the surroundings of the Market Church, we may find made-in-Hannover small boutiques as the women’s clothing store Spitzl Anette, Marie Jo’s boutique or BBP Prêt à Porter’s designs .

Continuing along Knochenhauerstraße, we discover a piece of Mallorca in Hanover. Here it is Ein Stück Mallorca, a jeweler with pieces made of gold and silver with inlaid minerals, authentic artwork. Not only we have a “little piece” of Mallorca but also very close to this street you can find a small bakery in true French style, we talk about Glücksmoment, a very intimate and welcoming place to find endless varieties of muffins, cupcakes, chocolates, French macaroons … Exquisite!

On Kramerstraße street, there is a wide variety of small shops and antiquarians as Antiquitäten or Jordan, where you may find used books, pieces of glassware, pottery jars, vintage posters and the most diverse objects from the past, certainly the most charming part of the city immersed in Old Germany’s classic buildings.

Continuing through old town streets we find Balhofplatz, a wide and centenary square, the idyllic place to relax and have a nice cup of tea on the terrace of Tee Flubehen or enjoy a lovely German meal in the very authentic Restaurant Silver & Gold, both adjacent and near Leine river, on whose banks are held old Town trail on Saturdays.

One of the most beautiful landscapes you will see in Hanover is Maschsee Lake, a huge artificial lake. Take a sunset stroll along the bank of the lake to Yachtschule Hanover landing, where you can rent boats to sail or dinner amidst one of the best and most incredible views of the city.

To round off this German experience, do not miss the opportunity to visit the Gardens Herrenhausen, just minutes from the city center by public transport. You’ll come to one of the greatest and beautiful Baroque gardens in Germany. Next to them is located the English-style botanical garden Berggarten.

To see the video click this link.

Do not wait to book Vueling

¡We love Hanover!

Named after a monk –Émilion, a sort of Robin Hood – this locality lies some 38 kilometres from Bordeaux, from which it can be reached by either car or train in about half an hour. By strolling through its steep, cobbled streets, the visitor becomes immersed in history… and wine. The aroma of Bacchus wafts through the whole town, located among vineyards planted with the Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon grape varieties.

You can soak up most of its charms in a single day, but I assure you that you will want to stay there forever. Much of Saint-Émilion’s history lies buried in the earth, conjuring up a past full of Masonic societies and secret grottos swathed in an air of mystery, adding to the appeal of this World Heritage Site town.

Subterranean Worlds

A must-visit sight is the Monolithic Church, the largest of its kind in Europe. Carved out of a cliff, you cannot possibly imagine its sheer size from the outside. This architectural jewel also houses catacombs where the ancient nobles were buried. Guided tours are available in various languages and tickets can be purchased at the tourist office. They are well worth getting. The guided tour in Spanish always starts at 12 a.m.

If you are an enthusiast of underground worlds, you can also visit a number of wine cellars, notably the Chateau Cardinal Villemaurine, Clos des Menuts and Maison Galhaud, to name but a few. In all, there are over 100 châteaux where you can taste all kinds of wines with the DO Saint Émilion. A word of warning – during the tastings, remember to spit out the wine from time to time, to avoid it going to your head and having to regret something you did the day before.

Strolling Through the Town

The area surrounding the town offers picture postcard scenery and romantic walks. Strolling up and down the steep streets holding hands with your partner makes for what feels like an obstacle race over uneven cobblestones, as if it were a metaphor of love.

Your stroll will lead you to the Gate de La Cadène, an archway separating the upper part of the town, home to the wealthy classes, from the lower part, inhabited by the peasants.

In the Middle Ages, Saint-Émilion was defended by a fortified enclosure, the wall stretching some 1,500 metres. Access to the town was via six gates – the Porte Bourgeoise in the north, Porte Brunet in the east, Chanoines and Saint-Martin in the west, and Porte Bouqueyre or Bouquière and Sainte-Marie in the south. The Porte Brunet, which leads into the vineyards, is the only one which has been preserved virtually intact. It is well worth coming to this side of the town where all you can hear is the sound of bird song.

Another monument visible from most of the town is the King’s Tower. You can visit the top for €1.5 and soak up the views, which leave you speechless.

Macaroons For Afternoon Tea

Before Ladurée reinvented the formula, making them double and in various colours and flavours, macarons had long existed as a spongy almond biscuit with a great tradition in towns such as Saint-Émilion. In the 17th century, the Ursuline nuns in this locality were tasked with harvesting the almonds and using them in their pastries, which is how macaroons were created. They are still famous throughout the region. You can purchase them in two shops with a long-standing tradition in the town – Matthieu Mouliérac and Fabrique des Véritables Macarons. If you are really sweet-toothed and still require a further injection of sugar, try their canelés, small pastries typical of Bordeaux. The recipe was also developed by a monastic order, this time in the 16th century. Absolutely delicieux!

Brasseries, Foie Gras and Cheese For Dinner

There are numerous restaurants offering traditional cuisine, as well as brasseries, the ideal venues for having canard (duck) and entrecôte. If you fancy eating typical French cheeses, some foie gras and even some oysters while tasting a selection of wines, the restaurant L’Envers du Décor is the ideal spot. They have a small patio for warm summer evenings and their wine list is as long as a Cervantes novel. Let the waiter recommend what to order and abandon yourself to the aromas of Dionysius.

Discover the joie de vivre, book your Vueling to Bordeaux and have a good time!

Text by Miriam Arcera for Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Photos by Antonio Caballero

Sometimes you just have to burst certain stereotypes which seem to hound some cities. Our case in point is paradigmatic. In effect, Granada has such a lot going for it, apart from the legendary Alhambra and the first Renaissance cathedral to be built in Spain, the imperial Santa Iglesia Catedral Metropolitana de la Encarnación (both of these must-visit landmarks, although not the sum of the city’s attractions). Located on the banks of the river Genil and towered over by the Sierra Nevada, the capital of Granada is one of the focal points in Andalusian culture, a university city where the old and new come together. Local traditional music – flamenco, cante jondo – ring out side by side with pop music and contemporary rock (all related to independent music).

Granada has fewer than 250,000 inhabitants, but is an inexhaustible academy of artists and bands. Enrique Morente, Los Planetas, Lagartija Nick, 091 and Lori Meyers, to name just some of the more famous among them, emerged from the city’s streets and corners and went on to write some of the most celebrated chapters in Spanish music. Being a small city, you can walk through it comfortably. All you need is a pair of good trainers and, above all, motivation. So, if you’re eager to find out about more than just its historical landmarks, here goes a few musical slots geared to discovering a different Granada.

As mentioned above, the old and new come together in Granada. What’s more, those two currents have merged, thanks to the work of some of the aforementioned artists, like Enrique Morente and the incombustible Largartija Nick. The first must-visit spot on any tour of the city’s vibrant music scene is Sacromonte, the cradle of Granadan folklore. Situated in the Sierra de San Miguel and with a privileged view of the city, the area is brimming with caves blessed with excellent acoustics where the gypsy community organises recitals of cante jondo and flamenco. The performances are generous and varied. Apart from Sacromonte, it is well worth strolling through the district of Albaicín – also on the upper side of the city – another cradle of Granada flamenco and one of the most acclaimed gastronomic enclaves. In the streets of this district lies one of the most celebrated flamenco schools in the country, the Instituto de Flamenco Flora Albaicín.

Moving on to wholeheartedly modern currents, Granada is the land of independent rock. It boasts a rich fabric of clubs and concert halls with programmes that also open up to styles beyond Indie (electronic, mestizaje). One of the most venerable spots is Planta Baja, a veritable cultural institution in the city which, apart from hosting consolidated bands, also gives emerging local talent the chance to make their mark. Located in downtown Granada, near the Basilica of Juan de Dios, the Monastery of San Jerónimo and Granada Cathedral – you guessed it; you might as well do some sightseeing before visiting it – it offers activities from noon onwards and DJ sessions at the weekend. Some of the big names that will feature on stage at Planta Baja in the coming months include Sex Museum, Soledad Vélez and Carlos Sadness. Another club which deserves a pilgrimage if you’re into pop and rock is El Tren, located on the outskirts of the city.

A place with so much musical activity could not fail to have a good number of record shops, too. One of the best is Discos Marcapasos, just a few metres from Planta Baja. Located at 6 Calle Duquesa, it is the nerve centre of Granada’s music scene, also offering a generous stock of CDs and vinyls covering sixties years of pop music. It provides advance ticket sales for concerts at Planta Baja, El Tren and other venues in town as well. The store also hosts such activities as ad hoc DJ sessions, record signings and acoustic concerts. Another of the city’s institutions well worth considering is Discos Bora Bora, a small store with a large selection of vinyls.

Book your Vueling to Granada and discover its music scene.

Text by Xavi Sánchez for Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS