If any product is sought after in the culinary world it is the truffle. Some humble fried eggs can be transformed into a veritable delicacy by simply adding thin sections of this aromatic fungus. One of the most coveted varieties is the white truffle found around the Piedmontese town of Alba. Also known under its scientific name, tuber magnatum pico, it is regarded as the “Mozart of fungi” or “white diamond” ofhaute cuisine.In addition to its exquisite taste, truffles are also noted for being one of the most expensive products on the market. When it comes to prices, they can even unseat another gastronomic gem – saffron. In many instances, the price of truffles can be in the €3,000 to €6,000 price range. The record was set by a Hong Kong buyer who in 2010 paid a whopping €90,000 for a truffle!

The main reason for white truffle fetching such high prices is that it is in short supply and difficult to extract. It is found some ten to fifteen centimetres under the ground, where the humidity and freshness conditions are ideal for its growth. Care has to be taken to avoid damaging or breaking the truffle when extracting it, a task requiring some skill and delicateness. Formerly, pigs were used for this purpose, a function now performed by dogs, which also happen to be less likely to consume their find. The truffle-hunting season is limited to autumn and the procedure usually takes place at night, when the sniffer dogs rely heavily on their sense of smell.

Apart from the leading chefs, the host of white truffle enthusiasts includes such celebrities as Alfred Hitchcock, Francis Ford Coppola, Gérard Depardieu, Alain Delon, Penélope Cruz and Oprah Winfrey. One of its outstanding properties is that it does not require cooking, while its scent is highly volatile.

The Great White Truffle Fair

The International Alba White Truffle Fair is held each year in October and November, a grand event which unfolds around this prized natural delicacy but also features tributes to other culinary marvels in the area. The Alba White Truffle Auction is the crowning moment of the fair. Held in the Hall of Masks at Grinzane Castle, is attracts a worldwide following. Incidentally, the auction also involves a good cause, as part of the proceedings are donated to charity.

The fair programme also includes the so-called White Truffle Market where visitors can enjoy themselves by examining, touching and smelling these gastronomic delicacies, all endowed with the relevant quality certifications and displayed amid strict security. Of the many activities hosted is the Alba Truffle Show, which includes debates between prestigious chefs and live cooking sessions at which secrets are revealed regarding ways of getting the most out of the truffle.

However, the limelight is not exclusive to the tuber magnatum pico at this fair, as areas are also dedicated to the region’s gastronomy. The Truffle Market stalls display local produce, notably cheese, sausage, meat, homemade pastries and egg-based pasta. Wines, too, are very much in evidence, including Barolo, Barbaresco, Roero, Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Barbera, Favorita, Arneis and Moscato.

Fancy discovering this world of taste and aroma? Check out your flight here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Photos by Blue moon in her eyes

Milan is one of the world’s leading production centres of design, creativity and fashion, which are also its major draws for visitors. Suffice to stroll along the Via Monte Napoleone and the Via della Spiga, two of the landmark shopping precincts, and you will likely be left open-mouthed at the splendid stage setting of the shop windows. No wonder, then, that Milan is the headquarters of such fashion labels as Armani, Prada, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Etro, and Miu Miu. Following is our selection of the year’s foremost events which all fashion and design devotees should be including in their schedule and experiencing for themselves.

Milan Design Week

From 4 to 9 April,Milan hosts the Salone del Mobile Milano, one of the major showcases for the latest trends in design, innovation, decoration and creativity each year. Aside from the trade fair itself, which will test your stamina when it comes to traipsing through pavilions and visiting stands, where you will also have to put up with long queues, all the presentations which the firms stage in parallel come under the umbrella of the so-called Fuorisalone. The latter, which is held at a host of venues scattered about the city, enables you to visit (by invitation, on certain occasions) splendid private palaces duly turned into perfect stages for the occasion. These are veritable extravaganzas, at which the stage setting is key, particularly when showcasing the latest trends in design.

The city devotes itself wholeheartedly to the cause for the duration of the fair, when Milan is inundated both by the leading labels that turn up to showcase their wares, and the hordes of visitors from all over the world, who come ready to marvel at the latest in design trends. It is worth bearing in mind that the sheer volume of people flocking to the city has the effect of markedly driving up the prices of accommodation for those few days, so it is essential to prepare your trip well beforehand to avoid unpleasant last-minute surprises.

Milan Fashion Week

This last February the city hosted the latest Milan Fashion Week, when the great names in Italian fashion revealed the cutting-edge trends for the 2017-2018 autumn-winter season. Make a point of attending the forthcoming edition, scheduled for20 to 27 September,during which the catwalks will again be thronged with the most stylish designs, destined to impact the fads we hang in our wardrobes for the 2018 summer season.

Fashion and Design Beyond the Events

You don’t need to visit Milan during these two events to discover how eminently centre-stage fashion and design are in the capital of Lombardy. As we mentioned earlier, merely wandering down the city’s main shopping precincts is truly rewarding on the eyes and a unique opportunity to go on a shopping spree where you can pick up the latest trends.

Another area you should include in your itinerary in the city while hunting for contemporary trends is Brera, a neighbourhood which is at once bohemian and chic and which oozes design wherever you go. Its design studios, and its shop fronts and interiors, will make you feel you have stepped into a fashion magazine. So, be sure to stroll along its streets and soak up the sights. And, you will find the perfect spot for restoring your energy at God Save The Food, an eatery sited in the sunny Piazza del Carmine, flanked by the brickwork-based Neo-gothic Church of Santa Maria del Carmine.

Book your Vueling to Milan and enjoy the very best of international design and Italian fashion.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Salone del Mobile Milano, Luca Nebuloni

Brindisi, with a population of nearly 90,000 inhabitants, is a surprisingly calm and highly relaxing destination. The city has a glorious past, as evinced in the large number of vestiges still to be seen. Indeed, since ancient times Brindisi was known as the “Gateway to the East”, on account of its geographical location. This led it to become the perfect harbour for Roman vessels to dock at before sailing for the Near East. It was subsequently pilgrims, crusaders and merchants that set out from these shores, and the city also marked the end of the Roman road known as the Via Appia or Appian Way. Here at Vueling City we have prepared six family activities for your stay in this resort, which is also ideal for indulging in “slow tourism”.

Strolling Through the City

The city of Brindisi, on the Adriatic Sea, is situated between two deep bays and connected to the open sea via a deep, narrow channel overlooked by the Castello Rosso (Red Castle), so called for the colour of the stone used in its construction. This provides an exceptional starting point for a tour of the city. Another ideal start is the Castello Svevo or Swabian Castle, which overlooks the harbour’s western channel. The fortress is trapezoidal in shape, although it was remodelled many times over after the arrival of the Aragonese. Your itinerary might then take you to San Giovanni al Sepolcro (the Church of Saint John Sepulchre), which features a splendid, finely decorated marble portal. From there you can head for the Piazza del Duomo and visit the Cathedral. Next, go down the Via Colonne and stop at the foot of the Colonna Romana (Roman Column), originally flanked by another, identical column which is currently located in Lecce. The best way to round off the tour is to approach the Corso Garibaldi, a palm-tree-lined avenue which connects the harbour to the esplanade and train station.

Italy’s Largest Safari Park with Wild Animals

An outing likely to be hugely popular with the kids is a visit to the safari park with the largest number of wild animals in Italy, situated a few kilometres from Fasano. At Fasanolandia, lions, tigers, bears, elephants, antelope, giraffe, bison, deer, zebras and camels roam free among the park’s lush Mediterranean vegetation. The circuit is negotiated by car and there are several routes to choose from. The park also boasts an ornithological exhibit, a tropical room, a zoo and an oceanarium, each with its own variety of wild species – macaws, zebra finches, alligators, snakes, bears, hippos, dolphins and penguins, among others. There is also a Zoo Safari and a large Theme Park.

Total Relax

Another great place to chill out, as well as to enjoy healing therapies and personal care treatment are the Torre Canne Thermal Baths, set amid a lovely fir-tree park which includes a small lake fed by underground streams renowned for their therapeutic properties. This is a spot for the whole family to enjoy water in a different way.

Enjoy Nature

The Torre Guaceto Nature Reserve, a veritable oasis run by the WWF (World Wildlife Fund for Nature), is undoubtedly the most spectacular nature park in the area. If offers a wealth of possibilities, criss-crossed by footpaths and trails that are ideal for long, relaxed hikes or bicycle outings with the children. If you haven’t brought the children along, you could do some yoga, a popular activity here in the heart of this splendid nature reserve.

A Tranquil Sea

If there is a place all children root for, it has to be the seaside. The Brindisi coastline is flat and sandy throughout. It is blessed with a longer-than-usual holiday season thanks to its mild climate, which spills over into the autumn. The crystal-clear emerald-green and deep, sea-blue sea is ideal for diving, revealing stunningly rich Mediterranean flora and a seabed where the plant-carpeted depths are interspersed with rocky and sandy sea floors. This is the perfect habitat for the common snipe, ducks, nightingales and various kinds of amphibians. It is also the domain of a wealth of marine plant species, including undersea meadows of seagrass (Posidonia oceanica), sea fans or gorgonians and coral.

Back to the Past

In mid-August,Ostuni,a half-hour’s drive north of Brindisi, hosts the traditional Sagra Vecchi Tempi festivity, packed with musical and folk events, a cult festival that pays homage to the past. Take a stroll through the town’s alleyways and steep yourself in quaint scenes of country life set in accurately reconstructed craft workshops, where you can also taste delicious snacks of traditional local cuisine. At the forefront are the cheeses, both fresh and cured, made on local livestock farms and featuring ricotta, cacioricotta and pecorino, a sheep’s-milk cheese. And, true to local tradition, you can also find a variety of breads – focacce, frise and taralli. A special treat is to be had in the form of typical confectionery, notably the mandorla riccia or “curled almond” and cegliese,a biscuit containing roast almonds, cherry preserve and lemon.

Don’t think twice – if you’re seeking a calm yet entertaining holiday with the children, check out our flights here!

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by Fototeca ENIT-Turismo Italiano, Freshcreator

The region of Chianti stretches between Arezzo and the Colline Pisane. Regarded as the heart of Tuscany since time immemorial, it is made up of a number of grand landscapes dotted with vineyards, chestnut and holm oak forests, evocative medieval villages, romantic castles and fascinating colonial-style palaces. To crown it all, this is also the land that produces one of the finest wines in the world – Chianti.

A Route Through Chianti

Arriving from Florence, the customary approach road through this wine country takes visitors to the pretty town of Impruneta – in all, a 40-minute car ride. We were captivated by Impruneta on account of its numerous monuments, notably the crenellated belltower from the 13th century and the Basilica of Santa Maria with its Treasure Museum in the annex. Two events of international acclaim are held in these surroundings – the Fiera di San Luca (St Luke’s Fair) and the Festa dell'Uva (Grape Festival) with a traditional parade of allegorical floats. Both festivals are held in autumn.

While heading for Siena we stopped at the old medieval town of Greve in Chianti, which features a triangular public square. It is fringed by buildings and loggias which led us willy-nilly to the Church of Santa Croce. The most important wine fair in all Chianti is held precisely in this square. We then went for a stroll through the upper part of Greve, home to Montefioralle Castle which forms part of the old fortified town.

After passing briefly through the medieval village of Volpaia, we found ourselves in Radda. There we visited the 14th-century Church of San Niccolò and the majestic Palazzo Pretorio (dating from circa 1415). We then made for the parish Church of San Giusto in Salcio, located in a luxuriant hollow set between vineyards, and that of Santa Maria Novella with its characteristic Romanesque facade. As soon as we left, we went straight to the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico (Consortium of Classic Chianti Wine) which includes the Chiantigiano Study Centre.

Our journey continued across the Chianti hills where we came across panoramas that would take Instagram by storm. We passed through Gaiole, halfway between Florence and Siena and, as we were leaving the town, we stumbled upon some spectacular scenery of vineyards and castles, like those in San Leonino and Fonterutoli.

After leaving the Sienese town we approached Castellina, a stronghold of Etruscan origin with its beautiful central square traversed by the medieval Via delle Volte. From there we went to Monteriggione, a twenty-minute car ride away, built on a hillside and endowed with a compact, walled fortification.

Lastly, we stopped off at the splendid Poggibonsi, a town which holds its grape-treading festival in October.

The Wine

There is a large variety of Chianti wines on account of the peculiarities of local soils and the different production methods in each area or winery. Varying percentages of the same grape yield the leading names – Sangiovese (75-90%), Canaiolo (5-10%) and Malvasia (5-10%), the perfect composition hit upon by Baron Ricasoli in the 19th century to which Tuscan Trebbiano was subsequently added. Here the tradition is so deeply rooted that one can pick out the croplands planted with the different grape varieties.

The method of cultivation, known as L'Arco Toscana, takes place on clayey galestro soil which is porous and permeable and prevents water from collecting around the roots. A characteristic of the post-harvest period is that the grape clusters on some vines appear to have been overlooked, although this is actually part of a centuries-old “control” method. It consists of adding fresh raisin must to fermented wine to induce refermenting, by which all the sugar is converted into alcohol, yielding a particularly dry, stable wine.

After fermenting, the wines continue to be refined until March in steel casks or cement and, once bottled, are ready to be marketed.

Chianti has a characteristic fiery, ruby-red colour. The aroma is intense, with dominant violet, iris and vanilla, while the bouquet is harmonious and dry, with reminiscences of vanilla and almond. The experts claim it ages into a smoother, more velvety wine.

Chianti is a prefect table wine – the aged varieties and reserves pair with red meat, game and spicy cheeses. It is served at room temperature. As for local cuisine, typical Tuscan dishes include ribollita, its main ingredients being cooked vegetables left over from previous meals which are reboiled, augmented with dry bread and dressed with extra virgin olive oil. Another classic in the region are the antipasti such as chicken liver crostini, tomato bruschetta and Sienese capocollo,known locally as finocchiata.