First, the bad news – Marseille is not Paris. Unlike its long-standing rival, France’s second largest city lacks top-drawer museums, stunning landmarks and hordes of Japanese tourists queueing up outside Louis Vuitton. The good news is that… Marseille is not Paris. Pampered by the Mediterranean, this city of radiant sunlight, with its multicultural population and suburbs in the very heart of the city, is so much of an oddity that it earned itself the nickname Planète Mars.

With one of the largest ports in the Mediterranean, a chaotic urban layout and an abiding reputation for being a decadent capital, Marseille is above all France’s enfant terrible, a noisy, dynamic city full of contrasts, where street hawkers take over the pavements, walls are smothered in graffiti, one’s clothes are impregnated with a brackish odour and the Olympique de Marseille is the mortar that binds it all together.

Apart from the usual tourist destinations, the tables have turned since it was voted European Capital of Culture in 2013. Zaha Hadid, Jean Nouvel and Norman Foster all have their state-of-the-art buildings on the snazzy waterfront esplanade. The bohemian way of life, however, is to be found inland and that is where we are heading. With a map in our pockets, we embark on our alternative, urban bobo tour of the capital of Provence!

At La Friche la Belle de Mai

An erstwhile tobacco factory at the Gare Saint-Charles is Marseille’s liveliest cultural centre. We have come to La Friche! Exhibition areas, artists’ ateliers, theatre, skating ramps and even a nursery rub shoulders here. All in one hybrid amalgam and in constant flux, focused on contemporary creation in a precinct where the communal spirit matches the extensive programme.

The huge roof terrace, which affords spectacular city views, is filled to bursting in summer, as it hosts parties with guest DJs and open-air cinema on Sundays. For the rest of the year the music never stops, while the Cabaret Aléatoire features sessions ranging from rock to hip-hop.

If you need to refuel, head for La Salle des Machines, a café-bookshop where you can have a café au lait while you leaf through a catalogue of the latest shows. But, if you’re actually feeling peckish, Les Grandes Tables is the place to go. Here, the menu changes each day, but they always have the classic steak tartare and Caesar salad. Mondays usher in a market of local produce and, as you well know, French markets are peerless.

Outside, alongside the warehouses and level with passing TGVs, the walls of a city park are daubed in graffiti proclaiming “Skateboarding is not a crime”. Here, skaters spin their tricks, while others play basketball, scale the climbing wall, play in the children’s area or work the land in the community allotment. That’s Marseille – a heterogeneous magma where everyone and everything become fused.

A few metres to the west, among the maze-like streets of La Belle de Mai, stands Le Gyptis Cinéma. Their (original version!) listings are as eclectic as the city itself, featuring thematic film cycles, classics, titles you won’t find on the Internet and children’s movies. The facade is peopled with portraits of neighbourhood characters, the upshot of a communal street-art programme designed to put a face to the locals.

And, with that image fixed in our mind’s eye, we head for Cours Julien, the hardcore urban Marsellais scene.

Around Cours Julien – Street Art & Urban Vibe

Alternative, carefree and colourful, the Cours Ju, as locals call it, is the in district right now. Take the metro to Notre Dame du Mont, although the climb up from the harbour is a heart-stopper. A district of artists, musicians and designers and the bastion of the ultra-modern bobo community (bobo, in French, is a nickname for “bourgeois-bohemian”), the Cours Ju is an endless string of trendy cafés, restaurants of all kinds, vintage stores and streets covered in full-colour graffiti.

The fact is that no other spot in the “Hexagone” can boast such a tour de force of urban art of this calibre. Streets fronts along Rue Vian, Pastoret and Bussy l’Indien are overrun by countless pamphleteering murals of a social nature, with references to pop culture or signs announcing the cafés hidden inside. Street art is clearly part of Marseille’s urban DNA, both rebellious and multicultural, as evinced in their well-known hip-hop – see this fast-paced video set to a local rap rhythm to get the idea.

Against this backdrop, every square metre of what is Marseille’s Kreuzberg is inundated with alternative art galleries, terraces, cafés and stores selling anything from apparel to household goods. The best approach is to venture carefree into the chaotic maze of pedestrian streets and let yourself get carried away by the relaxed atmosphere.

In the Cours itself, the multi-faceted concept store Oogie sells apparel and books, but also serves food and houses a hairdressing salon which hosts DJ parties. Nearby, La Licorne makes soaps using traditional methods and, in the rue Trois Frères Barthélémy, the Brasserie de la Plaine micro-brewery sells craft beer and has a bistro where you can wolf down the market-cuisine formule du jour or menu of the day, which usually consists of a starter, main course and dessert for around €10.

The trendiest spot par excellence is WAAW, on the rue Pastoret. Halfway between a bistro and a cultural centre, WAAW’s activities range from presentations to silk-screen print shops. It is also the best place to make a technical stop, order the dish of the day or stock up for the evening on a pastis or rosé when it’s time for the popular “apéro” – a pre-dinner aperitif.

Night time ushers in drinks and music. Sited in the Place Jean Jaurès, L’Intermédiaire is one of the best venues for live and DJ-set alternative music. Next door is Au Petit Nice, which offers a huge selection of beers in an inner patio where you can while away the hours. And, in La Dame Noir, hipsters queue up to get into the most sought-after club in the area.

As if that weren’t enough, a local producers’ market sets up shop in the Cours Ju every Wednesday morning. Stamp traders get their turn on Sundays, while second-hand books are sold every second Saturday in the month. The Marché de La Plaine, in the Place Jean Jaurès, is a market selling fruit and vegetables, cheese, fish, takeaway food, cheap footwear and accessories of all kinds on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings, while the flower market is held on Wednesdays.

The Cours Ju has a special something which grows on you! Get going and discover cosmopolitan Marseille – book your Vueling here!

Text by Núria Gurina i Puig for Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Photos by Caroline Dutrey, Coralie Filippini, JeanneMenjoulet&Cie, marcovdz, Pop H

Tucked away between Venice and Florence, while not Italy’s most popular destination, it is certainly one of the cities that best distil the essence of the country. Bologna is nicknamed “the Learned One”, as its university is one of the oldest in Italy. It is also known as “the Red One” on account of the reddish hue of the city’s rooftops. But the most endearing epithet of the capital of Emilia-Romagna is “the Fat One”. In Bologna, gastronomy is a religion and it would be a sacrilege not to observe the ceremony involved in sitting down to table, while the traditional recipe for tortellini is jealously guarded in the city’s Chamber of Commerce vault. We ventured into the cradle of Italian cuisine and wandered through the streets of Il Quadrilatero, its historic centre (the second largest and best preserved in Italy), in search of the best restaurants, trattorie and osterie.

Mercato di Mezzo
In the heart of Il Quadrilatero, Bologna’s historic centre, stands the Mercato di Mezzo, one of the hotspots of any gastro route through the city. Its history goes back to the Middle Ages, a period when the shops and street stalls were divided up according to guilds. This state of affairs endured until the early 20th century, when the system was gradually disbanded. After being restored over the last few years, the Mercato di Mezzo, with its stalls selling fresh pasta, local wines, meats, fish, vegetables and cheeses has become the must-visit spot for all demanding foodies who happen to be in Bologna.

Osteria del Sole
You won’t see any sign or poster pointing you to what is one of the most emblematic establishments in town, so it is not easy to find. Located at Vicolo Ranocchi 1/d, between the Via degli Orefici and Via Pescherie Vecchie, you will come across something resembling a small rectangular opening in the wall. Don’t hesitate to go in, as this is the Osteria del Sole. It opened in 1465 and is Bologna’s oldest canteen. According to many in the know, in the whole of Italy as well. It breathes authenticity throughout. However, if you’re feeling peckish, this is not the place to still your hunger, as they only serve wine – and what wines, too! – beer and aperitifs like grappa or the local liqueur par excellence, Amaro Montenegro. They do let you take your own food, though, whether in a lunch box or from some nearby trattoria. Quite an experience!

Trattoria Tamburini
Trattoria Tamburini is one of those places where you would eat everything, including the tablecloth. Opened in 1932 on the premises of what was once one of the most popular butcheries in the city, Tamburini is the ideal choice for an aperitif. If your taste buds are up to having an orgasm, take up a seat on the terrace and taste their exquisite cheese and sausage boards, washed down with a fine lambrusco. They serve what are unquestionably the best mortadella and parmesan cheese in Bologna. If you feel like something heartier and more consistent, you can always go inside and wolf down some tortellini. You can’t go wrong with the ones they serve up at Tamburini.

Paolo Atti & Figli
Tortellini, zuppas, torta di riso, pane bolognese... the folks at Paolo Atti & Figli have been pasta artists since 1880. Their centuries-old workshop is located at Via Caprarie 7, while their other shop is at Via Drapperie 6. Go up close and watch how Elda, one of the most respected sfoglina (pasta makers) in Bologna, delicately and purposefully kneads the pasta based on eggs from hens who feed solely on corn and semolina brought especially from Altamura, in Puglia. They do not add any salt at Paolo Atti & Figli as they claim it kills the flavour.

Trattoria Gianni
Here is one of those secrets you’re reluctant to share with anyone, so that the next time you visit the city the restaurant is still frequented by mainly locals, with just a few stray tourists. Modest and inviting (these are definitely the ones to go for) and just a few steps away from the central Piazza Maggiore, Trattoria Gianni is the place to go all out on tagliatelle al ragú alla bolognese, tortellini in brodo (very similar to the Catalan “sopa de galets”), cotoletta (breaded veal cutlets) with baked potatoes… The premises are small, so you are advised to book in advance. Otherwise, you will have to wait a while, although the waiters will help you kill time by plying you with glasses of prosecco on the house.

Al Voltone
Their claim to fame is having been the first restaurant in Bologna to make their culinary creations using products sourced exclusively from the province of Emilia-Romagna. Popularly known as La Torinese 1988, Al Voltone focuses on simple cuisine with a steadfastly traditional essence. Or, twice good, to put it another way. Apart from the omnipresent, irresistible tagliatelle and tortellini, the menu at Al Voltone also features such culinary temptations as green lasagna a la bolognese. And, for dessert, you can’t possibly refuse to sink your spoon into their piccolo pecato with custard and chocolate.

The Grand Ambassador of Bologna
It is regarded as a lesser pleasure, but the genuine variety is exquisite and sublime. Mortadella – there are various theories about the origin of its name – is the grand ambassador of traditional Bolognese cuisine around the world. The story goes back to the Renaissance, when it is believed that Cristoforo da Messisbugo, carver to Cardinal Ippolito d’Este, devised the original recipe. Bologna mortadella is made exclusively of meticulously selected pork which is ground into a fine paste, to which are added nuggets of fat (never less than 15% or more than 28% of the total meat surface), endowing it with a characteristic flavour. It is then stuffed into a casing of natural or artificial gut. Eaten with a few slices of freshly baked bread and a piece of cheese is bliss on the palate.

Book your Vueling to Bologna and get ready to savour their excellent cuisine.

Text by Oriol Rodríguez

When you picture yourself on holiday in Lanzarote, it’s easy to make the mistake of conjuring up images of black, sandy beaches streaked with rows of sunshades and deck chairs, sun-reddened tourists wielding selfie sticks while perched on a camel’s hump – they are actually dromedaries – and hotels offering a free buffet three times a day. While clichés might be hard to banish, the truth is that “the island of volcanoes” is much more than just that.

The route we feature today bears this out – Vulcan Walk Lanzarote is a walking trail which stretches from Playa Blanca in the south to Órzola in the far north and takes you through the island’s most virgin and solitary areas. Lanzarote in four easy, varied stages which, if you prefer, can be extended to five. Further, to round it off, at the end of the hike you can opt to ferry across the sea to the small, idyllic island of La Graciosa, there to spend a couple of days delighting in its coloured mountains, enticing white sandy beaches and, above all, the reigning peace and tranquillity.

Stage 1. Crossing Los Ajaches
From Playa Blanca to Uga - 17 km / 900 m+ / 6 hours

The route starts in Playa Blanca, on the Atlantic seaboard – specifically the beach of Las Coloradas, from where you can see the mysterious outline of the neighbouring Fuerteventura island. As soon as you leave the built-up area behind, you enter the desolate massif of Los Ajaches. This vast, eroded landscape emerged some 20 million years ago and it is there that you start climbing up towards the summit of Hacha Grande (561 m).

After this first ascent, the best thing is to refuel on a delicious meal of ropavieja (meat, chickpeas, potatoes, red peppers, onion and garlic, bay leaf, thyme and cloves). This tasty dish is served up at the small Restaurante Femés, located at the village roundabout. Be warned that Femés is the only inhabited spot on today’s route.

The stage continues towards Atalaya de Femés (609 m), the second highest point on Lanzarote, after which you embark on the long, panoramic descent to Uga. The vast lava field you’ll be crossing tomorrow can be distinguished from the heights.

Stage 2. From the Heart of La Geria to the Malpaís of Timanfaya
From Uga to Tinajo - 21 km / 350 m+ / 7 hours

After spending the night in a cosy country house in Uga and breakfasting in their leafy garden – the ideal time to taste their traditional, energy-packed gofio– the second stage leads us to the heart of La Geria, a unique winemaking area in that the vines grow on picón,the volcanic gravel produced by eruptions from the early 18th century which changed the landscape of much of the island.

At the 5-kilometre mark you cross the main road and walk past two wine cellars. Bear in mind that this is your last food station before you get to Tinajo at the 18-kilometre mark.

The route continues through the malpaís of Timanfaya, a dream-like inferno of rocks, calderas and lava fields which is reached via a winding trail reserved for hikers. You wander along this route for hours through the chaos of Lanzarote’s youngest magma.

Stage 3. Coasting the Ocean
From Tinajo to Caleta de Famara - 21 km / 150 m+ / 6 hours

On the third day, the route leads from Tinajo to Caleta de Famara along the rugged seaboard, where the ocean roars between wave-eroded cliffs and volcanoes. After crowning Mt Bermeja, you come to the surfing capital of the island via an unforgettable coastal strip of white sand punctuated by large black rocks encrusted with olivine. At the end of the day, the formidable Risco de Famara cliff-face becomes tinged with the warm colours of the sunset.

For food, at the 8-kilometre mark you go through the small fishing village of La Santa (not to be confused with the nearby sports vacation centre). At the bar called El Quemao, in the street of the same name, which is frequented by local fishermen, you can eat well and cheaply. The seafood soup comes highly recommended, particularly when the fresh north wind is blowing.

Stage 4. The Abyss of the Heights
From Caleta de Famara to Órzola - 27 km / 1.500 m+ / 9 hours

The fourth stage, from Famara to Órzola, is the longest and toughest on the whole route. It runs entirely along the stunning cliffs of Risco de Famara. Access is via an amazing oasis which grows in the Barranco de la Paja, a valley flanked by sharp slopes rising over 600 metres above the Atlantic.

To have a rest and find something to eat, it is advisable to take the detour which goes through Haría (11-kilometre mark), as it has all kinds of bars and restaurants.

After your noon stopover, the route starts climbing towards the Gayo peaks, which feature some spectacular vantage points. From here it is only a few kilometres to the popular Mirador del Río. The panoramic view from this lookout is on a grand scale – the island of La Graciosa looks like a 3D map, with its colourful volcanoes, shining beach sand and white houses.

The final descent along the trail leads to the port of Órzola. Your baggage and tickets will be waiting for you at the lockers in El Graciosero. Half an hour later you land at the neighbouring island of La Graciosa, where time seems to stand still.

Relax on La Graciosa

The small island of La Graciosa, with an area of just 29 km² and still free of tarred roads, is the ideal hideout for relaxing for a couple of days at the end of the hike. Or, if you are still rearing to go, for exploring its fantastic landscape.

Book your Vueling to Lanzarote and gear up for a heady shot of trekking across the island.

Text by Sergio Fernández Tolosa & Amelia Herrero Becker of Con un Par de Ruedas

Photos by Con un Par de Ruedas and Clara Bon Photography

By Ana Sánchez brom Gastronomistas

They literally do not stop. They are really aware of what a privilege it is to have long sunny days in summer and their agenda is full of events, all over the city. The best option if you go to Helsinki is to visit the tourist office and ask about the week's programme of activities. In our case, we couldn't miss out on Restaurant Day, the day on which ordinary Fins put their creativity to the test and play at being chefs, setting up street stalls all over the city.

This is one of the most important street food events on the planet, and although it started in Helsinki, where it is now best established, it is also international in scope and any city can decide to take part in it. It is held four times a year and if you are planning a trip to Helsinki in summer, take note, because the next Restaurant Day is 17 August. You'll find food stalls all over the city, but if you really want to go wild on a huge variety of home-made delicacies don't miss the Esplanadi, one of the city's main avenues.

Let yourself be wafted away by aromas on Restaurant Day. Remember that you won't have many such opportunities to enjoy really home-made food while on holiday. So get yourself ready, spoon in hand, to visit stalls to suit all tastes. You'll find not only traditional food, such as a variety of dumplings stuffed with rice, fish or red fruits, and the yummy cinnamon rolls; but also meat grills, and stalls with oriental and Indian food, cakes and cupcakes.

Four  essential routes around the city

It's impossible to do tourism on an empty stomach, so we suggest four routes around Helsinki with obligatory stops to replenish your strength.

Architecture:15 minutes from the centre, you can start on a route through the port to arrive at the Katajanokka peninsula, one of the most charming districts of Helsinki, and lose yourself in its streets, which preserve examples of modernist architecture from the early 20th century. If you are a collector of experiences and still haven't spent time behind bars, how about trying the most authentic accommodation on the peninsula, the Best Western Premier Hotel Katajanokka (Merikasarminkatu, 1), a former prison converted into a hotel in 2007? Skirting the peninsula you'll find Johan&Nyström (Hamringevägen, 1), where you can recharge your batteries with a great variety of ethnic and ecological coffees that they select themselves from around the world.

Opposite the café you'll see one of the city's highlights, a spectacular red brick building with a green dome. This is Uspenski Cathedral, the largest orthodox cathedral in Western Europe and the main legacy of the Russian invasion. Take Aleksanterinkatuy Street to reach Senate Square with its stunning white building of Saint Nicholas Lutheran Cathedral. Inside, you'll notice the great difference between its austere Nordic decoration and the golden, iconoclastic decoration of the Russian orthodox cathedral.

If you haven't had enough and you're still hungry for Finnish culture, top off the route by trying the traditional gastronomy in Savotta (Aleksanterinkatu, 22). This restaurant sticks to the centuries-old flavours of Lapp food, with it ties to the nature of Finland's woods and lakes. Here you can try traditional creamy Finnish fish soups (normally salmon), served with the country's typical black bread. Another star dish is the reindeer, served with vegetables and cranberry sauce. If you're curious and you don't have any qualms, in Savotta you can try bear meat. We went for fish, served in a variety of Finnish delicacies: smoked pike, rainbow trout roe mousse, rye bread filled with herring, and rye pie filled with potato and cranberry.

Alternative: I don't not know what you think of up and coming alternative neighbourhoods, but we love them. Helsinki's B-side is called Kallio, a workers' district that is rising fast thanks to students, full of boutiques, bars, record and second hand shops and rehearsal rooms. Don't be surprised if you go into a bar to find it full of Finns, beer in hand and dressed in black leather jackets. You haven't been beamed back to a bikers' bar on Route 66, it's just that the Finns are very into metal. They're probably watching a game of ice hockey.

We recommend you to stop at GalleriaKeidas (Fleminginkatu, 7), where, as well as serving great organic coffee, they display work by local artists. For lunch, don't miss the fashionable restaurant, Sandro (KolmasLinja, 17), which you'll love not only for its decoration but also for its sophisticated Moroccan food.

But if you really want to find a unique place that will satisfy the most alternative of palates, you'll have to go Teurastamo. Outside the Kallio district, to the north, on Työpajankatu Street, the old Teurastamo slaughterhouse has been fully refurbished as a space for gastronomy. Inside the old slaughterhouse there are a variety of activities, including the cooking and cocktail school, Flavour Studio, an urban agriculture garden in the courtyard and a barbecue free for all to use. At the restaurant, B-Smokery, decorated with old machinery from the slaughterhouse, you can eat the best grilled meat, ribs and hamburgers. And if you're still hungry, try a dessert in Jädelino, specialising in Italian gelato ice cream for all tastes (including varieties with soya milk, unsweetened and sweetened with stevia). The ones we asked for were with currants and coconut.

Cosmopolitan: We all know the reputation of Swedish design, but Nordic design doesn't begin and end on the Expedit bookshelf. In case you didn't know, Helsinki was chosen as World Design Capital in 2012 and is responsible for great interior design icons such as the curved iittala vase (designed by Alvar Aalto) and the puppy and ball chair by EeroAarino. If you like to pick up special souvenirs on your trips, we suggest you take a stroll in the DesignDistrict, an area close to the centre where most of the decoration, jewellery and Finnish fashion shops are concentrated. Our favourite is the DesignForum Shop (Erottajankatu, 7), where, in addition to finding real objects of desire, you can enjoy coffee and a wide selection of cakes in the café.

To put the finishing touch on an afternoon of shopping, nothing better than to relax watching the sunset from the place with the best views of the city: the Ateljee Bar (Yrjönkatu, 26) in Hotel Torni. From its cocktail selection, our favourite is the AAlto, a tribute to the Finland's greatest architect, made from cranberry vodka, Cointreau, soda and lemon juice with cranberry.

Sunday tripper: When the good weather starts, Finns love to spend their time outdoors and Helsinki is fortunate to have first-rate sea transport connecting it to the main nearby islands. So don't miss out: take a boat. We suggest a visit to the island-fortress of Suomenlinna. Boats leave every half hour from the port and you will enjoy one of the most incredible views of the city on the way over. The island, a former Swedish fortress that preserves its unique architecture, is today one of the city's main leisure spots and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

There are restaurants on the island, but as we are good Sunday trippers we know you'll love to take a picnic, and we suggest you ask them to make it for you at Sunn (Aleksanterinkatu, 26). Ours consisted of several dishes: seared salmon, broccoli and potato salad, lamb's lettuce and buffalo mozzarella, chicken pie and a selection of fruit and pastries.

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