Don’t be fooled – a trip with children is never like one without them. Those long walks to discover Shoreditch’s designer stores, the night-time gin tonic in a new, stylish bar in Dalston or endless mornings spent trying out vintage spectacles in Spitalfields will morph into such activities as throwing breadcrumbs to our friends the ducks. Following is a rundown of the things we can do if destiny takes us to London in the company of our household nippers.

Lunch at La Roma Bella

Just opposite the British Museum, an essential visit if our children are minors – and even if they aren’t, what the heck – stands this restaurant, defined as “the most family friendly place in London”. Here, the kids can enjoy a dish of tasty, wholesome pasta, while the staff amuse them and give them paper and crayonsto draw, to later hang up the results on the restaurant’s main wall. Their prices are moderate, a break from the somewhat exorbitant prices in town.

A Visit to the Zoo

Reaching the Zoo can end up being like a desert crossing if you happen to start off outside the city centre. Distances in London are enormous, but the effort is worth your while, as it is the oldest zoo in the world after Vienna’s, dating from 1828. They have an incredible reptile section and species which the whole family will probably be seeing for the first time, as well as lots of spots to relax. We recommend approaching the zoo by crossing beautiful Regent’s Park, one of our favourite London parks for children – apart from the fact that there is always something going on there, it has a big lake with various species of friendly ducks which, for your kids, will really make their day. As if that weren’t enough, there is also a huge playground and a lovely restaurant with a pleasant terrace.

An Incursion into Europe’s Largest Toy Store

In Piccadilly, where the lights, the festive atmosphere and the multi-coloured shop windows make this an attraction in itself for young and old alike, be sure to stop off at Hamley’s, an amazing department store dedicated solely to toys, where the most variegated product presentations seem to be happening all the time. You won’t leave empty-handed and are likely to spend more time in the shop than you bargained for, but the look on your children’s faces will be priceless.

The House of Sherlock Holmes

You don’t need to know anything about Sherlock Holmes to have a great time in the house of this aloof, intelligent investigator with the odd addiction. At 11 Baker Streett here is the perfect mock-up of what is supposed to be the home of the most famous detective in the history of fiction. The children will be aghast at the sheer number of objects on display in there.

An Afternoon in the London Transport Museum

This museum, located in Covent Garden, features a collection of over 80 vehicles which youngsters are allowed to climb into and play around in as much as they want, in addition to numerous interactive devices distributed throughout the depot.

Lunch at Gordon Ramsay’s Union Street Café

This restaurant is not exclusively for children, but a very pleasant spot for the whole family to enjoy the cuisine of one of the United Kingdom’s celebrity chefs (with the permission of Jamie Oliver and Lorraine Pascale). It is sited in the pleasant district of Southwark, once a working-class area, which is gaining momentum as a hipster venue of late. It is near the Tate Gallery (another museum which is ideal for families, as they lay on numerous activities for children), so it is ideal for having lunch before visiting the museum. The menu features carefully prepared Italian cuisine which caters to all tastes.

Cereal Killer

After lunch at Ramsay’s and a visit to the Tate, a good option would be to head for this café in Brick Lane, run by two hipster brothers who serve only breakfast cereals, with various types of milk and toppings. There you will discover more kinds of cereal than you could imagine, including limited editions, which children will delight in. They will feel very much at home in the midst of the sweet paradise that unfolds before their eyes, apart from rubbing shoulders with customers in this modish locale.

Text and photos by Laura Conde of Gastronomistas.com

B-FIT in the streetor D’ale Bucureştilor, is held in the streets of Bucharest’s old city from late May to early June each year. This admission-free festival features a host of events, including theatre stagings, open-air cinema, music performances and parades, attended by thousands of festival-goers. No other place is so evocative for enjoying the folk music and medieval traditions of the B-Fit festival as the narrow backstreets of the area. So, now that we find ourselves in the picturesque historic centre of the Romanian capital, let’s wander through the area to soak up its charm.

A City with a Parisian Air

Bucharest was once known as the “little Paris of the East” for its French influences, still noticeable in its wide avenues and, like the French capital, a striking triumphal arch at the entrance to Kisseleff Avenue. This grand avenue was the megalomaniacal dream of Ceauşescu, who wanted to better the Champs Elysées by making it a few metres longer than the original model. Under his rule, a large part of the city centre was demolished to make way for ugly Communist-era buildings.

Piața Unirii (Unification Square), one of the largest in the city, is also reminiscent of the grand squares of Paris. It is intersected by Unirii Boulevard, which marks the divide between old and new Bucharest, affording comparative views of the contrast between the two.

Lipscani – A Historical, Lively District

North ofUniriisquare,after crossing the Dâmboviţa river canal, lies Lipscani, the centrul vechi (historic centre) of Bucharest. This is one of the most interesting areas as, fortunately, it managed to elude Ceauşescu city plans. It is a lively quarter, packed with bars, restaurants and modern pubs throbbing with activity.

Also fronting Unirii Square is Manuc's Inn (Hanul lui Manuc),a centuries-old inn architecturally way ahead of its time. Its magnificent inner court, which was once a staging area for the throngs of carriages that plied across Europe in the mid-19th century, now accommodates charming terrace cafés.

Well worth visiting is the Curtea Veche archaeological excavation which houses the residence commissioned by the 15th-century ruler, Vlad III Dracula or Vlad Țepeș the Impaler, the Transylvanian nobleman whose legend was immortalised in the novel, “Dracula”, by Bram Stoker. A visit of Curtea Veche might include venturing into some of its underground halls, browsing through its museum and taking vampirish shots of Vlad’s bust.

Prominent among the jewels of religious architecture in Lipscani is the priceless Stavropoleos Orthodox church, built in response to the call of numerous Greek merchants resident in Bucharest for a place of worship.

Eating at Historical Restaurants and Modern Terrace Cafés

The above Orthodox church is usually stumbled on by tourists heading to the restaurant known as Caru' cu bere (Beer Cart), a veritable institution in the city. It is housed in a neo-Gothic building listed as a historic monument, and its interior boasts numerous art nouveau adornments. Although it includes a terrace, we recommend eating indoors to admire the murals, mosaics and stained-glass windows, and soak up part of the history that has played out between its walls. Since it was first opened in 1899, it has been a meeting place for Romanian artists and writers.

Cafeneaua Veche (Old Café), on Covaci Street, is another venue you must see. It is Bucharest’s oldest café, dating from 1812, and is a heritage site listed by UNESCO. Later on you could spend some time listening to music in one of the many lively pubs along Covaci Street, notably the 1974 or the Underworld.

Another traditional restaurant in the old city is Crama Domnaesca, on Strada Selari. This is the perfect place for splashing out on a fully-fledged banquet, to try the main dishes in Romanian cuisine in a setting with medieval décor. Price is no object, as they are generally laughable in comparison to restaurants in other European countries.

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Text by Scanner FM

Images by Jordi Joan Fabrega, Richard Mortel, fusion-of-horizons

The name Ronda inevitably conjures up pictures of its lofty Puente Nuevo (New Bridge) and spectacular bullring. Situated in the north-west of Málaga province, in the beautiful natural setting of the Serranía de Ronda range, it is the ideal spot for a weekend getaway.

In the course of its history, Ronda has been conquered by Celts, Iberians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs and Berbers, as evinced in the city’s rich heritage. It was also occupied by the French in 1810, prompting the emergence of a bandit resistance movement known as bandolerismo.

Ronda, A Monumental City

The obvious starting point is the Puente Nuevo, one of the city’s icons.Built in the 18th century, it connects the historic town to the city’s modern districts, spanning a 100-metre-deep ravine through which the river Guagalevín flows. It is well worth crossing the bridge to see the stunning views. Another vantage point is provided by the balconies in the Jardines de Cuenca, revealing a view of the bridge in all its splendour. But, there’s more. Pre-dating the Puente Nuevo is the Puente Romano (Roman Bridge), also known as the Puente de las Curtidurías, in addition to the Puente Viejo, finished in 1616.

Another sightseeing area is the inner city with its narrow streets, particularly the Calle Manuel Montero with its characteristic white houses adorned with flowering geraniums. The area also boasts a large number of mansions and palaces, notably the Mondragón Palace. Moorish in origin, the building features harmoniously blended Mudéjar and Renaissance styles. It currently houses the Ronda Museum. Other outstanding buildings are the Palace of the Marqués de Salvatierra, the Casa del Gigante (House of the Giant), a jewel of Nasrid architecture, the Renaissance-style House of St John Bosco and the Palacio del Rey Moro (Palace of the Moorish King). The latter houses a fountainhead opened up by the Moors which provides access down to the river.

When it comes to religious architecture, a must-see monument is the Church of Santa María la Mayor, built over the High Mosque of Medina. A prominent feature of its interior is the choir, carved in fine walnut and oak woods.

There are numerous vestiges of the old Moorish settlement, as we saw for ourselves. You can still visit the Muslim Medina, of which part of the wall has been preserved, although the most striking feature is the Almocábar Gate, dating from the 13th century. However, the most important vestige of that period is the Arab Baths –the best preserved on the Iberian Peninsula –built in the 13th and 14th century alongside the Arroyo de las Culebras.

Also worth exploring is Ronda’s Roman past, the major landmark being the Acipino Archaeological Site. Located some 20 kilometres outside the city, the standout feature in this complex is the Roman theatre.

Ronda – A City of Bulls

As intimated at the beginning of this post, the Bullring is another icon for which Ronda is famous. The Real Maestranza de Caballería de Ronda, unveiled in 1785, is one of the oldest and most monumental bullrings in Spain. Interestingly enough, its design is attributed to Martín de Aldehuela, artificer of the Puente Nuevo. For those who wish to explore the world of bullfighting, the bullring includes the Museo de la Tauromaquia (Museum of Tauromachy) which is open to the public.

However, Ronda is not only well-known in bullfighting circles for its bullring. It was here that modern tauromachy emerged, as did the Corridas Goyescas, and the city is the cradle of powerful matador dynasties like the Romeros and the Ordóñez. This is precisely why Ronda was frequented by its two best-known international aficionados, Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles, and the ashes of Orson Welles were deposited in the Ordóñez family estate in Ronda.

Ronda – the Home of Good Food and Drink!

The best way to round off a tour of Ronda is to try its culinary specialities, notably their sopa de castañas (chestnut soup),migas con chorizo (cured pork sausage crumble), rabo de toro (bull’s tail stew), conejo a la rondeña (Ronda-style rabbit) and perdiz al tajo (Tajo-style partridge).The ideal accompaniment to these dishes is any of wines produced in the nearby Serranía de Ronda, designated either DO Málaga or DO Sierras de Málaga.

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Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Photos by SuperCar-RoadTrip.fr, Elliott Brown, Julia Kostecka, Antonio

1. El Retiro – the Most Popular of All

Stretching across 118 hectares, El Retiro Park is one of Madrid’s best known green areas. Close to the centre and readily accessible, it has long been a favourite among both Madrilenians and visitors to the city. Its origins go back to the period 1631–1640, when a second royal residence, known as the Palacio del Buen Retiro, was built on this site, the surrounding parkland being designated as a leisure area for the monarchs. Hardly anything has survived from those times as the palace was demolished after the Peninsula War in 1808. Following the revolution of 1868, the park was declared a public facility.

If you have a day to spend in El Retiro, you can fit in a stroll in search of Madrid’s purportedly oldest tree, have some refreshment at one of the kiosks, go for a boat ride on the Estanque Grande (Large Pond), see one of the scheduled exhibitions in the Velázquez Palace or the Palacio de Cristal (Crystal Palace), soak up the lush vegetation, research the park’s history through its fountains and statues and discover one of the few sculptures of the Ángel Caído (Fallen Angel).

2. The Casa de Campo – Madrid’s Largest Public Park

This is the largest urban park in Spain, spread across 1,722 hectares. It was once a preserve of the Spanish Crown, for which it operated as a hunting area, among other things. With the proclamation of the Second Republic, the park was made over to the city of Madrid and turned into a public precinct.

The Casa de Campo is the perfect spot for doing such sports as cycling, running, hiking and football. It also has sports facilities for tennis and swimming, and you can go canoeing or sailing on its iconic lake.

But the park offers more than just sport, boasting a large number of leisure facilities: an amusement park, zoo, various fairgrounds, the Madrid Arena multi-purpose pavilion and the Venta del Batán. Another of the major attractions here is the cableway linking the Casa del Campo to the Parque del Oeste, affording magnificent views over the park and the city of Madrid.

3. The Regal Air of the Campo del Moro Gardens

Designated an “Art Historical Garden” in 1931, it stretches across 20 hectares, running from the west side of the Royal Palace to the Paseo de la Virgen del Puerto. Legend has it that, in 1109, the Almoravid leader, Ali ben Yusuf, camped in these grounds during his attempt at reconquering the former Alcázar Real, which accounts for the name of the gardens.

The Campo del Moro Gardens are one of three parklands belonging to the Royal Palace. Comparatively unknown by Madrilenians, they afford unique views of the palace. It is the perfect spot for strolling around and relaxing. Two sculptural groups are prominent in the park’s central hub – the Triton Fountain and the Fountain of the Shells. A curiosity is the House of Cork, a small, romantically inspired templet of a simplicity that contrasts with the rest of the area.

4. The Royal Botanical Gardens – Hallmark of the Enlightenment

Founded in 1755 by Ferdinand VI near the river Manzanares, in 1781 they were moved on the orders of Charles II to their current location on the Paseo del Prado, next door to the Prado Museum, then known as the Natural Science Museum.

The Royal Botanical Gardens reflect the spirit of the Enlightenment, the period in which they were designed. The gardens are laid out on three stepped terraces and feature plants from Europe, the Americas and the Pacific, numbering around 5,000 species in all. The grounds include a library which boasts a herbarium of over half a million sheets, and an archive with nearly 10,000 drawings. It was designated an “Artistic Garden” in 1942.

5. El Capricho – A Romantic Spot

Situated in the Alameda de Osuna, it is a veritable gem and yet comparatively unknown by local citizens. In 1985 it was listed as a Cultural Interest Site. The gardens were commissioned in 1784 by Doña María Josefa Pimentel, the Duchess of Osuna, and reflect the romanticist taste of the time, with English, French and Italian references. Sited in the gardens is a palace, a shrine, fountains, sculptural groups, ponds and a maze, all in a botanically rich setting. Several anti-aircraft shelters were built there during the Spanish Civil War, although the sole surviving vestiges are some air vents.

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Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by Naliade, Pablo Sanchez, Kus Cámara, M a n u e l