Visitors to the every surprising and – for many – chaotic Naples have a huge array of things to see and do. Interesting sights include its magnificent churches, like those of San Francesco da Paola and Gesù Nuovo, castles like the Castel dell’Ovo and such amazing archaeological jewels as those on display in the National Archaeological Museum, including exhibits from the ancient sites at Pompeii and Herculaneum. You could also just stroll through the streets of its Centro Storico, designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. And, of course, all such sightseeing requires timely stopovers to indulge in their excellent pizzas, which is why we have come to the place where this popular dish first saw the light.

As if all the things we can enjoy on the city’s ground level were not enough, in its bowels lurks a whole world of tunnels, galleries, catacombs, cisterns and countless spaces where the earliest traces unearthed belong to the founders of Naples – the Greeks. The latest of them endure into our own times, as the Camorra is said to have used the network for their drug running and their undercover meetings. Nowadays, particularly in recent years, this hidden face of the city, known as the Naples Underground or Napoli Sotterranea, has been attracting ever greater attention and has now become yet another tourist attraction. And, understandably so, as many a story lies buried in that subsoil.

As mentioned in passing, it was the Greeks who first started building that “invisible” underground city for the purpose of defence and as a place of worship. The Romans continued where the Greeks left off, although they took things a step further – they created a network of underground channels and aqueducts for water conveyance. Much of that original system of water channelling continued to be used in the city until the early-20th century. Also from those ancient times are the remains of a Greco-Roman theatre which visitors can see on a tour of subterranean Naples. Legend has it that Nero himself sung in the theatre during an earthquake set off by the nearby volcano, Vesuvius.

Persecuted for their faith, the early Christians used those catacombs to gather for prayer and to bury their dead. Indeed, one of the most striking features of the Naples Underground is precisely the Catacombs of San Gennaro, tunnelled out of a large chunk of the Capodimonte hillside. They are the largest catacombs in southern Italy. With passageways arranged on two unstratified levels, they feature some fresco remains from the late-2nd-century AD. Interestingly, San Gennaro is the city’s patron saint, while the catacombs were the burial site of Neapolitan bishops and a place of pilgrimage up until the 11th century. There are two other catacombs in the city –San Severo, of which only a small cubicle remains, and San Gaudioso, reached via the Basilica of Santa Maria della Sanità.

Apart from acting as hideouts, means of conveyance and access routes to the city, these passageways were also turned to belligerent purposes, as on more than one occasion they were used to mount surprise attacks on the city. That was true of operations conducted by Belisarius in the year 536, and Alfonso of Aragon in 1442, or at least that is how the story goes. Closer to our times, the underground was used as an air-raid shelter during World War II. Objects surviving from that horrific period can still be seen there.

Entrance to the Naples underground is via the Piazza San Gaetano, 68 and guided tours are available in Italian or English. Scheduled times are given on their website.

Embark on an adventure of discovery in the Naples Underground and unearth the stories hidden there. Check out your flight here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Adele84Adele, Armando Mancini, Andrea Tosatto, Giuseppe Guida, AlMare

By Panenka www.panenka.org

Beyond the obvious attractions of the ‘City of Light‘, Paris hides large and small secrets for the travelling sports fan. Pioneering and revolutionary in all senses of the words, the banks of the Seine witnessed the first final of the Europa Cup competition, the first game of football at the Olympic Games and the creation of the Ballon d’Or. And as man does not live by football alone, every year, the eyes of the world turn towards the French capital to greet the king of Roland Garros, in the Bois de Boulogne, or the ‘Maillot amarillo’ of the Tour de France, with its victory run down the Champs Elysées. Apart from the ancient Stade de Colombes, where the final match in ‘Escape to Victory’ was filmed, there are important venues in Paris that must be visited including the hallowed ground of the Stade de France in Saint-Denis and for rugby fans, the unmissable Parc des Princes, home of Paris Saint-Germain. From these terraces, fans shouted at the tops of their voices: “Paris est magique!” And how right they are: all you have to do is take the step and discover the magic for yourself.

The eleven sporting venues

1 Yves-du-Manoir The stadium in old Colombes that featured in Escape to Victory.
2 Philippe-Chatrier Rafael Nadal’s back garden.
3 Parc des Princes Home of the PSG and Luis Arconada’s nightmare scenario.
4 Stade Bauer Last home of wandering club Red Star.
5 Stade Charléty Modest home of the decadent Paris FC.
6 Stade de France The Olympus of the heroes of 98 in Saint-Denis.
7 Paris-Bercy Hard to think of a sport that has not been played here.
8 Jacques-Anquetil Velodrome Hosted the first Olympic football contest.
9 Pershing Stadium Today it’s a baseball pitch but it was the heart of football in 1924.
10 Dominique-Duvauchelle Stadium The home of US Créteil-Lusitanos.
11 Stade Salvador Allende The Noisy-le-Sec reds stadium.

Eleven tourist spots

1 Versailles It was not by chance that Louis XIV was called the ‘Sun King’.
2 Ballon d’Or The golden sphere was born at the headquarters of France Football.
3 Trocadero at night, the best place to enjoy the Eiffel Tower.
4 Arc de Triomphe Napoleon’s caprice to celebrate Austerlitz.
5 Hotel Delaunay Named after the former president of UEFA and its trophy.
6 Café de Flore The second home of Sartre and Simone De Beauvoir.
7 Pigalle Like Amsterdam’s red light district but more glamorous.
8 Hotel Ambassador Bernabéu and Hanot met to create the Europa Cup.
9 Sacré Coeur The basilica of Montmartre commanding the best views.
10 Le baise The City Hall square and a photo by Doisneau.
11 Père-Lachaise Artists’ Cemetery, including Jim Morrison.

Ilustration by Pep Boatella / @pepboatella

A perfect idea for travelling with friends! Check out our flights and off you go!

Walking through central Prague it’s hard not to get trapped in the elaborate net of touristy souvenir shops and hot wine stands. But just like in the Dark Ages, there is a hidden layer to the today’s city bustling with lights, sights and stores. Jewelry, accessories and home décor by local artists feeding on the country’s rich design traditions may be hard to spot by accident – but now you don’t have to.

ARTĚL

Started by Karen Feldman back in 1988, now ARTĚL is a renowned glassware brand with 2 stores in Prague and a reputation far beyond. Today, they carry Karen’s own patterned glass items as well as countless multidisciplinary articles by young local designers. Earrings to candles and rings to buttons and postcards, ARTĚL is a seminal element in the local design scene.

Celetná 29 (entrance on Rybná), Prague 1
www.artelglass.com
open daily 10:00-19:00

KUBISTA

Housed in a gorgeous cubist building called the House of the Black Madonna, Kubista shares it with the Czech Museum of Cubism and the Grand Café Orient restaurant upstairs. Focusing on one-of-a-kind cubist (and other) jewelry, lamps, and ceramics, Kubista offers a refined, intimate shopping experience. Each item has the designer’s name on the tag, and extra careful packing and shipping for fragile purchases are available.

Ovocný trh 19, Prague 1
www.kubista.cz/en/
open Tue to Sun 10:00-18:30

DOX DESIGNSHOP

The DOX Centre for Contemporary Art is alone worth a visit, but the Designshop within it puts the huge complex on the must visit map. Attracting a younger crowd in terms of both buyers and designers, the DOX Designshop shows how ambitious artists experiment with jewelry as well as traditionally Czech glass and porcelain,. The Bookshop right nearby offers the best design, art and photo book selection in town.

Poupětova 1, Prague 7
www.dox.cz/en/premises-and-shops/designshop
open Mon 10:00-18:00, Wed & Fri 11:00–19:00, Thu 11:00-21:00, Sat & Sun 10:00–18:00
closed Tuesday

FUTURISTA

A unique gallery slash shop slash workshop spot right next to the Bethlehem Chapel, Futurista Universum strives to offer what’s freshest in the local design world. Go there for an impressive selection of contemporary jewelry with an edge, cheeky accessories, and beautiful minimalist glassware. Check the website for the list of current exhibitions.

Betlémské náměstí 5a, Prague 1
www.futurista.cz/en/stranka-o-nas-2
open Mon to Fri 11:00-18:30, Sat 10:00-18:30

BELDAFACTORY

A family-run business dating back to the 1920-s, BELDAFACTORY fuses classical, contemporary and quirky in their distinctive jewelry, wedding rings and tableware designs. Made by hand with metal, precious stones and enamel, these are offered in their very own shop in central Prague, along with selected works by other local artists. Unique glass and porcelain articles are also available.

Mikulandská 10, Prague 1
www.belda.cz/english
open Mon to Fri 11:00-18:00

Image: Kubista

So you feel like visiting Prague, do you? Book your flights here!

We travelled to Rennes but, before embarking on this delectable tour, just a word of clarification – a crêperie does not only serve crêpes, but two, distinct variations. First, there are the galettes, in which the dough is made of water, butter, eggs and buckwheat. They are usually filled with savoury ingredients and accompanied with a glass of cider or a buttermilk known as lait ribot. Then of course, there are the crêpes proper, which are sweet. You have been warned!

Traditional and… Organic Galettes – Crêperie Paysanne

Make sure you stop over at this restaurant in the place Sainte-Anne pedestrian precinct, in the heart of the city. Their crêpes and galettes are really exceptional and the helpings plentiful, spilling out of the dish. The peculiarity of Crêperie Paysanne is that all the dishes are made with organic, regional ingredients. We can recommend traditional Brittany galette, with ham, cheese and an egg garnish. With such tasty, fresh ingredients, this basic galette gives off all its potential in flavour and aroma, particularly if washed down with cider or apple juice, which here are especially potent on account of their organic, homemade character. As if that were not enough, the galettes can be accompanied with a glass of lait ribot, which is currently made only in Brittany. The taste? Something like natural buttermilk, but with a sour, yoghurt aftertaste. Average price: galette + drink - €13 per head.

33 Savoury Specialities, & 33 Sweet Ones – Crêperie Saint-Georges

This is the crêperie which locals recommend and that is always a reliable sign. Here they offer more than 33 galettes and the same number of crêpes. The menu’s originality lies in the fact that each dish pays homage to some illustrious “George”. Special mentions go to George Clooney, featuring fresh goatsmilk cheese, spinach, tomato, cucumber sorbet and basil, and Giogio Armani, with a filling of pan-cooked foie gras, sautéed potatoes, duck magret, fleur de sel and balsamic reduction. Among the most original crêpe dishes are assorted sweets, and Milka or Smarties chocolate, but only for the really sweet-toothed. Modern, elegant interior design which exudes serenity. Average price: galette + drink - €12 per head.

Peace & Food – La Rozell

In downtown Rennes, La Rozell is another prominent venue. While their menu is as worthy of any other crêperie, what singles this one out is its priceless interior patio, where you can dine amid lush vegetation – a genuinely peaceful backwater, secluded from noise and the city bustle. Of the galettes, we especially liked l’armorique (sautéed scallop, bacon, cream and mushrooms). For dessert, try the fouesnantaise,made of apple flambéed with Lambig (a local, cider-based spirit), or the tatin caramel, a delicacy filled with salted butter – one of the region’s treasures – sautéed apple, homemade caramel and vanilla ice-cream. A taste of heaven! Average price: galette + drink - €12 per head.

You’re getting hungry, right? Come to Rennes and try their crêpes and galettes. Check out our flights here.      

Text and images by Laia Zieger (Gastronomistas)